On Our Doorstep Baldock December

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

Issue 86 December 2021

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

Welcome

Just one month left of 2021! The last half of this year seems to have flown by. It feels as though we’ve gone from sending the kids back to school to sending off letters to Santa in a heartbeat.

It was lovely to see so many local faces coming out to show their respects on Remembrance Sunday.

The Baldock Beast made its highly anticipated return in November and it did not disappoint! One man exclaimed he’d never known a run like it, hill after hill to keep pushing and challenging yourself throughout. The event was a huge success and as always there was an excellent turnout and lots of spectators showing their support.

The festive spirit seems to spreading earlier every year, we’ve seen a lot of Christmas trees going up throughout November and you may have noticed the town beginning to fill with Christmas lights and decorations thanks to the Baldock Rotary Club. The ‘Big’ High Street Christmas tree will be arriving very soon ready for the big Christmas light switch on 4th December.

The Baldock Christmas Fair will be back this year with lots of treats and gift ideas for friends and family as well as lots of fun activities. The day before the Christmas fair will feature a warm up party in the High Street. There will be a heated beer tent, food stalls, funfair rides and the one and only G La Roche will be performing with a line up of local talented musical acts.

If you’re stuck for Christmas gift ideas, give local photographer David Macdonald a call. He currently has a special offer running for photo shoot sessions. A membership with Knights Templar Gym is a great gift idea if you know someone looking to change up their fitness routine or kickstart a more active lifestyle. And don’t forget Tapps Garden Centre has your festive decorations sorted and fantastic fresh Christmas trees! After all, supporting local businesses is the best gift around.

As always at this time of the year, a huge thank you to all of advertisers and our brilliant delivery team.

We would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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

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3

Anher Communi Success It was fantas c to welcome so many people back to the Baldock Community Fireworks at St Mary's Schools on Sunday 7th November 2021. Thank you to everyone who helped make the event such a success and to everyone who turned out to support this event on the night.

We are delighted to say that the money raised will ensure that we can book the Fireworks next year, as well as provide much needed funds into two community projects, and invest in new equipment for St Mary's Infant and Junior Schools. Ÿ So many people helped deliver this event and our hear elt thanks go to each and every one of them (in alphabe cal order): Ÿ Baldock Events Forum Ÿ Baldock Fes val Ÿ Baldock & Clothall WI Ÿ BME AV Ÿ Fully Fused Ÿ Knights Templar School Ÿ Leysbrook Ÿ North Herts District Council

Ÿ Sophie Mead and her beau ful

horses Ÿ Tapps Ÿ Table 41 Ÿ The London Show Choir and our

special guest Kerry Ellis Ÿ The Headteachers and Staff of St

Mary's The St Mary's Children's Choirs All our vendors – Li le Party Lambs, Apna Punjab, Paella Paella, Letchworth Rugby Club, Toas elicious, Abbots Amusements, Letchworth Arts & Leisure Group, Baldock Rotary ….and my Fabulous TEAM PTA and their families – thank you!

We are looking to hold 2022 event on Sunday 6th November. Keep your eyes on the Facebook Page for updates: www.facebook.com/baldockcommuni tyfireworks See you next year!

Emma Rowe – PTA Chair, St Mary's Schools Baldock Ÿ Ÿ

with over 35 years experience

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And It’s Back A er a very successful Christmas Fayre in 2019 we were so disappointed that we weren't able to put it on last year, as was the whole community. We did the best we could with the virtual switch on, and were overwhelmed by the support from the lovely residents of our amazing town. This year we are back with a vengeance, and we are making it a 2 day event to try to make up for lost me!!

We kick off the proceedings with our Christmas Fayre Warm Up Party at 5pm on Friday 3rd December, with Abbo s Fun Fair, interna onal food court courtesy of Street Food Heroes, and the

heated beer tent, which will be even bigger than before! Our very own “G” La Roche will be there with his students from 6-6.45, followed by Steph Sco at 7, then Cara Beard at 8.

The music will finish at 9pm, but we'll be there enjoying the fes vi es un l 10pm.Then from 11am on Saturday 4th December the tradi onal Christmas Fayre will begin. The cra stalls will be in St Mary's Church Hall, the Baldock Arts and Heritage Centre and the Community Centre's youth wing as well as a few back on the High Street. There will be the infamous stage by the Christmas Tree with Darren returning as the fantas c compere we've all come to know in recent years, joined by his side kick “Simon the Snowman”. Once again G has arranged a fantas c line up of our local, talented musical acts with a variety of performers to suit everybody's taste.

Once again the music will stop at 21:00 (we have to consider the neighbours) but the bar will be open un l 22:00.

We can't wait to see you all down there, and celebrate with you all in true Baldock Style!!

Lots of love and Christmas cheer to you all from us all at the Baldock Christmas Fayre Commi ee.

Katy, Tara, Stuart & Alistair xxx 12:00 – Christchurch Choir 13:00 – Praise Be 14:00 – Magenta Slipperz 15:00 – Bianca iEgos 16:00 – Mr Speaker 17:00 – Becky Briar Rouge 18:00 – THE CHRISTMAS LIGHT SWITCH ON 18:15 – The Scallywags 19:15 – G La Roche 20:15 – The Real McKoys.

