Rutland Pride July 2021

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WELCOME

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ummer is now in full swing, and good lord, after the year we’ve had, we could hardly dare to dream that it would come along.

Happily though, the sun is beaming and Rutland & Stamford are once again ripe for exploration. If you’re looking to get out and about for some fresh air, the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust has over 35 nature reserves to explore. This month we present our guide to some of the charity’s most interesting habitats and find out what you can expect to find out there this summer.

Also this month we’re exploring Rutland Water aboard the Rutland Belle with skipper Matthew Broadhead, and we’re waving a Union Flag in Stamford as the Battle Proms return to Burghley House, complete with cavalry, cannon and a magnificent musical score.

We’ll also meet Matthew Hoggard this month, the ex-England cricketer turned king of the grill. If you’re fed up of bad barbecues and burnt bangers, ‘Hoggy’ is here to prove how fulfilling al fresco cooking can be with some five star tuition at his grill school.

Elsewhere, we’re enjoying an open garden event for the NGS in Market Overton, we’re admiring the handiwork of landscape architect Capability Brown, we’re updating our summer wardrobe with home grown fashion brand Lands’ End, and we’re going wild for weddings in Exton with a stunning styled shoot.

Executive Editor Our best wishes for a wonderful month!

robin@pridemagazines.co.uk 3

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CONTENTS NEWS & EVENTS

FOOD & DRINK

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NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories from across Stamford & Rutland; find out why the Burghley Horse Trials will be back, bigger and better, in 2022.

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A GOOD GRILLING England cricketer Matthew Hoggard has opened a new grill school to ensure you can host the best barbecues this summer.

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WHAT’S ON Live events for July.

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FOOD & WINE Home made ice cream and high summer tipples.

HIGHLIGHTS 16

GOING WILD IN RUTLAND Find out more about the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust as we meet its CEO Tim Graham.

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BELLES & WHISTLES All aboard the Rutland Belle as we explore the water with captain Matthew Broadhead.

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GREAT LANDSCAPES Landscape architect Capability Brown, and how he’s responsible for creating some of the area’s most impressive parkland.

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BACK WITH A BANG Why Burghley House’s Battle Proms is set to bring classical music back for the summer.

HOMES & GARDENS 66

WELCOME HOME This month we look around a stunning modernist masterpiece in the Deepings.

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GARDENING This month’s NGS offering is Andrew Stewart’s stunning sculpture garden in Market Overton.

FASHION & LIFESTYLE 100 WEDDINGS An English country wedding and a surprise proposal.

108 FASHION High summer outfits with Lands’ End of Oakham.

122 MOTORING Daily drivers and a stunning sports car from Aston Martin.

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THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE AREA READ PRIDE MAGAZINE

READ

FREE ONLINE

Pride Magazine is delivered free of charge, via Royal Mail, to high value homes in the county. Our circulation is to homes in the top three council tax bands, which are predominantly worth over £300,000. This guarantees the magazine has an affluent readership commensurate with our content.

The magazine is also sold in supermarkets and newsagents and our in-house distribution team also works hard to hand-deliver the magazine to selected hotels and restaurants, doctors, dentists, executive motor dealerships and golf clubs.

This helps to ensure we have a continued presence, right across our catchment area.

Our titles also have more social media fans than any other local magazine. In addition we have over 30,000 online readers each month who view the magazine free of charge, online, on their tablet, computer, laptop or mobile phone via our website, our app, and via the Readly and Issuu platforms.

If your business would benefit from being showcased to the wealthiest people in the area, please call our friendly sales team on 01529 469977.

Amazing new app out now: You can read our magazines on any device anywhere.

Read Pride Magazine free online at www.pridemagazines.co.uk or by downloading our free iOS and Android App. LEGAL DISCLAIMER

THE PRIDE TEAM

By supplying editorial or advertising copy to Pride you accept in full the terms and conditions which can be found online at www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

In the event of an advert or editorial being published incorrectly, where Pride Magazines Ltd admits fault, we will include an advert of equivalent size, or equivalent sized editorial, free of charge to be used in a future edition, at our discretion.

This gesture is accepted as full compensation for the error(s) with no refunds available.

Selected images in our content may be sourced from www.shutterstock.com.

Managing Director: Julian Wilkinson.

Sales Director: Zoie Wilkinson.

General Manager: Ian Bagley.

Sales Manager: Charlotte Daubney.

Sales Supervisor: Cydney Dyson.

Executive Editor: Rob Davis.

Illustrator: Jocelyn Lawman.

Customer Care Manager: Mandy Bray.

Web Developer: Joe Proctor.

Administration and Office Managers: Debbie Wellington, Sami Millard, Paul Robinson-Marsh.

Pride Magazines, Boston Enterprise Centre, Enterprise Way, Boston, Lincs PE21 7TW

Tel: 01529 469977 Fax: 01529 469978 www.pridemagazines.co.uk | enquiries@pridemagazines.co.uk

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NEWS & EVENTS

Burghley set to return in 2022...

COVID CLAIMS 2021 EVENT BUT ORGANISERS PROMISE A GREAT RETURN IN 2022 STAMFORD As the last edition of Pride went to press it was confirmed that the 2021 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials will not be taking place due to Covid.

“It is with immense sadness that we announce the cancellation of the event, which was due to be held later this year from 2nd - 5th September,” say organisers. “Despite the continued easing of lockdown measures, the nationwide vaccination programme and hope within the Government Roadmap for unlocking the country, there have been and remain too many variables and uncertainties.”

“The event runs on a greenfield site; the lead time and strategic infrastructure planning all require significant investment and expenditure year on year.”

“Staging the competition element is ongoing 365 days a year, from one year’s event to

2019 winner Pippa Funnell rode to victory on Grafton Street.

the next and the contractual cancellation procedures mean that even though restrictions are easing across the country, we have to make difficult decisions months ahead of the event.”

Local food, national delivery FOOD DELIVERY COMPANY YUMMY CAN NOW DELIVER LOCAL FOOD NATIONALLY

“The severe financial implications of a potential cancellation of an event of this scale and magnitude at a late stage, without available pandemic insurance, are too great to risk for all involved.”

“We are desperately sad, but next year marks our 60th Anniversary, and despite the challenges ahead, we will be focusing all our efforts on delivering a spectacular event in 2022.” n

YUMMY The sister company of Pride Magazines, Yummy, reached its first anniversary last month and to celebrate the milestone, we’ve launched Yummy nationally, and can now provide ‘Local Yummy food, nationally delivered.’

Your order is delivered anywhere in the UK, fresh to the door, in a single consignment.

Partnering with our new national courier means we can now deliver meat from our high quality local butchers, fish from our fishmongers, fruit, vegetables, artisan bread, cheese, and speciality foods like our Smokehouse barbecue products, DIY pizzas, homemade cheesecakes and other produce, right across the country.

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Our national courier can also let our customers know when their order will be arriving and when it has been delivered. Customers can also pay a little extra to specify a delivery before 10.30am or 12 noon, or opt for standard delivery (up to 8pm).

Yummy now partners with 25 of the area’s best suppliers and has delivered over 100,000 products. We will add more speciality food products from the UK throughout 2021. n See www.yummy.co.uk.

JAMES COTTAM PROVES THAT THE GRASS REALLY IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE

BOURNE Lincolnshire’s James Cottam is helping to prove that the grass is greener on the other side, as he benefits from a boom in the popularity of artificial grass products.

Lockdown has seen sales of artificial grass boom by a whopping 185% as consumers see (and feel) the benefits of products like James’ Supersoft 35, a world away from the products that were first available in the 1970s.

“Forget those products,” he says. “Today’s artificial grass

has a realistic feel, it’s soft and thick and it’s easy to maintain.

With the right advice and a professional to install it, you’ll never need to get the lawnmower out again.”

“Modern artificial grass is easy to vacuum or sweep, it can be pressure cleaned, and it always looks consistent in its height and colour. No more weeds, no more mowing, just comfort and a realistic look!” n Call 01778 424288, see www.jamescottamflooring.co.uk or find James Cottam on Facebook.

Rutland’s new zoo opens EMPINGHAM’S BUGTOPIA SITE, GIFTED TO NEW MANAGEMENT, NOW REOPEN AS RUTLAND ZOO

Local author publishes new book set in Rutland...

HARRINGWORTH Rutland author Adam Croft has launched the third in his Rutland-based series of crime novels. In Cold Blood is the sequel to On Borrowed Time and What Lies Beneath, and features Welland Viaduct on its cover.

It’s available from good local bookshops and as an audiobook. n

RUTLAND All creatures great and small can now be enjoyed in Empingham as the owners of what was previously known as Bugtopia have gifted the site to Joanna & Jez Aldwinckle and their partners Richard Munden & Vanessa Ainsworth.

“We are absolutely honoured that they trusted us with their baby, and we want to make them proud that they made the right choice,” says Joanna.

The zoo will feature reptiles, mammals and birds and as Joanna & Jez come from an animal rescue background there will be a strong emphasis on welfare. Future plans include an exotic animal petting zoo. n

Climate Change

The grass is greener!

RUTLAND Rutland has hosted its first ever Climate Conversation, headed up by Lucy Stephenson.

“We know that lots of people around the county are keen to be involved and do their bit, which is why we’re hosting the event, to bring people together and shape Rutland’s collective response.” n

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LOCAL

NEWS In Brief OAKHAM x

Zoe takes over as Oakham’s new mayor and Town Council leader Zoe Nealson has taken over as Oakham’s new mayor and leader of the town council.

Zoe starting working with the council three years ago and as a mum of three, she says she is keen to introduce young people to local democracy.

Zoe and her wife Rachel will perform their first duties as Pride goes to press.

“I’m really looking forward to the year ahead, “I’ve met a lot of people in that time and learnt a lot about the different aspects of the council,” she says.

Councillor Jean Denyer was also elected, as Oakham’s vice chairman and deputy mayor. n 7

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CREETON, LINCOLNSHIRE Guide Price £1,650,000

Sits in a charming rural setting, less than ten miles north of Stamford, The Old Rectory was built in circa 1750 and the Victorian front was added in 1850. Further additions were added through the twentieth century to create a substantial property.

With most of the rooms spread over two floors, downstairs they are well proportioned possessing high ceilings and original features such as working fireplaces, tall sash windows with internal shutters and window seats, stone and timber floors. The beautiful garden that gently dips down the hillside provides glorious views of the surrounding countryside. Neatly clipped yew hedges contrast beautifully with mown paths.The stone barns that stand directly behind the house offer a vast amount of storage, whilst the adjacent garaging with rooms above offers excellent office space and overspill guest quarters. With fibre-to-the-premises broadband, the comfortable office is well suited to working from home.

Tel: +44(0)1780 750200 Email: stamford@fineandcounty.com

Tel: +44( 0)1572 335145 Email: rutland@fineandcounty.com

fineandcountry.com

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STAMFORD, LINCOLNSHIRE Guide Price £565,000

225 offices across Great Britain Plus 75 offices globally

In the very heart of Stamford is a terraced property set over three floors and situated within easy walking distance of the train station, schools, the highly reputed George Hotel, Burghley Park, restaurants, galleries, and everything else this cultural place has to offer. Either as a family home, or for a couple or, indeed, individual or as an investment property this is an excellent, if not rare opportunity.

Inside, there is an immediate sense of light and space as, straight ahead, double doors open into the dining room where glazed French doors lead directly onto the patio at the back. The large living room and the master bedroom are situated on the first floor and three further bedrooms and the main bathroom are on the top floor. Outside, a paved and gravelled patio area enclosed by railings and low evergreen hedging, captures some evening sun, ideal for relaxing at the end of the day and for alfresco dining. A small pedestrian gate leads to the parking space.

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NEW

UPPINGHAM

£850,000

Superb stone-built detached period property with mature south-facing gardens offering elegant, extensive character accommodation on town outskirts. Drawing Room, Dining Room, Dining Kitchen, ample Ancillary Accommodation (including Cellars), Study, 5 Double Bedrooms, 2 En-suite Shower Rooms, Family Bathroom, Garage. Energy Rating: TBC. Viewing is highly recommended.

NEW

UPPINGHAM

ONWARD CHAIN £425,000

Beautiful Grade II listed semi-detached cottage with extensive south-facing garden and brick outbuildings situated on the edge of the Uppingham town centre. The property offers flexible accommodation arranged over three levels and including Entrance Hall/Office, Sitting Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 5 Bedrooms, 3 Bath/Shower Rooms EPC Exempt.

NEW

BARLEYTHORPE

£450,000

Charming four bedroom Mews House, forming part of the converted former wing to Barleythorpe Hall, situated just 1.1 miles from Oakham, and offering immaculately presented family accommodation with open-plan Living Kitchen/Diner, Clkrm/WC, Store Room, 4 Bedrooms, En-suite Shower Room and Family Bathroom. Detached Garage, off-road Parking, south-facing Garden. Energy Rating: D.

MARKET OVERTON

Delightful stone-built character cottage offering well-proportioned and beautifully presented accommodation in a sought-after village location with views over the cricket field to the rear.

Reception Hall, Cloakroom/WC, Sitting Room , Conservatory, Dining Room, Kitchen/Breakfast Room, Utility, 4 Bedrooms, Bathroom, Large Gardens, Double Garage, Off-road Parking. Energy Rating: E.

NEW

UPPINGHAM

£585,000

A substantial, beautifully appointed modern detached family home occupying a good sized plot with dbl Garage, ample Parking and enclosed Garden situated on the edge of town. The spacious accommodation briefly comprises Entrance Hall, Lounge, Dining Room, Study, large Living Kitchen, Utility, downstairs Clrkm/WC, 5 Dbl Bedrooms, two of them with en-suite Shower Rooms, and Family Bathroom. Energy Rating: C.

£620,000

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MORCOTT

£300,000

Attractively appointed stone-built period cottage situated next to the church in one of Rutland’s sought-after villages and providing character accommodation which features exposed beams and roof trusses, latch door handles and cast-iron stove. Sitting Room, Snug/Dining Room, Dining Kitchen, Conservatory, Utility Room, Clkrm/WC, 2 Double Bedrooms, 2 Bath/Shower Rooms.

Energy Rating: E.

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Highfield House, Lyndon Road, Hambleton Set in 4.5 acres and positioned for total privacy in the prestigious village of Hambleton, Highfield House offers a unique combination of light, space and unrivalled views of beautiful Rutland Water. n Spectacular Views Over Rutland Water n 4.5 Acres Of South-Facing Grounds n Impressive Modern Design With High Ceilings And Wall-Wide Windows n 5,950 Sq. Feet Of Living Space n Close To Public Schools Of Oakham, Uppingham And Oundle n 6 Reception Rooms n 6 Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms n 100MB/s Fibre Optic Links To Large Office Suite n Good Links To London - Under 50 Mins On East Coast Mainline

Guide Price £3,500,000

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Looking for your forever home? Look no further!

VALLEY VIEW, CASTLE BYTHAM, NEAR GRANTHAM A DEVELOPMENT OF 4 & 5 BEDROOM EXECUTIVE FAMILY HOMES

£POA - CALL FOR AVAILABILITY PLOTS 3 & 6 ALREADY SOLD STC

Drawing upon the expert knowledge of our in-house designers and architects, Valley View offers six 4 and 5 bedroom executive family homes on an exclusive gated development, finished to the highest of standards and specification: an exceptional build quality that has been designed to stand the test of time. A large luxurious kitchen to accommodate the whole family designed to make the most of the exceptional valley views; plenty of spacious bedrooms and bathrooms big enough to survive the chaos on those busy weekday mornings. Not forgetting the large gardens for those gorgeous summer days.

HIGH SPECIFICATION TO INCLUDE: Oak stairs with oak newel, handrail & spindles or glass balustrades. Quartz, granite or Corian worktops and upstands.

Air source heat pump system... Plus: the reassurance of an NHBC backed 10 year warranty.

Call 01733 558505 or visit www.oakwoodhomesltd.co.uk REGISTERED DEVELOPER OTHER DEVELOPMENT LOCATIONS: ROYSTON, FOLKSWORTH, HOLBEACH...

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PROPERTY FINDERS

Is now a good time to buy property?

As we enter the second half of 2021 Kate Vincent from Garrington Property Finders seeks to answer one of the key questions being posed by many homebuyers and advises on how to best navigate this challenging market.

For many people, moving home is the largest financial decision they are likely to make and any uncertainty is unwelcome at a time of such important decision making. The mixed messages being received on the state of the economy and the precarious process of easing local restrictions leave buyers navigating a continuously changing market.

In fact, there is every reason for buyers to be optimistic and the early signs are that there is light at the end of the tunnel, with indices such as the PwC Consumer Confidence Index reporting its highest level since 2008.

So far this year, thousands of homebuyers have flocked to the market, resulting in a shortage of properties for sale and prices in many areas rising at an accelerated rate.

