Rutland Pride January 2015

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STAMFORD AND RUTLAND RutlandPride

RutlandPride THE

NUMBER

ONE

MAGAZINE

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 £3.70

Good Food Awards - this month we reveal our winners...

The Lifestyle Magazine for High Quality Homes

January 2015

Good Food Awards - Our Winners Country Clothing from Rutland’s Independent Retailers CHARCUTeRIe - RUTLAND PROPeRTy - FINe ART - HOMeS - WINTeR FASHION

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The Rutland Pride team’s Christmas parties are usually a tipsy affair.

We believe in celebrating our own success, but also in recognising the successes and achievements of businesses and individuals across the county.

This month is a particular example as we give out our nine Good Food Awards, recognising our Restaurant of the Year, Bistro/Coffee Shop of the Year and Food Hero.

ROB davis Editor, PridE magazinEs editor@pridemagazines.co.uk

Our awards are voted for entirely by readers, to remove any commercial bias on our part, so we hope you’ll enjoy looking at our three winners and seven finalists in each category and rediscovering those you’ve not visited for a while.

In this edition, we meet Lord Earl Spencer, who visited Hambleton Hall recently to promote his latest book, we report the major trends for 2015 weddings, and we’ve the best treatments for mind and body in our New Year New You feature.

Elsewhere, we’ve a delicious antidote to too much turkey in the form of Rutland Charcuterie, and the latest winter fashions courtesy of Cavells.

I’ll sign off for the year by wishing you, on behalf of the whole Rutland Pride team, a healthy and very happy new year!

RutlandPride STAMFORD AND RUTLAND

THE

NUMBER

ONE

MAGAZINE

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 £3.70

The Lifestyle Magazine for High Quality Homes

Good Food Awards - Our Winners Country Clothing from Rutland’s Independent Retailers CHARCUTERIE - RUTLAND PROPERTY - FINE ART - HOMES - WINTER FASHION

This Month’s Cover: Normanton Church in the snow.

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RutlandPride STAMFORD AND RUTLAND

RutlandPride

THE

NUMBER

ONE

MAGAZINE

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 £3.70

Good Food Awards - this month we reveal our winners...

The Lifestyle Magazine for High Quality Homes

JANUARY 2015

Good Food Awards - Our Winners Country Clothing from Rutland’s Independent Retailers CHARCUTERIE - RUTLAND PROPERTY - FINE ART - HOMES - WINTER FASHION

With best wishes from the Rutland Pride team Publisher: Julian Wilkinson.

General Manager: Ian Bagley. Executive Editor: Rob Davis.

Graphic Designer and Customer Care: Mandy Bray.

IT: Joe Proctor. Accounts Manager: Sue Bannister.

Sales Managers: Zoie Wilkinson, Jayne Broughton.

Sales Executives: Liz King, Roberta Hall, Abigail Colley, Carissa Clay, Emily Brown, Sami Millard, Lauren Chambers, Emma Barrett, Hayley Scott, Emily Maplethorpe and Amy Whiley.

Distribution Manager: Paul Dixon.

www.facebook.com/rutlandpride Why not follow us on Facebook? You can keep up to date with any news we may have for our lovely magazine!

twitter.com/@RutlandPride Follow us on Twitter so you can read our tweets. We’ll let you know what’s going on and keep you well informed!

By supplying editorial or adverts to Rutland Pride you accept in full the terms and conditions which can be found online at www.pridemagazines.co.uk. In the event of an advert or editorial being published incorrectly, where Pride Magazines Ltd admits fault, we will include an advert of equivalent size, or equivalent sized editorial, free of charge to be used in a future edition, at our discretion. This gesture is accepted as full compensation for the error(s) with no refunds available.

Enjoy Rutland Pride, read it cover to cover.

Pick it up, put it down and when you have finished with it pass it on. When everyone has had a good read, pop it in the recycle bin!

Pride Magazines Elm Grange Studios East Heckington, Boston Lincolnshire PE20 3QF tel: 01529 469977 Fax: 01529 469978

www.pridemagazines.co.uk enquiries@pridemagazines.co.uk

Contents

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January 2015

Meet Lord EarL SpEncEr as the aristocrat turned author appears as a VIP at Hambleton Hall to talk about his new book.

We can finally reveal the three winners and seven finalists of our Good Food awardS, naming our Restaurant of the Year...

This month’s food section includes a restaurant recommendation as well as a look at rutLand charcutEriE. Take a look around a contemporary Oakham property and meet Hannah Turcan this month in our homES & GardEnS section.

January and February are the two most popular months for proposals of marriages we’ll look at the top wEddinG trends for 2015.

There’s treats and treatments this month, for both body and mind in our January nEw YEar, nEw You feature.

If you’re still seeking a dress for New Year’ Eve, or you’re seeking designer fashions for winter, our FaShion pages should help!

We’ve a round-up of the best independent and quality schools and colleges in this month’s Education feature.

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County News

send your press releases and county news to: Editor via editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

tV’s mary Berry opens stamford High school’s new facilities... tV celebrity inspires a new generation of great British Bakeoff fans and celebrates stamford High school’s fantastic new Home Economics facilities stamford School’s new Home Economics facilities were recently opened by TV presenter and food writer Mary Berry.

Mary spent the morning at the school meeting pupils, observing a cookery lesson, signing books and being interviewed by members of the student-led school magazine team. She also led the school assembly, where she spoke about the importance of learning to cook.

Principal of the Stamford Endowed Schools, Stephen Roberts, said: “The Schools

Policing in rutland set to benefit from £15.4m investment by 2017...

Rutland policing will be streamlined in the coming years, with smaller, but more localised hubs designed to provide more responsive policing.

Smaller teams of response officers will dedicate themselves to responding to emergencies, whilst eight neighbourhood policing units will be created. Each will have a dedicated inspector.

Police chiefs promise that the changes will save £15.4m by 2017.

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Uppingham’s 108th Christmas Fatstock show takes place...

Livestock event described by organisers as ‘jewel in the crown,’ celebrating agriculture in rutland

were proud to welcome Mary, who, through programmes such as ‘The Great British Bake-Off,’ has been instrumental in shaping the nation’s attitude to food and cooking.”

“It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm that the pupils showed Mary, and she was very generous in taking the time to speak to so many of them. Her talk in the assembly underlined the importance of being able to cook and inspired the pupils with her entrepreneurial spirit.”

For more information about Stamford Endowed Schools see www.ses.lincs.sch.uk.

uppingham’s Christmas Fatstock Show took place as Pride went to press in November, the 108th time the event has taken place.

Cancelled only by war and the two national outbreaks of the foot and mouth epidemic, this is a unique show being the only event of its kind in the UK still held in temporary penning in a town Market Square.

The regular weekly fatstock market finished in 1954, with the ending of wartime controls, but the annual Fatstock Show has continued.

It’s described by organisers as “A jewel in Rutland’s crown,” and the show includes classes for cattle, sheep and pigs.

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County News

send your press releases and county news to: Editor via editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

designer fashions will be sold for charity in February... good & new clothes sale takes place on February 27th and 28th at Barnsdale Lodge, with names like Chanel, d&g, YsL, Valentino and Laboutin Exton’s Barnsdale Lodge will once again host the Good & New fashion sale on February 27th and 28th.

The sale starts off with a ticketed sale with champagne and canapés from 5pm-8pm Friday. Entry is £15/ticket.

Saturday’s entry is from 8.30am with entry on the door £5.

The sale is approaching its 50th year and is organised by a team of 60 volunteers. There are 70 rails of quality new or nearly new clothing and accessories including a designer room, children’s room and men’s room.

rutland sinfonia’s new patron named as argentinian cellist Eduardo Vassallo...

Rutland sinfonia has named Argentinian cellist Eduardo Vassallo as its new patron.

Eduardo will be the group’s first musical patron, and will help to develop the highly respected amateur symphony orchestra’s repertoire during his tenure.

Eduardo first encountered the group - which was formed in 1967 - when he first performed Dvorák’s Cello Concerto with them in May 2013.

See www.rutlandsinfonia.org.uk.

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Local historians’ plan to spend a night in the cells on ghost watch ashwell Prison is venue for paranormal investigation by local group - a short break with a difference...

“We continually try to ‘up’ our standard from the usual jumble sale.” say organisers. “Our stock is collected, sorted, checked, presented and hung on rails to the best of our ability.”

“We are very proud of what we achieve. It is a lot of hard work.

But we have fun all the way!” says co-organiser Trish Ruddle.

The event will benefit the For Rutland in Rutland charity, Macmillan and The Rutland Wellbeing Partnership. It raises over £45,000 each year.

To purchase tickets for the VIP evening on Friday 17th, call 01572 724400.

ashwell’s night out with a difference this month sees Rutland’s Simply Paranormal inviting participants to get locked up for the evening in HMP Ashwell. The Rutland Prison, which formally closed in March 2011, is widely believed to be haunted, and this night sees a series of paranormal investigators welcoming guests to enjoy a series of overnight history lectures and ghost hunts.

Your £65 entry cost to the event, includes unlimited refreshments, participation in all of the group’s activities... and of course, accommodation at Her Majesty’s pleasure!

For more information on the group, see www.simplyparanormal.co.uk or call 07938 484 896.

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to view and purchase photographs from the Event visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk

Lord Earl Spencer Speaks at

Hambleton Hall Lord Earl Charles spencer recently entertained around 60 guests at Rutland’s Hambleton Hall at a speaking engagement to promote his new book, Killers of the King. His book tells the shocking stories and fascination fates of the men who signed Charles I’s death warrant.

The event included a champagne reception before a fine dining menu which included beetroot pannacotta, pan fried fillet of red mullet, roast partridge and a taste of chocolate dessert with pear and lime salted caramel. The hotel named this month as Rutland Pride’s Restaurant of the Year for 2014 - hosts similar functions throughout the year.

The Michelin starred country house hotel’s events diary can be found online at www.hambletonhall.com.

Feature your event in our magazine.

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Call 01529 469977 and speak to our Events desk...

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Purchase photographs from this event online.

Visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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What’s On

a MOTOwn sEnsaTiOn

ChiaROsCuRO QuaRTET

Stamford’s Corn Exchange presents a sensational party on 31st January with a brace of acts that bring the magic of motown and the heart of soul to life.

The world-renowned quartet this month host an evening of classical music at Stamford Arts Centre on Saturday 10th January from 7.30pm. The group’s performance include works by Mozart, Haydn and Schubert. Tickets £16/adults, £10/conc.

First up is The Conmitments, performing Mustang Sally, Try a Little Tenderness, In The Midnight Hour and many other songs made famous by the hardest working soul band in Dublin.

Next up, The Tamla Motown Show plays homage to The Temptations, Supremes, Vandellas, Marvin Gaye and The Four Tops with complete choreography and powerful vocal harmonies.

Top: The Chiaroscuro Quartet in Stamford.

Above: It’s a Motown sensation with The Conmitments at Christmas this month at Stamford’s Corn Exchange.

Top/Right: The Met Opera’s Les Contes d’Hoffman, Offenbach’s masterpiece, live in Stamford.

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www.stamfordartscentre.com 01780 763203

LEs COnTEs d’hOFFMan

Tickets are £17/adults, £16/conc, with a three course dinner and tickets included in a package for £31/head. The fun starts at 7.30pm.

The tortured poet of Offenbach’s masterpiece is recounted with aplomb this month as Stamford Arts Centre hosts a satellite screening of The Met Opera’s Les Contes d’Hoffman. Vittorio Grigolo is the titular antihero, Yves Abel conducts and the performance takes place on 31st January at just before 6pm.

www.stamford-corn-exchange.co.uk 01780 766455

www.stamfordartscentre.com 01780 763203

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- WHat’s on -

a winTER BiRd waLk The Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust and Anglian Water are inviting families to enjoy a winter bird walk at The Lyndon Reserve later this month.

The event, on Saturday 25th January, offers the chance to enjoy a crisp winter walk and to learn about the reserve.

Children can make a bird feeder whilst parents enjoy a hot drink afterwards.

Booking essential; £3.50/person. www.ospreys.org.uk/lyndon-reserve 01572 770651

CindERELLa Family fun at DeMontfort Hall in Leicester as Cinderella returns from 13th December to 4th January. An exclusive panto written just for the venue by Leicester’s Susie McKenna, with CBeebies’s Alex Winter and Goodness Gracious Me’s Kulvinder Ghir.

Tickets are £16.50/£19.50.

Look out, too, for Yet Another Evening with Rick Wakemen as the keyboard virtuoso, Grumpy Old Man and Watchdog presenter brings his rich and varied life to the stage in this one-off show on 24th January, with tickets £26.50/adults, £23.60/conc. www.demontforthall.co.uk 0116 233 3111

ThE sOund OF MusiC The Hills are Alive in Leicester, with the Curve Theatre presenting Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Sound of Music until 17th November. The Broadway and West End musical features a timeless score including My Favourite Things, Do-Re-Mi and its titular masterpiece. Stars former EastEnders star Michael French and Laura Pitt-Pulford, directed by Paul Kerryson.

