Rutland Pride December 2020

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P

eace and goodwill is something that everybody should be happy to advocate at any time of year. But at this time of year, and after this year, the message is especially significant.

This year may lack the usual festivities with gatherings of more than six curtailed, and events like The Burghley Christmas Fair cancelled, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a different kind of Christmas.

It’s likely you’ll be spending less time out and about, more time at home this season, so accordingly we’ve great ideas for festive decorations, plus an interview with Digby Farm - one of the area’s largest Christmas tree plantations - plus a guide to creating your own door wreath.

Elsewhere, we’ll meet Harry & Vix Meddings-Stokes, who have made a living out of making it snow... their artificial weather has been used in countless Christmas TV ads, in theatre, TV & film. Find out how they achieve their effects later in this edition.

We’ll also meet The Very Revd Chris Dalliston, Dean of Peterborough Cathedral, who has a Christmas blessing for all our readers.

Of course this year has been a challenge but we’re so grateful to all of our readers and advertisers who have given us such lovely feedback and who are a pleasure to work alongside.

On behalf of the whole Pride team, I wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for a healthy, happy 2021.

Executive Editor robin@pridemagazines.co.uk 3

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CONTENTS

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NEWS & EVENTS

FOOD & DRINK

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DINING OUT Epic enjoyment this winter at The Bewicke Arms.

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FESTIVE BAKING Delicious Christmas bakes from local baker Katie Jones.

NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories from across Rutland & Stamford including news of Hambleton Hall’s delicious Christmas Day menu.

HIGHLIGHTS

HOMES & GARDENS

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WELCOME HOME A C17th ironstone cottage perfect for a family Christmas.

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INTERIORS Our great ideas for creating a beautiful festive home.

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GARDENS Christmas trees at Rutland’s Digby Farm and festive wreaths.

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A CHRISTMAS GREETING Dean of Peterborough Cathedral The Very Revd Chris Dalliston, delivers his Christmas greeting to our readers.

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW...

When TV, film or theatre producers need falling or ground snow, who do they call...? Bourne’s Snowboy!

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FESTIVE GIFTS Christmas gift ideas from independent retailers.

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FINE ART IN STAMFORD Great British art with Adrian Hill.

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LAID BACK LUXURY Missing spending time with family and friends this season? Why not book a short break in laid back luxury.

LADIES & GENTLEMEN 104 FASHION & MAKEUP Black to basics with pretty party dresses and cosmetics with gold, frankincense and myrrh...

AND FINALLY...

122 MOTORS If you’d like to get your hands on Bond’s new Aston Martin, you’ve No Time to Lose.

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68 READ

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NEWS & EVENTS

Enjoy A Very Merry Christmas...

HAMBLETON HALL PROMISES A MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS LUNCH FOR GUESTS RUTLAND T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring... not even in the kitchen.

That’s because rather than enduring the usual round of veg preparation and giblet wrestling, the household in question decided to enjoy the hospitality of one of Rutland’s finest hotels instead.

This month, with the number of people allowed around the curtailed, why not avoid the chore of creating Christmas dinner and enjoy a six course, six person Christmas lunch at Hambleton Hall instead?

On the menu is an appetiser of baked potato bouillon followed by chicken liver parfait, apple chutney and seared scallop with charred leek.

Main course is a roast Machin farm turkey with all of the traditional festive

accompaniments, and to follow, there’s a taste of Christmas pudding and passion fruit soufflé. You can dine at Hambleton Hall, whilst

Going Green for the Earth NORMANTON CHURCH IS ILLUMINATED IN GREEN TO CELEBRATE ECO-AWARD...

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places remain, for £190/head.

Enjoy the flair and chefcraft of Aaron Patterson and his brigade safe in the knowledge that all that washing up

remains somebody else’s responsibility! n For more information call 01572 756991 or see www.hambletonhall.com.

NORMANTON Going green is rarely taken as literally as this... but Normanton Church was illuminated in a festive shade of green last month to celebrate the reservoir receiving a Green Flag award.

One of just 2,000 sites across the UK to be recognised for its environmental credentials, the Green Flag award was given to mark its well-managed green spaces and the quality of its surroundings.

Normanton is in good company, too, as the White Cliffs of Dover and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park have

also been recognised by the award which will be reassessed and - hopefully - rewarded each year.

Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison OgdenNewton said: “This year, more than ever, our parks and green spaces have been a lifeline.”

“Millions of people have used them. The award is testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of park’s staff and volunteers who have enabled Rutland Water to achieve the highest international standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.” n

PETERBOROUGH Festive music is still on the (Christmas) cards with confirmation that Christmas Magic will still go ahead in Peterborough Cathedral on Saturday 12th December with three performances; a morning performance from 11am, a matinée from 2.30pm and an evening performance at 7.30pm. The event features singers from the Peterborough Male Voice Choir and Peterborough Voices, performing festive favourites.

Choirs director William Prideaux says “Christmas Magic is an opportunity for us to have fun, celebrate and put on a fantastic show for our home audience, who give us such fantastic support throughout the year. This year, more than ever, we’re looking forward to digging out our Christmas jumpers and presenting a really memorable show with Covid-safe festive fun for all the family!” n Tickets from £18, see www.peterboroughsings.org.uk

Christmas Comes Early for Stamford Shakespeare...

RUTLAND As Pride goes to press Alicia Kearns will reveal which youngster from the area has won her very first Christmas card competition. Primary school children are invited to design Alicia’s official card following the theme ‘A Rutland and Melton Christmas,’ and the winner will be printed and send out as the MP’s official card to VIPs like the PM! “I’m really looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit and will reveal the winner on social media!” she says. n

STAMFORD Christmas has come early for Stamford Shakespeare Company, based at Tolethorpe Hall, with news of a £240,000 grant from the Government’s Cultural Heritage Fund.

The consequences of Covid and cancellation of the theatre’s 2020 programme meant a serious shortage of funds for the theatre, but with news of the grant - two thirds of the company’s annual ticket income - the show will go on.

“This is an incredibly exciting day for us. The grant, combined with our fundraising efforts, will ensure that we are able to open in 2021!” says Caroline Stephenson. n

£1.57bn

ENJOY CATHEDRAL’S CAROLS & CHOIRS

Rutland MP Alicia seeks her official 2020 Christmas Card...

RUTLAND Rutland County Museum and Oakham Castle are among 445 heritage organisations across the country to receive a share of the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help them through coronavirus. 445 organisations will share £103 million, and Rutland will use the grant of £132,100 to support the continued sustainability of both venues. n

Christmas Magic

LOCAL

NEWS In Brief

PETERBOROUGH

FESTIVE SEASON STILL MERRY AT CENTRE “Christmas will look different this year, but nothing can take away Queensgate’s Christmas spirit,” says the centre’s Rebecca Keefe.

This year the shopping centre will be running a competition on social media to give something back to those who deserve it this Christmas.

Launching in December, people will be invited to nominate someone who has made an impact on them or in the community, that they are thankful for.

Winners will then be chosen throughout December and will receive a special treat. n 7

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The current owners redesigned the layout which now provides a superb, spacious, south facing living room that manages to retain all its character along with a sunny dining room that opens onto the garden, and second sitting room at the opposite end.

Upstairs, the master bedroom has an en-suite bathroom with a roll-top bath and there are four further double bedrooms and a hobby room / studio. The south facing garden is a peaceful haven of tranquility. Enclosed and private from mixed hedging both front and back, it is a good size but manageable.

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In a peaceful location within the picturesque village of Duddington, Grooms Barn is set behind stone walls in a corner plot location. The property has been much improved by the current owners who have sympathetically extended the property using the same distinctive local stone to create an attractive and spacious home.

Internally the property retains much of its original character and charm and offers excellent living accommodation including a modern open plan living dining kitchen, four double bedrooms and modern bathrooms. Grooms Barn sits within lovely gardens laid out in a series of terraces, patios and lawns at the rear all of which are enclosed by mature, borders, hedging and trees and is extremely secluded.

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LANGHAM

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LYDDINGTON

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A CHRISTMAS GREETING

A Very Happy Christmas from

THE VERY REVD CHRIS DALLISTON 2020 has been a challenging year for all, and as it approaches its end, Christmas could seem a bit more flat than usual, with fewer of the usual celebrations and a more low-key feeling.

But, says the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral, The Very Revd Chris Dalliston, there are many reasons to be positive about 2021 and the hope it can bring. Here, Chris presents his Christmas message to our readers on behalf of the Diocese of Peterborough...

Words: Rob Davis.

Undoubtedly, 2020 has been a rotten year.

Apologies if that seems uncharacteristically pessimistic, but this has been a year of disruption, set to culminate in a festive season lacking the usual joie de vivre. Celebrations will be limited to fewer people than usual and festivities like office parties and New Year’s Eve black-tie balls have been curtailed.

That doesn’t mean, however, we can’t find comfort and joy in the festive season, indeed, it could be that with the season set to be less busy than usual, it’s a more concentrated celebration of Christmas, with more of the peace and good will, and fewer of the obligations we feel the need to fulfil in the run up to 25th December.

Peterborough Cathedral is the Cathedral church for Rutland, and the Diocese of Peterborough as a whole. It is, of course, usually open for business throughout the year, though like all churches was forced to close at the peak of the pandemic. But over Christmas the building enjoys a special relevance as a place of celebration and joy; ecclesiastical and otherwise.

Similarly, The Church of England is a backdrop against which our lives are set, and even if we’re not seen in church as often as we might be, Christian events in the calendar, like Christmas, ensure that the Church can provide a sense of continuity and hope for everyone, regardless of their religious persuasion or even their lack of same… and who doesn’t need hope in their lives as we reach the end of 2020?

The Very Revd Chris Dalliston was installed as Dean of Peterborough in January 2018 16

and for nearly three years, he and his team have worked hard to make the Cathedral as inclusive as possible not just for residents of the city, but for the Diocese as a whole.

You’ve been at Peterborough Cathedral for nearly three years now?

Yes. I’m actually an East Anglian by birth, so this is a bit of a homecoming for me. I studied History at Cambridge before I took a job at the Ford Motor Company in 1978.

The role was one of Industrial Relations – it would now be known as Human Resources but it was certainly an interesting time.

It was during a period of industrial unrest, with a lack of unity between workers and management, so it was an interesting time helping to find ways through the conflicts.

Did your faith help?

Absolutely. I can’t remember a time that I didn’t have my faith. My parents weren’t religious, so it was perhaps the most low-key teenage rebellion that I began going to church.

Particularly when I was in Cambridge, I was exploring what my life was going to be like and achieving a growing conviction that I wanted a career helping people.

The Church might seem an unlikely next step from Ford, but there are common strands.

I was working with both managers and the workforce and trying to bring an ethical perspective to the environment we were in.

It certainly helped me begin to see how people think and react and how good communication can help to make things better.

When did you make the transition to ministry?

I attended Theological college in Oxford from 1981 to 1984 and was ordained in Chelmsford where I completed a curacy and was then Chaplain to the Bishop. After four years as a parish priest in East London, I spent eight years in Boston before venturing up north to Newcastle as Dean of England’s most northerly Cathedral.

There were some really exciting thing happening in Newcastle, it was a flourishing environment and we shaped an exciting project with the Heritage Lottery Fund called Common Ground in Sacred Space. I wasn’t looking to leave but I was asked to apply for the position of Dean of Peterborough Cathedral and was installed in January 2018.

I was thrilled to come here; to this fabulous Cathedral and a part of the world closer to my roots and heart.

What was the remit of your appointment?

The Cathedral at the time was in a difficult situation financially. The role of Dean is to lead the Cathedral in delivering the Bishop’s ministry, but beyond that the Cathedral can be many things; a heritage attraction, a cultural centre, a place for pilgrims and tourists and of course, above all, a place for prayer and worship.

Above all it’s a place for people, but ensuring that people can enjoy it means maintaining the fabric of a very old, very complex building, ensuring that its finances are sound and managing or working alongside not just 50 full and part time members of staff but anything up to 400 volunteers too. >>

A CHRISTMAS GREETING FROM THE VERY REVD CHRIS DALLISTON

>> Those people are incredibly important to the building and from working hard in the office to ensuring the gardens continue to look beautiful to helping to lead our worship, each job helps to ensure the future of Peterborough Cathedral as a place for future generations to enjoy… the Cathedral’s beating heart is worship but it can fulfil many other roles in the city, and that’s why we want as many people as possible to enjoy the building, as often as possible.

What do you love most about the role?

St John’s Gospel makes reference to ‘living life in all its fullness,’ and that’s what the Cathedral and the role is all about; helping to bring people closer to God and make life a celebration. Being around people is always a joy and even amid lockdown we’ve had one or two weddings that have been deeply meaningful and joyous even with the restriction on numbers.

The Cathedral can also be a playful place as much as a solemn one. In 2018 we hosted Luke Jerram’s The Moon and welcomed Tim Peake and the Soyuz Capsule. Then in 2019, 37,000 people visited us to see Gaia, a 1.8m downscaled recreation of the Earth.

The Cathedral is a super space for those sorts of exhibitions, they speak of the big issues facing humanity and everyone is able to appreciate them, irrespective of faith.

Christmas is another special time when people recognise the role that the Cathedral can play in celebrating the season, and though things will be a little different this year it will still be a place of comfort and joy.

How will Christmas look this year?

Magical. One of the joys of the season is that even people who don’t consider themselves especially religious, are yearning for meaning and for hope and for peace – and our role is to speak into that need over the festive season.

We’ll be hearing our choir performing Christmas carols and anthems, but as a congregation we won’t be able to join them and sing along. That’s a real shame and I’ll miss that greatly, but perhaps we’ll be able to hum gently behind our masks!

Christmas time usually sees thousands of people at our various services, but social distancing means that’s limited to around 300 people this year. So the building will have a

slightly different feel, but we’re hosting a greater number of services for fewer people so that as many as possible will be able to experience something of the peace and joy of this season Many people are grieving or exhausted and need to find space to reflect and celebrate.

What do you think Christmas 2020 will teach us?

I think it’ll remind us that we take so much for granted. It’ll teach us the value of peace of mind, and make us realise that health and family are more important and more meaningful than all of the preparations and obligations we would otherwise be consumed with.

I hope that this year we’ll worry a little less about finding the perfect gift and preparing the perfect Christmas Day lunch, and instead just enjoy spending time in each others company; doing less and enjoying more.

“I hope this year we’ll just enjoy spending time finding comfort in each other; ‘doing’ less and ‘enjoying’ more...”

What does Christmas look like for you?

On Christmas Eve we host our daytime and Midnight Mass services. The Cathedral will also welcome visitors to our services on Christmas morning and then our afternoon service too, so I don’t stop until about four in the afternoon. Personally, when I was growing up, we had a tradition of not putting up the Christmas tree until 24th December, so that will happen a day or two before Christmas in the Deanery.

