Issuu

Welcome

Welcome to our May issue!

Spring is blooming in Baldock and so is the community spirit! We're excited to share that we'll be working closely with the Baldock Events Forum—the amazing team behind the much-loved Christmas Fayre, the Baldock Beast and many other fantastic events throughout the year.

One highlight we can't wait for is the Outdoor Cinema being held at Buﬀs Field - a free evening under the stars, popcorn in hand, and a movie chosen by you! Head to the Baldock Events Forum Facebook page to cast your vote and help pick the perfect ﬁlms. It's set to be a brilliant day & night for all ages.

The Big Lunch is back too, but with a slight twist! This year, the food will be served up by the ever-popular Baldock Eat Fest team, bringing their delicious offerings via food trucks for a laid-back, flavour-filled celebration.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who responded to Nicky's story in the last issue about her bike accident. Through the power of this little magazine and our amazing readers, we've helped reunite her with her “chatty hero” in an emotional phone call. We're all crossing our ﬁngers they get to meet in person soon - read more about it on page 7..

And don't miss out on the 40th Baldock Festival, happening through out this month! From cocktailmaking workshops to the ever-popular classic car show, there's something to entertain every age and interest.

Plus, exciting news for ﬁtness fans—Baldock is getting a brand new gym on the industrial estate! Run by local residents, it's going to be packed with state-of-the-art equipment and is set to open in just 6–8 weeks. Keep an eye out for special oﬀers for founding members—you won't want to miss out.

Here's to a fun-ﬁlled, feel-good month in Baldock. We're so proud to be part of this thriving town and can't wait to see you at one of the many events coming up!

Take care, enjoy the sunny days ahead, and we'll see you next month!

Paul & Jacqui

info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk or 07973 788418

Baldock Rotary in Your Community

It is probably not widely known that Baldock Rotary was founded almost seventy-two years ago. Over the period, since 1953, the club has undertaken numerous acvies which have been for the beneﬁt of the Baldock Community.

The Rotary moo of “Service above Self” is very much in evidence when you consider the current Community acvies that are provided for the people of Baldock, namely, the Annual Jazz Concert, Open Gardens, providing and installing deﬁbrillators throughout the Town, Baldock Christmas Lights, the Christmas Community Concert, the second Rotary wood and most importantly Santa's Sleigh which travels

the streets of Baldock and surrounding villages and brings many a smile to children and adults alike and helps to brighten up those long dark winter nights, providing Christmas cheer.

The membership of Baldock Rotary comprises men and women who value their me together and are interested in “giving something back”. They meet regularly, Wednesday lunch me, 12.00 for 12.30 at the Community Centre (Youth Wing), in a relaxed environment which fosters friendship. As well as the Community acvies referred to above, there is an acve social side to the club whereby members and their partners meet, visit restaurants, the theatre and local places of interest, as well as holding a summer barbecue. Recently a dozen Rotarians and partners visited Malta and similar visits to Berlin and Amsterdam have taken place previously.

Baldock Rotary would like to aract new members, so if you are the type of person who is in a posion to “give something back” to the Community, we would love to hear from you. As referenced above our acvies and aims can be summarised as;

Ÿ Fundraising for charitable causes

Ÿ Support for the local Community

Ÿ Aid for internaonal disasters

Ÿ Make new friends and have fun at our organised events

If you are interested in any aspect of what Rotary has to oﬀer, please contact us on our website, Baldock Rotary Club, or contact our Membership Secretary, Michael Muir, tel. no. 07909 002631, email michael.muir@herordshire.gov.uk

The photograph shows Rotary members, partners and friends at a social quiz.

Rotarian - Paul Lucke

Thank You!

Dear readers

I have been slightly overwhelmed by the response to my arcle published in the April edion of 'On Our Doorstep'. I'd like to thank you for the interest and kind comments I have received.

The purpose of the arcle was to try to ﬁnd the volunteers who saved my life on that day.

Last week, I was completely overwhelmed by the contents of an email sent to me by Jacqui from the magazine. Tara had wrien in to say that it was her husband who had lain beside me and tried to keep me talking unl the ambulance arrived. Due to GDPR neither the police nor the hospital would disclose any informaon about me, so for the last three years he had no idea whether I had lived or died. It was an extremely emoonal phone call when we spoke again aer all this me.

If anyone has any doubts about the strength of human kindness, here is an example of one of the best humans on our planet.

The words 'Thank you' are nowhere near enough to convey the gratude owed by myself and my family to this wonderful man.

In my arcle I menoned that I was taking part in a 24 hour swim to raise money for Level Water, a charity that provides swimming lessons and support for disabled children swimming.

Swimming is a fantasc physical acvity for anyone, for many children with disabilies it is oen the only physical acvity where they can move around freely without the support of a wheelchair or arﬁcial limbs.

