Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally
Issue 81 July 2021
www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding villages
Welcome
Well, wasn't June a busy month? We had a calendar full of big events and family celebrations so the past few weeks really have flown by. The start of the month was peak recovery time for Jacqui's dad who has recently undergone open heart surgery, just after celebrating his 80th birthday. Thankfully he's doing well, but there's still a long way to go. We had a couple more big birthdays in the family too, Jacqui danced her way to 50 with a BBQ and garden party with a few friends, followed by our youngest turning 15! We just about managed a week sunshine in June before the very British rain clouds returned, but on the bright side the gardens seemed to be loving it! Here's hoping July will be the month summer truly begins. There's just a few short weeks of school left before the kids break up for the summer holidays and lots of you seem to be getting ready for a summer of UK holidaying and staycations. The vaccine roll out doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. We're both fully vaxxed now and middle child has had her first dose now too. The new 'freedom date', as some are calling it, is fast approaching - fingers crossed all is well for that! Unfortunately the Big Lunch has had to be axed this year as a result of the restrictions however there are still some great local events lined up this summer. The Cricketers at Weston is hosting a weekend of entertainment from 30th July, complete with a low and slow
Texas BBQ and bucking bronco for those brave enough. The Orange Tree will transform into Glastontree later this month too. Rob has organised a whole host of live music and delicious food to bring the festival to you! If you fancy getting fit this summer or setting yourself a challenge, the Baldock Cycle Challenge is back in September. There is a choice of 2 routes or you can opt to go all in and tackle the full 55miles of both courses combined! You'll need to register soon to secure your place and get your training started. Until next month
Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk or 07973 788418
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Baldock Rotary “Keeps on Giving” Baldock Rotary Club, like many other organisa ons, went into 'lockdown' in March last year. As a result, it has meant that members have not been able to meet face to face, there have been no social events and more importantly, fundraising events have been severely curtailed. Which inhibits the club in doing what it does best and restricts it achieving one of the major reasons for the existence of any Rotary club. However, the situa on has not meant that the Rotary club has been inac ve, on the contrary. Baldock Rotary club members have con nued to meet on a weekly basis, albeit by way of video conferencing rather than face to face and there have been many interes ng talks by guest speakers. Also, these mee ngs have enabled the club to con nue discussing making charitable dona ons as usual. Club President Paul Redwood commented that “despite the Covid restric ons he was extremely pleased that the members of Baldock Rotary Club had responded as they had. Par cularly pleasing, he said, has been
the level of enthusiasm and the crea ve ini a ves that have been undertaken to enable the club to do what they do best, 'put service above self'. Also, the club has been able to recruit new members during this period despite all the restric ons.
This determina on to support the community is illustrated by the ac vi es that Baldock Rotary has con nued to pursue during lock down, namely the installa on of the Christmas lights, taking Father Christmas and the sleigh around the streets, maintenance of defibrillators, support of the Young Writers award and the con nued development of the new Rotary wood which a racted tremendous 'socially
distanced' support from the local community. The Rotary club has also con nued to make many dona ons during the past twelve months and some of the local good causes that have benefi ed are Baldock community minibus, Age UK Herts, Garden House Hospice, MS Society North Herts and the Baldock Coronavirus Support Group... On a wider front, interna onal dona ons have been made for the eradica on of Polio, the Beirut Disaster appeal and to APOPO rats. Dona ons have also been made to Rotary Interna onal's own Founda on charity. Baldock Rotary is always looking to a ract new members, so if you are the type of person who is able to “give something back” to the Community, we would love to hear from you. If you are interested in any aspect of what Rotary has to offer please contact us on our website, www.baldockrotary.co.uk or contact Paul Redward 07999 350990 paul49redwood@gmail.com *The photograph shows members at a Rotary lunch in the days when they could meet face to face. Rotarian - Paul Lucke
‘Book a viewing slot to see o ur New fabrics' Ÿ Conservatory Blinds Ÿ Vertical & Roller Ÿ Romans & Curtains Ÿ Venetians & Shutters Ÿ Awnings & Canopies Ÿ Velux & Pinoleum Ÿ Measuring & Fitting
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2021
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SWITCHBOT CURTAIN
– How I Made My Curtains 'smart' In Just A Few Minutes So, I'm now the proud owner of a pair of 'Smart Curtains'… Yes, you read that right! A er a simple installa on, our living room curtains can now be controlled by the flick of a screen gesture, a Google Home or Alexa command, temperature, a med opening and closing or it can even be triggered (and charged) by light! All of this came courtesy of the SwitchBot Curtain, a ni y set of kit that allows me to all of the above and more! SmitchBot Curtain is a motorised device that sits on your curtain rail or pole and simply moves your curtains open or closed upon your command or wishes. It can also integrate with an addi onal SwitchBot hub that connects it to other SwitchBot gadgets and talks to your favourite cloud assistants via the internet. This allows you to control your curtains remotely. More importantly, this allows this to happen via a schedule, so you can be away on holiday and your curtains can open and close deterring unwanted visitors and stopping your houseplants from scorching in the hot sun.