Given our other duties (my wife is also a priest in the diocese) our Christmas meal happens a little later than most households, and it’s a bit of a feast of two parts as our daughters are both vegetarian.

We all enjoy cooking together so both the turkey and the vegetarian options should, I hope, be delicious! After that, like most people I’ll be enjoying a little Christmas television – and maybe some board games

with the family around us!

What does 2021 hold for the Cathedral?

Like many people I hope that it will afford us all a little normality once more. We’re planning our January service commemorating the burial of Catherine of Aragon in the Cathedral and later in the year we’re planning another very special exhibition. The Cathedral will host T-Rex: The Killer Question in July and August 2021 which is a touring exhibition from the Natural History Museum featuring a life-size animatronic T-Rex, some 12 metres long and five metres tall! That’s not something you see in the nave every day!

Also, during the summer months we’re hoping to host live music or theatre in the cloister gardens for visitors to enjoy in the fresh air. Our full schedule is yet to be confirmed but we’re anticipating a great summer, subject of course to the nation’s health.

Of course, the Cathedral will continue to host weddings and worship, with the whole community welcome and visitors can continue to enjoy the building’s architecture and history throughout the year.

Do you have a Christmas message for readers?

Part of delivering the Christian message is our care of everyone in our communities, irrespective of faith. We work to support a number of charities, not least those working with the homeless, especially against the backdrop of something as wide-reaching and disruptive as Covid. Now more than ever, we’re here to support everyone so we hope you’ll join us this season.Even a simple act like lighting a candle in your local church and spending a few quiet minutes in a peaceful space to remember a loved one can provide an enormous sense of comfort.

Any final thoughts?

I think this Christmas the necessity of protecting ourselves, our loved ones and our communities from Covid may mean celebrations are a little more muted than usual, but we can find comfort in the story of the Birth of Jesus and joy in one another’s company.

We can still give thanks and we can be grateful for the chance to enjoy thoughtfully chosen gifts, sharing a festive lunch with all the trimmings and take in a movie on TV or Netflix! Normal service will resume shortly, but in the meantime, deck the hall with boughs of holly pull a cracker, wear a silly paper hat and have a super time! n

The Very Revd Chris Dalliston is Dean of Peterborough Cathedral, which welcomes the community during the festive season, for a full programme of music and worship, see www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk.

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SNOWBOY’S SPECIAL FX

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW

LET IT SNOW If you’re dreaming of a White Christmas, Bourne couple Harry & Vix Meddings-Stokes can help. The couple’s business, Snowboy Systems, provides ground snow, falling snow, wind and rain for TV, film, retail and theatre work across the UK… Image: Snowboy Systems Freelancer Dave can be seen making snow at Beamish for Downton Abbey.

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The pop group Crowded House said of the subject of their 1991 song, ‘everywhere you go, you always take the weather with you.’

In the case of Harry & Vix MeddingsStokes, never has a more applicable lyric been written.

The pair have been in the special effects industry for the duration of their professional lives and work hard to create ground snow, falling snow, wind, rain and smoke

effects for their clients, mostly involving TV, film, commercial photo or video work, and theatre.

I came across Snowboy Systems a couple of years ago and considering it to be a pretty perfect festive magazine story, I’ve been chasing it down ever since.

Alas, the time we work on our Christmas editions also happens to be Harry & Vix’s busiest time of the year too.

That’s because snow is most in demand a few months prior to the festive season when firms like supermarkets want to create that season’s Christmas publicity campaigns.

This year has been a bit of an anomaly, as firms have held off for as long as possible to see how Covid restrictions will affect their customers and how restricted we’ll find ourselves during the festive season. >> 23

SNOWBOY’S SPECIAL EFFECTS

>> But with the uncharacteristic availability of an hour or two to chat at this time of year, Vix was at least able to talk me through the company’s work… or rather, she would have been. Poor Vix could barely answer one question before I excitedly asked two or three more. It was a brilliant conversation - great fun - which is usually a barometer for its translation into a good article… but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Harry’s father, Phillip Stokes, had worked in the special effects industry for a number of years before founding his own company in 1984. Phillip was also involved in Spilsby Theatre and for one production, needed a realistic falling snow effect.

With no machines existing at the time suited to his performance, Phillip took the initiative and… well, made one. It was a machine he named the Snowboy, and Harry subsequently joined him in business making and using the machines.

Phillip worked alongside another of the industry’s greats, Derek Meddings, meeting on the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Derek soon had Baftas and Oscars to his name and is best known as the man who made Superman fly in the 1978 film.

Vix is Derek’s niece and she often joined him on set to help out with his work. With both Harry & Vix working in the industry, the two met in 2000 when she and Harry both worked on the WWII mini-series Band of Brothers.

Now, most couples meet in bars or by going on dates to the cinema. Not Harry and Vix though… oh no. Their eyes met across a crowded gantry at the British Aerospace factory in Hatfield whilst the two were alone, sprinkling a little falling snow onto a WWI trench as the brave Tommies lay down their guns for a Christmas Day truce. There’s something romantic about that, I reckon.

Harry inherited the business at 19 years of age. He and Vix later got together and now run the company, having changed its name from Enterprises Unlimited to Snowboy, after the machine that Phillip invented.

Today, half of Snowboy’s business is hiring out the modern iterations of Phillip’s original invention. The largest of which is the latest in a series of giant bespoke truck-mounted snow machines large enough to cover an entire street in snow.

The other half of the company’s work is creating effects. This year you’ll see the company’s handiwork in the Christmas campaign of fashion brands Joules and Joe Browns. A couple of other projects for large retailers are in the offing too, but until footage is wrapped and approved by the client, confidentiality is an essential element of the couple’s work.

If you’re a fan of romantic Christmas movies, you’ll remember the final scenes in the 2001 film adaptation of Bridget Jones’s Diary, in which the eponymous heroine

“We create a number of effects from ground snow to falling snow to frost, rain and blustery wind,” says Vix... chases Colin Firth and the couple reunite in the snowy streets of London. Harry helped create that very scene; specifically the falling snow.

Or perhaps you were one of the nine million viewers who tuned into the final episode of Downton Abbey, in which Lady Edith finally gets her happy ending prior to Christmas 1924. That snowy scene was actually filmed in mid-July 2015 at County Durham’s Beamish open air museum… and that snow?

Snowboy, of course.

Last year the Christmas campaign for Tesco featured a delivery van time travelling on a snowy street. 2019’s Christmas market-themed Marks & Spencer advert took place in a snow-covered winter wonderland.

Waitrose’s commercial a few years ago featured diners enjoying Christmas lunch in a snowedin pub. Each of the above featured weather or technical assistance from Snowboy.

“We create a number of effects from ground snow to falling snow to frost, rain and wind,” says Vix. “We’re as busy as usual with commercial work but everything is happening later partly because companies are waiting to see what’s happening with Covid. However, theatre and pantomime work has all but disappeared this year for obvious reasons.”

“The company is best known for its snow, and we don’t need to advertise or promote ourselves; those who need our services just ‘know’ about us. It’s a bit of a close-knit industry, and our reputation has meant that work just naturally comes in. Likewise we have our own staff but we also know a number of trusted freelance technicians who we can call upon, so we can grow our team very quickly and dynamically.”

“What is changing in the industry is that with digital technology like green screen and the prevalence of computer-based postproduction, teams are smaller and schedules are tighter than ever before.”

“Because of technology we’re also able to work indoors more. Good lighting designers can turn day into night easily and convincingly, and it’s sometimes easier to work indoors where you can control the elements.”

“Our work can take up anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.

Typically though we are also busy prior to – and after – the shoot days themselves. There’s always a lot of prep work and we need to make sure that before everyone else arrives on set we’re achieving the desired look for our client to meet our brief.

“On the shoot days themselves, we’re on-set constantly, operating machines and making sure everything is OK, then after the shoot there’s always a lot of clearing up to do!

Hoovering up a snowy street is a surreal experience but part of the job!” >>

Opposite, Top: Harry, Vix and the team can create any weather conditions on set but specialise in ground snow and falling snow.

Opposite, Bottom: The Bourne team used their expertise to create a snowy scene at Thomas World for the Drayton Manor theme park.

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>> “Camera technology has improved enormously, and so our effects have to stand up to greater scrutiny than ever. Whether our snow will be viewed from far away for a wide shot or close up, the effect has to be convincing in high definition.”

“For ground snow we use a biodegradable paper product which lays just like snow.

It stands up well to closeup shots and it’s not slippery; on set, there’s a lot of crew and equipment so health and safety is something that’s enormously important. Paper snow was first used in the 1994 film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Dentritic salt - essentialy bath salts - used to be used to create it. I’ve also heard that in the early days of film making, asbestos would also be used as snow… you definitely wouldn’t get away with that today!”

it out. For Andy Murray’s appearance in the Jaguar campaign Show Your Edge we created an even rain pattern for a slowmotion camera to film Andy playing tennis in a dark, low-key studio environment.

We also showered Miley Cyrus in her video Adore You and we created the wind and rain for the camping retailer Go Outdoors.”

control the height at which it dissipates to achieve different effects.”

“It can also be used in a studio as well as outside, and because it’s at room temperature you don’t end up chilling an actor to the bones or melting snow under hot studio lights!”

“Falling snow uses a completely different technique and our Snowboy machines use a special sort of foam product that is aerated into realistic flakes.”

“Snow is actually an easier effect to create than rain. Only water looks like water, especially close up, and water needs to be lit really well.”

“It melts away leaving no mess and depending on the way it’s deployed, we can

“We’ve created custom tanks for shoots before, which recirculate water and shower

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Snowboy Systems can also help to ensure episodes of our favourite dramas go out with a bang. Explosions and pyrotechnics are another specialism. Usually effects like fire are created with gas-fired rings which can be controlled easily.

Occasionally though there’s the need for a good old traditional explosion with a liquid propellant. On one motoring show Harry had set up the effect, which would see a vehicle blow up in the middle of a quarry.

A rather ambitious senior member of the production team asked if more propellant could be used as they wanted a really big bang. Harry’s tactfully advised that there was a sufficient quantity already to achieve

SNOWBOY’S SPECIAL EFFECTS

the desired result. The gentleman was quite insistent that the effect should be ‘big, big, big.’ Harry assured him his was in safe hands. The cameras rolled. Lights, camera, action… ka-pow!

As the car (very, very much) exploded and the shockwave sent a ripple through the production team and all of the equipment, the team member’s series of expletives had to be overdubbed from the final footage and nobody to our knowledge has questioned Harry’s barbecue skills since.

Working for such high-end clients as Harrods – the team covered the world’s most famous department store in show one August for the luxury retailer’s pre-Christmas launch – means a sense of professionalism.

Whilst it’s a fun, exciting profession, it’s also one that requires creative flair, technical ingenuity and problem-solving ability in equal measure. These days, shoots are tight for time and money. >>

Opposite: Paddy McGuinness enjoys a Marks & Spencer Christmas, with Snowboy providing the falling snow.

The team also helped make a London street snowy, too, for the final scene in Bridget Jones’s Diary.

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“It’s a faux pas to approach a celebrity during a busy shoot, but just occasionally there’s down time and some of the more ‘famous’ people we’ve worked with have been really lovely!”

Above: Scenes from last year’s Tesco Christmas food advert and Band of Brothers. Snow by Snowboy!

Above/Right: The team’s rain effects with Andy Murray for Jaguar’s Show Your Edge campaign.

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>> Everything in TV and film production is expensive… and across the media generally, the occasional ego of talent or a ‘creative’ leads can necessitate a degree of tact. Being able to think on your feet is an essential skill and though the industry is less dependent on gaffer tape these days, Vix points out that there are always several different ways to achieve an effect, and the occasional necessity of a quick fix. To remain cool-headed and practical to achieve a desired effect in a short space of time is a real asset… Harry and the team are capable of doing just that, hence they’ve earned a reputation as being a safe pair of hands in the special effects industry.

Of course, you can’t just order an off-the-peg snow-making trailer – more’s the pity – so Harry also has to serve as an engineer and make his own rigs and equipment. Much of the equipment he uses is unique and engineered for his purpose, which means not only do his effects help him to produce the desired result on-screen, they also add to his experience creating machines that deliver realistic effects.

Naturally there are celebrities too. Harry remembers being in the presence of film nobility in the form of Peter O’Toole, whilst Vix enjoyed working alongside one of her favourite actors, Sean Connery, in the 1998 film The Avengers.

“It’s a faux pas to approach a celebrity during a shoot. Everyone’s busy and everyone has their eye on the production. It just becomes work and the novelty wears off to a large extent,” says Vix. “But occasionally there’s down time and some of the more ‘famous’ people we’ve worked with have been really lovely!”

As a rule the company works a season ahead, creating snow in autumn, spring showers in winter and so on. But if you turn on the TV this Christmas and see groceries or festive gifts advertised amid a blanket of snow, we’ll let you into a secret; that commercial hasn’t been shot in Lapland or the Arctic Circle. The fact it looks so convincing, though, is testimony to the skills and creativity of Harry, Vix and the rest of the Snowboy Systems team. So this month, if the fire is so delightful, and if you’ve no place to go, give the crew a call… and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! n 29

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CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Joules Slippers & Socks

Faux fur slippers £29.95; socks £18.95, Joules, www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk.

Pair of Horses Sculpture

83cm x 72cm, £885, or commissions taken, Groombridge Sculpture, 07775 992056.

Christmas Pick-Me-Up

Chocolate gifts from Hotel Chocolat in www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk.

GIFTS with

LOVE Valentino Handbag

Divina Cross Body Bag, £65, Next, www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk.

Playmobil Princess Carry Case £13.99, from a selection of children’s toys at Gates Garden Centre, 01664 454309.

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This year it’s more important than ever to shop locally so we’ve asked some of the county’s leading independent retailers for a few ideas for thoughtful Christmas gifts...

Aery Candle

Indian Sandalwood Black Clay, £25, Barefoot Sunday, Ashwell, 01572 335800.

Gents’ Gifts at Gates

Hip flask £5.99; Rugby ball £11.99; Peaky Blinders cap washbag £21.99, Gates Garden Centre, 01664 454309.

Kids’ Den Building Kit

£50, from a selection of children’s toys at Gates Garden Centre, 01664 454309.

Snow Showers Gift Set

Ethical cosmetics, £24.95 from Lush, www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk.

Ladies’ Gifts at Gates

Clutch £6.99; Lampe Berger Gift Pack £61.99; Wrendale water bottle £22.49, Gates Garden Centre, 01664 454309.

Furuvik Mittens

100% Sheepskin, small, £55, Barefoot Sunday, Ashwell, 01572 335800.

Horse Sculpture

Triple Grazing, £885 or commissions taken, Groombridge Sculpture, 07775 992056.