My team is made up of local residents all of whom swim at Letchworth Lido. Two of us are above knee amputees, some members of the team have taught swimming lessons to children with disabilies. So it is a cause close to our hearts.

We would love to receive any contribuons, big or small. In addion to our fundraising page we will be holding cake sales at the Lido on 24th

and 26th May. We are also planning a quiz night, further details to be adversed shortly.

The fundraising page can be found on the Letchworth lido website and facebook. Or use the QR code here.

Back on the Gas

The young stars of the BRSCC ﬁesta junior championships embarked on a new season at the Sneerton circuit in East Anglia.

Local talent Archie rolled into the weekend with conﬁdence, and in qualifying showed the pace was there—despite traﬃc and a few deleted mes, he planted his new car in P5, a solid launchpad for Race 1.

Race 1 was a tough pill to swallow. Aer a cracking start, Archie immediately felt something was oﬀ by Turn 2. With a power issue hampering the car, he had no choice but to defend tooth and nail for the rest of the race. Dropping to P7, he heroically fended oﬀ a charging pack to salvage crucial points.

Post-race diagnoscs revealed the culprit: a faulty knock sensor and cam issue, cosng him up to 1.8 seconds a lap. Despite being way oﬀ his earlier pace, Archie kept his head down and showed pure grit under pressure.

Silver linings? Absolutely—tons learnt, and valuable experience banked heading into Sunday.

Bonus moment: Archie ﬁnally met Kevin from @oﬃcialbtcchat – building more momentum as a 2025 BTCCsupported driver.

Sunday – Redempon Mode Acvated Race 2: Starng P7, Archie came out swinging. With the power issues sorted thanks to his team at @race_car_consultants and mechanic James, the car finally clicked—and so did Archie. Carving through the field with confidence, he crossed the line in P4 and proved what could've been on Saturday.

Race 3: Oﬀ the line from P4, Archie jumped up to P3 and was looking fast—ready to chase down the frontrunners. But fate had other plans. A red ﬂag and safety car due to oil on the track saw the race abandoned before three laps were completed, meaning it won't count for points or results.

A frustrang end, especially with a ﬁrst podium in sight, but Archie takes away huge posives from a weekend that tested him mentally and mechanically.

Massive shoutout to the team at @race_car_consultants for the turnaround and to James for geng the car back to ﬁghng form.

As a side note, Archie has also been selected for the BrishTouring Car chat groups supported young driver for 2025. Archie's 2025 BTCC campaign is just geng started, and next stop: Mallory Park—don't blink.

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

By Tim Barnes-Clay - Follow on Instagram @tbarnsclay

The smallest Lexus oﬀering to date, the LBX is a self-charging hybrid that combines contemporary design with praccality.

Fast Facts Everyday Extraordinary Lexus LBX

When I entered the cabin, I was surprised at the minimalist but hightech interior design. It has a spacious feel to it with an uncluered look and open visibility. I appreciated how the layout encourages a serene driving experience. The smooth, ﬂowing design of the instrument panel adds to the expansive feel.

Driving the LBX is eﬀortless, whether hammering along a motorway, navigang rural roads, or doing the school run in town. The interior of the car posions key controls within reach so you can keep your eyes on the road. I found myself connected to the Lexus without even trying, and it felt as if everything that I wanted was exactly where it should be. The horizontal conﬁguraon of the dash improves visibility and enhances the way you experience the car's dynamics, parcularly when cornering.

The comfort of the LBX is also worth nong. The driving posion felt akin to a larger saloon, with a conﬁdent sense of

being connected to the car. The back seats were a huge success with my kids, posioned slightly higher to provide improved visibility for all. Each seat felt stable and supporve, and I could easily see how the eight-way power adjustments would cater to the diﬀerent preferences of any front seat occupant. What's more, the LBX's technological features made quite an impression on me, especially the 12.3-inch fully digital driver's instrument display.

At the heart of the LBX is a new selfcharging full hybrid powertrain that delivers high efficiency and the acceleraon characterisc of baery electric power. With a total system output of 134bhp and peak torque of 185Nm, the LBX achieves 0-62mph in a brisk 9.2 seconds for the front-wheel drive model and 9.6 seconds for the allwheel drive variant. Impressively, it boasts official WLTP combined cycle figures of 62.8mpg and CO2 emissions from 102g/km.

The LBX's responsive steering, sensive brakes, and smooth throle inputs all provide a driving experience that's excing but stable on any road. Indeed, the Lexus is a refreshing entry in

the compact luxury car market, one that's set to draw in a range of drivers.

As I explored this innovave model, I couldn't help but feel that it encapsulates what many of us are looking for - an upscale experience that doesn't sacriﬁce praccality.