Equally, reports of new Covid-19 variants and the potential for local lockdowns has had a sobering effect on people’s mindsets.

Nonetheless, many buyers remain committed to progressing their plans with a new core becoming active in the hope that the frenzied market seen in the first half of the year has started to cool down.

When is it a good time to buy?

The original planned ending of the Stamp Duty Land Tax ‘holiday’ on 31st March was feared to be a ‘cliff-edge’ for the property market but instead, this perk has now been smoothed into a ‘double speed bump’ spread over the coming months. No doubt this significant tax break has played an important role in fuelling the market, but it is unlikely to be extended further. On property values up to £500,000 the temporary tax holiday

has had more of an impact on the market, whereas in the prime markets, where any saving is always welcome, it has been less of a deciding factor. Reassessment of life and housing requirements have had a far greater bearing on decisions to move.

Add to this the hope and belief that we’re returning to normality, the active return of the ‘double vaccinated’ homeowners to the market and a continued low interest rate environment then we predict a fast paced, but no longer frenzied market in the second half of the year.

So, with a less frothy marketplace, prices predicted to rise and the popularity of Stamford and Rutland continuing to grow, there are few reasons for homebuyers to hang back.

Navigating a challenging market With properties selling so quickly, sealed bid scenarios becoming commonplace and the continued challenges of accessing the best properties, many buyers are feeling the need to introduce the word ‘compromise’ into their buying vocabulary. Those struggling to secure a property are increasingly choosing to widen their search area, accept a less than perfect property or even consider looking at lower-value properties to enable them to compete with other buyers on price. Indeed, with most properties now being sold for their asking price or above, only viewing those at the top end of the budget range is likely to lead to repeated disappointment.

Kate Vincent Garrington

Acquiring off-market properties In the coming months, we are expecting to see more off-market sales as this selective invitation-only means of selling is increasingly being adopted by many sellers. This method of sale provides vendors with more control of proceedings and pricing. Therefore, it is increasingly valuable to have a buying agent on your team to introduce you to such opportunities, advise on offers and broker an agreement. Buying successfully off-market is not always about price, and a professional buying agent can help to distinguish other factors that may be pertinent to a seller in order to reach a deal.

With a buying agent on your side, you can often gain a competitive advantage through access to more opportunities and their professional guidance; this will help you to purchase in a calm and planned fashion, enabling you to make certain plans in an uncertain world.

Garrington’s consultants help buyers find and purchase properties that meet their lifestyle requirements. Their local expertise and in-depth knowledge of the property market assists homebuyers to consider a wider choice of properties and purchase more effectively.

If you are thinking of moving this year and would like further information on how Garrington can assist, contact Kate Vincent: Tel. 01780 408377. Email info@garrington.co.uk www.garringtoneastmidlands.co.uk

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LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND’S WILDLIFE TRUST

GETTING BACK to

NATURE Just before Covid hit, the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust welcomed its new CEO Tim Graham to his new role. Needless to say, the previous year hasn’t exactly been run of the mill, but Tim is confident that with the Trust’s latest projects and with its 35 reserves and 3,084 acres of green spaces, there’s plenty of opportunity for local residents to get back out and enjoy the natural world...

Words: Rob Davis.

WHAT’S THE EXPRESSION? You don’t know what you’ve got, ‘til it’s gone. That certainly appears to have been the case in the last year, with lockdown introducing an unprecedented curtailing of personal freedoms.

Suddenly, faced with the reality of not being able to venture out, to socialise or to stray far from home, many felt a sense of isolation and a sense of claustrophobia. Many, too, realised that they took for granted and missed the natural world.

Tim was born and raised in the market town of Ormskirk in West Lancashire, and after completing his PhD in Ecology at the University of Sheffield, he began a 15-year long career working for the UK’s Wildlife Trusts, spending three years as CEO of the Manx Wildlife Trust on the Isle of Man before coming to work for the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust in November 2019.

“Wildlife Trusts in the UK can keep people in touch with their local countryside and the habitats and species specific to their area.”

“We can show the importance and the benefits of conservation and we can provide education, but we also help to maintain those habitats and reserves for future generations to enjoy.”

Needless to say it was not the year he was expecting as he undertook his new position, but Tim is positive both for our local trust and for conservation more generally.

“We have a purpose, too, in terms of the professional knowledge we have in motivated conservation – knowing when and how to intervene responsibly in the preservation of a habitat or a species.”

“Conservation, alongside climate change, is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

It’s no longer seen as the preserve of ‘eco-warriors,’ but rather it’s a subject that’s now mainstream, and it’s really able to motivate people to change their habits to suit the planet.”

“As far as is ideal, nature can – and sometimes should – self-manage, so knowing how much intervention is needed is part of our work. In an ideal world we give a nudge to the natural conservation processes and help direct nature towards its own positive outcomes.”

“We sensed that people were starting to really miss the small pockets of green spaces that they’d almost come to take for granted.”

“People used to watch documentaries by naturalists like David Attenborough and just enjoy the spectacle, but now they’re watching each series with this real sense of context, that these are the environments all around the world which need protecting and preserving.”

“Trying not to over-manage an area is one part of the work that remains important to the Wildlife Trusts, but there are other considerations too.”

“Online engagement with the Trust’s activities increased a great deal and there seems to be a newly refreshed sense of appreciation and understanding for the role that green spaces play in our lives.”

“Figures like Greta Thunberg have also shown how motivated people can be when lobbying for change. So it all feels rather different now, like there’s a greater sense of motivation, with all to play for.”

Covid presented a set of really unusual circumstances for our Wildlife Trustmanaged reserves and green spaces. And the effects of the past year – both positive and negative – are reverberating around the country’s 46 Trusts.

“We’ve found that people are keen to once again enjoy going out and about,” says Tim Graham, CEO of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.

“Footfall is a real conundrum in the long term because visitors are an essential way to make conservation visible to the public.”

“They must see the work we do and understand its importance, but visitors to a site inevitably have an impact, so managing that presents unique challenges.” >>

Main: Ospreys are just one of the species synonymous with Leicestershire and Rutland and cared for by the Wildlife Trust.

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>> “The more people visit a site, the more the impact is felt, both in terms of inadvertent problems – like the wearing down of footpaths – to advertent antisocial behaviours such as littering, flytipping, barbecues and dog fouling.”

“The sites that we manage must be made available to the public but at the same time, we have to ensure that visitors take responsibility for their presence at each site.”

“Our fear was that a lack of visitors to our sites, joining the trust, renewing their memberships or purchasing coffee and cake in visitors’ centres, or tighter household budgets, might lead to a significant drop in memberships.”

“That didn’t happen, for which we’re grateful and relieved. We’ve around 16,000 members who are absolutely vital to ensure we can continue our work.”

“Our annual costs are around £2m a year, and that’s to maintain our existing sites and projects, before we think about any ambitions that we have to develop sites and embark on new projects.”

“We’re also dependent on and grateful to our 700 volunteers who work with our 38 members of staff to maintain our 35 nature reserves and 3,048 acres.”

“Their work is of huge importance and enables us to continue to find ways to provide education and engagement opportunities.”

“In Leicester, our volunteers enable us to take the ‘forest school’ experience into the classroom, for example.”

“We’ve been inspired by the way our audiences have engaged with us online during the pandemic, and so in June we’re joining with the other Wildlife Trusts to encourage the public to take part in 30 Days Wild. The project asks people to enjoy one nature challenge or experience or to perform a ‘random act of kindness’ towards nature every day.”

“Turn off the radio to listen to birdsong; take a second to appreciate the rain; pick up three pieces of litter; it could be anything, but just doing something to be in harmony with the natural world will encourage people to make time for nature. We first ran the project in 2020 and half a million people got involved.”

30 Days Wild: Random Acts of Wildness... n 30 Days Wild is The Wildlife Trusts’ annual nature challenge where the nation is asked to do one ‘wild’ thing a day every day throughout summer.

“Your daily Random Acts of Wildness can be anything you like - litter-picking, birdwatching, puddle-splashing, you name it!” says Tim.

“To help you on your way, The Wildlife Trusts will also provide you with a FREE postal or digital pack of goodies to inspire your wild month including an activity passport and a wallchart to track your progress.”

“Alongside all of these benefits, taking part in 30 Days Wild is

scientifically proven to make you feel happier, healthier, and more connected to nature.”

“One part of our mission for 2030 is to get one in four people across the region taking action for nature.”

For more information see www.lrwt.org.uk/30dayswild

Above: Tim Graham with Simon Taylor, Chief Executive of the Melton Building Society, just one of the companies benefiting from encouraging its team members to engage with local wildlife to promote good physical and mental health.

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“We’re hoping that even more people will engage with the project this year and feel the benefit.”

“Lockdown has shown that nature can play a real part in improving mental health, and so we’re also hosting a series of Wild Wellbeing Walks. These will take be facilitated in the calming surroundings of Rutland Water, so we’re encouraging employers to invest in their teams’ mental wellbeing.”

“Being outside increases our activity levels and improves our physical health. It also boosts our social and psychological wellbeing by reducing stress and anxiety, increasing positivity and self-esteem.”

As a Wildlife Trust we can connect people to their local environment. It’s good for physical health, mental health and it’s a way that we can encourage people to engage with conservation not just at an international or national level but right here in Leicestershire and Rutland.”

“My son Arlo is three and a half, and with Kate my partner and our dog, together we’ve enjoyed discovering over the past year, more than ever, that our local area has lots of places to explore and enjoy, from Rutland Water to Charnwood Forest. The positivity this provides and the difference it makes – finding solace in nature – is rewarding and inspiring. As a Trust, we want to share that with everyone.” n

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JOIN THE TRUST AND HELP TO LOOK AFTER THE COUNTY...

By becoming a member of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, you will help look after local wildlife and the amazing wild places in our area.

“You’ll support us in our work to inspire people about nature, including working with local schools and communities.”

“We care for nature reserves and deliver conservation and education work across the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland.”

“Everybody's experience with wildlife is personal, and joining Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust can help you to discover more about nature in your local area.”

“You’ll be helping us safeguard Leicestershire and Rutland’s wildlife and ensure that the next generation learns the importance of the natural world.”

“Membership provides a nature reserves guide, exclusive access to member events, a Wild Leicestershire and Rutland Magazine three times a year, and best of all, the knowledge that you are helping to safeguard the best wild places and help wildlife recover in our two counties.”

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), pink flowerhead in a wildflower meadow, at Rutland Water.

n For any queries regarding membership, of if you’d like to renew or update your contact details, please get in touch with the membership team at membership@lrwt.org.uk or call 07831 284.304

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YOUR WILDLIFE TRUST IN NUMBERS Marbled White Butterfly.

16,000 Members The Leicester and Rutland Wildlife Trust is supported by over 16,000 members.

1,000 Hectares The trust looks after 35 different nature reserves which combined cover over 1,000 hectares.

19 Sites Included in the areas that the Trust looks after are 19 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and two national nature reserves. Rutland Water is a Special Protection Area and a Ramsar site too.

46 Trusts The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust is one of 46 trusts around the UK. Collectively the Wildlife Trusts have over 800,000 members and 2,300 nature reserves.

7,000,000 UK-wide, there are over seven million annual visitors to our Wildlife Trust owned nature reserves each year.

In total, 40,000 volunteers and 2,000 members of staff keep the reserves operating and open to visitors.

124,000,000 Rutland Water’s total volume of water is 124,000,000 cubic metres.

The surface area of the water is 10.86km2.

The site is set within 3,100 acres and its perimeter is 23 miles.

1100AD It was back in 1100AD that Henry I created the Forest of Rutland, creating Leighfield Forest, which is a roughly triangular landscape of woodland stretching between Tilton-on-the-Hill, Oakham and Eyebrook Reservoir.

The land covers 594 hectares of land and comprises 23 ancient woodlands.

Charles I removed the protected status of the land in 1630 and it was subsequently sold off. Today though, there are five reserves within Leighfield, including Great Merrible Wood, Launde Big Wood, Launde Park Wood, Prior’s Coppice and Tilton Railway Cutting. n

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Fallow Deer.

Ketton Quarry.

1. Digging up wildlife in our local quarries...

Limestone is the area’s buried treasure, but what’s left behind after it’s quarried?

QUARRY OPERATIONS are common in our area, as we’re at the most easterly point of a thick band of oolitic limestone that runs from Stamford right across to the Cotswolds.

These days quarrying is typically given permission on the condition that after work is complete, the redundant sites are given back to nature. What’s left behind, then, after sites have completed their commercial lives are dramatic landscapes that the natural word reclaims very quickly.

cowslips and yellow wort. Some of the quarry’s rock faces are kept clear of vegetation in order to allow geological study.

Located near Empingham, the 1.3 hectare Bloody Oaks Quarry has over 120 species of flowering plant including chalk milkwort. Many butterfly species, lizards and the odd fallow deer are also frequently seen on the little reserve.

Ketton Quarry spans more than 27 acres and is actually still a working quarry, but parts of the site have been retired which has allowed grassland, scrub and woodland to begin to reclaim the site.

A more northerly quarry, Stonesby Quarry, just off the A607, covers four hectares, is home to orchids, scabious, cowslips and knapweed. It’s on the site that the harvest mouse was rediscovered in 1964 and since then, a small colony of glow-worms has also been recorded.

The summer months are best to appreciate the site, which rewards visitors with the marbled white, dingy skipper and grizzled skipper, plus moths and even glow-worms.

Flowers on show include the bee orchid,

Each of the three quarries in the area have also been awarded SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) status. There are just 4,000 similar sites in the UK and SSSIs account for 7% of England’s total land. n

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Pipistrelle Bat.

Fox in urban garden.

2. Woodland Habitats

3. Towns & Cities

4. Meadows in Rutland

Leighfield Forest: Rich in ancient woodlands

Urban areas are teeming with wild animals

Grassland habitats remain precious habitats

THE LEIGHFIELD FOREST LIVING LANDSCAPE is a triangular area between Tilton-OnThe-Hill, Oakham & Eyebrook, comprising 23 ancient woodlands of just under 600 hectares in total. 16 of these woodlands are SSSIs, and the area was once part of the Forest of Rutland, created by Henry I around 1100AD.

WILDLIFE is sometimes considered the preserve of the countryside, but in fact, our towns and urban enclaves are also rich in native species, most notably the red fox, which is a joy or a pest depending on your outlook... and whether you value the sanctity of your wheelie bin.

TRAGICALLY, Britain has lost over 97% of its wildflower meadows, rendering the remaining areas truly precious habitats.

In Rutland, Prior’s Coppice is a 29 hectare site near the village of Brooke. Launde Woods covers 99 hectares and Great Merrible Woods, adjacent to Great Easton 4km south west of Uppingham covers over 12 hectares.

The sites are ideal for those hoping to see spring bluebells, oak, ash, aspen and field maple trees as well as pipistrelle and brown long-eared bats at dusk. Towards the end of summer, fragrant agrimony grows in the central glades of the woodlands, whilst Prior’s Coppice in particular is thought to be home to 71 bird different species. n

Foxes will happily rummage through your rubbish and will often venture into gardens to pilfer windfall fruit from your fruit trees.

Tawny owls can often be spotted where there are tall mature trees, and are shorter than barn owls, darker in colour and more abundant.

Finally, look out for hedgehogs, which will happily feed on leftover wet dog or cat food. It’s important not to leave bread and milk out for hedgehogs, as it can cause severe diarrhoea! n Top/Left: View of Eyebrook Reservoir, a 200-hectare reservoir and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Merry’s Meadows near Greetham bequeathed the 12 hectare area, which comprises Long Field, Cow Pasture Close and Donkey Paddocks, to the Wildlife Trust. Elsewhere the five hectare Cribb’s Meadow site near Sewstern comprises grassland, two ponds and a disused railway line, creating a diverse landscape.

In the ponds, both common and great crested newts have been found. Butterflies, which feed on the herbs, include small skipper, small heath, small copper and common blue.

Incidentally, Cribb’s Meadow’s name derives from Cribb’s Lodge, and commemorates the last bare-fist prize fight in England at Thistleton Gap, two fields to the south on 28th September 1811, between Tom Cribb and Tom Molyneux. Seconds out! n 21

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Ospreys.

Rutland Water.

Red-necked Grebe.

5. The unique natural world of Rutland Water One of the most obvious sites for wildlife in the area, but the reservoir’s ecology is truly unique

IT’S TEMPTING to omit Rutland Water in a list of wildlife habitats on the basis of it being too obvious, but this 500 hectare site isn’t just well-known, it’s truly unique.

The summer months provide birds from turtledoves to cuckoos and nightingales, and in July, the young ospreys will begin to make an appearance.

The site consists of eight lagoons each designed to provide a habitat for a particular species. There are also 30 wildlife hides split between Egleton and Manton.

