Stamford Pride May 2022

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READ

STAMFORD

PRIDE STAMFORD’S FINEST MAGAZINE

FREE ONLINE

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WELCOME

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t’s gearing up to be a really wonderful summer. After a couple of years in lockdown we’re delighted by the prospect of all the best summer events returning to Rutland & Stamford, not least among which is the Rutland Show on Saturday 4th June.

The Platinum Jubilee will also provide a number of opportunities to celebrate the Great British Summer, and already we’re beginning to get lots of advance notice of summer events, so if you’re planning or attending a celebration of the Jubilee this summer, or any other event, please do let us know, and we’ll provide your event with some publicity.

This month we’re enjoying delicious dining at Barnack’s Millstone, we’re rediscovering the gardens of Burghley House, we’re finding out about the high-welfare dairy farming operation of Rutland’s Ahimsa, and we’re enjoying the waterways of Rutland & Stamford too, including a look at a project to bring Oakham Canal back to its former glory.

Executive Editor Our best wishes, for a great month!

robin@pridemagazines.co.uk

This Month’s Covers: Using this month’s covers we wanted to highlight local support and ongoing solidarity for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Photographer Richard Brown captured a stunning shot of Normanton Church lit up in yellow and blue, and we’ve a similar shot of Stamford’s All Saints Church too. You can donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine appeal at www.dec.org.uk.

We’re always looking for scenes of Rutland & Stamford to feature on our covers and in the magazine. If you’re a budding photographer, email your pictures to the address above!

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123 CONTENTS NEWS & EVENTS

FOOD & DRINK

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NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories from across Rutland & Stamford including the return of the area’s prestigious Rockingham Horse Trials.

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WHAT’S ON Live music, theatre and comedy this May, for a whole summer of entertainment.

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HIGHLIGHTS 18

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A TRIP TO UFFINGTON This month we discover scarecrows, summer fun and community spirit as we pay a visit to Uffington.

100 MAKING DAIRY FAIRER We’re up nice and early to help with the milking at Ahimsa, the area’s high-welfare dairy farm.

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Barnack, with great food and a warm welcome in store too.

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RECIPES AND WINE Enjoy summer dining and raise a glass to Chile.

HOMES & GARDENS 60

WELCOME HOME Ashley and Nina show off their super-modern village property refurbishment.

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HOMES Fresh green interiors.

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IN THE GARDEN Enjoy Burghley’s sculpture garden in the sunshine.

WATERWAYS From a trip on the Rutland Belle to an exciting project to rejuvenate Oakham’s canal, this month we’re getting our feet wet and enjoying water water everywhere!

DINING OUT The Millstone at

FASHION & LIFESTYLE 106

WEDDINGS Marrying in Bourne.

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FASHION Navy-coloured fashions that’ll see you shipshape this summer.

123 HIGH LIFE Stamford School’s Alumni fundraising ball at The Haycock Hotel.

126 MOTORS Aston Martin’s new DBX.

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87 READ

THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE AREA READ PRIDE MAGAZINE

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.

Sales Manager: Cydney Buck.

Sales Executive: Catherine Healy.

Executive Editor: Rob Davis.

Customer Care Manager: Mandy Bray.

IT Manager: Ian Bagley.

Web Developer: Joe Proctor.

Accounts Manager: Chloe Watson.

Senior Accounts Manager: 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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Carefully selected artists from the Royal Academy, Royal Institutes, Federations and Societies

An exhibition of selected etchings by David Hockney OM CH RA from The Grimm Fairy Tales Suite of Works 11th April - 1st May 5-8 The Mews • The George Hotel • Stamford • PE9 2LB Tuesday - Sunday from 11am to 5pm | 01780 480800 w w w. a d r i a n h i l l f i n e a r t . c o m 6

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OUNDLE MILL KITCHEN & BATHROOM DESIGN

Consultation by appointment oundlemill.co.uk Oundle Mill | Barnwell Rd | Oundle | Peterborough | PE8 5PB

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NEWS & EVENTS

Get ready for the 2022 Rutland Show JUBILEE WEEKEND EVENT FOR RUTLAND’S COUNTY SHOW, ON SATURDAY 4th JUNE...

RUTLAND After a two-year break, organisers are delighted to confirm that the Rutland Show will return during the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

“The Rutland Show is back! The 2022 show will take place on the Saturday 4th June during the Queen’s Jubilee Weekend and we plan to pull in the crowds with all the much loved traditional agricultural show elements alongside fabulous attractions, family entertainment, great shopping, delicious food & drink and more,” say organisers.

The show is spread out over 150 acres, spanning 13 fields. It attracts around 12,000 visitors plus over 1,000 livestock and equine entries a year, and it costs £120,000 to stage, taking a whole year to organise. The first Rutland County Show was held on Monday December 5th 1831

at an indoor riding stable in Catmos Street, Oakham (now Rutland County Museum); it was attended by 500 people!

The event moved to Burley on the Hill in 2003, and then

Burghley benefits cavalry HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY FOUNDATION IS THE OFFICIAL CHARITY FOR HORSE TRIALS 2022

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to its present location in 2014 with its most recent improvement including the addition of shire horses and an enhanced area for local food businesses, The Larder.

STAMFORD Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, which takes place from 1st – 4th September, has appointed the Household Cavalry Foundation as its official charity for the year.

The Foundation provides charitable and pastoral welfare support to all the members of the Household Cavalry ‘family’ comprising serving soldiers, operational casualties, veterans and dependants. The Foundation also supports the Household Cavalry’s heritage and its retired horses.

“We are delighted to be supporting the important work

Naturally, the Rutland Pride team will also be at the show, in our usual location alongside the Main Ring, so come along, pick up a copy of Pride, and meet the team! n

undertaken by the Household Cavalry Foundation,” says Burghley Horse Trials Event Director, Martyn Johnson.

The origins of Eventing evolved through the training of cavalry horses, meaning there are strong and long standing links between our sport and the work of the British Army’s cavalry regiments.

In this Jubilee year, where the horses and soldiers of the Regiment will be at their ceremonial best, it seemed like a very appropriate time to be supporting the Foundation’s work.” n See www.burghley-horse.co.uk.

WILL WWII SIGNBOARD BE COMING HOME?

OAKHAM A piece of nautical memorabilia will be offered for sale in a special auction and its current owner hopes that it will return the piece of local history to the county.

Geoff Pringle was born and raised in Uppingham, and has spent much of his life curating one of the most comprehensive private collections of naval history in the UK. Among his artifacts is this signboard from HMS Oakham Castle which will be auctioned

in London as Pride goes to press at the Charles Miller auction house.

With a pre-auction estimate of £800, the nameboard is from the Castle Class corvette which was manufactured from 1942 to 1943, with 96 vessels ordered from shipyards.

HMS Oakham Castle served on convoy escort duty in the North Atlantic, dodging u-Boats. It was later refitted and renamed, used by the RAF as a weather ship. n

Standing with Ukraine...

NORMANTON CHURCH AT RUTLAND WATER LIT UP IN YELLOW AND BLUE IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINIANS

Celebrating the power of play in Oundle...

OUNDLE A fun-filled afternoon in store at Laxton Junior School! Saturday 14th May Celebrates the Power of Play to explore and understand the role of play in learning and development. The Open Day is all about giving you the chance to speak to experts, and to let your child become absorbed in a range of fun play activities.

n See www.laxtonjunior.org.uk.

RUTLAND The county showed its solidarity with Ukrainians caught up in conflict recently as Normanton Church was lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

Currently 18m people have been affected by the conflict, with four million people in total expected to be displaced.

The image used on our cover was taken by Rutland photographer Richard Brown and has been used without fee on the condition that we make a donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee at www.dec.org.uk, which raised £200m in the first two weeks of its appeal for donations. n

363 New Homes

Nautical but nice...

OAKHAM A planning application has been submitted for the creation of 213 homes off Burley Road, with another 150 homes also possible near Ashwell Road playing fields and Main Road in Barleythorpe. Carter Jonas and Pigeon Capital Management are behind the plans. n

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LOCAL

NEWS In Brief

PETERBOROUGH

Role of women in medieval religion considered in Cathedral Continuing its series of online talks, Peterborough Cathedral will hosts Canon Precentor Dr Rowan Williams who will explore the importance of women in the medieval Church on, 18th May. Many official Church functions were not open to them, and the contribution they made is often overlooked and misunderstood.

Dr Williams’ talk will refer to Julian of Norwich, Clare of Assisi and Hildegard of Bingen who lived very different kinds of lives, others will also get a mention! peterboroughcathedral.org.uk.

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NEWS & EVENTS

Rockingham resumes its Horse Trials INTERNATIONAL HORSE TRIALS TAKES PLACE AT FROM FRIDAY 20th TO SUNDAY 22th MAY...

ROCKINGHAM After two years away, Fairfax & Favor Rockingham International Horse Trials returns for its tenth year, taking place from Friday 20th to Sunday 22th May, at the family home of the Saunders Watson family.