Lexus LBX Takumi Design Hybrid-as tested:

Ÿ Max speed: 106 mph

Ÿ 0-62 mph: 9.2 secs

Ÿ Fuel economy: 62.8 mpg

Ÿ Engine layout: 1490cc threecylinder petrol-electric

Ÿ Max. power (PS): 136

Ÿ CO2: 104 g/km

Ÿ Price from: £39,051

‘WE GUARANTEE TO BEAT* your existing home insurance renewal quote in the SG postcode.’

For most people their home is the biggest investment they will ever make and the things they keep in it are their most prized possessions.

As your local broker our role is to select the policy most suited to your individual needs. Ensuring peace of mind for our customers is at the heart of what we do.

To make sure your most treasured possessions are properly covered contact the Emperor of insurance

Severance – Season 2 – Apple TV

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!

It's been 3 long years since Season 1 of Severance landed on Apple TV and it was worth the wait as we welcome the latest instalment of what has been in my view the event tv of the year so far.

As a quick recap, this Ben Sller produced dystopian drama centres on people who have 'severed' their work lives from their personal lives. Hence, one person can have two disnctly diﬀerent personas. There are 'innies', who go to work and then there are 'oues' who exist in the wider world. They are the same person but neither has any memory of the other and what it does, except to know that they exist. At the heart of this duality is a shady company called Lumon who provide the chip implants into the brain to undertake the severing. People undertake severance for all manner of reasons, somemes to evade personal trauma or to provide addional income.

Season 1 le us on a cliﬀ edge as our main protagonist, Mark Scout (Adam Sco), who is managing the consequences of his wife's sudden death, makes a startling discovery as his innie and oue personas are reversed. This breach, known within Lumon as the “Microdata Uprising,” sets the stage for deeper exploraons of identy, autonomy, and corporate control. Beyond this, if you're sll to catch up I can't divulge more for fear of spoilers! What I can review however is that Season 2 connues a focus upon Mark Scout's grapples with the revelaons that his presumed-dead wife, Gemma (Dichen Lachman) is alive.

This discovery intensiﬁes the conﬂict between his innie and oue personas, each harbouring disnct desires and objecves. Innie Mark is determined to uncover Lumon's secrets, while Oue Mark remains ensnared by grief and confusion.

Meanwhile, Helly R., Mark's key ally as an innie at Lumon, faces her own turmoil upon learning that her family background is not what she thought. This duality forces her to confront some uncomfortable truths and re-evaluate her allegiances.

I shall leave the character development there. Severance really is event TV, slickly produced and it looks sumptuous on UHD TV. Season 2 delves deeper into the philosophical quesons surrounding identy and consciousness. The series challenges you to consider the ethical ramiﬁcaons of severance, parcularly as innies begin to assert their autonomy and queson the morality of their imposed existence. Why should innies live linear lives, and oues, with relave freedom, determine their fate? The narrave also examines the concept of love across divided selves, as characters navigate relaonships complicated by their bifurcated consciousnesses.

For me Severance resonates with contemporary discussions about work-life balance and corporate over-reach. The show's portrayal of Lumon's cult-like environment and the dehumanisaon of its employees serves as a real reﬂecon of modern workplace culture, highlighng the potenal consequences of unchecked corporate power. There are mulple layers to Severance and it's one of the most rewarding series to watch now.

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!!

Keeping Your Vehicle Safe

Recently it appeared that the once quaint villages are being targeted by gangs of thieves, coming into the area knowing that they've mulple routes of escape through the ever-winding country lanes. They're aware that there is a diminishing number of police oﬃcers, mainly those overnight and most certainly oﬃcers who are trained in pursuit taccs.

Numerous methods of the are being employed, the low-tech break in and steal keys to the vehicle. Through to the high-tech methods of key-cloning, relay the and CAN hacking. Where thieves can let their self into your vehicle without requiring the keys and then driving away without anyone being aware. Most thieves are now aware of manufacturer placed tracking systems, as well as employing signal jammers to allow the vehicle to be safely concealed unl it can be stripped or shipped abroad. is now perhaps more relevant than ever before, to ensure that you're not penalised with increased premiums following a the or unfortunately out of pocket due to negave equity on ﬁnanced vehicles – Which appears to be an ever-increasing problem with the high cost of purchasing a new vehicle. Paired with the lead me on waing for a replacement vehicle, it can be a heavy ﬁnancial loss losing your vehicle.

To protect, prevent and hinder the we can look at numerous tools and devices, ﬁrstly a 'Faraday' box or pouch, these can be used to block/hinder the keyless signal being generated by the car key and can prevent relay the. The next opon are physical deterrents such as bollards or steering locks, albeit they can be simple to remove the addional me required to do so can deter a thief who may look for an easier target. Finally, aermarket immobilisers and ‘no tag, no start' tracking systems. Aermarket immobilisers can be used to create a PIN code, ulising the controls already inside the vehicle. Without this PIN the vehicle either will not start or will be unable to select a gear thus rendering the vehicle useless to a potenal thief.