July is when the wader passage starts to hot up. Birds that have bred in the short Arctic summers will be heading back south, and mid-to-late summer is the perfect time to see big flocks of godwits, green sandpipers, and even spoonbills dropping in. Little stints, Temminck’s stints, curlew, wood sandpipers and more might be seen when migration begins.

Originally named Empingham Reservoir after a local village, Rutland Water lies near Oakham. It was completed in 1978 and covers 3,100 acres. At its maximum, it is thirty-four metres deep and 1,200 metres long. It remains one of the largest manmade bodies of water in Europe, and is also home to the Rutland Osprey project which was established in 2001. Rutland remains one of just three places in the UK that ospreys can be observed as the birds hatch and fledge their young.

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In the autumn months, out on the wetlands, the waders will still be gathering and the first of the winter wildfowl will arrive. The deeper areas of the reservoir might see the first divers, like great northern diver, and red-necked grebes. Ducks will begin to filter in ones and twos, before forming great rafts in the winter. n

“The site consists of eight lagoons each designed to provide a habitat for a particular species...”

With thanks to Jamie Perry and the team at the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, for more information call 0116 2629968 or see www.lrwt.org.uk.

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

“We Cannot Change the Cards We’re Dealt, Just How We Play the Hand” Throughout our working lives, most of us strive to earn a good income to provide for our families and enjoy our time. Whether we want our ‘forever home’, the ability to privately educate our children, or even be able to enjoy exciting annual holidays, earning a good income helps us to enjoy our time and lead comfortable lives. But what would happen if that income suddenly stopped? Would you be able to pay the mortgage? Could you afford school fees? Would you even be able to put food on the table?

HILST NONE OF US CAN ACCURATELY PREDICT THE FUTURE, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t consider life’s unexpected moments and protect ourselves from the unknown.

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receive an income until either you return to work, or you retire. Unlike policies sold by the banks, like PPI, it is underwritten at the point of application, not the point of claim, which means it is much more likely to pay out when you need it.

Imagine you contracted a serious illness or had an accident and couldn’t work. How would you and your family cope? You might have savings set aside for such eventualities, but would they be sufficient? And what if you needed specialist care? Would you want to compromise the security of your family’s wealth so that you could get better?

If you would like to discuss your options, or reassess any existing plans, we would be delighted to help. At Efficient Portfolio, we believe that protection is one of the most important, yet neglected, areas of financial planning and it’s something we are passionate about improving.

A quick question: Do you insure your car? I would hope that if you drive you do! I bet you insure your home, pets, holidays, and even your mobile telephones. We insure these things to protect them from the worst. Insurance means that if our kitchen caught fire, we’d have money to repair it; if our faithful four-legged friend broke their tail, we could afford to pay the vet to restore them to full health; if our holiday was cancelled, we wouldn’t be out of pocket.

So why is it that so many of us neglect to insure the most important aspects of our lives?

We protect material objects and possessions but forget about our health and our ability to generate an income.

If you take a moment to consider how much you are worth over your lifetime, you are most likely to be the most expensive asset that you own. For example, if you started earning £30,000 at age 20 and this rose with inflation each year (approx. 2.5%), by the time you retire, say at 65, you would have earned £2.5m! If you owned something worth £2.5m would

n To book your free initial call with one of our Financial Planners, please contact us on 01572 898060 or email hello@efficientportfolio.co.uk

why is it that so “ So many of us neglect to insure the most important aspects of our lives? We protect material objects and possessions...

”

you get it insured? You are darn right you would!

Income Protection is considered to be the most important piece of financial planning by the FCA, as it underpins all of the rest of your strategy. It ensures that if you are unable to work, as a result of illness or accident, you

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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THE RUTLAND BELLE

BELLES & WHISTLES Proverbially it’s better to travel than to arrive. Proving that old adage are Matthew & Sarah Broadhead, owners of the Rutland Belle, who provide around 1,000 pleasure cruises each year, for those who want to enjoy the reservoir from a unique perspective...

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

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ALL ABOARD THE RUTLAND BELLE

A PRECISION MANOEUVRE. Very impressive.

In fact, Matthew Broadhead’s easing of the Rutland Belle back into its departure point – on a pontoon adjacent to the old fishing lodge at Whitwell Harbour – is so good, the skipper makes most people’s parking skills appear somewhat lacking. And given that he’s at the wheel of a boat, not a car, that’s no mean feat... although, he concedes, he’s had the practice.

“I reckon I’ve done that 16,000 times,” he says, after we have a quick tot up. Still, his handling of the boat is quite outstanding, given that the vessel is 19 metres from bow to stern, and its beam, or width, is some seven metres.

“We really love the feedback that we get from passengers, but it’s extra special when we welcome locals on board!”

Above: Matthew Broadhead, the Rutland Belle’s wheelhouse and its five-cylinder Gardner diesel, previously used to power the British Royal Train.

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We tend to forget about attractions which are right on our doorstep, and we wonder how many Rutlanders have seen the Rutland Belle since it first graced the county’s largest pond back in 1986, but haven’t yet stepped aboard, or at the very least, haven’t done so for a few years. This year, it’s time to rediscover – or discover – the Rutland Belle for yourself.

“We make around 1,000 trips a year and our maximum capacity is 110 people,” says Matthew. “It’s probably the most enjoyable job in the county, and we really love the feedback that we get from passengers. But it’s extra special when we welcome locals on board. There are a lot more locals coming aboard since we launched our Gin Cruises, Cheese & Wine Evenings and our private cruises... I think the latter is something to do with Sarah’s catering, which I have to say is excellent!”

As for Matthew, his connection to the Rutland Belle goes back many years. In fact it was his father and mother Trevor and Joan – the former ‘boat mad,’ according to Matthew – who first commissioned the Rutland Belle especially for the purpose of providing Rutland water pleasure cruises, 35 years ago.

The oily bits and pieces below deck had proven themselves fit for royalty even before they powered the Rutland Belle, as the fivecylinder Gardner diesel engine, which generates about 72hp, had previously been employed within the British Royal Train used by senior members of the royal family.

On rail, two of them were used to generate a three-phase electricity supply, but in the

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Rutland Belle, one is used to turn the 30” propeller at the rear of the vessel to propel its 29 tonnes along the water at about six knots.

Matthew keeps the second in storage as a spare. In addition to the main propeller, there are also two bow thrusters which can nudge the cruiser’s front closer to the pontoon, allowing deckhand Dave Merrison to hop off and tie the Belle down ready for disembarkation and a fresh complement of passengers.

“It’s a unique job, there are no courses you can go on, and there’s only one Rutland Belle; it’s the only boat exactly like it in the world. So you have to learn as you go along, but I’m quite practical, so luckily I can turn my hand to maintaining it.”

Trevor had the Rutland Belle built and it launched in September 1986 when Matthew was just five years old.

“As it was being lowered into the water from the hundred tonne crane, I was sitting on the crane driver’s knee! When I was a teenager I helped out mum and dad during weekends and school holidays. Sarah and I have since taken over and he’s retired... though not before buying another boat, albeit for pleasure, not for business!”

“He commissioned the Rutland Belle, working with a marine architect and a firm of engineers based in Ollerton, Mansfield.

So whilst it’s a totally unique vessel, we know it as well as somebody who built it should.”

Speaking of which, those with a keen eye for detail might have noticed that the Rutland Belle looks a little different this season.

That’s because the position of the vessel’s wheelhouse has been changed, moved further forward.

For a few years now, Matthew and Trevor recognised that the location of the Rutland Belle’s wheelhouse, if it were relocated, would afford a few more spaces for passengers on the open air top deck.

Making such a profound change to the boat is a big job though, and only because cruises was suspended during Covid were the two men able to roll their sleeves up and re-engineer the bridge. >> 27

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ALL ABOARD THE RUTLAND BELLE

“On board there are teas and coffees, and passengers also benefit from Matthew’s knowledge of the reservoir’s highlights. Funny and informative, he delivers fact about the dam, the limnological tower, and of course, about Normanton Church, too...” >> “We relocated everything, including the wheelhouse itself, from the middle of the boat further forward, over the former glass roof, and we refitted the hydraulic steering system and the morse cables which connect the gearbox to the engine.”

“It was really complicated but it means we can now have 60 passengers on the top deck; nearly double the number we had before.”

“We sail on the reservoir from April until October, and in the autumn the vessel is lifted out of the water and then transferred to our workshops where it’s repainted and the engine is maintained. We also then obtain our yearly certificate of compliance from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.”

“In season we usually sail three times a day, but we’re expecting to be really busy this year with visitors returning to the reservoir following Covid. So for 2021, we’re going to host four sailings each day.”

The Rutland Belle usually departs Whitwell and cruises to Normanton at which point passengers can disembark or enjoy the return trip. Only occasionally does bad weather necessitate a change of route in which case Matthew’s passengers instead get to explore the North Arm of the reservoir.

Trips typically take around 40 minutes, and as we left Whitwell, it quickly became clear that the method of transport isn’t the only appeal of a trip aboard the Belle. On board there are teas and coffees, and passengers also benefit from Matthew’s knowledge of the reservoir’s highlights. Funny and informative, he delivers fact about the dam, the limnological tower, and of course, about Normanton Church, too.

“We’re also hosting gin cruises throughout the summer, which last three and a half hours and include food, live music, a quiz and of course gin from our local partners, Multum Gin Parvo. The cruises start from 12th June which coincides with World Gin Day, and along with our cheese and wine cruises, they’re really popular with locals.”

“We also work with the Osprey teams to provide cruises for birdwatching both during the daytime and at twilight. These take place from May right through to the end of August.”

“We’re very lucky not just because Rutland is one of only a handful of sites in the UK to see the birds themselves, but to have a really good team who come on board and offer us their knowledge and their passion for the unique habitat the reservoir provides. And when you’re right in the middle of the water, you really do enjoy a unique perspective.”

“Every day on the water is different. Our job really is a pleasure, because as a team, every day, we get to celebrate Rutland Water, and we get to introduce it to others, too!” n

Find Out More: Matthew and Sarah Broadhead invite passengers on board the Rutland Belle four times a day for 40-minute pleasure cruises across the water from Whitwell to Normanton. On board facilities include café and toilet. Disabled access, dogs by appointment. Call 01572 787630 or see www.rutlandwatercruises.com.

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THE STORY OF RUTLAND WATER...

n Rutland Water is the largest reservoir in England by surface, although its capacity is exceeded by Kielder Water. n Creation of the water meant flooding several square miles of the Gwash Valley. Nether Hambleton and most of Middle Hambleton were demolished and their wells were plugged as part of the ground preparation. n The water was commissioned in 1970 and was completed in 1975, it took three years, from 1975-1978 to fill. n The water is set within 3,100 acres, and at its maximum, it is 1,200m long, 34 metres deep.

Its volume is 124,000,000 cubic metres of water – 27 billion gallons of water. n The limnological tower at the centre of the water monitors water quality including oxygenation.

It automatically analyses water at six levels from surface to 110ft down. It can initiate the injection of compressed air into the water to clean it. n Water is pumped into the reservoir from the River Nene upstream from Peterborough and the River Welland between Tinwell and Stamford. It’s filled over winter and is usually full from April. n Today the reservoir’s owners, Anglian Water, pump up to 270,000,000 litres per day through thousands of miles of underground pipes to supply 500,000 people in five counties.

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

Peter Wileman FROI RSMA FRSA | Estuary Anchorage | 100cm x 100cm | Oil on Canvas

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 Please visit the website to view and purchase our artworks

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CAPABILITY BROWN’S LANDSCAPES

Capability Brown’s

GREAT LANDSCAPES His name is synonymous with the most well-established country estates in England.

His legacy is rolling parkland and rivers that meander towards expansive lakes.

Capability Brown, in the 18th century, forever changed the way that our stately homes look…

IF YOU’D GATHERED TOGETHER a few guineas in the 18th century, you’d probably treat yourself to whatever enormous country pile came on the market, or commission a grand country home yourself.

And once you’d created a place with suitably grand Georgian proportions and lavish interiors, you’d probably want to entrust the design of its surrounding parkland to the equally instantly recognisable style of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.

Brown was born in Northumberland around 1715 and died in 1783. During that time, he designed a remarkable 250 country estates of which 150 survive today. Schooled in the area he was apprenticed to the head gardener of Sir William Loraine, at Kirkharle Hall, once a vast farming estate and today a more modest country property converted into a series of galleries, craft shops and restaurants.

Kirkharle’s estate was one over which Brown effected a great transformation. But it was only after he’d ventured down here to Boston and met his future wife Bridget Wayet – Biddy – in 1744 that he spread his wings.

Brown ventured inland and joined Lord Cobham’s staff at Stowe, Buckinghamshire, where he was appointed head gardener at 26, in 1742, remaining there until 1750.

Cobham allowed Capability Brown to undertake commissions from his aristocratic friends, and soon he had designed parkland at Belvoir Castle, Burghley House and at Grimsthorpe Castle near Bourne as well as the great

English country estates of Blenheim Palace, Highclere Castle and Hampton Court.

The English religious writer Hannah More worked alongside Capability Brown at Hampton, and described how Capability Brown used grammatical metaphors to describe the features of his landscapes – commas, a colon, parenthesis or a full stop – depending on where he wanted the eye to rest.

His vernacular was smooth undulating areas of grass, belts and scatterings of trees and serpentine lakes. Favouring parkland instead of areas of formal gardens was a vast contrast to his forebears like Alexander Pope.

In addition to his eye for landscapes Brown was also a skilled water engineer and could create complex land drainage schemes for his lakes and rivers.

Capability Brown would introduce ha-has, long curved drives, boat houses and ice houses, and would alternate clumps of native trees like oak, beech and chestnut with newly imported exotics such as cedar of Lebanon, which would become his signature tree.

Capability Brown’s success would have netted him over £20m in today’s money, but though he was driven and very much in demand, he’s reported to have maintained his easy-going nature throughout his career, and he dearly loved his wife and seven children. He did, however, suffer badly from bouts of illness, not least among which was asthma, and died aged 67.

Words: Rob Davis.

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Burghley House Capability Brown’s association with Burghley House was the longest in the landscaper’s history. His transformation of the country estate’s landscape began when Brownlow Cecil, the 9th Earl of Exeter, inherited the estate in 1754.

Unusually, Brown was hired not only to update the grounds of the country estate but to create the stableblocks and the estate’s orangery, indulging the Cecil family’s passion for exotic horticulture with the use of floor-to-ceiling windows, providing excellent views of the formal gardens but also exposing to space to lots of natural light.

The restoration of the five-acre sculpture gardens in 1994 reclaimed Capability Brown’s domed ice house, limestone cliff and Swallow’s Rill, a gulley which serves as an overflow for the estate’s lake. Brown’s lake covered 11 acres; it was expanded by the end of the 18th century by the 10th Earl.

The estate’s deer park was also the vision of Capability Brown, as were the estate’s balustrade bridge and its Coade stone lions.

Pilsgate Lodges, Bottle Lodges and the Queen Elizabeth Gate were all post-Capability Brown additions, though created by landscapers like Stamford’s W Legg from around 1801.

Grimsthorpe Castle The landscape architect’s contribution to Bourne’s Grimsthorpe Castle was thought to be one of his earliest commissions, for Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster.

In 1741 the estate was remodelled with the

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CAPABILITY BROWN’S LANDSCAPES

creation of Mill Dam Pond and later in 1771, extensions to the parkland and the creation of a sham bridge over newly extended lakes.

It’s thought that the water for Grimsthorpe’s lake was redirected from springs at the ruins of Vaudey Abbey, a Cistercian monastery destroyed in 1536.

The architect’s original plans for the sham bridge was one with 11 arches of graduated heights but this seemed too ambitious for the Duke’s pockets. Nonetheless, Capability Brown’s fee was settled by the estate’s executors in 1745 with £105 (over £170,000 today) billed. Not bad for work amounting to three weeks of surveys by Brown and his surveyor Samuel Lapidge and a total of four drawings.

Two of these original drawings remain.

“The remodelling of the parkland surrounding Belvoir Castle, in 1780, was to be one of the last projects that Capability Brown undertook...”

Above: Belvoir Castle, Grimsthorpe and the Grimsthorpe Estate’s deer park.

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Brown’s other legacy for the estate, though, was the deer enclosure which remains today. His planting scheme included Scots Pine trees which would frame a view looking east towards the area of ‘God’s Valley’ to the castle.

Belvoir Castle

The remodelling of the parkland surrounding Belvoir Castle, ancestral home to the Duke of Rutland, was to be one of the last projects that Capability Brown undertook. Alas, the 4th Duke of Rutland had extensive debts and so work stalled along with his finances.

Commissioned in 1780, just three years before Capability Brown’s death, the landscape architect’s vision was never realised in time, and the Duke himself also died in 1787.

Capability Brown’s plans were lost, only to be rediscovered in 2015 by the Emma, Duchess of Rutland just a couple of years after she embarked on her own project to restore 500 acres of woodland.