Tickets from £15-£21.50.

Top: Cinderella at DeMontfort Hall.

Above: Lyndon Nature Reserve in winter.

www.curveonline.co.uk 0116 242 3595

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W E N

WILSTHORPE, LINCOLNSHIRE £725,000 Manor Barn is a handsome period barn dating from the 1700s, in a lovely village location bordering open fields with country views and easy access to many local bridleways and footpaths. Originally converted and extended in 1988, subsequent additions have created a light-filled home with substantial and flexible accommodation set over two spacious floors. The house retains many period features such as the hayloft on the front façade, solid oak beams and inglenook fireplaces. French doors from the large Conservatory open the interior to the grounds, whilst the striking Study features a unique mezzanine Gallery adding further living space or guest accommodation. Outside, the enclosed garden is south-west facing, there is a 1.5 acres paddock and an excellent range of outbuildings including a three-bedroom self-contained Annexe and a bespoke Glass-house. With its extensive grounds and potential to adapt to many different lifestyles, Manor Barn is a unique, impressive country home. EPC: D.

W E N

EMPINGHAM, RUTLAND £695,000 With open views across rolling countryside around the village, Ash House is a handsome residence with superb reception space, extensive accommodation and a stylish interior. Built of Clipsham stone with a slate roof and traditional sash windows, the exterior has a timeless architectural appeal, whilst inside the design maximizes the sense of space and light. Natural materials have been used throughout with features such as stone-mullioned windows, solid oak doors and an ash staircase custom-made by local craftsmen and, having been recently completed, the house is offered in immaculate condition. The impressive Kitchen & Breakfast Room is a natural focal point for daily life and French doors from the principal living rooms allow the house to extend easily to the secluded garden. The interior also features bathrooms by Villeroy and Boch, under-floor heating and internet wiring, making Ash House a streamlined, efficient and truly modern home in an excellent Rutland location. EPC: Pending.

Fine & Country 2 St. Mary’s Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 2DE Telephone: (01780) 750200 Email: stamford@fineandcounty.com www.fineandcountry.com

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W E N

UFFORD, NR STAMFORD

£695,000

The Roost is a delightful Georgian residence set in an elevated position with far-reaching views out over the pretty village of Ufford. The Grade II listed house dates from the 1700’s and the classic façade sits beneath a steep slate roof, whilst original features include oak beams, open fireplaces and tall windows.

The substantial accommodation is laid out over three floors and, whilst some interior modernization is required, the property has excellent potential to become an elegant home that could suit a variety of lifestyles and needs. Outside, the delightful, secluded gardens include large expanses of lawn and mature trees including fruit varieties, whilst the extensive outbuildings include an original two storey barn, a Garage and a log store. With its peaceful village setting and attractive Georgian appeal, The Roost is a charming property and offers a unique opportunity to create a stunning period home within easy reach of Stamford.

EPC: Exempt.

W E N

WING, RUTLAND £650,000 This charming Grade II listed thatched cottage has recently been restored to create a light-filled home combining period character with stylish contemporary updates and modern fittings. The cottage is built of local stone with a mix of thatch and slate roofing and inside retains many period features including solid oak beams, pretty cast-iron fireplaces and two impressive inglenook hearths. Wood-burning stoves, oak shutters and solid wood floors have further enhanced the character whilst the renovation also included rewiring the house and replacing the thatch, the installation of under-floor heating throughout the ground floor, an air source pump for the hot water and heating, and an electric AGA; making this a truly energy-efficient home. Outside, the original outbuildings have been renovated to create an office, workshop, boot store and an oak-frame Car Port alongside the south-west facing terrace and raised garden. With its lovely interior features and sunny outdoor spaces, Tom Cottage is an appealing period home in an excellent location close to Rutland Water.

EPC: Exempt.

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Tolethorpe Grange, Tolethorpe A Fantastic Country House, Set in Approximately 25 Acres.

GUIDE

£1,400,000

• Reception Hall, Kitchen, Utility • Drawing Room, Study, WC, Orangery • Principal & Bedroom 2 with Ensuite • 2 Futher Bedrooms, Family Bathroom • Gardens, In all approximately 25 Acres

m es

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CML Tenerife Crossley Morfitt & Lennox

Tenerife Property for Sale

1 BED APARTMENT

LOS CRISTIANOS

€85.000

Beautiful apartment on Los Diamantes with a communal pool and pool bar, close to numerous shops, bars and the beach is around 10 minutes walk away.

2 BED VILLA

CHAYOFA

€295.000

Corner position semi - detached villa in Chayofa, just 5 minutes drive from Los Cristanos.

2 BED PENTHOUSE

LOS CRISTIANOS

4 BED VILLA

SAN EUGENIO ALTO

€575.000

Luxury detached villa with a private pool and stunning views of the coast, sea and La Gomera.

CML Tenerife is a bespoke real estate company catering for Residential, Commercial and Corporate Investment needs in Tenerife with local representation here in Rutland...

• Apartments, Houses and Villas • Land and New Developments • Exclusive and Luxury Properties

0747 998 2649

€299.500

Duplex penthouse in the most sought after residential complex Playa Graciosa, close to the sea front and all the amenities.

To find out how we can help you, call us NOW on 0843 290 5160 or +34 922 792 952, email paul@cmltenerife or alternatively visit our website www.cmltenerife.com

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- tHE rUtLand PridE good Food aWards 2014 -

Celebrating Rutland’s

Best Food Congratulations to each of the winners of our three good Food awards categories. this month we reveal the best restaurants and food producers in rutland, as voted for by our readers...

Congratulations!

Among the winners in this year’s Restaurant of the Year category is Barnsdale Lodge. Pictured here is Head Chef Steve Conway.

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

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- tHE rUtLand PridE good Food aWards 2014 -

Our Restaurant of the Year 2014 our flagship restaurant of the Year awards see three winners and seven finalists revealed, from fine dining restaurants to gastropubs and hotel dining rooms...

Rutland’s best restaurants, according to our readers, revealed. Congratulations once again to Hambleton Hall, the lakeside, fine dining restaurant made successful by owner Tim Hart and Michelin starred head chef Aaron Patterson.

From a grand setting to superb cuisine to exceptional service, it’s the epitome of excellence by every measure, and is beloved by our readers.

Clipsham’s Olive Branch, our second winner, is equally well-known and equally respected too. Most recently the country pub, owned by Sean Hope and Ben Jones, was awarded UK Pub of the Year in The Good Pub Guide ‘sublime food’; ‘the ultimate pub experience’; ‘a first class all rounder...’

tHEwinnERs

Our third Restaurant of the Year winner is Exton’s Barnsdale Lodge. You’ll struggle to find a better dining experience, or a warmer welcome. Head Chef Steve Conway is über-talented technically and a creative genius too. We love Barnsdale Lodge, and so do our readers.

hambleton hall, hambleton The Olive Branch, Clipsham Barnsdale Lodge, Exton stapleford Park, melton mowbray marquess of Exeter, Lyddington the Berkeley arms, Wymondham the Wheatsheaf, greetham the old White Hart, Lyddington the White Horse, Empingham Barnsdale Hall, Exton 25

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tHEwinnERs

Our Best Bistro or Coffee Shop Otter’s smokehouse/deli, Oakham Baker’s Yard, Oakham wildwood kitchens, Oakham the Barn restaurant, oakham don Paddy’s Uppingham Beans, Uppingham Hungry Birds, oakham Castle Cottage Café, oakham gates nurseries tearoom, oakham Baines, Uppingham

if you’re looking for a lunchtime treat, from coffee and cake to quality bistro/brasserie dining, here are our readers’ favourite coffee shops and lunchtime dining options...

Looking for lunch in Rutland?

Or perhaps coffee and cake during a shopping excursion? Seek, and ye shall find no fewer than 10 reader recommendations, starting with Otter’s Smokehouse and Deli.

Leo Sugden is still in his 20s, yet has managed to set up his deli business on Oakham’s Mill Street, move to a premises twice as large in 2012, and create a superb bistro serving brunch, smoked fish, meat and cheese platters and lunchtime meals.

Meanwhile Oakham’s Baker’s Yard, on Church Street, provides superb main course dishes that will rival most restaurants. From confit pork belly to sea bass and steaks, it’s a wine bar and bistro par excellence.

Finally, congratulations to Wildwood Kitchens, the pizza and pasta restaurant which opened in 2013. Its great value lunchtime dining and open kitchen have earned it, too, a place in this year’s awards.

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- tHE rUtLand PridE good Food aWards 2014 -

Rutland

Food Hero

our final Food award category celebrates those whose efforts to champion local food really do ensure that the food we grow, produce and sell in rutland remains among the very best in the country...

Championing good food across the county, and helping to put Rutland on the map. Our first food hero is the absolutely lovely Julian Carter. Not only the nicest man in Rutland but also a genius baker whose reputation for excellence has, in the six years the business has been trading, facilitated the opening of five retail outlets (including Exton, Oakham, Stamford...) and the supply of bread to hotels like Hambleton Hall and The George of Stamford.

Try Julian’s signature sourdough loaf; try his Rutland Pippin savoury; try his range of Christmas confectionary; try everything that The Bakery Awards’s Baker of the Year produces, because every last product is superb.

Congratulations, as well, to Brian Baker the Rutland chef whose cookery demonstrations and commitment to his new farm shop and deli at his pub restaurant, The Marquess of Exeter, has earned him great affection with the county’s foodies. It’s a superb venture which aims to combine quality food with greater convenience for locals.

tHEwinnERs

And finally, we say well done to Jan McCourt, whose farm shop and deli at Northfield Farm, Cold Overton, provides the greatest quality meat you’re likely to find in the county.

The farmer has won myriad Good Food awards for his Angus meat, the quality of which is superb. Jan and his two boys hope to quadruple the size of the farm (from 25 to 100 head of cattle) in 2015, so we’ll watch the business grow with keen interest this year.

Julian Carter, hambleton Bakery Brian Baker, Marquess of Exeter Jan McCourt, northfield Farm sean Hope, the olive Branch sarah rivett, rutland gourmet Hambleton Farms, oakham Leeson Butchers, oakham nelson Butchers, Uppingham grainstore Brewery, oakham nigel moon, Whissendine Windmill 27

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KIDS EAT FREE ON FRIDAYS BETWEEN 5.00 – 6PM *CONDITIONS APPLY

TWO COURSES FOR £12 MON-FRI 12.00 – 2.30PM / 6.00 – 9.00PM

SUMPTUOUS

SUNDAY LUNCH SERVED 12.00 – 5.00PM

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- Food -

Beat the Winter

Blues this month the rain and snow may fall and the temperatures may plummet, but we’ve an Eating out recommendation that’s warm and satisfying; a beautifully conceived and flawlessly implemented dining experience in the village of Baston...

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

My wife is from the north east. She would probably describe the day we paid a visit to Baston’s White Horse pub as ‘clarty.’

The word is a Mackem colloquialism to describe a grim, dark, dirty, wet, muddy, rainy and thoroughly miserable day.

It’s an almost onomatopoeic word, and even if you’ve never heard it before, you’ll picture exactly the type of day; brooding, slate grey skies and buckets of rain falling helplessly onto the car as I made a wringing wet dash into the 18th century pub restaurant.

I’m still not entirely sure if it was the poor weather outdoors that made the inside of the place seem even more cheerful, or whether it really is as warm, comfortable and as welcoming as I found it... I suspect the latter, because by the end of my visit I came to the conclusion that the place really is quite fantastic.

Left: An assiette of lamb dish included a grilled chop and individual shepherd’s pie, served with minted peas.

The village boozer closed in October 2012 and was rescued from obsolescence by local farmer Mark Richardson. Having embarked upon a comprehensive refurbishment, he installed landlord & landlady Ben & 31

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Left: The dining room is rustic and charming, with a warm, relaxed, sociable feel.

Below: Our venison rillettes with celeriac remoulade.

A filo, feta and spinach roulade will satisfy vegetarians.

Opposite: Our starter of duck breast with tea-poached pear and blackberry dressing.

Dining at The White Horse is by way of a lunch menu comprising four snacks including a pulled pork hash with poached egg and crispy bacon, the mere description of which sent me weak at the knees - and a choice of five sandwiches with fillings like steak & red onion marmalade, sausages & mustard and a White Horse Club option.

To experience the full breadth of talent demonstrated by head chef Leighton O’Callaghan and his brigade though, we’ll instead implore you to try evening dining, and the restaurant’s seasonally changing menu with its seven starters, 13 main courses and seven desserts.

Germaine Larter upon its reopening in July 2013. They remain in the completely transformed pub restaurant today, with children Alfred and Peggy and their Springer Spaniel Audrey.

