May 2018

Issue 44 May 2018

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

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

May 2018

!

Welcome To the May issue April was full of surprises, we went from snow to sun to rain and back to sun again in the space of a couple of weeks! Let's hope the warmer weather continues.

Many of you will have seen or heard that the famous Flying Scotsman train came through Baldock in April, it was nice to see all the pictures and videos that were shared on social media. What an awesome sight to see, a true icon.

A few of you may have spotted Batman and Robin out and about running through the local area, not fighting Gotham's latest villains as you might suspect. Under the impressive super hero costumes are the Lemon brothers, Mark & Seb, who have been training for the 2018 London Marathon, we wish them the best of luck for the day!

A hot topic this spring has been the masses of potholes across Baldock and the surrounding areas. It's nice to see the roundabout at the top of Clothall Road has now been resurfaced, hopefully we will soon see all the other pot holes repaired very soon.

In other transport news if you haven't heard already be sure to check your train time so we the coming weeks as a new timetable will be in place from 20th May. I'm sure there will be a few teething issues as everyone gets used to it.

Hopefully it won't affect your journey too much.

The 11th Baldock Beer Festival is kicking off this month's events from May 4th at Brandles School. The Baldock Festival then continues for 2 weeks with the Street Fair taking over the town on Saturday 19th May (the same

weekend as the royal wedding). Come dressed up as Harry or Meghan or in your own wedding get up and you will receive a refreshing reward!

The ever popular classic car show returns on the Sunday 20th May, the High Street will be packed with all your old favourites and a few classic cars as well, so be sure head down and soak up all the May festivities!

If you need something else to look forward to the Big Lunch returns again on the first weekend of June! This event grows in popularity every year and has become a firm favourite, so fingers crossed the sun will have his hat on and then it will be a fantastic day all round. Tickets are available from the Baldock community centre.

Enjoy the sun and we’ll be back in June

Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

Jacqui Calver 07973 788418

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Year 7 District Champions On a bright and sunny spring a ernoon the year 7 Rugby Team travelled to Fearnhill School in confident mood for the district final following a brilliant training session on Tuesday in prepara on for the final. On a small pitch and playing a 10-a side game the team began the game in fantas c fashion with strong carries from George Wakefield and superb off-loading skills from the en re team. Fearnhill presented a physical challenge and competed strongly for the en re game. In defence, captain Louis Burns was ferocious and made numerous crunching tackles on the strong running Fearnhill forwards. Ma hew Goldsmith was outstanding in a acking using his electric footwork and speed to challenge and beat the defenders. KTS scored 9 tries and played with superb tempo and a acking intent. The final result from the 20 minute final was an empha c victory for KTS 45-20.

As KTS travelled with a large squad we then played a 20 minute friendly with three KTS boys volunteering to play for Fearnhill. Huge credit to Bailey Bruce, Stan Larner and Darragh Tilbury for stepping up and volunteering. This was excellent to see as it demonstrates some of rugby’s core values and

underlines why rugby as a school sport is such a powerful tool for personal development. All the boys from both teams enjoyed the occasion and rugby was definitely the winner!

This year group have had a brilliant season, working hard to improve at training and coming very close to winning the Hitchin Boys tournament earlier in the season. The future looks bright for this talented and commi ed year group. The boys would also like to thank Jack Petre from year 12 for his coaching and refereeing this season which has been a huge bonus for the team.

Mr Ma hews

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Happy Birthday Fran Rowley 20 on 7th May

Lots of Love Mum, Clive, Alex & Rory xxx

Charlie Hanrahan

21st

Birthday Princess 12th Love Mum, Dad,

May

Katie & Paddy

Happy Birthday Grandad

17th May Lots of love Isabell, Lacey, Kye and bump xxxxx

Happy Birthday 23rd May

Louise Tapp

ALEX TAPP

4

on 31stMay

Lots of Love Mum & Dad 6

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News from Sandon School The children were very excited to come back to school in the be er weather. They have really enjoyed doing even more outside learning. We are busy looking at the changes happening in the environment around us and the younger children have been busy in the garden.

Our 'fedge' in the Forest School area is growing well. We made this growing fence with whips cut from our willow dome. The fedge is currently being extended and we had help with this from some parents and children on one of our FOSS volunteer days. Parents and children come up to school on Saturday mornings to help us with maintenance and gardening jobs, which would otherwise cost us money from our precious budget.

On Friday 20th April we all combed the school grounds in search of li er to help smarten up the village. Some of the older children died the area outside the front of the school.