All of this is achieved by (in my case) a pair of SwitchBot curtain, one for each side on the window, a pair of plug-in solar chargers which keep the ba eries topped up (although you can do this with the included USB Type-C cables, Set up was a breeze, I installed the SwitchBot app on my Android phone (iPhone app also available) and it took me through every single step without missing a beat! Within a couple of minutes, I was up and running. There were some simple steps to teach the devices when to stop and when opening and closing the curtains, but we were good to go a er that! Our curtain pole is extendable, so by design has two different sized poles connected, SwitchBot provides a ni y
li le adapter that allows the SwitchBot Curtain to easily move over this uneven without issue. As well as using the app to close and open the curtains, you can also tug them gently in either direc on, which will trigger then to do the rest, very useful if you forget that you don't have to open and close them manually! Our curtains run on a pole, however, SwitchBot is also available for I Rail and U Rail fi ngs in either white or black, basically sui ng most tastes. The device also sits neatly behind our curtains, so you don't actually see them at all. Out of sight, out of mind! So now, the Gadget-Household are smart-curtain enabled, giving one more thing for Alexa to do and hopefully improving our lives just a li le bit more. SwitchBot is available on Amazon at the link below, See you next me!
Matt WWW.THEGADGETMAN.ORG.UK
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2021
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Forget Me Not Letters of Kindness Shires Funeral Directors understand first-hand how loneliness and isola on can be felt by those living in a residen al care home, living alone, or having li le social contact, as caring for the living is the most important part of what they do. In April this year, 3.7 million UK adults over the age of 16 said they o en or always feel lonely, according to the Office for Na onal Sta s cs. The events of the past year have increased these feelings of loneliness and isola on, and for over one million people over the age of 65, these feelings are likely to remain despite Coronavirus restric ons easing, based on findings by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Tackling Loneliness Network. To try and help with the na onal project to combat loneliness in their small way, Shires Funeral Directors, part of CPJ Field, have set-up a local ini a ve within Bedfordshire and Her ordshire
called Forget Me Not Le ers of Kindness. Members of the local community are encouraged to send a le er, card, or some artwork to a different care home in Bedfordshire or Her ordshire each week. The residents who have received something so far have been so pleased and have even found a new pen pal or friendship, keeping the contact going. In 2020, Shires also arranged a Christmas Cards of Kindness for the first me and delivered over 850 Christmas cards to local care home residents and staff in the region. With the summer holidays now fast approaching, Shires will also be arranging a Postcards of Kindness ini a ve, with the support of local schools and groups. Children and adults alike will be invited to create or buy a postcard from a holiday that they have been on or would like to go on this summer and either post these to their local Shires home or drop them off in the bright yellow postboxes at any of Shires homes from Friday 9th July to Friday 17th September 2021. The Shires team will then deliver the postcards to
care home residents across Bedfordshire and Her ordshire at the end of September 2021, in the hope to brighten up their summer. For more informa on on how to get involved with the ini a ve, visit the dedicated Facebook page by searching for Forget Me Not Le ers of Kindness Beds & Herts, email community.shire@cpjfield.co.uk
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2021
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The Power of Elegance
All-New DS 9 E-Tense By Tim Barnes-Clay - Follow on Instagram @tbarnsclay At first glance, the all-new DS 9 shows off cool rather than conserva ve characteris cs. On the road, body roll is minimal, even though the steering is slightly spongy. That doesn't rain on the parade much, though. The French saloon has a sublime ride - as you'd expect for DS's new flagship product. This large stylish car isn't all about the 0-62mph sprint; the saloon is far more in its element being a cruiser. But it can s ll push you back into your seat stunningly, with the plug-in hybrid ETense version of the DS 9 managing zero to 62mph in 8.3 seconds. This is down to the car's 1.6-litre petrol engine and twin electric motor (plus ba ery) combina on. Want a deeper dive into this part of the vehicle? Ok, here goes. The plug-in features an 11.9kWh ba ery connected to a 110PS electric motor, a 1.6-litre PureTech petrol powerplant, and an eight-speed automa c transmission. All this gives the DS 9 E-tense a total power output of 225PS and 360Nm, of torque. What's more, the DS 9 has a fully electric range of 33 miles from a single charge, with the electric motor capable
of driving the saloon in zero-emissions mode up to 83mph. The car's silky eight-speed auto 'box makes for effortless driving, and if you want to motor about in silence on pure electricity, then reserve it for urban commu ng. It'll save you lots of fuel as long as you plug in and charge the DS 9 regularly. The DS9 E-Tense 225 Performance Line+, driven for this review, is likely to be a model to sa sfy many people. This car gets 19-inch alloy wheels, flushfi ng door handles, dark nted rear windows, and a chrome sabre on the bonnet with 'Clous de Paris' embossing. Inside, you get a 12-inch HD touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink, DS Connect Nav, wireless charging for your smartphone, Bluetooth, voice recogni on and a DAB radio. The infotainment system is responsive and intui ve, but more remarkable is DS' infrared camera technology that projects a picture onto the driver's display. It picks out animals, cyclists and pedestrians ahead of you. As we found out driving around Oxfordshire's
Room in the DS 9's cabin is suitable for five adults, and it's an incredibly comfortable vehicle front and back. Furthermore, the boot is wellpropor oned with room for at least two large flight cases - and a set of golf clubs. The DS 9's weak point is its price. At over £46,000, other more established premium brands may seem more temp ng. The Audi A6 is an example of the s ff compe on the elegant French saloon is up against. S ll, being different is appealing, so it'll be intriguing to see what the future holds for the DS 9 E-Tense. Watch this space!
