Janaury 2018 issuu

Issue 40 January

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

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

Happy New Year And welcome to the first issue of 2018! We hope you all had a great Christmas and got to spend some quality time with family and friends. Baldock's Christmas lights received lots of positive comments this year which was nice to see, as did the Christmas fair. The whole High Street was buzzing with local people all taking in the festivities and enjoying the lovely atmosphere.

2017 was finished off with a few days of snow, a little too early for a white Christmas but good fun nonetheless.

Weston Hills had a lovely thick layer which made the perfect scene for lots of excited kids (and their equally excited parents) to spend a day or two sledging, building snowmen and having the inevitable snowball fight before heading home very cold and soggy in need of a good warm up!

There were some great pictures being shared on social media and sent in to us which inspired a new feature for us: ‘The Baldock Gallery’. Each month we'd love to share your snaps taken in the local area, whether they were taken a few minutes ago or a good few years back. If you have any photos you would be willing to share check out page 37 for more information.

The centre pages of this month's magazine feature a Neighbourhood Planning Questionnaire regarding the plan to build thousands of new home around Baldock.

Everyone who lives and works in the area is encouraged to complete the questionnaire, this can be done online or pulled out of the magazine and completed on paper.

Unfortunately there are still lots of vans and homes being broken into in the local area. I'm sure many of you will have received the crime prevention notice from the police through your letter boxes in December, reminding you to take extra precautions and report any suspicious activity.

For those of you who like to jump on the “new year, new me” bandwagon get ready because the Baldock Beast is returning in February 2018. You can register online now for the legendary half marathon to secure your place.

If you would like to get involved or help deliver future issues in 2018, please do contact us and don't forget to follow us on Facebook or Twitter for frequent updates, and news.

Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

Jacqui Calver 07973 788418

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Planning for Baldock's future neighbourhood plan update Simon Holtom

A lot has been happening over the past month. The Baldock, Bygrave and Clothall Planning Group are running a survey to help produce the neighbourhood plan. Everyone who lives or works in the area is encouraged to complete the ques onnaire.

FIND YOUR COPY IN THE CENTRE OF THIS MAGAZINE. The ques onnaire can be completed online, or the paper copy can be delivered to one of the collec on boxes listed on the form. The final Comple on date is February 14th, but don't put it off!

A BBPlan commi ee member said "It is vital that people of all ages get involved in this project. We may not be able to change the number of homes which will be built, but we can and should use this opportunity to influence the way it happens."

Go to the website at www.bbplan.co.uk for more informa on on the ac vi es of the group and how to get involved.

Meanwhile, the inquiry into North Her ordshire's Local Plan con nues. It has been very interes ng to see how this is going.

Topics such as the environment, Green Belt and infrastructure have already been discussed.

The inquiry con nues into the New Year, with a specific session on Baldock on Tuesday 6th February 2018, at 9am.

Anyone can go along and listen to the proceedings – details are on the North Her ordshire website at www.north-herts.gov.uk and on our website.

Chris ne Watson For BBPlan

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY

GEORGE MORRISON 5th JANUARY

Lots of love Mum, Dad & Eleanor

Happy Birthday

Paul Edwards 8th JAN

With love from Gayle Emma & Robyn xx HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY

ALEX ROWLEY 5th JANUARY

Lots of Love Mum & Fran

Happy 10th Birthday

Phoebe Jeffrey 21st January

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Her ordshire Constabulary would like to wish all residents in the county a merry, crime-free Christmas.

During December police are reminding residents to keep their homes and valuables secure by following some simple crime preven on ps to make sure everyone enjoys a wonderful Christmas.

Inspector Nicola Dean, from the Crime Reduc on Unit, said: “The weeks leading up to Christmas are a busy me of year for everyone, including criminals. At this me of year thieves know that homes are full of gi s and will be on the lookout for opportuni es to steal them. Leaving gi s in outbuildings or in cars makes them more accessible to thieves. If you leave valuables on view either at home or in the car, a thief may be tempted.” Ÿ Make sure you keep all your gi s in a secure place – don't leave them in the shed or garage, or on view near windows or doors. Ÿ Don't leave bags, purses or other valuables on view in your car. Ÿ Lock up when you leave – make sure all windows and doors are securely locked when you leave the house or go up to bed. Ÿ Security mark valuables and register them for free on www.immobilise.com Ÿ Security marking and registering your children's Christmas gi s will help to keep them safe and get them returned if they are lost or stolen. Ÿ When out shopping push your purse to the bo om of your bag and zip it securely, wallets should not be carried in back pockets. Ÿ Consider installing a door bell camera, internal camera and/or monitored burglar alarm. Ÿ Install 'dusk to dawn' external ligh ng and use mer switches in your home to control internal lights, radios and a simulated TV. Visit www.owlprotect.uk for discounts on security products.

For more crime preven on advice visit: www.herts.police.uk?protectectyourhome

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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

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Since 1978 Baldock Rotary Club have taken on the job of ligh ng up Baldock town centre. This ac vity involves inspec ng and repairing the lights, arranging the installa on of power and mers at all of the par cipa ng premises, pu ng up the lights and also taking them down at the end of the Christmas period. Generally, this work is completed by members of the Rotary club with addi onal help by willing volunteers.