Handbound Notebook

Iguana Embossed, fuxia £29.95, Stamford Notebook Co., 01780 762550.

Hares Sculpture

Tulip & Thimble by Frith, £96, Gates Garden Centre, 01664 454309.

Candle Holder

Wreath four candle holder £89.99, Gates Garden Centre, 01664 454309.

Gents’ Accessories

Bow tie, cufflinks & handkerchief, £29.99 Gates Garden Centre, 01664 454309.

Hot Water Bottle

Sheepskin Cover & Bottle, £39.95, Barefoot Sunday, Ashwell, 01572 335800.

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ADRIAN HILL FINE ART

THE ART of JOY Thanks to Adrian Hill Fine Art’s galleries – in The George Mews, Stamford, and in Holt, Norfolk – it has become even more convenient than ever to experience the joy of fine art and to begin to curate your own collection.

Don’t miss the Best of British artists at this trio of excellent galleries...

Words: Rob Davis.

FINE ART is an absolute and profound joy.

In the past some galleries have presented the subject as elitist and highbrow.

But art is a right, not a privilege, and the very best galleries are those who are keen for as many people as possible to discover the joy or fine art for themselves.

A great gallery – a really great gallery – will want to join you in your journey to appreciate, learn about and curate your own collection of fine art, and that’s why Adrian Hill founded his two galleries in Holt, Norfolk, from 2013.

Since opening, Adrian Hill Fine Art has been inspiring art lovers and collectors from all over the UK and now this successful Norfolk firm has opened a new Fine Art gallery in the George Mews in Stamford, too. >> 34

Top: The Pond, L.S. Lowry. Above: Horses At Rest II, Frippy Jameson.

Opposite: From The Eye, Deborah Walker RI RSMA.

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>> This month, you can enjoy the finest British artists at all three galleries.

The company will feature work selected by Adrian which has been sourced from leading British Royal Societies, Institutes & Federations including David Hockney, Peter Blake and other members of the Royal Academy.

Alongside the living working artists, Adrian Hill Fine Art has a changing collection of artwork by some of the most recognisable British names including, Laurence Stephen Lowry, Dame Laura Knight and Edward Seago.

Each artist is carefully chosen to compliment the already rich and diverse portfolio of original works and affords each client the opportunity to find a unique piece to invest in.

The Gallery has created a diverse and changing exhibition programme with seven six-weeklong themed exhibitions that have been carefully curated for 2021 by Adrian. These exhibitions feature leading British and selected up and coming artists.

The Gallery is also keen to encourage and promote the work of talented young artists and sponsored an exhibition place for the Sworders Art Prize winner aged between 16 and 23 awarded at the Holt Festival each year.

Upcoming solo exhibitions for 2021 include internationally acclaimed artists Kieron Williamson, Brian Ryder ROI FIEA and The President of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, Rosa Sepple PROI. n

Top: Little Harbour II, Rosa Sepple PRI. Above: Soon Be Lunch, Kieron Williamson.

Right: The Flower Seller, Siena, Mike Bernard; Primroses and Pots, Barbara Richardson RBA. Adrian Hill Fine Art is based in Lees Yard, Holt, Norfolk NR25 6HS and in The Mews The George Hotel, Stamford PE9 2LB. Call 01263 713883 or 01780 480800 or see www.adrianhillfineart.com.

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Carefully selected artists from the Royal Academy, Royal Institutes, Federations and Societies

Low Tide St Ives Oil on Canvas | Peter Wileman FROI RSMA FRSA | 19.75x23.5

New Fine Art Gallery Now Open in Stamford 5-8 The Mews • The George Hotel • Stamford • PE9 2LB Tuesday - Sunday from 11am to 5pm | 01780 480800

Also at Lees Yard • Holt • Norfolk | Monday - Saturday 10am - 4pm | 01263 713883

w w w. a d r i a n h i l l f i n e a r t . c o m

BAREFOOT RETREATS

LAID-BACK LUXURY

after LOCKDOWN At the time of writing, this Christmas is set to be a little quieter than normal, with the usual large family gatherings, and parties with friends, curtailed to just six people. So, why not defer your celebrations until spring or summer, and book one of Barefoot Retreats’ luxurious North Norfolk holiday properties? There are retreats for couples, families and friends with laid back luxury plus loads of character standard across every single property...

Words: Rob Davis.

AT THIS TIME OF YEAR we should all be celebrating the season with friends and our extended families. Of course, festivities have been curtailed for obvious reasons, but that doesn’t mean you can’t plan a deferred celebration for spring and summer 2021.

Barefoot Retreats offers a truly unique proposition for those hoping to reunite with family and friends. In 2014, Emma Mason created Barefoot Retreats in the discretely affluent area of North Norfolk, curating a portfolio of over 100 self-catering retreats, for short breaks or holidays, for anywhere between two and 24 guests.

The idea was to provide a way to ‘get away from it all’ without the hassle of international travel - airports; restrictions; quarantine; language and currency barriers. Beyond that though, the company wanted to create a more personal self-catering accommodation experience, one that centres around guests’ needs rather than being a ‘one size fits all’ offering.

That’s why Emma and the team offer a concierge service for guests, enabling them to provide not just a nice looking place to stay, but recommendations for places to dine, provision of private dinner parties, picnics or beach barbecues, spa days and beauty treatments, babysitters, dog walkers, even pleasure flights in helicopters or hot air balloons.

After just an hour or so travelling, you’ll be transported to a county of expansive coastlines, wild and wonderful scenery, quiet country pubs offering proper food, history, and really good shopping. Guests enjoy a welcome hamper, logs and kindling for each property’s open fire. Dogs are welcome in many properties and the team are always happy to volunteer ideas for places to eat, places to walk or local places to visit.

Many properties feature beautiful gardens with terraces and barbecues for couples, families or friends to get together and enjoy a meal and a few glasses of wine. But should you venture further, you’ll also enjoy North Norfolk’s beautiful beaches, expansive countryside, estates like the royal residence of Sandringham, or Blickling & Holkham, late summer lavender, and pretty market towns with smart independent retailers such as Holt and Burnham Market.

Lockdown won’t last, so if you’re due a reunion with friends and family, make sure you’ve something to look forward to and enjoy the laid back luxury of a Barefoot Retreats getaway. n Barefoot Retreats provides luxury holiday cottages and unique holiday homes to rent in North Norfolk.

Call 01485 512245 or see www.barefootretreats.co.uk. Over the page we’ve selected just six of the properties in the company’s portfolio to show off some great escapes for couples, friends and families to enjoy... >> 39

When lockdown lifts and we’re free again, reunite with family and friends and enjoy a short break without travelling too far.

Barefoot Retreats offers laid back luxury in beautiful North Norfolk...

1. Together in luxury...

We’ll be together again, and if you’ve spend a good deal of time apart from family or friends this year, why not arrange a reunion this spring?

The Old Rectory is super-luxurious and absolutely huge with loads of character. It’s 157 years old and is set over three floors, there are eight bedrooms, four of which have en suite facilities.

There’s an annexe, too, with games room, plus a tennis court, pool table, table tennis setup and a home theatre system.

Based in Stanhoe, the award-winning gastropub The Duck Inn is within walking distance, and the area’s stunning coastline is just six miles away.

Decoration is commensurate with a large luxury country property, and there is plenty of room to cook a meal in the well-equipped kitchen.

The Old Rectory is based in Stanhoe and sleeps 16.

Short breaks from £2,500; seven nights from £3,215. n

3. A great retreat for couples...

The Wood Store is a luxuriouslyappointed two-bedroom property that’s ideal if you’re planning a romantic break as a couple or if you’ve guests joining you for a short break.

Sleeping four people, it has a lovely enclosed courtyard with a pizza oven and beautifully maintained borders.

Enjoy the enclosed garden, sheltered from the breeze, with a glass of wine and stone-baked homemade pizza.

2. A super chic retreat...

With space for six people and located in the village of Burnham Market, Catherine Place is a super chic retreat for, say, three couples to reunite, or if you’ve children in the family. It’s located near several different beaches - at least one for each day of the week - and it has three en suite bedrooms.

If you’re planning to get together and enjoy a meal you’ll love the property’s well-equipped kitchen with its large range and huge chunky dining table.

Dogs are welcome too, and there are luxuries such as a Jacuzzi bath to the master bedroom’s en suite and a cosy wood burner.

Catherine Place is based in Burnham Market and sleeps six.

Short breaks from £700; seven nights from £875. n

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The furnishing of the property is light and modern, with native wood integrated tastefully by artisan British craftspeople, and you’ll rest your head on specially commissioned beds handmade from English natural wool. Luxuries like an arrival hamper and luxury linens are all present and correct, too!

The Wood Store is located in Docking and sleeps four. Short breaks from £448; seven nights from £560. n

4. Come on in! The water’s lovely...

5. Laid back luxury...

Couples seeking to get away from it all should definitely consider a break at Brancaster’s Manor House Apartments. There are three apartments available (1, 2, 5); ideal if you’re coming as separate couples. Each is laid back and luxurious.

Number Two, pictured here, sleeps four with its two king-sized bedrooms, and there’s an en suite shower room, wood burner and barbecue for the terrace area to the front of the apartment.

The private complex is just a short walk from The Ship Hotel, Royal Golf Club and coastal footpath. The Manor House is also just a short walk away from Brancaster’s beautiful sandy beach, ideal for those seeking coastal tranquility.

Another property that’s great for a reunion in the spring or summer months, Redshanks has an ace up its sleeve in the form of a heated outdoor swimming pool.

A party comprising up to 12 family members or friends can enjoy the coastal country chic of this property with its rural location providing views over farmland and sand dunes.

Six bedrooms are arranged over two floors, with an en suite to the master and a ground floor shower room too.

The kitchen features an Aga, perfect for cooking together, and there are two reception rooms,

each with wood-burning stoves, perhaps one for grown-ups and one for the children; The Music Room has a vaulted ceiling and vibrant colours scheme, and the property’s rural location makes it ideal for lively celebrations.

There’s a barbecue for al fresco dining and dogs are welcome too, so nobody is left out as you explore nearby Burnham or Wells.

Manor House Apartments (Number Two shown) are located in Brancaster and sleeps four. Short breaks from £464; seven nights from £580. n

For Luxury...

Redshanks is located in Burnham Deepdale and sleeps 12. Short breaks from £2,596; seven nights from £3,245. n

Go Barefoot

Each of our featured properties is managed by Barefoot Retreats, offering laid-back luxury holiday retreats in North Norfolk.

Call 01485 512245 or see www.barefoot retreats.co.uk.

6. The perfect family property...

Our final property is one that’s large enough for all the family but one that still has a cosy feel with a snug that serves as the ideal breakaway space for children to play together.

Grayling has a superking, two king bedrooms and a twin room. One of the kings and the superking both have shower en suites and there is also a family bathroom with separate bath and shower. There’s a large enclosed rear garden, barbecue and firepit arranged around a stunning seating

area, plus a well-equipped kitchen with wine fridge, dishwasher, induction hob and range cooker.

The living kitchen’s adjacent dining space has room for everyone to dine together and the bi-fold doors enable the indoor and outdoor spaces to function as a single space. Your four-legged friend is welcome to join you, too!

Grayling is located in Burnham Market and sleeps eight. Short breaks from £840; seven nights from £1,050. n

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Truly Independent Financial Planning • Efficient Portfolio’s Charlie Reading • Author of The Dream Retirement

A Time to Reflect and a Time to Review Health has become our most important concern over the last year, but so has our future wellbeing.

F

OR MANY OF US, ACHIEVING SECURITY and certainty over the future means saving into personal pensions and investments, but how will the threat of a new wave of COVID-19 impact the markets and what could this mean for your future financial security? Will the health of your investments deteriorate? Is there anything you can do to keep them safe?

there are a multitude of fees and charges; the administration is a burden; and it’s unclear if there are sufficient funds for retirement.

Pensions can be quite complex and are governed by various regulations, come with differing benefits, and can sometimes be subject to underhand tactics like exit penalties. It’s important to look at the pros and cons before you commit to any type of consolidation, to make sure it’s suitable for your specific needs.

Pension consolidation may not be appropriate for everyone, but if you are considering a ‘spring clean’ of your pensions in the new year, we strongly recommend seeking the assistance of an independent expert.

2020 saw the sharpest fall in stock markets in any of our lifetimes, and whilst this may strike fear into even the hardiest of investor, it actually provides us all with a golden opportunity.

When markets are low, it is the perfect time to review your investments. This may sound counterproductive, but low returns enable us to assess past performance and give us a comparison barometer. Whilst past performance cannot guarantee future returns, it does give us an opportunity to look at what could bolster our portfolios, or what needs to be reviewed.

But what should you be reviewing?

INVESTMENTS As we all know, market fluctuations, tax and a reduction in interest rates can all damage the return on our savings; however, it’s also important to consider how risk can also make an impact. Keeping money in cash may feel like the solution here, but in reality, cash is not riskless, and its value will also fall over time due to inflation, thus reducing your purchasing power and jeopardising your future goals.

Times of crisis are a stark reminder that financial planning should be on everyone’s agenda.

Money can be the root of worry, but it can also be your ticket to security. Whilst reviewing your pensions and investments after a market shock can feel counter-intuitive, it is often the best time because you can see how resilient your current arrangement were, you could incur fewer charges and tax to move, and you can ensure it is positioned well for a market upturn.

So, how can you “ make your cash work harder and reduce the amount of risk you are exposing your wealth to?

”

So, how can you make your cash work harder and reduce the amount of risk you are exposing your wealth to?

hence your overall performance will be smoothed over time and the impact of losses is greatly reduced. However, it’s crucial to keep your investments continually under review, so that suitable adjustments can be made as required.

Diversification is key here. Putting all of your eggs in one basket, for example one asset-class like UK shares, could mean that all of your hard-earned money can be wiped out in one fell swoop. By electing to employ a diversified strategy you may still experience losses on some of your assets, but you could also see gains in other areas,

PENSIONS When it comes to pensions, having numerous pots strewn here and there can actually be damaging to your overall objectives. Time and time again we hear the same concerns about ‘untended’ and scattered pensions: it’s hard to keep track of performance; it’s an arduous task to monitor or review what’s in place;

n If you would like help reviewing your portfolio, we would be delighted to help. To book in for a free initial consultation with one of our expert Financial Planners, please call 01572 898 060 or email hello@ efficientportfolio.co.uk

Charlie Reading created Efficient Portfolio to offer entirely independent financial advice and helping people clarify and realise their dreams and goals through financial planning.

Call 01572 898060, see www.efficientportfolio.co.uk or visit Portfolian House, 30 Melton Road, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6AY

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Pan roasted Barbary duck breast with pumpkin purĂŠe, fondant potato, purple kale, roasted fig & blackberry jus.