Fast Facts DS 9 E-Tense 225 Performance Line+ a: Max speed: 149mph 0-62 mph: 8.3 secs Combined mpg: 22.6 Engine Layout:1598cc four-cylinder turbo petrol + electric Ÿ Max. power (PS): 225 Ÿ CO2: 33-35 g/km Ÿ Price: £46,100 Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
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2021
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2021
Grass Seed Season Spring and summer are lovely seasons for taking long walks in fields, parks or the Heath with our dogs...but be careful about grass seeds! We are expec ng that in the next 3 – 4 weeks we will be ge ng pets coming in almost everyday with grass seeds in various places., as this is usually the pa ern at this me of year. In fact, grass seeds are in the terminal part of shrubs of grasses and at some point, they become dry and hard and can detach from the rest of the plant or fall on the ground. their shape makes them very insidious and able to enter the skin and progress in the deep ssues or in a body cavity they can get everywhere! Common loca ons are between the toes, where they can make a fistula under the skin and cause infec ons, or they can get inside the nose, making your dog sneeze very o en. They can also go
in the conjunc val sac and cause a painful eye infec on, or in the ears and make your dog shake the head and make his ear very sore, in very serious occasions dogs can inhale a grass seed, and if not retrieved in me it can cause serious infec ons in the lungs or in the abdomen. So avoid if possible walking your dog in places with a lot of grass seeds and always check your pet a er a walk, paying special a en on to the paws, ears and eyes. Think about keeping short hairs in those areas if it makes the job easier. And if you no ce your pet shaking their head, sneezing a lot, limping with a fistula or a puncture between the toes/pads, or suddenly having a bad cough, then seek veterinary advice. Also dont forget our worming offer which we do every year, it runs from the 1st July - 30th September 2021, just ring the prac ce for details. Just give the prac ce a ring either the Royston or Baldock branch the numbers are Royston (01763 242221) or Baldock (01462 895579) where they will make you an appointment as soon as possible.
Advertising from £20 per Issue info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally
www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk villages Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding
Raising awareness of what’ to find s on & where things locally
of what’s on & where to find things locally
Issue 74 December 2020
www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co. uk
Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and
surrounding villages
LOOKING AFTER YOUR PETS
JULY
2021
13
All Boiler Maintenance, Serving & Repairs
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JULY
2021
Screen this months new releases
SPACE JAM 2
THE CROODS 2 Out 16th July
Out 16th July When LeBron James and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I., LeBron must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of Looney Tunes to victory over the A.I.'s digitized champions on the court: a powered-up roster of professional basketball stars as you've never seen them before. It's Tunes versus Goons in the higheststakes challenge of his life, that will redefine LeBron's bond with his son.
Searching for a safer habitat, the prehistoric Crood family discovers an idyllic, walled-in paradise that meets all of its needs. Unfortunately, they must also learn to live with the Bettermans, a family that's a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. As tensions between the new neighbours start to rise, a new threat soon propels both clans on an epic adventure that forces them to embrace their differences.
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Running Time 119 mins
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WRATH OF MAN
THE SUICIDE SQUAD
Out 23rd July
Out 27th July
Adapted from the 2004 French film "Le Convoyeur" (aka Cash Truck), "Wrath of Man" is one of Guy Ritchie's best-directed movies and one of his most surprising Stathham plays a rookie security guard for a cash truck, he surprises his coworkers when he unleashes ‘precision’ skills during a heist. The crew is left wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman's ultimate motive becomes clear.
Our only hope to save the world is for the government to send the most dangerous supervillains in the world Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn and others -- to the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-anddestroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave.
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2021
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info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally
Raising awareness of what’ to find s on & where things locally
www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk villages Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding
16
JULY
2021
of what’s on & where to find things locally
Issue 74 December 2020
www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.
Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and
uk
surrounding villages
For all enquiries please contact us: DavidTimms@VirginMedia.com
07901602227/ 07759106803 01462 895506
What Are The Benefits Of Pilates? We asked Emma Lovelock from The Pilates Corner, what are the benefits of Pilates? There are so many benefits to be had from prac cing Pilates on a regular basis. The most obvious is a stronger 'core'. Your core is your powerhouse, consis ng of your deep abdominals, back and pelvic floor working together to hold your body in its most func onal way – the way it was designed to move. Having a strong core will help reduce lower back pain, and in some cases alleviate all back pain symptoms altogether. You will also find you stand taller, as your posture will be improved. General aches and pains are reduced by Pilates as you lengthen and stretch the muscles during the exercises, alongside increasing their strength and tone. You will have improved flexibility, by working the muscles in controlled movements during class both your joints and muscles become free-er and more mobile. In Pilates you must focus fully on each exercise, you can't just 'go through the
mo ons' this improves concentra on. Every Pilates class at The Pilates Corner finishes with relaxa on. A great way to unwind and let go of everyday concerns, improving your stress management and relaxa on skills. Due to the specific placement of the moves in class you become aware of every li le thing your body is doing and can do, this gives you increased body awareness which can also improve coordina on. Pilates is a brilliant way to safely rehabilitate joint and spinal injuries due to the gentle nature of the movements. It can also help prevent musculoskeletal injuries from occurring due to improved stabilisa on of the spine. As all exercises are repeated on both sides of the body you gain a more balanced muscular strength. Group Pilates classes are a great way to meet new people, at The Pilates Corner our classes are never more than 12 in a class, so you get to know others in your group very quickly. The classes are fun and welcoming regardless of your experience.
You will have increased energy, we get the breath and circula on moving in class. The more you exercise, the more energy you have and the more energised you are. Everyone can do it! For our matbased classes we just require you to be able to get down onto the floor and back up again. There's no upper age limit, you just need to be open-minded and willing to give it a try. Men on this ar cle and get £10 off your first month's membership with us. Email info@thepilatescorner.co.uk or call 07984 817 230.