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Christmas Event at Gallery 1066

T

he team at Gallery 1066 are delighted to be able to finally invite our local community to a day and evening of Christmas Gift Ideas; fizz, mice pies and music all await you at our Boutique Gallery opposite The George in Baldock town centre.

Our Christmas opening event will be held on Thursday, 2nd December from Midday - 9pm, with a selection of leading Uno de 50 Jewellery brand, ladies accessories and chic fashion, Christmas gift ideas and stocking fillers with of course our walls decorated with incredible works of art!

If you’re looking to discover that special gift for someone or simply treat yourself…be sure to join us and get your name on the guest list!

Please feel free to bring a guest and spread the word and make a day to remember with our lovely Christmas spoils.

If you can’t join us on our opening Christmas event please do not worry!

We will have our doors open all the way until Christmas Eve. We are more than happy to help with ideas for you or your special someone, so please feel free to come in and have a chat with us.

It feels like such a long time since we have been able to host something like this for our local community so please do pop by and support small and local!

RSVP Event hayley@gallery1066fineart.com 01462 896164

DECEMBER

2021

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Some Part Of A Far Flung Foreign Field That Will Be Forever Letchworth Unlike the other rugby clubs in North Herts , Letchworth GC Rugby Club has existed since the early 1920s and thus had players who fought and some of whom sadly died in World War 2 .

Indeed the Role of Honour on the clubhouse wall contains nearly 20 names of the fallen . Fortunately the fates of these brave young men were catalogued by ex RAF flier GORDON Collinson who passed away three years ago at the grand old age of 95 .

Now two stalwarts of the club , long term player Adam Winwood and treasurer Chris “ TAFF” Marshall have made it their mission to try and visit every known grave of the men represented on the club house board .

Obviously an epic task as most lie in European countries or beyond and some have no known res ng place .

William “ Billy “ Barron is the first to be located at Caserta just north of Naples on Italy’s Amalfi coast .

Gunner Barron’s fate was nothing short of tragic for his family who lived in Nevells Road Letchworth . He had been involved in severe figh ng in Iraq and was reported as “ missing “ at the end of June 1942 . However at the end of September his mother received a joyous postcard to say he was alive and recovering as he put it “ in the midst of beau ful Italian scenery “ Then two weeks later the sudden news of his un mely death from dysentery as a POW was received .

Billy Barron was just twenty two years old Before the war he had played rugby for Letchworth and cricket for the Tabulators and was seen as a fine all round sportsman and outgoing and pleasant young man with a great future before him Now 79 years to the week of his sad demise his short life has been remembered and honoured by these

two members of his formal Club who visited his grave and laid flowers and a Letchworth Rugby Cap .

No doubt there will be further expedi ons to find the res ng places of others who lie in far flung graves that will be forever linked with Letchworth RFC …..Rest easy Gunner Barron .

DECEMBER

2021

11

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Screen this months new releases

CLIFFORD - BIG RED DOG

SPIDERMAN NO WAY HOME

Out 10th December

Out 10th December

Marvel Studios' Eternals features an exciting new team of Super Heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind's most ancient enemy, the Deviants.

Picking up after the events of 2019's “Spider-Man: Far From Home and with Spider-Man's identity now revealed, our friendly neighbourhood web-slinger is no longer able to separate his normal life as Peter Parker from being a superhero. When Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange, the stakes become more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

Certificate PG

Certificate TBC

Running Time 96 mins

Running Time 129 mins

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MATRIX RESURRECTIONS Out 22nd December

Out 22nd December

Free your mind. It’s not a remake, reboot, or reimagining, it’s a resurrection. After 18 years, The Matrix is back, though not the same as we left it. Shifting release dates cast some doubt over whether the film is actually coming out this year, but the first full-length trailer is finally here. And it suggests that The Matrix Resurrections will live up to the original trilogy’s legacy of entertaining and challenging science fiction.

The King's Man is actually a prequel to 2014-released Kingsman and is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated action spy movies fans have been waiting for. As a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King's Man.

Certificate 18

Certificate 15

Running Time 148 mins

Running Time 131 mins Answer-phone on both numbers & will return all calls

DECEMBER

2021

13

All Boiler Maintenance, Serving & Repairs

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DECEMBER

2021

The Only Car You’ll Ever Need

BMW 3 Series M340d xDrive Saloon

By Tim Barnes-Clay - Follow on Instagram @tbarnsclay Since its launch back in the decade of space hoppers and flared trousers – (the 1970s for those of you who don't know what I'm on about), over 15 million 3 Series models have been sold.

Many of the sales have happened here in Britain, but compe tors like Audi's A4 and Mercedes' C-Class are constantly snapping at the 3 Series' coa ails.

These motors keep BMW from res ng on its laurels too much, which is good because it keeps the bimmer sharp.

BMW's 3 Series line-up entails a bunch of petrols and diesels – and the 330e hybrid. The engines can be massively powerful, and it's the M340d xDrive I drove for this review.

The oil-burner costs over £53k and comes with a three-litre turbo unit.

This powerplant produces 340PS, and with the help of a quick-shi ing eightspeed auto gearbox, 0-62mph is realisable in 4.6 seconds.