You’ll know when you’ve found the pub restaurant thanks to its distinctive dark blue exterior. It’s exactly the same colour as the sky was during our visit, almost adopting its hue by way of sympathy.

Once you’re inside though, the place is a great deal warmer and really very cheerful.

An open plan layout means a front lounge with an Aga wood burner, then, deeper into its heart there’s a long bar, and eventually a 30 seater restaurant.

Stripped pine tables and rustic chairs, exposed beams, wood panelling and a cream and blue colour scheme provide a really charming look that’s smart and relaxed.

It’s a dining room that remains informal, but still comfortable and still evokes a sense of real quality.

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The presentation of the restaurant’s food goes way beyond the remit of a pub restaurant - even a ‘gastropub’ - with neatly arranged food such as our first starter, a smoked duck breast, served with a tea-poached pear and blackberry dressing.

Our second starter was venison rillettes, served with a celeriac remoulade and walnut bread, the latter baked freshly in house.

Every dish the restaurant serves has fresh, vibrant pops of colours, and nowhere is this more evident than in our first main course which also served to prove how well vegetarians are catered for at the restaurant.

A filo, feta and spinach roulade featured an aubergine purée with roasted Jerusalem artichokes. Leighton assures us that there’s always at least two vegetarian main courses which are given equal precedence in terms of their creativity and presentation than their carnivore’s counterparts.

Our meaty main was a lamb platter, served on a board. The assiette comprised lamb chop with an individual shepherd’s pie, together with a serving of minted peas.

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“The White Horse also has monthly themed gourmet evenings.

During our visit in November, a Caribbean theme was in full swing.”

Needless to say the restaurant has strong relations with local suppliers, and prepares its ice creams, sorbets, bread and so on all in house. There’s also a robust wine list devised and supplied by Oundle’s Amps Fine Wine, comprising 10 whites, 10 reds, a brace of bubbles and a couple of rosé wines, plus the Sauternes served with our chocolate torte.

Priced between £15 and £45 (for Tattinger fizz), wines have a skinny makeup and are good value.

In the great tradition of sampling a fruity pud and a chocolate based dessert, we first tried the restaurant’s rich chocolate torte, a very very rich, bold torte indeed with shortbread base and Chantilly cream. It’ll appeal to the true cocoa aficionado with its dark and delicious depth.

Meanwhile, an apple panna cotta with blackberry compote was a stark contrast light, creamy and vanilla-ey with a lovely infusion of autumn apples.

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Speaking of wine, the pub restaurant also hosts a cheese and wine evening every Monday from 5pm-8pm, with three different cheeses on offer, alongside homemade chutney and biscuits. That’s in addition to regular Tuesday evening gourmet events, the topics of which change monthly; we visited during November, when a Caribbean theme was in full swing.

Leaving The White Horse, we were certainly impressed with our experience.

The pub restaurant is around 30 minutes from Oakham, 20 minutes from Stamford, so is it worth the trip?

Our answer is a rounding ‘yes!’ given the skilfully prepared, colourful dishes, pretty presentation of the building and dining room and for a dining experience that really will ensure you have a happy new year.

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Sample Menu startErs mushroom tart

£5.95

Wild mushroom and confit garlic tart with olive salad.

Crab Cakes

£7.50

Breaded crab and chilli cakes with an orange and fennel salad. goat’s Cheese

£6.00

Warm goat’s cheese and pickled beets with a herb dressing.

mains Chicken supreme

£12.00

Pan seared chicken supreme, celeriac rösti, pumpkin puree, and parsnip crisps chicken jus. daube Beef

£13.50

Pork Belly

£12.50

Daube of beef served with confit garlic mash and buttered greens.

Slow roast pork belly with apple tart, fondant potato and sesame carrots. steak

£17.50

Sirloin or rib-eye with hand cut chips, grilled tomato and mushroom.

PUdding toffee apple sponge

£5.75

Toffee apple sponge served with a thickened cinnamon cream. roasted Pear

£5.75

Honey roasted pear and almond tart with vanilla ice cream. taster menu

£8.50

Assiette of desserts in miniature.

Cheese and Biscuits

£7.50

Selection of local and artisan cheeses.

Find out more: The white horse, Church street Baston, Lincolnshire pE6 9pE Tel: 01778 560 923. www.thewhitehorsebaston.co.uk.

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JANUARY SPECIAL OFFERS THROUGHOUT JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 Tuesday nights are Curry Nights – choose from a selections of curries, all served with rice, chips, poppadum's & mango chutney - £9.95

Wednesday nights are Steak Nights – 9oz sirloin steak, cooked to your liking & served with onion rings, chips & garden peas - £10.95

Back for another year by popular demand!

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR HIGH QUALITY PUB RESTAURANT DINING Main Street, Great Bowden LE16 7HB For table reservations call 01858 463571 www.redlion-greatbowden.co.uk

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- Food -

The Cure

for the Winter Blues By the time this edition of Pride reaches the shops, you’ll doubtless be tired of turkey and fed up with being in the kitchen. so, how do you cater for friends and family quickly and easily over new Year? Well, we’ve the perfect idea for a stunning spread that will easily feed 10 or 12 guests, and take just less than 15 minutes to prepare; a beautiful charcuterie spread courtesy of the Rutland Charcuterie Company. this month we discover the perfect cure for the winter blues… if you’ve overdosed on turkey this festive season, we’ve got the cure… or rather, Nick and Nicky Brake have the cure.

The Braunston couple are celebrating the six month anniversary of their new business, The Rutland Charcuterie Company.

Originally from Kent, the couple spent around five years working in the Alps, enjoying not just life on the slopes, but après ski - invariably this included a charcuterie platter and large glass of red.

“It’s a really sociable way to dine.” says Nicky. “Sharing food, enjoying smaller, lighter portions and eating together feels inclusive and cosy, especially with an open fire in the background when it’s really cold outside.”

Naturally a life of great food, good wine and amazing scenery is something that most would quickly tire of, and Nick & Nicky, being no exception, quite understandably returned to the UK in 2009, settling in Rutland to renovate a pretty 17th century farmhouse, with its former granary, in which their business is now based.

Unable to replicate the snowy slopes of the Alps on the subtle undulations of Rutland, the couple instead settled for curing the

sense of nostalgia they had for the place by trying to source the food they enjoyed in Europe instead. Having tried unsuccessfully to source charcuterie meats produced to the same quality as they’d enjoyed abroad, Nick instead embarked on a year-long course at The Welbeck Estate’s School of Artisan Food, where he completed a year long Diploma in Butchery & Charcuterie.

“Charcuterie is a great way of being able to cater for 10 or 12 people with just a few minutes of preparation time...”

To say it paid dividends is to understate matters considerably, and together with former teacher and artisan butcher Rich Summers, the trio started a company which would place values of provenance, animal welfare and utmost quality at its heart, providing cured, cooked and air dried beef, duck and pork products.

“We’ve friends and family coming over on Boxing Day.” says Nicky. “Charcuterie is a

great way of being able to cater for 10 or 12 people with just 10 or 15 minutes preparation. Charcuterie served with Hambleton Sourdough and artisan cheese goes down so well with visitors, and it’s so very easy.”

The couple have a smallholding of around 30 acres and originally kept their own livestock but quickly outgrew the number of animals needed to satisfy a business whose demand has been very strong indeed.

Today, the business sources its free range pork from Packington in Staffordshire, using a couple of complete carcases each week in addition to several shoulders and other traditional cuts. These are used to create its dry spiced cured bacon, smoked gammon, and noix de jambonas (cured, air dried neck of pork) as well as its coppa and salamis; minced, and air dried with natural casings.

The firm’s beef is sourced from Diseworth from a pedigree Longhorn herd and used to create bresaola, pastrami and biltong with a blend of spices that, Nick advises me, is now a closely guarded secret.

For fans of canard, the company’s duck prosciutto is innovative, whilst its hot smoked duck breast has a stunning flavour.

The company’s duck rillettes are little pots 39

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“The artisan charcuterie firm butchers, cures, smokes and cooks all of its products on site...” of pleasure with a rough shredded texture designed to be lashed across a roughly torn piece of sourdough and devoured in front of an open fire this winter.

Equally, if you’re seeking a dish for quick and easy midweek dining, there’s nothing finer than the duck leg confit the couple have cooked slowly in rendered fat for hours and hours. Cooking at home in just 20 minutes and served with a green salad, cous cous or similar, it’s pure winter comfort food, falling away from the bone and melting in the mouth. The latter option is just £10, undercutting convenience food and providing a winter dish that’s absolutely sublime.

Whilst the couple have priced their products fairly, they won’t compromise on quality, rendering their charcuterie range unmistakably premium. “Welfare is very very important to us.” says Nick. “We witnessed some very good and very poor animal welfare standard abroad. We will only ever use free-range, artisan meat produced by those who care for their animals. Ensuring an animal isn’t frightened at point of slaughter ensures fewer damaging enzymes will ruin the meat, but it’s an ethical matter for us, as well as quality issue.”

The firm butchers, cures, smokes and cooks all of its products on site, using as much as they can from each pork carcase and ensuring customers derive the most amount of pleasure possible from each. Selling via farmers’ markets in Oakham, Stamford and occasionally Long Clawson, Oundle and Market Harborough too, the couple are already reaching out to a very appreciative customer base, but it’s their website which has enjoyed the most success.

“We’re only six months old but already we’ve really enjoyed the feedback we’ve had from customers.” says Nicky. This month will be our first Christmas, and we’re hoping it’ll be a very busy one indeed!

Rutland Charcuterie is based in Braunston - see a few of Nick and Nicky’s products over the page.

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Notes on Charcuterie a board of charcuterie rutland sourdough and artisan cheeses will take just a moments to serve, and will feed as many visitors as you need this month

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1. Garlic salami: Garlic, caraway and black pepper. Great as part of a charcuterie platter, a picnic or simply served with an aperitif 180g, £9.

2. Fennel salami: A combination of free range British pork and fennel go into this classic salami. Sold whole 180g, £9.

3. hot smoked duck: Free range duck breast cured in brine. Once cured the breasts are hung to dry a little. A dusting of sugar guarantees a golden colour during the hot smoke and adds a little bit of sweetness, whole av. 90g, £3.47.

4. pastrami: English Longhorn beef is used for this pastrami, farmed in Leicestershire.

It is dry-cured, then coated in spices, smoked and cooked. Serve in warmed pitta bread with harissa and roasted peppers, min 60g, £2.70.

5. Rutland smokie: The ultimate snacking sausage! Free range pork with aromatic herbs and spices with a touch of garlic, hot smoked for extra depth of flavour 85g, £2.50.

6. duck prosciutto: One word – unbelievable! Dry-cured, coated in a mix of fennel, coriander and black pepper and hung to air-dry, the intensity of flavour and colour is incredible av 60g, £4.80.

7. Coppa: Traditional Italian salami with dry cured pork musculature in a natural casing £call.

8. Bresaola: Spicy and succulent beef bresaola, dry cured, coated in spices and air dried min 60g, £4.20.

9. Biltong: Leicestershire Longhorn beef is used in this dry-cured snack, washed in a little red wine before being coated in a mix of spices and hung to air-dry, strips av 200g, £3; whole £9.

All of our featured products are available from Rutland Charcuterie, based in Braunston.

Call 01572 724655 or see www.rutlandcharcuterie.com.

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2.

3.

4.

7.

6.

8.

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Here’s to 2015 at The Marquess LUNCH FOR EVEN LESS Once again we will be taking part in Lunch for Even Less with a number of other restaurants. Come and enjoy a set lunch Monday - Saturday from 12th January - 28th March.

Two Courses £12.95 & Three Courses £15.95 (excludes Valentines Day).

THE DELI SHED We look forward to welcoming all our new customers to The Deli Shed in 2015. We offer a fantastic range of weekly essentials including milk, eggs, bread & vegetables, along with our delicious pre prepared meals straight from The Marquess kitchen.

52 Main Street, Lyddington, Uppingham LE15 9LT Call for bookings: 01572 822 477 www.marquessexeter.co.uk Lunch & Dinner 7 Days a Week | 17 Modern Bedrooms | Four AA Star Rated

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- Food -

The story of Lyddington’s community shop that lets locals

Take The Marquess Home for Supper The Lyddington restaurant of Rutland chef Brian Baker, the marquess of Exeter, this year opened its deli shed - a sort of upmarket deli, community shop and artisan bakery all rolled into one. it’s also the place to find pre-prepared marquess meals to enjoy in your own home. We find out what’s on the menu tonight... necessity is the mother of invention, according to the proverb. That’s certainly been the case in respect of the creation of The Marquess of Exeter’s Deli Shed.

“We had already set up outside catering operations at events like the Burghley and Rockingham horse trials, with our jams, preserves and breads on display; we’ve always sold these from the restaurant.”