This year a significant amount of me and effort, par cularly

by Rotarian Rob Cusworth, has been put into extending where lights have been installed, and, also adding more light strings to complement the light panels that have been tradi onally used in the past. This has served to refresh the presenta on of the lights and this approach has been welcomed by the people of Baldock who have been very complimentary and

apprecia ve of the presenta on of this year's lights in Baldock. Perhaps the most significant addi on this year is the ligh ng of St Mary's Church Tower to provide a high level focal point to the town's illumina ons. Rotary President Mike Williams thanked the Baldock Beer Fes val commi ee for their dona on which was made to assist with the costs of maintaining the current lights and purchasing addi onal lights.

The other major Christmas me ac vity for the Rotary club is taking the sleigh with Father Christmas on board around the streets of Baldock and surrounding villages. This year's sleigh programme got off to a difficult start when it became apparent that Santa had not completed the necessary administra ve formali es. However, a er speaking to some helpful elves things were sorted out and Santa on his sleigh along with his elves duly set about his du es.

The club gets considerable pleasure from knowing that the community enjoys and appreciates its efforts in providing both the Christmas lights and we know Father Christmas and the sleigh bring delight to children and parents alike.

President Mike commented that the club is very grateful for the generosity shown by the public over the Christmas period which enables it to make significant dona ons to local charitable causes throughout the year.

Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for a happy and healthy 2018 from everyone at Baldock Rotary Club.

Rotarian - Paul Lucke

The copy deadline for February’s issue is 14th January

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SHUTTER PROMOTION

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Back to Netball provides a gentle introduction for female players over 16 years of age. Sessions are coach led and cover basic skill development and court play.

Avenue Park, West Avenue

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Weston Way Food Bank For the last 3 years Weston Way Nursery School have been encouraging the families of the children a ending to contribute items to the local Food Bank. We have been very impressed with their ongoing generosity.

It is very important that children are aware that others might not be as fortunate as themselves and they are able to make small contribu ons to help others.

This Christmas we asked families to contribute Advent Calendars to the Food Bank and we are very proud to say we were able to contribute 82.

We are also pu ng together some Reverse Advent Calendars that we will deliver to the Baldock Community Centre on Wednesday 20th December. These will be to support senior ci zens in the local community.

Jane Mille - Headteacher

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n O s ’ t a h W Baldock Town FC V London Lions

DEPARTING FROM BALDOCK

Wednesday 3rd January for 19.45pm KO - New Lamb Meadow, Arlesey. This fixture the Semi-Final that was postponed from 13th December

Coding Workshops For Children 4th January, Baldock Arts & Heritage Centre. For More Details Contact steph@step-dev.co.uk

Icknield Quilters Monday January 8th - Community Centre at 7.30 pm for 7.45 pm start. Our speaker is Marion Maule who is giving a talk entitled 'Tape Measures'. For more information check out our website: www.icknieldquilters.co.uk

Emergency First Aid at Work Sunday 14th January 9:00 – 16:30, Avenue Park. A full day workshop for participants to learn First Aid Primary Survey & Recovery Position, CPR, Heart Attack, Choking, Bleeding & Shock, Defibrillation training,

Councillors Community Surgery Saturday 20th January, from 10.30am - 12pm at Garden Square Shopping Centre, Letchworth.

Do You Have Any Concerns Or Questions come along & discuss them with NHDC

Cancer Wellness Support Group Thursday 25th January 7pm -9pm, The Hawthorne Centre Letchworth A New Monthly Support Group Supported By MacMillian Cancer Support

Visual magic in musicals Thursday January 25th 10.30am-12.30pm, at The Settlement, Letchworth. Tutor Christopher Budd talks about the pioneering techniques used in the heyday of silver screen legends like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.

Priced at £10.

Baldock Museum and Local History Society Thursday 25th January at 8pm in Baldock Community Centre. Archaeologist Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews takes a fresh look at the Royston Cave, its Medieval wall carvings and the possible connection to the Knights Templar. Visitors £2; members of Baldock Museum and Local History Society free

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.

Traditional Scottish Burns Night Friday 26th January 7pm- midnight, Needham House, Little Wymondley. 3 course meal & dancing until late.

For more information call 01462 679540 or email danielle.swinburne@ghhospicecare.org.uk.

Team Herts Volunteering Fair Tuesday 30th January 1.30pm - 3pm - Healthy Living Centre Letchworth. Are You Interested In Volunteering?

They Now Are Recruiting In Our Area

Baldock Beast Half Marathon Sunday 25th February, Old Wallington Road. Start Time 10am. For More Details Contact Richard Harbon 07496367275 or www.baldockeventsforum.org.uk If you would like to have your event included FREE in the next issue please email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk by 16th Jan 2018.

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Ideas for New Year Resolutions 1. Learn Something New Everyday - Set the resolu on to learn something new every day in order to have a be er understanding of the world and how it works. Fortunately, the internet makes it incredibly easy to learn new things.

2. Start A New Hobby - Did you know that having a hobby is good for you?

Hobbies can lower your stress levels, boost your brain power, improve your ability to focus, and more. Therefore, in 2018, start a new hobby.

3. Stop Procras na ng - If you didn't achieve your goals this year, procras na on was the likely culprit.

Make 2018 the year you stop procras na ng and start ge ng things done. This will help you to ensure that you won't be si ng there at the end of next year wondering why you never got around to working on your goals.