Set in The Great Park at Rockingham Castle, Fairfax & Favor Rockingham International Horse Trials promises to be a great day out for all the family, with a variety of Trade Stands, delicious food to enjoy, and a new Food & Drink Marquee displaying the very best of local produce.

There is even a have-a-go dog agility ring to get the whole family involved!

The event welcomes the very best of International Athletes, with the Robert Loomes championship returning to provide top-class cross-country action as riders compete to win a hand-pro-

LOCAL NEWS In Brief

PLATINUM JUBILEE UPDATE FOR STAMFORD’S SHEEP MARKET...

The historic town square of Sheep Market is due for a Jubilee update, thanks to the Stamford Civic Society’s Urban Group and the town’s Marius Note and Izmir Cufi, owners of Pizza di Mario. The locals are funding and creating new stone benches, wooden seats and a circular bench to smarten the area up. n

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duced watch made by Robert Loomes & Co in Stamford.

Pony Club Team Show Jumping, Riding Club Team Show Jumping and Arena Eventing Classes will be taking

place across the weekend.

The Arena Eventing competition takes place on Sunday 22th May and will be run at BE90 and BE100 levels.

Laura battles back

LAURA GILBERT RETURNS TO RAF AFTER BATTLING CANCER TO TAKE COMMAND OF HER EXPEDITIONARY SQUADRON

n Further information about the Rockingham International Horse Trials and tickets, can be found on the official website rockinghamcastlehorsetrials.com or by calling 01536 770240.

WITTERING RAF Squadron Leader Laura Gilbert last month returned to Wittering after fighting off aggressive breast cancer and has taken command of Expeditionary Logistics (1EL) Squadron.

Laura graduated with a degree in Chemistry from Durham University before joining the Royal Air Force in 2007; it’s a qualification well suited to her work.

The day after finishing chemotherapy, Laura also raised £1,500 doing the Pink Ribbon walk for Breast Cancer Now, which supports women following a breast cancer diagnosis. n

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PETERBOROUGH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE Guide Price £650,000

A modern, detached, five bedroomed home, set over three floors, stands in a quiet spot in a residential area not far from Peterborough city centre where fast trains to London take 45 minutes, and quick links to the A1. The light and airy house is designed for modern living with expansive kitchen dining room at the back with bi-folding doors, and a separate sitting room with a big window to the front. The kitchen is fitted with an abundance of slick, modern units topped with quartz and an island that incorporates a breakfast bar. The first floor accommodates four double bedrooms and the family bathroom, whilst a superb master suite occupies the second floor. The adjoining garage has made an ideal gym for the owners and there is ample off-road parking for 3-4 cars.

The enclosed rear garden is south-west facing and predominantly lawn. A paved terrace stretches along the back of the house whilst a raised decked area provides a place to really soak up the sun.

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

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

fineandcountry.com

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UFFINGTON, LINCOLNSHIRE Offers in excess of £1,250,000

225 offices across Great Britain Plus 75 offices globally

An exemplary, contemporary, family home sits in the heart of the village of Uffington close to its excellent primary school, just two miles from Stamford and three from the A1. The open plan interior is flooded with natural light and the connection with the garden is superb with vast sliding doors from both the kitchen diner and linked family room onto a porcelain terrace. The beautiful transformation from an older property, where top quality materials and fittings have been employed, was recently completed and now presents as a virtually brand new home. The house sits in the centre of its large plot, well back from the road with a large gravelled area to the front providing parking for several cars. The west facing rear garden is completely enclosed so is secured for young children and dogs. Beyond the expansive, raised, porcelain paved terrace a large, sunken lawn is edged with painted sleepers and leads to more lawn with a timber garden shed at the far end.

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NEW

BARROW

GUIDE PRICE £1.3M

NEW

SEATON

£595,000

*DEVELOPMENT OR RENOVATION PROJECT*: a great opportunity to either refurbish 3 dwellings or develop this site comprising THREE DETACHED DWELLINGS, A RANGE OF OUTBUILDINGS & APPROX. 3.50 ACRES OF GRASSLAND. Dwellings: A period 4-bedroom former farmhouse, 4bedroom bungalow and 3-bedroom dormer bungalow. Outbuildings: A range of outbuildings with potential to convert to Residential use (STPP). Energy Rating: TBC.

Charming mid-19th century detached cottage with sympathetic modern extension combining character with contemporary style, occupying a large plot with stunning views over the village cricket ground. The property provides spacious and flexible accommodation, immaculately presented throughout whilst retaining an array of period features. 3 Reception Rooms, Conservatory, Living Dining Kitchen, Utility, 5 Bedrooms, 3 Bath-/Shower Rooms; Dbl Garage. Energy Rating: F.

BISBROOKE

MARKET OVERTON

£625,000

An attractive detached house offering spacious accommodation with high quality fixtures and fittings set in a desirable village location, close to the historic market town of Uppingham. Sitting Room, Family Room, Study, feature Dining Kitchen, Clkrm/WC, 4 Bedrooms, Master En-suite Shower Room, Family Bathroom; single Garage, off-road Parking, enclosed rear Garden. Energy Rating: C.

£695,000

Charming mid-19th century detached cottage with sympathetic modern extension combining character with contemporary style, occupying a large plot with stunning views over the village cricket ground.

The property provides spacious and flexible accommodation, immaculately presented throughout whilst retaining an array of period features. 3 Reception Rooms, Conservatory, Living Dining Kitchen, Utility, 5 Bedrooms, 3 Bath-/Shower Rooms; Dbl Garage. Energy Rating: F.

NEW PRICE

SOUTH LUFFENHAM

£650,000

Beautifully presented, substantial detached family home enjoying far-reaching countryside views to the rear. The generously proportioned and energy-efficient accommodation is appointed to a high standard throughout. Lounge, Snug, Living Room, open-plan Dining Kitchen, Utility, Cloakroom/WC, 4 large Double Bedrooms, Master Dressing Room and En-suite Shower Room, Family Bathroom; ample Parking, fully enclosed Garden. Energy Rating: B.

ASHWELL

£330,000

Delightful Grade II Listed semi-detached cottage set on a large plot with wrap-around gardens in a popular village close to Oakham. The property dates back to ca 1858 and formed part of group of cottages built for Viscount Downe by William Butterfield, a renowned Victorian Gothic Revival architect, who was best known for his ecclesiastical architecture. Sitting Room, Kitchen/Diner, WC, 2 Bedrooms, Bathroom. Parking for 3 cars, extensive Gardens. Energy Rating: F.

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Guide Price £525,000

Offers In Excess Of £500,000

Main Street, Belton in Rutland

Great Lane, Greetham

A handsome, double-fronted, Victorian village home with generous accommodation, off-road parking and a wonderful south-facing garden.

A double fronted stone cottage that has been significantly extended and renovated to create a spacious and beautifully presented home.

Guide Price £300,000

Offers in Excess Of £350,000

Braunston Road, Oakham

Welland Way, Oakham

A modern and immaculately-presented red-brick home, finished to a high standard and within easy walking distance of Oakham town centre.

A deceptively spacious, four-bedroom detached property with off-road parking & a single garage, within easy walking distance of Oakham town centre.

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PROPERTY FINDERS

Time to Spring into Action?

Kate Vincent from Garrington Property Finders shares some expert tips for successfully moving to your dream home this Spring.

To the surprise of many, the property market has remained somewhat frenzied over recent months, and all the signs are that the traditionally brisk Spring market could be one of the busiest on record this year.

Moving home in a fast-paced property market like this presents both opportunities and challenges.

The main driving force behind rising prices and such a competitive market is an acute imbalance between the number of properties being made available for sale and the continuing glut of homebuyers desperate to find their next property. Of course, with Spring approaching it is likely that more properties will be brought to market, but the sheer volume of buyers actively looking suggests that there will still not be enough homes for sale to meet demand.

Tips for successfully finding and securing your next home A few years ago, when a cash buyer with nothing to sell registered with an estate agent they would have rolled out the red carpet!

Unfortunately, today, this optimal position is less rare as many buyers over the last year

have sold their properties and moved into a rental property, poised to buy and snap up the latest listing.

Of course, many people do not have the luxury of being a fully proceedable cash buyer but if you want to be taken seriously in this market, at the very least you must have your mortgage ‘decision in principle’ in hand and your property on the market, preferably under offer.

Whilst this may feel like a rather precarious position to be in, it is unfortunately the harsh reality, that you must be able to spring into action if you are going to buy successfully in the current market.

A further top tip is to do your ‘homework’ on prices in the area you are looking in before starting to view any properties. Many homes are being sold through ‘best and final offers’ so to avoid missing out, or indeed overpaying, spend some time understanding the dynamics of the area you are trying to buy in.

Selling your current home in a fast market For anyone not making an onward purchase, the good news is that you can expect a quick

Kate Vincent Garrington

sale. However, for anyone selling and buying again, selling is the easy part – finding your new home whilst linking in your sale has become challenging with so little property for sale to choose from.

For this reason, increasing numbers of sellers are choosing to sell off-market through their estate agent, where the speed and sale process can sometimes be better controlled, away from the spotlight of the open market.