What's more, the top speed is 155mph, which is brisk enough for most folk – especially in this country with our 70mph ceiling.

Even though the M340d xDrive is propelled by diesel, the car's cabin is as quiet as a church mouse. There's hardly any vibra on from the engine, either.

Much of the sound-deadening can be a ributed to well-sealed window surrounds, double-glazing and a windscreen with acous c glass.

The M340d makes light work of the UK's well-worn road surfaces. It skips across potholes and s cks to corners like gum to the sole of your shoe.

Despite being known as a “compact” execu ve, the 3 Series is no small car.

However, at the ller, it feels lithe and light. The steering set-up makes driving the vehicle effortless, and the switchgear is intui ve, making the saloon perfect for trips around town or longer commutes.

There's more room inside the BMW than you might imagine. It will seat fiveup, although two adults in the rear will be more comfortable than three. This is due to the intruding transmission tunnel.

While it's a low-slung saloon to get into (perhaps too low for some), the back doors are large, and there's a good serving of headroom. Of course, you will also get your family's belongings in the 480-litre boot.

The 3 Series has lots of side pockets in the load bay, too – and you can order luggage nets as an op onal extra. Also, the BMW's rear seats fold down if you want to load long or bulky items.

As with most motors, the declared fuel economy sta s cs for the 3 Series differ depending on how sizeable the wheels and tyres are. But, as a rule, the bigger the wheels, the thirs er the car becomes.

The M340d xDrive on test here returns up to 46.3mpg, and emissions are rela vely low (considering the car's performance) at 159g/km CO2.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the BMW 3 Series a ained the maximum five-star grade when tried and tested by Euro NCAP. It achieved a genuinely incredible 97 per cent score for adult occupant safety, with tallies of 87 per cent in both pedestrian and child safety.

Fast Facts BMW 3 Series M340d xDrive Saloon as tested: Ÿ Max speed: 155mph Ÿ 0-62 mph: 4.6 secs Ÿ Combined mpg: 46.3 Ÿ Engine layout: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel Ÿ Max. power (PS): 340 Ÿ CO2: 159 g/km Ÿ Price: £53,420

DECEMBER

2021

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Peace of Mind this Christmas Most of us have experienced the pressure to have the “perfect” Christmas but o en the fes ve period can intensify the feelings of loneliness, increase financial worries and anxiety. The Na onal Council for Hypnotherapy says around one in seven people are suffering from stress or anxiety at any one me in the UK. At Christmas this figure rises sharply according to research by the charity Mind.

The fes ve season can bring up painful memories of maybe losing a loved one, dysfunc onal family rela onships, living too far away from family or because of social isola on. Loneliness at Christmas could be par cularly hard. There are

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2021

ways to cope with being alone at Christmas, you can address your mental state and how it is contribu ng to your loneliness, Christmas is the perfect day to take the me to appreciate what you have in life, is it good health? A place to live? Enjoy your job? Write down a few things you are grateful for on this day, it helps to put things in perspec ve when you have gra tude. One way to cope with being alone on Christmas is to actually go out and do something produc ve, maybe wrapping up warm and going for long walk which helps with mindset and mental state for the day.

Have you turned down invita ons as you feel you uncomfortable? Say Yes the fear is far worse then the actual event and you may even enjoy yourself!

Another way to gain a be er apprecia on for the good things in your life is to get involved in volunteering, it's a great way to connect with others, boost your self-esteem and bring joy to people who are less fortunate, some ideas could be helping out a soup kitchen, if restric ons allow visit lonely residents at a nursing home.

Something we have got use to over the last couple of years is celebra ng over video calls or online which is a good way of catching up with people you can't be in person with.

Christmas is highly commercialized and told that to be happy at Christmas we must be generous by buying and giving lots of gi s.

However, the reality for many people is that they are struggling financially and may be already living with debt. Take a moment to consider your reality and your capaci es. You may decide you can't afford to give presents like you have in the past, be open with friends and family and men on in advance that you will be cu ng down on the present buying, or consider ge ng crea ve and making gi s such as nice infused oils, Christmas punch, box of Christmas cookies the list is endless.

Anxiety can be heightened at Christmas, perhaps you are recovering from an ea ng disorder and finding it difficult to find strategies to handle the urge to

relapse over the holiday period, these celebra ons which centre on food with friends and family meals are almost in escapable and can cause tremendous anxiety for the sufferer, talking therapies have been proven to help relieve anxie es, stress and depression, hypnotherapy is a great treatment to feel more confident, relaxed in situa ons that have previously challenged you and helps to unlock the poten al you have to break free of nega ve thought pa erns and to react more posi vely and more confidently to situa ons in your life that may have previously made you anxious.

Total Therapy wishes you all a very Happy Christmas and the gi of Peace of Mind.

Kim Holloway www.total-therapy.co.uk

Your Local Home Improvement Specialists

07572 532618 www.bb-carpentry.co.uk

Oakley Free Range Turkeys

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

Chiropodist

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

DECEMBER

2021

17

You Are Not Alone Help is available to those in need As we prepare for Christmas some families and individuals will be worried about how they are going to pay their fuel and food bills over the winter. Prices are rising and some people for what ever reason are not going to meet these bills.