4. Become more Confident - Confidence can be defined as your belief in your own abili es and in your capacity to get what you want. In turn, the importance of confidence cannot be overstated.

Confident people are happier, more relaxed, more likely to take chances, and more likely to succeed.

Fortunately, there are ways to become more confident. These include giving yourself credit for what you do, cul va ng your inner advocate, and taking consistent ac on toward the achievement of your goals. Make 2018 the year your confidence soars 5. Be Kinder to Yourself - You may not be able to control how kind other people are to you, but you can always control how kind you are to yourself.

This upcoming year, set the resolu on to believe in yourself, respect yourself, and treat yourself well.

Hypnotherapy is one of the most effec ve ways to boost your confidence and increase your self esteem to achieve any New Year resolu on you desire.

Kim Holloway Total-Therapy

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a p p s Our pick of this month’s must have downloads Whos In - IOS & Android A quick and easy way to organize your hang-outs with pals — pick what and where you want to do. Then send the event to your friends and have them vote on loca on and me, as well as confirm if they are coming Pin Drive - IOS This app uses AR to show you where you parked your car. Park, take a photo of your loca on and place a "pin". When you come back, pull out your phone and look through the viewfinder to see your digital pin.

Canva - IOS & Android (free) Create beau ful designs for work, school and play in minutes, no design skills or complex so ware needed.

Canva is an all-in-one design app that allows you to produce eye-catching graphics on the go.

Sweat Deck - IOS The deck of cards workout that will help you mix up your fitness rou ne with an endless combina on of simple & effec ve workouts. Do you have what it takes to make it through an en re deck of cards?

Skoove - Learn Piano - ISO & Android Have you always wanted to play piano, but didn't know where to start? Now you can be the pianist you've always dreamed of. Start your journey now with over 300 interac ve lessons and over 100 songs.

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JANUARY MOVIES JANUARY 1st - MOLLY’S GAME The true story of Molly Bloom, a beautiful, young, Olympicclass skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by the FBI. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknown to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led people to believe.

JANUARY 5th - All The MONEY in the WORLD The story follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail to convince his billionaire grandfather to pay the ransom.

When Getty Sr. refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son’s captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son’s life in the balance, Gail and Getty’s advisor become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.

JANUARY 19th - COCO Despite his family's generations-old ban on music, young Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead. After meeting a charming trickster named Héctor, the two new friends embark on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

JANUARY 19th - THE COMMUTER Insurance salesman Michael is on his daily commute home, which quickly becomes anything but routine. After being contacted by a mysterious stranger, Michael is forced to uncover the identity of a hidden passenger on the train before the last stop. As he works against the clock to solve the puzzle, he realizes a deadly plan is unfolding, and he is unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy that carries life and death stakes for everyone on the train.

JANUARY 26th - 12 STRONG In the wake of Sept. 11, Capt. Mitch Nelson leads a U.S. Special Forces team into Afghanistan for an extremely dangerous mission. Once there, the soldiers develop an uneasy partnership with the Northern Alliance to take down the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies. Outgunned and outnumbered, Nelson and his forces face overwhelming odds in a fight against a ruthless enemy that takes no prisoners.

JANUARY 26th - THE DEATH CURE Young hero Thomas embarks on a mission to find a cure for a deadly disease known as the "Flare”. He leads some escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions that the Gladers have been asking since they arrived in the maze.

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Rescuing and Re-homing Heathlands Animal Sanctuary is in its 25th year of rescuing and rehoming abused and abandoned domes c pets. From humble beginnings Heathlands has grown to match and even surpass the rehoming figures of local branches of na onal rescues finding homes for over 400 animals annually.

We rehome animals from local pounds and animals surrendered to us along with dogs from as far afield as Ireland where the situa on with stray and surrendered dogs is incredibly high.

What makes Heathlands special is that we do not use kennels.

All our animals are in foster where they can be assessed in a home environment to see their real personality. This is invaluable to having a high success rate in rehoming. Sadly, as the years go by our services are in more demand as we live in a throwaway society which unfortunately in some cases applies to our 4 legged friends. We will con nue to be there for them for as long as we are needed.

We never have enough fosterers and are always appealing for more people to open their homes to these wonderful animals and help them to find their waggy ever a ers. If you would love a dog but can't make a long-term commitment this could be the perfect solu on for you. We supply everything you need and provide full backup. You provide some basic training,

pa ence and love. The usual response we get is “oh I couldn't do it I'd never let them go” but when the alterna ve is that an animal will lose its life because there is no foster space available surely saving that life is worth a few tears as you wave them off to their happy ever a er? It is incredibly rewarding, and you learn an awful lot “on the job” so to speak.

If you would like to help in other ways or make a dona on, please visit our website which is full of all sorts of informa on and stories as well as the animals we have for rehoming. www.heathlands.org.uk

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Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre

January 2018.

Where did 2017 go? One minute I'm planting my seed potatoes, the next minute there in a saucepan being parboiled ready to go in the oven, covered in goose fat to roast with the Christmas turkey. My favourite potato is Kestral a purple blotched soft to flowery type that makes a wonderful roasting potato, it is easy to grow it traditionally in the ground or in bags or large pots/ containers so is a really nice variety for beginners or those of you who only have a patio or small garden, I find it to be very good for its resistance to pests and diseases in the garden environment.