Searching through the castle’s archives, the Duchess was astonished to discover the original documents and after verification by garden historian Steffie Shields, the Duchess finished the landscape that Capability Brown never got to complete, also writing a book about the project, Capability Brown & Belvoir, and partnering with Alan Titchmarsh who filmed the project for his Titchmarsh on Capability Brown series.

Brown had the estate surveyed, and advised on improvements to the house and estate, charging just over £500 in total (around £750,000).

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His original plan for the landscape included creating lakes, huge new woods, planting clumps and belts of trees and major earth works, such as smoothing out the castle mound and building an embankment to link it to a nearby hill.

Rather than moving the nearby village of Woolsthorpe to improve the view, he incorporated it into his plan, partly screened by trees. He proposed new pleasure gardens, but kept the existing formal Tudor gardens, canal and wilderness.

Brown also planned to create a ‘chase;’ open land for hunting, and reinstated Belvoir’s free warren, for hunting with hawks, which would reflect Belvoir’s medieval past.

At the time that the work was undertaken, the estate covered 3,928 acres, and Brown was to charge the duke £196 (around £320,000) to oversee the implementation of his plans as well as a further £300 (£440,000) for proposed improvements to the Castle itself and for his journeys to Belvoir Castle.

By the time the 5th Duke came of age, his forebear’s debts were repaid and the family fortunes improved. Most of the perimeter belts of trees and some woodland had been planted by the turn of the century.

In 1788 three clumps of trees were planted, including Holywell Wood. The planting there is in Brown’s style, with clump of oaks in the centre of a ring of beech and horse chestnut

trees, but there is no evidence that the design was Brown’s. The embankment that Capability Brown proposed was probably the last element of his plans to be implemented prior to the Duchess’s 21st century work, but the current Belvoir Castle dates from 1801 and was mostly completed by James Wyatt, and

by Sir John Thoroton in 1816 to repair damage by rioting Luddites.

Wyatt’s own plans for Belvoir are probably the reasons that Capability Brown’s designs were put on the shelf where they remained in the archives until The Duchess rediscovered them, in a timely fashion, just a year before celebrations for the 300th anniversary of Capability Brown’s birth! n 35

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Six eco-chic luxury treehouses, built around private secluded lakes, near Woodhall Spa...

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NEWS & EVENTS

What’s On...

ROCKINGHAM

STAMFORD

THURSDAY 1st JULY

THROUGHOUT JULY & AUGUST

MACBETH AT ROCKINGHAM CASTLE

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST A beautiful setting, great production values and open air theatre in the sunshine!

This year, Stamford Shakespeare Company is hosting the playwright’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, plus Humble Boy – loosely based on Hamlet and replacing an intended run of Romeo & Juliet (which proved too problematic to rehearse amid Covid) – plus The Importance of Being Earnest

by Oscar Wilde. See website for dates and times. n Pictured is Oscar Wilde’s Importance of Being Earnest, tickets £14.50-£19.50, call 01780 756133 for details or see www.stamfordshakespeare.co.uk.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the UK’s premier all male theatre company – with direct links to the history of William Shakespeare – invites you to join them on Thursday 1st July at Rockingham Castle for the breathless and brilliant tragedy, Macbeth.

Take along a chair and a picnic, and enjoy watching Shakespeare as he intended it to be performed; in the open air, by an all male cast with Elizabethan costumes, music and dance. Book early to avoid missing out! n Gates 6.30pm, performance 7.30pm, tickets £16/adv.

Rockingham Castle, LE16 8TH 01536 770240, or see www.rockinghamcastle.com

Image: Nick at Red & Round.

My my! It’s an ABBA Tribute!

SATURDAY 24th JULY

KILWORTH HOUSE PRESENTS A BRILLIANT TRIBUTE TO ABBA WITH THREE COURSE SUPPER AND MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT

MY MY! ABBA, THE CONCERT

KILWORTH

A wonderful West End quality tribute to Abba. This tribute show pays homage to the original Swedish sensations the show captures Abba’s great sense of fun, recreating their incredible unique sound and combining this into a fun filled evening of sing-along magic! Featuring unforgettable hits as Waterloo, Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen. n Tickets £75 inc dining, from 6.30pm. Kilworth House, LE17 7JE, call 01858 881939 or see www.kilworthhousetheatre.co.uk.

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Send your press releases and events to: the Features Editor via editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

GRANTHAM

17th - 18th JULY

THE BELVOIR CASTLE FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW 2021 An enjoyable weekend of colour and inspiration for those with a love of gardening.

Some of the UK’s finest nurseries and growers provide plenty of opportunities to purchase something special for your garden.

The wonderful show gardens and borders will inspire you with their design and planting combinations. Sculpture artists, tools, garden furniture, and crafts, plus, there’s a music stage, a range of foods and refreshments and the ‘Lets Talk’ area with experts like Jonathan Moseley on hand. n Belvoir Castle, NG32 1PE. £15/adv, call 01476 871001 or see www.belvoircastle.com.

See Anton & Giovanni, live!

‘HIM & ME’ IS A SENSATIONAL NEW SHOW WITH ANTON DU BEKE AND GIOVANNI PERNICE TEAM UP TO PRESENT A STRICTLY-INSPIRED SHOW...

OAKHAM

EXTON

FRIDAY 2nd JULY

SUNDAY 11th JULY

THE CANTERBURY TALES AT OAKHAM CASTLE

PIMM’S & GAMES ON THE LAWN AT BARNSDALE GARDENS

Theatre group Green Matthews present six of the best-loved tales, told in a variety of styles.

Taking visual inspiration from medieval mystery plays and complete with a touring set which has been specially constructed to resemble a medieval travelling theatre, the three-man cast use drama, verse, physical theatre and song to bring Chaucer’s characters to riotous life, telling tales packed with colourful characters and strange situations. n Tickets £12/person, from 7pm, Oakham Castle, call 01572 757578 or see www.oakhamcastle.org.

LEICESTER

WEDNESDAY 7th JULY

ANTON & GIOVANNI: HIM & ME LIVE Strictly Come Dancing professionals Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice join forces in 2021 for their first ever tour together; Him & Me. Ballroom King and the two-time Guinness World Record holder Anton will be joined by a world class cast of dancers and singers.

A true dance extravaganza, rescheduled from 2020 with audiences eagerly anticipating a little Strictly magic to brighten up the summer!

Fun on the lawn, with lots of retro games to play and Pimm’s to sip. You can also enjoy 38 mini-gardens over an eight-acre site in full summer technicolour! n 12 noon until 4pm at Barnsdale Gardens, Exton, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8AH. Call 01572 813200 or see www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk.

Anton joined the show upon its launch in 2004. From then, the ballroom and Latin dancer partnered with the likes of sporting coach Judy Murray and supermodel Jerry Hall, and first reached the final with Katie Derham in 2015.

Born in Sicily, Giovanni Pernice joined Anton on Strictly in 2015, making his mark reaching the final with actress Georgia May Foote in his first series. In 2017, he repeated that success with presenter Debbie McGee. n Tickets £42, from 7.30pm, Curve Theatre Leicester, LE1 1SB. Call 0116 242 3595 or see www.curveonline.co.uk.

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THE BATTLE PROMS AT BURGHLEY

The Battle Proms at Burghley

BACK WITH A BANG With a rumble of the cannon, the roar of the Spitfire and a defiant ‘huzzah!’ as the cavalry charges, with swords drawn and with England’s finest Georgian town in the background, we are once again invited to enjoy a hearty banquet of classical music and al fresco fun this month, with the much-awaited return of the Battle Proms annual picnic concert at Burghley House...

THE BATTLE PROMS are back and whilst caution – not complacency – remains the order of the day, and though we’re still not ‘out of the woods,’ we can at least be ‘in the parkland.’

And in the parkland (at least the parkland of Burghley House) is a great place to be this month, with the return of JSL Productions’ Battle Proms event, one of five events taking place at illustrious country piles like Highclere and Hatfield, Ragley Hall, Blenheim and of course, Burghley House, too.

And thanks to the Battle Proms team’s careful planning for safe and spacious concerts music lovers and picnic fans are packing up the hampers ‘n’ champers and preparing for the summer celebration we’ve all been waiting for.

For the uninitiated, the events are each centred around an al fresco classical music concert. Patrons are invited to bring along a picnic and a few bottles of fizz, then get to the event (and into the spirit) at around half three when the gates open.

From 6.15pm you’ll be able to enjoy a Napoleonic Cavalry Display with skill at arms performed in full regalia. A little later on, the British Army’s parachute regiment –

the Red Devils – ‘drop in’ and at 7pm, prior to the musical programme, there’s vintage vocals from the ‘Battle Proms Belles.’

“Since 2005 the annual Burghley House Battle Proms Concert has taken place in a stunning parkland setting overlooking the grand Elizabethan architecture of this popular Stamford landmark,” says the Battle Proms’ Event Director Adam Slough.

“A real highlight of the social calendar, The Battle Proms should have celebrated their 16th summer at Burghley last year so fans of the event will be delighted to hear that the Burghley House Battle Proms will be returning this summer, on 10th July.”

“We missed our wonderful audiences and the team at Burghley last year so we’re very excited to return! We know everyone wants to celebrate with family and friends this summer more than ever, and a Battle Proms concert is the perfect opportunity to gather friends and family to enjoy a quintessentially British ‘Party in the Park.’”

“Regular Battle Prommers will know that our unique picnic concerts offer a spectacular and memorable night out, but they will probably be wondering if things might look a little different this year.” >>

Words: Emma Dexter.

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THE BATTLE PROMS AT BURGHLEY

>> “While we were encouraged by the move into step three of the government ‘roadmap’ on 17th May, we know that things can change and the safety of our audience, staff and volunteers are our top priority.”

“Our team has been working hard behind the scenes and are ready with a set of Covid-19 safety measures to ensure that our audience can celebrate in confidence with us this summer. We’re lucky that our beautiful and spacious open-air setting means that we can plan for a safe, socially distanced concert without compromising the Battle Proms magic that our audience know and love.”

“The Battle Proms features a full orchestral performance including a full complement of 193 live firing Napoleonic cannon – a Battle Proms speciality!”

Above: The Grace Spitfire and cavalry displays.

Capacity has been reduced from its usual 8,000 to 4,000 in order to facilitate social distancing so early booking is highly recommended.

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“We are currently planning to have just 4,000 visitors this year (we usually attract in the region of 8,000) as well as increasing our auditorium size to allow for comfortable social distancing. Among other changes, we are opening our gates earlier to allow for smooth, socially distanced concert entry, and we will be providing hand sanitising stations, spacing out all facilities and we’ll provide stewarded seating to ensure your party is comfortably distanced from other members of the Battle Proms audience.”

“We have even created a system to reduce queues by allowing our audience to pre-order their programmes and flags, which any loyal Battle Prommer will tell you are essential kit for a night at the event!”

“We do anticipate that our arrangements will need to adapt as the concert date approaches,

but we want to assure all our loyal followers and anyone considering joining us this summer that The Battle Proms will still be taking place at Burghley House and it will be an incredible, memorable and safe way to celebrate with family and loved ones this summer.”

The Battle Proms features a full orchestral performance by the New English Concert Orchestra. While the orchestra will be slightly smaller this year to allow for social distancing on stage, they have lined up yet another programme of soul-stirring classical favourites, including the 1812 Overture and Beethoven’s Battle Symphony, performed with the full complement of 193 live firing Napoleonic cannon – a Battle Proms speciality!

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An annual highlight for many Battle Prommers, the iconic Grace Spitfire will once again perform a choreographed aerial display to the opening pieces of the orchestral performance, including Elgar’s moving Nimrod.

“There’s a family-feel to The Battle Proms and that’s not just amongst the crew and cast behind the scenes, but every single one of the Battle Prommers who come along year after year,” says Pam.

In recent years the Battle Proms audience has also been treated to toe-tapping vintage vocals featuring the talents of Lizzie Deane, who last year formed ‘The Battle Prom Belles,’ an Andrews Sisters-style act which will finally get to perform their set of sing-a-long favourites. Popular BBC Presenter Pam Rhodes has been The Battle Proms’ Compère for several years, and is now almost as famous for her sparkly stage jackets as her TV presenting roles!

“The impact of Covid hit everyone in different ways, but not to be able to meet up and share the spectacular, joyful, musical, magical Battle Proms concerts last year was a real disappointment for us all.”

“But we’re back, delighted to re-join our Battle Proms friends to munch picnics, shed a tear at the dancing Spitfire, cheer the guns, sing along with the melodies and have a fantastic time together!”

“We are delighted to welcome back the Battle Proms Picnic Concert this summer,” Burghley House’s Director of Commercial Visitor Operations, Philip Gompertz, says.

“Last year, the park felt empty without being able to host our usual schedule of events and we are very much looking forward to the return of the Battle Proms to kick start the celebrations with music, fireworks, Spitfire, canons and cavalry!” n The Battle Proms at Burghley House will take place on 10th July 2021, gates 3.30pm.

The usual capacity of 8,000 has been halved to facilitate social distancing, so early booking is recommended. Tickets £48, see www.battleproms.com or call 01432 355 416 for enquiries.

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William Shakespeare’s

Love’s Labour’s Lost Charlotte Jones’

Humble Boy Oscar Wilde’s

The Importance of Being Earnest Dennis Kelly’s

DNA

TOLETHORPE HALL 8 June – 28 August 2021

We are thrilled to be opening our doors once more and look forward to welcoming you back. As the sun slowly sets, enjoy a picnic in the beautiful grounds, then take your seat, protected from summer showers, and see a stage like no other.

The Sunday Times For 10% off ticket price use code TOLESTPRIDEJ

Box Office: 01780 756133

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BAREFOOT RETREATS

GET AWAY in

LUXURY A luxury short break or seven-day getaway, with no airports, no hassle and just a couple of hours of travelling!

Enjoy laid back luxury in North Norfolk with Barefoot Retreats’ portfolio of beautiful holiday retreats.

Zoe Fuller introduces her pick of the properties...

Words: Rob Davis.

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1. Turandot, Titchwell A modern property ideal for keen birdwatchers

Puccini’s Turandot may be known for its soaring arias – not least Nessun Dorma – but the vibe at Titchwell’s Turandot is altogether more relaxed. The modern property has four bedrooms and a comfortable, light and spacious open-plan living area.

Sleeping up to eight people, it’s ideal for family get-togethers, but also for keen birdwatchers, given the property’s proximity to the area’s RSPB reserve.

Highlights of the property include an enclosed garden, parking for four cars, smart TVs and an Xbox games console, plus a wood-burning stove.

Above: An enclosed garden and terrace with bi-fold doors to the living area provide plenty of space for al fresco entertaining during your short break or seven night stay.

Left: Turandot has a lovely open-plan living area with a well-equipped kitchen and troughs of fresh herbs.

Keen cooks will appreciate the Mieleequipped kitchen and the herb troughs enabling you to snip fresh some fresh herbs to enjoy with supper. n Turandot is available for seven night stays £2,050, and for short breaks at £1,640.

The property sleeps eight and dogs are welcome.

2. Enjoy the company with family and friends in a Grade II converted watermill The Watermill in Burnham Market sleeps 10 people - so there’s plenty of room for friends and family, plus wonderful period style A stunning property, this former watermill was constructed in 1737 and is located on the River Burn. Grade II listed and renovated following a conversion into a family home in 2001, it now has six en suite bedrooms, arranged over four floors, with lots of exposed mechanical parts from the mill machinery on show plus chunky beams, timbers and flagstones inside. It’s located adjacent to the millpond and the former boathouse on the side of the property now serves as a private dining room.

“The Watermill offers real character, and a completely unique experience for its guests.

Groups of friends and families will be equally overjoyed with a stay here and it will certainly be holiday to remember!” says Zoe Fuller of Barefoot Retreats. n The Watermill at Burnham Market is available for seven nights for £4,100, sleeps 10 with dogs welcome.

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SUMMER BREAKS WITH BAREFOOT RETREATS

3. All aboard, for a stay in this quirky carriage...

A restored railway carriage last used in 1952, now available at The Railway, Burnham Market

If you’re after character, you’re on the right track with The Carriage, an annexe next to The Railway, one of Barefoot Retreats’ newest properties.

“Departing for its final journey in 1952, the carriage has since been restored to its former glory and was converted in 2021,” says Zoe. “It has received the care and attention it deserves including complete renovation and decoration of the external woodwork, treatment and decoration to all the furniture, fittings and also the wooden flooring.”

“The carriage has a double bedroom and has been thoughtfully styled to maintain its character and charm.”

“At the front of the carriage, you will find the large walk-in rainfall shower, complete with a deep copper sink and copper fittings... we even managed to restore the original sink as it was to beautiful to not use!”