To the same end, Garrington has increasingly been approached directly by homeowners asking if they have a suitable buyer willing to transact at a level and pace suitable to their needs. With experienced professionals on side, a transaction can be managed to move forward at a pace to suit all parties to a successful conclusion.

If you are considering moving this Spring and would like more information about how to better navigate your local property market, contact Kate Vincent to arrange a no-obligation discussion.

Tel. 01780 408377.

Email info@garrington.co.uk www.garringtoneastmidlands.co.uk

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RUTLAND AND STAMFORD’S WATERWAYS

WATER, WATER

EVERYWHERE This month we’re making the most of the water as we take a trip on the Rutland Belle, discover sailing in the county and we meet the community group hoping to rejuvenate the area’s canals...

Words: Rob Davis.

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WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE RESTORING OAKHAM CANAL’S GREEN CORRIDOR

It’s one of Oakham’s overlooked gems, but Stephanie Ross and Paul Dadford are hoping it won’t remain so for much longer, as they’ve formed a group which aims to take care of the unique habitat of Oakham Canal...

It’s rather sad, but Oakham Canal’s working life was somewhat short, and it was less than a stellar success from a financial point of view. It’s a shame because the canal is really rather pretty, more so these days thanks to the efforts of a newly formed group who want to see the canal managed as a green space for the whole community to enjoy.

Plans for a canal were first drawn up in 1785, with a couple of routes proposed. One would have required the creation of 13 locks so instead, a new route was devised in 1791 which would take a second Act of Parliament to bring to fruition, and would see the canal – with just nine locks – leaving for Melton Mowbray near Oakham School.

Indeed, some evidence of the canal can still be seen within the school’s grounds, with the remains of a few of the old warehousing buildings visible. If planning the canal was tricky, constructing it was fraught with even greater difficulty.

The original surveyor was William Jessop, then the job passed to Christopher Staveley Jr who became engineer before being sacked by the Leicestershire and Melton Navigation company, replaced by William Dunn, who had no experience of constructing canals.

Dunn delivered the project but over budget, and at a final project cost of over £65,000.

No sooner had the project opened in 1802 did its poor design become apparent.

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The canal’s water supply was inadequate, and with the railway arriving in the area in 1847, the canal’s fate was sadly sealed.

During its life the canal had carried fewer than 32,000 tonnes of goods, of which over 60% was coal, with grain and wool making up the remaining freight.

It’s a shame as 1840 was considered the canal’s most successful year, yielding dividends for shareholders of £5. Just four years later though, the canal had a dry year – literally – and it had temporarily closed in 1844 because of insufficient water.

In October 1847 the canal was closed for good and within six months, the new rail line from Melton Mowbray to Oakham was created, opening in May 1848.

More recently, Stephanie met her soon-to-be husband, who was from near Oakham, and moved from Scotland to Rutland via Winchester. She also met Paul Dadford who enjoyed frequent walks along the canal, which was by now a little overgrown and unloved.

“There’s now a committee of eight people and about 40 people who are keen to volunteer. We’ve 800 followers on social media and without doubt everyone has been really supportive.”

Much of the group’s focus has been on about a 3km stretch of the canal, which would have been about 25km in total. While little of the overall route is still in water, the stretch heading out of Oakham retains several areas still in water, some near to the original condition of the canal, and yields a round walk of about five miles. With the work that the group has already completed, it’s a much more enjoyable place to spend time.

“During the winter we had a core of about six volunteers who formed a work party, trimming back overgrown weeds and foliage, and clearing paths. We’ve also managed to purchase some aggregate and though it was a massive job, everyone worked hard to transport it via wheelbarrow to an area where the path had worn away, and spread it evenly to improve the path and make the area look better.”

“Paul is really communityminded and always very keen “As a group we’ve installed to get his teeth into a four new gates and have project,” says Stephanie. replaced a bridge in a part “He’s been the driving of the route called Cattle force behind bringing Dunk. The volunteers we The Oakham Green Corridor together the team to have also regularly walk Project was featured on the complete work to get the BBC’s Escape to the Country the route looking out for litcanal back to some kind of programme in January, and ter or antisocial behaviour.” has been supported by order. The group was formed MP Alicia Kearns. in October 2020 and it quickly “During the spring and sumgained traction despite – or permer months we’re planning volunhaps because of Covid.” teer sessions so we can keep the place looking nice, but the potential for its use is “I think we all recognised the value of green endless. There’s lots of land owners along spaces and fresh air during lockdown and the route, so co-ordinating the activities and that, we believe, encouraged people to really knowing what we can work on is a task, but take an interest in what could be done as a there’s no deadline to meet; this will be an oncommunity to restore the space for people going project that we hope many future gento enjoy; a place for walking, birdwatching erations will benefit from.” and generally taking in nature.” n The Oakham Canal Green Corridor Project is seeking volunteers and sponsorship/funding Right: Volunteers of the Oakham Canal Green partners to help continue its work. For more Corridor project have worked hard since information see www.oakhamcanal.org.

October 2020 to restore 3km of the canal.

Escaping to the Country

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WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE SAILING AT RUTLAND WATER AND A TRIP ON THE WATER

30th APRIL - 2nd MAY 2022: RYA ERIC TWINAME CHAMPIONSHIPS

SAILING AT RUTLAND WATER This month represents one of the most popular sailing fixtures at Rutland Water in the form of the Royal Yachting Association’s Eric Twiname Championships...

Believe it or not, Rutland Sailing Club actually pre-dates the creation of the reservoir by a few years. Founded in 1973, early members eagerly anticipated the opening of the new Rutland Water, and it remains today one of the largest inland, artificially created facilities for sailing, in the world.

TAKING A TRIP ON THE RUTLAND BELLE

From gin cruises to spotting ospreys, a trip on the Rutland Belle is a treat all summer long...

All aboard the Rutland Belle this summer, as trips begin again in early April as Pride goes to press. During winter the 29-tonne, 19-metre vessel is taken out of the water for an annual service, not least of its 72hp diesel engine. By spring, the cruiser is shipshape and ready to make around 1,000 trips a year across the water.

Matthew Broadbent is the boat’s skipper, and it was his father Trevor who commissioned the boat and began offering pleasure cruises back in September 1986... when his son was just four years old!

Matthew and his wife Sarah now run the cruises, including special twilight osprey-spotting cruises, gin cruises, cheese and wine cruises, as well as trips across the water for newlyweds.

During summer the couple offer sailings four times a day, each lasting 40 minutes for up to 110 passengers for £12/return adults. n See www.rutlandwatercruises.com.

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“The club currently has over 1,600 members who enjoy our fantastic facilities for a mixture of competitive and leisure sailing all year round. We also have an RYA accredited Sailing School which provides junior and adult tuition, coaching and courses, for members and non-members alike,” says Guy Hodge who joined the club as General Manager at the start of 2022.

“We offer dinghy sailing, windsurfing and cruising for members and have 600 craft onsite. The club is also home to Rutland

Sailability, the UK’s largest group of disabled sailors and volunteers, a corporate member, who pre-Covid had over 250 members” “This month we play host to our biggest event of the year and one of the largest annual open sailing events affiliated with the RYA. The Eric Twiname Championships usually attracts about 325 boats and 1,500 people and is all about finding the countries next generation of elite sailors.”

“There is a terrific atmosphere at the club over the May Bank Holiday weekend, with visitors from all over the country enjoying some excellent competitive sailing along with the delights Rutland has to offer.”

“It’s a really good reminder of just what a fantastic landmark leisure destination we have in the county and how popular it can be. The event is a great ambassador for the sport of sailing!” n

Find Out More: Rutland Water Sailing Club was established in 1973 and with its affiliated sailing school, it offers beginners’ sailing experiences for even complete novices. See www.rutlandsailingclub.co.uk.

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From natural watercourses to man-made reservoirs, we’re lucky to enjoy so many picturesque places to enjoy water in Rutland and Stamford...

RUTLAND WATER Water: Fresh.

Built: 1971-1975.

Area: 3,100 acres.

Surface: 4.2 square miles.

Volume: 124,000,000m3.

Purpose: Reservoir, leisure.

Tidal? No. Where else could we begin a look at bodies of water in the area than at Rutland Water?

It’s the UK’s largest reservoir (by area) and opened in 1975 after the damming of the Gwash Valley and the flooding of Nether and Middle Hambleton.

Rutland Water is owned by Anglian Water with its nature reserves operated in partnership with the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. Anglian Water covers Rutland and Stamford as well as Lincolnshire Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, employing 4,000 people and operating 143 water treatment plants which supply 2.5m households with fresh water after treating 927m litres each day. n

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EYEBROOK RESERVOIR Water: Fresh. Built: 1937-1940. Area: 497 acres.

Length: 2.8km long, 1.2km wide. Volume: 8,096,586m3.

Purpose: Reservoir, leisure. Tidal? No. Ask anyone to name a reservoir in Rutland and few would mention Eyebrook before Rutland Water despite the fact that the latter is the older of the two. Indeed, some of Eyebrook’s water is fed into Rutland Water via pumps near Tinwell.