Now is the annual time for dreaming and planning for what you want to grow this coming season, I would suggest that a nice warm fire your favourite seat with a nice glass of red wine would be a good starting place, I’ve had to change my plans for this year already as Father Christmas didn't bring me my long hoped for a new tractor, plough, cultivator and planter, I'm sure he was just too busy, I will have to get back to digging by hand.

Digging any non cropped ground should have been finished by now, rough dug with the greenery well covered, the over winter cold, should do the rest for you killing unwanted pests and breaking down the large clods of soil. Hopefully we will get sufficient rainfall over the winter to give a good reserve of soil moisture well into the spring and we will get a good warm start to the 2018 season. Any ground that is carrying a crop will need to be well netted or covered in some way to distract and deter the ever increasing Pidgeon population from eating the results of your hard work.

Pruning of just about everything should be well underway you have until mid April to get it done, although I have pruned apple and pear trees in our orchards well into May, not really a problem if you are careful not to knock off the flowers or fruit bud if later. Planting of bare root trees, shrubs, etc. should also be completed by mid April at the very latest to ensure the transpiration of valuable moisture doesn't exceed the uptake of soil moisture by the delicate newly growing feeder roots.

January is a good time to get into the garden shed or garage to do the maintenance required for the garden tools, fix the mower and sharpen the blades. You could also build some raised beds for vegetables or flowers but remember the larger you make them the more they will weigh and the more soil or compost you will need to fill them so why not put false bottoms in them, you generally only need 30 cm of growing media for most veg or flowers, the unused lower part of the planter could be used for a hedgehog hotel.

Green houses, poly tunnels and cloches need maintenance and sterilisation although finding any useful chemicals to do that these days is very difficult, when I first got into horticulture as a young lad we didn't have plastic to make tunnel covers and so every thing was glass, very heavy to move around and quite dangerous to do anything with imagine being perched on top of a twelve foot high green house on a ladder changing sheets of glass, not clipped in but nailed, a few of my work mates fell off or through, I never did, I dropped very many sheets which didn't go down very well with “Tom Young� the head gardener, My main job was always scrubbing the glass with strong carbolic soap, its smell was awful , the lower sheets on the sides of the green houses would have to be cleaned with dilute acetic acid to remove the calcification on the glass surface from the hard water being sprayed on it while watering the plants inside, it was a job that made your eyes water and ruined clothes as we didn't have such things as protective clothing or PPE ( personal protective equipment ) we did have the odd leather apron or heavy India rubber gloves. We didn't have many in fact very few plastic plant pots the majority being clay, it was also my job to wash them by hand we had thousands of them in all sizes, these days we have lovely plastic pots that just need a soak in warm water a quick rub with a cloth or sponge and then draining off, likewise with our plastic cloches and tunnels making life so much easier.

January is the time of the year when online plant plug sales sites try to get you to purchase products that you as the general public and I mean that rather than being professional growers should not be trying to grow until later in the year, I have explained this numerous times but it costs a lot of money to cheat nature, the temperature you achieve the light levels you achieve will not be optimal for sustained growth and then if you pay out for equipment to enable good growth! what would you do with plants that cant go out? all you are doing is then degrading quality of crop be it flowers or fruit, many times I have been presented with photographs of tall twisted yellow looking plants with the question - what do I do with these? My answer nine times out of ten is throw them away and start again, nothing is cheap or a deal if you end up throwing it away. Mid march is quite early enough to be starting any plug plants, professionally we will be using LED lighting on timers, heating systems on very accurate thermostats, constant watering and liquid feeding all automated. If your young plants have to search for any of that you have instantly lost plant condition and as I said inevitably your total crop and or length of cropping will be compromised, we stopped selling plugs a very long time ago to protect our customers from self inflicted failure, recent years has seen many websites selling plugs, no back up or help certainly no pre purchase instructions and no return policy. There are plenty of Very good Garden Centres / Plant nurseries to buy them from who will give you good sound and valuable advice, please ask the staff at any of these it will give big rewards to them and you as they have trained, have many years experience and can help with any of your questions, If they cant answer or find someone to answer any of your gardening questions and give guarantees - Walk away. Hope that helps.

Wishing you all a happy and successful gardening new year.

Cheers Graham.

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New Baldock barbers is a cut above Gents, it's now possible to add a haircut to your supermarket shop - a new barbers has opened at the Tesco Extra in Baldock.

Gould Barbers is a family-run firm which recently moved into retail space at the High Street store.

Whether you need a simple trim or want a completely different look this year, definitely pop in.

The team is led by senior stylist Kurt Wilson, a highly skilled barber with 10 years' experience of cu ng hair.

Kurt, who grew up in nearby Biggleswade, said: “I'm proud to be part of the team at Gould Barbers and running the Baldock branch.”

“As well as delivering a high quality service, we want to offer our customers convenience. So we'll be open at 6am, six mornings a week, and all ages are welcome.”

He added: “We're also recrui ng stylists and developing the next genera on too. Our appren ce Charlie Harman is already working full me and one of my tasks will involve training as many newbies as possible.”

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Gould Barbers was founded by brothers Darran and Leigh Gould who began with one small shop in King's Lynn, Norfolk four years ago. Prior to this, they both worked in their father's barber shop for over 20 years.