The Lyddington pub is home to Brian Baker and has, since 2009, secured a position as one of Rutland’s most beloved pub restaurants.

“All we had to do was to convert an old potting shed into a permanent home and choose which products our customers would most appreciate.”

Despite the stratospheric quality of its food, Brian has always distanced himself from the label of ‘fine dining,’ being determined, instead, to provide Rutlanders, and in particular those local to Lyddington, with a welcoming, down to earth, pub restaurant.

The team did just that and now provide essentials such as bread, milk, eggs, teas and coffees, as well as deli products such as Lincolnshire sausages, meat, cheese and fish. The Marquess is also running a boxed vegetable scheme which can provide bespoke boxes of locally grown fruit and veg.

Brian’s philosophy has created Lyddington’s ‘pub as the hub’ - it’s at the heart of village, popular with the its local residents.

“We came up with the idea of creating our own village shop, deli and bakery all in one...”

The Marquess’s customers have always popped in to the pub to ask the chef to create a pudding they could take home, to liberate the restaurants of a few croissants or pain au chocolat from its B&B guests’ breakfast spread, or just to borrow a pint of milk if they run out.

With no village store, locals have come to rely on the chef to help them out with the supply of the odd load of freshly baked bread, a dessert, a few canapés for a dinner party... or the odd fully dressed lobster they can pass off as their own masterpiece.

“That’s why, 18 months ago we came up with the idea of creating our own village shop, deli and bakery all in one.” says Brian.

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Visitors to the shop, which is open seven days a week, can also buy bottles of wine and freshly grown herbs.

Most tantalising of all though, is The Deli Shed’s range of pre-prepared Marquess dinners - lamb shank, lasagnes, moussaka, and cottage pies, for example, all prepared to the same standard as the restaurant by its own chefs.

“We wanted to provide the same quality that we’re renowned for in our dining room, but with the ultimate in convenience too.” says Brian. “It’s also enabled us to provide locals with a much needed village shop. We opened in August and response has been tremendous, we’re really grateful to our customers, and can’t wait to welcome many more to The Deli Shed in the new year!”

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Take the Marquess of Exeter home for supper tonight...

Brian’s pre-prepared frozen dinners cook in about 45 minutes, so take the night off, and enjoy restaurant quality food in your own home...

starter: We opted for a Slipcote cheese - similar to Camembert - which bakes in 20 mins.

Serve hot and gooey with grilled Marquess Sourdough bread and cloves of a whole garlic bulb, with a Marquess fig chutney to accompany.

Slipcote £12/wheel; sourdough loaf £1.10; garlic bulb 40p; chutney from a selection at £3/jar.

Preparation time 25mins.

Main Course: Choose from dishes like lasagne, moussaka or cottage pie. We opted for a lamb shank. Each of Brian’s pre-prepared meals are frozen and cook at 180°c in 45mins.

Main courses are £10/serves two, £16/serves four.

dessert: We opted for Brian’s apple crumble, rather than sticky toffee pudding - both options which feature on the restaurant’s menus. If you prefer cheese after your meal, the deli stocks Colston Bassett Stilton, Lincolnshire Poacher, Cote Hill and Somerset Brie.

You can also serve Marquess’s own blend of freshly ground cafetière coffee and some of Brian’s delicious hand-made truffles.

Apple Crumble and sticky toffee pudding £4.50/serving; coffee £4.95; truffles £2.

To accompany: We toasted the chef from the comfort of our snug’s fireside with a bottle of Santa Cruz red - a Grenache/Syrah blend at £9.90/bottle. Prosecco also available at £13.50/bottle.

The Marquess of Exeter’s deli shed is now open seven days a week: Main st, Lyddington, LE15 9LT. Telephone 01572 822477 or see www.marquessexeter.co.uk

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Frothys Coffee shop is one of Stamford’s main meeting places.

Always welcoming, excellent drinks, light lunches and delicious cakes. Plenty of space, a great map on the wall upstairs and a local artists picture of the market downstairs in the snug area. You can sit outside in the summer and they have a lovely roaring open fire in the winter.

Newspapers and magazines are on display for your perusal.

Summed up nicely by this TripAdvisor comment: “This little cafe is the best in town, the

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cakes are homemade and they do the best ever skinny mocha and it comes with a little biscuit on the side!”

“The staff are very friendly and funny especially the owners they make you feel welcome.”

“All the food is fresh and homemade and most of it is local produce. Frothys is also child friendly.”

Frothys Coffee Shop is based at 12 Ironmonger Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 1PL. Tel 01780 751110. www.facebook.com/Frothys

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TheWineCellar Winter time means enjoying a robust red by an open fire and waiting for the frost to thaw. to help you along, we’ve a selection of five weighty, robust reds that are eminently quaffable, juicy and bold...

Our Gift Subscriptions last a whole year

Quinta do Crasto douro, 2007, £8.49

penfolds Bin 28 kalimna shiraz 2010, £16.60

Château pey la Tour Réserve 2009, Bordeaux, £10.50

Beronia Rioja Reserva 2008, £12.99

Tiknes vranec 2012, Macedonia, £8.99

Created in Portugal’s Douro Valley, a bold red that’s perfect for a New Year’s Day roast. Dark, rich, delicious with a spicy character and flavours of blackberry, prune and liquorice.

Lovely aroma with spices and vanilla hues for a dark, rich fireside experience.

A great value wine for its class, bright in colour and personality, with typical shiraz qualities. Multiregion, multi-vineyard blend, but it’s full-bodied with firm tannins and fruity sweetness. 14.5% ABV, it has deep blackberry and cherry flavours with chocolatey nose and a liquorice flourish.

A Sunday roast favourite that’s fruity on the palate with lots of blackcurrant flavours, chocolate, and liquorice aromas.

Predominantly Merlot blend with added cab sav, its tannins are relatively light, giving it a juiciness and smoothness despite its heavyweight composition and 13.5% ABV.

Cherry red, bold rioja with lots of delicious black fruits and liquorice on the nose. Chocolate and sweet spices. At 14% ABV and with a smooth texture it’s deceptively able to lay waste to your entire evening, but it’ll pair beautifully with roast lamb or a joint of beef on New Year’s day.

An unusual one; Macedonian in origin created from a large and vigorous grape not dissimilar to Zinfandel.

It’s spicy and bold, very very oaky with a smoky nose and lots of tannic flavours. Definitely one for those who enjoy the very boldest, most fullbodied reds on offer.

every single month in 2014!

Our featured wines are available from leading independent wine retailers, prices are correct at time of going to press but may vary according to each retailer.

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- HomEs -

The Upside Down

Town House generally speaking, the process of moving house turns your life upside down - but that statement is especially true in the case of this month’s featured property Cedron House, the dramatically modernised, gloriously sleek and rather cool oakham home of international retail consultant and tV personality, Karl mcKeever...

Words: Rob Davis 50

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The next owners of Karl McKeever’s Oakham property will enjoy ‘a Grand Design, without the hard work.’

That’s because, over the past two decades, Karl has extended and redeveloped the property to create a sleek, well-thought out, clean and modern home... but with a twist.

A Durham man by birth, Karl created his business consultancy firm and has worked across the country and beyond. Working abroad a good deal, he found Rutland offered easy access to London and to airports, whilst still providing a good standard of living.

“I visited the county to see friends and fell in the love with the place. We visited Rutland Water one day and spent some time in Oakham looking in estate agents’ windows.”

“I saw the property and recognised its potential, despite the fact that it needed

Above/Main: The first floor rooms include a 32ft living/dining room with integrated audio and programmable lighting, whilst the Dada kitchen is sleek, light and modern, with matt white cabinetry and quartz toppers.

“I wanted to create an open plan layout when I first came across the house and began to renovate it 22 years ago.” a full renovation... it was pretty much uninhabitable. Originally it was a boating inn adjacent to Oakham canal. The whole conveyancing process took just six weeks.

After that it was time to extend and renovate the property, working with builders based in Kibworth Beauchamp to provide exactly what I wanted - a light, spacious house with well-considered aesthetics that was unique to the area.”

The ‘upside down house’ has its bedroom suites on the ground floor and has moved its kitchen and large main reception room to the first floor - perfect for entertaining!

“I wanted to create an open plan layout when I first came across the house and began to renovate it 22 years ago.” says Karl. “My main aim though, was to make 53

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the most of the views over the rear gardens, which are quite generous for a town house, extending to about a quarter of an acre.”

As part of his renovation, Karl incorporated a dramatic double height floor-to-ceiling picture window to take advantage of as much natural light as possible. On the terrace outside the property is a pool which shimmers reflected sunlight up onto the whole height of the window creating a pretty effect and enhancing the open plan layout.

There’s a single reception room which measures 32ft x 27ft and has a contemporary fireplace, architectural radiators and solid American oak flooring.

The adjacent Dada kitchen is sleek, and ergonomic with a precise look and clean appearance, designed by Karl himself to incorporate matt white units with white quartz worktops.

Above: The property’s bedrooms are located on the ground floor which ensures the master bedroom can take advantage of a generously sized en suite and dressing room, enjoying views of the rill.

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“Each of the rooms in the property benefits from dimmable lighting and integrated audio system by Linn.”

Integrated appliances include both gas and electric hobs, a Siemens electric double oven, integrated Miele dishwasher and Siemens fridge/freezer; evidence of continuing investment in technology which is somewhat of a theme throughout the property.

Despite the huge reception room and generously proportioned kitchen, Karl has also managed to incorporate a dedicated utility room, and there’s a second floor which has rooflights and built in storage for those seeing an extra bedroom or reception room.

The ground floor, then, includes a master suite underneath the huge sitting room, with a dedicated en suite bathroom and dressing room. There are two further bedrooms, each with a bathroom or wet room, with

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each one utilising designer names such as Vola and Duravit. The master bedroom suite also shares the same natural light and reflected light from the pool outside, as well as beautiful views of the garden first thing in the morning.

complement the house itself in mind.” says Karl.

Replete with technology, each of the rooms in the property benefits from dimmable lighting and integrated audio system by Linn, one of the best premium hi-fi manufacturers.

He is the retail consultant for TV shows such as ‘Alex Polizzi: The Fixer’ and makes regular onscreen appearances to turn around ailing retail businesses.

With just under a quarter of an acre of gardens, Karl created a design that was inspired by the contemporary Citroën Gardens in Paris with a rill, fed by a second pool, and included low-maintenance landscaping with silver birch, white planting, small leaf hedging and japonica.

“It’s a planting based scheme designed with easy maintenance and consensual colours to Above: The quarte-acre garden is designed to be low-maintenance with a large covered patio and deck area.

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Today, Karl works around the world redeveloping brands and companies predominantly in retail, but also in the hospitality and financial sectors.

With a new renovation project in Norfolk about to begin, Karl has put his Oakham property on the market with James Sellicks estate agency, but concedes that he will miss the property enormously.

“I’ve invested lots of time and energy in ensuring the house looks good and works well day-to-day.” he says. “I’ve already had comments that the property is ahead of its time and I hope so. I’ve worked hard to evolve the property into something modern, a place that’s a pleasure to live in; one that’s practical, but also aesthetically satisfying, too.”

Cedron house, Ashwell Road Location: Ashwell Road, Oakham.

Style: Georgian property extended and renovated with a modern, open plan aesthetic.

Receptions: One, open plan with lounge and dining area.

Beds: Four with three en suites and dressing room to master.

Other Features: Integrated Linn audio, dimmable lighting, utility and quarter-acre of grounds.

Guide Price: £650,000

Find out more: Estate Agency: James Sellicks, Catmos Street, Oakham LE15 6HW. Tel: 01572 724437.

Web: www.jamessellicks.com.

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Helping you to create

THE PERFECT ROOM

Quality Kitchens, Bedrooms and Bathrooms, Designed and Installed Exceptional kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms for any style of home.

Designed and installed with full project management.

www.orchardstamford.co.uk

22-23 Scotgate, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 2YQ

01780 481 850

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Rutland’s Moores Estate Agents is one of the county’s most respected names in property and in 2015, the firm’s Country & Equestrian brand is set to enjoy even greater success with the launch of two new branches this month.

“Moores Estate Agency has five offices, in Oakham, Uppingham, Stamford, Melton Mowbray and London.” says Vernon Moore. “We cover around 100 villages and five towns, and in each office our Country & Equestrian portfolio provides a bespoke service to properties from £500,000 to £5m.”

“From discreet property introductions to mixed-media marketing of properties, we’re able to offer a genuine expertise with a dedicated team dealing with a select amount of homes at any one time.”

“One of the downsides of a discreet approach to selling larger properties is that it tends to go under the radar that Country & Equestrian are the selling agent handling large house sales in the area. We are fortunate that word of mouth and contacts keep us in the loop!”

