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Welcome

Welcome to the July Issue!

Well, we certainly can't say we haven't seen the sun lately – dare I say it's been a bit too hot at times! Hopefully you've managed to ﬁnd a shady spot and a cold drink to enjoy while the weather's doing its thing.

For those of you who've been navigating the exam season with your children – I hope the worst is behind you and you can now take a breather. Just a few more weeks to go before the summer holidays begin, and then the real juggling act starts – work, kids, and keeping everyone entertained!

I took a wander through the market on Wednesday and it had such a lovely atmosphere. It's great to see some new stalls joining our High Street. If you haven't been down in a while, it's well worth a visit.

Many of you have been hard at work in your gardens and allotments, and it's starting to pay oﬀ! Hopefully you're beginning to enjoy the fruits (and veg) of your labour –we've had some lovely raspberries and even the odd tomato already!

We're excited for the return of the Baldock EAT Feast on Saturday 19th July from 4pm on the High Street – always a brilliant event with plenty of street food vendors with a vast array of food.

There's lots going on in and around town this month, especially at Eight Restaurant in Baldock, for more information check out page

Following a very busy June with the festival and Country Boots, we're already looking ahead to our next big event: the Baldock Beer Festival at the Community Centre over the August Bank Holiday.

Before that, don't miss the FREE Outdoor Cinema Day hosted by the Baldock Events Forum in collaboration with the Buffs Football Club on Saturday 9th August. Expect 2 (maybe 3!) familyfriendly films (U or PG certificates only), plus a BBQ, popcorn and sweets. We're still open to film suggestions – so send them in!

Whether you're planning a holiday or simply hoping for a few relaxing days oﬀ, we hope July brings you sunshine, good food, and a little time to unwind.

Until next month

Paul & Jacqui

info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk or 07973 788418

Baldock Rotary ﬁrst began sponsoring and organising the Open Gardens event 15 years ago and from that small start the event has grown to become a featured event as part of the Baldock Fesval and has grown to become a major fundraising acvity for Baldock Rotary, second only to Father Christmas and the sleigh vising the streets of Baldock and surrounding villages.

Open Gardens generates significant funds which becomes available for Baldock Rotary to distribute to charitable causes within Baldock and further afield. If your community group could benefit from support from Baldock Rotary, we have an acve Community Services team that would only be too pleased to hear from you.

Please contact our Community Services Chair, John Wright, tel no

OpenGardensSuccess

01462 673779 or 07528 819276 or by email jfw123@bnternet.com.

The success of Open Gardens relies on contribuons from both Rotary members, partners and friends and people across the community who contribute their me and eﬀort to the success of the event. Thanks go, parcularly to the garden parcipants who volunteer their me to open their gardens so that we can enjoy the work they put in to making their gardens that bit special for us to visit. Thank you.

The event also relies on the support of those people who volunteer to marshal at the gardens and those that support the catering and provide aernoon teas. Thanks also go to the Community Centre for the use of the Youth Wing, for the selling of ckets and the use of the mini-bus and Baldock Fesval staﬀ who provide great assistance with cket sales and promong the event. Satchells have for many years kindly printed the programmes and of course thanks go toeveryone who supports the event by buying ckets to view the gardens,

your contribuon enables us to provide funds to donate back into the Community.

Also very pleasing is the number of people who come from further aﬁeld to visit Baldock and enjoy the open gardens, we are ﬁnding that more and more people have become aware of the event and make a point of vising Baldock for the day.

On behalf of Baldock Rotary President, Garry Blyth and Rotary organisers Thom Odd, Janet Hammond and Linda Sharp thank you all for making the event such a success for Baldock Rotary Club.

Rotarian - Paul Lucke

FreeWindSensor worth£280withevery motorisedawning. Oﬀerends 31stJuly2025

What's on in Baldock

Community Spirit Shines at Baldock's Big Lunch despite the downpours, spirits were anything but dampened at 'The Big Lunch' in Baldock on Saturday 7th June.

The naonal event that started in the Eden Project in Cornwall is the UK's biggest annual get-together for neighbours, helping to generate new connecons whilst celebrang community. This year's changed “bring your own” picnic format blended seamlessly with the ever-popular Eat Feast food vendors, creang a relaxed, ﬂexible atmosphere that suited all appetes.

The highlight? The incredible local musicians (Big thank you to G 'Balstock' La Roche for sorng local arsts and some up and coming youngsters) who brought the High Street to life with toetapping tunes and soulful melodies.