Eyebrook Reservoir, though, is better known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and one for birdwatchers and trout fishermen. The reservoir was also a test area for Barnes Wallace’s Bouncing Bomb during the war, though Derwent Water stood in for the reservoir in the 1955 film. n

THE RIVER GWASH Water: Fresh. Length: 24 miles. From: Knossington. To: Manton.

Maximum Depth: 2m. Purpose: Drainage, nature. Tidal? No. The source of the Gwash is Knossington, in Leicestershire, and it passes through an impressive three counties – Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire – before reaching Manton. The Gwash was dammed to create Rutland Water, and its tributary passes from Empingham to meet the Welland, downstream of Stamford. Migratory sea trout can now be caught in the Gwash, with one of the country’s newest trout farms created in 1998

by Lawrence Bell, now producing up to 100,000 fish every year. n

RIVER WELLAND Water: Fresh. Length: 65 miles.

From: Hothorpe Hills. To: The Wash.

Average Depth: Shallow but with deep pools.

Purpose: Transport, Leisure. Tidal? Yes. The Welland has its source at Hothorpe Hills – now known at Sibbertoft – located southwest of Market Harborough, equidistant to Leicester and Northampton. If flows into Stamford and on to Spalding before meeting the sea at Fosdyke.

The Welland was navigable during the reign of William the Conqueror, and was one of the first rivers to be granted an act of parliament to be widened and dredged in 1571. Further work saw the draining of more Fenland in the early 1600s as well as the creation of Stamford Canal and the creation of Deeping Fen and South Fen in 1664.

Remaining navigable from Deeping St James to the Wash, when the route was also navigable to Stamford, the town served as a popular location to trade goods given the convergence of the canal route and the Great North road. n

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THE RIVER CHATER Water: Fresh. Length: 22 miles. From: Whatborough Hill.

To: The Welland at Tinwell. Average Depth: 0.5 metre.

The Chater passes through Ketton and under a charming 17th century bridge with three arches. Damming the Chater was considered during the creation of Rutland Water, but its underlying geology gave the river a stay of execution.

The river takes its name from the Chater Valley, a site of special scientific interest near Loddington. The river’s agricultural use was reflected in a number of waterwheels along the banks, with the last operational example being a watermill at South Luffenham. It ceased operation in 1948. n

FORT HENRY LAKE Location: Exton Estate.

Average Depth: Unknown.

Purpose: Folly.

Fort Henry nestles within the Exton Estate, historically home to the Noel family – the Earls of Gainsborough. The parkland dates back to the 12th century and is believed to have been visited by Shakespeare and Handel.

Two lakes were created by damming the North Brook river, which rises near Cottesmore and flows east to Greetham and to Empingham where it joins the River Gwash. One of two lakes on the estate, the upper water is home to Fort Henry, the eponymous fishing folly commissioned by Henry Noel, 6th Earl of Gainsborough in a gothic style. It was built by William Legg of Stamford between 1786 and 1789.

The eccentric 6th Earl would use the lake to re-enact famous navel battles!

Upon leaving the estate, the river flows westward into the deserted medieval village of Horn which according to the 2001 census, still has a population of nine! n

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BURGHLEY HOUSE’S SERPENTINE LAKE

Travel back in time to the mid-1700s and a feature of Burghley House’s parkland will be conspicuous by its absence... namely its Serpentine Lake.

Water: Fresh.

Built: 1756-1780.

Area: 26 acres.

Depth 1.5 metres.

Volume: 105,000m2.

Purpose: Ornamental.

Tidal? No.

It was in 1754 that the 9th Earl of Exeter approached Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown with a view to commissioning a radical redesign of the grounds. Brown’s work created the Orangery and stabling, as well as the Gothic garden summerhouse. He also planted numerous trees to afford the Earl views down towards Stamford’s churches.

Image: Matty Graham.

A hallmark of Brown’s work is the creation of large bodies of water, and at the time, Burghley House did have a ‘pond’ though it would seem impressive by most people’s standards, covering about nine acres.

Discovering a seam of ‘blue’ clay in the

grounds though, the ambitious landscaper was able to enlarge the lake to cover its current 26 acres, with meandering curves designed to make it look as natural as possible, rather than resembling a man-made feature. Meanwhile, Brown also designed the Lion Bridge, which swallowed up £1,050 of his total £23,000 budget... the equivalent of £5,250,000 today.

Though the lake was an average 1.5m deep, by the 21st century the lake was in need of extensive dredging, and from 2016 the estate’s forestry team with Philip Herbert – clerk of the course for the Horse Trials – along with Guy Herbert and Sam Jackson have been expediting works, taking advantage of the cancellation of the Horse Trials to clear an additional four hectares of lake, which is wellstocked with tench, rudd, pike and perch. n

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“We went on a treasure hunt in the Woodland Garden, and we had to get a key from a crocodile!”

Hamish and Madeleine

Celebrate the Power of Play Experience the wonder of discovery through the eyes of your child at our tailored Reception Open Day on Saturday 14 May. Meet and chat to our team of EYFS experts while your child is absorbed in a range of fun play activities, all created with pre-schoolers in mind.

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THE VILLAGE: UFFINGTON

The View from

UFFINGTON This month we’re paying a visit to the village of Uffington and discovering scarecrows, summer fun and community spirit as we take in the from from Uffington with South Kesteven District Council Leader Kelham Cooke and Vanessa Kimberley...

Lead Image: St Michael & All Angels’ Church, Uffington is home to Fr Aran Beesley, otherwise known as FAB.

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THE VILLAGE: UFFINGTON

“Uffington and Casewick are both very much reflective of South Kesteven, with a traditional feel, community spirit and a real can-do sort of attitude...”

At this time of year, the population of Uffington grows a little bit beyond its usual figure of about 700 inhabitants. Its population increases by about 55 (rather odd-looking) individuals, as Uffington prepares to host its annual scarecrow festival.

This year the event is back, raising money for the village with a theme of Discoverers & Inventors. It’ll attract about 5,000 visitors and will help to raise money for one of the village’s young residents, Thea Williams, who has recently undergone treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

And if the scarecrows are stuffed with community spirit, so too are the locals, such as South Kesteven District Council Leader Kelham Cooke, who works alongside Rosemary Trollope-Bellew as the two councillors for the Casewick Ward.

Casewick, incidentally, was the name of the village long since lost to history, replaced with Uffington, whose namesake of Uffington Park was built in Tudor times by the Bertie Family, demolished in 1904. It’s from the latter family that the village’s Bertie Arms derives its name.

Nomenclature aside though, it’s the people who really make the village special, as Kelham acknowledges.

“My role is one of overall responsibility for the whole of South Kesteven, and it’s a remarkable district in which to work and live, but it’s difficult not to have a soft spot for the ward I’ve lived in for most of my life and have represented as a District Councillor for the past 12 years.”

“Uffington and Casewick are both very much reflective of South Kesteven, with a traditional feel, community spirit and a real can-do sort of attitude.” >>

Above: Friendly residents at Three Daughters at Croft Farm, scarecrows for the village’s annual competition and budding beekeepers Cloda Boyle and Olivia Richardson, at Uffington’s Bee Cooperative.

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THE VILLAGE: UFFINGTON

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“Father Aran is hoping that this year’s fundraising activities can help to fund the repair of the church’s clock...”

>> There are lots of listed buildings, a really great village pub (The Bertie Arms), and it’s generally very leafy and pretty, as you’d expect from a village in a conservation area.”

Another resident who loves the village is Vanessa Kimberley, part of a small team which works hard to look after the village hall. We believe that fewer than 15 village halls in the UK have a thatched roof.

Uffington Village Hall is so blessed, and because it’s such a pretty venue, it’s well-loved and well-used by the community.

When its usual programme was suspended during the Covid pandemic, the hall’s custodians took the opportunity to give it a lick of paint, new curtains, and soft furnishings.

So it’s looking especially good now, just in time for a series of summer events, not least among which is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

It’s thought that the village will hold a ceilidh and a street party for the occasion and ambitious plans are now also afoot to

replicate taking a photograph of every resident in the village simultaneously in one aerial shot.

A photo of all the village’s residents would certainly look fab, and speaking of FAB, that also happens to be the acronym and nickname of Father Aran Beesley, rector of the Uffington group, which comprises seven churches in the area, including St Michael and All Angels.

Father Aran is hoping that this year’s fundraising activities can help to fund the repair of the church’s clock, which stopped a couple of years ago… still, it’s right at least twice a day.

Elsewhere in the village, there’s a certain buzz surrounding the Uffington Bee Co-operative, which maintains a sustainable apiary in the village, selling its honey and investing any profit back into the company.

Bee populations are in serious decline, and choosing honey produced by the co-operative

Right: Uffington Village Hall and its notice board and shown above Uffington C of E Primary School.

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THE VILLAGE: UFFINGTON

“With so much happening in the village and such community spirit, it’s little surprise that this year’s Uffington scarecrows have very big smiles on their faces...”

Above: The north and south gate lodges, to the former Uffington House were created for the Bertie family in the early 1840s by Samuel Gray.