“Around 70% of the buyers of these properties are from outside our local area, so we recognise the value of our London office and using the internet to market our portfolio to the most appropriate audience.”

Country

& Equestrian 2015 will be a happy new year for Moores Estate Agency, and its Country & Equestrian brand. With two new offices due to open this month. We speak to Vernon moore to find out about the future of the company’s premium property service...

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“This month we’ll be completing work on the first of two new offices designed to ensure Country & Equestrian can provide an even more comprehensive service.

Our new office will open in January on Stamford’s Sheepmarket Square and shortly after we will have another office in the former First Class waiting room on the London Platform at Grantham’s railway station... it’ll ensure we’re able to offer a first class service to clients in Grantham villages and the Vale of Belvoir, too.”

Established in 2004 with the Country & Equestrian brand following a year later, Vernon and Jenny Moore offer a full range of residential sales services, backed up by Jenny’s experience in property law.

“For those seeking a character home, country property or a property with land for those with equestrian interests, we believe that the range of services we offer and the knowledge we have of that specific sector of the market is unsurpassed.” says Vernon.

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1.

2.

3.

4.

Pick of the Properties: Country & equestrian homes...

1. Paddock House, Cold Overton £1,250,000

Stone family home with 1.5 acres, three reception rooms and six bedrooms, plus stableyard with tack room and outbuilding.

Newly fitted living kitchen with Aga and en suite to master bedroom.

2. Parva Lodge, Langham

£1,700,000

Sympathetically modernised character home with 16 acres of paddock land, stable yard and tack room, three reception rooms to house, hand-built living breakfast kitchen, four bedrooms.

3. Church Wing, Burley on the Hill soLD sTC

Substantial family residence within main Palladian mansion. Five bedrooms, with en suite, dressing room and gym to master.

Utility, study. Use of 67 acres of parkland, gardens and deer park.

4. East Court, Burley on the Hill oIRo £500,000

A further wing of the Grade I Palladian house, superbly converted with en suite to principal bedroom, two further bedrooms, drawing room, dining kitchen, Aga and separate utility.

5. High House, Barrowden

soLD sTC

6. Hamblewood, Hambleton

soLD sTC

5.

Six bedroom stone residence, three reception rooms plus living kitchen, utility and cellar. Detached self-contained Coach House with three bedrooms.

Six bedroom, four bathroom home on the Hambleton peninsula, with private woodland walk and six bedrooms, with en suite, dressing room and roof terrace to master.

6.

Find Out More: Our featured properties are examples of Moores Estate Agency’s portfolio of Country & Equestrian properties. The agency has offices in Stamford (01780 484555), Oakham (01572 757979), Uppingham (01572 821 935) and Melton Mowbray (01664 491610) plus a satellite office in London.

For more information on any of the agency’s properties, visit www.mooresestateagents.com.

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Bare Foot Forward...

Words: Rob Davis.

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It’s not so much a case of best foot, but rather bare foot forward in oakham, as carpet and flooring retailer Barefoot Flooring celebrates its second anniversary. The business was one of six winners in last year’s stamford and Rutland Business Awards, organised by Rutland Pride.

This month, we see how mark Tilson and Lisa Price are using good value and great customer service to successfully compete against much larger rivals in the industry...

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Beautiful homes need quality carpets and hard flooring, and usually that means a trip to an out of town carpet and flooring warehouse.

As of March 2013 though, Rutlanders have had another option. An independent retailer, offering a stronger approach to customer service and, without the overheads of their giant rivals, prices which are surprisingly competitive.

With over 23 years in the industry, Mark Tilson and Lisa Price set up Barefoot Flooring in a unit on Oakham’s Station Approach.

showroom door, right up to the moment our three teams of fitters put your furniture back into place.”

Barefoot Flooring’s customers are even invited to take away sample books to view a prospective purchase in their own home before they commit to a purchase.

“We launched the business in a double-dip recession so to survive in a difficult trading climate we had to make sure we could offer something unique. That uniqueness is our care, our attention to detail and our expertise.”

The company’s ranges include wool and handmade carpets, with hard-wearing twists and berbers, stain-resistant carpets and on-trend stripes or tartans. Its LVT ranges exceed the quality of much pricier brands, with wood and tile textures, beading and design strips for edges.

“We’re getting ready to celebrate our second anniversary here, and we’re delighted with the feedback we’ve received so far. Customer service is incredibly important to us, so we’re always happy to spend the time to ensure our customers have the best choice, and access to the best products.”

“Customer service is important to us.” says Lisa. “It’s all about honest advice and professionalism...”

They’ve over 400 samples of quality carpets on display plus an upstairs hard floor studio with a further 300 examples of wood flooring, laminates and Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) which offer hard-wearing, easy-clean, practical and warm ways to furnish your home.

“Customer service is really important to us.” says Lisa. “It’s all about honest advice, a personal service, and professionalism from the moment a customer walks through the

Find Out More: Barefoot Flooring is based at Midland Court, Station Approach, Oakham, LE15 6RA. Tel: 01572 759752 www.barefoot-flooring.biz.

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The Home of

QUALITy

DESIGN in Oakham

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one of Oakham’s longest established family businesses, Furleys has refurbished, revamped and rebranded its market Place showroom to concentrate on supplying a niche range of products for your home, as well as providing the expertise you need to create a beautiful home with the help of renowned designer Hannah Turcan...

Oakham’s Furleys is the home of quality interior design in Rutland.

With a refurbished, revamped and rebranded presence in the centre of the town, the business will continue to enable the families across the county to create a home that’s beautifully designed, one that will be enjoyed for many years to come.

Since the business began in 1836, it has remained one of the most respective names in the town, originally a haberdashery known as Furley & Hassan.

The business was purchased by Mike Walsgrove in 1976 and with daughter Hannah Turcan joining the business, Furleys gained a talented interior designer whose reputation in the county is unsurpassed.

chosen to maintain a sense of individuality and uniqueness.”

The move has coincided with an increase in demand for Hannah’s services as her reputation has grown in throughout the county.

Concentrating on her design work has also enabled Hannah to be more versatile in the way that she offers her design services, providing advice from the studio or with home visits, being able to advise and supply anything from a specific window treatment, all your needs for a whole room or the transformation of an entire property according to a client’s wishes.

“We’ve refocused the business a little, moving away from giftware and smaller accessories to concentrate more on our design projects.” says Hannah.

“We do still have a small nucleus of furniture, lighting and finishing touches for your home in the showroom, but these are selectively 71

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“Some clients are nervous that an interior design consultation is too comprehensive; they may only want a little guidance.

Alternatively, a client may have an idea of the look they’d like to achieve and just need a few pointers in terms of ranges; we can provide that from the studio.”

“We can also, of course, provide a comprehensive service with a home visit and a full design scheme, creating bespoke furniture and providing full project management.”

sample books from renowned names like Osborne & Little, Dedar, Zimmer & Rohde, Mulberry, Zoffany, Wemyss, Kravet & Sahco.

This spring, Hannah also hopes to host design workshops for those who enjoy creating their homes to find inspiration and guidance.

In addition, Furleys’s Market Place premises remains a compelling place to find beautiful finishing touches, with original artwork from Rutland artist Debbie Boon, whose acrylics are inspired by animals in the countryside, and Sam Toft, with her modern abstract work and its satisfying, cheerful range use of contrast.

“It’s about giving clients inspiration and encouragement to be more confident with their design...”

“I would never dictate what I think a customer should have. Our service is more oriented to guidance, giving clients the inspiration and encouragement to be more confident with the way they style their home. I make sure they feel happy and confident with what I suggest, and I like them to see these ideas evolve with their input.”

Hannah’s design knowledge in encyclopaedic, and her studio is stocked with hundreds of 72

Other products include beautiful diffusers, fur throws, stunning lighting, serve as signature items that help to provide a sort of design manifesto, giving an idea of the style of furnishings that Hannah’s interior design inspiration can introduce into your home.

Top: Furleys still provides design inspiration from its Market Street premises with selected items like artwork, reading lights and furniture which serve to provide an idea of the kind of quality interior design Hannah advocates.

Above: Hannah’s interior design work is shown here in one of her projects, a Vale of Belvoir cottage she styled throughout.

Find Out More: Furleys is based on high street, oakham, Rutland Le15 6Ah. Call 01572 755539 or see www.furleys.co.uk

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Three of the best...

Beautiful Products for your Home...

Furleys home accessories enhance and add the finishing touches to any home...

n DR VRAnjes Room FRAgRAnCe: A long lasting Italian room fragrance, blended with essential oils. Choose from a wide variety of scents, melograno; green Flowers; ginger and Lime; Terra and magnolia to name a few £49.50.

n CuLInARy ConCePTs: set of three pheasant/deer candle pins £11.95; candle with stag lid £17.50.

n ChALK WoVens: Designed in Brighton and woven in a mill in Wales, made of soft marino lambs wool.

Cushions £69.95; throws £180.

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JANUARY SALE NOW ON

THE LARGEST RANGE OF RECLINERS IN THE AREA Riser Recliners

from only Three Piece Suites

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Fireside Chairs

£349 VAT Exempt*

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1B Mancetter Square, Lincoln Rd, Werrington, Peterborough PE4 6BX Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. Sun 11am-4pm

FREE DELIVERY WITHIN 25 MILES

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400 Years of

England

even the greyness of winter cannot prevent the profusion of colour that will be seen in Rosemary and Alastair mcCorquodale’s garden at Little Ponton this month.

The property is over 400 years old and will this month come alive with snowdrops, aconites and crocosmia...

Words & Images: Nicola Stocken.

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“Nothing tender survives outside at this time of year, so it’s fortunate we still have the heated Victorian lean-to greenhouses.”

They have even eluded the garden’s boundaries, weaving through meadowland to the nearby, Norman parish church of St Guthlac. “At a time of year when we see little sun, aconites are especially welcome with their golden faces upturned on a ruff of bright green,” says Rosemary. She has lived most of her life at Little Ponton Hall, and images of its garden, with a towering, 300-year-old Cedar of Lebanon at its heart, are etched into her earliest memories.

“But I don’t recall there being many aconites,” she adds.

On a chilly winter morning, the interplay of light and shade bestows an ethereal quality on the garden at Little Ponton Hall.

As dawn turns to day, the eddying stream is a silver ribbon laid between banks of snowdrops, and lofty trees loom large as their trunks merge into the sharpening shadows created by an oblique winter sun.

“Early Roman remains have been found nearby and, as a child, I was told that winter aconites grow in places where Romans once lived,” says Rosemary McCorquodale whose family has owned Little Ponton Hall for several centuries, adding a Victorian wing to the original 1640s house.

Main: Rosemary and Alastair McCorquodale of Great Ponton Hall.

There must have been hordes of Romans, if the aconites are any measure. Stretching as far as the eye can see, Eranthis hyemalis spill down the banks of the River Witham, carpeting the ground beneath the deciduous woodland that skirts this five-acre garden and woodland to the south of nearby Grantham.

At that time the woodland was stifled by dense undergrowth and it was only after Rosemary and her husband, Alastair, started renovating the garden that they made a chance discovery. “We cleared the woodland floor, cutting down all the nettles in autumn and, to our amazement, thousands of aconites appeared the following winter,” she explains.

“We had no inkling they were there - or, indeed, who planted them - but they had clearly been dormant for years, only coming to life once they were exposed to light.”

At the same time, the McCorquodales trimmed back the old oaks, sycamores and beeches to allow more light through, but left the carpet of ivy.

“Nothing tender survives outside at this time of year, so it’s fortunate we still have the heated Victorian lean-to greenhouses.”

As vital as the greenhouses, though, is Jill Rudd whose husband, John, has cared for the garden for the last eight years. Jill, in the meantime, has filled the greenhouses with rare and exotic plants which she has propagated from seed which the McCorquodales collect on their overseas travels.

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Rosemary. Where once rows of vegetables dominated, the kitchen plot now occupies just a small corner to one side of a path flanked by opposing lines of golden Thuja occidentalis ‘Reingold’, each clipped into a waist-high dome. “In the summer, they float on a raft of Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue,’ creating a wonderful combination of blue and lime green.” Nearby lies a small herb garden, whilst beyond are squares of lawn, separated by borders of clematis, lilies, peonies and shrub roses. “Old-fashioned roses are one of my favourite flower - they’re very free of disease and have such a beautiful scent,” she points out.

“I especially love weeding because I find it very therapeutic,” she says. “I’m always fiddling about doing something in the garden. That’s the fun of it...”

Top: Later this month a profusion of colour will proliferate through the garden thanks to crocosmia.

Opposite: To the bottom of the garden is the stream, which connects to the Witham.

“Jill’s produced a lovely passionflower and hibiscus from seed we found in Madeira,” says Rosemary. Most exciting of all, though, was the handful of mixed seeds from the Cayman Islands which has miraculously germinated into bananas, oleanders, guavas, orchids and the unusual clitoria.