Emma
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2021
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JULY
2021
That's What Friends Are F That's what friends are for Over the past month, I've heard from a few old friends who I have been out of touch with since my teenage years. The memories they have brought with them have been quite sweet and got me thinking about friendship and what it means to me. My friendship count on FB is now about three hundred, which to me is quite astounding. I didn't know I knew that many people. I have a rule that I only accept friend requests from people I know or have met. I'm like most people I suspect when I get a friend request; Do I recognize the name (easier with men of course)? Do we have any friends in common? If I can say yes to those two ques ons, I delve a li le further. I will accept the friend request then have a li le mosey round their pages to see if I recognize anything about them, if I don't or anything looks suspicious, I unfriend them and go on my merry way, not giving it a second thought. I've done a li le research (not much, if I'm honest) and the younger genera on seem to have thousands of friends each, where us oldies seem content with far
fewer. I guess that one of the advantages of being under thirty is that you never have to lose a friend anymore, you just friend them when you are at school, and they stay with you forever if you want them. Us old farts lost so many people from our lives when we le school. Apart from the ones I hung around with, I can think that that since I le , I have bumped into about 10 people. Earlier this year I was walking into a shop, and someone said, 'hi Nicky, I've not seen you since school'. As they were wearing a mask, I had no clue who they were, and how they knew who I was is s ll baffling to me. When I was a young slip of a girl my circle of friends was enough, it s ll is enough. Friends have come and gone and come again. I've found new ones and lost some dear ones, but the ebb and flow of friendships con nues. There are FB friends, these are the folk that I know a bit, have shared an evening with and enjoyed their company. There are friends that I've known for years, we get together on occasion but mostly weddings and birthdays and scoot in and out of our lives as and when the need arises. Work friends and friends of
friends. Then there are the people I see all of the me, people I enjoy. We know a li le about each other, enough to spend an a ernoon enquiring about kids and jobs over a pint, and you know that you can rely on these folks to help you out in a jam, and they know that they can count on you. Throughout my life, I've probably had four real friends, you know the type, these people know everything about you, and you know them inside and out. You have shared good and bad and helped each other through when life throws a bunch of prime poop at you. These people, once in, will never be gone from you. These are the friends that ma er, these are the people that count. Three hundred FB friends are nice to have, but one good friend is essen al. They laugh at you when you fall over before they pick you up. They tell you when you've been a plank and you don't get angry, you just laugh at yourself with them. If you are lucky, you get to keep these wonderful people in your lives for a long me. There have been a few friends that have arrived in my life solely because I needed that person at that me. When the job was done, they fade away. Naturally, without fuss, but never completely. Friends are funny things, some ma er more than others, but they are all important in their way, the good ones help you to be a good person, the bad ones help you to become even be er. The best ones teach you how to laugh. Because what is friendship without laughter
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2021
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Baldock Gardens By Graham Tapp July 2021. I'm writing this on the 20th of June 2021: we are having some of the heaviest rainfall I've seen for some time, and unfortunately, the weather forecast shows that we have more on the way. We did need some rain but not that much; we've got water everywhere and coming in everywhere. The gardens were getting very dry from the early spring hot and dry spell that has just been stopped short by this deluge. Allotment holders across the road from us were running around like mad things trying to keep their crops watered. It was hard enough for us at the plant nursery, even with our professional irrigation equipment. Most of our water now comes from our rainwater harvesting system. It takes the rainwater from most of our roofs and stores it in a vast rubber-lined galvanised tank, and then we use it throughout the growing season. The soft rainwater is fantastic for the plants we grow as it has no dissolved chalk and other minerals; our equipment doesn't block up with chalk as it used to do with our abstracted borehole water. Balancing feeds for the plants is more straightforward as we don't have to worry about the effects of the high water Ph anymore. One would imagine that rainwater would be neutral at a Ph of 7.0, the same as pure water. Unfortunately, rainwater almost always has atmospheric Co2 dissolved in it and will be averaging 6.5 to 6.0 in many places around the country localised air pollution will also dissolve into it and can take the Ph much lower and consequently making the rainfall more acidic. In our plant nursery, we have in the past had to use water from our borehole or mains water, both when evaporated off from the plant foliage leave a white chalk residue which looks similar to powdery mildew, not very good for sales. In the last several years, up until we installed the rain harvesting system, we used Ph regulating fertilisers mixed into the watering system using a dosatron diluter. An expensive French kit that automatically feeds any liquid into the irrigation line at any percentage mix you require, a good idea as long as the pressure from the pump is very tightly regulated.