Creature comforts include a coffee machine, and a landscaped garden with hot tub. n The Carriage at The Railway is based at Burnham Market, seven nights £1,505; short breaks £860. Sleeps two, dogs welcome.

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SUMMER BREAKS WITH BAREFOOT RETREATS

4. Reunite with family or friends at Hope House A beautifully restored Grade II listed former school, Hope House can accommodate 16 guests

After a long-awaited transformation, Hope House in Snettisham is now available for visitors hoping to gather among friends and family for a reunion in North Norfolk. With eight bedrooms – three super king, three king and one twin – there’s plenty of room, and there’s a games and cinema room too.

“Hope House is a 19th century former boarding school. It’s been the subject of a beautiful restoration, and is centrally located in the village of Snettisham,” says Zoe. “You’re within walking distance of two renowned eateries; The Old Bank which is

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a Michelin star bistro, and also The Rose and Crown which is an award-winning gastro pub!”

“The village of Snettisham is situated on the North Norfolk coast, just a few miles from the royal residence at Sandringham and boasts a superb RSPB reserve and Snettisham Park Farm, a working farm offering fantastic family days out.” n Hope House is located in Snettisham and sleeps 16. Dogs are welcome and both seven night stays (£4,300), and short breaks (£3,440) are available.

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5. Kempstone Manor Luxury farm stay for up to 15... with a pool too!

Space to relax and reunite! Kempstone Manor Farm is based at Litcham, set centrally in grounds of 40 acres, surrounded by 800 acres of farmland. The farmhouse is a particularly attractive Georgian property dating from 1794 with later alterations and additions.

The main house can accommodate up to 15 people thanks to its seven bedrooms, and there’s a separate two-bedroom cottage as well. There’s an indoor swimming pool complex, steam room, gym, tennis court and croquet lawn, plus beautiful views with formal gardens, and an orchard.

The property’s games room/den is perfect for children and teenagers with multicolour disco lighting, table football, pool table, and a Yamaha drum kit! n Kempstone Manor Farm is available for seven nights, prices £13,000. Dogs welcome.

Above: Kempstone Manor Farm offers luxury accommodation with a swimming pool complex, sauna, and gym. The property is set within grounds of 40 acres.

6. Page Cottage A beautiful cottage for four in Docking

Beautifully renovated and sympathetically modernised, Page Cottage is ideal for a family of four, or a ‘couple of couples,’ providing two double bedrooms and an enclosed garden. There’s an open plan living space, a stylish kitchen plus a cosy sitting room with wood burning fire.

Docking is centrally located in North Norfolk, and allows for easy access to the coast and surrounding villages such as Sedgeford, Hunstanton, Thornham.

From Page Cottage, you’ll be able to enjoy easy access to many stunning beaches, wide open spaces, spectacular coastal walks, an abundance of wildlife, award-winning restaurants and plenty of unique, independent shops to discover. n Page Cottage is located in Docking and sleeps four. It’s available for seven nights £771 and for short breaks £620. One dog welcome.

Find Out More: See www.barefootretreats.co.uk and plan your short break at one of the company’s laid-back luxury holiday retreats in North Norfolk. Alternatively, call 01485 512245 for some help choosing the perfect place for your summer getaway. Please note prices are estimates based on May-Sept prices. Early booking is recommended for spring and summer 2022.

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HOGGY’S GRILL

A GOOD

GRILLING SOS: Save Our Summer! If bad barbecue food ends up being a burning issue during your summer, enlist England cricketer turned BBQ-guru Matthew ‘Hoggy’ Hoggard to provide you with a masterclass in al fresco grill cooking!

Words: Rob Davis.

MORE SINNED AGAINST THAN SINNING. That’s my own assessment of barbecue food prepared by us Brits. Unlike many men who tend towards overconfidence at the grill, I happily acquiesce to my uselessness when it comes to barbecues.

Whatever I try to cook al fresco is burnt on the outside, raw in the middle and generally quite miserable.

Barbecue food can, however, be glorious – when its cooking is well-executed – so it’s with much happiness we can this month introduce Matthew ‘Hoggy’ Hoggard, who’s here to rescue summer and provide expert advice on the subject at his new al fresco cooking school, Hoggy’s Grill.

Recognise the name? You should. Born and bred in Yorkshire, Hoggy proved to be a talented England cricketer having left home at the tender age of 17 to serve as a fast bowler for the Pirates in Johannesburg.

“The British refer to outdoor cooking as barbecuing, but it’s more correctly known as cooking on a grill. Cooking al fresco in South Africa over there was common,” says Hoggy. “I don’t know if it’s the climate, or the culture, greater enthusiasm, or more practice… but Australia, South Africa and America are all cultures that enjoy more success when it comes to cooking on a grill. And countries like India have variations on grills like the tandoor

oven. During my time travelling the world as a cricketer, I jumped on any chance to cook outdoors, and I had people around me who were equally enthusiastic.”

Hoggy made his debut and played professionally for England from 2000 to 2008.

During those years he’d spend the summer months here in England and winter overseas, typically in warm climates… which furthered Hoggy’s opportunities to hone his outdoor cooking skills.

The physical toll that fast-bowling takes on the body, though, is enormous.

Physiotherapists reckon that seven times Hoggy’s body weight (about 15 stone) goes through his knee during an 85mph bowl, and so at the age of just 31 – and after a few injuries – he was forced to retire earlier than he would have liked.

“The problem as, I’m a do-er, not a watch-er, though!” he confesses. >>

Above: Former England cricketer turned barbecue guru, Rutland’s Matthew Hoggard is here to save your summer with delicious al fresco grill dishes as well tuition and tips for creating the best barbecue cuisine.

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BARBECUE MASTERCLASSES

>> “I tried commentary and training but I just couldn’t bring myself to pursue a career in cricket unless it was actually playing the sport.”

“I’ve always been a keen cook at home, and in 2013 I appeared on Celebrity Masterchef.

I reached the quarter-finals and really loved the experience. So, I had in mind that doing something food related in the next stage of my life would be good, but I didn’t want to be tied to just a single restaurant.”

“For a while I had the idea that I could teach people how to cook food properly on a grill, but with after dinner speaking functions and appearances still filling up my diary, I always seemed to have a good excuse not to progress the idea.”

“2020 came along and I was ready to start the school, but then Covid hit. Philosophically, it was probably a blessing and a curse for the school, in the respect that it was frustrating to open and then close the school amid lockdown, but it did enable us to soft-launch the business.”

“With lockdown now easing, and with some experience under our belt, and with the school all set up too, we’re now ready to open the school fully and provide our Grill School classes to share my passion with anyone who wants to learn the art.”

Hoggy’s school is located at Rutland Water Garden Nurseries. Once restrictions are over, between 12 and 20 people at a time will join Matt for either his Basic course and his Gourmet course – which are held on alternate Saturdays – plus his ad hoc courses, which will specialise in creating the ultimate burger, preparing fish or creating vegetarian dishes on your grill. >>

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HOW TO COOK A PERFECT STEAK... n It is so important to source good quality meat. Our ethos at Hoggy’s Grill is always to shop local; your local farmers and butchers need you now more than ever before! Rib eye is my personal favourite cut! n Don’t choose thin steaks; you need at least 1” thickness. n Allow the steaks to reach room temperature; this generally means taking them out of the fridge about an hour before you want to cook them. Sprinkle with salt on each side. n Set up your grill for direct cooking over hot coals. You can create the infamous sear lines on a cast iron grate but this is for aesthetics only.

It doesn’t improve the flavour.

I use sustainable, lumpwood charcoal. Too many garage forecourt charcoals are full of chemicals. n Place your steak directly onto the grill. For criss-cross sear marks place at ten to two and then ten past two after half the cooking time, per side. n In terms of timings: two and a half minutes for a rare steak (52°-55°c internal temperature); three and a half minutes for a medium steak (55°-60°c internal temperature); four minutes for a medium/well done steak (60°-65°c internal temperature); and five and a half minutes for a well done steak (65°-69°c internal temperature). n Using a meat thermometer removes all the guesswork from cooking steaks and I also like to baste the cooked sides with melted garlic butter (you can infuse the butter with any flavour). And if some of the butter happens to slide off and hit the coals, so much the better as this will create a nice flame. n Rest the steak in a warm place and utilise this time to add more seasoning if desired. n Serve with your absolute favourite side dishes. Mine is triple cooked chips. Sarah insists on homemade onion rings and our son Ernie is a blue cheese sauce fiend!

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BARBECUE MASTERCLASSES

>> The Basic and Gourmet courses are four hours in duration, from 10am-2pm, and each sees students creating a three-course menu.

Naturally participants can eat what they create, and there’s tea, coffee, wine, beer and soft drinks available. The courses take place under cover in case of bad weather, but Hoggy occasionally moves the class out into the open in the event of British sunshine.

The workhorses of the grill courses are Hoggy’s Kamado Joe, Broil King, Traeger, and Napoleon grills, which can be used with wood, charcoal or pellets. Gas barbecues are also covered and at the beginning of each course, Hoggy offers his guidance on the benefits and cautionary notes of cooking on each fuel. There are cold and hot smoking vessels at the school too and Hoggy will not only lead a demonstration of the preparation of each three course menu, but offers general advice on how to get the best from your grill, whatever you’re cooking.

“Patience is a virtue, and many British people light their grill, get it really hot, then begin to cook immediately,” says Hoggy. “The result is food that’s singed on the outside and not cooked properly inside. Getting your grill hot before you want to start cooking will ensure you’re cooking on coals, not flames, which is more consistent.

“But it depends what you’re cooking and on what fuel. It’s a misnomer that you need to light a barbecue two hours in advance... in fact, some charcoal grills lit with a chimnea can be ready to cook in 15-20 minutes.”

“Conversely, people turn on a gas grill and consider it ready to cook immediately. In fact, you need to let the grill itself heat up, especially if you’re cooking steaks, which are best when seared.”

“It’s a good idea to create different heat zones to provide you with the opportunity to cook over direct or indirect heat. Also a meat thermometer takes the guess work out of cooking, which will enable you to recognise when you’re cooking ‘high and fast’ or ‘low and slow. It’s a way of cooking to temperature, not to time.’”

“Using a lid wisely, too, is important for ensuring a more even cook. There are so many tips and hints that our courses can impart to help you get the most of from your barbecue.”

“Too often we think of grill cooking as being limited to just burger and bangers. In fact, dishes like my grilled lobster tails and my vegetarian and vegan dishes will help you to get more from your grill and enjoy cooking outdoors all summer long! Come along to one of my courses and I promise I’ll change the way you think about your grill!” n

Find Out More: Husband and wife team Matthew Hoggard and Sarah Hoggard run Hoggy’s Grill, the area’s outdoor cooking school based at Rutland Water Garden Nursery, LE15 8RN. Basic and Gourmet courses are held on Saturday mornings throughout summer, from £120/person including three course dining.

Pre-booking is essential, call 07917 207665 or see www.hoggysgrill.com for details.

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on the MENU FROM HOGGY’S GRILL BARBECUE COURSE, £120/PERSON

Starters Griddled flatbread with garlic halloumi.

Served with tomato, mandarin & avocado salsa.

Main Courses Seared ribeye steak.

Smoked free range chicken breast.

Chargrilled Mediterranean vegetables.

BBQ hassleback potatoes.

Desserts BBQ rum & caramel bananas with vanilla ice cream.

FROM HOGGY’S GRILL GOURMET REPERTOIRE £170/PERSON

Starters Handmade grilled flatbreads & king prawns served with a mango salsa.

Main Courses Reverse seared ribeye steak.

Chargrilled lamb cutlets.

BBQ hassleback potatoes.

Grill asparagus.

Hoggy’s chimichurri.

Desserts Madeira marinated griddled peaches with mascarpone.

NB: Places on each course include three courses, tuition and dining plus drinks.

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In the KITCHEN Something to trout - sorry, shout - about this month as we present a delicious mid-week meal using local trout caught at Rutland Water...

TROUT & DILL FISHCAKES With Capers and Broad Beans Preparation time: 30 minutes (inc chilling time). Cooking time: Five minutes.

280g Rutland Water trout • 400g Mashed Potato • Five salad onions, finely chopped 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped • 35g cornichons, finely chopped ½ x 20g pack dill, snipped • 2 lemons, 1 zested and juiced, the other in wedges 1 tbsp olive oil • 220g Round Beans and 150g Broad Beans, steamed, to serve Preheat the grill to medium-high. Place the trout on a foil-lined baking tray and grill for eight minutes. Set aside to cool, then thickly flake, discarding the skin.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed potato with the salad onions, capers, cornichons, dill, lemon zest and two tbsp juice. Fold through the trout, shape into eight cakes and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Gently cook the fishcakes in two batches for 4–5 minutes on each side until golden brown and warmed through.

Serve the fishcakes with the steamed vegetables and lemon wedges. n

Recipes & Dishes: Thousands of recipes can be found at www.waitrose.com/recipes

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In the KITCHEN There’s nothing better than enjoying a couple of liberal scoops of ice cream on a hot summer day... and if you eschew the supermarket in favour of making your own, you can really reap the rewards in terms of flavour...

HOME-MADE ICE CREAM Preparation Time: Two hours including chilling time. Serves Six. Four free range egg yolks • 100g (3 1/2 oz) golden caster sugar • 300ml (1/2 oz pint) double cream 300ml (1/2 oz pint) full fat milk • 1 vanilla pod or good quality essence • Flavour to suit (optional) MAKING YOUR OWN ice cream at home is so easy it beggars belief that we just put up with watery mass-market ice cream.

There are a tremendous number of variations on making your own ice cream at home, from non-churn to more labourintensive methods, and from methods involving anything from ice cubes to condensed milk.

This custard-based method is a little more involved, but uses fewer shop-brought ingredients, and because it all comes together in the saucepan, it’s really easy to flavour it to your taste.

Start by separating the eggs and retaining the yolks. The whites can be used to make meringues. Add the caster sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until they’re pale, frothy and thick.

Put the cream and milk into a medium saucepan, then cut open the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and add these to the cream and milk, along with the pod, then heat gently. Don’t let it boil, or it will curdle! It’s a good idea to remove from the heat after and allow the cream mixture to cool and to infuse for five minutes. You can use vanilla essence or extract, but a vanilla pod will offer a better flavour and give your ice cream those lovely dark speckles.

Once it’s cooled a little, take out the vanilla pod and stir the milk and cream into the eggs and sugar, whisking as you go.

Sieve the mixture back into the saucepan and heat slowly and gently until the custard mixture you’ve created thickens.

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It’s ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon – usually this takes around 10 minutes. Tip the mixture into a large freezer-proof container and cool to room temperature before putting in the fridge overnight.

Next day, transfer the custard to the freezer and remove it every hour for three hours to whisk with a handheld electric whisk.

This disperses the ice crystals and helps to make your ice cream smooth. Return it to the freezer after three whisks until it’s solid.

It’s worth mentioning at this point that this is the only fiddly bit of making ice cream, however, you can purchase ice cream makers – brands include Magimix and Tefal – whose chilled vessels sit in the freezer ready to chill and churn your ice cream.

Simply allow your custard to reach room temperature or chill it for an hour, then set your ice cream maker’s churning paddle to rotate over the frozen vessel before pouring in your custard.

It’ll chill, churn and set in 20 minutes... much easier!

Early on when you’re heating the milk and cream in the saucepan, you can add dulce de leche for caramel ice cream, stir in good quality espresso coffee, or you can melt in dark or white chocolate.

If you’re adding fruit like strawberry, raspberry or mango (as we’ve done here), it’s best to purée it and stir it through the mixture prior to chilling in the fridge overnight. n

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Wine of the Month

World Gin Awards accolade for Ormsby based distillery...

Derringstone Pinot Meunier 2019, Kent, UK

Massingberd-Mundy Distillery, in the Wolds, has won double at the Gin Guide Awards 2021 Tristan Jørgensen, head distiller at Lincolnshire’s Massingberd-Mundy Distillery will be raising a glass to two awards in the Gin Guide Awards including winner of the Flavoured Gin category for Marie Jeanne’s Pink Gin is named after Marie Jeanne Rapigeon of Versailles, who fled the French revolution before becoming the owner of Lincolnshire’s South Ormsby Estate, where the gin is made.

It’s vibrant and fruity with strawberries, raspberries and hibiscus. n Marie Jeanne’s Pink Gin and Burrell’s Dry Gin are available from the South Ormsby Estate website www.southormsby estate.co.uk £39/70cl bottle.

£117, 6 x 75cl / 13% ABV The market for English wine has established itself beautifully in recent years, not least because climate change has caused the unique weather of the Champagne region to move north, into England. As a result the rosbifs now produce wines of comparable quality – albeit without the provenance – of France’s most famous wine region. Produced in the chalk terroir of Kent, Simpsons’ Derringtonstone is made from Pinot Noir grapes and has a sweet, poached fruit aroma and delicious red fruit finish.