Whether you were nibbling a homemade sandwich or enjoying street food delights, the soundtrack to the day made it something truly special.

A huge thank-you goes out to everyone who braved the weather to celebrate togetherness with us—your support made the event unforgeable. And of course, hearelt appreciaon to the brilliant volunteers who erected gazebos, kept things running smoothly, and made sure there was space for everyone to enjoy the day, rain or shine. Looking ahead, we're excited to announce a new free event 'the Baldock Buster Outdoor Cinema' on Saturday 9th August at Bakers Close playing field (Buffs Field) in conjuncon with The Buffs Football Cub. Bring your chairs or blankets, we will have concessions stand for your popcorn requirements,

2nd Baldock Scouts are running a BBQ, and the Buffs will be open for all drinks. Come and join us for two films, an aernoon children's film and The Greatest Showman in the evening under the stars with friends and family. For updates and the children's film vote and more excing events, follow the 'Baldock Events Forum' Facebook page. With love, The BEF Commiee

With 20 years experience selling homes locally

Thank you to all the people that have recommended me as their personal estate agent in Baldock. I love working here and the town has always held a special place in my heart, it's just great!!

Staying Hydrated

Did you know that water makes up 60% of the human body? Water is needed for many body funcons including digeson, circulaon, temperature control, immune funcon, skin health, lubricaon of our joints and for brain funcon.

Staying hydrated can improve our health in many ways including boosng mood, boosng physical performance, improving memory, improving energy, improving brain funcon, helping to prevent and treat headaches, and helping to aid weight loss.

What are the Signs of Dehydraon?

Feeling red, moody, dizzy or lightheaded, feeling thirsty, having a dry mouth or p of your tongue. Passing urine less frequently or having strong smelling, dark coloured urine (healthy urine is a lighsh yellowish shade). Dehydraon can also aﬀect your muscles and joints

causing muscle cramps, muscle weakness, joint discomfort and sﬀness. If you are regularly dehydrated, it can lead to reduced strength of your muscles and increase the risk of injury and reduce your recovery me.

How Much Water Should I Drink?

The amount of water that you need to drink varies depending on your acvity levels, weight, and gender. However, the NHS recommend that an adult should aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, but more in hot weather or if you are exercising.

If you are suﬀering from regular muscle or joint pain, try to increase your water intake to 8 glasses a day, keep a log or use a water bole to monitor your water intake. At home have a large glass in your kitchen and every me you go into the kitchen, have a glug of water.

When out and about take a bole with you and sip throughout the day. Some foods have a higher water content so can help towards your water intake too - leuce, celery and courgees have a water content of 90%. Other foods with a high-water content include; citrus fruits, strawberries, watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and aubergines. If increasing your water intake doesn't change any aches and pains, then please contact the clinic, to see an Osteopath who can help to identy what is causing your symptoms and help you to start your recovery.

To book an appointment please phone the clinic on 01462 490141.

Amber Health Team

Crash Care Centre Hitchin Ltd

Engineered For Real Drivers Aston Marn Vantage

The latest Aston Marn Vantage presents a posive, smulang design guaranteed to get your pulse racing and disnctly sets it apart from other sports cars on Brish roads.

This two-seater boasts a more commanding silhouee, now 30mm wider. However, it doesn't come across as bulky; the Aston is sculpted in all the right places, exuding muscle rather than excess.

The new Vantage's front end has been reﬁned, with cooling intakes adjacent to the grille highlighng its sinewy, granitelike lines. The addion of an integrated splier gives the car a broader, lower appearance, enhancing its visual appeal and aerodynamic performance and improving stability at high speeds.

At the rear, the Aston Marn Vantage connues to impress, oﬀering striking aesthecs and a touch of drama. It features a wider bumper with side vents and large quad exhaust tailpipes, ensuring it captures aenon from every angle.

Furthermore, the Vantage is equipped with Aston Marn's infotainment system, ﬁrst seen in the DB12.

By Tim Barnes-Clay - Follow on Instagram @tbarnsclay

This tailored system includes an app that allows you to interact with the car via your mobile device.

Under the bonnet, the Vantage boasts a highly advanced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, the most powerful in the model's heritage. Coupled with an eightspeed ZF automac transmission, it can achieve a top speed of 202mph and accelerates to 60mph in just 3.4 seconds.

The sports car features several drive modes, allowing you to ﬁne-tune the engine response, steering, suspension, and exhaust sound. A dial controls these sengs, which include Sport, Sport+, Track, Individual, and a Wet mode for inclement weather.