Two Finals, Two Champions, Two Outstanding Performances

What a day of boxing acon it was — two ﬁnalists, two champions, and two truly great bouts that had the crowd on their feet.

First up was Luca, stepping into his very first championship final. Facing a tough and talented opponent, Luca showed tremendous skill and heart throughout the fight. It was a close contest, but Luca's composure, sharp punches, and

work rate impressed the judges, earning him a majority decision win. With this victory, Luca now boasts an impressive 5-0 record. A massive well done to the new champ — a performance full of promise and determinaon!

Then it was Danny's turn, facing a familiar rival who clearly came into the ring with victory in mind. But Danny was on another level. With superior speed, power, and ringcra, he controlled the bout from the start. In the ﬁnal round, Danny came close to stopping his

opponent altogether, pung an exclamaon mark on a dominant performance. He walked away with a unanimous decision and another belt to his name.

Onwards and upwards from here. Well done, champs — the future is bright!

JUNIOR BOXING FINALS Baldock town Petanque

More success for the Baldock Town team last month, with Sarah, Ben and Jeremy winning the Winter league.

Congratulaons you three! 2025 has started strong

Baldock’s favourite for 30 years

RHYME FOR ADVERT

Jolly the terrier has ﬂoppy ears, shaggy coat and a wagging tail.

Come Saturday mornings he takes his owner, To meet his friends at the car boot sale!

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

What is Osteopathy? rehabilitation

Osteopathy is based on many principles and at the core of these is the belief that the wellbeing of an individual depends on how the bones, muscles, ligaments, and internal structures of the body work together. Taking a whole-body approach to healthcare, always considering how a paent's medical history, job and lifestyle may have an inﬂuence on their current symptoms is where an osteopath begins when they meet you.

Using their in-depth anatomical and physiological knowledge, with gentle hands-on techniques to improve funcon, reduce pain, improve joint mobility, relieve muscle tension, enhance blood, and nerve supply and improve overall health across the body's systems. The techniques they use can include joint arculaon and manipulaon, and so ssue massage techniques. Along with that, guidance on posture and exercise that will aid recovery and prevent symptoms from re-occurring, may be given.

Osteopaths treat a wide range of paents from all age groups from a few months old to those in their 90's.

A wide range of condions are treated including arthric pain, frozen shoulder, joint pain, headaches arising from neck issues, neck pain, acute and chronic back pain, lower back pain, sciaca, minor sports injuries, neuralgia, circulatory problems, cramp, digesve problems, and ﬁbromyalgia.

What to Expect From an Osteopathy

First Consultaon

During a consultaon, the osteopath will take a detailed case history including informaon on your present complaint and take your past medical history, assess your posture, the mobility of the area you are experiencing symptoms in and look at your enre body to idenfy the cause of your symptoms.

This thorough physical assessment

helps formulate a diagnosis which considers the probable cause of the pain rather than just the site of pain itself. As oen where a paent experiences symptoms, is the area which is under more stress and working harder to compensate for other areas of the body. The osteopath will then explain their diagnosis and discuss a treatment plan for your complaint.

If you want to ﬁnd out more about how osteopathy can help you, please call the clinic on 01462 490 141 to book in with one of our highly qualiﬁed osteopaths.

Louise Adam - Amber Health

Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

This month, I am going to cover something that I learned fifty-plus years ago and have mostly forgotten. It's strange to most people, even difficult for clever people, and sometimes highly qualified horticulturalists argue about it. What on earth am I talking about? Its Botanical nomenclature.

The formal scientific naming of plants. Have you ever looked at the label of a plant you have purchased and wondered about its strange Latin / Greek name? Let me try to explain how it works. Binomial Nomenclature: Scientific names consist of two parts: the Genus (capitalised and italicised) and the species epithet or byname (not capitalised and also italicised) So, an example of eating apples would be (Malus-domestica), followed by a cultivar such as Cox orange pippin. There are 2,500 eating apple cultivars in Great Britain and more than 30,000 worldwide so you need to be sure what you are buying.

Malus-sylvestris is the well-known crab apple; the definition of a crab apple(is any apple tree that normally bears fruits smaller than two inches) they are not classed as an eating apple but can be eaten; they are a bit tart but make great jelly or jam.

Ÿ The strict rules of Binomial Nomenclature are

Ÿ The name of the Genus always begins with a capital letter.

Ÿ The species name starts with a small letter.

Ÿ The scientific names are always italicised.

Ÿ When handwritten, the genus name and species name have to be underlined.

Carl Linnaeus is the man who first put plant names into some order in a way that everyone could understand and refer to with some confidence.

His publication of Species Plantarum in 1753 was the first to use Binomial Nomenclature. Before his work, plant names were descriptive and random, making identifying one plant from another challenging. This two-part system became the globally recognised way to identify all plants within the scientific

community and the general public.

To make this system even more difficult to understand, we have a few more levels to add and ways of describing. The next level up is family; this is a general heading to encapsulate several levels of identification; the strict rule is that the Genus will have aceae added to it.