We have started our new topic 'Travel' and will be learning about types of transport, travel and the wide variety of des na ons available to explore. The children have been thinking about which des na ons they have already travelled to and have been wri ng these down. In the corridor we have a map that can be modiďŹ ed to show the places we have visited. The challenge is to see how many countries we can scratch the surface o of on our map. We don't think anyone has visited Antarc ca! We will update you next me to tell you how many countries we have collec vely visited.

Emma McGill - Headteacher

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Fashion Show Bouncy Castle Hire Local Pick up the latest trends and must-haves at local Fashion show in aid of Garden House Hospice Care It's well known that people wear 15% of their wardrobes 80% of the me. Let us help you increase that by joining us for an evening of fashion at Knebworth Barns on Thursday 24 May 2018.

Garden House Hospice Care has organised a great night for those who want to pick up handy ps, latest trends and a load of fashion must-haves, whilst suppor ng the local hospice.

Danni Swinburne, Community Fundraiser, said: “At this evening Fashion Show at Knebworth Barns, we'll guide you through the latest styles and you'll hear from our speakers on various topics from what colours you should be wearing, to how to pick and wear vintage! You'll also have the chance to browse through a range of stalls, including our donated fashion show ou its.”

A number of local organisa ons have supported this event to take place including: Jolly Brown (Hitchin); Rhubarb (Hitchin); SuSu (Welwyn); Jenni Billings, House of Colour, Systema c Homes and many more.

Tickets are £20 each, and will include the fashion show itself, talks, a glass of prosecco on arrival and nibbles. 7:30pm arrival for 8:00pm start. As we need to know numbers, please do purchase your ckets as soon as possible.

Sign up online: www.ghhospicecare.org.uk/supportus/events/detail/fashion_evening

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Slide the hook under the ck at skin level and ensure that the hook is not entangled in fur and then rotate the hook several mes un l the a achment is freed Ÿ Twist and pull out the ck carefully Ÿ Then dispose of the ck hygienically as it can re a ach itself to your pet or lay eggs which would make the situa on even worse!

Speak to your veterinary surgery for a recommenda on as to which product will be most appropriate for your pet, and how best to ensure you give repeat treatments at the appropriate intervals to free your animals from cks. Ÿ

Check Your Animals For Ticks Ticks are a health risk to both pets and humans alike. They spread diseases such as Lyme disease - which can affect people, dogs, cats and horses and is a growing problem in the UK,and also Babesiosis which is caused by a microscopic protozoal parasite that invades red blood cells. Tick saliva also contains an anaesthe c, so your pet will not feel the bite and neither will you!!!!

Ticks are widespread across the UK and numbers are on the increase, they are not just confined to rural areas they are now present in urban areas to, including local parks and even your garden!

With the changing weather pa erns we are seeing more cks about especially in we er summers and the warmer winter months.

Ticks can usually be found on your pets when you either part their fur or when you comb or brush your pet.

If you do find a ck on your pet you should:Ÿ Remove the whole ck, including its mouthparts, (always were gloves) Ÿ Use a specially designed hook with a narrow slot that traps the ck's mouthparts

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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

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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.

The Baldock Town Templars under 10's won the Isle of Wight tournament 2018 for their age group, for the second year on the trot.

The young red army with managers Dave McAdam and Dave Joy, played 7 teams from all over England. All games won with 30 goals scored and 2 goals conceded. Stats by Trevor Keates.

The young under 10 templars have played a year above their age group in the under 11's league this season and had great sucess.

The boys are also through to the ďŹ nal of the League Cup on 13th May at Bun ngford.

We would like to wish all the youth teams in Baldock good luck for the summer tournaments.

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MAY MOVIES MAY 4th - I FEEL PRETTY In I FEEL PRETTY Renee Bennett (Amy Schumer), a woman who struggles with feelings of deep insecurity and low self-esteem, that hold her back everyday, wakes from a brutal fall in an exercise class believing she is suddenly a ‘Supermodel’. With this newfound confidence she is empowered to live her life fearlessly and flawlessly, but what will happen when she realizes her appearance never changed?

MAY 4th - LEAN ON PETE The film follows fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson. He wants a home, food on the table and a high school he can attend for more than part of the year. As the son of a single father working in warehouses across the Pacific Northwest, stability is hard to find. Hoping for a new start they move to Portland, Oregon where Charley takes a summer job, with a washed-up horse trainer, and befriends a failing racehorse named Lean on Pete.

MAY 11th - LIFE OF THE PARTY When her husband suddenly dumps her, longtime dedicated housewife Deanna turns regret into re-set by going back to college - landing in the same class and school as her daughter, who's not entirely sold on the idea. Plunging headlong into the campus experience, the increasingly outspoken Deanna -- now Dee Rock -- embraces freedom, fun, and frat boys on her own terms, finding her true self in a senior year no one ever expected.