FOOD & DRINK

The Bewicke Arms at HALLATON

This month’s dining out recommendation is simply superb! It’s a village pub restaurant that provides great quality dining in a lovely atmosphere. With its unfussy dining and great flavours The Bewicke Arms is a winner this winter!

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

“We want to satisfy, not show off,” say Erin and John. They’re the custodians of this month’s suggested dining out venue.

And it’s a proper belter.

meet the CHEF

If you’ve time this month - and you should have, with most of the usual festivities curtailed by the nefarious virus - you should absolutely, definitely and unequivocally make your way over to Hallaton’s Bewicke Arms. Over 450 years old, Grade II listed and built of thatch and ironstone, the place is absolutely beautiful.

Inside there are open fires, stripped tables, stone walls and wonky beams. John has done a great job of decorating the place in a smart navy blue colour and has freshened the place up beautifully, but the charm of The Bewicke Arms is by no means merely superficial – its appeal runs much deeper.

Interestingly, the village is home to the old Leicestershire tradition of Easter Monday bottle-kicking; ostensibly an 18th century tradition but probably one with a longer history than that.

It was of course cancelled this year, but in ordinary times it involves a hare pie, three bottles and a folklore-sanctioned scrap.

The, rules - such as they are - state ‘no eye-gouging, no strangling and no use of weapons,’ but frankly if that even needs to be said, I’m probably inclined to give it a miss.

“KNOWING THE PUB SO WELL, ERIN & JOHN HAD A CLEAR PATH THEY THOUGHT THE BEWICKE SHOULD FOLLOW...”

COSMIN BORDEIANU, HEAD CHEF

Instead, I’ll visit this month to enjoy very good winter dining courtesy of the couple and their Head Chef Cosmin Bordeianu.

Erin & John are a lovely couple and both were born and raised in the village.

As teenagers, they each enjoyed a stint up to their elbows as potwashers and both later helped out behind the bar. The couple later worked in Gloucestershire where they lived for four years before deciding they wanted to return to their village.

At that time Erin’s mum, the pub’s licensee, was looking for new custodians for the place and so Erin & John made the decision to run the place and moved in exactly a year ago as I write. Knowing the pub so well, they had a clear idea of the direction they thought The Bewicke Arms should go in.

The restaurant’s 50-60 covers are all distributed around the building, so nowhere feels too crowded – especially important in times of social distancing – but among the various cute little candlelit spaces in which to dine, there’s one area of note in particular. >>

Food Experience: “I’ve worked as a chef for 18 years, and came to the UK from Romania. I was dazzled by this area and its ability to provide chefs with so many really good local ingredients so close to us. It makes cooking a real pleasure!”

Food Philosophy: “Happily Erin, John and I are on the same page in terms of our desire to produce food that’s flavoursome and enjoyable, not fussy or complicated.”

Food Heaven: “I’ll honestly eat anything that has been cooked with care and attention. As we’re coming into game season though, our venison steak is popular and very satisfying!”

Food Hell: “Processed food.

There’s no excuse when really good food is so easy to create.” n

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Below: Pan fried scallops with black pudding bon bon, crispy house pancetta and pea purée.

Right: Butter poached halibut with house spicy pork sausage.

Venison steak with curly kale, sweet pickled beetroot, carrot purée and juniper jus.

>> John refers to it as ‘the cubby hole,’ but from this point onward I’m renaming it ‘snogger’s corner.’ It’s a lovely out-of-theway nook with a table for two. Candlelit and intimate, it’s the perfect place for a romantic meal… which brings us to the venue’s food.

“We love dining out but we find ourselves frustrated when restaurants and their dishes try to be too complicated or fussy,” says Erin. “This place has character, so we didn’t need to reinvent its look or feel. Accordingly, we wanted the food to be about satisfying diners, not showing off. We wanted each dish to have flavour, not fuss.”

OPEN FOR FOOD Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Open 5pm - 10pm. Food served 6pm - 8.30pm Saturday: 12 noon – 10pm.

Food served 12 noon – 2pm and 6pm - 8.30pm.

Sunday: 12 noon - 7pm.

Food served 12 noon - 5pm.

on the MENU SAMPLED FROM THE BEWICKE ARMS’ MAIN MENU

Starters Lobster and salmon ravioli with beef consommé £8.

Pan fried scallops with black pudding bon bon, crispy house pancetta and pea purée £8.

Main Courses Pan roasted Barbary duck breast with pumpkin purée, fondant potato, purple kale, roasted fig and blackberry jus £17.

Butter poached halibut with house spicy pork sausage, parsnip purée, lemon & tarragon gnocchi, and rainbow chard £16.50.

Trio of chocolate, comprising chocolate delice, white and vanilla chocolate parfait, chocolate roulade.

The pair say they have a great relationship with Cosmin who’s on the same page food wise. A single ingredient takes pride of place in a dish and is used to best effect – allowed to shine. Anything else used in the dish either enhances that ingredient, or it’s omitted.

The menu is gloriously simply and beautifully written. No fuss, no pretentiousness, just quality. Personally I dislike extensive menus with too much choice, and a chef with fewer dishes on the menu has, I feel, greater confidence in their ability to provide something appealing in fewer options.

The Bewicke Arms has a single-sided menu which changes fortnightly, with around five starters, six main course options and two desserts plus a cheese option. I’d order - and doubtless enjoy - each and every one of the main course options.

Local ingredients are used extensively in each dish, with Tugby’s Keythorpe Walled Garden providing vegetables, butchery sourced from the Beesley family - renowned local farmers - and local chocolatier Nenette providing bespoke seasonal truffles hand-

made especially for The Bewicke Arms’ petit fours. Cosmin also makes his own ice creams, sorbets and bakes certain speciality breads in house whilst his kitchen garden yields microherbs and so on.

Venison steak with Dauphinoise potatoes, curly kale, sweet pickled beetroot, carrot purée and juniper jus £17.

“We also have our own really brilliant wine merchant who is local to us, really supportive and very proactive,” says Erin. “He keeps an eye on our menu and makes suggestions for dishes accordingly.”

Desserts

It’s a necessary element of their hospitality, because the area surrounding The Bewicke Arms is quite well-heeled and has its fair share of London commuters who expect to return home and enjoy a traditional country pub dining experience, but with the same quality food – and wine – they’re used to in the city.

And therein lies the talent of Erin, John and Cosmin. Together they have exercised great judgement in ensuring The Bewicke Arms is smart, but traditional, in its ambience and provides very high quality dishes, but still manages to remain faithful to its intended remit of unfussy and enjoyable dining. n

Trio of chocolate, comprising chocolate delice, white and vanilla chocolate parfait and chocolate roulade, £7.

Banana soufflé with white chocolate ice cream £6.

NB: Featured dishes are subject to change.

n The Bewicke Arms, is located on Eastgate, Hallaton, LE16 8UB. Call 07511 785593 or see www.thebewicke.com.

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FESTIVE BAKING

CHRISTMAS

BAKING This month we’ve created a dizzyingly delicious range of festive treats with our favourite baker Katie Jones. If you’re keen to provide the family with some delicious Christmas treats, you’ll find festive food for thought here!

Words: Katie Jones. Photos: Dean Fisher.

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GINGERBREAD COOKIE CHRISTMAS TREE STACK

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes.

225g plain flour • 1/2 tsp salt • 1 heaped tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon • 50g butter • 100g brown sugar • 100g golden syrup Melt the butter, sugar and syrup on a medium heat in a saucepan. Sieve all the dry ingredients into a bowl. Once the butter, sugar and syrup are melted add this to the dry mix and combine into a dough using your hands (food grade gloves are ideal for this).

Pop the dough on your worktop and roll out with a rolling pin to roughly 5mm thickness. I have used a star cutter and done roughly three of each size to maker a taller tree. Lay out your stars onto lined tins and bake at 180°c for roughly 10 minutes, or until brown.

Once cooled you can make buttercream to decorate. Whisk your preferred ratio of butter and sugar until white and fluffy.

Use a concentrated food gel, like colour splash, green and cut a small hole in a piping bag and just pipe the colour on as your stack the stars together to make the Christmas tree. I have also added sugar decoration balls; decorate to your taste!

It’s a lovely, easy egg-free recipe to make and decorate with young children.

My three year cannot get enough of these, and I cant wait for my youngest to be old enough to join in with him! n 53

RED VELVET MARBLE CAKE

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes.

For the Vanilla Sponge: 115g salted butter • 115g caster sugar 140g self raising flour • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 2 eggs For the Red Cake Batter: 115g salted butter • 115g caster sugar 140g self raising flour • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 2 eggs • 20g cocoa powder a few squeezes of Colour Splash red food gel.

Grease and line your loaf tin. Use a tablespoon to add three scoops of the red velvet batter into the base of the loaf tin, leaving space for then adding three scoops of the vanilla cake batter next to the red velvet.

Do the same for a second layer, alternating red velvet on top of the vanilla and vice versa. Once you have used all your cake batter get your cake tester and swirl the batter about to make it marble, without actually mixing it together to combine it; you want to marble it so you have two separate flavours marbled together.

Pop it in the oven at 170°c, and depending on your oven and tin it will need anything from 30 minutes onwards. Keep checking until a knife comes out clean. you could top it with anything from chocolate ganache to buttercream! n 54

F ES T I V E

BAILEY’S CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES Preparation time: 15 minutes.

Cooking time: 10 minutes.

250ml double cream • 300g 70% Belgian chocolate • 150ml Bailey’s 1/ teaspoon salt • 1 knob butter 2

BA K I N G

Once cold and set (it’s better to use food grade gloves as this is a very messy job!) use a teaspoon to scoop out your individual truffles and lay out on a plate or tray with greaseproof paper.

Once all truffles are rolled out pop back in the fridge or even the freezer until you’re ready for the next stage. They last weeks and weeks so you can do this well in advance of Christmas if you’re planning to have them for entertaining or to give to loves ones gift as presents.

These have three layers so it’s your choice how many of them you do. Melt the double cream and butter on a medium heat in a saucepan. Put the chocolate, butter and salt in a bowl.

For the rich Bailey’s buttercream layer, use the same recipe as the chocolate buttercream for the cake, but you will use more Bailey’s so that it's a much stronger buttercream. use a couple of teaspoons to drop the cold or frozen truffles into the Baileys buttercream bowl and roll and around until coated, then pop back on their plate or tray.

Once the cream is steaming but not boiling pour it over the chocolate and hand whisk until combined. This will be a thick ganache. Then add the Bailey’s gently until combined. pop in the fridge until set.

Once all truffles are coated pop them back, ideally in the freezer, or in a really cold fridge. For the chocolate coating it’s a good idea to temper the chocolate, as this makes the chocolate glossy and stops

it from blooming (going grey where the sugars in the chocolate crystalise).

If you’re not too fussy it will be fine to just melt the chocolate and coat the truffles and put back in the fridge until set, but if you want some really well finished chocolate it’s worth the extra effort and time. You will need a food thermometer, which are really inexpensive and you can get them from supermarkets or any well known online next day delivery outlet.

Ideally you need one steel mixing bowls, two regular breakfast bowl, the food thermometer, a spatula and a saucepan of boiling water.

To create 500g 70% chocolate, measure out 333g into the steel bowl and put over the saucepan on the heat (a bain-marie) and put the other 166g (known as the seed in tempering) into one of the breakfast bowls.

Melt the chocolate to exactly between 55°c and 58°c. At this point take 166g of the melted chocolate into the second breakfast bowl and put aside to stay warm.

Add the seed into the melted chocolate in the steel bowl and mix in until melted to cool it down to between 27°c - 29°c.

You may well need to just slightly put this bowl over the bain-marie as you’re melting the seed in because smaller quantities are harder to melt at this temperature.

If the temperature exceeds 29°c to melt the seed just add a few extra Belgian chocolate chips until you cool it back down to 27°c-29°c. At this point add the second bowl with the melted chocolate to increase the temperature back up to between 53°c-55°c.

If it's not quite there just pop it back over the bain-marie until you get it there. Do not try and multi-task when tempering chocolate because the right temperature will come and go in a blink, so you need to be vigilant with your thermometer! n 55

15 BULBY ROAD, IRNHAM, NR GRANTHAM NG33 4JG 01476 550201 | griffininn@irnhamhall.co.uk | www.thegriffinirnham.co.uk

Look forward to seeing you at The Griffin Inn Irnham 56

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Made from 100% English blueberries, hand picked from Lutton Farm near Oundle...

Midnight: Intense, oaky & beautifully rich, 11% ABV, £11.95.

Also Available: Blue Aurora Dusk & Ice Wine.

SHOP FOR THE FULL RANGE ONLINE AT

www.blueaurorawine.co.uk @blueaurorawine

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01832 273300

Wine of the Month

There’s ‘snow’ spirit in the world like this Festive-themed gin utilises tangy orange, sweet gingerbread, and even manages to dazzle with some gold-leaf luxury!

Blue Aurora English Blueberry Ice Wine, Oundle, Northants 2020

Snow Globe Gin is a new artisan gin with orange and gingerbread, delicious for the festive season!

Presented in an exquisite Italian made Snow Globe Bottle, the product contains edible 23ct gold leaf and a lamp on the base for illumination.

Give the globe a gentle shake and turn on the lamp switch to see the twinkling gold leaf cascade around the Christmas scene inside. It comes with a gift box too, making it an excellent festive present. £29 / 70cl / 20% ABV.

£17.95 / 37.5cl / 10.5% ABV

The Wine Cellar GET INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WITH... WELL, A CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, OR ONE OF THIS MONTH’S WINE RECOMMENDATIONS. BEST WISHES AND MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL AT PRIDE! THREE FOR ‘ROUND THE TREE: Wine to enjoy with friends around the Christmas Tree...

Intense, fruity & velvety smooth, this is a gorgeous sweet tipple to enjoy by the fire when friends pop by to wish you a Merry Christmas!

Blue Aurora is purely and simply made from 100% English blueberries, hand picked from Lutton Farm in Northamptonshire.

The blueberries are frozen, then pressed and fermented to create this beautiful sweet Ice Wine. Produced

by Lutton farm; a family run farm just outside the picturesque town of Oundle, by the Long family.

Call 01832 273300 for stockists or see blueaurorawine.co.uk

We’re Just Playing Devil’s ‘Advocaat’

1. Casual acquaintances?

This single estate Sancerre will demonstrate a discerning palate. Very dry, with citrus notes and a green grass aroma. Exclusive to Waitrose. £14.99 / 75cl / 13.5% ABV.

It’s still around. That festive tipple which contributed to snowball cocktails and so many green around the gills expressions on Boxing Day.

2. Good friends? Well, then we’ll recommend Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Very full-bodied indeed with the spicy plums and leather you’d expect from a Rhône wine made with a Grenache blend. C’est Bon! £67 / 75cl / 14% ABV.