We are par cularly interested in talking to people who are suffering from long Covid and cannot return to work and are now receiving benefits, or people who have lost their income a er the furlough scheme ceased.

The Baldock Futures Fund is a hardship fund which was borne out of the Baldock Coronavirus Support Group and has received funds from County Councillors Michael Muir (Baldock) and Steve Jarvis

( the Villages) to support people in need because of Covid related issues.

We do also help people whose needs are not Covid related but are suffering hardship and cannot meet rising bills for food, fuel or clothes.

We want to remind people that we are enthusias c about suppor ng people to start their own business or help businesses that need some financial help to keep opera ng. We will consider loans or grants.

Apply online – www.baldockfuturesfund.co .uk or call 07815308124 Vivienne Reed – Chair of the Baldock Futures Fund

Are You Ready For Your Extra Space

UNIT 12 BONDOR BUSINESS CENTRE, LONDON ROAD, BALDOCK. SG76HP

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DECEMBER

2021

It All Began in 2011…..

Advertising from £20 per Issue info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally

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

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

of what’s on & where to find things locally

Issue 74 December 2020

www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and

surrounding villages

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

It was the clinics 10th birthday this year and like everyone else had grand plans for how to celebrate, but instead it passed with a large cake from Days the Bakers, an Instagram compe on, and a few balloons!

Before the pandemic we had put in place so many changes to make ourselves eco-friendly recycling and reusing things wherever we could, but Covid changed all that with hundreds of plas c aprons and wipes being used to comply with best prac ce from our governing bodies to keep our team and pa ents safe. We are ge ng back to more planet friendly ways now, thankfully, (and we have finished the large cake!)

In 2021 we have treated more pa ents than ever, a large percentage of whom were new to the clinic due, we think, to the numbers of people working from home on pc's developing shoulder and neck issues and those who had been furloughed who then returned to physical jobs and suffered

aches and pains.

We introduced Shockwave Therapy, Sports Injury Rehabilita on Management and Plant Based Medicine in 2021 and expanded our team to 5 Osteopaths, all of which are receiving great feedback.

As we slip into the fes ve period everyone here is looking forward to a break to be with family and friends and to rest and be thankful for the fact that we made it through another year in which we had to work closely together, to keep each other and our amazingly loyal pa ents safe.

What will 2022 bring? Who knows, but rest assured our doors are open to help the whole community with our ever expanding range of services.

The Prac oner team of Tim, Tom, Louise, Dan, Ma , Ian, Pippa, Suzanne, Lisa and Kerry and the Admin Team of Claire, Mandy, Kay, Diane, Sam and I wish you all a very jolly Christmas and a fun filled 2022.

The Amber Team

DECEMBER

2021

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Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

December 2021 Christmas is nearly here: I've got my list into Santa, a couple of new spades and a seed drill would be nice; I might have to leave the back door open, so he can get the drill indoors and under the tree.

I thought it might help if I suggested a few things for your Christmas list so that you could leave it around in case someone may pick it up and accidentally read it.

Number one on anyone's list would be a propagation box, preferably heated, one that could sit on the kitchen windowsill or the living room table where it would be nice and warm and could get lots of light. Number two would be the insert trays to fit the new one or the old one if you happen to have one already.

Number three would be the compost to fill all of your seed trays, and number four would be a list of seeds, as you wouldn't want the propagator trays and compost to go to waste, would you?

If you are a complete novice at gardening and growing your own produce, don't be embarrassed by the fact that you don't know much, we all started that way.

There is a list of seeds for beginners, whatever your age, being straightforward and good fun. An essential list for beginners would be Beetroot, Salad leaves, Bush tomatoes, Potatoes, Peas and Radishes.

The Beetroot, salad leaves and radishes could all be grown indoors if you have nowhere outside. The others could be grown on a balcony, or a small piece of garden, say 4 feet by 4 feet if you were very short of an area to have as a vegetable garden. Potatoes can be grown in a container or bag. You don't even have to buy expensive equipment to grow them. The compost bag itself will do. It would be best if you stood it endways upwards so that it's tall and slim, cut the top open, take out all but 10 cm of the compost, place your seed potatoes onto the compost. You will only need three, four at the most, cover

them with compost with about 10 cm above them, roll the compost bag down to just above the level of the compost and leave them to grow, water if needed, but do not flood the bag, if needed put some small drainage holes in the bag.

When the shoots grow through the compost and are standing 10 cm higher, recover with more compost and keep repeating the process until you reach the top of the bag, unrolling the bag as you go. If you have a warm greenhouse or space in a conservatory, you could start this off as soon as February. I have started as soon as mid-January but be very aware that the results of starting that early are not good. Potatoes are very greedy and need a lot of feed and water.

You can purchase potato feed, a good idea for beginners, sometimes it is just as well to use liquid feed and use the prescribed amount found in the instructions, that way, they get some feed every time you water them.

The next thing I am always asked is when to harvest them? Well, my view is to look into the bag container or under the soil if growing them outside and decide for yourself if they are large enough for the intended use.