MAY 15th - DEADPOOL 2 After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry's hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, he must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavour finding a new taste for adventure.

MAY 24th - SOLO Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in 'Solo: A Star Wars Story,' an adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga's most unlikely heroes.

MAY 25th - SHOW DOGS SHOW DOGS is a family comedy about the unlikely pairing of a human detective (Arnett) and his canine partner Max (voice of Chris "Ludacris" Bridges). Max is a macho, solitary Rottweiler police dog who is ordered to go undercover as a primped show dog in a prestigious Dog Show, along with his human partner, to avert a disaster from happening.

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Baldock Rotary Open Gardens As part of the Baldock Fes val in May, the Rotary Club of Baldock will once again be sponsoring and organising the very popular ‘Open Gardens’ event.

As is tradi onal, it will be held on the last a ernoon of the Fes val on Sunday, 20th May, 1pm to 5pm Generally, the Open Gardens are a good mix of gardens, some of which are open for the first me and others that have opened previously. This always gives people a choice of which gardens to visit and offers the opportunity to see some of Baldock's hidden gardens which should not to be missed!

Please join us to enjoy gardens of all sizes, take refreshments in the courtyard at Templars ( 2pm un l 4pm) and listen to the Bygrave Handbell Ringers. A mini bus will operate to and from Templars to the gardens on a requested basis.

Tickets, including a map, will be available from the Community Centre in advance and from Templars on the day; details of all the gardens open will be provided with your cket. There will be free access for under 16's.

All gardens are marshalled throughout the a ernoon by Members or Friends of Rotary who take responsibility for checking ckets and suppor ng the garden owner.

All proceeds from the Open Gardens event will be distributed to charitable causes supported by the Rotary Club.

Please come along and enjoy this special occasion!

Marianne Cusworth - Friend of Baldock Rotary

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Baldock Town FC News

Photo: Marc Morris

The season has had to be extended this year to the first week of May due to all the rain. To be honest it's not like we have had many called off but it does interrupt the flow of play!

We are doing well, and we only need a handful of points from the last 5 games. Our last game is at home to Codicote on 5th May, I'm sure we will be having a party if we are confirmed as being promoted. But I cant relax un l the last kick of the ball and when I see it in black and white! It's going to be a nervous couple of weeks!

We have won another Team of the Month trophy which takes us to 3 this season. We stayed top of the RESPECT table which is an achievement! Means that the boys are actually behaving themselves and not ge ng so many bookings!

Our Under 10 Mascot team have been playing up a year and I went to watch them in a semi-final which saw them smash Biggleswade 12-0 to see them into a final at The Bury in Bun ngford on 13th May. I shall be there to support them and to see if I can get some of our first team to go too and maybe be their mascots for a change!

Its been a great first season of ground sharing with Arlesey Town, they have made us very welcome and gone out of their way to make sure our games are on for us.

Of course, if we go up, it will all change next year because we will need more commi ee members on board. We will also be having a reserve team playing at The Arena in Norton Road, so we are hoping to see more of you coming to watch the games and ge ng involved!

Come and watch us in our last home game of the season at Arlesey on 5th May, 3.00pm, KO against our old friends and rivals Codicote. I'm sure we will be on our way by then and I expect a party atmosphere!

It's got to be our year surely - 3rd me lucky? A er winning the HSCT Trophy - is it too much to hope for by winning a promo on spot??

See you soon!

Pinky - Secretary of Baldock Town FC

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Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre

May 2018.

Last time I wrote here, we were in the middle of the coldest and wettest winter period for many years, low temperatures, frosts, snow, freezing rain, high winds and flooded gardens, It’s the first time in thirty two years that I can remember our field being under water and looking like a lake, yet only two days after this terrible weather the sun has popped its head out and the temperature has risen the wind has dropped, you could be forgiven for mistaking this as the arrival of summer let alone spring. So, remembering this is still Mid-April the 16th to be precise why are customers asking for tomato and cucumber plants for outside planting summer bedding and hanging baskets? Mid May is quite early enough.

Looking around you will have seen the blackthorn bushes flowering very late, very often a sign of a late prolonged winter, its not as if they know what’s coming but it is an indicator of the likelihood of another spell of cold weather coming, call it superstition or an old country myth, but nine time out of ten it does happen, there is science behind it as it is usually after an Elnino phenomenon, a Pacific ocean event that does affect our winter patterns here in northern Europe.