It’s Dutch in origin, its proper name is advocatenborrel and it is made from eggs, sugar and brandy.

3. And for best friends...

Louis Roederer Cristal is enjoyable to say the least with its apricot and hazelnut dryness, and sublime mousse. £200 / 75cl / 12% ABV.

Warninks is the world’s largest manufacturer and first produced the spirit in 1616.

Mix it with lemonade and lime juice and consume with a tin of Quality Street. £12 / 70cl / 17.2cl

n Our featured wines are available from

the best local independent wine merchants, supermarkets and online, prices are RRP and may vary from those stated.

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HOMES & INTERIORS

ESPECIALLY

FOR YEW

New to the market and quintessentially Rutland, Little Yew Tree is a beautiful thatched family home, even if the word ‘little’ in the title is slightly deceiving for this generously-sized family home. Wendy and Philip Clayton show us around…

Words: Rob Davis.

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When Wendy Clayton designed the timberframed extension for their Rutland property, she quite deliberately included one particular feature. “This is the Christmas tree corner,” she declared.

The couple are approaching a special anniversary in a couple of months; 20 years in the house, located on Preston’s Main Street. Alas, with the property on the market and with it unlikely to hang around – due to its character and features as much as the current buoyancy of the market – they’re unlikely to still be living there.

Fewer than 200 people live in the village and much of the housing stock was created in the 1600s.

Main/Right: A modern extension was added to the property providing a breakfast kitchen. This, too, was extended to create the oak-framed open plan living space and a new snug.

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It was given a Grade II listing in 1986, described as a late 17th century cottage of ashlar and thatch, with a 19th century brick addition.

“We’ve extended it twice; once to create the a guest suite and second staircase and again to create a timber-framed snug where the old garage was,” says Wendy.

Little Yew Tree is arranged over two floors, the original part of the building being the sitting room and dining room downstairs and two bedrooms plus the family bathroom upstairs. The extension created a new breakfast kitchen and later the open plan living space with its timber frame and snug.

Wendy and Philip were drawn to the property firstly because of its character. Wendy says she loves how cool in the summer and warm

“Wendy says she loves how a thatched roof helps a property to feel cool in the summer and yet warm in the winter...” in the winter a thatched roof makes a property feel, and she loves how the rain continues to drip from the straw outdoors after the rain.

The roof was re-thatched less than five years ago so it should be good for another 30 years or so. This is, the couple says, their third thatched cottage and the one in which their three children have grown up.

“We usually have our grown-up children and our grandchild to stay over Christmas, and when they do, the layout of the house

upstairs means they can have their own bathroom, their own staircase and another bedroom adjacent to their own, so it’s practically a self-contained guest suite.”

“Along with the bigger projects like extensions, we’ve done so much to the property over the years. Most recently we fitted a new bathroom, and whenever we have changed anything it’s usually meant employing a bespoke tradesperson because of the unique size and character of the property.”

The couple used a local carpenter Nigel Smith to create their solid pine kitchen.

Wendy says she’s contemplated having it painted but rather likes the look of the wood in its natural state. Still, a mini-makeover could quickly and cost-effectively see the next owners putting their own mark on the space, with its butcher’s block style island and its granite surfaces. >> 63

>> There’s flagstone flooring, a range cooker, and butler sink for heaps of character and practicality, and Wendy says she’s avoided built-in appliances in favour of freestanding ones to afford better choice when replacing them in the future.

The main reception room has a feature fireplace and stone mullion windows, and everywhere you look there are lovely nobbly beams and beautiful details. If there’s a Rutland property with more character and as decent a provision of size on the market at the moment, we’ve yet to see it.

And of course, outdoors, the same is true.

There are in fact several yew trees including those planted by Wendy and Philip in the curtilage, and as well as practical considerations Top: The sitting room is in the oldest part of the building, dating back to the mid-1600s.

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like a much larger parking area in the grounds replacing a rather claustrophobic one. Wendy has also employed considerable creative flair to the garden with pretty pots, planters and borders plus a pretty pergola with mature roses adjacent to the terrace.

There’s a prolific space for growing tomatoes, too, and Wendy reports she’s had some bumper crops in summers gone by.

“It’s definitely a house that tells you the story of its life as you walk around it,” she says.

“It’s practical, but has a lovely feel too.

We’ve had some wonderful Christmases here and this might be the last one so we’re planning to make the most of it.”

“We’re moving into Oakham so we’ll be in walking distance of the town and closer to our daughter. We’ll miss the place but I love the idea of a new family coming to the house and enjoying it as much as we have!” n

LITTLE YEW TREE,

PRESTON, RUTLAND Location: Preston; Oakham six minutes, Uppingham four minutes.

Style: Ironstone and thatch cottage with C19th extension, three bedrooms and three reception rooms.

Guide Price: £550,000.

Find Out More: James Sellicks, Estate Agents, Market Place Oakham Rutland LE15 6DT. Call 01572 724437 or see www.jamessellicks.com. n

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FULL DESIGN SERVICE, ALL MANAGED UNDER ONE ROOF

• Contemporary, modern, traditional & handmade bespoke kitchens • Affordable, quality kitchens and the latest designs on display • Over 60 appliances on show • Review our recent jobs on our website www.qksstamford.co.uk or visit our Facebook page • 25 large room settings in our extensive showroom The best quality, best value and best service from a company fitting kitchens since 1981

THE AREA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT KITCHEN SHOWROOM The Maltings, Barnack Road, Stamford PE9 2NA T: 01780 756514 or 755855

E: sales@qksstamford.co.uk

www.qksstamford.co.uk

Open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. Sat, 9am-3pm, closed all day Sunday

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Professional Interior Design Service Re-Upholstery and Soft Furnishings

MARKET PLACE · UPPINGHAM · RUTLAND · LE15 9QH

01572 823389

www.sarahhardinginteriors.co.uk • info@sarahhardinginteriors.co.uk www.facebook.com/sarahhardinginteriorsltd

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CHRISTMAS HOMES

CHRISTMAS All Wrapped Up

Everything you need to present your home beautifully for Christmas with products from the area’s finest retailers and leading local designers...

Image: Sophie Allport Partridge In A Pear Tree Gift Wrap, 3m x 70cm, £5.50, www.sophieallport.com

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White Company Symons Nordmann Christmas Tree, 9ft, £850, www.thewhitecompany.com.

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CHRISTMAS HOMES

John Lewis faux fur Christmas Stocking, in white, £25.

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Sophie Allport Home for Christmas bedding set £75/king.

Top: Sophie Allport Partridge in a Pear Tree table linens, www.sophieallport.com Above: Wrendale Designs Christmas Robin luxury Christmas crackers, £20/six. www.wrendaledesigns.co.uk.

Below: Sophie Allport Cinnamon & Orange candle, £25/690g; Wrendale fragrance diffuser, £10/40ml.

Tom Smith branded eco-crackers, plastic-free and recyclable, £15.99/six from Gates Garden Centre, 01664 454309, or see www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

John Lewis’ Renaissance Christmas theme, with matching gift wrap available, shown on opposite page, from the retailer’s Peterborough-based Queensgate Shopping Centre, www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk.

John Lewis’ Art of Nouveau Christmas tree theme from the retailer’s Peterborough-based Queensgate Shopping Centre, www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk.

ADVENT CALENDARS

Countdown to Christmas COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS? WELL, IF YOU AREN’T, YOU CERTAINLY WILL BE WITH ONE OF OUR LUXURY ADVENT CALENDARS

L’Occitane en Provence What better way to count down to Christmas than with L’Occitane’s Advent Calendar?

This colourful calendar includes 24 magical treats for yourself or your loved ones from L’Occitane fragrance, skincare, body care and hair care. Includes £88 worth of products, £53, exclusively from Marks & Spencer.

Advent Candle, John Lewis 25cm advent candle to count down to the warm glow of Christmas, £6.

Hotel Chocolat Calendar A festive truffle a day, what could be better? £68.

Lego Advent Calendar Available exclusively from John Lewis, this ‘Star Wars: Return of the Jedi’-themed calendar features the ice moon of Hoth and includes 12 mini toys for your space-faring youngsters.. or more grown-up fans to build. £24.97.

Gins of Christmas Daily respite from the run up to the festive season from Marks & Spencer, with a 5cl tot of artisan gin each day.

Flavours include raspberry, plum and apple & spice, £100.

www.johnlewis.com www.marksandspencer.com www.hotelchocolat.com 75

Christmas Gift Ideas at Hunters If you are looking for something a bit different, why not visit our beautiful Showroom for inspiration. We have a unique mix of festive home accessories and quirky gifts to tempt you.

Then after a successful shopping spree you can enjoy a delicious cake or light lunch in our cosy coffee shop.

The Stables, Copthill Farm, Uffington, Stamford PE9 4TD

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Call 01780 757946 or pop in for a visit, we would love to see you www.huntersinteriorsofstamford.co.uk

Showroom and Coffee Shop Open Monday - Saturday 9.30 am - 4.00 pm

KITCHENS • BEDROOMS • BOOT ROOMS • STUDIES INDIVIDUALLY MADE FREE STANDING FURNITURE

Call 07534 808903 richwood-cabinetmakers@hotmail.com BRING RICHWOOD INTO THE HEART OF YOUR HOME

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GATES GARDEN CENTRE

CHRISTMAS at

GATES It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Gates Garden Centre, as the retailer’s autumn displays give way to over 14,000 sq-ft of festive decorations across 11 beautiful themes...

Words: Rob Davis.

IF YOUR HOME doesn’t have that festive feel yet, there’s no need to go all the way to Lapland to ensure that ‘it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.’ Each year the elves at Gates Garden Centre near Cold Overton fill 14,000 sq-ft of retail space with festive decorations across 11 different themes. In addition you’ll find trees, lights, wreaths, plus cards and gifts... everything you need to prepare for the festive season.

It takes a decidedly jolly 1,620 man-hours to set up the centre’s Christmas area, and the area is divided up into areas to provide inspiration for a festive look inspired by either nature or ornithology, one that features bright cheerful red and white colours, or even some deliciously different looks such as those punctuated by peacocks and jewels or animal prints.

1. Botanical Peacock: Glass vase, £3.99; Butterfly £3.99; Peacock £17.99; Peacock feather decoration (sold in pairs) £1.99; Blue flower £3.49; Monstera leaf bauble (sold in threes) £6.99; Beaded peacock bauble £8.99; Gold with jewel decoration £6.99; Black and feather oil finish bauble £5.99. n

In addition to all of the decorations you could possibly want, Gates Garden Centre is an ideal venue in which to enjoy your Christmas shopping; it’s undercover, Covid-safe, with plenty of gift ideas. Remember, too, that there are over 650 free car parking spaces plus the huge Garden Restaurant, cosy Courtyard Coffee Shop and seasonal Winter Kitchen for when you need to take a break from shopping.

And finally, Gates Garden Centre’s Farm Shop features produce from names like Hambleton Bakery and has all of the fresh produce, butchery and deli products you need to ensure your larder is stocked with delicious food and drink all season long ensuring you can eat, drink and be merry. n

Find Out More: All of our featured decorations are available from Gates Garden Centre, based at Cold Overton, near Oakham LE15 7QB. Call 01664 454309 or see www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk. n

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4. Candy Cane Lane: Snow globe £16.99; Gingerbread man £4.99; Gingerbread bus £3.99; Nutcracker £7.99; Red Santa £9.99; Grey Santa £6.99; Tall Santa £4.99; Small Santa £2.99; Spiral bauble £4.99; Christmas pudding bauble £4.99; Candy canes (sold in pairs) £1.99. n

2. Wild Glam: Star £24.99; Leopard bauble £2.49; Zebra baubles (sold in pairs) £7.99; Giraffe bauble £2.49; Black and gold star bauble £3.49; Smokey glass bauble £1.49; Long gold and black bauble £1.99; Cones (sold in threes) £1.69; Star baubles (various colours) £2.49. n

3. Enchanted Forest: Green velvet triple toadstools £16.99; Red wooden toadstool £9.99; Red bauble £3.99; Double hanging cones £1.99; Cream dotted bauble £3.49; Green leaf bauble £4.99; Small green baubles (threes) £0.99; Pink glass bauble £2.49. n

5. Woodland Lodge: Glass candle holder £8.99; Fabric mouse £4.99; Hedgehog £7.49; Star £3.49; Gold leaf bauble £3.99; Acorn bauble £1.49; Acorns (sold in threes) £1.69; Green oak leaf bauble £5.99; Stag approx 25cm tall £15.99. n

6. Polar Holiday: Standing tree £9.99; Bottle light £14.99; Star £7.99; Bootees £4.99; Glass house bauble (sold in pairs) £1.49; Cones (sold in threes) £0.99; Dark blue and silver bauble £3.99; White and blue glitter bauble £1.99; Turquoise and silver bauble £3.99. n

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Peterborough’s Premier Kitchen Design & Installation Specialists...

Papyrus Road, Peterborough PE4 5BH JUST ALONG FROM THE BMW & AUDI MOTOR DEALERSHIPS

01733 894422 | www.pdakitchens.co.uk 80

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Kaimana and Keshia cushions in indigo colourway, price for 60 x 60 cushion complete ÂŁ125. Fiesta ceramic lamp in midnight ÂŁcall.

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FESTIVE HOMES

Candles & Candlesticks

15cm glass candlesticks, £16; candles £various; tall pillar candle £8.95.

Brontë by Moon Throw 100% Merino wool, in charcoal colourway, 185 x 140cm, £65.

William Yeoward Lamp

Ceramic lamp & shade, Kristiana in slate, also chalk, peacock, duck egg £705.

HOMES for CHRISTMAS

Bamboo Bowls

Natural interior, grey/blue exteriors £25, set of three.

Christmas Decorations Mr Fox, 10cm, £10.95; gold glitter onion bauble £9.95.

Whether you’re seeking soft furnishings and decor for a pre-Christmas spruce up of your home, some elegant gifts or fresh Christmas decorations, Sarah Harding Interiors has some exquisite new finds...

Ceramic Nativity Scene

Including animals and three wise men, white ceramic with gold trim £24.99.

Branch D’Olive

Pillow mist £12; hand wash £12; room diffuser set, Green Tea scent £27.

Feather Bauble

Blown glass with feather inside and pearl effect decoration, £3.50.

Sarah Harding Interiors provides inspiring interior design for clients, as well as gifts, soft furnishings and products for your home from their boutique in Uppingham’s Market Place, LE15 9QH. Call 01572 823389 or see www.sarahhardinginteriors.co.uk.

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CHRISTMAS TREES

BRANCHING

OUT For the Ellis family, this time of year is exhilarating and exhausting in equal measure. The family’s North Luffenham Christmas tree plantation is expected to see more than 5,000 excited families turn up over the next couple of weeks to secure their homes’ festive centrepiece. This month we ‘spruce’ ourselves up ready ‘fir’ Christmas in Rutland…

Words: Rob Davis.

“WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP, our parents didn’t put their Christmas tree up until Christmas Eve,” says Gill. “They still wait until December 24th today!”

The rest of us don’t. Most of Rutland, in fact, descend upon Gill’s family’s Christmas tree farm over the last weekend in November or at least the very first few days of December to choose, take home and decorate their tree.

There are, in fact, about 20,000 households in Rutland, and if Digby Farm sells over 5,000 trees each year, we reckon that means roughly a quarter of people in the county take their tree home from the plantation; most by the beginning of December.

That explains why Gill and the rest of her family are completely exhausted by the time Christmas rolls around.

It was Gill’s grandfather who founded the farm as a mixed operation, yielding beef, cereals and so on. In 1986 though her parents, John and Helen Ellis, decided to focus exclusively on growing Christmas trees.

They’re a long rotation crop so it wasn’t until some years later – about 1991 – that the family was able to sell their first trees, but soon locals began to return to the farm year after year for the annual ritual of choosing their festive centrepiece.

“We sold them via wholesalers initially but gradually moved away from that because we found that we could provide a more personal service and fresher trees by selling direct to the public… and people were turning up at the farm keen to buy directly from us anyway, so we were happy to oblige.”

“The farm covers about 150 acres in total and we’ve 70 acres of trees. They grow about a foot each year as a rule but we’ve several different varieties, each of which have slightly different characteristics.” >> 86

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“The Norway Spruce is the traditional, slightly spiky tree with its short needles and wonderful ‘Christmas tree’ scent. And despite their reputation hold their needles just as well as the Nordmann Fir when cut fresh and kept in water. The Nordmann Fir are popular with softer deep green needles but with little scent. They take longer to grow though, hence they also command a slight premium in terms of cost.”

“Ultimately, though, Christmas trees are a really personal thing, certainly in terms of their size, shape and colour. The average size is six to eight foot but in Rutland, where we’ve properties with lovely high ceilings, there’s a market for larger trees so we tend to have ones up to 12 foot in height, which are also chosen by places like schools or churches.”

“Our largest trees used to top out at about 30 feet, which were humongous, but we’ve scaled that back because the logistics of dealing with trees that tall are just too difficult.”

“We have to plant many more than the 5,000 trees we sell each year not least because the rabbits consider them quite a delicacy! Unfortunately, rabbits aren’t the only problem, either. It may not seem like it, but there’s far too little rain in our part of the world, and over the years we’ve seen fewer frosts which are necessary to ensure really strong growth.”

Above/Right: North Luffenham’s Digby Farm will sell around 5,000 trees during the festive season... we reckon that works out about one tree each for a quarter of Rutland’s homes!

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“We also have to leave fields fallow or plant crops like grass to get the nutrients back into them and use fertilisers to ensure minerals like nitrogen and magnesium – essential for photosynthesis – are present in the soil.”

“We manage the different areas of the farm to ensure a mix of taller trees and shorter ones in the same fields, to ensure our younger trees are protected from the wind by the older, taller more established ones.”

It’s all hands to the saws at this time of year for Gill, her sisters Katherine & Felicity and their brother Richard. The third generation of the Ellis family are also involved; six grandchildren from the ages of 12 to 23.

The farm has its own Christmas shop too, stocking the usual baubles, lights and homemade wreathes. Trees are cut daily in the really busy weeks.

“We like our trees to be cut as close to the point of purchase as possible,” says Gill.

“For one thing we don’t have the storage space to properly display trees for several days worth of customers, but more to the point, a fresher tree will look better for longer. The largest retailers, like supermarkets or garden centres, can be supplied with trees which are cut as early as October.

That means, quite incredibly, your Christmas tree could already be a couple of months old when it comes into your house.”

“Local retailers have shorter delivery times but I don’t think there’s anywhere that provides trees as fresh as ours, which is reflected on how nice they continue to look throughout the season and how well they retain their needles.”

“Some people think that an artificial tree one that can be used year after year - is a better option for the environment, preventing a tree being cut down each year. But in fact, an eight foot natural Christmas tree will have had at least eight years of growth on our farm, an operation which we make as sustainable as possible.”

“As a family we have a bit of a unique relationship with Christmas trees. When Christmas finally comes around we greet it with a mixture of pleasure and exhaustion.

But this year in particular we all need a bit of festive spirit and there’s nothing quite like bringing a really lovely tree home and spending time decorating it as a family.”

“Hopefully we bring a lot of Christmas cheer into our customers’ homes and into their lives.” n

Find Out More: Digby Farm has been selling Christmas trees to the public for nearly 30 years from their family farm in North Luffenham, LE15 8LF. Call 01780 678508 or see www.digbyfarm.co.uk.

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Where better to showcase Liz and Tamsin’s wreath than on the door of Oakham’s Yule House?

CHRISTMAS FLORISTRY

Create Your Own

FESTIVE WREATH This month Oakham florist Liz Leaper is swapping floral foam and wire for lights, camera and action as she hosts an online demonstration to show how easy it is to create your own table centrepiece or wreath for the festive season... a great activity to enjoy during lockdown!

Here, we’re enjoying a sneak preview!

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

“I’M NOT ONE OF THOSE GARDENERS who likes their plot to look really neat and manicured,” says Liz Leaper of Oakham’s Pollen.

“I like the natural look, and one of the nicest things about my garden is there are a few shaded, mossy parts and some nice tall overgrown hedges.”

Incorporating Your Material

“Next, we bind in the foliage. Material that works best is waxy foliage like Cupressus, Yew, Eucalyptus, Bay or Spruce. Once you’ve gone around the perimeter of the wreath, you should have a decent tight ring of moss into which you can secure your other foliage, working work with your largest pieces of greenery first.”

If your garden has also acquired a natural look during the cooler months, take heart in the knowledge that all that moss and those hedges can now yield much of the material you need to create your own wreath.

“It takes about 30 minutes to create a wreath once you’ve gathered in your material,” says Liz. Obtaining a degree in horticulture at the University of Nottingham, Liz later worked as a teacher before leaving the profession to take over her floristry business, Pollen, nine years ago, relocating to its current High Street premises in 2017.

Making your Wreath

“We’re using a copper wreath ring to create this example, and sell these rings for just £3 for a 16” diameter one. Anywhere between 12” and 16” are the most popular sizes. The other secret to creating your wreath, though, is binding wire… so be sure to pick some up! Again, this is cheap, and available at from most florists.”

Creating our traditional wreath with Liz was her right hand woman Tamsin, who made a base with reel wire, onto which she placed ’sausages of moss’ by circling a continuous

loop of wire around the ring, keeping the wire on the reel and giving it a tight pull after each loop.

Sphagnum moss is actually protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, and is a Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. So, whilst you can use material from your own garden, it’s illegal to pillage it from other outdoor spaces… do bear that in mind!

Sphagnum moss is often farmed deliberately to sell on to the horticulture industry, renowned for its ability to retain water and so for its usefulness in helping to maintain floral arrangements... Liz is happy to sell a small bag of the stuff to customers.

“Here we’ve chosen to incorporate not just holly but Nordmann and Scotch Pine, Christmas tree material, some larch branches, a type of tree with lovely long strands of cones. Ours also had some with nice textured lichen on, plus some bracken for it’s lovely golden colour. We’re also using eucalyptus and some alder cones. It’s best to use larger pieces on the outside of the wreath to ensure you leave as much of the inner ring clear.”

“We completed the wreath with a bow, using wire-edged ribbon to keep its shape.”

A Christmas Table Centrepiece

Our wreath complete, Liz tied wire at the rear to enable it to be hung on the door and then began work on our next Christmas floristry project, her table centrepiece.

“We’ve a copper coloured bowl here and with the addition of Oasis flower foam it can be used as the basis for a festive table decoration. Flower foam can be purchased from most florists or wholesalers and can be cut to shape to suit your container.” >>

Above: Liz Leaper is the Oakham florist taking to the internet to provide online demonstrations of her floral flair!

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>> “Soaking it enables it to securely hold water to keep cut flowers fresh. Liz suggests wiring the candle to hold it secure, or using a storm lantern or vase to hold the candle as several types of foliage used are high in oils which can be highly flammable, especially once dried. Over the floral foam we’re using moss once again, for texture.”

“Once you’ve the base for your arrangement it’s then a case of incorporating foliage first, then your more decorative elements.”

“We’re using Scotch Pine and eucalyptus, and we’re decorating with Hypericum, Astrantia, Eryngium and Wax Flower which also has a gentle lemon scent.”

“We’ve added spray roses which are the most expensive element of the whole arrangement and contribute to the overall lilac and mauve highlight colour, but there’s so much scope in terms of the colours and types of flowers or foliage you incorporate.”

With floral foam, floristry wire and foliage foraged from your garden, you can make a festive centrepiece for your Christmas table in less than 20 minutes.

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F L O R I S T RY

“Simply wire each element in or insert flower stalks directly into the foam. You can rely solely on floral elements or, as we’ve done here, incorporate elements like our star shapes which have been cut out from the bark of a birch tree.”

A Little Extra Help...

“If you want to have a go then we are here to help with enthusiasm and expertise and creative ideas.”

“Go to our online video on our website and we can put together a box of everything you will need to be collected in store or we’re happy to post it to locals.”

“It’s such a lovely activity if you are isolating or missing normal activities due to lockdown. We’d love to see how you get on!

We hope to host a series of workshops to be advertised soon. The important thing to remember is that the whole venture is supposed to be fun and creative!” n

“IT’S SO MUCH EASIER THAN MOST PEOPLE REALISE TO CREATE YOUR OWN WREATH AND CENTREPIECES!” Find Out More: Liz Leaper and Tamsin Haywood-Bowler are based at Pollen on Oakham’s High Street.

This month they will host live floral demonstrations online, which will be free to view. For more information see www.pollenfloristry.co.uk or call 01572 724404.

ORGANIC TURKEY FARMING

Let’s Talk

TURKEY According to the political maxim, turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.

If they did, though, they’d certainly vote to spend their lives on Cuckoo Farm near Ketton. It’s the home of Pat and Henry Taylor and their son and daughter in law, Roland and Rebecca, and at this time of year, there’s no other family with whom we’d talk turkey…

Words: Rob Davis.

IF YOU’RE A TURKEY, the thought of Christmas is probably enough to chill you to your giblets. The best you can hope for is a happy home and a life of comfort until the inevitable. Happily, Cuckoo Farm’s birds are either cheerfully resigned or at least blissfully unaware of their festive destiny. They’re happy birds, greeting Pat Taylor and I as we approach them for a photo rather than running away. Good job; they can run at up to 25mph, which is significantly faster than the average editor.

“Merry Christmas!” declares Pat Taylor to her flock of turkeys.

The ‘birds gobble a cheerful greeting back, “They’ll reply to anything you say,” she adds, and she’s right. It’s a little bit of dark-ish humour but Pat, her right-hand-woman Felicity, and the Taylor family have a profound respect for their birds and absolutely insist on the very highest standards of animal welfare.

This is farming at its very best and it shows not just in the product but in the happy nature of the birds themselves. If I were a turkey, this is where I’d want to be.

Henry VIII was the first monarch to consume turkey for Christmas, after explorer William Strickland first brought the birds back from the New World in the mid-1500s. Prior to that goose, boar or pheasant were the festive meals of choice in this country – probably all three, at once, in a bap knowing Henry’s voracious appetites. Turkey consumption was popularised in the Victorian era and especially in Dickens’ Christmas Carol in 1843.

During the festive season over half of households consume turkey for Christmas lunch, which results in a demand for 10,000,000 of the birds. A further 10% say they’d prefer beef, and thereafter chicken, a vegetarian alternative or goose are the next most popular options, followed by gammon and pork.

The demand for turkey is massive; perhaps a bit too massive. Sadly, in an era of intensive farming, few birds enjoy the pampered lifestyle of the flock in front of us, but it shows in the quality and flavour of the meat. And what better peace of mind could you wish for, when carving Christmas Day lunch, than the reassurance that the food on your table has been farmed to the highest standards of welfare?

This year turkey producers across the country are facing uncertainty. The average bird is purchased for the table at 7.5kg.

Larger birds are bred to accommodate those whopping Christmas lunches which feature many family members crowded around the table and poor mum perched on a stool. However, with the rule of six applicable at time of writing, the demand for smaller birds is likely to be greater this year, and that could leave larger birds less desirable.

“Farming with high volumes of production is a fact of life today,” says Pat. “Supermarkets are catering for a market, and that’s fine.

Not everybody will be able to afford our free range, organic birds, which tend to be twice the price of average supermarket turkeys.”

Pat and husband Henry are assisted by Felicity on their 115-acre mixed farm. Pat is originally from Yorkshire and comes from farming stock but worked in IT before, they made the move to Rutland 25 years ago, attracted by lovely scenery and the ability to pursue their dream of rearing livestock and poultry in a traditional way, concentrating on quality, not volume.

Back in the early to mid-1990s, terms like organic and free-range were less well known, but today, there’s no excuse for not at least considering the welfare of the animals we eat, and shopping accordingly, even when on a budget. >>

Main Image: This month we’re meeting a few of Pat Taylor’s organically-raised turkeys on the family’s 115-acre mixed farm. The family have the highest welfare standards in mind and really do look after their birds meaning peace of mind and a better product for customers.

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>> Cuckoo Farm has been raising turkeys since 2000, and their turkeys graze over about 15 acres of organic pasture. They are fed an organic ration and on oats grown organically on the farm.

Pat’s turkeys sell for £17.95/kilo, compared to about £5.50/kilo for a free-range turkey according to prices from a quick search on the internet site of a well-known national supermarket chain.

The price reflects the higher cost of organic rations, and the longer rearing period, as well as the higher manual processing costs.

The farm breeds Norfolk Black, Cambridge Bronze, Slate Blue plus Bourbon Red and Narragansett heritage breeds.

How to tell a male turkey - a stag - from the female? Well, despite both genders having a wattle (the fleshy growth on the neck) but only males have the snood (the dangly appendage which hangs down their nose).

When a male turkey becomes amorous, his 98

wattle and snood become bright red. That certainly brightens up an otherwise dull March, which is when the birds are separated into their breeding groups.

Hatching of chicks, called ‘poults,’ takes place from May through to mid-June, and the birds enjoy a very happy life grazing close to the River Chater around ancient willow trees from about six weeks of age.

Cuckoo Farm hatches poults from eggs laid by their breeding flock after mating naturally and the majority are sold and delivered nationwide to other rearers.

This is in contrast to commercial breeding practice where artificial insemination is necessary because the modern turkey has been bred to have an oversized breast and short legs which renders the stags incapable of mating naturally.

Other welfare issues because of this selective breeding process can lead to leg problems as the birds grow too rapidly and their legs are

“When a male turkey becomes amorous, his wattle and snood become bright red.