The Vantage's handling is exceponal; it takes corners with the precision of a car on rails. The setup is ﬁrm, but at every point during your journey, the vehicle engages with you, conveying how the wheels interact with the tarmac.

Its exhaust note is reminiscent of Bonnie Tyler - rasping yet pleasingproviding a thrilling experience, with immense power always just an aching

heartbeat away. This is a car that demands self-control; should you lose it, you might well ﬁnd yourself at risk of losing more than your driving licence.

Fast Facts

Aston Marn Vantage:

-as tested:

Ÿ Max speed: 202 mph

Ÿ 0-62 mph: 3.4 secs

Ÿ Fuel economy: 23.3 mpg

Ÿ Engine layout: V8 4.0-litre twinturbo

Ÿ Max. power (PS): 655

Ÿ CO2: 274 g/km

Ÿ Price from: £165,000

JURASIC WORLD REBIRTH superman

Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet's ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs.Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived.The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving beneﬁts to humankind.

Certiﬁcate RunningTime 12A 134mins

The fantastic four Out 2nd July Out 11th July Out 25th July

Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world. [The ﬁlm follows] Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend earth from a ravenous space god and the Silver Surfer who plan to devour the entire planet.

The OG returns to cinemas on 11 July. No, it’s not a bird. No, it’s not a plane, the airborne object circling the skies over Hollywood is the all-new Superman. In the movie Superman must reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as reporter Clark Kent.As the embodiment of truth, justice and the human way he soon ﬁnds himself in a world that views these as old-fashioned.

Years into their relationship,Tim and Millie (Dave Franco andAlison Brie) find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh. together

Out 25th June

07572 532618 www.bb-carpentry.co.uk

Certiﬁcate RunningTime 18 102 mins

Baldock was buzzing with boots, beats, and big-hearted giving on Saturday 31st May, as Country Boots, Baldock Roots brought the community together for a spectacular day of fun and all in aid of a great cause. With blazing sunshine and a brilliant turnout of nearly 500 people, the sold out family-friendly fundraiser raised an incredible £4,000 for Hitchin Pantry, helping support local families in need.

The fesval was held in true country spirit, featuring live music, toe-tapping line dancing, and a welcoming atmosphere enjoyed by all. Kids and adults alike took part in the fun, from the exhilarang rodeo bull and axe throwing (expertly run by the 4th

Letchworth Scout Group) to dancing and singing throughout the day.

Local heroes stepped up to help behind the scenes too. The 2nd Baldock Scout Group made sure the school field was spotless with their efficient lier picking, while addional donaons were made to Hartsfield School and both scout groups for their efforts and community spirit.

From the cowboy hats to the country tunes, the event was a huge success - a perfect blend of entertainment and purpose. The day exceeded all my expectaons and the support from aendees and volunteers alike has been phenomenal, and makes all the eﬀort put in over the last few months worthwhile.

With a winning mix of sunshine, song, and generosity, Country Boots, Baldock Roots has deﬁnitely become a mustaend local tradion. Plans are already in moon for next year's event, promising even more music, dancing, and community support.

Don't miss the next one so make sure to follow the socials for updates and announcements. Yeehaw and see you in 2026!

Thank you so much to all that aended, and supported. i

Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

Monsters in Your Garden!

Midsummer is when all the things you don't want in your garden are there; you may well have lovely crops and flowers, but you won't have to look very closely to find all the uninvited flower, vegetable, and fruit lovers. These uninvited creatures will not waste their time just consuming the poorly shaped fruits and flowers, but like you, they will always go for the bestlooking, juiciest, and plumpest fruits, vegetables, and the Chelsea Show-winning flowers you were saving for your local flower show.

All those lovely songbirds you have spent time encouraging to visit your garden also enjoy the fruits and vegetables that were intended for your dinner plate.

Rabbits, squirrels, and mice could all be there, chomping away. These lovely Fluffy little creatures like all of the insects and birds will be working away at everything in your garden or allotment for up to 24 hours a day while you are at work, at home, or asleep.

Oh, I hear you say, What's the point? There are several ways to address this problem, including using cloches, netting covers, or even building expensive fruit and vegetable cages.

There are many safe sprays available to prevent damage to your plants; for example, some include lion urine/poo, calcium chloride, and various smelly substances that make the plants taste unappealing. Electronic frequency generators are another way of preventing the larger furry pests, along with humming line, a plasticised tape that can be stretched out over the fruit and veg plot, which vibrates in the wind; the tighter it is stretched out, the higher the frequency of the hum; the harder the wind blows, the louder it gets; the problem with it is that it may be more annoying to you than the pests it deters.