The level below species is a sub-species. Generally, the only levels gardeners need to consider when buying your plants are Genus - species - sub-species.

After explaining everything you need to know about hybrids, here's what they are and how the plant producer would mark them on labels.

A hybrid plant is a cross between two species and will be shown in two ways. Firstly, the label will show the Genus and then the two species with an x between them, or if the particular plant has been named, it will show the Genus and then x followed by the plant's registered name, in the case of seeds they will be marked as F1, but not the varieties they were bred from. It is essential to know that F1 plants will grow as described on the packet, but if any seeds are saved, the plants will not grow the same as the F1 parent because you have no control over what and how the flowers have been pollinated, so they technically become what is called an openpollinated plant. Some examples are Broccoli Purple Sprouting Claret F1 bred to be hardy and High yielding seeds saved will not be true to the parental description. Broccoli Purple Sprouting Rudolph is not an F1, probably an F2 bred under controlled conditions with known parent plants, and probably cheaper because there are many more seeds per pack.

Another example would be Brussels Sprout Brenden F1, bred to give long stalks of tight buttons. Again, these will not come true if the seeds are saved. Brussels Sprout Long Island is an old favourite; this is an Heirloom variety has been bred via a long-known breeding program. It will be reliable in every aspect, including germination, plant size, button quality and flavour. It will be exactly the same as Grand Dad used to grow, but it will not be as good as an F1.

It is a much better option than saving your own seed.

Saving your seed is a hobby and great fun for some, but it is unreliable for the reasons given, including the carryover of seed-born viruses.

I'm often asked why plant names keep changing; there are several reasons why this should happen; the first is that they may have been incorrectly catalogued in the past, and because there are thousands and thousands of plants catalogued and to be catalogued that, it takes a long time to get round to doing it, another very good reason is due to the science of genetics, scientists are finding that what we thought were related plants are not. So, they need to reclassify and create a new name and position in the Binomial Nomenclature catalogue. While frustrating for us growers and annoying for you gardeners, they will be correct at some point in the future.

It is time to mention common names from times gone by the general public, and more horticulturalists than will admit it use common names for their plants; some cheat a little bit by making up names for some of the higher margin plants to keep sales to themselves, it doesn't happen quite so often now but in days gone by we have been asked for a plant that quite clearly wasnt by its common or botanical name and it turned out by investigation that it could only be acquired from a certain nursery so we couldn't supply it even though we may have had it on site under its proper name. I touched on plant labels earlier; you may not know, but the label is proof that royalties have been paid on that pot plant. Plant breeders earn a living by charging a levy on the labels, so if you see plants for sale that don't have a label, you can bet that, most times, they are old varieties that don't have royalties or are illegally grown.

Until next month, enjoy your garden

Thunderbolts

After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it's too late?

The Final Reckoning

Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible -The Final Reckoning. After escaping a calamitous train crash, Ethan realizesThe Entity is stashed aboard an old Russian submarine, but a foe from his past named Gabriel is also on the trail. He must reassemble his team, including Benji Dunn and Luther Stickell, while evading government agencies and Gabriel's operatives

Atreasure-hunting mastermind assembles a team for a life-changing adventure to seek the legendary Fountain ofYouth. Using historical clues, they embark on an epic quest ﬁlled with adventure. If successful, the mythical fountain could grant them immortality. But to outwit and outrun threats at every turn, he’ll need someone even smarter than he is: his estranged sister.

Alive-action reimagining of Disney's 2002 animated classic,Atale of a young girl's close encounter with the galaxy's most wanted extraterrestrial. Lilo is a lonely Hawaiian girl who adopts a small ugly "dog," whom she names Stitch. Stitch would be the perfect pet if he weren't in reality a genetic experiment who has escaped from an alien planet and crash-landed on Earth. lilo

Out 23rd May Certiﬁcate RunningTime U 118 mins

AIandme

Spring is that magical me of year when everything comes back to life, and people suddenly remember that they have a garden. It's the season of blooming flowers, chirping birds, and the never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of flip-flops that don't give you blisters. Here are a few reasons why Spring is both beauful and hilariously awkward. It's the me of year when flowers try to woo the bees, and we, the unsuspecng humans, become allergyridden zombies. Just as you step outside to enjoy the fresh air, nature decides to throw a giant confe party with pollen. Suddenly, you're sneezing like a firework show, and your eyes are watering so much that you could fill a small pond. It's also the me when people enthusiascally decide to become gardeners. Armed with spades, seeds, and an unwavering belief that you can grow vegetables, you head to the garden centre. You grab everything from heirloom tomatoes to exoc herbs, convinced you'll be the next garden guru. Fast forward a month, and your “garden” resembles a scene from a horror movie where the weeds have taken over, and the only thing you've successfully grown is a patch of regret. Spring fashion is another adventure altogether. As the weather shis from “I'm wearing five layers” to “Is it too soon for shorts?” your wardrobe becomes a baleground.