In 2016, they partnered with Tesco's and entered retail space at a nearby store. Over the last few months, that has grown with the opening of six more barber shops, including Baldock.

Darran said: “The welcome we've received so far in Baldock has been fantas c and we hope customers will make the most of our high standards and convenient service.”

Gould Barbers is located at the Tesco Extra Store on the High Street, Baldock. Open Monday-Friday: 6am-6pm, Saturday: 6am-5pm, Sunday: 10am-4pm. No appointment necessary.

Find us on Facebook @ gouldbarbersbaldock.

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5 minutes with... ... Faye Gooda from *How long have you been in the beauty business?

I started working as a Beauty Therapist at the age of 18, for Jayne Miles, and con nued working for her for 3 years. I then le to start my own business 'Fayes Beauty Hut'. The business moved with me when I moved to Lower Stondon and then Arlesey, where my husband built me a salon at the bo om of my garden, I loved it!

The opportunity for me to take over Jayne Miles all started when I happened to bump into Jayne at the Co-op!

Jayne Miles Health and Beauty had been in business for nearly 30 years so it was a great opportunity for me to take over such a well established salon. I officially took over the salon in October 2017 where 'Belle & Bee Beauty' was born. The name originated from my children, Dorothy Belle and Albie - my mum has always called them BELLE and BEE. We have already started the refurbishment with our three new treatment rooms and we can't wait to do more in the New Year watch this space! *Why is beauty therapy important to you?

I love to make people feel good! You can guarantee people will walk away a er their treatments feeling be er about themselves. There is nothing more sa sfying than neatening someone up. (My guilty pleasure is waxing!!) *What makes you stand out?

Our amazing team and their friendly and welcoming service.

We love to make our customers feel relaxed, comfortable and Bee-a-u- ful!

*What treatments do you provide?

We are proud to provide such a wide variety of amazing treatments, such as, Dermalogica Facials, Hand, Feet and Body Treatments, Eyes, Waxing, Massages, Electrolysis, Nails and Makeup! What more could you ask for?! We also have rooms available to rent! There are two gorgeous Beauty Rooms available and a large, spacious room that is currently used by Yoga and Pilates teachers. *What plans do you have for the future?

Refurbishments, refurbishments, refurbishments!! In the New Year we are planning on star ng the refurb for the recep on to include a three sta on plumbed in pedicure chair, the upstairs treatment rooms and the Pilates and Yoga room. We are hoping that our new look and amazing selec on of treatments will help us gain a bigger client base. We can't wait to meet you all! *Who's you typical client?

There's nothing typical about beauty, we welcome all ages and genders. Whether it's back waxing, nails or a massage, we do it all! We love mee ng new people and making them feel Bee-a-uful. *What do you use to promote any new offers and deals?

We love to use social media to help us reach out to our new and exis ng clients, such as, Instagram, Facebook and Twi er. It's a great way for us to keep our customers updated with any availability , offers and deals that we may have on for that day, week or month! We've also introduced a new online booking system that our customers can use via our website.

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Furniture Restoration

QUOTE REF: DOORSTEP Brent@Yorestuff.com

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JANUARY

2018

Are you making any New Year resolutions?

Happy New Year! I hope 2018 brings you all you wish for! But is wishing enough? It's unlikely that it will make real changes happen! Here are a few things to consider.

Set yourself a target and measure your goals!

The first key to success is making your goals measurable.

Giving up smoking or drinking is easy to measure but what about ge ng fi er, losing weight or spending more me with family? If you do not set yourself a target then how will you know what to aim for? Following those examples, you could aim to increase your running distance by 1km per month, you could lose 2 pounds a month and for the la er example, block out a Saturday a ernoon to spend me with family. It has been shown that if you set yourself achievable goals, you will be more likely to succeed!

Aim to feel good!

This is probably one of the most common resolu ons but many people get confused as to what they actually need to change to make themselves feel be er. Clearly if you are a smoker, qui ng will certainly make you feel be er also, losing weight (if you need to) will also achieve this and ge ng fi er can improve a range of health issues as well as avoid them and is essen al for op mal physical and mental wellbeing. Of course all of these may help you live longer too!

Making sure you feel good will help you reach your goals!

Ok, so you feel you are doing most things right but are s ll not feeling as good as you think you should do? This may be the me to consider how your body is moving. Do you have s ff joints, headaches and general discomforts? Are you not sleeping very well because that old back problem seems to wake you up intermi ently? Is your walking/running style compromised by an old injury that you 'run through' or 'ignore'? All these issues le unaddressed will use up energy unnecessarily, over compensa ng in other areas and generally leaving you red and run down.

Make your new year's resolution work!

Whether you want to quit a bad habit or improve your overall health, fitness and wellbeing, considering how you move and hold yourself is essen al to help you reach your goals, feeling energised and focused throughout your new journey. Now is the me to look at your body from a different perspec ve.

Consider any symptoms you may have, are those headaches

and s ff joints caused by ght muscles? Is that back problem s ll there as you have not addressed your poor posture? Are you feeling a lack of energy because you are walking/running in a less energy efficient way? Why wait for something bad to happen to halt your progress? Pre-habilita on is an essen al tool used by sports therapists to iden fy areas of tensions and weaknesses that could hinder your progression in any area.