Many a time, I've arrived in the morning to find a pile of springs, washers, and bits of blue plastic lying in a large pool of water where our diluter used to be. Very often blown into many pieces by a pressure surge from the pump, more modern pumping and pressure regulating equipment has fixed that problem. Modern soluble fertilisers are now available to everyone. They can help any gardener solve plant-related Ph problems, such as Hydrangea colour, keeping the flowers blue. But, unfortunately, fertilisers alone won't do miracles like making Azaleas and Rhododendrons thrive in chalk soils. Some people will boast of how successful they have been doing this and what fantastic ericaceous plants they have. However, they will never disclose how much hard work it is to keep them looking good, how much ericaceous compost or about the liner they used to create an isolated low Ph area for them to grow in. Different formulations and concentrations of soluble fertiliser can give outstanding results when used on garden veg and flowers; if we use the correct levels of Nitrogen, Phosphates, Potash, and trace elements such as Boron, Manganese, etc. Using liquid feeds have the bonus that we can control how much feed we give any particular plants when watering and can be sure that when they have been watered, they have had feed as well. Compared to compound fertilisers mixed into the planting bed or pot, we have complete control over what is applied and when it is applied. Using granular feeds or farmyard manure early in the year for seedlings or young plants could spell trouble if we get an early hot spell as we have had for the last two years. The soil warms up quickly, causing fertiliser and FYM to give up their nutrients almost immediately, not as they should do over weeks or months. The rapid release could become toxic to the young feeder roots, maybe becoming so concentrated that the whole plant will die. So we should use concentrated fertilisers sparingly until the end of April. FYM should not be used after the middle of February unless used for mulching, and then only if you have experience or have taken advice. If it is too fresh, not well-
rotted, and broken down, it will, as it heats up, give off ammonia which could burn leaves on the plants above, looking similar to weedkiller damage. Also, I would ask who wants the smell of a stockyard in their garden? Did you know all retail outlets must stop making available their peat-based products by 2024? including all peat-based composts. Some outlets will cease sales immediately. We already have a wide range of peat-free composts and a minimal offering of peatbased products and will continue to sell that until our stocks run out as we already have it in storage. Research on alternatives to peat for garden composts has been going on for several years; some of the first attempts were not very successful many were a complete disaster. Our trials with the available products over the years at best were poor as far as good plant growth; many are now quite suitable for the general gardener, still not so good for anyone wanting to raise plants from cuttings or seed, but they are getting there. I have been working and involved in many ways in an industry that has relied heavily on peat and moss extraction for many products. It is fair to say that the horticultural sector has been very aware of the peat bog situation for many years. It has been working extremely hard to reduce our reliance on those products; we are now in a position I think you will be pleased to hear to meet and indeed beat the UK Governments target of no peat-based sales by 2024. I have to put a balance to my comments and point out that the UK based companies have for a very long time been policing themselves with most extractions, taking the very minimum from their bogs and then returning them to nature and making habitats in some instances better than they were. I realise that not everyone will agree with my comments, and we now have carbon storage factors to amend. So we do still have a long way to go with this, but we are all working on it.enjoy your gardening, cheers
Graham
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TACKLING LONELINESS Loneliness affects people of all ages and from all walks of life and we know that because of the pandemic, many people are experiencing isola on for the very first me. Although life is beginning to feel closer to normal for many people, we are s ll in a cri cal stage when it comes to tackling loneliness, there is a large number of people who felt lonely before the pandemic and will con nue to do so as lockdown restric ons ease and some people will have also lost their confidence. At different points in our lives we may feel bored, lonely, or isolated and need a change. These life circumstances can range from having a young child, being
consumed by work or family life, re rement, living alone, old age, having a rela onship breakdown, or just being fed up with singledom. The list could go on. All of this is normal and so very common, but it can also be uncomfortable and even debilita ng when we're going through it. It helps to keep in touch with those around you – talk to friends and family, some mes a friendly chat can make a big difference. An email or a text can start a conversa on, so if there is someone you have lost contact with, this might be the me to get back in touch. If you can't reach out to friends or family, or you want to talk to someone in a similar situa on there are some great online support organisa ons such as NHS Mental Health and Wellbeing or Every Mind Ma ers.
Join an online group – Being part of a group or club that already has a shared interest with you is a great way to make connec ons. Think about the ac vi es you do that are part of who you are and look for groups centred on these ac vi es. This could be gaming, singing, cooking, sport – anything that you enjoy doing and talking about with other people. Volunteering for a cause you believe in can provide the same benefits as taking a class or joining a club, mee ng others, being part of a group, and crea ng new experiences. It also brings the benefits of altruism and can help you find more meaning in your life. In Addi on to decreasing loneliness, this can bring greater happiness and life sa sfac on. Addi onally, working with those who have less than you can help you feel a deeper sense of gra tude for what you have in your own life. Think about people you know who might be finding this me 22
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par cularly difficult or those who may be anxious about restric ons easing, and make an effort to connect with them. Sending a text, email or card can really make someone's day. Or you could suggest making the check in a regular part of your weekly rou ne and plan the next one. Remember that feeling lonely for a long me can make it harder for people to make new connec ons. It may be difficult for people experiencing loneliness to respond to your friendly contact at first, so be pa ent and kind. How to be alone without being lonely – Think small, looking too far ahead is daun ng, celebrate minor achievements like going to a café on your own, talking to someone at work. Prac se 'mental hygiene' take a few minutes every morning for a bit of psychological housework are there worries or doubts lurking? Deal with them before you get on with your day. Remember that loneliness isn't a failing we're social creatures hard-wired to be with others and its natural to feel unhappy when that's jeopardised don't feel ashamed to admit to it and seek help. Kim Holloway www.total-therapy.co.uk
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The Aliens Have Landed At the end of last term, the children at Weston Primary & Nursery school inves gated a curious incident. Mr Holmes, our head teacher arrived at school to discover a strange light and an eerie humming sound coming from the playground. As he approached everything suddenly went black. He awoke with a big bump on his head. A scorched circle had appeared on the playing field and he was surrounded by slimy gloop.
The children became inves ga ve journalists for the day, trying to work out what had happened and how. They all wrote news stories from their findings. Thankfully Mr Holmes made a full recovery. In other news, we have been very fortunate to receive a dona on of bedding plants for the school grounds from Tesco in Baldock. The school is looking much smarter and more colourful. Thank you Tesco.