What to do in the garden? Bulbs will be finishing and will need a good feed if you haven’t done so already, a good balanced feed with some added trace elements is what is needed in Baldock due to the high level of chalk, I won’t go over Ph. Levels again but just mention that certain plant nutrients become unavailable at high PH levels, whilst your feeding the bulbs why not give your perennial’s and shrubs a good feed as well.

We have seen very high levels of Green and Black fly about already so keep an eye out and think about how you will counter their attack, chemical or organic? The problem is that a quick hot spell this early will always give the pests a head start as they can survive colder weather than can their predators the pests will colonise and expand doing untold damage to your valuable plants and crops before the attackers build up enough numbers to make in roads on the pests, it will inevitably turn cold again causing havoc amongst the predators who’s number will drop again or they will stop feeding until it warms up again the pests of course will carry on feeding and breeding, multiplying in numbers at an unimaginable rate.

Pests that like an early hot spell of weather are not only aphids but scale insects, red spider, greenhouse red spider will go berserk in the lovely localised temperature of any covered crop house, what you can do is ventilate, and sprinkle water about to raise humidity as much as you can.

As we get into spring and the weather dries out the lawn, that will be the time to top dress with a proprietary feed, some people just feed, others will want to use a feed weed and moss killer, it is important not to over do it so follow the instructions on the container. It is a good idea to spread what ever you choose in a way that will not cause horrible stripes that will last several weeks, Ive done that lots of times when in a hurry and its there for every one to see, the general recommendation is to split the amount into multiple applications two or four, they can all be put on at the same time but in different directions, what I would suggest to do is apply the first one in one direction then apply the next one at ninety degrees to it the next application should be applied at forty five degrees to the last one so in affect being diagonal to the first two, the final one being at ninety degrees to the last. Doing this will cover up any mistakes, under or over application and so will not show. Be very careful not to get any feed weed and moss killer onto any shrub or herbaceous borders especially not any where near the veg patch.

During the wet and cold weather we have just had we have had lots of people enquiring about their lawns going bright yellow and or having lots of slime all over them., this is very common and will disappear very quickly, the yellowing will grow out as soon as the soil warms up and regrowth starts, the slime is not harmful and will disappear as soon as the temperature rises, it will simply just dry up, to get rid of it quickly you can just brush it away with a bessum broom, these can be easily acquired by visiting your local covern and asking any of the witches on duty.

May is the time to start getting all of your veg seedlings and plants out and planted, because of the prolonged cold winter we all have plants that need to go outside for some light and fresh air, cold frames are what we used for this so that our tender little plants could go out side with out actually being out in the ground with no cover, the order of the day would be that some one would get in early ( half past five ) just as it got light and if it was going to be hot that day they would open the cold frame by a quarter making sure that the nets would be over it to keep the pigeons out, by seven o'clock the temperature would be assessed and if hotter the cold frames would be opened fully and watered, by 5 pm am the cold frames would be closed again to protect against over night cold or frosts. The veg plants when a bit bigger would be put out into their final growing position in the walled garden and would be covered with their own private glass house, wire and glass cloches, like a little glass tent to go over the plants, these could be opened a little bit to allow ventilation and if it was going to be very warm we would have to remove them and stand them to one side during the day and put them back on at night, very hard work because they are very heavy, growing strawberries was where we used cloches most we could have several thousand cloches to move for picking the fruit, lift the cloche off put it to one side, pick the strawberries, put the cloche back, on and on and on for weeks through June and July, dont do it that way now thankfully, no wonder us old boys have bad backs. The modern way is to plant straight out and then cover with plastic mini tunnels that can be used just the same way as our old cloches.

I hope the warm weather stays and you all get a good growing season, don't forget that warm days can give way to frost at night and that the last damaging frost I have recorded here in Wallington road is the twelfth of June so be careful. Enjoy your gardening, Cheers Graham.

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n O s ’ t a h W Baldock Police Surgeries Every Wednesday 10-11am at the Community Centre

Letchworth Parkrun A free 5km run every Saturday at 9am, Grange Recreation Ground, SG6 4PN. Very welcoming for new runners - see www.parkrun.org.uk/letchworth for details

Baldock Floral Society - Flower Arranging Demonstration 3rd May at 7.30pm - Daphne Grant - 'A Planting We Will Go' - United Reformed Church, Baldock.

7th June at 7.30pm - Lesley Sturdy - 'Changing Times' Baldock Community Centre - Sales Table of Flower Arranging Sundries and Plants - Raffle of Arrangements Visitors £6

Baldock Young At Heart Club Wednesday 9th May – 2pm Baldock Community Centre.