Leaving potatoes until they have flowered is a bit old fashioned these days and may tend to cause you to leave them too long, catching blight or getting scabby skins. It is, of course, your decision entirely, and you may want the largest spuds you can get. Whatever you decide to do, don't leave the potato hulme or top greenery on the pots after you have decided on the size you want, as they will keep growing or get every pest and disease you can imagine and be a mess. Stop watering and feeding at that point; keep them as dry as you can, and they will store for ages. Sometimes we would harvest our field of spuds in early September; another time, we would be harvesting them in late November.

If you are a bit keener and want to try other easy crops, there are all types of

lettuce to try that can be grown indoors or outdoors; they have different shapes, sizes and colours, your choice. You can even grow them hydroponically, which means they grow in just a water and feed solution. The plants are supported above the water feed solution with their roots trailing into it. This system is a fantastic producer of crop weight but a bit messy for indoors, so I suggest it best be done in a greenhouse. You will have to look up how to mix the liquid solution as it is too complicated to write about here; many crops and plants can be grown hydroponically. Some will get you and me into deep trouble so that I won't mention them here.

If you decide to have a go with your 4ft by 4ft garden, I suggest you grow some Bush tomatoes; they don't need strings or very long canes to grow up. But they will need some support; you only need a couple, one on each end of a row. A row of peas or a row of broad beans, some carrots are fun, spring onions, radishes, some lettuce and the Beetroot I mentioned at the start; Beetroot is significantly underestimated in their versatility and ease to grow. Do remember that Beetroot dislike the cold and extremely dry conditions either will send them into a bolting stage where they start to make seed as they think their end is near, so they need to reproduce quickly. Once they have bolted, they will no longer be of any use in the kitchen.

If you have a few minutes every other day and you can keep the weeds under control, then a little veg garden, as I've indicated, will give you great enjoyment and something fresh for the table, next year you might want to enlarge it and grow runner beans or sweetcorn.

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy it.

Cheers and Merry Christmas

Graham DECEMBER

2021

21

SAME PHONE NUMBER SAME GREAT SERVICE JUST A DIFFERENT ADDRESS Please call....

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DECEMBER

2021

Keep your pets safe this Christmas

UK Christmas Postal Dates * th

18 December nd

2 Class & Royal 2 Class Mail Signed For nd

The holiday season is upon us, which means we enjoy trea ng ourselves – including our furry friends! However some treats for ourselves can be dangerous if consumed by our beloved pets. For example chocolate, grapes/raisins and onions are all toxic foods for dogs and cats. During these cold months many households will use an freeze in ponds, fountains or on our roads.

An freeze is highly toxic to both cats and dogs, and will require urgent veterinary treatment if consumed. To ensure your pet is safe during these months you should feed your pet treats that are specific to their species rather than “human food”, and research any food you are unsure as to whether it is toxic for your pet. If you require more informa on on toxic foods for your pet then please call Royston on 01763242221 or Baldock on 01462895579.

th

20 December st

1 Class & Royal 1 Class Mail Signed For st

nd

22 December Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed *Recommended

COPY DEADLINE for the January / New Year issue is 10th December

Advertising from £20 per Issue info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally

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

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

of what’s on & where to find things locally

Issue 74 December 2020

www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and

surrounding villages

‘Please ur keep yo this Pets safe ristmas’

Ch

DECEMBER

2021

23

R.H GARDEN DESIGN The Garden Specialists

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DECEMBER

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

of what’s on & where to find things locally

Issue 74 December 2020

www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.

Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and

2021

uk

surrounding villages

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

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THEYou POWER Support When NeedOFItHYPNOSIS Most…

When you lose a loved one there are so many prac cal things to think about – an overwhelming list of companies to contact and jobs to do, and all this is made so much worse when you are grieving as well.

Here is some informa on that may be useful at this extremely difficult and confusing me: 1. When registering a death you should be told about the 'Tell us once' service.

It's an online form which ensures that all government departments are no fied. If you complete this process it saves you having to contact all government departments separately.

2. Whilst banks will ini ally freeze all the sole accounts of the person who has died, they will release money to pay funeral bills and for any Inheritance tax which may be due; even if they need 'Probate' before they can release the rest of the money they are holding.

3. Where joint accounts are held, it is usually just a ma er of presen ng a death cer ficate, and then the organisa on will remove the name of the person who has died from the account.

4. Probate' is the name given to the legal document which is some mes

needed for executors to deal with an estate – it is needed where there is property or shares, and o en requested by banks if they are holding a lot of money (unhelpfully they all have different levels of money they will release without Probate). If there is no Will then the equivalent document is called 'Le ers of Administra on'.

5. Don't forget to tell insurance companies as soon as possible when somebody dies – if they aren't informed and something like a fire or burglary happens, the policy can be invalidated if the company weren't in possession of all the facts.

6. Don't forget about Land Registry! Where a property is owned in joint names they just need a copy of the death cer ficate and they will then remove the name of the person who has died from their records.

Where a property is solely owned, or owned as Tenants in Common in percentage shares, Probate will always be needed before any sale or transfer of ownership can happen.

You will find a lot more useful guidance on the A R K Las ng Powers & Wills website (www.arkpowers.com), including a helpful checklist of things you need to do and think about when someone dies.