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Raising awarenes of what s ’s on & to find where things locally
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Hello Mrs Nichol
I am very excited to be wri ng to you as the new Headteacher at Weston Way Nursery in Baldock. From the moment I first visited the nursery, I knew there was something special about the se ng which I wanted to be a part of. I have only been in post for just a few short weeks and in that me, it has been a pleasure to get to know the children and their families, as well as staff and governors. I bring with me my experience from the past twenty years where I have always worked in Her ordshire schools and over this me I feel fortunate to have
collaborated with a wonderful group of people who hold each child at the heart of everything. Here at Weston Way Nursery, we celebrate the uniqueness of every child and strive to meet each individuals' needs. Our children have daily access to the most beau ful natural environment which is a vast open green space surrounded by woodland. It has been a pleasure talking to the children and finding out what they like best about our nursery. One child shared, “The woods are special because they are really big,” (FB). Our staff love seizing opportuni es to support our children to learn and grow through their play. I am looking forward to building rela onships further over the coming months. We are also opening the nursery on Saturday 3 July (9.30-11.30am) to welcome our new families. Please come and play with us if you are looking for a nursery place for your child. Alterna vely, if you would like to get in touch then please head to our website where you will find our contact details. Hopefully our paths will cross as my journey here con nues. Mrs Kelly Nichol - Headteacher
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ROGERSONS REMOVALS Happy 11th Birthday
Thomas 12th July Lots of love Mummy, Daddy and Cameron xx
Bon Anniversaire
Alex
Enjoy your Special Day. Lots of love from Mum, Dexter and Sonic 4th of July
Happy 30th Birthday
LAWN CUTTING HEDGE CUTTING LANDSCAPING PATIOS
Love from Zoe
Kayleigh Webb
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
ANITA MEAD
Love from Gordon, Victoria & Joshua xxx
Joan Christensen 4th July H A P P Y
81 ST
BIRTHDAY
Lots of love Annette, Tavita, Maltida, Oscar & Lola x 26
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ASHWELL
WESTON
We Are Back! The last 18 months have been an interes ng me for anyone in Girl Guiding including 1st Baldock Brownies. At the start of the pandemic, I quickly moved our Brownie mee ngs onto Zoom. I did not think that I would need to con nue to do this for just over a year. We even met through over half terms and the summer holidays because the girls were enjoying seeing their friends on the zoom calls. During the lockdowns they con nued to work on a variety of badges including the Local History badge taking photographs of old buildings in the town and finding out about the Knight Templar. We even had two virtual sleepovers, mee ng up over a weekend: sharing meal mes both at tea me and breakfast, and joining in with cookery lessons of how to make Chinese egg cakes over the internet. We have had great fun doing lots of quizzes and some crazy scavenger hunts finding strange or quite simple things in our own homes. During the
WHAT WE DO
dark nights, the girls went star gazing to gain their Space badge and made their own models of the Space sta on. We have finally returned to face to face mee ng at the beginning of the Summer school term at Girl Guiding HQ in Mee ng House Lane, following lots of guide -lines ! no pun intended. We as a pack have grown from strength to strength and are back up to a full pack of 24 girls and will con nue to work through the Brownie programme. We have lots of new brownies join and so they will be making their promise very soon. We visited the Girl Guide County Centre at Co ered for a socially distant campfire and just really enjoying being able to meet outside for a real brownie mee ng. This term our focus has been the Pain ng interest badge. The girls have been developing their watercolour pain ng skills and their personal apprecia on for art. We plan to hold our own art expedi on very soon for all to visit. Next week we will be giving out awards for the achievements over the last year. Even though we have not been able to
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meet in person, several of the girls have worked so extremely hard and will achieve the Brownie Gold award. This is an amazing achievement. This strange me has demonstrated how versa le and resilient children can be. It was true that back in April 2020 lots of the girls really did not enjoy the Zoom mee ngs, but we all persevered and as Brown Owl I feel that these girls could achieve anything if they put their minds to it. I am so immensely proud to all of them and what we have achieved together. Personally, my Girl Guiding trip to walk the Great Wall of China was cancelled back in October 2020. However, this has been re-scheduled and thus myself and Guider Kathryn Dixon will hopefully be going in October 2021. Therefore, we con nue to fundraise for Girl Guiding and have a new total of £5000 to raise for the two-week expedi on. We are collec ng books for a book sale which we hope to hold once covid restric ons are fully li ed. If you would like to donate books, please contact me via email. Lisa Pa erson Brown Owl / Guider in charge Lisa.gascoine@b nternet.com
Extensions Loft conversions Structural openings Ground works Garage conversions Drainage Landscaping Kitchens Bathroom refurbishment Architectural plans
Church Street Baldock Hertfordshire JULY
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Slimming Wld Recipe Supplied by
Sandra Lloyd
Baked eggs with Peppers and Spinach Keep it vegetarian or add some bacon or chicken.