That sight certainly brightens up an otherwise dull March...”

plenty of other meat which has equally high welfare standards. As for Pat, well, this year she’ll be cooking a traditional turkey lunch for the family - usually one with a ‘cosmetic flaw’ as all of the ‘perfect’ birds are likely to be sold.

not strong enough to support their body weight. Large groups of birds in confined spaces often resort to feather-pecking and require beak trimming. None of these problems occur in a more humane farming operation.

Licensed to process their birds on site, each of Cuckoo Farm’s birds are humanely dispatched, one by one. This is distinct from the ‘crate to shackle’ process of the production line used in large commercial abattoirs.

The Rutland farm’s birds are all dry-plucked which improves the keeping quality.

They are then hung for three weeks, which improves tenderness and flavour, too.

Hung meat loses weight and is another reason commercial birds are not hung.

The slower growing heritage birds’ musculature has a finer texture and is given time to develop flavour. That’s why, once you have eaten a heritage turkey you don’t want to eat a commercial bird ever again.

“Our birds are dressed with the utmost care and attention,” says Pat. “The wing tips are plucked, the giblets are carefully packed and the leg sinews are drawn, all of which results in a better product; moist and full of flavour.”

Whilst turkeys are the mainstay of Pat and Henry’s operation, they also have about 150 sheep and 60 fallow deer for lamb and venison, as well as geese & cockerels, so if turkey isnt to your taste this season, there’s Top: The turkeys are fed on organic ration and on oats which are grown organically on the farm.

Despite a level of demand, the family have no desire to expand the operation at the expense of the standards of welfare they value so much and have, instead, created a glamping site on the farm.

“Our birds are definitely not tame animals, but we value their health and well-being a great deal. We wanted to raise them in a traditional way not just for welfare’s sake, but to produce the very best tasting poultry we possibly can. Many of our customers have been with us since we started and it’s great to see them and hear their news when they come to see us each Christmas!” n Pat and Henry’s farming operation is Rutland Organics; see 01780 722009 or call www.rutlandorganics.co.uk.

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WEDDINGS

The Best Things

COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT! For this month’s bride Becky Adams, the best things come to those who wait. Having married fiancé Warren before the era of lockdown, her advice to anyone planning a wedding is to look forward to a 2021 in which weddings can once again take place, and enjoy every minute of your wedding planning!

Photographer: Lee Daniels, 07738 255683, www.leedanielsphotography.com.

Love and comedy both have something in common. Timing. Timing is everything, both in the respect that a chance meeting at precisely the right moment in time can lead to a lifetime of love and in the sense that the best things in life are worth waiting for.

WEDDING SUPPLIERS BECKY & WARREN ADAMS

The couple are both from Peterborough and married - before lockdown could mess up couples’ plans - at Exton’s Barnsdale Lodge.

A proposal did take a little longer but that’s OK; the best things come to those who wait, although Becky was rather more patient than her son, Xavier.

One morning when Becky was getting ready, Xavier wandered into the bedroom and proposed on behalf of Warren, presenting her with an engagement ring. Becky’s heart melted and when Warren appeared round the door smiling, she was thrilled!

“Most people look for their wedding dress of their venue first but actually the choice of photographer was our first decision... and it was an easy one.”

“Lee was a friend of a friend and had photographed our best man’s wedding.

His photos are amazing so we contacted him immediately... even before we’d set a date.”

“We went through a phase in our lives when all of our friends were marrying, and they all picked lovely reception venues.”

“I wanted to host a reception somewhere my friends and family hasn’t seen or been to before, but we also looked a Barnsdale Lodge and whilst we’d been to a wedding there before, it was just too nice to pass up.

It was just what I was looking for in the sense that the room and the bar were both in the same barn so nobody would be apart, and we could decorate it on the day before the wedding to make it our own.”

Becky met handsome Warren one night in a local pub, and if either had decided to drink up and go home early or give that night out a miss, they wouldn’t have met... right place; right time.

“We drive past our local church often, and every time he asks ‘are you going to marry daddy in that church?’”

“Our local Deeping St. James Priory Church is a really beautiful building so we wanted to marry there, but we were struggling to find a reception venue that one of our friends hadn’t chosen already.”

Wedding Venue: Priory Church, Deeping St James, www.dsj.org.uk.

Reception Venue: Barnsdale Lodge, Exton, 01572 724678, www.barnsdalelodge.co.uk.

Groomsmens’ Suits: Formal Affair, Bretton, 01733 260930, www.aformalaffair.co.uk.

Photographer: Lee Daniels, 07738 255683, www.leedanielsphotography.com.

Camper Van: Arrive Vintage, 01778 344716, www.arrivevintage.com.

Florist: Twigs & Bows, 01733 565600, www.twiggsandbows.co.uk. n

“The next thing I chose was my wedding shoes. Most brides design their outfit around their dress, but I’m a bit of a shoe-aholic!”

“I chose my dress after visiting The Wedding Room and opted for something completely different to what I expected, an A-line gown with lace shoulders and overlay.”

“The groomsmen, our Best Man, two ushers and Xavier - our page boy - chose their suits from Bretton’s Formal Affair, and opted for a silver grey and pale pink highlight colour which we carried through to the rest of the wedding.”

“Our flowers were designed by Fletton’s Twigs & Bows, and our cake was made by a family friend with six tiers and handmade sugarcraft flowers. It was beautiful!” >> 103

- WEDDINGS -

“I remember my dad standing with me at the entrance to the church and saying ‘don’t cry!’and then it was a bit of a blur!” >> “We also hired a Volkswagen Camper which looked lovely against the backdrop of Barnsdale Lodge and appeared in several of the photos. Barnsdale Lodge were great both leading up to the wedding and on the day.”

“The whole wedding day goes so quickly. I remember my dad standing with me at the entrance to the church and saying ‘don’t cry!’ and then it was a bit of a blur!”

“I’m really glad Lee captured so many amazing photos. He was incredible to work with; so calm and unobtrusive.”

“We went on a honeymoon to Mexico afterwards, which was really lovely and so relaxing. It was unusual to be away from Xavier and our daughter Violet for that long, but it allowed us to reflect on the day.”

“Warren and I were really glad that our children were part of our day and that we made sure we spent some time together, otherwise you could quite easily spend your entire wedding day without actually seeing each other throughout the day!”

“We had some lovely people to work with and we’re lucky that we had family and friends around us to celebrate the day with us. Sadly not all brides can say that at the moment with the current rules limiting the number of people at wedding, but what we can say from our experience is that it’s the people closest to you who want to be with you and want to make sure your day is the happiest of your life!” n 104

Photographer: Lee Daniels, 07738 255683, www.leedanielsphotography.com.

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BLACK to BASICS This month we’re proving that eight goes into six as we showcase a stylish range of chic black dresses from Phase Eight, ideal for festive celebrations with up to six people...

This Page: Trina Rose midi dress from Phase Eight, sizes 6-16, ÂŁ110.

Star shimmer wrap dress, sizes 8-18, ÂŁ99.

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Venus shimmer dress, sizes 8-18, ÂŁ89.

- FASHION -

Top/Left: Adamina stud knit dress, size 8-18, £130. Top/Right: Sofianne sequin fringe dress, size 8-18, £130.

Bottom/Left: Jacinta floral foil dress, sizes 8-18, £99. Bottom/Right: Glynis sequin knitted wrap dress, sizes 8-18, £130.

For local stockists see www.phase-eight.com.

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LITTLE ANGELS

A Shining Star for your

LITTLE ANGELS For Lucy Lewin and her early years childcare providers at Little Angels in Uppingham, the nursery’s 10th anniversary was a little different than expected. Happily though, the team have used 2020 as an opportunity to restructure the way they deliver childcare to provide more continuity for children and better communication for parents…

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

LUCY LEWIN HAD A VISION FOR 2020. It was to be the 10th anniversary of the nursery and a chance to unveil a restructuring of the rooms in which children are cared for, to provide greater continuity of contact, and an even happier environment for her Little Angels.

The presence of Covid has precluded this being a normal year, but it has also meant that only now are the successes of Lucy and the team’s changes becoming visible.

“Traditionally day nurseries are structured according to age,” says Lucy. “It’s very much an industry standard, a practice that’s seldom questioned; different rooms for nonmobile babies, toddlers, two to three-year olds and pre-school children.”

“But we’ve been carefully assessing our children to gain a deeper understanding of the journey that they take and we realised there was another way to structure our care.

We’ve created, instead, an environment for non-mobile babies with a three children to one adult ratio; a room for full-time children who attend for more than 35 hours a week; a room for those who attend during term times and one for children who attend for fewer than 35 hours a week.”

“The rationale is to ensure children have a continuity of peers around them, which helps foster a sense of security, and to combine the ages of the children a little to ensure that older children can have a positive influence on their younger peers.”

Lucy has a BSc (Hons) degree in Early Childhood Studies and she is an Associate Trainer for the Day Nursery Association.

images and videos of their children’s activities and they can use the system to communicate with us too.”

She is also an advisor for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on early years policy.

Hence Lucy is at the forefront of providing exceptional childcare and currently has over 150 children on her own nursery’s register.

“It’s provided more efficient, more regular and generally better communication between us and our children’s parents, and has at the same time provided an internal platform for us to share policy documents, our Operations Manual and other notices with our 16 employees.”

“We implemented the new system in January, just prior to our 10th anniversary – and it was a huge success. The difference in the children is remarkable, it’s working so well. Covid, of course, presents its own unique circumstances this year, but one or two of the changes we’ve implemented have had really positive effects.”

“To facilitate social distancing, we installed a video access system on the door, which goes against the philosophy that we’ve always had that parents are welcome to come into the nursery environment. In fact it’s ensured that the children are more able to come into or to leave the nursery without the ‘stress’ of transitioning from parent care to nursery care.”

“With a requirement to ensure social distancing, though, we feared that parents would have less contact with us as a nursery and so we also invested in an iPad for each member of staff and set up a Microsoft Teams-based system whereby parents could receive pictures and electronic updates on their children throughout the day. It’s a system that provides the opportunity to see

“So whilst Covid has been real source of disruption it has also enabled us to implement systems which mean we’re better able to communicate both internally and with parents, and to improve even further the care that we can offer our children.”

“The whole team has taken to the new systems really well and they remain absolutely brilliant. I put that down to a happy, secure work environment, ongoing professional development, and graduate led teams which are encouraged to reflect on their practice for continual self-improvement.”

“2020 has been a challenge but I can think of no better outcome for our 10th anniversary year than building on our remit to provide flexible, versatile and really high-quality care for children from six weeks old right up to the age of 11. We’re a stimulating, fun, loving and learning-rich environment, but perhaps the best compliment I could pay Little Angels is that if I were a parent, rather than the nursery’s founder, I’d be very happy indeed for my children to be here!” n

Find Out More: Find Out More: Little Angels is based at Ayston House, 4-5 Ayston Rd, Uppingham, Oakham LE15 9RL. Call 01572 823680 or see www.uppinghamnursery.co.uk for more information about the nursery’s flexible childcare.

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CHRISTMAS BEAUTY

Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh...

THIS MONTH OUR COSMETICS PAGE COMES BEARING GIFTS OF GOLD, FRANKINCENSE & MYRRH, WHICH WE THINK YOU’LL AGREE IS NICER THAN THE USUAL BOX OF CHOCOLATES AND GIFT CARD

1. All that glitters is a gold gift set from Estèe Lauder Estèe Lauder’s Christmas offering has been 10,000 hours in the making, according to the PR blurb. That’s how long it takes to curate the ‘rare power’ of the Black Diamond Truffle Extract used in the Transformative Energy Eye Cream and Energy Creme. Along with a gold eye wand and its jewellery case the set is available at good makeup counters now. £245.

2. Gold standard...

Tom Ford presents gold standard eye colour, courtesy of this new quad in its deco style packaging. This long-wearing, ultra-pigmented compact has four complementary shades providing a luxurious finish and delivering incredible shade fidelity as well as outstanding adhesion, £75.

3. Chantecaille mask...

Fine ingredients are used to create Chantecaille’s Gold Recovery Mask including 24ct gold and silk extracts. This luxurious cream features a probiotic and provides more toned, firmer looking skin, and a glowing complexion overnight, £208 / 50ml.

5. Frankincense facial cleansing from Sisley...

Sisley’s Gentle Cleansing Gel is a daily treat for your face, with a foaming formula that generates a rich lather to cleanse and purify the skin right down to the pores, with impurities and excess sebum removed for a really refreshed complexion.

Making use of frankincense, it’s non-comedogenic and soap-free, £67 / 120ml.

6. The Myrrh the Merrier with AA...

Aromatherapy Associates’s myrrh candle promises to transform your home into a sanctuary of peace and tranquility.

Aromatherapy Associates’s Relax Candle, is exquisite with its West Indian bay and myrrh essential oils, £48 / 200g.

4. Hermès fragrance...

Hermès presents this fragrance from its Hermessence range. Its emotional state is one of fresh and delicate fragrance, thanks to myrrh and wild rose, £291 / 200ml.

n All our beauty products are available from local independent stockists unless otherwise stated, please note that prices stated are RRP and may vary according to retailer.

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CHRISTMAS PERFUMES

Scents of Occasion PERFUME IS ALWAYS A FAVOURITE FOR THOSE SEEKING TO GIVE A SCENT-SATIONAL CHRISTMAS GIFT. THESE ARE OUR TOP LUXURY FRAGRANCES FOR CHRISTMAS 2020...

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1. Sensual Jasmine: Lancôme Idôle EDP, 50ml, £75.

2. Freesia, Rose: Maison Margiela Replica EDT, 100ml, £98.

3. Patchouli: Lancôme La Vie Est Belle EDP, 50ml, £66.50.

4. Orange & Jasmine Coco Mademoiselle EDP, 50ml, £85.50.

5. Raspberry & Roses: Flower by Kenzo EDT, 50ml, £55.

6. Bergamot & Vetiver: Acqua di Parma EDC, 50ml, £80.

7. Rose & Sandalwood: Kilian Roses On Ice EDP, 50ml, £165.

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8. Oriental, Woody: Tobacco Mandarin EDP, 50ml, £235.

9. Citrus and Jasmine: LV California Dream EDP, 50ml, £200.

10. Vanilla & Flowers: Armani, My Way EDP, 50ml, £75.50.

11. Frangipani & Patchouli: Loewe Ibiza EDT, 50ml, £70.

12. Freesia & Rose: Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb EDP, 50ml, £76.

13. Floral: Jo Malone Fig & Lotus Flower EDC, 100ml, £100.

14. Raspberry: Dior Absolutely Blooming EDP, 50ml, £77.50. n

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BULLEY DAVEY

Working Hard FOR YOUR BUSINESS Bulley Davey’s Stamford team – headed up by Keir Warwick – don’t just work hard to win your business, they work hard for your business...