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DECEMBER

2021

25

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

Happy 3rd Birthday

TEDDY-LEE 18th December

All our love Nanny and Grandad with the grey cars xx Happy 60th Birthday

MICK DUNGEY

Lots of Love Trudy 7th December

Graham Tapp Lots of love all the family

5th December

Happy Birthday

Tim Bruin All my love Lorraine

23rd December

Happy 13th Birthday

Finn Young from Mum, Dad, Riley & Erin

19th December 26

DECEMBER

2021

Of all the ar cles that I write, I find the December one the hardest. Those of you who take the me to read this and those who know me are aware that I only get the niest bit Christmassy on 1st December. My enthusiasm for the big day grows daily for the next 23 days un l the 24th when I am posi vely giddy with excitement. That's probably an exaggera on if I'm honest, but you get what I mean.

I find it quite a strain to muster up enough mental strength to write about something that I try very hard not to think about from September through November. There are two weeks to go un l the big Christmas switch on and the adverts are all about flogging us Turkey and Christmas pud.

Tis the season of the office Christmas party and as the office admin, I get the job to organise it. I normally have to start this in October. Luckily for me, its not a big job… Find a willing pub, reserve a table, tell all the staff, job done. Unfortunately, this year I've been very busy with lots of li le things that have taken priority. I've forgo en about it! I've commi ed the Christmas cardinal sin and forgo en to organise this pres gious event. Yes, like any good

admin, I wrote it down. (Actually, I'm having to write lots of things down nowadays) But my notebook is quite small, and I've found that when I flip the page, its like moving on. Done that!

Next! Anyway, that's my excuse. I'm hoping that by the me the ominous date arises I will have booked the venue and found a modicum of cheer. I will be able to hold my head up high and convince my boss that it was all in hand all along and there was never any drama. Wish me luck.

I normally get the Office secret Santa job too, but I've managed to palm that off nicely to a colleague that likes Christmas more than I do, not hard really. If my boss asks, I will say that she insisted, that I didn't have to bribe or threaten her, and that she will do a much be er job that me. I actually love the office Christmas Santa, there are twenty people on our team, all very different as you would imagine, and I just love a bit of people watching as the gi s are eagerly seized and ripped open.

It can be quite hilarious when one of the more risqué members of staff get one of the more conserva ve members or even be er, a new member of the team.

Those can be truly priceless moments.

Especially as we can only spend a fiver.

We do Secret Santa at home too, there are a fair few of us now and what with the grandkids too it was ge ng ridiculously expensive when you spend between thirty and fi y squid per person. So, a few years ago, the ghtest member of the family (no names, no pack drill, not me) suggested we do presents this way. I can't tell you how relieved I was. There's even an app for it.

How modern is that! Chuck the names in, set your spend limit and it spits out the recipient of your gi and even gives gi sugges ons. What a world we live in.

As the kids all have their own lives now and in laws to visit, I have relaxed my day down to not much really. All I ask of them is that we spend a few hours together over Christmas day or Boxing Day. We play silly games, laugh, and take the micky out of each other. I get quite drunk because I don't have to go anywhere, they remind me of the me I didn't make it to the loo, and I remind them that the Nile doesn't run through London. Monopoly is banned because my eldest cant play a clean game. Poker with a Quality Street stake is always fun.

But as we are all a bit depraved, Cards Against Humanity has become a firm favorite.

Whichever way you choose to celebrate, and even if you don't, I hope you have the Christmas you wished for. I hope you find something to belly laugh at, something that makes you laugh un l you have an unfortunate accident on your way to the loo.

Nicky

07572 532618 www.bb-carpentry.co.uk DECEMBER

2021

27

ROGERSONS REMOVALS HAPPY BIRTHDAY

OLLIE GEERE

16

13th December

TODAY

Lots of Love Mum, Dad & Isobel

Happy 7 Birthday th

George

Lots of Love from Mummy, Daddy and Samuel x

LAWN CUTTING HEDGE CUTTING LANDSCAPING PATIOS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ETHAN HANCOCK

21 19th December ASHWELL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Shie & Amy

12th December

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

MATT GEERE Lots of Love Tara

30th December 28

DECEMBER

2021

WESTON

THANK YOU ANDY First and foremost this ar cle is about Andy Saunders, the hard working man he is and the loyalty and dedica on that he has shown to our town for more years than we care to remember! I have o en heard people comment about how hard Andy works and what a great job he does and usually I just nod and agree, but this me a comment from my parents who had seen him cleaning up a er Baldock Fair really stuck with me. I thought to myself ‘actually Andy really does deserve a gesture of thanks from the Town that he has cleaned up a er for all these years’, so I started doing some digging.

I soon found out that Andy was re ring this November a er 39 years of service including many a Balstock fes val, street fairs and many more fes vi es that have been held in the high street.

The Just Giving page was set up and shared on all the Baldock social media pages and it soon became apparent how popular Andy was. The page closed raising a total of £2750.98 which has been paid over to Andy and he would like to thank each and every person and business who donated to the fundraiser.

Andy is an avid Luton Town supporter and Baldock resident Stuart Hammonds very kindly arranged for a signed shirt to be gi ed with a happy re rement message from the Luton team which I know Andy is absolutely thrilled to receive. I would also like to thanks Kendals Restora on Ltd who arranged for the shirt to be framed for me.