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means you’ll help the swarm to pollinate the area’s verges and gardens, and you’ll be consuming honey from the village’s own unique mix of grasses and flowers, which also helps to build up your natural resistance to hayfever… oh, and it’s delicious on toast or in cakes, too.

Speaking of food, it’s not just bees that are busy in Uffington. All roads in the village eventually lead to a Genever, partly because some of the local family farms the 580 acres around the village, growing arable crops and producing livestock, whilst Katie Genever and husband James run the very lovely, thatched pub, The Bertie Arms.

In addition, Kate, Susan, and Liz Genever are the founders of 3 Daughters@ Croft Farm, a farm which produces high-welfare meat from livestock that have been well-looked after throughout their life, selling their products to the village as ready-butchered meat boxes.

The three daughters’ farming operations also supply the village pub whenever possible.

The Bertie Arms is open from Wednesday to Sunday and will offer evening dining again as Pride goes to press. The pub is also home to the village’s monthly quiz night, to its Knit & Natter group, and to the Bertie Book Club.

With so much happening in the village and such community spirit, it’s little surprise that this year’s Uffington scarecrows have very big smiles on their faces.

As well as the scarecrow trail and its quiz (1st and 2nd May 2022, 11am-4pm), visitors can enjoy a classic car and motorcycle show, farm machinery, historic flypast, dog show, crafts, cake and plant sales, a barbecue, model railway, plus traditional games and bouncy castle, face painting and lots more fun besides with parking on the village’s Greatford Road.

We’ll see you there! n

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WATER FEATURES • PAVING • GARDEN ACCESSORIES

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NEWS & EVENTS

What’s On...

PETERBOROUGH

WEDNESDAY 4th MAY

WEST DEEPING

BILL BAILEY – EN ROUTE TO NORMAL

SUNDAY 1st MAY

THE DEEPINGS LITERARY FESTIVAL: FRANCIS PRYOR ON THE FENS

In this new show, Bill ponders the questions that this moment in history has thrown up, as he tries to see a way through the strange unreality of our new world.

One of Britain’s most distinguished archaeologists and the excavator of Flag Fen, Francis has been studying the archaeology of the Fens since 1971. His latest book, ‘Scenes from Prehistoric Life,’ takes us across four millennia, touching upon several local sites including those along the Norfolk coast. Francis Pryor will be paying specific attention to his books, ‘The Fens’ (2019) and ‘Scenes from Prehistoric Life’ (2021) in this illustrated talk. n West Deeping Village Hall, 2.30pm, 01780 763203, www.stamfordartscentre.com.

Celebrating the Sunrise

PRAYER AND PAINTING COMBINES AS ARTIST AND BAPTIST MINISTER REVD CHRIS DUFFETT CELEBRATES THE NEW DAY

n East of England Arena, Peterborough, PE2 6XE. Tickets £22, from 7.30pm.

Call 01733 363500 or see www.eastofenglandarena.com.

STAMFORD

THURSDAY 5th MAY

FASCINATING AÏDA

PETERBOROUGH

SUNDAY 8th MAY - 5th JUNE

IT’S A NEW DAY

It’s A New Day is an exhibition of paintings of sunrise scenes from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

They were created by artist and Baptist Minister Revd Chris Duffett.

Chris asked people on social media for photos of dawn scenes from the four nations of the UK. He chose four and used them as inspiration, then praying as he painted them to curate his exhibition. n Peterborough Cathedral, PE1 1XS. www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk.

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They’re back and they’re as cheeky as ever! Dillie Keane, Adèle Anderson and Liza Pulman are heading out on tour with a sort of mature cabaret act that combines good humour and cheeky lyrics. With a selection of old favourites, songs you haven’t heard before and some you wish you’d never heard in the first place. The songs are hilarious and topical – the glamour is unstoppable. n Stamford Corn Exchange, PE9 1PX. Tickets £25.50, 01780 766455, or see stamfordcornexchange.co.uk.

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

STAMFORD

THURSDAY 19th MAY

FAIRPORT CONVENTION

ROCKINGHAM

FRIDAY 20th – SUNDAY 22nd MAY

2022 FAIRFAX & FAVOR ROCKINGHAM HORSE TRIALS Situated in Rockingham Castle’s Great Park, the 2022 Fairfax & Favor Rockingham Horse Trials will see Riders from around 20 nations are expected to compete this year.

Enjoy dressage, show jumping, and cross country as

well as a large range of trade stands on site, selling everything from high quality equestrian products, country wear and gifts to fashion accessories. The event will also have a range of information and charitable stands supporting countryside charities, local organisations and lifestyle shopping. n Call 01536 770240 or see rockinghamcastlehorsetrials.com.

Platinum Jubilee Celebration LEICESTERSHIRE’S KILWORTH HOUSE CELEBRATES HER MAJESTY’S JUBILEE WITH AN AFTERNOON TEA

Fairport Convention has been entertaining music lovers for over half a century. During that time the band that launched British folk-rock has seen many changes. But one thing has remained the same – Fairport’s passion for performance. This year’s tour concert will present long-established Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums old and new including Full House which was released 50 years ago this year. The band interprets traditional ballads and the repertoire also includes plenty of contemporary compositions. n Tickets £30, from 7.30pm, Stamford Corn Exchange www.stamfordcornexchange.co.uk Call 01778 01780 766455.

LEICESTERSHIRE

MONDAY 2nd MAY

QUEEN’S PLATINUM CELEBRATION TEA On 6th February this year Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and Commonwealth.

To mark the anniversary, Leicestershire country house hotel Kilworth House invites guests to join them and celebrate with a specially themed afternoon tea, to

BRAUNSTON

MONDAY 2nd MAY

BRAUNSTON MAY FAYRE

Braunston May Fayre is an annual charity event held on the first bank holiday in May each year. A fun family event raising money for local charities. n www.discover-rutland.co.uk.

OAKHAM

SUNDAY 22nd MAY

CLASSIC WHEELS OAKHAM Rutland Showground will host its second Classic Wheel’s event on Sunday 22nd May 2022. If, like us, you can’t wait to get out and about in your pride and joy – take a ride out to Rutland for an unforgettable day of motoring. n Tickets £10, LE15 7TW. See classicwheelsrutland.co.uk.

include finger sandwiches, and cakes & pastries such as a lemon & Earl Gray macaron, Victoria sponge plus scones with lashings of jam and cream. Kilworth House is set in 38 acres of parkland with an ornate Victorian orangery making it an ideal location for a traditional celebration.

Kilworth House’s theatre will also host its 2022 flagship production, Carousel, from Tuesday 24th May to Sunday 3rd July, as well as Half a Sixpence in July and August. n Call 01858 880058 or see www.kilworthhouse.co.uk for theatre event tickets.

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7 JUL – 14 AUG

NEW UK PRODUCTION

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FOSTER

CHOREOGRAPHER LUCY

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CDG

HIND

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CHILDREN’S CASTING DIRECTOR JO

TAAYYLOR HAWES CDG

LIGHTING DESIGNER BEN

CRACKNELL Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International: www.mtishows.co.uk

Boston Ma Bo May Fair

Courtesy of Deanss Ariel Photography

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30th Ap pril – 7th May

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LOCAL HISTORY

SLATE EXPECTATIONS Priest’s House, based at Easton, is perhaps the smallest National Trust property in the country, open by appointment.

It’s not short on history, though, and celebrates Rutland’s contribution to slate mining, as custodian Helen Tomblin says...

Like diminutive Rutland itself, this National Trust property is one of the smallest in the conservation organisation’s group, but it offers multum in parvo. It’s cared for by volunteer custodian Helen Tomblin and just three keyholders, who each unlock the building to show visitors around.

“The property itself is fascinating enough, with a 2010 survey and dendrochronological techniques being used to date it to around 1474,” says Helen.

“But we’ve ensured that it can also serve as a museum and reflect one of the area’s other important historical features; Easton’s Collyweston slate mining industries.”

Many of Rutland’s heritage properties and historic buildings are constructed from the band of oolitic limestone that runs diagonally through Rutland right down to Dorset.

It’s still mined today in quarries in Clipsham and Greetham. By contrast, though, Collyweston slate is much rarer, and below Easton was a stratum of slate, just 2ft high and 30ft below the ground.

Slate was found underneath its eponymous home of Collyweston, at Easton and also under Duddington, where it occasionally appears in a working limestone quarry.

Collyweston slate was used in the construction of Rockingham Castle’s roof, around 1375. But around the 1500s, a new way to process the material was more widely used.

The process of ‘frosting’ began to be more widely used and by the late 1800s in the open pits and mines around Collyweston.

The process used the expansion of freezing water to split the stone once it was hauled from the 30ft pits underneath the mines.

Chunks of fissile slate known as logs were brought to the surface and then laid out in a field. During sharp frosts the material was watered, with the resulting expansion of ice beginning the process of splitting the logs into workable sized pieces.

Given the necessity of freezing conditions, the winter activity was physically laborious but also bitterly cold for its hardy workers too.

Words: Rob Davis.

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Collyweston slaters with their tools, taken around 1910.