The Wine Cellar JUST IN TIME FOR BASTILLE DAY ON 14TH JULY, WE’VE THREE FRENCH FANCIES, PLUS AN ENGLISH SUPERSTAR AND TWO LOCAL SPIRITS... ENJOY A TIPPLE IN THE GARDEN THIS MONTH! BASTILLE STORMERS: Celebrate Bastille Day with these glorious Gallic gods...

1. Produced with Pride in Provence, this super-dry Syrah has Cinsault and Grenache, for a dry, white, peppery acidity over red berries and citrus, £13.49 / 75cl / 13% ABV.

2. Born in Bordeaux, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this medium bodied cassis and raspberry wine is a delight.

Tannins are well integrated and lush with a bite of pepper to finish. £24 / 75cl / 13.5% ABV.

3. Heroically hewn from Pinot Noir grapes in Burgundy, there’s a strawberry-scented medium bodied drinkability to this Vosne-Romanée. £55 / 75cl / 13% ABV.

Available from Simpsons Wine, 01227 832200 or www.simpsons wine.com.

Banking on Berries in the Nene Valley Straight from Nene Valley Spirits, it’s a tale from the riverbank with a happy ending, namely the sweetness of strawberries over the gentle botanicals of small batch gin.

Based at Sacrewell Farm, the Nene Valley Spirits distillery is the first to be based in Peterborough and the Nene Valley region.

Enjoy as a G&T, with Prosecco or a sparkling wine, or with soda water.

The taste of summer suffused into a quality local spirit. £22 / 70cl / 25% ABV, www.nenevalley spirits.co.uk

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

A KEEN EYE FOR

DETAIL In place of a tired looking 1930s building in Deeping Gate, there now stands a stunning looking modern property, the design and execution of which is characterised by careful attention to detail and precision.

Owners Luke Page and Ben Thompson offer a guided tour of The Spinney...

Words: Rob Davis. Images: Dean Fisher.

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THE KEEN ATTENTION to detail of this month’s featured property is an absolute joy.

The Spinney is based at Deeping Gate where Luke Page & Ben Thompson’s family, including Ben’s brother – architect Jack Thompson – have created a stunning modern property, in place of what was once a rather tired looking 1930s house.

The property has been in the family since 1962 and was occupied by Ben & Jack’s grandfather and by their parents until Ben and partner Luke part-purchased the property, moving into it with a view to completing a full refurbishment.

The three have extended the property and have transformed it into a contemporary home that’s light and sleek throughout.

Main/Right: The sun room next to the kitchen. The drawing room and dining room divided by the double-sided fireplace. The entrance hall with its Crittall glazing.

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As part of the renovation, Jack performed extensive light modelling exercises which predict where the light will fall and the intensity it will manifest throughout the day and all through the year. The result is the precise placement of windows, and the glass balcony to the rear of the property, to allow natural light to penetrate the property on all four sides, with minimal shadows or winter glare.

The property has been in the family since 1962 and was occupied by Ben & Jack’s grandfather...

Underfloor heating eliminates the need for radiators and throughout the property, Crittall glazing has been incorporated, including the soft-close sliding doors into the kitchen, and double doors out onto the granite terrace which blends the indoor and outdoor spaces when entertaining.

Throughout the property’s minimalist interior the attention to detail continues with no fewer than 130 downlighters plastered into the ceiling, concealing the rims. There are no skirting boards in the property, just shadow gaps, and the property’s staircase is an opentread oak and glass design, created by Jack.

The bespoke kitchen utilises a matte white shade for its island and black stained oak for the floor to ceiling cabinetry. Appliances are

by Siemens, and there are Dekton surfaces and a Quooker tap as well as downdraft extractor and integrated LED lighting.

The property is arranged over two floors and has a drawing room, sun room, living kitchen and cinema downstairs, plus two further reception rooms currently used as a gym and a study.

There is a restrained palette of architectural materiality, where the use of natural materials is aimed at adding tactility and warmth to the minimalist spaces. The materials are designed to still look great in 50 years time.

The exterior of the house is finished in a white flexible render with double height bay windows to the front, whilst the roof utilises perfectly ‘hipped’ slate, devoid of ridge tiles, with neatly mitred corners.

The sitting room and dining room are both divided by a double-sided raw steel contemporary fireplace with Carrara marble stones and a separate cinema room’s use is reflected by its dark grey shades and the absence of windows. >> 69

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>> On the first floor there is a Juliet balcony, dressing area and en suite to the master bedroom, plus an en suite and balcony to the guest suite, and four further bedrooms with two additional en suites. A vast rooflight above the stairwell also provides natural light into the centre of the house and each bedroom features built-in wardrobes or cupboards.

Set in around four acres, The Spinney has a large paddock to the rear of the house and the garden’s planting has been reconfigured to soften the appearance of the new modernist architecture with neat topiary and grasses.

The annexe, too, is self-contained with a sitting room, kitchen and living room, wetroom and a separate conservatory/dining room in the property’s former stableblock.

Top: The kitchen features matte white and black stained oak cabinetry plus Dekton surfaces. The oak and glass staircase was designed by Jack.

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Luke and Ben spent most of their time in London during the project, popping back to oversee its progress. Luke works in the banking sector in the city whilst Ben is a fashion technology creative and works with some of the industry’s most well-known brands.

“I think we’re proud to have created a house which is really considered from an architectural and materiality point of view.”

“It’s been quite the transformation,” says Ben. “From 1930s architecture and avocado bathroom suites to a property that fulfils our intention of creating a property that’s light, and has architectural integrity. We’re happy it will stand the test of time whichever family has the joy of passing it down through the generations.” n

THE SPINNEY, DEEPING GATE Location: Stamford 8 miles; Peterborough 8.5 miles.

Style: Modernist country property with six bedrooms set in four acres.

Guide Price: £1,750,000.

Find Out More: Fine & Country, aton Grange Barn Offices, Grange Lane, Seaton, LE15 9HT. Call 01780 750200 or see www.fineandcountry.com.

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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 72

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HOME FURNISHINGS

SHIFT INTO

NEUTRAL Shift into neutral this summer and enjoy monochrome style. This month we’ve light, hard-wearing linen and soft tactile fabrics contrasted with dark grey and black...

This Spread: Clarke & Clarke Fougére, from £20m; Footstool in Dogs, throw in Lilou, curtains/cushion in Provence, 75 blind in Mariposa, cushion in Star. Colourway Noir.

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Each of our featured fabrics are stocked by the area’s leading independent interior designers...

Top: Kensington Walk from Zoffany £99/m.

Above/Right: Sculpture Fabric by Lizzo, £171/m.

Right: Manuel Canovas Salvator wallpaper in graphite, £149/roll.

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William Morris Pure Thistle wallpaper in black/linen, £80/roll.

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Chiswick Grove by Sanderson, curtains in Osier fabric in rosewood and sepia, £65/m.

Blind Strand in willow, £78/m.

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Rutland and Stamford’s Best Local Suppliers...

Delcor Interiors: Stamford, 01780 762579, www.delcor.co.uk.

Sarah Harding Interiors: Uppingham, 01572 823389, sarahhardinginteriors.co.uk.

Simply Stamford: St Mary’s Street, Stamford, 01780 481852, www.simplystamford.co.uk. n Top/Above: Origins collection from Clarke & Clarke; Blossom, Aztec, Linear and Solitaire. Top/Right: Clarke & Clarke sofa in Lusso Shimmer, cushions in Carraway. Right: Antiquary Collection, Folio Ormonde wallpaper and Zoffany Damask fabric from Zoffany.

Please note prices are RRP and should be considered a guide only, availability of brands and ranges at the above design studios subject to variation.

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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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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

Beautiful hand-picked quality home décor, with inspiring timeless pieces which will add a touch of luxury to every home, our shop is right in the heart of Stamford on St Mary’s Street MIRRORS, LIGHTING, HOME FRAGRANCE, BEAUTY & BODY, HOME ACCESSORIES, VASES & JUGS, KITCHENWARE, BARWARE, GIFTS AND MORE...

Visit us at 2 St Mary’s Street, Stamford, PE9 2DE Call 01780 481852 or shop online at

www.simplystamford.co.uk Follow us on Facebook & Instagram

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4 Seasons Outdoor Sussex 6 Seat Oval Dining Set with Parasol & Base: Includes six comfortable dining armchairs, an elegant glass-topped oval table and a large 3m parasol and base (not shown), all in Polyloom Pebble and Riviera Charcoal, £2,399 (RRP £2,987.99).

4 Seasons Outdoor Scandic Dining Set: Dine or relax in style with this modern bistro set for two from the Scandic range. Lightweight, strong and extremely comfortable, £599 (RRP £857).

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OUTDOOR LIVING

Weber Compact Kettle Grill 47cm charcoal BBQ ideal for smaller terraces, £94.99 (RRP £105).

Kamado Joe Classic II Premium ceramic charcoal grill with lots of cooking space £1,499.

Weber Spirit EPX-325S Gas Grill Real-time food monitoring with smart alerts when food is ready £949 (RRP £1,049).

SUMMER COMFORT at GATES Barbecues, accessories and outdoor furnishings to ensure your summer is warm and comfortable...

Sussex Four Seat Dining Set Round table dining set with parasol and base, £1,699 (RRP £2,173.99).

Each of our featured products are available from Gates Garden Centre, Cold Overton, LE15 7QB. Call 01664 454309 or see www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

Sky Blue Outdoor Cushion Machine washable, showerproof, 45cm x 45cm £17.99 (RRP £23).

Seville Rope Table Can be used as a table, planter or ice bucket, £69.99.

MSpa Delight Hot Tub Inflatable, portable, with anti-icing, £699 (four seat); £799 (six seat).

Plain Jane Fire Pit 60cm, 70cm or 80cm, with BBQ rack, from £289-£379.

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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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TALLINGTON LAKES

An Investment In Your

LIFESTYLE Make an investment in your lifestyle with a property adjacent to Tallington Lakes. Enjoy a rental income, use it for weekend pursuits or keep it as a place for family and friends when they visit you in the area. The properties are as versatile as they are welcoming and well-designed...

Words: Rob Davis.

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If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that whilst home is where the heart is, freedom in a much undervalued condition.

We’ve all missed family, friends; we’ve all missed being able to travel, or to enjoy a change of scene.

You don’t need to go too far to get away from it all, which is what 700 or so people have discovered in creating a new community at Stamford’s Tallington Lakes.

“There’s been a real upsurge of interest in our lodges since lockdown has been relaxed,” says Mark Shrosbree, Sales Director for properties on the site. “Perhaps people are wary of travelling abroad, perhaps they’re looking to invest in a home from home where their family and friends can stay whilst visiting the area, or perhaps lockdown made people realise that it’s good to live somewhere with open spaces and fresh air.”

“We’ve around 400 lodges on the site, all located around 250 acres or so of water.

During lockdown when many people were stuck at home with just Joe Wicks’s online videos for exercise, some of our residents were kayaking across the water or just sitting on their balconies watching the birds on the water.”

“Our lakeside homes range in price from £100,000 to about £250,000, and are typically configured with two bedrooms, although three bedrooms are becoming more common.”

“They’re purchased for people who want to let their property out to earn an income, to whose who want to downsize from larger properties and free up equity, or by those who are seeking to move elsewhere in the country or abroad, but want to keep a foothold in the area.” >>

Left: Tallington Lakes’ lodges are spacious, warm and well-specified, coming fully furnished and equipped... you can move in with just a suitcase!

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TALLINGTON LAKES LODGES

“Tallington Lakes itself is also a great place to spend time.

It’s a happy place to be and a real community. That’s why people are keener than ever to invest in the lifestyle that a lodge on the Tallington Lakes site can provide....” >> “Whatever the reason for their purchase though, our brand new properties are beautifully appointed with fully fitted kitchens and quality appliances, soft furnishings and features like underfloor heating, bifold doors and en suite bathrooms depending on the manufacturer.”

“The lodges are all very practical with the highest level of insulation to ensure they’re warm and comfortable all through the year.

Laundry appliances and dishwashers plus plenty of storage mean there’s space to live just as you would at home, only with enviable views across the water.”

“We offer a wide range of choice with all price points covered and three different manufacturers. The design of our homes can also be adjusted to create, for instance, wheelchair accessibility or they can be specified with design-led features like high ceilings for a sense of spaciousness and lots of natural light.”

“Tallington Lakes itself is also a great place to spend time. There’s a walkable route of about three miles around all of the lake, and everywhere you go people smile and wave and generally acknowledge you. It’s a happy place to be and a real community.”

“Unlike a holiday park, here, you’re allowed to live on site throughout the year and there are activities for residents like summer barbecues and pub quizzes.”

“On site there’s a swimming pool and tennis court, with Tallington Lakes leisure park providing jet skiing, windsurfing, dry slope skiing and other activities.”

“And of course, Stamford is just ten minutes down the road too, and London is just only an hour or so away. Especially since lockdown has been eased we’ve noticed that people are keener than ever to invest in the lifestyle that a lodge on the Tallington Lakes site can provide.” n

Find Out More: The Good Life Lodge Company provides spacious, modern, solid and light lakeside properties at Tallington Lakes (Stamford PE9 4RJ) with prices from £100,000. For a free no obligation tour and more information call Mark Shrosbree, 01778 381144 or see www.goodlifelodge.com.

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RUTLAND & STAMFORD GARDENS

THE SCULPTURE

GARDEN This month former RAF Red Arrows pilot Andrew Stewart will open his beautiful garden for visitors to benefit the NGS... it’s a stunning place with a number of sculptures that are just one aspect of its appeal. Here, we enjoy a look around in the beautiful July sunshine...

Words: Rob Davis. Images: Andrew Stewart .

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RUTLAND AND STAMFORD GARDENS

MARKET OVERTON resident, Wing Commander Andrew Stewart has made a career out of living live in the fast lane... or rather in a fast jet, because for a number of years his soubriquet was Red 10, and Andrew piloted a Hawk T1 jet to fly with the Red Arrows.

Andrew’s brother-in-law was Cottesmore’s Station Commander and having visited the area often, he and his late wife Geraldine chose the area to settle in after he left the military.

Arriving in Rutland in 1995, the couple moved into their Market Overton property and set about transforming their 1.8 acre site, which was somewhat of a blank canvas.

“We’d moved home every two or three years in the RAF so it was nice to have somewhere permanent to settle,” says Andrew. “Creating the garden gave us a sense of permanence and something to do together.”

At the heart of the garden is a large pond, dug out of the mostly clay soil, then lined.

It’s surrounded by helianthus, asters, achillea, salvias and geraniums, plus a wealth of water lilies and reeds in the summer months.

Past the pond area, moving away from the house is a line of cherry, liquid amber, acer, ash, and a willow tree, in a lawned area that Andrew is mowing a path through, to allow wildflowers to proliferate all the way to the back of the garden, where there’s a play area with sandpit, swings and slides for the grandchildren. >>

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IN THE GARDEN IN JULY...

Jobs to complete and a guide to planting in the summer months n Keep in the water: Water borders and lawns throughout the summer. It’s best to water at dusk to prevent evaporation and scorching as water droplets will act as a magnifying glass for the sun’s rays. Good quality mulch will help to retain moisture too. n Taking Cuttings: Start taking cuttings of tender perennials such as salvias, pelargoniums and penstemons. Plant the last of the half-hardy annuals in their place – cosmos, nicotianas, zinnias and cleomes – for flowers into the middle of autumn. n The Flower Garden: In your floral borders, deadhead roses, sweet peas and bedding plants.

Cut back perennial plants, geraniums, delphiniums etc., and prune wisteria and lupins.

Keep an eye out for pests like aphids and treat early. n Planting and Sowing: Sow biennials, such as foxgloves, honesty, forget-me-nots and wallflowers, for blooms next year. Sow autumn-flowering bulbs like gladiolus, nerines, cyclamen and begonias.

Also at this time sowings of biennials such as foxglove, sweet william, canterbury bells and forget-me-nots can be made for planting out in autumn. n The Kitchen Garden: Water fruit trees, bushes and tomatoes, sow the last crop of peas and beans for an autumn crop. n The Lawn: Look after the lawn with fertiliser, cut regularly and often. Keep grass well watered and if your lawn is looking ‘stressed’ raise the mower to avoid dragging the blades. Investing in a new set of blades or having your existing one sharpened will help. n Other jobs: Cut lavender for drying. Damp down the greenhouse floor each morning on hot days to increase humidity.

Take large-leaved houseplants into the garden and hose them down to clean off dust. Top up bird baths, ponds and water features during hot weather.

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RUTLAND AND STAMFORD GARDENS

“There’s a great deal going on in Andrew’s garden, with plenty of ideas to take home.

One of our favourite aspects of the garden is the chance to enjoy its many sculptures...”