A fun club for over 60's who are still young at heart and wish to meet up with like minded people. Refreshments served. £3 entrance fee. Call Karen on 07814516436 for more information.

Baldock Horticultural Society Wednesday 16th May at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm) BHS welcomes Anne Swithinbank to The Knights Templar School, where she will speak on “My Devon Garden”. Tickets are £9 each, available from Baldock Community Centre. Raffle, refreshments, disabled access and toilets, with car parking available at the Weston Way end of the school.

Palisander Recorder Quartet Saturday 19th May 7.30pm - Weston Parish Church.

Palisander prides itself on presenting imaginative historical programmes, performing largely from memory on recorders up to 6 feet tall. Their programme will be Journey to the New World with guest percussionist.

Contact 01462 790573 to book.

Baldock Museum and Local History Society Thursday 24th May at 8pm in Baldock Community Centre. Powering Victorian London; the use of steam hydraulics in the docks, industry and other surprising places – a talk by Anthony King. Visitors £2; members of Baldock Museum and Local History Society free

Ashwell at Home 2018 Sunday 13th May 11am-5pm Entertainment for all the family with open gardens, free children's workshops, live music and a wide range of street and indoor entertainment, cow milking, funfair, lunches & teas and much more. £7 adults (U18s free) - available on the day, or in advance from the website. Earlybird tickets from the website - www.ashwellathome.org.uk.

Baldock Open Gardens Sunday 20th May 2018, 1pm to 5pm. Please join us to enjoy gardens of all sizes, full details on page 15.

The Big Lunch 3rd of June from 12pm (food from 12.30pm), High Street Baldock. Full details on page If you would like to have your event included FREE in the next issue please email us at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk by 16th May 2018.

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DEPARTING FROM BALDOCK

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A Fun Day Out for All the Family Sunday 13th May – 11am to 5pm The picturesque village of Ashwell welcomes visitors to its popular annual event 'Ashwell at Home', where you can enjoy a wide range of things to see and do, with entertainment for all the family.

In addi on to the tradi onal programme with open gardens, musical performances, cra stalls and ac vi es for children, this year Ashwell at Home will be commemora ng the centenary of two highly significant moments. Women's Suffrage finally became law in February 1918 and on 11th November in the same year came the Armis ce which ended the figh ng on the Western Front in the First World War. Both events will be marked with a series of performances, events, ac vi es and workshops during the day, many of them making par cular reference to the part played by the people of Ashwell at the me.

What's On? Ÿ Open gardens Ÿ Fun for children including free workshops Ÿ Musical concerts and live music around the village Ÿ Morris Men and Tudor dancing Ÿ Walks and Talks Ÿ Arts and Cra s Ÿ Archaeology: bring your own garden finds Ÿ And many other a rac ons Ÿ A Bagpipe Tribute to the Fallen Ÿ Poppy Walking Trail & Ÿ Make and Plant Poppies Ÿ Suffrage e March Ÿ Lest We Forget: poetry and readings from Ww1 Ÿ Ashwell Bury as a WW1 Convalescence Hospital Ÿ Hospital Walk Ÿ Celebra ng the Women of Ashwell A wide range of refreshments will be available throughout the day. Tickets are £7 per person, under 18's free. Available on the day or in advance from the website www.ashwellathome.org.uk earlybird ckets £6 when purchased online before the day)

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Do you need to make a Will or revise your existing Will?

If so, please take advantage of our reduced rate wills offer.

Please note that reduced rate wills will be available every week day from 8.00am until 6.00pm, and on Tuesday evenings until 8.00pm,by appointment only.

Also on the Saturday mornings of 5th MAY 2018, again by appointment only Reduced rates are:Double Wills - £280.00 plus VAT Single Will - £150.00 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

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PIONEER NURSERY A small nursery with big ideas!

Special Open Weekend Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th May 10am – 3pm Specialist Plants, shrubs, perennials and seasonal colour Air Plants for gifts and crafting New succulent and cacti area Gifts – refreshments – expert advice Plenty of free parking, enjoy our beautiful surroundings whilst browsing

01462 675858 www.pioneerplantnursery.co.uk Baldock Lane, Willian, Herts. SG6 2AE 22

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What is Kinesiology tape?

Kinesiology tape is a thin, stretchy, elas c co on strip with an acrylic adhesive. Kinesiology tape can benefit a wide variety of musculoskeletal and sports injuries, while also being able to reduce the inflammatory response caused by injury.

Kinesiology tape is almost iden cal to human skin in both thickness and elas city, which is the reason why kinesiology tape does not constrict, bind or restrict movement.

Where did Kinesiology tape originate from?