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SLATE MINING IN RUTLAND

“Priest’s House was latterly used as a village schoolroom and as a outbuildings for a nearby farm housing livestock.

It was taken into custodianship of the National Trust in 1968 and is now one of the organisation’s smallest properties...” >> Splitting of the smaller chunks of slate was completed with a cliving hammer, before teams of men would sit with the piece between their legs and the workers would then use a trimming hammer to cut the individual pieces to size.

The final step in the production of slates would see a hole made for the retaining peg using a bill and helve; a bill being a sort of punch or scribe, and a helve being a fairly hefty handle.

All of the tools used in the production of the slate are on display in Priest’s House, alongside a social history including local bygones and memorabilia. Alongside the permanent slate mining exhibits is space for peripatetic exhibitions.

Mining in Collyweston continued until the 1800s until improved transport made the availability of slate from areas like Wales cheaper, whilst steady declines in rural areas made sourcing the necessary labour for the role impossible. Further losses from the First and Second World War exacerbated the labour shortage, and by the 1950s, mining in the area had ceased.

“The original Rector of the house was Thomas Stokes, a relative of William Browne, but when he died in 1495, he left money for a chantry priest to say prayers for his soul,” says Helen.

“Following Henry VIII’s dissolution of monasteries and chantry houses, village priests occupied the house until an adjacent rectory within the house’s curtilage replaced it in 1698.”

“Priest’s House was latterly used as a village schoolroom and as a outbuildings for a nearby farm housing livestock. It was taken into custodianship of the National Trust in

Priest’s House

1968 and is now one of the organisation’s smallest properties. It’s quite right to call it a hidden gem, in fact many remain unaware that Rutland has its own National Trust property.”

“But visitors are always thrilled not only by the preservation of the 15th century building with its fascinating architecture – its circular stone staircase, for example – but also by the role the house has in remembering the area’s slate mining heritage, too.”

n Priest’s House is based at Easton on the Hill, and is open to visitors by permission of its three keyholders. 38 West Street, Easton on the Hill, Stamford PE9 3LS, call 01832 205158 or see www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

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Slate was winched from below ground by hand.

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We’ll deliver straight to the door, anywhere in the UK!

Website: www.tiffinandcobakehouse.co.uk Email: enquiries@tiffinandcobakehouse.co.uk Social Media: @tiffinandcobakehouse

WINE, DINE & RELAX

E N J OY S O M E O F L I N C O L N S H I R E S FINEST DINING Indulge in AA Rosette Dining, o r r e l a x w i t h A f t e r n o o n Te a a n d a G & T o n t h e Te r r a c e ove r l o o k i n g o u r s t u n n i n g aw a r d - w i n n i n g Pe t o g a r d e n s . Pe t wo o d i s t h e p e r fe c t l o c a t i o n fo r c e l e b r a t i o n s , commemorations and making memories that last.

F O R F U RT H E R I N F O R M AT I O N Call us on 01526 352411 or e m a i l h e l l o @ p e t wo o d . c o. u k

PETWOOD HOTEL STIXWOULD ROAD, WOODHALL SPA, LINCOLNSHIRE LN10 6QG WWW.PETWOOD.CO.UK/BOOK-A-TABLE

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AA ROSETTE AWARD

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DINING OUT WITH THE MILLSTONE AT BARNACK

IN the SUMMERTIME We’ve an absolutely fantastic recommendation for dining out this month in the form of The Millstone at Barnack. Having opened in July last year, the team is gearing up for the first full summer of trading. With a great vibe and terrific food, we predict that it’ll be very popular indeed!

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

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DINING OUT AT THE MILLSTONE, BARNACK

SUMMERTIME, and the living is easy. Indeed, that was one of the tracks playing in the background as we photographed dishes from the brand-new summer menus of The Millstone in Barnack. It’s an absolute belter. The restaurant I mean… but the song too, I guess.

On such a sunny day, Gershwin’s composition was one of a few light, upbeat and thoroughly fitting tracks on the playlist curated – according to owners Paul and Laura McSorley – by the whole team. Everyone has had some input to the music and it’s better for the fact that each member of staff is so keen to contribute. And that’s consistent with the secret behind the success of The Millstone at Barnack itself. They’re a smashing team, each of whom works together, clearly caring a lot about looking after the customers and all invested in providing a really good experience for diners.

The place is 350 years old, so it carries a Grade II listing, and its architecture is vernacular to the area, with blonde limestone and Collyweston slate. It was the village’s pub until the place shut in 2020 by which time it had become an Everards watering hole, concerned more with the wet trade the brewery could derive, rather than offering good food.

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Paul originally had the notion to convert the place for residential purposes, but with an inclination to ‘try something different,’ hit upon the idea of rescuing a village pub, then installing a management team whilst continuing to pursue his third career, delivering hospitality packages to corporate customers for global sporting fixtures.

God laughs when men make plans, though, and whilst the original idea was to set the business up and leave its running to someone else, Paul and Laura find themselves very much involved in the day-to-day running, having fallen in love with the cut and thrust of the hospitality industry – and finding themselves really enjoying contact with their customers and the locals. Purchasing the place in January 2021 and reopening six

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months later, Paul and the team completed a full refurbishment of the place and when chef Sam Sharman joined the team, he too got stuck in with the refurb and proudly points out the beams in the restaurant that he personally sandblasted.

The bit that many other restauranteurs would dread – the refurbishment – was par for the course for Paul, and when the place reopened in July 2021, the results of the new oak flooring, back-to-stone renovation, new kitchen and modern colours (the new wood panelling is finished in Farrow & Ball Inchya Blue, incidentally) all contribute to an overall impressive-looking place to dine.

Happily, chef Sam’s talents extend well beyond wielding a sandblaster with impunity.

A new summer menu is slightly restructured

from previous ones, and will offer a choice of eight starters/small plates (available in a sort of tapas format), plus eight à la carte main courses and eight desserts. There’s a stone-baked pizza menu too, which seems ubiquitous in many a pub restaurant now, but is especially suited to The Millstone at Barnack because the place has an elevated south-facing terrace with a dedicated bar at the back. If you’ve kids or dogs, or if you fancy dining al fresco or if it’s just too sunny to be stuck indoors, this is the place for you.

Alternatively, indoors, there’s a private dining area which also provides additional restaurant covers for about 16 diners, plus The Nack (in the bar… Bar-nack?) with 14 covers, and a snug for about eight people with a cosy log burner. >>

MEET THE CHEF SAM SHARMAN, HEAD CHEF History: “I’m from Peterborough but spent eight years working in the Navy as a chef aboard vessels before arriving here in January 2020.”

Food Heaven: “A good fresh fish dish!”

Food Hell: “Sushi!”

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on the MENU APPEARING ON THE MILLSTONE AT BARNACK’S À LA CARTE MENU

Starters Pan-seared scallops with curried parsnip puree, parsnip crisps and pomegranate £12.

Brown crab on toast with pea panna cotta and mango sorbet.

Confit duck leg raviolo with spring onion broth and crispy skin, £10.

Main Courses Venison loin shoulder bolognese with celeriac cream and cavolo nero £30. >> Paul and Laura have also retained an area at the front of the pub especially for locals, ensuring they look after the village as well as those who come to dine from further afield.

Speaking of which, to the rear of the pub, adjacent to the courtyard, is a coffee shop with a bar on an upper level and a built-in village store offering essentials like milk and bread, as well as local meat, chocolate and so on.

The dishes that emerged from the kitchen for us to photograph were a preview of The Millstone’s summer menus.

Our starters were a brown crab dish with pea panna cotta and mango sorbet, plus a dish of pan-seared scallops with parsnip and pomegranate.

OPENING TIMES Lunchtime: Wednesday-Sunday from 11.30am (9am Saturday).

Evening: Tuesday to Sunday.

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Main courses were a pan-seared sea bream dish with sautéed spinach and prawns.

My absolute favourite dish, though, was a venison loin main course with a cannelloni of venison shoulder bolognese. Rich, epic and absolutely fantastic.

Pan-seared sea bream with sautéed spinach, prawns.

Barbecued miso poussin with lemon & thyme hasselback potatoes, garlic purée, chilli crisp £26.

Desserts? I was fond of the sticky toffee pudding, which is robust pub restaurant fayre but proved especially well-executed – rich, unctuous and thoroughly satisfying – although ultimately, my heart could only belong to the chocolate brownie which was out of this world, with a smashing ice-cream and dehydrated raspberry crumb.

Tagine of lamb shank with cous-cous, braised carrots, harissa and aubergine caviar £26.

One of the nicest aspects of The Millstone is that as a diner, you’re instantly aware of the nature of the place. This is a restaurant for the community, but one which also functions as a true destination pub restaurant which for good reasons attracts locals from further afield too.

Chocolate brownie with ice cream and raspberry.

The place looks fantastic, but its beauty isn’t skin deep. It’s a great place to dine this summer both during the daytime and in the evening... ideal if you want to spread your wings and reach for the sky. n

Desserts Sticky toffee pudding with ice cream.

NB: Menu items subject to change.

n The Millstone at Barnack, Millstone Lane Barnack, PE9 3ET. Call 01780 769979 or see www.themillstonebarnack.co.uk.