Book a session today to find out your weaknesses and help save your much needed energy to focus on your main goals!

Samantha Holland BSc (HONS) MIPTI

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r e i s a E s e m o C s s e c c With Two Su Last January Sue and Roger Surry made a life changing decision for 2017 and joined Slimming World in Baldock. It's not unusual that as we get older our life-styles change and unwanted weight creeps on too. Sue and Roger were enjoying a happy re rement but were conscious that they were both gaining weight and in par cular this was affec ng Roger's health.

Between them in the first part of 2017 they lost 4 stones 7lbs between them, their lives have become far more ac ve, they are full of energy and feeling like they are having a new lease of life.

Roger explains how he was par cularly dubious of joining a Slimming Club, he thought it was something that women mainly went to. That he wouldn't feel comfortable and the ea ng plan wouldn't be enjoyable or work for him. He is the first to admit he couldn't be more wrong, and as target members of the 9.30am group, they both s ll a end weekly and enjoy their Wednesday mornings immensely.

Sandra Lloyd, who runs the groups in Baldock says, “I remember Roger making a telephone enquiry to learn more about what Slimming World was all about. You could tell he was nervous, and I am not surprised, I think there is a lot of dated s gma about Slimming Clubs. How you'll be hungry all

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the me and even a concern around humilia on and how you may be judged by others. Slimming World hasn't really changed at all since we were founded 40 years ago, in that we are all about support and mo va on, certainly no humilia on ever, and our ea ng plan is so generous that it could never be called a diet. If focuses around hundreds of foods that you can eat freely, so no weighing, measuring or coun ng and there's no need cut out a favourite meal as there is always a way to work everything you currently enjoy in our Food Op mising plan, whilst magically the weight s ll drops off you at the same me!

How brilliant is that! Roger and Sue have been superb members, totally embracing the plan and also the group support, to the point as target members they are now with us weekly helping and encouraging others to do well. Research proves that people who a end a support groups and commit to a ending the group each week lose weight far more effec vely than a slimmer who takes a more casual approach or tries to do it on their own at home. Being a couple and a ending together even strengthened their commitment. They are absolute superstars and are now set up for a very happy and healthy re rement together.”

If you would like more informa on about how groups works, or the ea ng plan, then please feel free to call Sandra on 07716 761610 for a chat, alterna vely just choose which group me works for you and just come along, or pop into our OPEN DAY on Weds 27th DEC. 9.30am 5.30pm & 7.30pm

Slimming Sandra World Recipe Lloyd Supplied by

Potato Blinis with aubergine cavier Champagne and Caviar.... don't mind if I do!

Feather-light potato blinis with a piquant aubergine and pepper topping. Moreish and Syn Free!

Ingredients For the caviar Ÿ 1 garlic clove Ÿ 1 small onion Ÿ 2 red peppers Ÿ 2 aubergines Ÿ Low calorie cooking spray Ÿ 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar Ÿ Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the blinis 2 spring onions 350g potatoes 4 large eggs Salt and freshly ground black pepper Low calorie cooking spray Fat-free natural fromage frais to serve

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Method 1. First make the caviar. Peel and finely chop the garlic and onions. Chop the red peppers . Finely dice the aubergines. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with low calorie cooking spray. Add the garlic, onion, pepper and aubergine. stir fry for 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the vinegar and season well. Stir-fry for a further 3-4 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

2. Next make the blinis. Chop the spring onions and set aside, peel and chop the potatoes into cubes. Boil in water until tender. Drain well and mash. Meanwhile seperate the egg whites and yolks. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Transfer the potato to a bowl, along with the yolks and season. Carefully fold the egg white into the potato mixture.

3. Spray a frying pan with low calorie cooking spray.

Add 3-4 separate tbsps of the blini mixture to the pan.

Fry on both sides on a high heat until set and lightly browned. remove and keep warm. Repeat until all the potato has been used up.

4. Top each blini with a dollop of fromage frais, follow with the aubergine caviar and finish with the chopped spring onion on top.

Tip: The blinis can be frozen (but not the aubergine, caviar or the fromage frais). To freeze, lay the blinis in a single layer on greaseproof paper.

MOT

£29.99 FREE RE-TEST

Baldock MOT Centre 01462 895933

M. 07884 430741 E. claire@goodridgeaccountants.co.uk W. www.goodridgeaccountants.co.uk JANUARY

2018

29

News from Baldock Town We hope you have all had a good Christmas and have had a brilliant New Year.

What be er way to start 2018 off than with a visit to watch your Senior Team in a Semi Final!

We would love to see as many of you as possible at the ground on Wednesday 3rd January for 19.45pm KO, when we are playing against London Lions, this fixture is the one that was postponed from 13th December and is one of two SemiFinals that the team have made it to.

The website is kept constantly updated with all the new fixtures and all the things we are trying to do to build the profile of Baldock Town FC up so that people start to take no ce of us! Come along and bring your mates.

Whats not to like! A licensed bar, a hot food snack bar, a good game of football ….

The youth sec ons U12 Crusaders were recent guests of Darren Sarll's Stevenage Borough, where they had a brilliant me even though it was bi erly cold. (pictured above)

Winter Discount for all Garden re-design & Landscaping in January & February

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Orbitsound ONE P70W

Amazing stereo sound from thin air Orbitsound was founded by Ted Fletcher, the inventor of Airsound™ technology. Ted has been working for many years as a musician, audio engineer, electronics designer and studio designer, to give the listener a more realis c, more immersive sound experience. These years of experience in the industry led to the release in 2017 of the Orbitsound ONE P70, the worlds first mul -orienta on speaker, meaning regardless of where you stand, it sound remains the same.