You ﬁnd yourself shivering in a tanktop one day and sweang in a Jumper the next.

Then there's Spring cleaning, which is less about actually cleaning and more about diving deep into the realms of procrasnaon. You start by dusng one shelf and suddenly ﬁnd yourself on a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about that jumper you wore in 2003. Before you know it, you've spent three hours organizing old receipts and pondering whether to keep that broken lamp because “it could be useful one day.”

Spring is undoubtedly a me of renewal, laughter, and some quesonable life choices. As we stumble through sneezy days, gardening mishaps, quesonable fashion, and cleaning procrasnaon, let's embrace the chaos. Aer all, in the grand scheme of things, a sneeze here and a weed there is all part of the hilarity that is Spring! So, grab your ﬂipﬂops (and maybe some ssues), and let's celebrate the season of sneezes and garden dreams!

This bit is me,

I asked Chat GP to help me author an arcle on Spring and the above is the result. I'm quietly impressed. Its not the ﬁrst me I've done this, I'm oen asked how I come up with ideas on what to write each month, most of the me I draw from observaons on my life,

somemes something serious strikes me and if its not too controversial I will write about that. I don't oen use AI because I have found that it doesn't help that much, it doesn't sound like something I'd write. But I do use it to help me with ideas on the odd occasion. The one above was quite good I thought which is why I've used it as a comparison, it seems more me. Perhaps my choice of AI is learning about me more. Its sll very American, so I've had to substute a few words (Americans use yard where we use garden), and removed a bit about socks and sandals, (you know my feelings about sandals and the menon of socks in the same sentence had me sping my tea over my keyboard).

Having done this sort of thing about 2 years ago, I was interested to see how far AI has come in my lile world, and aer last month's oﬀering, I just wanted to reassure myself (and you) that I'm not a complete technophobe. I sll feel like I cheated though, so will do beer.

Nicky

5 minutes with... Hannah and Chris from Cavavin

*TellusaboutCavavinTheWineShop?

Cavavin is not just a wine shop, it's a family-owned wine merchantwitharichlegacydangbacktoitsestablishment by Michel Bourel in 1985. Rooted in a deep appreciaon for wine,Cavavinhasdevelopedstrongrelaonshipswithover 300independentandaccreditedwinegrowersandpartners worldwide. Each of these collaborators brings their own unique heritage, allowing Cavavin to oﬀer an authenc and exclusive range of wines, champagnes, and spirits at aracve prices. Cavavin has created a network of independent wine merchants dedicated to providing expert advice tailored to your needs, be it locally sourced gemsorinternaonaltreasures.

*I'veneverheardofCAVAVINbeforeintheUK?

That's probably right, we opened the ﬁrst UK branded CAVAVIN shop 10 years ago in Herord, and working with the group we've managed to help them open other sites in diﬀerent areas of the country. We kept to our roots keeping thenamewhichisaplayonwordsCave-à-vinorWineCellar in French, but we also sell CAVA, directly imported of course.

*Well,whatmakesyoudifferenttoaMajescWineShop? Everything actually, we source all our products directly from the vineyards with a focus on family-owned single estates which don't produce enough to fulfil the requirements of naonal chains or supermarkets. Through the CAVAVIN buying group we have access to thousands of products that are not available to the UK market, we ask exclusivity of our vineyards so it will be hard to find any of ourproductsanywhereelse.

*I've looked in the window, and with all those fancy wine racksyoumustsellexpensewineright?

Notatall,ourpricesstartat£7andtopoutat£70.Wehavea rangetoﬁtalltastes,stylesandpockets,weprideourselves in searchingoutthebestvalueproductsfortheregionsand appellaons that we import. We can't compete with the mass-produced wines available at the supermarket and we are not trying to, our growers and partners are passionate about with they do and you can really taste that in the product.

*Canyougetﬁnewinesthough?

Yes we can, we have a container arriving from Europe every 2 weeks and although we don't hold ﬁne wines in stock we can have it placed on one of our next shipments, just pop intotheshopandaskwhatwecangetourhandson.

*Soyouonlysellwine?

Far from it, alongside our extensive wine range (over 500 products) we also hold Champagnes, again those hard to ﬁnd but massive on quality and reasonable on price. We also stock a range of unusual spirits, whiskies of limited edion and disller's edions, Bas-Armagnac and Congacs, Rums and Vodkas. We even have the odd Mezcal if that's your pple. We also have some great Normandy Cider and Perryaswellasarangeofcrabeerslocallysourced.

WhyBaldock?