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In the KITCHEN Light, luxurious and indulgent, enjoy this with a chilled dry white wine in the garden on a warm summer evening!

LOBSTER & SALAD ONION NOODLES Preparation Time: 20 minutes + overnight defrosting. Cooking Time: 10 minutes. Serves: 2.

• 2 large lobsters • 1 tbsp oyster sauce • 1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce • 1⁄2 tsp toasted sesame oil • ⁄2 tsp maple syrup • 2 tbsp sunflower oil • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 1⁄2 Chinese leaf lettuce, roughly cut into 3cm chunks • Bunch salad onions (about 8), trimmed and cut into 4cm lengths 15g fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks • 1 red chilli, sliced • 11⁄2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine • 275g pack ready-to-eat egg noodles 1

Prepare the lobster according to pack instructions, defrosting overnight in the fridge and then removing all of the meat from the shell. Roughly chop the tail and any other meat but keep the claw meat intact. Mix the oyster and soy sauces, sesame oil, maple syrup and 1 tbsp water with a good grind of black pepper; set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil over a high heat in a wok. When smoking, add the garlic and Chinese leaf lettuce and fry for 1 minute until softened; tip on to a plate and set aside. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the pan and fry the salad onions, ginger and chilli for 1 minute until just golden.

Add the lobster and fry for another 30 seconds, then stir in the Shaoxing rice wine and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Tip in the oyster sauce mixture, then the Chinese leaf lettuce and the noodles and toss over the heat for a final minute until piping hot. Divide between plates and serve immediately. n Thousands of recipes can be found at www.waitrose.com/recipes.

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In the KITCHEN Creamy and delicious, tangy and sweet... this sublime cheesecake is a brilliantly simple summer sweet!

VANILLA & PASSION FRUIT CHEESECAKE Preparation Time: 25 minutes plus chilling. Cooking Time: 1 hour 35 minutes. Serves: 12.

• 200g digestive biscuits • 75g unsalted butter, melted • 2 x 340g tubs cream cheese • 300ml soured cream • 200g golden caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract • 1⁄2 lemon, juice • 3 large free range eggs, lightly beaten • 4 large passion fruits Preheat the oven to 150°C, gas mark 2, and line the base of a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Put the biscuits in a large bowl and use the end of a rolling pin to crush them.

Add the butter and mix, then tip into the base of the tin. Press down evenly and firmly using the back of a spoon. Bake for 25 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Use a balloon whisk to beat together the soft cheese, 150ml soured cream, the sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth. Beat in the eggs a little at a time until combined, then tip into the cake tin. Put an ovenproof dish half-filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven (the steam will help to prevent cheesecake from cracking), then put the cheesecake on the middle shelf and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes until still wobbly but set.

Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar, allowing the cheesecake to cool inside the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and spread the remaining 150ml soured cream over the top. Once completely cool, chill for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight. To serve, scoop the passion fruit pulp on top of the cheesecake. n Thousands of recipes can be found at www.waitrose.com/recipes.

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R E L A X & E N J OY GET IN TOUCH South Rauceby, Sleaford NG34 8QG Call 01529 488250 www.thebustardinn.co.uk

OPENING TIMES Wed – Fri: 12 noon – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm Saturday: 12 noon – 10.30pm Sunday: 12 noon – 4.00pm

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LEARN TO COOK LIKE A PROFESSIONAL AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE FOR YOU...

OR A GREAT GIFT IDEA FOR A LOVED ONE!

Bread & Cakes Desserts & Puds Fish & Sushi Game Dishes Pork & Meat Pies & Pastry Sauces World Cuisine Junior Courses

ALSO AVAILABLE: COOKING PARTIES FOR UP TO 8 PEOPLE, FULL & HALF DAYS

Call 07989 412603 for details of our courses, dates and gift vouchers WWW.LINCOLNSHIRECOOKERYSCHOOL.COM

PRESS ASSOCIATION / Danny Lawson

Celebrate the Platinum Jubilee with our deliccious Afternoon T Teea served throughout hroughout the bank holiday oliday weekkeend Set in the heart of Rutland’s beautiful countryside, Barnsdale Lodge is located on the north shore of Rutland Wa Water, close to the local boutique shops of Oakham and Stamford and numerous walking and cycle trails.

Teea will be served in all sitting T rooms and weather permitting, the garden. Please call reception n to book on 01572 724678.

The Avenue, Exton, Rutland LE15 8AH tel: 01572 724678 reception@barnsdalelodge.co.uk www.barnsdalelodge.co.uk 57

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Wine of the Month

Ready to drink, at some good old fashioned knees-up!

Château Le Caillou 2012, Pomerol £39.99 / 75cl / 14% ABV

It’s summer, so get together with friends and enjoy a readyto-serve classic cocktail from The Handmade Cocktail Co...

The Handmade Cocktail Company specialises in a range of classic cocktails: Manhattans; Negroni; Gin Martini and more. Each one is made to a thoughtfully-composed recipe and bottled with its vintage on the label, meaning all that’s left to do is pour a measure over ice.

This Old Fashioned is produced with a carefully considered bourbon and a blend of bitters and orange peels. £42.95 / 50cl / 40.9% ABV, See www.maverickdrinks.com.

The Wine Cellar RAISE A GLASS TO SUMMER THIS MONTH WITH A READY MIXED COCKTAIL, A CHILEAN TRIO AND AN ALCOHOL-FREE GIN-TYPE DRINK WITH A HINT OF DELICIOUS STRAWBERRIES...

A WARM WELCOME FOR CHILE: A TRIO OF SOUTH AMERICAN WINES...

1. Montes ‘Purple Angel’ Carménère 2017/18, provides complex aromas of ripe and dried dark fruit, along with toast and vanilla from oaking.

Decant for an hour and enjoy! £66.99 / 75cl / 14% ABV.

2. In 2004, Alex and Carrie Vik set out with the ambition to make one of the world’s best wines. True to their word, they now produce Milla Cala, once featured in Decanter’s Best 100 Wines in the World! £31.99 / 75cl / 14% ABV. 3. Thought Chile ends at good value? Think again! Marea is made by Nicolas Bizzarri, who promises notes of blackberry, cherry, and pepper.

Pair this a mushroom risotto. £15.99 / 75cl / 14.50% ABV.

Château Le Caillou is a small, seven-hectare vineyard run by the Giraud-Belivier family, who are experts based at Bordeaux’s Right Bank winery.

The average annual volume of wine production may be small, but what’s made is excellent-value, like this Merlot-heavy claret which punches well above its price tag.

At 13 years old, this is both savoury and full-bodied, with notes of cedar and tobacco plus blackcurrant and plum. It has a subtle earthiness that’s great with mushroom-based vegetarian or game based dishes.

Available from majestic.co.uk. n

Alcohol free gin for a clear head in summer!

Say hello to Clean G Pink, a non-alcoholic pink gin alternative, perfect for those daytime social soirées.

Bursting with fruity strawberry and sweet raspberry notes, this hangover-free hero delivers the perfect summer cooler, with a pink peppercorn and juniper kick.

At just 13 calories per serving, it’s sugar-free and vegan, too. Simply serve over ice with tonic and garnish with a fresh strawberry or mint. £19 / 70cl / 0% ABV.

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

TOP of THE

CLASS Located on School Lane, Pond House is home to Ashley & Nina Woodman, who have made this stunning architect-designed contemporary family home somewhere very special to live...

Words: Rob Davis. Images: Dean Fisher, www.deansaerialphotography.co.uk

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PROPERTY

THE DETAILS

Pond House, School Lane, Uffington Location: Stamford 2.5 miles, Peterborough 14.6 miles Provenance: Contemporary family home renovated and refurbished by the current owners.

Rooms: Three reception rooms currently arranged as living kitchen, sitting room, family room.

Five bedrooms with two en suites and family bathroom.

OIEO: £1,250,000.

Find Out More: Fine & Country, Seaton Grange, Uppingham LE15 9HT. Call 01780 750 200, or see www.fineandcountry.com. n 62

SITTING IN THE GARDEN, Ashley Woodman is having his lunch and wondering what on Earth he’s thinking. He and wife Nina have put their property, Pond House, on the market less than two years after purchasing it and completing a terrific refurbishment.

“We must be mad,” he says. “It’s a fantastic house, but we’re looking for a new project, and we want to be able to get started immediately, so we’re planning to sell and move out ready to do something new as soon as we see something that appeals. We have restored a few properties over the years but I’ve always wanted to build somewhere, so maybe that’s something we’ll explore.”

It’s impossible to contemplate the fact that someone misses being surrounded by building materials, tools and chaos. Mind you, it’s impossible to think that Pond House ever looked like that. Today, the house is characterised by uncluttered interiors, bright surfaces, neutral colours and light... lots of light. Unsurprisingly, since Ashley’s day job sees him working alongside business partner Nick running Stamford-based QKS Home Improvements.

Main: The living kitchen features a kitchen by QKS of Stamford, and super thermally efficient triple-track glazing courtesy of QKS Home Improvements.