Kinesiology tape was invented by Dr. Kenzo Kase in the late 1970's, which he invented to facilitate the body's natural healing process and prolong the benefits of his treatment.

Kinesiology tape became public in 1983 and it did not take long before Kinesiology tape was very popular among healthcare professionals. For the first decade a er its introduc on prac oners in Japan were the main users of the therapeu c kinesiology tape. By 1988 the tape had been adopted by Japanese Olympic and professional athletes before spreading across the world.

What are the benefits of Kinesiology tape and who benefits from Kinesiology tape?

Kinesiology is so beneficial because it li s the skin increasing the space between the skin and underlying structures.

Kinesiology tape benefits include: - Reduced pain.

- Reduce inflamma on.

- Provide support.

- Enhance performance.

- Reduce risk of injury.

- Aid rehabilita on.

Kinesiology tape is widely used in professional sports.

Although you do not have to be a professional athlete to benefit from Kinesiology tape. All ages and people from all backgrounds can benefit from Kinesiology taping. Although the Kinesiology tape must be applied correctly to truly benefit from the tape. Why not make an appointment with one of our sports therapist to see how it will benefit you!

Elay Kucuk BSc (Hons) MSTO Sports Therapy 4U

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The Baldock Big Lunch The Big Lunch is the UK's biggest annual get together for neighbours. It's a simple idea and one that fits in really well with the community spirit we enjoy in Baldock; that for a few glorious hours, cars stop, shyness stops and neighbours come together in the street to meet, greet, share, swap, sing, plan and laugh – and possibly get wet if it rains. In 2017, 9.3 million people took part na onally, and circa 300 people a ended the Baldock event.

The 2018 event will again be in the High Street on the 3rd of June from 12pm (food from 12.30pm), the perfect way to end the half term holiday. Once again, we have some great food on offer, a BBQ run by Chapman's, curry served by Abbas from the Chilli Lounge, the best fish and chips in Herts (it's true, look it up on Trip Advisor) from Ma hew at the Fish & Chip Shop Stevenage and Jo from Taste Café will be crea ng some wonderful salads for those who prefer a lighter or vegetarian op on.

On top of this the 2nd Baldock Catholic Scouts will be hos ng the bouncy castle and games kindly lent to us by Satchell's.

There will be face pain ng and music too. And in case of rain or too much sun we will have gazebos up to provide shelter.

Tickets will be on sale from the Community Centre from the 2nd week in May. Hope to see you all there!

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2018

May Gallery

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

Bud surveying Clothall Common! All hands to the deck, Mrs Millett Sara Shoobert

Newly ď€ nished play area at Weston Way Nursery

Record Day at Stylus Lounge

St Marys Church seen from Weston hills - Debs Knight

Grape Hyacinth in Radwel -Matthew Bartlett

Flying Scotsman passing through Baldock - Jane Evans

The Lemon Family (aka Baldocks Batman & Robin)

Sunshine Saturday at Fit4OCR

Beautiful Dafs on London Rd - Cara Richardson

Young Winnie -Summer & Amelia

Beautiful swan at Radwell Margaret Dellar

Taken at Tapps Garden Centre

Ashwell Spring on Monday Evening - Jan Steele

Radwel Village -Matthew Bartlett

A Comma buttery spotted this week at Ivel Springs Nature Reserve - Laurence Brown

The Lemon Story The Lemon Brothers of Her ordshire have a bit of a reputa on for doing things a li le out of the ordinary. We love challenges, the crazier the be er, and if it involves fancy dress, we're in!

Having ran previous London marathons as Batman and Joker and in giant Lemon ou its, the Lemons have also run the Loch Ness marathon in Nessie ou its! But this year we thought we would a empt our biggest ever challenge‌ To run the London marathon as Batman and Robin in a giant Batmobile!

We actually a empted this incredible feat back in 2015 but in order to take part we had to take the Batmobile to Silverstone to run a Half Marathon. We decided not to bother hiring a van and instead we strapped the Batmobile to the car roof. This was all ďŹ ne un l we got onto the A1 and needless to say, the Batmobile didn't make it to the start line.

We ran the Baldock Beast back in January as Batman and Robin and have been building the Batmobile ever since, even taking it for a run around Baldock.

The chari es we are running for are Children with Cancer UK and Avia on without borders. You can sponsor us on our Virgin Money page: www.virginmoneygiving.com/Batmobile Any dona on for these great causes will be greatly appreciated.

Mark and Sebas an Lemon

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2018

Moobox Wireless Security Camera – Hassle Free Home Monitoring I‘ve setup and installed a few different IP cameras in the past and one of irrita ons of such devices are that although they are now generally WiFi enabled, there is always some kind of wiring required to power them. This means that they have to be situated near a power outlet and moving them to another loca on can be troublesome.