Another problem with the humming line is that if it breaks, it will blow around in the wind while being attached at one end, which allows it to twist around anything it can reach; sometimes, it can snap off leaves and even pull small plants out of the ground.

You can reduce the smaller but equally annoying and destructive pests by using their natural predators. This is a declaration of war, as the natural predators do precisely that: they wage war, chasing the unwanted bugs down and eating them by the dozen – a gory feast indeed.

If you are interested in seeing these predators in action, purchase a decent magnifying glass, find some greenfly on one of your plants, and then look to see if you have ladybirds around. If you do, you will witness them scavenging everything in their path as they patrol up and down the stems or leaves. There are 46 species in the United Kingdom; you will generally only see 26 unless you know what you are looking for, most all looking very similar.

Ladybirds can live for two years but generally only survive for one; they do overwinter and are to be found on the south-facing side of buildings or annoyingly inside your home if you really find them irritating, then please carefully remove them and relocate them in a nice sheltered building for the winter.

Ladybirds can and will bite humans if they feel threatened or are hungry due to a shortage of their host food. Their bite is generally just a minor irritation, but as some of us older people will remember, in the summer of 1976 there were clouds of these things everywhere. News stories often reported individuals suffering bites up to 20 or 30 times a day. I clearly remember being at Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire, where we had to sit in our car to escape the swarms of ladybirds coming in off the sea; it was not pleasant, but intriguing for a young horticultural student.

In the UK, dragonflies serve as one of the most beautiful pest controllers; they are surprisingly aggressive towards our unwanted pests but are entirely harmless to humans and pets. Just the smallest of ponds will bring them to your garden. Misunderstood and underestimated as predators of aphids, lacewings are beautiful insects capable of devouring up to 200 greenflies by a single larva. Ants, often hated in our gardens and sometimes found in our houses, do a great job of

clearing unwanted pests from our gardens and allotments; if at all possible, tolerating these misunderstood colonies will bring untold benefits to the garden. Try to understand them, do a little research, and you will find we can live alongside them, not necessarily in the house, but certainly outside. Wasps, there are many different wasps to be found, some of the most gory and monstrous of all the good predators around, what everyone calls a wasp is the yellow and black, bee like looking insect that terrifies everyone at barbecues. It is not as aggressive as it's made out to be if you can be brave enough to just keep still and let it fly around and take a look it will fly away leaving you alone, they do not attack and sting just for the fun of it, in fact they prefer not to. They do however do a very good job of going after most of the caterpillars we do not want around the place. If you see a ginger coloured wasp it is probably a European hornet, quite common in the UK, again treat it the same as the wasp described above as it is even less inclined to sting unless it is attacked first, they do a wonderful job in the garden so please don't start flapping around with tee towels or using fly spray, calmly let them have a look around and go about their business as they will with you. Now the real wasps you need to have in your garden are the predatory wasps, they are not what we would describe as a wasp, they have long thin bodies and very long things at the rear that look like big stingers! This is for laying eggs inside their prey, mostly all the insects we don't want. Once the egg has been deposited inside the captured insect it is allowed to go on with its usual business, but once hatched out the young wasp will eat the the victim from the inside out, once old enough to take on adulthood it will leave what's left of the unfortunate insects body to rot down and will start searching for its own victims to inject with its own eggs. Don't worry; they do not consider humans fit for egg laying, nor do they sting or bite.

ASHWELL WESTON

BACK IN THE HUNT

Local Teen Archie Keeps Title Hopes Alive with Double Podium at Anglesey

While most teens were wrapping up GCSEs in early June, Baldock's very own Archie was racing against the clock — quite literally.

Aer missing three 25-minute pracce sessions on Friday due to his final exams, Archie and his team bolted straight from Baldock and pulled into Anglesey Circuit in North Wales just 17 minutes before the final pracce of the day. Talk about cung it fine!

Despite the lack of track me, Archie came out swinging on Saturday, qualifying P3 — though he reckons pole was within reach if not for the heavy traﬃc on track. Sll, not a bad place to launch from.

Race 1: A Flying Start and a Fight to the Finish With a rocket launch oﬀ the line, Archie sloed into P2 by Turn 1 and never looked back. He and his teammate quickly broke away from the chasing pack and put on a show, going wheel-to-wheel right up to the chequered ﬂag

. Archie brought it home in P2 — a solid podium and crucial points in the bag.