SOME ACCOUNTANTS are like magicians.

One minute they’re there, and the next... they’ve disappeared, with the swirl of a cloak, like some elaborate stage routine.

“Having so many experts in-house means we have the breadth of expertise and the resources to call on for detailed advice.

We can offer the best of both worlds in the sense that we can offer general, ongoing, proactive advice, but also seek advice from elsewhere in the company when necessary.”

A really good trick, though, would be to read your mind... or at least, very nearly read your mind; being able to anticipate your needs before you even realise you have them and being able to provide services proactively, not reactively. It’s one of the three guiding philosophies of good practice that the Stamford-based team at Bulley Davey – Keir Warwick, Simon Baker and Rebecca Coles – are keen to maintain.

Continuity...

And for Bulley Davey’s big finale, Rebecca Coles praises the firm’s sense of continuity: “We work in small groups to ensure that there’s always at least one person in that team who is here, available - not ‘out of the office,’ or ‘on annual leave’ - and will still be familiar with your circumstances.”

Proactivity...

For their first trick, Bulley Davey’s team keep a close eye on your business and anticipate your needs in a business climate that has been especially inconstant this year.

“In accountancy, it’s short-sighted to only look back,” says the firm’s Simon Baker.

“We pride ourselves on using knowledge of your present circumstances to provide future direction. Looking at a company’s structure and its accounts allows us to spot opportunities or practices that our clients may not know exist, yielding suggestions for growth and greater profitability. Part of being proactive, too, is to encourage security through strategies like contingency planning.”

“This year has presented a unique set of circumstances. It would be misleading to suggest that businesses could have planned for or avoided any fallout from Covid-19.

But a business which has good contingency planning practices – as a good accountancy practices would advocate – has extra peace of mind amid the inevitable dips and waves that effect every business at some point.”

“As a proactive practice we’ve spent this year contacting clients and updating them on the latest news – and implications – of changing rules pertaining to furlough or Covid-specific loan and grant programmes for instance.”

“Having an accountancy firm which contacts you proactively, when something relevant to your business occurs, instead of waiting for you to ask a question, means you’re better placed to achieve the best advice and a greater degree of contact with what should be a key business resource and that can be instrumental in helping ensure long lasting financial success for your business.”

Versatility...

For their second trick, Bulley Davey can pull out of the hat a range of experts who can offer specialist advice on anything from tax to auditing, to payroll, plus wills & trusts matters and wealth management.

As well as a traditional model for delivering accountancy services with a sense of proactivity, Bulley Davey this year also launched its Virtual Finance Officer (VFO) service.

It’s ‘virtual’ not in the sense of being via video or phone, but in the respect of serving as a potential replacement or supplement for in-house staff. Services can include, the usually sub-accountancy firm day-to-day tasks of bookkeeping, and accounts, but without having dedicated staff on your payroll.

Not only does this facilitate the potential saving of a full-time salary, but having an experienced member of the Bulley Davey team covering the role ensures your accounts are right first time which can save time and money during end of quarter or end of year accounts and for VAT returns, for example.

“This has undoubtedly been a year of unprecedented disruption for businesses and sadly we fear there’s more fallout to come,” says Bulley Davey’s Stamford Director Keir Warwick. “That’s why having an accountancy firm that can serve as a real partner – proactive, concerned about your business and diligent – can really be a good asset.” n

Find Out More: Bulley Davey has offices in Stamford, Peterborough and seven other locations. With 4,000 regular clients, the company employs 120 people and was established in 1935. For more on the company’s range of accountancy and wealth management services, call 01733 569494 or see www.bulleydavey.co.uk.

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MOTORS

No Time to Lose...

As Pride goes to press, the world’s number one secret agent was supposed to grab a Walther PPK and the keys to his Aston Martin to head out on his final mission with Daniel Craig in the role of 007. Sadly the film’s release has been delayed, but that hasn’t stopped the mark mark with with aa special special edition edition of of two two of of its its cars. cars. stopped Aston Aston Martin Martin being being quick quick off of the To celebrate the release of No Time to Die and the world’s most successful product placement, Aston Martin presents its flagship 007 edition, based on the DBS Superleggera...

Words: Rob Davis.

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The Vantage-based 007 Edition costs £161,000 and has nerdy Bond details such as an embroidered radio frequency of 96.60 (FM), the Russian police frequency Bond used to evade police in The Living Daylights.

Its carbon fibre seats also feature cello ‘f-holes’ based on the film’s instrument played by Kara Milovy, and a set of matching skis are available along with a ski rack referencing the winterised AM V8 used in the 1987 film.

HAVE YOU HEARD the new Bond film theme?

It’s sung by the gloomy Millennial Billy Eilish, presumably the first sulky YouTuber in the queue at the recording studio that day.

In the past Bond films had themes by true musical legends - Shirley Bassey or Carly Simon. Now it seems they’ll let any sullen embryo who’s penned a song bemoaning the thin layer of foam on their Starbucks coffee contribute the films’ soundtrack.

If the success of the new Bond film No Time To Die is judged against its the quality of its soundtrack it’ll be a poor end to Daniel Craig’s excellent tenure as Bond. If, on the other hand, its success it judged against the secret agent’s new set of wheels, it’ll be considered a roaring success.

That’s because although 007 is still taking his DB5 out for special occasions, his daily driver is this; Aston Martin’s more modern DBS Superleggera.

And to celebrate cinema’s most successful product placement, Aston Martin has released two 007-themed special editions, one based on its smaller Vantage grand tourer and one based on its DBS. It’s a silly car. It’s not for women; they’re far too sensible. It’s not for men; even they’re too sensible. It’s for silly little boys who never quite grew up... that’s why I love it.

The Superleggera, meanwhile, will set you back an even more worrying £279,025 and just 25 examples will be made. The car features subtle 007 branding with flashes of red stitching, ceramic grey exterior paint roof, plus mirror caps, splitter, diffuser and rear Aeroblade II in black tinted carbon fibre. The 007-Edition Superleggera also has the firm’s handbuilt 5.2-litre V12 twin turbocharged engine fettled (by Q Branch?) to achieve 900Nm torque, making it the most torque-rich roadgoing Aston Martin ever produced. >>

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007 Motoring Heaven: Our Three Favourite Bond Cars...

In Ian Fleming’s novels, James Bond drove a Bentley Blower. Otherwise known as the four and a half litre, 720 Blowers were made between 1927 and 1931 and a decent example today can fetch £1.5m at auction. Bond purchased his ‘nearly new’ in 1933 and the car subsequently featured in the Casino Royale, Live & Let Die and Moonraker books, with 17” wheels and none of the optional extras that Bond uses in the film adaptations. n

James Bond’s DB5 first appeared in Goldfinger, which was released in 1964. The car was sold between 1963 and 1965, replacing the DB4. 1,059 examples were produced, with half a million pounds a realistic outlay for putting one in your own garage. Some convertible versions were made which now command over £1m.

Aston Martin is still producing ‘Continuation edition’ DB5s with modern mechanicals over the same body, created in mild steel and painted in Silver Birch. The Continuation editions feature 4.0 naturally aspirated six cylinder engines with five speed manual gearboxes and a price tag of £2.75m. n

>> Still not convinced by the car? Fine, then how about the small engraved panel which provides lasers, missiles, rocket motor and outrigger controls, as well as the allimportant self-destruct button? All controls are integrated nearly into the centre armrest which is covered in leather with a 007 buckle.

Sadly, none of the above are functional, and even if they were, imaging declaring those as optional extras on your car insurance policy... as we’ve said, this is a silly car.

Meanwhile, James Bond’s motoring history also included a 1977 spin in this white Lotus Esprit. And of course, it had a party piece in its ability to convert into a submarine at the push of a button. Believe it or not the car was actually lost for the best part of a decade. In 1989 a Long Island resident paid $100 for a storage container and whatever was contained inside. Upon opening the container, there was Bond’s Lotus, dented but intact and covered up by blankets. Needless to say when it was sold on, it was for significantly more than $100 and most recently, Tesla founder Elon Musk purchased the car for £616,000 in a London auction. n

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And yet, beyond the aesthetics of the 007 Superleggera in particular, there’s the justification that the rarity of the car should ensure it holds its value and becomes a sought-after collector’s edition even more desirable than the ‘standard’ Superleggera.

“DBS is pretty, but also delivers in equal measure on its tripleedged remit as a luxury car, with fierce performance, but also one delivering precision and nuance in its driving dynamic...”

Personally I’m not overly enamoured with special edition cars, but let’s face it, if you’re in the market for a DBS, it may as well be a Superleggera and if you’re in the market for a Superleggera, it may as well be this 007 edition... let’s not start being bashful now.

Quite beyond the 007-bells and whistles, even the standard DBS is one of the prettiest cars on the market, and serves a triple purpose, being simultaneously - and in equal measure - a luxury car, a fierce performance

car but also a car that achieves not only brute force but great precision and nuance in the driving dynamic it delivers. Double wishbone front suspension, a multilink rear axle and a wider track than a DB11 all help to provide not only power, but the means to enjoy secure handling that almost defies the laws of physics.

The youth behind the soundtrack may be mumbling dolefully, but at least the film’s cartrack sounds absolutely perfect to us! n

ASTON MARTIN 007 EDITION Price: £279,025 (deliveries Jan ).

Drivetrain: 5.2 V12 twin-turbo with 8-speed auto gearbox; RWD. Performance: 0-62 mph: 3.4 seconds. Top Speed: 211mph.

Economy: 23mpg, 285g/km CO2.

Equipment: Leather, front and rear parking sensors and camera.

Lasers, missiles and rockets, selfdestruct (NB: Some of the latter might not be completely functional...).

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MOTORS

Top Down Processing Whoever says the Germans don’t have a sense of humour?

It’s freezing cold outside, we’re about the face a harsh British winter, and BMW chooses now to reveals its new sunny-side-up convertible...

Take a look outside. Not exactly top down weather is it? So why would BMW choose this month to release their new BMW 4-Series Convertible models?

Well, perversely, convertibles are more popular in the UK than anywhere else in Europe despite our iffy climate. Also, order one now, and you’ll have it on your driveway just in time for spring, by which time you’ll be quite excited to lower the roof and enjoy some sunshine again.

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BMW 420d Convertible Price: £45,785.

If you’re leaning towards soft-top motoring, you can do much worse than a 4-Series.

For a start it has four seats and 385 litres of luggage space in the boot - for context a Ford Focus hatchback has 341 litres with the seats up - so it’s still quite practical.

Engine: 2.0, four cylinder twin turbocharger.

Performance: 0-60mph 7.6 secs, top speed 146mph.

Also, the 4-Series is a slightly sexier version of the 3-Series which means bullet-proof build quality and a great driving experience.

Interior: Leather, sat nav, heated seats, cruise and climate control. n

Still need convincing? The car is available from launch with a 2.0, four-cylinder petrol engine in 184hp or 258hp states of tune, or a 3.0V6 engine with 374hp. These are badged 420i, 430i and M440i respectively.

A 2.0 four-cylinder diesel badged 420d will also be available from launch with two more powerful diesels to follow in late 2021.

Go for the 420d. It’ll achieve 67mpg, and emit just 119g CO2, making it economical to run as well as being practical and stylish.

Other noteworthy aspects? There’s plenty of equipment as standard. Front and rear parking sensors, a parking camera, navigation, a digital instrument cluster and power roof are all standard. Add the Driving Assistance and Parking Assistant Pro and the 4-Series will even steer itself into parking spaces and accelerate and brake on A-roads and motorways... giving you more time to enjoy some wind-in the hair motoring! n

MOTORS

Extended Ghost

ROLLS ROYCE LIMO GAINS LUXURY LONGER WHEELBASE VARIANT...

ROLLS ROYCE British luxury marque Rolls Royce has launched a new longerwheelbase version of its Ghost luxury saloon.

The car offers 17cm more space in the rear, plus a Rear Serenity Suite which takes its inspiration from a business jet cabin and provides adjustable seats with heating and massage function as well as luxury headrest and an electrically

deployable footrest. The car also features a Champagne cooler with two cooling modes for operating at 6°c and 11°c for non-vintage and vintage Champagne respectively.

Happily that means rear seat passengers needn’t trouble themselves with the first-world concern that the temperature of the Champagne in their Rolls is 5° out. Phew.

The price? Over £300,000. n

Merc is in A-Class of its own

MERCEDES BENZ’S A-CLASS HATCH IS THE ONLY CAR TO APPEAL EQUALLY TO ALL DRIVERS FROM THE AGES OF 18-64...

Shogun Sport is a great value family 4x4 with seven seats...

MITSUBISHI Mitsubishi’s Shogun Sport is now one of the best value cars for those seeking a rufty-tufty, farm-friendly, 4x4 for towing and school runs.

It’s now available from £29,975 with 0% finance on HP or 2.9% APR on a PCP, and comes with three years of free servicing.

Seven seats come as standard so it’s familyfriendly and it has four wheel drive and low-range gears for tricky conditions.

The car can also tow 3,100kg, making it great for lugging horseboxes around the county. n

MERCEDES The Mercedes-Benz A-Class the only car to appear in the top 10 choices of drivers in every age bracket from 18 to 64. That’s according to the online car supermarket www.buyacar.co.uk.

The A-Class not only uniquely makes the top 10 for every age bracket, but beats every other model as the first choice for drivers aged 25 to 44.

It remains the most sought after car for all drivers up to the age of 44, it’s the sixth most popular car in the UK for the 45 to 54 age bracket and is the fourth most popular vehicle among motorists aged between 55 to 64. n

MOTORING

NEWS In Brief SUBSCRIPTION

UK MOTOR INDUSTRY MOVES TO SUBSCRIPTION BUSINESS MODEL Your next motor might not be purchased in the usual way... on HP, via PCP lease or cash purchase. That’s because the UK motor industry is beginning to introduce a subscription model for those seeking a new vehicle.

Mycardirect has launched such a service and it is a purely web-based business whereby drivers can choose from a range of vehicles, including the latest electric and hybrid cars, and can select a subscription period that suits them, from one month through to 24.

A single price includes the cost of the vehicle, tax, MOT, servicing, replacement tyres, windscreen, and optional insurance.

Delivery of your vehicle can be in as little as 72 hours and there are no upfront payments. Drivers can also swap their car during their subscription, for instance, to a 4x4 in winter and a convertible car for the summer months.

Typical prices are £610/month inc VAT for a Mercedes E-Class saloon, £899/month inc VAT for a Tesla Model 3 electric saloon car, and £1,263/month inc VAT for a Porsche Macan SUV. n For more information on the new subscription service, visit www.mycardirect.co.uk.

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DOG TREAT

PUZZLES

My own design of hand made dog puzzles...

07772 491 610 www.jbwoodcraft.biz