We've had our eye on Baldock for a while as our North Herts base, and aer the successful launch of our ﬁrst UK store in Herordtowncentereightyearsago,selecngthelocaonfor our second shop was no small feat. We desired a place that embodied the charm and community spirit we value so highly. Baldock,apicturesquemarkettownfullofcharacter,emerged as the ideal choice. It not only aligns with our brand ethos but also oﬀers a vibrant local atmosphere that enhances our missionofconnecngwiththecommunity.Weloveithereand arelookingforwardtoconnecngwiththecommunity.

*Wasn'tthereaWineshopinWhiteHorseStreetyearsago?

Yes, that's right there was a Victoria Wine right next door and we certainly believe that every high street needs a good wine shop so we're bringing it back to Baldock. We don't sell cigareesorstellathought.

*Sowhatelsedoyoudo?

From Retail to Wholesale, events and more, we pride ourselves on catering to all wine-related needs. Whether you're looking for exquisite champagne for a top table or a selecon of ﬁne wines for corporate events, we are here to assist. Our team will collaborate closely with your venue or organizing team to ensure that you ﬁnd the perfect selecons to complement any occasion. With our experse and passion forwine,weaimtomakeeverycelebraonmemorable.

*Doyoureallyhavetotasteallthosewines?

Well,someonehasto......

*Ihearyou'vegotapavementlicense?

Yes, we've opened our tasng room to the public and will be pung tables and chairs on the pavement and grass area in front of the shop. We've started serving wines by the glass on Thursday,FridayandSaturdayunl7pmsocomeondownand try some of our great wines, a diﬀerent selecon will be on oﬀer every week by the glass or you can choose something from the shelf or fridge to enjoy. It's all about geng our amazing directly imported exclusive wines into people's glasses,sowearedoingitourselves.

*SowhencanIcomeinandseeyou?

We are open Tuesday and Wednesday 10am l 5pm, and Thursday to Saturday 10am l 7pm, all our products are availabletoviewonourwebsiteat www.baldock.cavavin.co.uk and can be ordered for delivery orclickandcollect.

Cpervng  the Nherlds

Summer of 2021 saw us hire a campervan from Baldock's own wonderful Kerb 2 Coast and set in moon a lifelong ambion to get our own campervan and to get out on the open road as much as possible. Having managed to get our own VW California campervan, we've made sure to explore as much as possible but with a (now) 11 year old in tow we have to make sure we're not too ambious (kids and 10 hour drives don't mix!!) and ensure that we're geng the right of blend of adventure, some tried and tested kids enjoyment (water slides and swimming) and sll ﬁnd some me to relax!

This Easter, we aempted a 10-day mini European adventure to suit all tastes. Seng oﬀ on Le Shule for the connent from Folkestone, 35 minutes later you're on smooth and easy to navigate roads with not a pothole in sight. Bliss! We made a start at Centre Parcs De Vossemeren in Belgium - an easy 3 hour drive from Calais. Admiedly, we stayed in a lodge and not the campervan but the camper was more than adequate to load up all our holiday belongings and the bikes! We'd red of the ridiculous prices for UK Centre Parcs at peak mes and having booked 10 months earlier (this is key to keeping costs low), and buying all our own food and drink we saved a good few hundred pounds even aer taking travel costs into consideraon.

This Belgian Centre Parcs seemed less chaoc then some of the UK ones we had stayed at during peak holiday season, and taking our own bikes was the game changer allowing us to get around what was a large parc with ease. The Aqua Mundo swimming pool was fabulous – more than enough fast slides and outdoor rapids to keep our 11-yearold happy.

Aer a few nights here it was into the campervan and we hit the road for a short 90-minute drive to Amsterdam. The child friendly city was parcularly glorious in the Spring sunshine as we cycled around the city taking in the NEMO science museum, the Ann Frank Museum and of course the world-famous tulip lined canals. Book all the museums online and in advance to save money. We stayed at Camping Zeeburg – here there are great sized pitches and amenies for motorhomes, camper vans and campers alike. Only 25-minute cycle from the city centre, or an easy 30minute tram ride in, you're well placed to explore all of the rich tapestry of culture Amsterdam has to oﬀer. They even have cute tradional Dutch wagonees with four birth beds and heaters – staying here would save signiﬁcantly on city centre accommodaon.

Our next stop was to the stunning tulip ﬁelds at Keukenhof. A short 6 – 8 week window is all you have every late March onwards to see the most magical

array of tulips blooming across gorgeous Dutch gardens. Over 40,000 visitors a day arrive to see the tulips of all shapes, sizes and colours before they fade, and the groundskeepers ensure they compost and mulch them and return the gardens to their full glory. Hay fever suﬀerers beware though!

Our final desnaon was Camping Julianahoeve near Renesse in the province of Zeeland, northern Netherlands – right on the beach with a great sized pitch and your very own private shower block and kitchen facilies! This was a great campsite, with fantasc facilies to keep the kids entertained including a good indoor pool and entertainment complex. A short 5minute walk to the beach was the icing on the cake as we enjoyed some unexpectedly, but most welcome, spring sunshine. We've stayed at a few Dutch campsites now and they are so well geared towards families, with good amenies and obviously are mostly flat so are perfect to take the bikes too for exploring. They're coastline and beaches are very safe, oen set against lovely sand dunes and for a different trip I'd really recommend exploring them as a 23 hour drive from Calais is not too cumbersome.