Race 2: Déjà Vu and a Red Flag Twist

Another blistering start in Race 2 saw Archie and his teammate pulling the same trick, opening up a 2.8-second gap before a red ﬂag paused the acon. Aer a restart, Archie got oﬀ the line well again, but a mid-race safety car limited any real chance of aacking for the win. Sll, another hard-earned P2 and a second trip to the podium.

Race 3: Drama, Determinaon, and a Comeback Race 3 had the makings of a fairy tale. Archie nailed the start and lined up a perfect tow behind his

teammate down the back straight, seng up an outside move into the chicane. But just as he looked to make it sck, the third-place car muscled its way into the mix, forcing Archie wide and dropping him down the order. What followed, though, was arguably his best drive since joining the Formula Junior Championship in 2024. A ﬁerce recovery saw him climb back to P4, just 1.2 seconds oﬀ the eventual winner.

Archie's performance at Anglesey has now launched him into third in the championship standings — and ﬁrmly back in the tle ﬁght. For someone balancing school exams with high-speed bales on track, that's nothing short of impressive.

The next few rounds are shaping up to be something special. Keep an eye on this local lad — Archie's not just racing cars, he's chasing dreams.

Too much choice out there?

Spend more time deciding what to watch than actually watching something? LET BALDOCK'S RESiDENT TV GLUTTON HELP YOU ON YOUR MiSSiON!

Your Friends & Neighbors – Apple TV

Breaking Bad remains one of my favourite shows of all me. The descent for Bryan Cranston's Walter White from Mr. Nice Guy to Scarface, and his legendary 'Heisenberg' drug lord character, and the chaos he brings to all around him, is legendary. I had wondered why there hadn't been too many further interpretaons of the rags to ruin story for some me; and then I saw the trailer for Apple TV's Your Friends & Neighbors and was instantly intrigued by what I saw. I'm pleased to say the show itself hasn't let me down.

Andrew "Coop" Cooper (Jon Hamm – and this is his best role since Mad Men) is a recently divorced, unemployed hedge-fund manager whose aﬄuent lifestyle implodes. Desperate to maintain appearances (and cash ﬂow), and with a growing disdain for the bourgeoisie cash rich society he imbues, he resorts to burgling his rich friends and neighbours in Westchester suburbia. A Carer watch here, a Roy Lichtenstein painng there – no one will miss those will they?

The show begins with Coop waking up in a pool of blood next to a man's dead body in the foyer of a neighbour's mansion. He cleans up the blood – a bad move – and in one of the many mordant voiceovers that run through the series, looks back four months to reﬂect on "the swirling hot mess of my life". The robberies are the comic vein in the story, but also a Trojan horse for its drama. Coop is hurt and distraught over the loss of his marriage, but that theme exists next to the caper-like thes. The series is edgier and smarter than its entertaining surface suggests, as it dely takes on issues of family, class privilege, vapid materialism and toxic masculinity.

Like most series, this could start a bit faster, as it sets up the life Coop is accustomed to in a suburban New York community of huge houses and country clubs, where $200,000 cars and $60,000 donaons to charity are ordinary. That was his life unl he found his wife Mel (Amanda Peet) in bed with his so-called friend, Nick (Mark Tallman), a former basketball star sll in great shape. The divorce has sent Coop out of his expansive home into a smaller rental house nearby.

But soon enough the first episode gets to its boldest turn as we see why Coop lost his job. A woman who works at his firm, whom he has never met and who doesn't report to him, comes on to him in a bar. Months later, that consensual hookup leads to his being fired for violang the company's HR rules.

The show doesn't deny Coop's bad judgement but also makes it clear through the woman herself and Coop's ruthless boss that the HR rule was a convenient excuse to get rid of him while keeping his clients. The show doesn't go far beyond that in exploring the issue, but it sets up the series' complex realism about social standards. A non-compete clause makes Coop unhireable, but he insists on keeping up appearances. His burglaries are treated like adventures, punctuated by mock ads as he describes the luxury items he's liing, with voiceovers that slyly echo Hamm's in all those Mercedes-Benz commercials.

The series' real strength, though, is in his relaonships, most of them driven by his wounded pride, and the way his identy has been ed to his role as a successful man of the world. Hamm smoothly navigates the shis in tone, never allowing the humour to flag while leng us see the emoonal pain Coop won't reveal to anyone around him. There is a lot of residual affecon between Coop and his cheang ex-wife, whom Peet manages to make sympathec. Olivia Munn has less to do as Sam, a divorced neighbour and Coop's occasional fling. And Lena Hall is brilliant as Coop's sister, Ali. Briefly off her meds, she stalks her ex-fiancé, sing on his lawn with her guitar and singing. Hall, who won a Tony for her role in the Broadway revival of Hedwig and the Angry Inch in 2014, sings occasionally through the series – an asset, not an intrusion. She makes Ali empathec, funny and warm, and the bond between the brother and sister is touching. Aer she is back on her meds, her romanc subplot suggests that theirs really is a family full of bad choices.