The P70W is designed in such as way that it can be shelf or wall-mounted. It has a narrow design (700mm wide x 173mm deep x 77mm high), this allows for comfortably moun ng below a flat screen television or on a wall as a 'party' speaker.

It's built from wood and steel and can be purchased in ma e black, bambo or bone white weighing in a 5.1kg.

Sound is provided by two (front and top) 2" 'Orbitsound MK4 drivers', a Sub-bass low-profile 5.25" driver and 2X2 Airsound Orbitsound MK4 drivers. By posi oning the main speakers both front and top mean that sound produc on is maintains regardless of how the speaker mounted.

Connec vity is provided by Bluetooth, Op cal cable, 3.5mm stereo jack and the Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi feature is the most impressive as it allows streaming of audio from a variety of sources without the loss of quality associated with Bluetooth, effec vely allowing for uncompressed playback of music. It also allows for mul speaker / mul -room playback with perfectly synchronised sound and zero delay. This is achieved by using the Orbitsound Smartphone app (Android and iOS) which supports streaming providers and internet radio sta ons and allows you to 'group' sets of speakers to create one virtual speaker.

When I was given a demonstra on of this at the Orbitsound offices, 3 separate speakers, both wall and shelf mounted were grouped together using the app. I was then asked to close my eyes to try and decide where I thought the sound was coming from. It was unearthly as it sounded like it was coming out of thin air, very impressive!

Quite a bit of thought has gone into small details on the P70W with the inclusion of reversible LED informa on display and Orbitsound badge. This might seem small things but they count as you really wouldn't want to be showing off your new speaker to friends and have the badge upside down. integrated wall moun ng and 200mm VESA bosses and bolts are included to allow you to get going straightaway with unnecessary visits to AV stores to buy moun ng kits. There is also a protec ve sleeve for the speaker, to protect it when not in use.

The speaker also comes with a standard power cord, aux cable, quickstart guide and safety and warranty informa on, all packaged up in a very smart box.

The useful inclusion of a carry handle was helpful too, as I carried a demonstra on unit to the train sta on.

At £399, the Orbitsound P70W is great value for buyers looking for a richer smoother sound regardless of their posi on in the room.

Ma Porter - The Gadget Man www.thegadgetman.org.uk

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Baldock MOT Centre MOT’s, SERVICING, REPAIRS, AIR CON, DIAGNOSTICS

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MOT

£29.99 ld

Icknie

Road

The Orange Tree

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Big Garden Birdwatch is the world's largest wildlife survey.

It started back in 1979 by the RSPB, who were looking for a simple winter ac vity that their junior membership could get involved in. As is was likely to be cold and the evenings dark, they thought a weekend ac vity in the garden would be best.

So, they asked their members to count the birds that visited their gardens, all at the same me, so they could work out what the UK's top 10 most common garden birds are.

In 2001 adults were invited to join in the fun and now over half a million people regularly taking part. Coupled with almost 40 years worth of data, Big Garden Birdwatch allows the RSPB to monitor trends and helps them understand how birds are doing And that's how the 'one-off' ac vity grew into the regular event it is today.

The dates for this years Big Garden Birdwatch is 27 - 29 January 2018.

To find out more or register for your free pack www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/ac vi es/birdwatch

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Is it your New Year's Resolution to make a Will or revise your existing Will?

If so, please take advantage of our Special New Year reduced rate Wills offer.

Reduced rate wills will be available every week day from 8.00am until 6.00pm (Tuesdays until 8.00 pm) by appointment only.

Also on the Saturday mornings of 6th and 20th JANUARY. again by appointment only.

Reduced rates are:Double Wills - £250.00 plus VAT Single Will - £130.00 plus VAT HOME VISITS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AT NO EXTRA CHARGE WITHIN A 5 MILE RADIUS OF BALDOCK. For more information please contact: Fish Hill Chambers, 2-3 Fish Hill, Royston, Herts, SG8 9JY Tel: 01763 241121 Email :

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News from Baldock Events Forum The first Christmas Fair organised by the Baldock Events Forum was held on Saturday 2 December and during the day over 2,000 people visited the fair in the High Street and it's three associated venues. This was also another first; we worked together with the Baldock Arts & Heritage Group, the Community Centre and St Mary's Church to increase the total number of stalls and experiences for the great people of Baldock to enjoy.

Live music was in evidence throughout the day, culmina ng in the turn on of the Christmas Tree lights by Graham 'G' Laroche, who also co-ordinated the many talented bands & choirs who freely gave of their me to entertain us.

Father Christmas parked his sleigh and reindeer in the High Street and set up in his Gro o at St Mary's Church Hall, seeing children and giving them moss to feed his reindeer. Tower trips in St Mary's Church were offered, along with the excellent Christmas Tree Fes val that is now such an established fixture in the church calendar.

The number of stalls in the High Street were a significant increase on last year and for those who needed more, these were available at the Community Centre and the Arts & Heritage Centre. Food and mulled wine a plenty was the order of the day, but don't eat too much before trying out the amusement rides near Mansfield Road!