The greenhouses lean against a south-facing wall in the walled garden, but the view has changed dramatically since they were first built. “We redesigned this area into five sections separated by yew hedges,’ explains

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Another favourite is clematis and dozens of different varieties cloak the walls throughout the year, starting with Clematis armandii in late winter. Both roses and clematis are trained up the grey stone walls of the dovecote, a seventeenth century building with a distinct list. ‘This is one of the most peaceful parts of the garden and I love to sit here when I have the time - which I rarely do,’ she adds. A love of gardening came later in life, so Rosemary is making up for lost time. “I especially love weeding because I find it very therapeutic,” she says.

“I’m always fiddling about doing something in the garden. That’s the fun of it.”

It is a garden for all seasons, filled with increasing numbers of naturalised bulbs through spring followed by a summer glut of roses. Even on a cold winter’s day, the McCorquodales venture forth, if only to walk their black labrador around the woodland to the rear of the house.

“I was standing there one day below the yews, surrounded by aconites and snowdrops, and thought what a perfect place.”

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Ensure a Happy New Year for local

Wildlife

swans may be one of the uK’s most common sights, but if you enjoy a winter walk to one of the area’s nature reserves this month, you’ll soon discover there’s more to the species than meets the eye. This month, nature writer Richard Owens reveals his swan song...

First of all a Happy New Year to all our readers and I really hope it’s a good one for you! January is a great month to grab the coat and wellies and get outdoors to walk off those Christmas excesses perhaps by visiting your local nature reserve or indeed just going for a gentle ramble through the countryside.

A lot of us will be familiar with the many Redwings, Fieldfares and if you’re really lucky Waxwings that migrate from the north to overwinter in the UK, but there are also some much larger birds that do the same, and this month I’m going to tell you about a few of them.

Although nesting has been recorded in the north of the UK, most Whooper Swans will have migrated south to the UK from Iceland. If you’re not fortunate enough to see them on your local wetlands, then a great place to guarantee seeing Whooper Swans is the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve at Welney in Norfolk, where they can be seen in their thousands, particularly as they come in to roost in the evenings. It’s a journey well worth making and a spectacle not to be missed.

“There is a third swan we may see in the UK during the winter months, the Bewicks Swan...”

I think everyone would marvel at the sight of the iconic Mute Swan gracefully gliding in to land on the local watercourse, but during the winter months take a closer look, as they may not be Mute Swans at all!

To know for sure, take a look at the colour of its bill; if the bill is orange in colour it will be one of our native swans, however if the 86

bill is yellow, then you have most likely just seen a Whooper Swan.

There is a third Swan we may see in the UK during the winter months, the Bewicks Swan. This species migrates south from Siberia and looks superficially the same as the Whooper, however it is slightly smaller and has more black than yellow on the bill.

The Bewicks is certainly likely to be the most elusive of the three species. So now you’ve sorted out different Swans, what other large birds should we be looking for?

A big clue may well be up in the sky as we witness large skeins of geese flying in that characteristic “V” formation over our countryside before coming in to land in the fields.

There’s a very good chance these will be Pink-footed geese. Theses are pinkish grey in colour with a dark head and neck, a pink bill, pink feet and legs; hence the name!

This species does not breed in the UK, but large numbers of birds will spend the winter here, arriving from their breeding grounds in Iceland and Greenland, where they can regularly be observed out in the fields feeding on spilt grain and leftovers from the potato harvest. So, there’s plenty to look out for this January.

Enjoy the walk and as always, remember to keep feeding the birds in your gardens and keep those bird baths fresh and free of ice.

Richard has spent his career promoting bio diversity within the world of turf and is currently the UK's Golf Course Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year.

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Rapide

New Year A more practical take on Aston Martin’s classic traits of hand-built quality, updated for 2015. Welcome to the new Rapide S, a flagship sports coupé with two more doors than you’ll find elsewhere in the British brand’s supercar range...

Words: Rob Davis

Expectations are there to be challenged. That was certainly the case when British marque Aston Martin revealed a new model with two more doors than the rest of their stable of sporty, hand-build coupé models. The Rapide was a little late to the party when manufacturers came to create a new genre of so-called four door coupés. Porsche’s Panamera, Ferarri’s FF, Audi’s A7 and the Mercedes CLS were all unveiled earlier than the Rapide, which made its debut back in 2012. Each model offers a similar proposition; the thrill of a sports car, the luxury of an executive saloon and a swoopy slippery coupé profile... but with the practicality of two extra doors and two extra seats.

Porsche’s Panamera was revealed in 2009 and has sold in excess of 6,000 cars. Ferarri’s FF was created in 2011 and has sold just 800 - perhaps owing to the fact that it’s priced at £187,000 - a Panamera will cost between £68,000 and £93,000. A Rapide S will set you back £147,950, with just 1,250 sold. So, the Rapide already strikes a good balance between exclusivity and value compared to its rivals.

For slightly less, you could also have an Aston Martin DB9, with its 2+2 seating arrangement.

So, is a modest premium worth it for the added practicality?

We think not. The DB9 offers just shy of 63cm of rear legroom; the Rapide S 68cm.

A Ford Fiesta, by contrast, offers 79cm.

So, to claim that a Rapide offers the practicality of an executive saloon, never mind a limo, is incorrect. There’s more room in a Rapide S than a DBS, sure, but neither are especially roomy for rear seat passengers. The Rapide may have two extra doors, but access through the rear ones is still limited and they do nothing for the overall appearance of the car, looking like somewhat of an afterthought, added reluctantly by a designer who really didn’t want to spoil the classic Aston Martin two-door coupé look.

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Rapide Progress: A 6.0V12 engine allows Aston Martin’s four door, four seat saloon to sprint from 0-60mph in little over four seconds.

Where legal it’ll reach 200mph.

Still, if it’s practicality that concerns you, we’d opt for a seven seater Land Rover Discovery instead, and use the change to buy Aston Martin’s excellent V8 Vantage instead.

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“There’s plenty of V12 performance and lots of sonorous horses calling from beneath the huge expanse of bonnet...”

Right: The Rapide S has four individual seats, with handstitched, diamond quilted hide.

Rich attention to detail permeates the car from engine to alloy wheel.

The interior is indistinguishable from coupé Astons with a gorgeous driving position and exquisite hand-finished interior.

At least rear passengers are treated to two beautiful individual seats, with their quilted leather and hand-stitching. A tall transmission tunnel underlines the car’s 2+2 arrangement whilst in the driver’s seat, the car is indistinguishable from other Aston Martins with beautifully machined metal controls and a docking station for the handsome ‘Emotion Control Unit’ - the key.

A facelift for 2015 has seen the Rapide S gain a new eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Whilst this hardly renders civilised the 6.0V12 car, with its 550bhp, 200mph+ top speed and 0-60mph time of 4.4 seconds, it does, nonetheless, make a motorway cruise a little less raucous.

Suffice to say there’s still performance aplenty and lots of sonorous horses calling from beneath the huge expanse of bonnet.

Standard equipment is also generous with sat-nav, electrically adjustable seats with heating to front and rear seats, cruise control and parking sensors all standard.

Nonetheless, it’s still not a practical car in the same way that a Mercedes S63 or BMW M5 are. The rear seats are fine for children, but at £150,000, we’d invest our money in a £60,000 Land Rover Discovery to shuttle the family around. With the remaining cash, you can treat yourself to an Aston Martin Vantage. The company’s smallest coupé takes on a traditional two-seater format.

Its V8 engine may not have the snarl of its larger V12 siblings, but the car is smaller than the five metre Rapide S; nimbler, and just as fast... in other words, it’s a truer, more pure form of the grand tourer brilliance for which Aston Martin is justly renowned.

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Far Left/Left: A choice of wedding cakes in classical white with just an accent of vintage lilac. Four asymmetric tiers - two large, two small - allow for two sponge and two fruit tiers.

Above: Ruffled bridesmaids’ dresses in pink and buff.

Below: Imagine invites with buff and white schemes and a symmetrical quality for a smart look. Pearl and lace embellishment creates a crisp, neat vintage look. The invites are beautiful keepsakes too, supplied in individual boxes.

Vintage Trends for 2015

Weddings Words: Rob Davis.

Anyone planning a wedding in 2015 and 2016 will be spoilt for choice as ever more imaginative wedding designs allow your invites, cakes, flowers and dress to take on a beautiful vintage look with subtle use of colours and 1920s inspiration...

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January will see more marriage proposals than any other throughout the year, with Christmas, New year’s Eve and then Valentine’s proposals all taking place amid the flowing of champagne and the chinking of glasses as 2014 turns into 2015.

This month, we’ve 10 interpretations of wedding trends created with the help of the wedding experts at Rutland Pride’s sister company, UKbride.

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Vintage Colours: Whilst white is a wedding staple, each wedding needs an accent colour, and colour trends for 2015 and 2016 weddings will include soft pink and lilac blushes. The colour will be seen in ombre dresses, with slight colour gradients over otherwise plain white dresses, and with the use of white lace on dresses and in floral arrangements. Other colours to look out for include peach and soft gold.

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Lots of Ruffles: Bridesmaids’ dresses, wedding cakes and flowers will all adopt a layered frilly look in 2015. Our featured bridesmaids dresses are typically characteristic

“The additions of pearl and lace will work well with a 1920s theme as part of a Gatsby inspired wedding.” of the trend, and of Angel’s Face’s flower girl range. “Girls love their lace and frills and pair them with beautiful ballet pumps and stylish skirts and accessories.” says designer Keeley Deininger.

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Keep it Classical: The less garish the better, for posher weddings in 2015.

Our featured Imagine invites combine vintage labels with a subtle two tone buff and white colour scheme. The additions of pearl and lace will work well with a 1920s theme as part of a Gatsby-inspired wedding, set to be very popular this coming year.

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- WeDDIngs -

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Keep it Classical: Hair and makeup artist Ava Belle created a vintage look with a corsage incorporated into this bride’s hair. Ava’s veil design is less intrusive than a birdcage or bandeau veil, and works beautifully with simpler dresses.

5 Top: Ivory & Co’s heavy Swarovski jewellery is substantial and sparkly enough to complement a heavily embellished dress.

Opposite: Maggie Sottero’s 1920s-inspired Verina dress.

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Dresses #1: Simpler dresses are in this year.

Bridal designers like Vera Wang, Amsale and Olag Cassini are creating simple tailored, sleek dresses with no embellishment, crystals or ruches and simple empire lines.

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Costume Jewellery: To complement a dress as heavily embellished as one with a Gatsby look, a tiara and bridal jewellery is essential. Opt for Swarovski crystal embellished asymmetric tiaras from Ivory & Co’s Venetian range, especially if you’ve an asymmetric gather on your dress.

“To complement a dress as heavily embellished as one with a Gatsby look, a tiara and bridal jewellery is essential.”

Dresses #2: Of course, not all brides want to do understated on their special day. In that case, the Gatsby look may appeal. Opposite, Maggie Sottero’s Verina is a new look for 2015/2016, with illusion back and sleeves.

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Boards: Make an impression on your guests with a vintage A-frame board or oak ‘drop top’ guest books - guests sign slivers of oak and ‘post them’ into a frame which can be displayed in your home.

Children: Don’t forget children at your wedding. Party bags with games or sweets will keep them quiet during your service, a bouncy castle will keep them busy at your reception.

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Win a Wedding worth £25,000 It’s free to enter, just visit

www.ukbride.co.uk/join

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15

Ways to improve

Body & Soul throughout 2015

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- neW yeAR, neW you -

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3

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SPA dAYS TO RELAx ANd uNWiNd A trip to a local spa isn’t just good for the body - it’s good for the mind, too. Taking time away from work or family life is essential to help you unwind, so book a spa day, take a friend and even if you don’t fill the day with therapies, enjoy sitting around in a dressing gown and doing nothing for a few hours.

HANdLE STRESS BETTER uSiNg CBT THERAPY CBT, or Cognitive behavioural therapy is typically used to treat depression. It’s highly effective at doing so, but it’s also a versatile tool that can ease anxiety or phobias, ease work stress, help IBS and ease insomnia. It’s a talking therapy which deconstructs anxiety from triggers and can be provided one-to-one or in a group session.

“The results from fillers like Botox, are usually dramatic and effective.” says Dr John Elder

gAiN SOME MAkE-uP TiPS FROM A PRO It’s easy to dismiss the advice from make-up counter staff as being sales led, but their invaluable knowledge of their products ranges make them best placed to offer advice on how to apply each product and how to get the best from it. So, next time you’re in your favourite store, don’t just buy your usual product, treat yourself to a make-up MOT.

REduCE THE APPEARANCE OF FiNE LiNES

Muscle relaxing injections for facial lines and wrinkles will create a smoother, more youthful appearance. “The results from fillers like Botox® are usually dramatic and effective.” says GP Dr John Elder. John advises that injections should only be carried out by those with medical training, not by unregulated practitioners.