A second season of the show has already been ordered, so the queson of whether Coop will pay for his crimes will linger. That plot is an effecve hook, but his resonant feelings and increasing self-knowledge set the show apart. He recognises that there are "enre industries built to cash in on the quiet desperaon of rich middle-aged men". By even acknowledging that desperaon, through a hero who is sympathec – however wrong-headed his path to self-awareness is – Your Friends and Neighbors is radically different from any other show around. This, then, is where we come full circle to Breaking Bad and the similaries. Where as Walter White was a wasted scienfic talent, on the bread line, teaching at a grey and bland college, Coop on the other hand has a starng point of money and riches. Despite this, it is their disdain for society in a 'light bulb 'moment which then propels them both to break bad and find excitement in the chaos that brings.

The Slimline Smart Cleaner That Does It All

Aer a month of real-world tesng, the Roborock Saros 10R has ﬁrmly established itself as an indispensable member of our household. With a mix of hardwood ﬂoors, carpets, and a tricky rug that's defeated previous robot vacuums, I was curious to see how the 10R would perform—and it didn't disappoint.

At just 7.98 cm tall, it glides under furniture effortlessly, reaching places that used to be no-go zones. But it's not just slim—it's smart. The Saros 10R is powered by Roborock's StarSight Autonomous System 2.0, combining dual solid-state LiDAR and a 3D Time-of-Flight sensor. This gives it astonishingly accurate navigaon and obstacle detecon. It somemes needs very specific instrucons in the app, but once set, it maps, learns and cleans with remarkable efficiency.

The real game-changer, though, is the advanced dock. This isn't just a charging staon—it's a fully-ﬂedged cleaning base.

The 10R automacally empes its debris into a vacuum bag, washes its own mop pads, detaches them when not needed (no soggy carpets!), and even prompts you when the dirty water tank is full or the clean water tank or ﬂoor cleaner needs topping up. It's the closest thing to a truly hands-free cleaning system I've used.

Daily runs during the school drop-oﬀ have become a roune. I can even monitor cleaning progress remotely using the onboard camera—a surprisingly handy feature. The mop system leaves hardwood ﬂoors sparkling, and unlike our previous robot, the 10R manages to climb and clean a living room rug without geng stuck or confused. Its DuoDivide roller brush and FlexiArm side brush make it superb at hair pickup without tangling—a blessing in a household where long hair gathers quickly. The pet-friendly features are thoughul too, with sucon automacally boosted in fur-prone zones

and the ability to avoid disturbing pets. Our previous robot vacuum has now been banished upstairs. The Saros 10R has taken over as our main ﬂoorcare soluon—and deservedly so.

Verdict:

The Saros 10R is more than just a vacuum—it's an ultra-smart cleaning assistant. With powerful mapping, mop intelligence, and a dock that's nearly selfmaintaining, it ﬁts seamlessly into busy family life. Roborock has raised the bar again.

Priced at around £1500, you are paying for the top-of-the-line-robot vacuum cleaner.

hps://amzn.to/44gw213

NewsfromStMary'sChurch–theﬁnalpush!

First of all, we would like to say a big 'Thank You' to everyone who parcipated in the public consultaon held in February and March on plans for the restoraon and upgrading of the Church Hall. We are grateful for the posive responses received to the plans and the helpful comments received in this process.

Whilst the project to restore and improve the Hall arose from the mindless act of vandalism that occurred in July 2024, it now represents the 'coming together' of the whole community in wanng to achieve a posive outcome – an accessible Hall for everyone in the community to enjoy, which is safe, welcoming and environmentally friendly.

Our campaign to raise the funds required remains in full ﬂow. We are grateful for your support through aendance at events and acvies, or by donaons - or by both these means! We now hope to begin building work during the summer holiday period. This will represent the ﬁrst 'Phase' in this excing project, and we are looking forward to seeing the work begin. How can you help?

With your help, we can raise the final £30,000 needed to start work on restoring our church hall. We have a generous offer to match fund any donaons which will help us to reach our target – which means we only need to find another £15,000. If we achieve this by the end of July, we'll be able to

start the work in the summer! By match funding your donaon, and with gi aid, we can make over double what you have given: this means that if you give £10, we can turn this into £22.50. If you give £500, this will become £1,125!