Andy was also gi ed a voucher for a meal in The Old White Horse and a hamper from Tescos filled with all his favourite things.

Pixiedust Designs gi ed Andy a personalised comments jar with a message of thanks from the Baldock Community. The jar has been filled with the 192 messages that were le for Andy on the just giving page.

I would like to thank the following Baldock Businesses who all generously donated to the fundraiser: Quenbys of Baldock, Cafe Luna, Mews House Dental, The Buffs Club, The Red Door, Brown & Gammons MG, Wooln- Things, JLP Decora ng, Finesse Interiors, Pixies, Baldock Boot Sale, Staffy B Interiors, Priory Picnics, The Orange Tree, 7 of Hearts, Sunshine Gardens, Stanburys Ltd, The Cock Pub and Jackson Street.

As I'm sure you can see from all the businesses who donated and the 192 Just Giving contribu ons, Baldock has done what it does best and has come together as a community to give their thanks to Andy for all his hard work.

He has gone above and beyond on so many occasions. He will be very sorely missed on the streets of Baldock and is leaving some very big boots to fill.

We all wish him the best of luck in his very well deserved re rement, he will be very sorely missed on the streets of Baldock and he is going to leave some very big boots to fill.

Laura Hoy DECEMBER

2021

29

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5 minutes with... ... Keith Gordon from *Tell us about Keith Gordon Jewellery I started as an appren ce in 1979 in a small Jewellery workshop in North London and set out on my own in 1989 doing mainly trade to trade work. Having had retail premises for over 30 years, the last 12 years in Ashwell it's now me to change to a more individual and personal way to do business.

With 40 years of experience in the trade I can offer everything from the simplest chain repair to the finest Diamond commission, I also am very happy to advise on any aspects jewellery. I love to work with people to bring there ideas to life with that personal touch. I have a love and passion for Scandinavia and have designed my own range of Scandinavian inspired jewellery which we launched in Copenhagen in 2017 and is a passionate journey I am s ll enjoying and looking forward to expanding. *Where is the company based I have now moved into a Office and showroom in Baldock were I am happy to offer a by appointment basis to discuss any requirements. I am really pleased to be offering a walk in Jewellery clinic at the Baldock community centre on Wednesdays 10 -2. Hopefully this will be every fortnight star ng in 2022. If you would like to have a private appointment at the office please just call me on 07764475391 and I will be very happy to arrange one with you.

*Where does the business come from I have been very fortunate over the years that I have many customers I have worked with that have become friends, Its always amazing to get a call to make another anniversary gi or create something special again and again. I do very li le adver sing as most of my business come from recommenda ons and referrals and I think that's probably the best complement any business can have today. *Why are you by appointment only For many years in my retail premises I have made out of hours appointments to give uninterrupted me with a client so moving into the Baldock office has given me the perfect opportunity to change to by appointment. It's be er to spend 20 minutes in a private consulta on then the constant interrup ons in a retail shop. I am happy to make appointments to suit so if you commute and an early evening is best no problem. I need to spend me in the workshop and by having an appointment system is so much more efficient. To be fair my clients like say they have an appointment with the jeweller !! *Find out more I always encourage people to meet me and see what I can do, I have had a life me in the trade and I am s ll as passionate toady as I was back in 1979. Please feel free to contact me and see if I can do anything to help or visit www.ashwelljewellery.com.

DECEMBER

2021

31

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DECEMBER

2021

HTC Vive Flow - Virtual Reality that put Wellbeing at the Forefront

Last month I talked about the HTC Vive Flow VR Glasses, a new lightweight Virtual Reality Headset from HTC. Since then, I have been using the specs day on day and have discovered there is more to the device than meets the eyes.

First of all, the Vive Flow is aimed squarely at a new market of people who will use the specs in a more casual manner. This is reflected in the design which looks more like a large pair of sunglasses than tradi onal VR headsets, the devices folds and slips on like spectacles and can also be worn over normal glasses if you wear them. There is an adjustment for short-sighted prescrip ons, but not for long-sighted, which is a bit of a shame (as I'm longsighted), however, I also wear contact lenses, so it's not really a problem.

They take some ge ng used to because they grip your head quite ghtly, but should adjust over me. I did find I needed to move them around a bit at first as they felt ght, but this has eased.

Once paired with your Android smartphone, you have access to a myriad of content specifically aimed at

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the Flow using Vive Port, you also have access to other content via the Firefox Reality web browser and by mirroring your phone directly.

Firefox Reality is a revela on! I soon found I could log into most of the streaming services and watch movies, the whole ambience of Firefox is much more tuned to watching movies as you can choose a completely dark surround and it feels very akin to si ng in a cinema. I watched several movies and was completely engrossed for hours.

Amazon Prime, YouTube Movies, Disney+ worked flawlessly, I couldn't get Ne lix running and AppleTV+ was also hit and miss.

I then discovered that I could access an enormous amount of VR content via Firefox Reality using the web-XR website standard. This is a VR friendly set of standards that allow websites to be wri en or adapted for VR headsets.