Ingredients Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
400g new potatoes, thickly sliced Low-calorie cooking spray 1 onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 orange pepper, deseeded and cut into small pieces 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 400g can chopped tomatoes with herbs 300ml passata 1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 100g spinach 4 medium eggs Handful of basil, to serve
Method 1. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well. 2. Meanwhile, spray a large non-stick frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and pepper and stir-fry for 5 minutes until softened. 3. Stir in the potatoes and beans, then add the tomatoes, passata and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Season lightly and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until thickened. 4. Stir through the spinach and allow to wilt. Make 4 shallow indents in the mixture and crack an egg into each one. Cover and cook gently for 5 minutes, or place under a medium-hot grill, until the eggs are set to your liking. Add a twist of black pepper and serve scattered with basil leaves
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Come and Be RUN TALK RUN
LADIES LADIES LADIES Are you…..feeling red? Feeling hot? Cant sleep? Feeling that you are going mad? And then forget everything about all of the above? If so then you may be becoming a lady of a certain age. Yes I'm talking MENOPAUSE. Some see this as a dirty word and that we shouldn't talk about it. Well I've got news for you, we ARE talking about it and so we should! The average age of a lady going through menopause is 51, HOWEVER that is the average so it can happen earlier or later. Also there are between 34 and 92 recorded symptoms (Its amazing how li le info is out there considering it affects 51% of the
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popula on!) so just because you don't have one of the 'common symptoms' it doesn't mean that its not happening to you. A support group has now been set up in Baldock. We are in the early days but want to make sure we help and support as many people as possible. We meet once a month at the community centre for a couple of hours. So, if you want a few hours where you can just be yourself and talk or just listen to the experiences of others knowing you are not alone then please contact me on Facebook or 07901 821403 and I'll give you details. I hope to see you soon. But in the mean me please be kind to yourself. Take care Karen Stephens
Baldock Futures Fund 2021 The Baldock Futures Fund is developing two dis nct strands of funding to support people in Baldock and the surrounding villages. One strand is our “hardship fund” and we will relessly fund raise to ensure we can give grants to people who have no where else to turn to support themselves or their family. For this strand we need “Ambassadors” who will represent us and support our aims and objec ves and be key people at our fund-raising events. We have an event planned on the 1st October when we launch our book of sketches, poems and songs about Baldock and the villages in lockdown. It will be dedicated to all those people who died during that me and their families. We will be adver sing the event over the coming months but we need you to be there to make it run smoothly and be a success. The second strand is a wish come true for us. We have a commitment from a local businessman who wishes to support people who want to start their own business or support
One of Us businesses going through a difficult me. We need “Business Mentors” who will listen to those who want support and guide them in making a case to our panel for considera on. We hope that the business mentors will be the link between us and those we support as they develop and become successful and be the key to our success in this strand of ac vity. If you are able to give us a few hours of your me and would consider being an “Ambassador” or a “Business Mentor” please contact me Vivienne Reed Hon Chair Telephone - 07815308124 or email Baldockcs0@gmail.com
INSPIRING YOUNG LIVES St Marys were finally able to allow visitors into school this term, and we really took advantage by invi ng Paralympic hero Sean Rose, A-Life and some birds of prey. We were extremely lucky which visitors Sports for Schools provided us with Sean Rose and his colleague Ian Miller. Sean Rose is hands down the most inspira onal person I have ever met and my colleagues and all the children here will back me up on that intrepid statement. Sean lead a sponsored fitness circuit with all pupils, and followed up with a gripping story about his horrific accident, and his monumental achivements since. The aim of the event was to inspire the pupils to take up sport generally, but just as importantly to encourage them to discover and then pursue their passion in life.
We also had A-Life come in to run a few sessions with each of our classes. The children learned a lot in essen al health and well-being topics through interac ve work sta ons. The children were always engaged and even began an 'A-Life' chant! Last half term finished with a special visit from some birds of prey. Every class from both the infants and juniors were able to see these spectacular creatures close up and learn some fascina ng facts about them. Over the next few weeks, we at St Marys are looking forward to a special year 6 fun week involving trampolining, virtual reality and day trips out of school. We also running 4 separate sports days in our year groups. Hopefully from September things will con nue to progress back to normality. Sco Hagland - PE Coordinator
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body & soul On Tuesday 15th June the Christchurch Baldock group for re red people called Body and Soul had its relaunch on the high street. A wonderful, sunny morning where helpers and members were able to meet again a er many months, for coffee, cake and chat.
Body and Soul meets at Baldock Community Centre on Tuesdays 9.45 – 11.15. It provides total fitness with music, chair exercise, brain games and a thought for the day, plus coffee and chat, all of which are immensely posi ve contribu ons to mental health. We aim to promote an ac ve and healthy lifestyle into old age, having fun
with friends, and all re red people are invited to come along. Chris ne Davies, who recently stepped up to lead Body and Soul commented, “the team of volunteers who run Body and Soul have been fantas c this last year. They have kept in touch with members by weekly phone calls and have demonstrated the kind of friendship and love that characterises the group”. Sam Williams, assistant minister of Christchurch Baldock, which runs Body and Soul, said, “the church has supported people of all ages through this difficult me. It has been so encouraging to see Body and Soul providing a lifeline for its re red members, and I am very pleased that it will soon reopen”.
Tell Us Your Story On Our Doorstep is always on the look out for news stories from the local community. Are you raising money for charity? Are you a member of a local community group with something to shout about or simply do you have with something to share with local residents? If so contact us at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.u
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Protecting Our Past/Shaping Our Future St Mary's Church Baldock – Why do we need your help? Standing proud in the centre of our town is the 15th century church tower, a truly inspira onal sight to everyone in the community. It was restored in 2009/10, as a result of the generosity of individuals, groups and organisa ons in our town. What has happened since then? Con nued fundraising and a grant from The Heritage Lo ery Fund (HLF) enabled par al repairs of the roof. Why is more support needed now? The central aisle roof is leaking badly, and much of the masonry is crumbling. HLF funding is now so highly compe ve that we need to find the funds for further repairs ourselves. St Mary's ancient building, (parts date
back to the 11th century), is important and embedded in our lives for so many reasons. It has always been at the heart of our town and its people, providing a range of events such as concerts, wine tas ngs, quiz nights, exhibi ons etc, and the ever-popular Christmas Tree Fes val! Its prime purpose is as our parish church for Chris an worship, a sanctuary for private prayer and peaceful medita on, and life events. What do we need to do now? The Friends of St Mary's (FOSM) will be delivering a card to every household in Baldock, asking for help and se ng out how to donate, so do look out for this. The essen al repairs will cost £235,000 (a er tough nego a ons and VAT relief). We can borrow up to £110,000 and FOSM/the Church have raised about £85,000, so we need to find £40,000 now to secure the contract and start the repairs. If you would like to know more about FOSM, or have any ques ons, do email fosmbaldock@gmail.com. Any financial contribu on, however small, will be hugely appreciated.