If you bought as raffle cket, a list of all the winners is on our website (www.baldockeven orum.org.uk) with half the proceeds going to the Garden House Hospice. While you're there, check out the photographs and we also have an abridged version of the event accounts for you to see.

We hope you will agree that this year's Christmas Fair was be er than the last one – our aim will be to see that the 2018 Fair will be even be er!

Baldock Beast. Plans for the Baldock Beast Half Marathon are well under way and almost 200 runners have already entered this event, which takes place on Sunday 25 February 2018. A great way to shake off the excesses of Christmas and the New Year and prepare that 'Beach Body' for holiday sun!

Visit our website to enter, download a coarse course map and see how you can “Tame the Beast!”

Richard Harbon, our Event Co-ordinator is experienced at running enjoyable but tes ng events and promises a great me will be had by all. The race starts and finishes in Wallington Road, start me is 10am; be there take part, or simply to cheer on the runners.

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

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

A safe and relaxing environment for the whole family

Pony club rallies and activities Indoor & outdoor riding facilities

Full livery and schooling

www.courtlandsridingstables.co.uk

01438 355121

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

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Happy

New Year

As a introductory offer we have some great discounts for January and even some fab prizes to be had! check out the facebook to see all the offers and more @the.red.door.baldock.

Emma our nail technician

will be offering a £5 discount off nail services in January.

Christina our senior hair stylist

will be offering £5 off any non chemical service & £10 off any chemical service through out January and a senior citizen rate on a Tuesday of 20% off.

16D Whitehorse St, Baldock SG7 6QN

***please bring this advert to redeem your discount only 1 per person not to be used in conjunc on with any other offer 36

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2018

BALDOCK GALLERY

Taken coming out of Ashwell, towards Newham vil age, Lyn & Rich xx

Built in Sandy by Debbie’s two lads

Taken by Jim Farrel

Sent in by Baldock Rotary Cub

Gallery 1066 taken by Laurence Brown Built by Chloe Trussell, Sophie Trussell & Ben Browning

Station Road taken by young Wil Tomlin War Memorial, High street - Laurence Brown

Overlooking the allotments - Marion Stevenson Snowy Almshouses taken by Kim Preece

White Horse Street - Neil Cherry

Ashwell from across the field's - Jan Steele

Welcome to January’s Baldock Gallery Hopefully with you r help thi s will become a regular monthly fea ture.

Please send you r local snaps new or old to our facebook pag e or email info@o nou rdoors tepbaldoc k.co.uk

Baldock Bypass taken by Cara Richardson

AERIALS & SATELLITES T/A BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS

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Aerials & Satellites Digital Aerials Freesat & Satellite Installations Commercial IRS Systems All Work Guaranteed CAI Approved C.1616 Based in Stotfold broadband-comms@btconnect.com

www.broadbandcommunications.co.uk

Tel: 01462 732 628

Mob:07860 436 217

Rebecca Lesley Interiors January Offer ‘20% OFF Curtains & Blinds’ We compromise on price but not on quality

Receive a Complimentary Design Appointment with Rebecca rebeccalesleyinteriors@mail.com

07528344248 www.rebeccalesleyinteriors.com

Mobile

hairdresser Call

Jacqui

07973 788 418 01462 640 307

Covering Baldock, Ashwell & Weston

Hi Lights Low Lights Cut & Blow Dry Re-styles Perms Vehicle Accident Repair Specialists Crash Care Centre Hitchin Ltd

Ÿ All Types of Bodywork Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

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E: info@crashcarecentre.com W: www.crashcarecentre.com 38

JANUARY

2018

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

Useful numbers Advice Citizen’s Advice Bureau Trading Standards Advice

03444 111444 0300 300 8136

Vacuum Cleaners

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

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

Vacuum Bags

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

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

Carpet Shapooers

Lighting

Vacuum sales & repairs repairs

Dyson, Henry, Hoover & much more Vacuum Spares

Appliance Spares

Councils North Hertfordshire District

Doctors Baldock Surgery

01462 474000 01462 892458

Dentist Victoria Place Dental Surgery

01763 313869

Emergency Utilities Gas Emergency Electric power cut

0800 111999 0800 7838838

Hospitals Lister Hospital Queen Elizabeth 2 EMERGENCY HEALTH

01438 314333 01707 328111 111

Library Baldock Library

0300 123 4049

Police Police

01707 354000

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

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

Schools Knights Templar Hartseld St Johns St Marys Brandles

01462 620700 01462 895267 01462 892478 01462 892347 01462 892189

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

01462 228765 08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608

Vets Baldock Veterinary Centre

Ÿ

01462 895579

Nurseries Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round

07980 400690 01462 896322

Plumbers A.P Hughes

07949 120911

Window & Door repairs JML Windows Reapairs Warrens Windows

Ÿ Ÿ

01462 892172 01462 896322

Play Groups Magic Moments Merry Go Round

Baldock Car Sales

01438 906300 01462 261401

Ÿ

Quality Used Car Sales Finance Available Part Exchange Welcome We buy cars for cash

01462 757 344 www.baldockcarsales.co.uk

Find us behind Tescos

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.

JANUARY

2018

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FINESSE SHUTTER SALE

0

*All orders must be received by 3rd February 2018