So when the Moobox camera arrived here for review, I was intrigued to see how using an IP camera without wires would actually stack up.

The Moobox camera comes packaged in a very nice white box very much in the style of a Cuper no based tech company with a photo of the camera on the front. The box lid is reassuringly snug, which allows the lid to slide slowly off to reveal the product within.

Inside is the Moobox camera, hub, power supply, Micro USB cable and magne c mount which can be either screwed or stuck to a wall (using the supplied adhesive pad).

The hub can be connected to your wired network using Ethernet or over WiFi and is compa ble with 802.11b/g/n protocols. Se ng up was a breeze, I found a convenient spot to place the hub and plugged it in to my wired network. I chose a wired connec on purely for convenience, however I did also try wireless and found no problem at all with performance. The hub itself is white and very similar in style to an Apple TV, Roku or NowTV box, it small and unassuming and contains 16Gb of storage and a 7 day cloud storage backup.

With the camera fully charged using the supplied Micro USB cable, it needs pairing with the hub which is a bu on pressing exercise. The hub itself can support up to 4 cameras which is very useful if you want to be able to monitor different rooms in your home.

The camera can be either posi oned on flat surface or magne cally a ached to the supplied mount. I have tried both, but the magne c op on works best. The device packs a 120 degree field of view lens with mo on detec on and nightvision.

Configura on is via an app and it’s here where you can set up the mo on detec on with a simple flick of a on screen switch. Any mo on detected is pushed to the app. Video is display in up to 1280×720, you can adjust the quality to enable smooth viewing.

The camera also packs both a mic and speaker! Allowing for two way communica on to either family members or intruders!

The Moobox is a great idea done well, it is targeted at consumers looking for a easy to reposi on camera that packs both mo on detec on and night vision in a very nicely design that won’t look out of place in any home.

Pricing is very compe ve at around £117 for the Camera and Hub or £76 for addi onal cameras.

Ma Porter - The Gadget Man

WWW.THEGADGETMAN.ORG.UK

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

2018

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

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2018

Slimming World Recipe Cooking for One! Try Quick Beef Curry with Rice An authentic-tasting mild curry that's packed with meat and veg.

Supplied by

Sandra Lloyd

Ingredients Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

2 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped 2cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp mild curry powder Low-calorie cooking spray 250g rump steak, all visible fat removed, cut into thick slices 1 carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into small cubes 250ml beef stock 100g dried basmati rice Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp fat-free natural fromage frais A small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method 1. Put the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, chilli, onion and curry powder in a food processor and whizz until finely smooth.

2. Place a large non-stick frying pan sprayed with low-calorie cooking spray over a high heat and stirfry the steak for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato mixture, carrot, pepper and stock, then stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the beef is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Drain, cover and keep warm until needed.

4. When ready to serve, remove the curry from the heat, season and spoon into a bowl with the rice.

Drizzle with the fromage frais, garnish with the coriander and serve.

Mobile hairdresser Call Jacqui 07973 788 418 01462 640 307 Covering Baldock, Ashwell & Weston

May is for Microblading!

A permanent brow saving solution that we now offer!

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It helps add length, shape and fullness to your brows you can say goodbye to your brow pencil!

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Tel: 01462 894050 M AY

2018

29

Weston School Remembers Weston Primary & Nursery School have been keeping the memories of World War I alive.

The school was visited by Mar n Impey, local illustrator of a marvellous series of books set during the First World War. A er an introductory assembly, Mar n worked with every class in the school over the course of the school day. As well as reading and discussing his books, Mar n explained and demonstrated how he creates the illustra ons for the stories, going into depth with his explana ons of crea ng layers of detail in the pictures. He also explained the true events which lie behind many of the stories.

To further bring alive the topic of Britain 100 years ago, the children dressed in clothes that would have been worn at that me. The children looked fantas c in their costumes; fi ng with 2018 being the centenary of the end of World War 1 and the rights for women to vote. Most importantly, all of these events have inspired the children to create their own wri ng and art work.

The children looked at the roles of animals in the war, they tried to imagine what it would be like in the trenches and figh ng, and wrote hear elt le ers home. All of the work has been displayed throughout the school, and parents and family have visited to see the school displays.

Mr Holmes, the Head Teacher says “I have been so impressed with the way that the children have engaged with the topic of the First World War, from Nursery to Yr6, and I hope that Weston School's children will truly remember.”