>> At the end of the garden is a wildflower garden too with a few of the sculptures which feature in the garden at various vantage points. There’s a number of little seating areas too, each offering beautiful views of the garden.

An orchard, too, on the northern edge of the garden includes apple, pear and plum trees. There’s a pretty circular garden adjacent to the orchard arranged around a ring of lavender with seating too, all surrounding a beautiful paper barked maple, a present from Andrew’s son.

Elsewhere in the gardens are phlox, lupins, poppies, day lilies, philadelphus, cionothus lavender, asters, ligularea, peony, helianthus lemon queen and hypericum As Pride goes to press, it’s unconfirmed whether other gardens in Market Overton will coordinate their openings to match Andrew’s, but usually the village provides the opportunity to look around several gardens in a single day, and just down the road, Thistleton’s Herb Nursery, run by Peter and Christine Bench and sister-in-law Sally Hunt – who Andrew says is a great help to him too, as a sort of special advisor – is also worth a visit.

There’s a great deal going on in Andrew’s garden, with plenty of ideas to take home. One of our favourite aspects of the garden, though, is the opportunity that it provides to sit and enjoy the movement of the kinetic sculptures Andrew has installed, designed by David Watkinson, Paul Margetts, and by Chris & Jean Berry, who have created the driftwood sculptures in the sort of alpine area to the front of property.

All of the sculptures encourage visitors to just sit, enjoy their movement, and the sounds of nature and just contemplate life. If there’s one role a garden should fulfil, it’s that one, and Andrew’s garden does it beautifully.

n Andrew Stewart will open his garden for the NGS at 59 Thistleton Road, Market Overton LE15 7PP on 18th July 2021. For more information see www.ngs.org.uk.

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POWER EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR GARDEN LONGER MOTOR LIFE

MORE POWER

MORE

RUN-TIME

LARGE DISPLAYS AT BELTON, HORNCASTLE, SPILSBY, HOLBEACH AND BARNACK WITH ON-SITE AFTERSALES SERVICE TEAM. 01476 590077 www.chandlersfe.co.uk

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FLAT ROOFS?

WE’VE GOT THEM COVERED

Specialising in all flat roofing work, from garage roofs to conservatory conversions.

We can replace old conservatory roofing – too hot in the summer, to cold in the winter – with a fully insulated roof and skylight system for comfort and an improved appearance Commercial & Domestic Roof Repairs Guttering, Fascias & Soffits Conservatories and Balconies

Call 07825 381878

or see www.firstrateflatroofing.co.uk No Pressure Selling • Free, No Obligation Quotes • 25 Year Guarantee

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SUMMER WEDDINGS

An English Country

WEDDING

This month we’ve some blooming beautiful ideas for your forthcoming wedding as a team of local wedding suppliers led by photographer Amanda Forman and makeup artist Alice Snell gathers at Barnsdale Gardens to create a stunning ‘English Country Garden’ themed summer wedding...

Photography: Amanda Forman Photography, 01572 492791, www.amandaforman.co.uk.

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Blooming beautiful... that’s the only way to describe this styled wedding shoot held at Barnsdale Gardens in high summer, with the best local suppliers providing all the elements you need to celebrate your special day.

To show just how good a Rutland wedding can look when you seek out the creativity and flair of local suppliers, Barleythorpe photographer Amanda Forman and makeup artist Alice Snell have pulled together local wedding suppliers to create this stunning summer wedding shoot.

It’s difficult to find a positive in Covid, of course, but the lack of people walking around Barnsdale Gardens did nonetheless afford Amanda and her team the chance to use the unusually deserted gardens as a backdrop for a showcase designed to provide ideas for your own Rutland wedding.

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“When putting together the plan for this styled shoot, we knew our dream location would be Barnsdale Gardens. We wanted to show just how beautiful Rutland is and what alluring locations it has to offer. Barnsdale Gardens is such a beautiful location and one that isn’t celebrated enough when it comes to its capacity for weddings,” says Amanda.

“The team at Barnsdale Gardens were so friendly and accommodating from start to finish. Charlotte who organises the weddings was on hand all day for anything we needed.”

“As suppliers, we chose to work together on this project not only for the shoot concept that we all found fitted our brands well, but also the alliance in our styles of work and to help showcase what incredible local talent Rutland has to offer.”

“It was important to us that all of suppliers were local and we can safely say we achieved this with our incredible creative team.”

“We chose to split the styled shoot and work with two couples on this occasion, which enabled us to really showcase our range of expertise. Jack, and florist Amanda, worked seamlessly together to create multiple sets and floral designs for the day, including the aisle, drinks table, wedding breakfast, cake hive and so much more. It was so exciting seeing the designs come to life and even more so when you compare the vision from Jack’s sketches to the final images.”

“Working with two couples also allowed us to showcase two completely different bridal looks so our hair and makeup artists Michaela and Alice were in their element and Naomi from Lace & Pearl bridal was

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able to showcase two completely different wedding dresses.”

“Styled wedding shoots are so much fun to be a part of and it allows so many of us to work together and showcase the very best of our talents. It also allows us to give inspiration to brides and grooms still planning weddings, and show them beautiful stationery designs, plus delicious favours in the form of biscuits from Caroline at the Kitsch Hen and tell them about the beautiful sounds of our harpist Harriet Flather.

“We truly hope that this incredible shoot not only gets couples excited enough to start planning their weddings again but also to book and shop locally for their wedding. It has been a long year for the wedding industry and for our couples and we are so looking forward to working with them again!” n

An English Country Garden Wedding: Our Local Suppliers...

Wedding Styling: Jack Barton from Pretty Quirky, 07842 289620, www.prettyquirkyhire.co.uk.

Floral Design: Amanda of Amanda Steele Flowers, 01572 717757, www.asteeleflowers.co.uk.

Photography: Amanda Forman Photography, 01572 492791, www.amandaforman.co.uk.

Makeup Artist: Alice Snell, 07568 511436, www.alicesnellbridal.com.

Hair Stylist: Michaela at The Boho Bridal, www.instagram.com/the.boho.bridal.

Wedding Stationery: Lucy of In the Details Design, www.inthedetailsdesign.co.uk.

Wedding Cake: Michele at Love Life Eat Cake, www.lovelifeeatcake.com.

Harpist: Harriet Flather 07771 552945, www.harrietflather.co.uk.

Handmade Biscuits: Caroline at The Kitsch Hen, 07799 516179, www.the-kitsch-hen.co.uk.

Wedding Dress: Naomi of Lace & Pearl Bridal, 07402 248276, www.laceandpearlbridal.com.

Wedding Veil: Kat from Olive & Grace Bridal, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/oliveandgracebridal.

Wedding Venue: Charlotte at Barnsdale Gardens, 01572 813200, www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk.

Our Models: With thanks to Hannah Goodwin, Sam Payne, Nikki Cooper and Matthew Favell. n

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WEDDINGS

Surprise, Surprise!

This month’s couple surprised themselves by expecting to plan a rustic-style country wedding, only to realise that a rather more formal wedding at Newark’s Stubton Hall was more their style...

Wedding Photographer: Rebekah Robert Photography, 07736 931496, www.rebekahrobert.com.

SURPRISES WERE A FEATURE of Tom Green and Casey Fletcher’s wedding from proposal to reception. Living on the Nottinghamshire border, the couple met 14 years ago, and three years ago Tom hatched a plan for a surprise proposal.

The incurable romantic booked a cruise holiday, whisking Casey away from work unexpectedly one day. Casey was surprised, too, when their parents joined them on holiday, and again when she was given a treasure hunt, which took her all over the cruise ship.

WEDDING SUPPLIERS TOM & CASEY GREEN

Back home, wedding planning began in earnest but took another surprise twist. The couple had discussed what sort of day they wanted and decided that a rustic wedding with tweed and hay bales was their preferred style of wedding.

“We were absolutely adamant that it wasn’t our kind of venue but to our surprise upon walking in we both well in love with it.

We booked it that same day for both our ceremony and our reception, which we were delighted with, but it did necessitate a rethink of the other suppliers we’d use as it was going to suit a more formal looking wedding.”

“The wedding fair also enabled us to meet a few other suppliers and one thing we did find

“Another appeal of Stubton Hall is that the place has 25 bedrooms, and we were keen to have our ceremony and our reception in one place. Having rooms available to guests too meant that they wouldn’t have to travel home or find accommodation elsewhere.”

The couple’s wedding took place on February 29th – a leap year. Casey opted for a russet colour for her bridesmaids’ Vera Wang dresses. Her own wedding dress was from Nora Eve and was an A-line dress with sweetheart neckline and beading and embroidery to the bodice.

The final clue led Casey to Tom, who was waiting for her to find him, at which point he proposed, with many people around to cheer the newly engaged couple on.

“We’d seen a couple of barns nearby that offered rustic weddings and we were quite sure of the style of wedding that we wanted.

One afternoon though, Stubton Hall near Newark were hosting an open day and we wanted to go along to meet a few suppliers,” say Tom and Casey.

was using businesses who were already familiar with Stubton Hall meant they’d know the best angles for photographs, the best places to put the flowers, where the cake could stand and so on.”

Tom meanwhile opted for classic black Hugo Boss dinner suits for both him and his Best Man, Will. There was another accessory, too, in the form of his and hers Christian Louboutin wedding shoes and brogues.

That was Tom’s sartorial contribution and one that enabled a few nice photos with the couples’ red soles on show.

Wedding Ceremony & Reception: Stubton Hall, Newark, 01636 626187 www.stubtonhall.co.uk.

Wedding Flowers: Michelle at Jacaranda Flowers, 07815290744, www.jacarandaflowers.co.uk.

Wedding Cake: Rosie Denyer, www.thepinkcakebox.co.uk Hair/MUA: www.alisonjennerhair.com.

Entertainment: www.six15events.co.uk.

Photographer: Rebekah Robert Photography, 07736 931496, www.rebekahrobert.com. n

“We were really keen to use flowers to make the most of Stubton Hall’s setting,” the couple say. “We blew the budget for blooms a bit but they looked really lovely and our florist, Michelle at Jacaranda, was able to bring the red colour scheme into the arrangements too.”

“I think we were quite lucky with our cake as well. Again we initially thought we might like a rustic-looking ‘naked’ cake but when we opted for Stubton Hall instead, we had a rethink and chose a four-tiered cake with white icing and a Dom Perignon-style crest with our names on.” >> 105

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WEDDINGS

“I wanted to make sure Casey had the best day possible and we think it was the happiest day of our lives!” >> “We had one tier of cherry bakewell sponge and another of strawberry and champagne flavour, both were absolutely delicious!”

“The evening reception was wonderful too, and we were lucky to have been introduced to Six15 entertainment who we went to see during a live performance. They combine live sax, violins and bongos with a DJ to perform party songs. It sounds like an eclectic mix but they really read the room well and ensured that was a good mix of music to keep everyone entertained.”

“One other supplier we need to mention is Rebekah and Robert, our husband and wife team of photographers. Their images are stunning and they were so lovely and warm to work with!”

“We both worked hard to create a day that we’d really enjoy,” says Tom. “I wanted to be involved in the wedding planning to make sure Casey had the very best day possible and we think it was the happiest day of our lives!”

Wedding Photographer: Rebekah Robert Photography, 07736 931496, www.rebekahrobert.com.

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SUMMER FASHION

A LANDS’ END

SUMMER In sizes petite 8 to plus 30, the new Lands’ End collection includes beach-to-brunch cover-up dresses and a versatile UPF 50 swimwear range that’s great in and out of the water...

This Page: Black Havana floral cover-up dress, £30.

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Black ditsy floral board shorts £40.

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Rainbow dip dye cover-up maxi dress £40.

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Sea breeze blue stripe floral linen popover shirt £55.

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Multi-stripe and classic cobalt tugless swimsuit £50.

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FASHION

Top/Left: Crisp peach tie dye stripe pintuck dress £40. Top/Right: Black Havana floral rash vest £30 and black bikini bottoms £40.

Bottom/Left: Black ditsy floral bikini bottoms £40. Bottom/Right: Vibrant blue space dye rash vest £30 and light blue tropical palm swim shorts £35.

Lands’ End is based on Lands’ End Way in Oakham (LE15 6US) where the company has an Outlet Store, open daily. For full details of all the styles shown, and many more, visit www.landsend.co.uk.

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SUMMER COSMETICS

The Lavender Mob LOOK LOVELY IN A PALETTE OF LILAC AND LAVENDER THIS MONTH WE AS BRING FLORAL INFLUENCES TO BEAR WITH THIS SELECTION OF SUMMER COSMETICS

1. Sensory escapes with Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria...

A fresh new fragrance with floral influences from Guerlain. Aqua Allegoria is a range of five fresh fragrances including Flora Salvaggia, which is the newest fragrance in the range and comprises bergamot, wild flowers, jasmine and violet. Guerlain also says you can combine each Allegoria scent and layer them over one another too. £69/75ml.

2. Luxury lip tinting...

Lightweight, sheer and moisturising. Bobbi Brown’s Glowing Pink collection of lip colour includes this Extra Lip Tint range shown here in bare pink. Blends beautifully with your own lips and contains olive, avocado and jojoba to soften and moisturise, £27/2.3g.

3. A luxury mask...

Clarins has created this relaxing face mask with its anti-ageing benefits. It offers a host of benefits like younger, smoother-looking skin, plus a radiant complexion. It takes just 10 minutes, but that’s 10 minutes well spent... a luxurious and relaxing experience! £47/75ml.

5. Reflect on your look with designer Kate Spade...

Available in both lilac and blush shades, here’s a very chic mirror compact from Spade Street’s new collection. It’s beautiful, classic and comes in the prettiest colours.

The designer has crafted it from smooth metal so it feels durable and cool to the touch.

Ideal when touching up your lipstick, our favourite details of it remain the angular gold-tone edges and the faceted spade logo on top. £32/lilac.

6. A little box to soothe both mind and body...

Tisserand presents this lovely trio of essential-oil based aromatherapy tinctures.

Breathe Deep uses orange, petitgrain and coriander; Mind Clear contains peppermint and lavender; Real Calm exploits lavender, bergamot and patchouli. Apply to pulse points and enjoy true mindfulness. £8.95/3 x 10ml at John Lewis.

4. Gentle removal...

Removing makeup is essential for allowing the skin to breathe, heal and replenish itself.

Clinique’s Take the Day Off is gentle for lids, lips and lashes, ophthalmologist tested and ideal for gentle cleansing, £47/75ml.

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

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HOLISTIC HEALTH

Positive Changes A good diet can redress the myth that weight gain, mood swings and other symptoms of menopause are an inevitability.

Ali Hutchinson offer advice on how to effect positive changes...

Words: Ali Hutchinson. Image: Dorte Kjaerulff Photography.

INSPIRED BY A CONVERSATION I had with my friend Laura recently, about how she was feeling as she approached menopause, I thought I’d talk about the health issues that this time in a woman’s life can bring up and how they can be handled.

I work with a lot of peri-menopause and menopausal women to help them navigate their way around this important stage in life with ease and an inner knowing.

I don’t believe there is anything wrong with HRT, but being informed about your choices and knowing what to look for when making those choices is important.

Virtually every woman on the planet, who gets to a certain age, will experience menopause in one way or another. For some the symptoms of peri-menopause (before a woman’s menstrual periods actually stop) will be less intrusive than for others but I’ve noticed there are a few significant things we can do to support ourselves at this crucial time in our lives.

Some of the classic symptoms associated with menopause, e.g.: night sweats, hot flushes, mood swings, headaches and difficulty sleeping, can all be managed through diet and lifestyle, an area I love to focus on first as you can soon gain some quick wins. This means bigger changes are more manageable as you have the head space to cope with them.

So, what’s your drug of choice? For many of us it’s sugar! Yes, research by neuroscientists

has shown that sugar can be as addictive as cocaine! And the sneaky thing about sugar is that it makes its way into so much of what we eat. If your diet is fuelled by sugar you’re more likely to experience menopause in a very different way to someone whose diet is more whole foods or plant-based.

Whether it’s chocolate, sweets, biscuits, cake or white carbs in general, the body comes to rely on this fuel and crave more and more and more! When we give into emotional eating, it’s often empty calories from sugar that we reach for.

This not only dampens down our emotions but can mean we put on weight, which can lead to us feeling disappointed in ourselves and a cycle of binge eating and feelings of guilt ensue. This is especially true during menopause when we so often buy into the lie that it’s hard to lose weight over 40 or that middle age spread is ‘inevitable.’

Eating a more whole foods, plant-based diet with plenty of vegetables and also reducing caffeine and alcohol can help your menopause symptoms improve.

As we chatted Laura, shared how her hot flushes and night sweats were now completely minimised and that she knew what her triggers were, and could take action to avoid them.

She was managing her headaches and anxiety better too and over the last three months had seen the brain fog and forget-

fulness she had started to think would dog her for the rest of her life begin to ease.