10,000 Free Trees Giveaway North Herts District Council (NHDC) is invi ng people who live in North Her ordshire to let them know if they would like to receive a free tree. Up to 10,000 tree saplings will be given away to people who live in the district in the autumn. NHDC is asking people to register their interest now if they would like to receive a tree sapling, so they are ready to distribute the trees in the autumn. Tree species will include field maple, silver birch, common white birch, hornbeam, hazel, common hawthorn, beech, sweet cherry, bird cherry, mountain ash and lime. Cllr Steve Jarvis, NHDC Execu ve Member for Environment said: “We are really pleased we are able to provide local people with the opportunity to receive a free tree. Each tree sapling
with over 35 years experience
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planted locally will help in the fight against climate change in the district and will benefit local biodiversity for years to come. Tree saplings will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so do register your interest early to avoid disappointment.” To register your interest in receiving a free tree, you must live in North Her ordshire and have a suitable place to plant a tree. Please email green.space@north-herts.gov.uk with the following informa on: Ÿ Your full name, postal address and email address Ÿ Would you like a tree that can grow in a small, medium or large space Please note, NHDC is unable to fulfil requests for specific species of tree. People who contact NHDC via the email address will receive a receipt email, and if successful in securing a tree sapling, more informa on about how to collect their tree will be sent in the early autumn.
NHDC also owns Oughtonhead Local Nature Reserve in Hitchin, which has resident Longhorns grazing at the site all year round. Grazing is beneficial to grass meadows, helping to keep them healthy and diverse, allowing biodiversity to thrive. Longhorn ca le are specifically chosen to graze these sites due to their docile nature in the presence of people. Cllr Steve Jarvis, NHDC's Execu ve Member for Environment said: “We are always pleased to welcome back the ca le and sheep to Baldock nature reserves. Grazing the sites is very beneficial for biodiversity and they always prove very popular with visitors, so it is a win all round. We ask that people are respec ul of the ca le and sheep and to always keep their dogs under control and on lead when walking near them.” To find out more about these nature reserves visit: www.northherts.gov.uk/ivel-springs or www.nothherts.gov.uk/weston-hills
Living lawnmowers return to Baldock Baldock's Weston Hills and Ivel Springs Local Nature Reserves are welcoming the return of grazing livestock. English Longhorn ca le have already arrived at Weston Hills to graze the northern and southern slopes, with a flock of sheep due to arrive in early July. The livestock will be taking up temporary residence at Weston Hills un l September. Longhorns will also arrive at Ivel Springs in early July and will remain there un l September, grazing the pasture land next to the main entrance to the site. Both nature reserves are owned by North Her ordshire District Council (NHDC), whose Grounds team work closely with the Countryside Rights of Way Service to manage the sites, bringing livestock to graze there each year.
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CONGRATULATIONS
M. 07884 430741 E. claire@goodridgeaccountants.co.uk W. www.goodridgeaccountants.co.uk
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Cast your minds back to our last issue, when we told you about a group of local lads that were a emp ng the famous Na onal 3 Peaks challenge. Not only that, they had set themselves a me of 24 hours to complete the massive task. They set off as planned on the 19th June, from the base of Ben Nevis. The lads reached the summit (1,336m) in 2hrs 24mins, before the descent back down and then on to the next mountain. Scafell Pike (974m) was next. They set off from the base in total darkness and
climbed to the peak in 1.5 hours. Only one more to go. On to Wales and Snowdonia (1,074m), they set off at 4:50am and took the PYG track to the summit. They smashed their target and finished the challenge in an amazing me of 21 hrs 40mins. They completed the challenge in aid of the ‘4 Louis’ charity and managed to raise over £4000 via sponsorship on their Just Giving page.
Useful numbers Advice Citizen’s Advice Bureau Trading Standards Advice Samaritans
03444 111444 0300 300 8136 116 123
Councils North Hertfordshire District
01462 474000
Doctors Baldock Surgery
01462 892458
Dentist Victoria Place Dental Surgery
01763 313869
Emergency Utilities Gas Emergency Electric power cut
0800 111 999 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
Schools Knights Templar Hartseld St Johns St Marys Infants St Marys Juniors Brandles
01462 620700 01462 895267 01462 892478 01462 892347 01462 892156 01462 892189
Travel Arriva Buses National Rail Enquires National Bus line
08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608
Vets Baldock Veterinary Centre
01462 895579
Nurseries Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round Peanuts Preschool
01462 892172 01462 896322 07736 124327
Play Groups Magic Moments Merry Go Round
07709 618434 01462 896322
Plumbers Maben PE James
07949 120911 07816 586777
Window & Door repairs JML Windows Repairs Warrens Windows
01438 906300 01462 261401
Florist Blooms of Baldock
07747 195325
Locksmith Lock and Glaze
07737885528
Mobile Hair Dresser Hair By Jacqui
07973 788418
Funeral Directors Shires - CPJ Field Baldock
01462 491149
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July Gallery
Please send your local snaps new or old to our facebook page or email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk
Gunner in the daisy’s, Clothall Common -Joanne Sullivan
Taken at Great Wymondley - Jane Orton
Meadow Pipits Stuart Knock
Tabitha having a cuddle with a goat kid - J.MacDonald
A Scarlet Tiger Moth resting in Clothall -Simon Holtom
Lovely weather for a ..... - Stuart Leader
Mother and signet - Sarojini Ellis
Huge puddle left in the eld - Neil Marsh SideKickPhotography
The June oods Caroline Kirby
Summer fun - Holly Castle