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ACHiEvE A HEALTHiER gLOW, SAFELY According to The British Sunbed Association, over 70% of the population want to appear darker skinned and more healthy. 3,000,000 in the UK use a sunbed regularly, with most reporting feeling and looking healthier.

The use of sunbeds is also known to help ease psoriasis and eczema, and counteract Seasonal Affective Disorder.

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ExERCiSE FOR YOuR BOdY ANd MiNd If you find the gym too strenuous, a more serene form of exercise is yoga.

It tones, improves flexibility and posture and is great for improving concentration and relieving stress. Based here in our county, the British Wheel of yoga has a number of recommended local practitioners, whilst anti-ageing Voyt yoga is available at Stapleford Park.

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TREAT NAiLS TO REguLAR MANiCuRES

Regular manicures are a beauty treatment. There’s no doubt, though, that having a manicure is relaxing - which is positive for your health in itself. They help hands to maintain a more youthful appearance. There’s also an argument - albeit a tenuous one - towards the health benefits of acupressure and massage as part of a manicure treatment.

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SHOP SmArTer wiTH An imAGe COnSuLTATiOn Murial Ellerington is a local image and wardrobe consultant covering both Lincolnshire and Rutland.

She claims to be able to save you time and money, de-clutter your wardrobe and help you achieve greater confidence and self-esteem with her image consultancy. Prices are £250 for four hours, with a personal shopping service from £400.

GeTTinG TO THe POinT The UK used to consider acupuncture a bit of a gimmick, but its 3,000 UK practitioners say its ability to ease symptoms of headaches, lower back pain, osteoarthritis, asthma and anxiety is validated by its availability on the NHS in certain circumstances. NICE also recommends it as a viable treatment for tension headaches and migraines.

LASer Skin CAre Laser skin care treatments can treat age spots, rejuvenate sun-damaged skin, treat warts and verrucas and facilitate effective hair removal. They can help to soften and remove fine lines and leave skin looking smoother and healthier. Treatments vary from client to client, so see a specialist, but you should be delighted with the results.

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enSure A beTTer Gym wOrkOuT If your January gym habit tends to wane, or you find a workout too strenuous, improve your fitness with a one-to-one personal training session. A personal trainer like Stamford’s Martin Smith (£20.50/hr) will advise on nutrition, help you focus on goals like weight loss), or provide motivation, ensuring your workout is safe & effective.

imPrOve yOur SmiLe According to the British Association of Cosmetic Dentistry, 32% of the population are concerned by the look of their teeth and a quarter of the population believe cosmetic dentistry will improve their lives. With crowns, veneers and Invisialign invisible braces, and virtually pain-free dentistry, achieving a better smile has never been easier.

A FACeLiFT wiTHOuT SurGery It’s possible to achieve tighter skin and reduce the effect of sagging, achieving a ‘facelift’ effect without surgery. Using radiofrequency rejuvenation (typically branded Pellevé), skin can be stimulated to form new collagen, under the chin, on the nasolabial folds, and around wrinkled or fine-lined mouths, eyebrows and forehead.

SAFe COSmeTiC SurGery Cosmetic surgery is no longer the preserve of Hollywood. With breast augmentation from £4,000, tummy tucks from around £5,000 and facelifts around £6,500, cosmetic surgery has never been more affordable, and the county’s private hospitals have never been cleaner, safer or as luxurious.

A FreSH FACe FOr 2015 Often used to supplement laser or IPL treatments, microdermabrasion is a non-surgical way to resurface the skin and leave the skin polished and smooth. A jet of micro-crystals are ‘vacuumed’ across the skin, removing dead skin cells. The treatment is especially ideal for ageing skin, acne scarring, enlarged pores, and for alleviating age spots.

Local Practitioners Private Hospitals Fitzwilliam Hospital 01733 261717, www.fitzwilliamhospital.co.uk Spire Healthcare 0800 169 1777, www.spirehealthcare.com Woodland Hospital 01536 414515, www.woodlandhospital.co.uk

Cosmetic and Aesthetic Treatments Asembo, Stamford 01780 765337, www.asembo.co.uk Glen Eden Medical 01476 550056, www.glen-edenmedical.co.uk Hair at No3, Oakham 01572 868956, www.hairatnumberthree.com The Granary, Tugby 07774 205234, www.thegranaryuk.com Olive Tanning Studio, Crown Walk, Oakham 01572 755750

Gyms and Fitness Studios Greetham Valley 01780 460444, www.greethamvalley.co.uk Uppingham School 01572 820830, sportscentre.uppingham.co.uk

Alternative Therapies and Other Treatments Broad Street Practice 01780 480889, www.thebroadstreetpractice.co.uk Carre Street Clinic, 01529 414121, www.carrestreetclinic.co.uk Martin Smith 07846 457959, www.stamfordpersonalfitness.co.uk Xtra Style (Muriel Ellerington) 01522 808319, www.xtrastyle.me.uk

Day and Overnight Spa Stays Barnsdale Hall Hotel 01572 757901, www.barnsdalehotel.co.uk Stapleford Park 01572 787000, www.staplefordpark.com

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The best of

both worlds T

he only private hospital facility in Lincolnshire, where profits are returned to the NHS for the benefit of all local NHS patients. Patients enjoy privacy and individual attention whilst having the reassurance that The Bostonian is adjacent to the sophisticated services of The Pilgrim Hospital, with its expert diagnostic and emergency medical and surgical facilities.

H Award Winning Sleep Apnoea Service Please visit our website to view the full range of services we offer

www.the-bostonian.co.uk Comfort & Peace of Mind The Bostonian is the private wing of Pilgrim Hospital and is set in its own grounds and gardens. There are 19 en-suite single rooms with digital TVs and telephone. Our dedicated housekeeping team ensure continually high standards of cleanliness and hygiene.

Professional Expertise Almost any condition can be treated at The Bostonian by our dedicated team of professionals – most of our Consultants live only minutes away.

We welcome self referral and provide 24 hour medical cover.

Range of Payment Options Available We deal with all the major insurance companies and also offer Fixed Price packages for the uninsured.

The Bostonian Private Wing, Pilgrim Hospital, Sibsey Road, Boston, Lincs PE21 9QS Telephone: 01205 360606 / Facsimile: 01205 311442 www.the-bostonian.co.uk • ISO 9001:2008 accredited

Pilgrim Hospital’s Private Wing

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Make Acupuncture Your 2015 Healthy New Start Do you wish you had more energy, less headaches or migraines? Would you like a better night’s sleep and less stress? The New Year marks a time for fresh starts which often involve looking at health needs, including treatment alternatives for existing conditions.

Acupuncture, even with its 2,500 year history, remains a mystery to many people and yet its effects are wide-ranging and broad—it treats people in body, mind and spirit, and deals with a whole range of acute and chronic problems. Its benefits are now widely acknowledged all over the world and, in the past decade, traditional acupuncture has begun to feature more prominently in mainstream healthcare in the UK. In fact, 2.3 million acupuncture treatments are carried out each year, making traditional acupuncture the most popular complementary therapy practised in the UK today.

in-depth conversation, then she will use two distinctively Chinese techniques – feeling the pulse and looking at the tongue.

In an acupuncture session with Jo George, the colour, shape, moisture, movement and coating will be assessed. It may seem strange at first but she can actually tell a lot from this evaluation. Jo George explains: “The tongue provides a detailed picture of your body’s state of health as the body’s different organs are represented by specific areas of the tongue.”

The pulses also reflect the internal functioning of the body, mind and spirit, which Jo George assesses through the strength, depth, rhythm and rate of the pulse the condition of the different parts of the system, the disharmonies and imbalances which acupuncture can help to correct. The combination of these diagnostic methods determines the overall diagnosis and only then will Jo George give a treatment.

“Acupuncture can be effective for conditions such as stress, insomnia, migraine, anxiety, and depression...”

The growing popularity of acupuncture has gained a boost in recent years from NICE, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which has endorsed acupuncture treatment for non-specific back pain, and as a preventative for migraine and tension-type headaches.

With a string of qualifications as long as your arm behind her name, acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist of 14 years Jo George (MSc Chinese herbal medicine; BSc (Hons) Acupuncture; Dip. Acu (China); Two Dips Chinese Herbal Medicine is well placed to comment on these ancient healing practices.

Jo George initially started her own acupuncture clinic in Highgate, North London over 10 years ago. After starting a family she has relocated to The Broad Street Practice in Stamford.

Like any good healthcare practitioner, Jo George looks at a person’s complete and unique state of well-being via conducting an

Jo George is keen to point out “One of Chinese medicine’s greatest strengths is its ability to respond to any number of symptoms unique to each individual patient.

This means that acupuncture treatments can be effective for conditions that don’t always respond well to conventional medicine, such as fertility, stress, insomnia, migraine, anxiety, depression, muscular-skeletal conditions and lower back pain.

Jo George practices Traditional Acupuncture, which is based on Chinese medicine principles that have been developed, researched and refined for over 2,500 years. For a free informal preliminary chat with Jo call 07914 851995, For appointments please contact The Broad Street Practice on 01780 480889. www.lifemedicineclinic.com Jo George is a Professional and Fully Insured Member of The British Acupuncture Council and Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine.

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God Save The

Prom Queen The High School prom is a rite of passage we’ve imported from America and taken to our hearts. Now is the time to seek out a dress to ensure your princess dazzles. To help, we’ve enlisted the advice of Lincoln Retailer Red Carpet Ready, which has one of the biggest dress selections in the UK, covering every budget, size, colour & style...

Images: Rob Davis & Ellie Hinton.

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Silver Dress: sizes 2-18, also available in pink Champagne & gold, £280.

Coral Fishtail: sizes 00-18 Also in black, white, red, navy & nude, £445.

All featured dresses are from Red Carpet Ready’s Prom 2015 photoshoot. Visit www.redcarpetready.co.uk

It’s nearly prom season, and already the county’s most eligible young ladies are shopping for the beautiful dresses they’ll wear as they celebrate the end of term.

This month is set to be busy for Kirsty Gale and her team at Red Carpet Ready. In their first year of opening, they have quickly established themselves as one of the largest dress stockists in the UK with 24 worldwide brands and over 1,000 dresses including both short and long lengths. Their unique shopping experience offers unrivalled pricing and choice so it’s not

surprising they won Prom Queen on Channel 5 and customers are travelling from all over the UK to shop with them for all occasions.

Kirsty explained: “Whilst our specialism is prom, party, pageant and evening wear, we also stock dresses perfect for all occasion including matching hats & fascinators for the races and wedding invitations during the summer months.”

We worked with Red Carpet Ready’s Prom 2015 Collection to photograph some of the latest looks and the trends that they will be providing to young ladies all over the UK.

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Silver Fully Embellished Dress with Open Back: This designer dress has been worn by various celebs and seen on various Red Carpets including the Grammy’s! It’s a unique showstopper.

Sizes 00-18, £795.

All featured dresses are from Red Carpet Ready’s Prom 2015 photoshoot. Visit www.redcarpetready.co.uk

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White Two-Piece: In sizes 00-18. £525.

All featured dresses are from Red Carpet Ready’s Prom 2015 photoshoot. Visit www.redcarpetready.co.uk

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Red Dress with Sweetheart Neckline: Size 00-18. Also available in black, blush and royal blue, ÂŁ249.

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Blue Two-Piece: In sizes 0-16, also available in black & nude/Champagne, £385.

Red Open Back Dress: In sizes 8-12. Also in white, mint, blush, jade green, black and royal blue, £345.

All featured dresses are from Red Carpet Ready’s Prom 2015 photoshoot. Visit www.redcarpetready.co.uk

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Pink Dress with Beaded Bodice: In sizes 00-16, £325.

All featured dresses are from Red Carpet Ready’s Prom 2015 photoshoot. Visit www.redcarpetready.co.uk

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White Dress: With light embellishments to the front, in sizes 6-14,£360.

Turquoise Dress: With full-length sequin design, in sizes 00-20. Also available in coral, £320.

All featured dresses are from Red Carpet Ready’s Prom 2015 photoshoot. Visit www.redcarpetready.co.uk

our Photoshoot: All dresses shown were chosen, styled & are in stock now at Red Carpet Ready located eight minutes from Lincoln City Centre.

All matching shoes, clutch bags and jewellery also available with every dress to suit all budgets.

Thanks, too, to photographer Ellie Hinton.

Red Carpet Ready is open seven days a week until 9pm – call ahead to reserve a changing room on 01522 793777. Saturdays walk-ins are welcome between 9am – 5pm.

Want to see more pics including customer reviews?

Visit Facebook/redcarpetreadyltd Twitter @RedCarpetLincs & Instagram @redcarpetreadylincoln

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A New Style for your

New Year

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2014 has been incredibly successful for jewellery designer Ruth Wood.