Another approach is to increase your protein which can come from either animal or plant sources. Plus eating foods that contain phytoestrogens, also known as dietary estrogen which are naturally occurring plant compounds that may act in a way similar to that of estrogen produced by the human body, can help too.

So what foods are rich in phytoestrogens?

Linseeds, sweet potatoes, oats, walnuts, sesame seeds and soy products e.g.: soy beans and edamame, are all good. Dried apricots, dates, and prunes – especially when combined with nuts to reduce the quick up-take of sugar – as well as cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage are all rich in phytoestrogens too.

I also think it’s really important that we start a dialogue about menopause not just with other women who are experiencing it.

As the old adage goes, a problem shared is a problem halved, especially when shared with husbands, partners, work colleagues and our teens – both male and female.

We need to start to change the stigma about menopause and that has to start with us.

Why not join one of my menopause and cacao ‘sister circles’ and share your experiences with other women in a safe and supportive environment? Message me for future dates and locations across the county. n

Find Out More: If you’re struggling with menopause, experiencing gut issues, or need support with energy levels, weight loss or weight management or would just like a body MOT I’d love to help you. Through the blog www.ali-hutchinson.co.uk you can book a free discovery call to find out how I could help you on the path to a brighter future or ring: 07973 843020 or email: hello@ali-hutchinson.co.uk to book a consultation.

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DENTAL HEALTH CENTRE

A Reason to Smile It’s not about the way you look... it’s about the way you feel. The latest cosmetic dentistry techniques will give you a reason to smile, and the ability to exude confidence when you do so. This month, we’ll meet the team that can – literally and metaphorically – help to put a smile on your face...

Words: Rob Davis.

“I decided that for me the best option was to have full dental implants in my top jaw.

Not only would they give me a smile that I am confident with, but the procedure would ensure I had teeth strong enough to eat with, free from the fear that they would drop out!”

WHAT’S STOPPING YOU SMILING? A lack of confidence, perhaps? Embarrassment, or the fear that cosmetic dentistry will be painful or expensive?

We’ll let you into a secret; you can find out more about how Grantham-based Dental Health Centre can help to put the smile back on your face, with a free of charge consultation with absolutely no obligation. After all, knowing the facts is the best way to make an informed decision about the options available to you.Anne Hickey did just that, and the result, she says, has proved to be life-changing.

“I’ve had problems with my teeth since I was a child,” she says. “My four front teeth were broken in an accident, and growing up I never had confidence in my smile. I remember wishing I had the gleaming smile that all my friends had.”

Anne got in touch with the Dental Health Centre, and spoke to the practice’s Patient Care Co-ordinator Paula Parkes. It’s Paula’s job to know about – and to explain – all of the options available to those seeking dental care.

For too many years, many people feared a visit to the dentist, perhaps imagining pain; perhaps being unsure of what a procedure involved. But the profession has changed enormously, modernising to provide a better service. And today, procedures are more sophisticated, faster... and pain-free.

“A lot of the fear of dental treatment is derived from bad experiences as a child, or from not having past procedures properly explained. Knowledge is a powerful way to put a patient at ease, to enfranchise them and to de-mystify the process of gaining the smile you’ve always wanted,” says Paula.

“That’s why, instead of seeing a dentist immediately, I meet with someone who has enquired about a treatment first. I can listen to – and understand – a patient’s goals, explain procedures, advise if they’d be suitable and then answer any questions.”

“From the minute you walk into the Dental Health Centre you’re filled with confidence.

The receptionists are really welcoming, professional and friendly and are extremely knowledgeable. Patient Care Coordinator Paula and Principal Dentist, Colin Sutton, all explain different options to you thoroughly, in a calm and reassuring way.”

“The procedure is quite lengthy but I wasn’t in any discomfort at all. Despite having some facial swelling for a few days after, I was absolutely fine. I am now waiting for the final implants to be inserted.”

“Throughout the whole process I’ve had total confidence in Paula, Colin and his nursing team. I’m really happy that I made the decision... and crucially, it always felt like it was my decision to make.”

The Dental Health Centre provides a range of services from family dentistry and ongoing access to a hygienist, as well as providing help to nervous patients, and the availability of cosmetic services. These include teeth whitening, veneers, white fillings and the creation of crowns in one visit (thanks to the latest Cerec technology, which can take a 3D scan of your mouth and make a bespoke crown in just ten minutes).

“Already it feels like my implants will be life-changing in the confidence that they can provide! I wish the option of Dental implants had been around forty years ago... and how I wish I had met Colin Sutton and his fantastic team sooner!” n

Find Out More: The Dental Health Centre is based on Avenue Road, Grantham NG31 6TA. For a free, no obligation smile consultation call 01476 594480 or see www.dentalhealthcentre.co.uk.

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GETT A FREE CONS SULTA ATION T

BY QUOTING “LP1”

A LL ON 4 OUR SAME OUR SAME DA DAY DENT DE NTA L IMPL IMPLA NTS NTS Dental Implants look, feel and function like natural teeth BEFORE

What is all on 4?

“All on 4“ is a procedure p which is useed to provide a permanent retained samee day replacemennt for the entire upper and lower jaw with w either a bridge orr denture secured d on implants” p

AFTER

“This treeatment is becoming very v popular as it allowss patients to have a full set of teeth that feel as close to the real thing g as possible, it avoids the need for dentures and our patients all rep port this treatment to be life changing with ma any commenting they wished w they had done it soonerr.”

- Paula Parkes Treatment Coordina ator

0147 76 594 94480

info@dentalhealthcentre.co.uk

3 Avenue Road, Road Grantham, Gra antham Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire NG31 6TA

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Pride Magazine is available to read, for free, on your phone or tablet...

Enjoy the area’s finest magazines, using our App, free to download now!

Read online now at

w w w. pr id emagaz ines. co. u k You can now enjoy Pride Magazine with our app on your smartphone or tablet... completely free of charge!

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MOTORS

SCANDI

CHIC The largest Volvo off-roader, XC90, offers Scandi-chic in its design, seven seats, all wheel drive and masses of equipment plus an eco-friendly plug-in hybrid powertrain. What’s not to love?

Words: Rob Davis.

SOMETIMES, IT’S IMPORTANT to state your case. It’s important to nail your colours to the mast and set out your beliefs. That moment is now, because the facelifted Volvo XC90 reaches showrooms this summer, and I reckon it’s one of the best – if not the best – large 4x4 on the market.

Sure, Porsche’s Panamera certainly handles better, and a Range Rover may offer a much greater breadth of off-road capability, but as an all-rounder, a great value and very practical vehicle, I reckon you’ll struggle to better the largest Swedish off-roader.

XC90s can be driven off the forecourt for about £55,000, but they top out at £75,000 and though we usually recommend more modest trim levels or engines in Pride, on

this occasion we reckon the range-topper is worth the extra outlay.

That’s because the XC90’s most powerful engine is a 2.0V4 unit – modest for a car of the XC90’s size – but with an 87hp electric motor that can be charged via a household socket to supplement the engine or provide about 30 miles of pure-electric range.

Elsewhere in the XC90 range there are two petrols and a diesel engine, but the plug-in hybrid engine, badged T8, is the best fit.

Likewise, there are three key trim levels in the XC90 range, with even Momentum models affording heated and powered leather seats, adaptive cruise control and electric tailgate. >>

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Step up to the sporty R-Design for a more urban look, or to the range-topping Inscription Pro trim for a heated steering wheel, ventilated and massaging seats, air suspension and a Harmon Kardon sound system.

Options worth looking at include the Lounge pack which includes an electric panoramic roof, four-zone climate control, whilst the Climate pack provides a heated front screen, but we’d definitely be inclined to spec the 360° surround view camera to make parking the behemoth a little easier.

The XC90, though, doesn’t just look good on paper. It looks good in real life, especially with the chrome highlights that Inscription brings. There’s masses of room inside, too, with seven seats.

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eco-friendly plug-in car for short sorties to and from school or to Waitrose.

The Volvo XC90 is characterised by a sense of Scandi-chic on the inside, and that works best with blonde leather and one of the firm’s light wood trims and (especially if you’ve a full length panoramic roof) you’ll benefit from a light, modern, airy cabin with a large, intuitive iPad-style display controlling many functions.

All wheel drive comes as standard and so, for a snip over £75,000 – bearing in mind that an entry-level Range Rover Vogue is £84,000, and a plug-in hybrid version costs more still – the XC90 will be a workhorse that can serve as a luxury car, a people carrier, a light duty off-roader and an

The plug-in hybrid version of the car should offset its higher purchase price with fuel savings and better residuals, and the higher trim level will ensure your XC90 is a joy to live with throughout its life. Overall, we think the big Volvo is one of the most versatile and well-reconciled cars on the market today. n

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Complete with Seven Seats: Three with room for everyone...

Land Rover Discovery R-Dynamic HSE, £66,145: Perhaps the XC90’s arch rival, the Discovery is not yet available in plug-in hybrid form, only as a mild hybrid, so you can’t plug it in and enjoy eco-friendly motoring. Nonetheless, the Disco provides seven seats, and in HSE trim, the necessary bells and whistles to provide a like-for-like kit list compared to the Volvo. If you’re towing or embarking on serious off-road sorties, the Discovery is the one to choose, but its road manners remain solid too. n

Mercedes Benz GLS AMG Line Premium £79,480: The biggest Mercedes is an S-Class with a 4x4 body style and seven seats. You’ll maybe need to add a few options or opt for a model a little further up the range to achieve the same spec, but there’s masses of space and the GLS’s cabin is cutting edge thanks to digital displays and lots of Mercedes tech. Still no plug-in hybrid option but Mercedes is gradually launching vehicles with electric powertrains so one can’t be too far away. For now, you’ll have to settle for the firm’s creamy and torque-rich 3.0V6 diesel. n

VOLVO XC90 T8 INSCRIPTION Price: £75,190 (on sale now).

Engine: 2.0V4 petrol with 87hp electric motor and 8-speed auto and all wheel drive.

Performance: 0-62 mph: 5.5 seconds. Top Speed: 112mph.

Combined economy of 100.9mpg.

Electric range of 30.4 miles.

Equipment: Heated, ventilated, massaging leather, panoramic roof.

Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid '4,' £50,595: In distinguished company, the Sorento might look like an odd recommendation, but the company’s cars have rock-solid reliability, and they’re rapidly gaining admiration.

This flagship Sorento has seven seats, a plug-in hybrid 1.6 engine providing a combined 176mpg and an equipment roster that includes adaptive cruise, 360° camera, heated and ventilated seats, and a panoramic roof... plus a £25k saving, which would be a decent deposit on a Porsche Boxster! n

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MOTORS

IN MINT

CONDITION Aston Martin’s DBS-based V12 Speedster is now available in a special edition which pays homage to its forebear, a 1959 Le Mans winning original driven by Sir Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby and Jack Fairman...

Words: Rob Davis.

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WHAT PRICE RARITY? A cool three-quarters of a million it seems. That’s the price tag that Aston Martin has attached to a new special edition of its V12 Speedster.

Just 88 examples of the Aston Martin V12 Speedster will be made, with a new specification that reflects the heritage of Aston’s 1950s DBR1 racing car.

The DBR1 is, to date, the most successful racing machine constructed by Aston Martin, having triumphed in the 1959 staging of both the 24 hours of Le Mans and the 1,000 km of Nürburgring, also winning the latter in 1957 and 1958.

After its debut in 1956 the DBR1 recorded a string of famous victories, including at the Spa Sportscar Race (1957, Tony Brooks); the Goodwood Tourist Trophy (1958, Sir Stirling Moss, Tony Brookes; 1959, Sir Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby, Jack Fairman); and the 1000 Km at the Nurburgring (1959, Sir Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman)

in the same year as that famous Le Mans triumph which culminated in Aston Martin taking the World Sportscar Championship.

The original car was powered by a 2,992cc straight six mated to a David Brown fivespeed gearbox.

At the new car’s heart, though, is a rather more modern 5.2-litre V12 Twin-Turbo, capable of generating an output of around 700 PS and 753 Nm torque, via a ZF eightspeed automatic transmission mounted towards the rear of the car.

This translates into a 0-62 mph time in the order of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph – no mean feat in a car devoid of roof or windscreen.

The car also features Aston’s Racing Green paint finish, Club Sport white roundels, conker saddle leather inside and silver brushed aluminium switchgear, as well as satin black 21” wheels. n

ASTON MARTIN V12 SPEEDSTER

Price/Provenance: £765,000 (limited run of just 88 vehicles).

Engine: 5.2 litre twin turbo V12.

Performance: 60mph in 3.4 seconds, 198mph.

Equipment: Aston Martin Racing Green driver and passenger helmets, conker saddle leather, 21” satin black wheels. n

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CAR & LIGHT COMMERCIAL SERVICING SERVICING & MOT SUSPENSION TOW BARS SUPPLIED & FITTED

SERVICES INTERIM

AIR CONDITIONING ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS MOTORHOME SERVICE & REPAIRS WELDING TYRES LIGHT COMMERCIAL SERVICE & REPAIRS 4X4 SERVICE & REPAIRS

MAJOR

Up to 1300cc

£89.95

£169.95† £199.95†

1300cc - 2000cc

£99.95

£179.95† £209.95†

Above 2000cc or Diesel

£109.95

£199.95† £219.95†

Commercial & Motorhome

£129.95

£229.95

BRAKES & CLUTCHES PAINT & BODY REPAIRS

FULL

£249.95

MOT only £25 with Major Service. All prices include labour, materials, consumable & VAT. 10% extra for 6 & 8 cylinder cars. † 20% extra for replacement of platinum plugs.

APPROVED DEALER LEVEL SERVICING We can service any make or model of car under manufacturers warranty, save money and keep your warrantly – ask us for a quote

LOYALTY CARD 10% Discount and FEE MOT for life of the vehicle for only £59.95 – ask for details

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MOTORS

Bourne to drive...

GRIMSTHORPE CELEBRATION FOR THE UNEXCEPTIONAL CARS WE ALL LOVE!

Sporty new version of Land Rover’s Evoque...

The appeal of the Range Rover Evoque has been broadened even further with the launch of a new powerful Range Rover Evoque P300 HST. The Evoque P300 HST takes inspiration from the larger Range Rover Sport HST and is exclusively available with Land Rover’s potent P300 Ingenium petrol engine.

Reaching 60mph in 6.5 seconds, and with gloss black exterior trim, the new Range Rover Evoque P300 HST is available now, priced from £50,440. n LAND ROVER

BOURNE Grimsthorpe Castle this month hosts the... dah dah dah dah dah dah daaaaaa: completely mundane.

The Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional returns in 2021, and takes place on Saturday, July 31st at Grimsthorpe Castle near Bourne, celebrating the ordinary, maligned and unloved cars of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s... like my first car, an

orange and beige Volvo 340, registration A380NAG. There will of course be judging and award ceremonies, so if your Alfa Arna keeps getting turned away from Villa d’Este then there’s always the chance of some silverware in the Concours de l’Ordinaire instead. 2019’s victor was a 1977 Morris Marina, so the bar to entry is high. Or is it low? n See www.grimsthorpe.co.uk.

Brrr-illiant new ‘Defender’ RESURRECTION OF LAND ROVER’S ORIGINAL DEFENDER BY CHEMICALS BILLIONAIRE JIM RATCLIFFE DELAYED UNTIL 2022

INEOS Is Land Rover’s new Defender is a little too rich for your palate, we’re afraid you’ll have to wait a little longer for the back-to-basics off-roader from chemical-industry billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Jim’s Ineos Grenadier – named after his favourite pub in Belgravia, incidentally – has been pushed back to July 2022.

It’ll be worth waiting for, though; the Grenadier has just completed its cold weather testing in the notorious trails of the Schöckl mountain near Magna Steyr’s in Austria, part of over 1.8 million kilometres of testing in extreme environments around the world. n

MOTORING

NEWS In Brief

COVID RECOVERY

MOTOR INDUSTRY CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT RECOVERY AFTER PROMISING SPRING

Spring saw an artificial 30-fold increase of new car registrations compared to the same month last year, but volumes still remained 12.9% lower than the 10-year average at just 141,583 new units, according to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

April 2020 saw just 4,321 cars sold, whilst April 2021 saw 141,583 driving off forecourts... an increase of 3,176%.

Overall registrations for 2021 now stand at 567,108 units, some 32.5% down on the average recorded over the past decade and one in eight vehicles are now plug-in hybrid or electric cars.

The automotive industry is a vital part of the UK economy accounting for £78.9 billion turnover and £15.3 billion value added. With 180,000 people employed directly in manufacturing and 864,000 across the wider automotive industry, it accounts for 13% of total UK export of goods and invests more than £3 billion each year in automotive research and development. n 129

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The Directory To advertise here call our friendly team on 01529 469977

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