Fortunately, I am a website designer, so I was able to start crea ng all kinds of virtual worlds and placing 3d objects inside those worlds, it is fascina ng, you can actually walk around in 3d space (with great care!) and you start to feel the scale of your crea ons. For instance, I places a 3d model of a wooden house next to a giant pyramid, it looks awesome and the scale difference was amazing!

If you already own a VR headset, head over to h ps://xr.plus/4z9 to see a demonstra on I've set up for readers of this magazine Other notable games available on the Flow are COSMIC FLOW, HORIZONS, VISITATIONS and COLOR CONNECT FLOW. LoFi Cafe is brilliant, a great place to chill out and I managed to set it up to stream in my favourite music from DI.FM using the web browser.

The Vive Flow currently only works with Android devices which is a bit of a shame, but other than that, it's a very capable product that pulls you into a virtual world of yours or someone else's crea on and gives you a chance to 'unplug' for a while.

The HTC Vive Flow is available for £499 at h ps://drnk.uk/vive

Matt WWW.THEGADGETMAN.ORG.UK

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‘Christmas is coming,the goose is getting fat Please put a penny in the old man's hat’

Well we haven't got an old mans hat, but we have got a sleigh. Father Christmas assisted by Baldock Rotary Club will once again be visiting the streets of Baldock and surrounding villages during December and making a collection for local charities

Baldock Rotary Club Christmas Sleigh 2021 Route Day & Date

Town/Village

Route 6 p.m. to 8 p.m

Monday 29th November

Baldock

London Road Page Close

Chiltern Road Beechridge Close

Woodland Way London Road (right)

Tuesday 30th November

Baldock (Clothall Common)

Aleyn Way Merchants Walk Constan ne Place

Chauncy Gardens Mal ngs Close Walnut Avenue

Ringtale Place Barley Rise Laxton Gardens

Wednesday 1st December

Baldock

Bygrave Road Larkins Close Salisbury Road

Icknield Way East Bramley Close Grosvenor Road

North Road Grosvenor Road West

Thursday 2nd December

Baldock

The Sycamores Norton road Pepys Way

West Avenue Norton Crescent Hopewell Road

Coachmans Lane Letchworth Road

Friday 3rd December

Baldock

Weston Way Chilvers Bank

St Mary's Way The Rise

The Leas

Monday 6th December

Baldock (Clothall Common)

Nigh ngale Way Elmwood Avenue Mons Avenue

Clare Crescent Willian Way Weston Way (Top)

Ashtons lane Hillcrest London Road (le )

Tuesday 7th December

Ashwell

Ashwell Street Angels Meadow Kingsland Way

Silver Street Back Street High Street

Bear Lane Dixies Close

Wednesday 8th December

Baldock

Stane Street Hurst Close Rive Close

Eisenburg Close Rhee Spring Orwell View

Iredale Way Rye Gardens

Thursday 9th December

Weston

Forge End Damask Green Road Friars Road

Mill Lane Maiden Street Munts Meadow

Other Cul-de-sacs Hitchin Road Damask Close

Friday 10th December

Baldock

Anchor Road Turpins Way

Ivel Way Pryor Way

Byrd Walk

Monday 13th December

Baldock

Holroyd Crescent Park Drive Park Close

The Rowans Alder Close Mansfield Road

Tuesday 14th December

Baldock

Pembroke Road Pinnocks Lane Clothall Road

Limekiln Lane Penfold Close Roman Lane

South Road South Close Providence Way

Wednesday 15th December

Baldock

Football Close Jackson Street Orchard Road

Pond Lane Brewery Lane Hitchin St & The Gardens

Church Street Simpson Drive Thurnall Close

Thursday 16th December

Baldock (Clothall Common)

Wynn Close Weaver's Way Mercia Road

Westell Close Bush Spring Kings Mount

Downlands Sale Drive Kings Mount

Friday 17th December

Bygrave

Can you help? Phone Mike Williams 07940 048064

Baldock Rotary would really appreciate any me you can give to assist Father Christmas and the Elves with the street collec ons or if you were able to tow the sleigh that would be great.

DECEMBER

2021

35

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36

DECEMBER

2021

December Gallery

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

The day the town shows Respect

Stunning!!

-Matthew Bartlett

Fireworks at Saint Mary‘s junior school - Maria Oakley

Ted blending in with the autumn leaves - Caroln Rutherford Baldock Beast male winners

Baldock Beast female winners

G La Roche and the Rotary boys Young Oscar Halsey enjoying the autumn leaves - Charis Bailes

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

03444 111444 0300 300 8136 116 123

Councils 01462 474000

North Hertfordshire District

Doctors 01462 892458

Baldock Surgery

Dentist 01763 313869

Victoria Place Dental Surgery

Emergency Utilities 0800 111 999 0800 7838838

Gas Emergency Electric power cut

Hospitals Lister Hospital Queen Elizabeth 2 EMERGENCY HEALTH

01438 314333 01707 328111 111

Library Baldock Library

0300 123 4049

Police 01707 354000

Police

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

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

Travel 08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608

Arriva Buses National Rail Enquires National Bus line

Vets 01462 895579

Baldock Veterinary Centre

Nurseries 01462 892172 01462 896322 07736 124327

Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round Peanuts Preschool

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

38

DECEMBER

01462 491149

2021