Ruth set up Ada, her very own boutique style gallery, in Market harborough back in March. it’s been an incredibly successful venture and now stocks pieces by over 20 highly skilled independent designer/makers...

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1. silver & gold plated ‘Vesper Loop’ earrings by Cara Tonkin £85.

2. silver ‘flower Catch’ necklace

by Jennifer Kidd £120.

3. Kokkino ‘Lacewing’ oxidised and gold plated silver necklace £81.

4. ‘Cave Treasure’ quartz unique one-off stone set ring by Ruth Wood £320.

7. inspired by Russian textiles and Danish pottery, stainless steel, silver and stencil printed cuff by Jessica flinn £75.

8. sodakitsch ‘Us Postal’ style bag, made from italian leather and British bridal hide and solid brass buckles/fittings, available in a variety of different colours £300.

5. inspired by decorative ironwork, oxidised silver and 18ct yellow gold garnet and mabe pearl rings by Marianne Anderson from £210.

All items are handcrafted in the UK, showcasing the best of British Craftsmanship. Ada is open Wednesday to Saturday 10-5pm & Thursday till 7pm.

6. Merino & cashmere large ‘Love’ throw/shawl. inspired by morse code, designed on a hand loom and woven in a 250 year old scottish Mill £380; scarves also available £150.

The Courtyard, Bennett's Place, 30-31 High Street, Market Harborough.

Tel: 01858 461896, www.adagallery.co.uk The company is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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To view and purchase photographs from The event visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk

Fashion & Fundraising at

Cavells on Mill Street Cavells, on Oakham’s Mill Street recently hosted its autumn/winter fashion show. The fashion retailer was founded in 1993 and hosts two fashion shows each year, raising money for local charities whilst showing off some of its most popular brands and inviting VIP customers to enjoy champagne and canapés.

The store stocks over 100 brands including Marc Cain, Oui, Mulberry, Paul Smith, Gant and Ralph Lauren with over 30 brands devoted to footwear and accessories. We’ve exclusive images from the show over the page demonstrating the company’s key brands.

The autumn/winter show’s chosen charity was the Jane McCarthy Foundation which aims to raise awareness of the early symptoms of brain tumours in young people. See www.jakemccarthyfoundation.co.uk for more information.

Let us know about your event!

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Call 01529 469977 and speak to our events Desk...

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Winter at

Cavells...

A selection of winter fashions from the Mill street retailer’s winter fashion show...

Step into winter with Mill Street’s Cavells.

The fashion retailer recently showed off its best brands from its two stores; Cavells and Cavells Country.

Rutland ladies no longer need to travel to the capital to find the best designer brands, with names like Mulberry and Michael Kors, plus established countrywear and leisure brands like Dubarry, Barbour and Hackett.

With accessories from shoes and bags to jewellery and selected items of giftware, plus a range of men’s clothing from names like Gant, Paul Smith, Levis and Hackett, Cavells is the only name you need to know you create your entire winter wardrobe of everything from warm casuals to occasionwear.

Here, we’ve selected a few of the items that will warm up your winter wardrobe, taken from the retailer’s recent winter fashion show.

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1. Nick is wearing Schoffel Egleton Jacket £299.95, Paul Smith Jeans £125 and Dubarry boots £299. Karen looks gorgeous in Oddmolly snow angel cardi £179, Dubarry foxglove skirt £199 and Hunter neon wellies £100.

5. Harry and Poppy warm in wool. Harry is wearing Gant roll neck sweater £175, Levis 511 jeans £80 and J Shoes Albany boot £110. Poppy is in Gant fairisle sweater £150, Levis Revel jeans £100 and Somerville pom pom hat £49.

2. Isabella fabulous as always in Michael Kors camo sweater £120. DL, Amanda skinny jean £168 and Sam Edelman Lyndon boots £149. Sue wears colourful separates; Caroline cashmere cardigan £205, Levis straight leg jeans £85 and Rose & Rose cashmere scarf £189.

6. Adele is shimmering in a Diane Von Furstenberg wrap metallic dress £430 and Diane Von Furstenberg leopard shoulder bag £235.

3. Shimmering in sequins are Karen and Iona. Karen is wearing Michael Kors sweater £165 and Michael Kors leather panel trouser £125. Iona wears a dress by Michael Kors £210 and Michael Kors Sloan shoulder bag £220.

7. The beauties in black are Lydia and Claire. Lydia is wearing D’ Exterior A-line coat £599 worn with fur collar £189 and cuffs £149 by Caroline.

Claire Wears a Joseph fur hooded gilet £945 and faux leather trousers by Oui £129.95.

4. Cosy in coats are Anna and Paul. Anna is wearing a Rino & Pelle parka £149 and Noira Ugg boots £235. Paul wears a Hackett Sheringham coat £450. and Ralph Lauren fairisle scarf £195.

Our featured fashions are available from Cavells on Oakham’s Mill Street. Call 01572 770 372 or see www.cavells.co.uk.

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Schools Colleges...

This month, we’ve a round-up of the best schools and colleges in the area for those seeking high quality education for children, teenagers or for adult learning opportunities...

Rutland County College...

Three A-level science students from Rutland County College have applied for a highly prestigious Nuffield Research placement in top universities and research institutions around the UK. Each year Nuffield Research provide opportunities for select students to work alongside professional scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians providing invaluable experience for students intending to apply to Russell group universities.

Year 12 students, Francesca Williams, Jack Rowbotham and Magdalena Stroinska, have applied for placements in the physical and chemical sciences 120

based on their strong academic backgrounds and AS-level predictions, as well as their enthusiasm for Science. Teacher of Chemistry, Katherine Sanders, said “If accepted, our students will gain valuable research experience that will help their studies, as well as their applications to university.”

Students will get the opportunity to conduct scientific research relating to their chosen science specialism and gain insight into working as a research scientist.

Carl Smith, Head of Centre said, “We are very strong in Maths and the Sciences and this is a great tribute to the ambition of these students. They are determined to compete with the very best and our teachers strongly encourage their ambition.”

For more information see www.rutlandcountycollege.com or call 01572 722863 (Oakham Campus) or 01780 762168 (Casterton Campus).

Classics: Science at Copthill School.

Copthill school, stamford...

At Copthill, as in every primary school in the country our Year 6 pupils will have had mixed emotions as they prepare for their new secondary schools.

They were of course sad to be leaving the familiarity of Copthill and all their friends, teachers and memories.

However they are all more than ready for the new challenge; self assured, socially confident, have a huge range of sporting, musical and dramatic talents and are ready to make new friendships. Most importantly, they are used to a secondary style of education, working with a range of subject teachers and moving between different subject rooms, taking the correct resources, completing

homework diaries, using emails safely and appropriately and many other skills essential for a smooth transition.

The most important factor in this transition process is that parents, with advice and support from our staff have all chosen the right secondary school for their child. These schools this year include Bourne Grammar, Kings Peterborough, Stamford Endowed, Oakham, Oundle and Kirkstone House.

In summary they will be missed but we know the children will all be successful at their chosen secondary school. In the coming years, we then enjoy hearing of all their future successes.

We will be hosting an informal Tour Morning at Copthill on Thursday 9th October from 9.00am till 11.00pm where Copthill pupils will be delighted to show you their school. To find out more call 01780 757506 or visit our website at www.copthill.com

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oakham school, Rutland Oakham School is a leading independent school, for boarders and day pupils aged 10-18, dedicated to blending academic excellence with a richness of opportunity beyond the classroom.

We achieve impressive results academically, as well as having an outstanding reputation in sport, drama, music art and design.

Our Lower School caters for the needs of 10 to 13 year olds, offering a warm, friendly homefrom-home for boarding and day pupils. We welcome pupils into one of our four Lower School Houses, where they receive personalised academic and pastoral support, as well as regularly taking part in activities, clubs and trips. Lower School pupils benefit from all of the

same state-of-the-art facilities that the Middle and Upper years do, whilst still having a space on campus which is just for them. We have created a comfortable, fun, environment for our pupils, where they can grow in confidence to reach their full potential.

Our cutting-edge ‘Learning Habits at Oakham’ initiative, pioneered by our academic specialists, encourages pupils to become proactive independent learners, both in the classroom and beyond. We know that children learn best when they are thoroughly engaged by dynamic, inspirational teaching, and our classes are small, allowing for plenty of one-to-one attention and pupil-teacher interaction. We believe that unlocking the door to effective learning is the key to success, and the earlier the better!

Don’t just take our word for it - come and visit us! Call us now 01572 758758 www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk.

Peterborough Regional College Peterborough Regional College is delighted to announce a partnership which we hope will bring additional training opportunities for employers and the residents of Rutland and the surrounding areas.

The aim is that we can contribute to the economic success of the region; support people aged 16+ who would like to improve their skills through training, and engage with employers who want skilled employees within their organisations.

Our offer includes: Apprenticeship training – offered in areas such as early years, teaching assistant, health and social care, hospitality and catering, accounting, IT,

business administration, customer service, marketing, hairdressing, social media, and retail.

For apprentices, you can learn and earn whilst starting a career in your chosen area.

For employers, you can hire apprentices who will be formally trained.

Single Certificate and Diplomas: These can be achieved if you are volunteering or being paid in the workplace (please ask for more details).

Maths, English and IT courses: Includes functional skills at level 1 and 2, Cambridge Progression (pre-GCSE) and GCSE Maths and English.

ESOL: To help improve English skills for speakers of other languages from Entry two upwards to Level two.

For more information about apprenticeship training and other courses please call Fiona Arnold on 07795 344 001.

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To view and purchase photographs from The event visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk

Smith Partnership hosts an Evening of Murder...!

It was supposed to be a fun evening... but then, murder most foul. Leicester based law firm Smith Partnership, which provides a host of legal services for both private individuals and companies in Stamford and Rutland, recently hosted a reception for over 60 partners and clients at Leicester’s Belmont Hotel Leicester.

The bonhomie of the champagne reception and three course meal was, however, disturbed as the scurrilous pumpkin murderer struck again. Leaving a pumpkin mask on victims as his grizzly calling card, each table had to use a series of clues to solve the case, presented to guests by the Inflatable Theatre Company.

“We host our Murder Mystery Evening annually, and this year’s event was both great fun and a real challenge.” says organiser Alison Neate. “The evening is designed to thank all of our clients for their continued business.”

For more information on Smith Partnership’s services call 01332 225225 or see www.smithpartnership.co.uk.

feature your event in our magazine.

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Crosswords CRYPTIC CROSSWORD Test your lateral thinking skills with this month’s Cryptic Crossword. each puzzle has a set of perplexing clues to unravel, and as every lover of logic knows, the frustration is all part of the fun!

ACROSS 5,20. Wall to speak directly to 10 5 down 21 (6,6) 6. Little fellow and little fool keeping time (6) 9,24. Exploiting queen when unconscious, point to close relation (6,6) 10,4. Air display (and not the Navy's) with pet food (8,6) 11. Cutter also produces sound (4) 12. Able to grasp things concerning birds in big building (10) 13. Work with mouse to contribute largely to 66 at bingo? (6-5) 18. Big building where ringers see and hear about bows put back right (10) 21. Date in Rome for fishes (4) 22. Sweet William, say, bringing incense to goddess shortly (8) 23. Religious building goes ahead (6) 24. See 9 25. Singularly little money for butter? (6)

DOWN 1. People in support through love of magician (8) 2. Snatch leather with soft coating (6) 3. Caught taking her water supply from river (8) 4. See 10 5. Ladies of the Lakes? (6) 7. Dad's part has promise (6) 8. Skimp on publicity for nude show with king to be model (11) 14. Special occasion, maybe third in recess (8) 15. Rodent getting a large portion about lunchtime (8) 16. Sport of kings? I wonder (6) 17. Half 11 plenty for enthusiast (6) 19. Divers don't use towel? (6) 20. See 5 across

DOWN

1. Dumbfounded (13) 8. Fail to keep up (3) 9. Impromptu (9) 10. Very hot day (8) 11. Poultry products (4) 13. Motor fuel (6) 14. Combined (6) 16. Applaud (4) 17. Perfect (8) 20. Army officer (9) 21. Pair of performers (3) 22. NCO (5,8)

1. Movies (5) 2. Great Mongolia (anag) — mass or collection of things (13) 3. Chemically whitened (8) 4. Somewhat (6) 5. Objectives (4) 6. Telepath (7-6) 7. Clad (7) 12. Early spring flower (8) 13. Measure of noise intensity (7) 15. Lacking normal skin pigment (6) 18. Mar (5) 19. Back of the neck (4)

CRYPTIC ANSWERS

QUICK ANSWERS

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 - Rutland Pride JAN 150_Layout 2 01/12/2014 14:29 Page 131

1 - Rutland Pride JAN 150_Layout 2 01/12/2014 14:29 Page 132