Donang is easy!

To donate, please use this link: www.peoplesfundraising.com/donaon /project or use the QR code below If you have any queries or would like further informaon on the work of Friends of St Mary's, please contact: fosm@stmarysbaldock.o rg.uk

1st Free Outdoor Cinema

Saturday 9th August

Weston Way Nursery Ambulance visit Academy Supper at Eight

The children at Weston Way Nursery School were fortunate to have one of their parents come in to share their role as a paramedic with the children. Our Adventurers were fascinated by the ﬂashing blue lights and all the excing equipment on board. They especially enjoyed learning about how our emergency services help keep us safe. During the visit, the children discovered

some amazing facts — like how paramedics use special stretchers to carry paents, how ambulances can reach emergencies in minutes using sirens and lights, and that every ambulance is like a mini-hospital on wheels, ﬁlled with life-saving tools and medicine. It was a fantasc, hands-on learning experience that truly brought the world of emergency care to life!

Last month's Academy Supper at Eight played to a full house and was met with enthusiasc praise, thanks to the remarkable eﬀorts of two talented junior chefs. In a generous show of mentorship, Head Chef Kish handed over his kitchen to the pair—both currently studying catering at Herts College—giving them full creave control of the evening.

The two students not only devised and costed their own four-course menu, but also executed it with impressive skill and professionalism. Their menu featured:

Ÿ Starter: Whipped feta, salsa rossa & pickled courgee

Ÿ Fish Course: Scallops, chorizo mayo & roasted cauliﬂower

Ÿ Main Course: Roasted rump of lamb, hasselback potatoes, charred tenderstem & salsa verde

Ÿ Dessert: Baked yoghurt, strawberries & mint

It's truly inspiring to see what can be achieved with just two and a half years of experience in a professional kitchen. The creavity, precision, and ﬂavor showcased throughout the evening reﬂect a promising future for these young chefs. Well done, chefs! You've set the bar high.

AgeOldProblems

My word, me does whizz by doesn't it. Last week I was just twenty and now I ﬁnd myself facing up to being three mes that age (I can't even bring myself to say the number).

I have taken most of the age milestones with good grace and a pinch of salt, but this one is just too much, I think it might be because we used to consider folks of this age to be pensioners. With everything that word conjures up in our heads, I imagine that the day of my birthday will see me whisked away into an old peoples' home and forced to wear adult nappies. (My daughter has asked if my passport is in date and I'm wondering if the kids are planning to send me to Switzerland on a one-way trip).

Like most people, I made mistakes and wrong turns in my teens. Never listening to the voice in my head that shouted “don't.” I got myself into some awful trouble on occasion. The problem with the teen years is that you think you are invincible and nothing can touch you. Its not unl later when looking back that you realise just how close to the wind you were sailing.

I wasn't much beer in my twenty's, my inner voice was now saying “please don't, it wont end well” but I was sll unable to heed its warnings. The saving grace came when I started my family,

and my focus became less selfindulgent.

My thires were divine. My conscience had developed a louder, more insistent voice, which I could ﬁnally hear and somemes would allow to guide me. I started to understand myself and the world more and knew my place in it. I was always a conﬁdent, outgoing person and hit my peek in these golden years.

By the me I got to forty, I had it all sorted. I knew who I was and where I was going. Lile Jiminy Cricket just had to say “Oi!” and I would stand fast because I knew he was right. Entering my fiies was a lile scary because me suddenly becomes a 'thing' and it dawned on me that I am now halfway through. My confidence decreased as the aches and pains increased. I like people even less than I used to and my paence is paper thin. So, what do I do now? I know that folks my age are no longer 'old people,' I'm not officially a pensioner unl I'm sixtyseven so won't have to start travelling on public transport for a while yet. I have choices, I can either give in to it or get myself a Triumph Bonneville. I sll might have to get the Tenor Ladies as the old sneeze and squeeze opon is fading fast. I'm far from alone, all of you folk out there who had the

absolute pleasure of aending Knights Templar with me are all going through the same thing, like our school days, we are all in it together, and some of us will cope beer than others.

My thoughts are that I can't possibly get myself into too much trouble now, the voice within is just going to laugh at me and say, “are you kidding me,” and if I do decide not to listen to its raucous laughter, what's the worst that can happen? There are lots of things I haven't yet done. I don't have a criminal record, while that's not a life goal it's sll a possibility. I've never ridden an Elephant, I've never thought of riding an Elephant, but as I reach this hideous number I do realise that all things are within my grasp, I might not have the means to be able achieve these things, but the dream is sll alive and while that is, so am I.