Traveling by camper van offered us the flexibility to explore a bit of Belgium and Holland at our own pace. You can however do all of this easily with a car and a decent tent. I find the Le Shule service great value (we use our Tesco Clubcard vouchers to reduce cost further). In just 35 minutes the whole of Europe is at your feet. If you are tempted by a bit of the campervan life drop Kerb to Coast a line – we fell in love with the lifestyle and you may do too.

Duck, asparagus & fondant potato

It's May!!! And we're starting to see some new produce. (Hooray!) Spring brings us the wonderful asparagus, and we're very fortunate to have some wonderful guests who come to the restaurant who grow asparagus on their allotments. At this time of year, we get to use asparagus on our menu. At the time of writing, the asparagus being used is from Litlington, so when we say "local asparagus", it really is!

This month's recipe is something special. It currently features on our main menu however, this recipe is a simpliﬁed version but still has that "Wow" factor for a dinner party or that special mid-week meal .

I know we had a duck recipe last month, but the feedback has been so good. It's been amazing at just how many readers have had a go at cooking conﬁt duck leg.

This recipe will feed a family of 4.

Let's Cook the Duck

Set your oven to 180℃

¬ 4 duck breasts (around 200g each)

¬ 3 cloves of garlic (skin on and crushed)

¬ 10 sprigs of thyme

Take your duck breasts out of the fridge and, on a clean chopping board, score the skin with a sharp knife. You only want to make an incision through the skin of the duck and not into the ﬂesh. We're going to render the fat of the duck ﬁrst and use that fat to cook our fondant potatoes.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, lay your duck breasts skin side down with no oil in the cold pan. Now put the pan on a medium heat and leave the duck to slowly render its fat. This will take 8 to 10 minutes. After 5 minutes, add the garlic & thyme. Season the duck breasts at this point as well.

¬ Once the skin side is golden brown, turn the duck breasts over and seal the ﬂesh side for just a minute. Remove the duck breasts from the pan and set them aside. Keep the fat in the saucepan and use the same pan to cook the fondant potatoes.

Let's Cook the Fondant Potatoes

¬ 4 medium-sized potatoes (Maris Piper works well)

¬ 125g salted butter (diced and fridge cold)

¬ 2 cloves of garlic (skin on & crushed)

¬ 6-8 sprigs of thyme

¬ 300 ml of chicken stock retbxn

Peel your potatoes, cut the sides of the potatoes to form a ﬂat top and a ﬂat bottom. Now trim your potato to form a round fondant. Use the same saucepan and put it on a medium heat. Once hot, add your potatoes

to the pan, ﬂat side down to give each side some nice colour. It will take around 5 minutes on each side. Once both sides are golden brown add your cold butter one knob at a time. The butter should start to foam, which is when you should add the garlic & thyme. Keep checking the potatoes to ensure they are not burning. Flip them over if you feel you need to. Once your butter stops foaming, if you haven't already done so, turn your potatoes. Now add your chicken stock, season well, bring up to the boil and pop into the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn your potatoes again and put them back into the oven for another 5 or 10 minutes or until cooked. You should be able to put a small knife through the potato and pull it back out without any resistance once it's cooked.

Let's Cook the Asparagus

¬ 400g English asparagus

Trim oﬀ the hard woody part of the spear. You'll know where this is by snapping the asparagus spear with your hand, and it will break oﬀ where the tender part starts. It'll be approximately 2/3's of the way down from the tip.

In a pan of boiling salted water, blanch the asparagus for just 3 minutes. Once cooked, put the asparagus in a bowl of cold water to retain its colour and to stop it from overcooking.

Once you have all the components ready, put them all on an oven tray and pop them into the oven for 3 minutes to reheat the fondant and asparagus but to also ﬁnish cooking the duck breasts. Whilst this is reheating, you can use the leftover stock in the saucepan to make a quick sauce either by adding gravy granules or add a glass of red wine and reduce it down to a sauce consistency.

Let's Plate Up!

Remove your tray from the oven. Place a fondant potato on each plate, divide the asparagus between each plate and give them all a light seasoning. To carve the duck, place them on a clean chopping board skin side down. Have a look at which direction the grain of the meat goes. You want to slice the duck at a 90° angle to the direction of the grain of the meat. Carve the duck to 4 beautiful slices and place on top of the fondant and the asparagus. Take a spoonful of the sauce and drizzle all over the duck.

Open a bottle of pinot noir, sit back and enjoy!

I really hope you enjoy this month's recipe.

, Chef patron of

Eight.

ASHWELL WESTON

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