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2018

Furniture Restoration

Brent@Yorestuff.com

Stacks of Fun at St John's The PE teacher at St John's Catholic Primary School, Mr Baker, has been teaching a fun new sport to the pupils, which can be played by all ages, in all weathers. Speed stacking is an individual and team sport, stacking 9 or 12 special cups in pre-determined sequences as fast as possible. Developed in the US it's spread across the world and is now very popular in English schools.

One of the major benefits is that many of the children who don't enjoy physical team games can s ll enjoy the compe on within a team structure, where they compete against the clock but are not in direct compe on with another person. Inclusivity is so

important at St John's Catholic Primary School, and so this sport is perfect in allowing children to shine who may otherwise be reluctant to play sport.

Another benefit of Speed Stacking is the proven improvement of both fine and gross motor skills in children (and adults) who take part in the sport on a regular basis. The increase in self-confidence of less asser ve children is also quite remarkable.

Over the past few years the sport has become an integral part of the school's PE curriculum, with Early Years to Year 4 all having a 4 week block of lessons and Years 5 and 6 playing informally. Recently St John's Catholic Primary School has hosted a group of neighbouring schools for an interschool compe on where around 100 children enjoyed a fun filled a ernoon of stacking.

This Summer Term the children will also enjoy a full programme including athle cs, cricket, rounders, golf, tennis, frisbee, orienteering, par cipa on in disability sports all in addi on to the tradi onal School Sports Day ac vi es!

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MARTIN BALL PLASTERING

James Garden Machinery Servicing

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2018

Call for Volunteers Listening Volunteers from Samaritans of North Herts and Stevenage answered over 28,000 calls last year and need your help to do more Samaritans of North Herts and Stevenage are proud to have a brilliant team of volunteers who help keep the branch open and answer the phones to anyone who needs to talk. Talking doesn’t have to just be done over the phone; our volunteers also respond to emails and SMS messages that can be sent in anonymously to Samaritans.

In 2017 alone, our volunteers: Ÿ Answered 28,246 calls Ÿ Spent 5,991 hours on the phone listening to callers Ÿ Replied to 1,876 emails Ÿ Responded to 4,300 texts Gill McLearnon, Director of Samaritans of North Herts and Stevenage said: “Our volunteers are all very different and come from different walks of life but all are valuable and I am very proud of the contribu on that each and every volunteer makes in enabling us to be there to help those who need our service.

Of course, we’re always looking for addi onal people to join us and help us to do more in 2018.”

The North Herts and Stevenage branch of Samaritans is one of more than 200 branches throughout the UK and is based in Hitchin. Samaritans has over 20,000 volunteers who give their me to listen to people struggling to cope. The vision of Samaritans is that fewer people die by suicide. Volunteers work to achieve this vision by making it their mission to alleviate emo onal distress and reduce suicidal throughs and behaviours through the power of listening.

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In order to maintain a round-the-clock service, we rely on our listening volunteers to answer calls, fundraising volunteers to help raise the c.£20,000 a year required for branch running costs, and our support volunteers to help with administra on, publicity and IT tasks. Our brilliant team of outreach volunteers also give talks, a end events and get out into the community to spread the message that Samaritans are here to listen, any me, free from any phone.

If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer with the local branch they can find out more about the different volunteering roles and how to apply: www.samaritans.org/branches/samaritans-north-herts-andstevenage/volunteering-north-herts-stevenage or contact Karys, Publicity Officer at nh.sams.karys@gmail.com

Everyone at Key Conveyancing is committed to making the experience of moving house as simple and straightforward as possible. Ÿ A fast, personal and professional

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2018

33

Baldock Town Cricket Club We are looking for a qualified cricket umpire for Baldock town Cricket Club. We are willing to pay £40 a game. Every saturday from 5th may to 1st september. We will provide travel to away games and you will get a free social membership to the social club.

For all inquires please contact Giles Naylor on 07939224565

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Useful numbers Advice Citizen’s Advice Bureau Trading Standards Advice

03444 111444 0300 300 8136

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

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 Hartsď€ eld St Johns St Marys Brandles

01462 620700 01462 895267 01462 892478 01462 892347 01462 892189

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

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

01462 228765 08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608

Vets Baldock Veterinary Centre

01462 895579

Nurseries Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round

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Surprise someone special with a FREE Birthday message in the JUNE issue Email us the details at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk and we will do the rest.

Play Groups Magic Moments Merry Go Round

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Plumbers A.P Hughes

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Window & Door repairs JML Windows Repairs Warrens Windows

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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.

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BALDOCK HIGH STREET Sunday 3rd June 2018 From 12 noon to 5.00pm

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Gazebos in case of rain or sun