Nicky

Bakers Close Playing Field

Finding Nemo The Greatest Showman

Lamb Souvlaki with Homemade Pita

Is it safe to say that summer is ﬁnally here?

At the time of writing, the sun has been shining all week, and let's be honest—no one really feels like turning on the oven when all we want is a crisp salad and something fresh oﬀ the grill.

When the sun's out, I get the irresistible urge to ﬁre up the BBQ, cold beer in hand, and a bit of sweet soul music playing in the background. It's the kind of moment that makes food taste better.

Lamb souvlaki is one of my absolute favourites to make on the BBQ. It's simple, full of ﬂavour, and only takes a little prep. And if you're up for it, making your own pita bread—don't worry, it's easier than you think—takes this meal from “pretty good” to “one you'll be talking about all summer.”

Nothing beats the smell of grilled lamb and warm, fresh bread on a summer evening. This Greekinspired meal is perfect for a relaxed weekend gettogether. The marinated lamb is juicy and full of ﬂavour, and the homemade bread is soft, chewy, and ideal for wrapping or dipping.

As always, please buy the best quality ingredients you're comfortable with.

This recipe serves 4 people.

Let's Marinate the Lamb

Ÿ 800 g boneless lamb shoulder or leg, trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes

Ÿ 3 tbsp olive oil

Ÿ Juice of 1 lemon

Ÿ 3 garlic cloves, minced

Ÿ 1 tsp dried oregano

Ÿ 1 tsp ground cumin

Ÿ ½ tsp paprika (smoked, if you have it)

Ÿ Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ÿ Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

In a large mixing bowl, combine everything except the lamb. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Once you're happy, add the lamb and mix really well to coat. Cover with cling ﬁlm and refrigerate for at least 2 hours—overnight if you can.

When ready to cook, thread the lamb pieces onto the skewers, leaving a bit of room at the bottom to hold.

Let's Make the Bread Dough

Ÿ 500 g strong white bread ﬂour

Ÿ 7 g dry yeast (1 sachet)

Ÿ 1 tsp sugar

Ÿ 1 tsp salt

Ÿ 300 ml warm water

Ÿ 2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for brushing)

In a large bowl, mix the ﬂour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the centre, pour in the warm water and olive oil, and mix until a rough dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a ﬂoured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place it back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.

Light the BBQ

Get the griddle nice and hot—this helps prevent sticking and gives great grill marks.

Let's Roll & Shape Our Pitas

Once the dough has risen, divide it into 8 equal balls. Roll each one into a round or oval ﬂatbread about ½ cm thick.

Heat a non-stick frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook each ﬂatbread for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden spots appear and it puﬀs slightly. Brush with a little olive oil and keep warm in a tea towel.

Let's Make Some Tzatziki

Ÿ 250 g Greek yoghurt (full-fat is best)

Ÿ ½ large cucumber (100–120 g), grated and water squeezed out

Ÿ 1 garlic clove, ﬁnely minced or grate

Ÿ 1 tbsp olive oil

Ÿ 1 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice

Ÿ A small handful of fresh dill (or mint), ﬁnely chopped

Ÿ Salt and black pepper, to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Chill until ready to serve.

Let's Cook!

If you're cooking your ﬂatbreads directly on the BBQ, do them ﬁrst. Make sure the grill is clean and hot. They'll take about 90 seconds per side, or two rounds of 45 seconds each side to avoid burning. Set aside under a tea towel to keep warm.

Now grill the lamb skewers for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until the lamb is charred and juicy. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Let's Plate Up

Serve the lamb souvlaki wrapped in warm pita, with a generous spoon of tzatziki, fresh tomato slices, red onion, and a sprinkle of parsley or mint. Add a wedge of lemon on the side and maybe a cold drink in hand.

I hope you enjoy making this great Summer recipe. I love hearing how readers get on with the recipes, so please feel free to stop by and let me know how it went.

, Chef patron of

Baldock’s favourite for 33 years

For 33 years queues have formed,

g Saturdays in a ﬁeld outside Baldock.

g Some people claimed “It won't ever last!”

g They were in for a very big 'tall-shock'!

g The friendly people you will ﬁnd,

g a welcome for friends new and old,

g it can be described as a meeting of minds,

g where also goods can be sold!

g Baldock Bard

We're back 6.30 sellers, 7 am buyers See you there!

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