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The business specialises in glazing and the creation of single-storey extensions. So, quite understandably, Ashley was both aware of the benefits of his products when choosing them for his own home, and very particular about which ones were best when he was restoring the property.

The house was a 1960s chalet-style property and its previous owner had lived in it from brand new, over 50 years. Ashley completed a back-to-brick refurbishment reconfiguring the internal rooms, using a contemporary, low-maintenance white weatherproof render on the outsides, and installing the latest technology to improve the house’s ecocredentials.

Not least among these is a Crittall-but-not-Crittall glazing brand which is more thermally efficient than the former, with thinner profiles for a greater glass-to-frame ratio.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the living kitchen, which has triple-track doors a whopping 6.5 metres wide, offering larger areas of glazing than lesser bi-folds.

A similar black graphite style of aluminium doors are used elsewhere in the property, in the front door and the door from the hallway into the kitchen, and in the bathrooms.

The glazing not only looks smart but it’s super thermally efficient... so much so that the underfloor heating rarely goes on, and the living kitchen has air-conditioning.

The kitchen was supplied by QKS’s Malcolm Brandwood and features in-frame shaker cabinetry in dove grey and white, with matching white quartz work surfaces.

Neff appliances are used throughout with an induction hob, two dishwashers and a Quooker boiling water tap all present and correct. >> 63

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PROPERTY

>> The kitchen and bathrooms feature porcelain tiles from Porcelanosa including the kitchen’s beautiful 1,200mm tiles.

Fittings in the bathrooms have been sourced from Lusso Stone which specialises in supplying fancy hotels like London’s Claridges.

There’s a practical utility room with laundry appliances as well as a dedicated boot room which comes in handy for keeping the sleek modern interiors clutter-free despite the best efforts of kids Eliot, Esme & Amber... Nina, by contrast, is joyfully tidy to live with, says Ashley.

Whilst the family spends much of their time in the living kitchen, the house also has a family room and sitting room, as well as a dedicated study. To the first floor is a large master suite with a dressing room and en suite, whilst the second bedroom also has an en suite and there’s a family bathroom to serve the three additional good-sized bedrooms.

The large triple-track doors in the living kitchen lead out to a really good-sized garden, completely enclosed, oriented to catch the late afternoon sun, and a space in which Ashley can contemplate his next property move. If you like the look of Pond House, though, we’d act quickly and contact estate agency Fine & Country... before he comes to his senses and changes his mind! n 64

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n Church Lane, Old Dalby Guide Pride: £1,200,000

Home Farm dates back to the early Georgian period, although it was substantially enlarged in 1835. It now comprises three reception rooms, seven bedrooms and five bathrooms, with a large family dining kitchen with Aga. www.fineandcountry.com

n Uppingham Place, Guide Price: £925,000

A collection of seven unique, individually designed properties. Each house is built using traditional design aesthetics and high quality materials. The properties have been carefully considered to provide privacy and desirable garden orientations. www.jamessellicks.com

n Main Street, Barrow, Guide Price: £1,300,000

A wildcard property, this is a great opportunity to refurbish or redevelop the site. Three detached dwellings, a range of outbuildings and approx three and a half acres of grassland. www.murrayestateagents.co.uk

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

Professional Interior Design Service Re-Upholstery and Soft Furnishings

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

01733 894422 | www.pdakitchens.co.uk

6 MARKET PLACE · UPPINGHAM · RUTLAND · LE15 9QH

01572 823389

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

V Visit Vis us in n store! s Discoverr your perfect sofa with D Aubur n Fox Home & Interiors, Thrapstton, Northamptonshire.

T

03301 331 799 71-75 High St, Thrap a ston, NN14 4JJ

www.au auburnfox.co.uk 66

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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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Transform your Home The fabric and wallpaper designs from the Thibaut Eden Collection are fresh and vibrant bringing a unique and fashionable style to any home.

Call into the Showroom to browse the latest pattern books and treat yourself to a delicious and relaxing coffee break at The Hayloft.

Showroom and Coffee Shop Open Monday to Saturday 9am-4.30pm

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

Call 01780 757946 info@huntersinteriors.co.uk www.huntersinteriorsofstamford.co.uk Photo supplied courtesy of Thibaut.

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HOME FURNISHINGS

SITTING

PRETTY What should you do when you can’t find the perfect sofa to meet your needs?

Simple... design one yourself! Each Delcor sofa, chair or upholstered bed is totally bespoke, created to your requirements from a range of styles, designer fabrics, feet, castors, piping and cushions... a millimetre longer? Wider? No problem!

This Page: Magnum sofa from £2,897 for large, 208mm.

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Delcor can tailor your sofa to your exact requirements... from tweaking your design a millimetre here or there using designer fabrics from leading brands.

Each sofa is totally created to suit your taste, your room and your budget!

All products featured here are available from Delcor of Stamford, see over for contact details...

BLISS SOFA: A sweet retro design that harks back to the carefree days of the sixties with its clean lines, curvy charm and easycare comfort.

Shown here in Omega velvet fabric, 15 different colours available.

n From £1,999 as medium sofa, 179mm in length.

n Chesterfield sofa, medium 212cm, in Carrera velvet, Gallant Gray, 10 colours available, from £3,127.

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CHARLES chair, from £1,082 shown here in green velvet fabric. n

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ALBANY armchair from £1,421, and sofa from £2,309.

A modern classic, the Albany is both elegant and extremely inviting. Versatile in style, it looks at home in every setting, from urban loft to country cottage. n

MAKE A STATEMENT DELCOR can created the sofa or chair of your dreams from fabrics created by a number of designers, such as Osborne & Little, GP&J Baker, Colefax & Fowler, Designers’ Guild and Harlequin.

Seen a fabric you like in Pride? You can commission your own design with bespoke piping, feet and other finishing touches. n

n Ambassador sofa, from £3,195 for medium, 175cm. Recline in royal comfort on this classic Knoll sofa.

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n Petite small sofa (126mm) from £1,440 and armchair from £1,163.

n Edwardian sofa from £2,526 for medium 219mm.

Delcor is based on Bath Row, Stamford, PE9 2QX. For a free, no obligation chat, call 01780 762579 or see www.delcor.co.uk.

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Est. 2000

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Stamford - Holt H - London

£895 5

SALES - CLEANING - RES STORA AT TION - BESPOKE

WHAT’S INCLUDED WITH EVERY DOOR: • • • • •

FREE EXPERT MEASURING & FITTING 2 REMOTE CONTROLS ACOUSTIC & THERMAL INSULATION FREE DISPOSAL OF YOUR OLD DOOR AVAILABLE IN 21 COLOURS

Garolla garage doors are expertly made to measure in our own UK factories, they’re strong and solidly built. The electric Garolla door rolls up vertically, taking up only 8 inches inside your garage, maximising valuable space.

01780 239594 stamford@therugstudio.co.uk www.therugstudio.co.uk Stamford Open Mon - Fri 10 - 1 or by appointment

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Give us a call today and we’ll come and measure up completely FREE of charge.

CALL US TODAY ON:

MOBILE:

07537 149 128

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HOME FURNISHINGS

SUMMER

LOVING

This month we’ve some verdant hues to really make the most of your home throughout summer, with designer style from William Yeoward...

This Page: Ashmore chair in William Yeoward’s Perzina fabric, grass colourway, £950.

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The area’s independent interior designers can provide bespoke soft furnishings using our featured fabrics to create bespoke luxury for your home...

Top: Curtains in Bandha, ocean colourway, sofa in Nizhoni in peacock colourway and Malia in indigo.

Above/Right: Moqui rug in sage colourway, 250cm x 350cm £2,350.

Right: Cushions, Cleave in sage, Catori in citron, Kiva in forest and Sambala in moss, £90-£100.

All William Yeoward.

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Cushions in Sambala, Cleave and Catori, Morris greyed oak king-size bed £9,550.

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Langton chair in Chalco, £1,575, cushion in Perzina citron.

Stamford & Rutland Interiors: Broughtons: Leicester, 0116 2341888,www.broughtons.com.

Delcor Interiors: Stamford, 01780 762579, www.delcor.co.uk. Elizabeth Stanhope Interiors: Oakham, 01572 722345, www.elizabethstanhope.co.uk. Hunters of Stamford: 01780 757946, www.huntersinteriorsofstamford.co.uk.

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

Simply Stamford: St Mary’s Street, Stamford, 01780 481852, www.simplystamford.co.uk.

Please note availability of brands and ranges at the above design studios subject to variation.

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High Quality Contemporary & Traditional Kitchens by Symphony Appliances from Neff, Indesit and Smeg

BUILDER’S MERCHANTS, TIMBER AND LANDSCAPING SUPPLIER

Pillings Rd, Oakham LE15 6QF 01572 490790 • williamhercock.co.uk Also in Melton Mowbray and Birstall • Established 1899

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Denby Regency green tableware, four dinner plates, side plates, bowls, mugs £258.

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HOMES & INTERIORS

Rangemaster

Leckford 90cm range cooker, mineral green, £2,299.

KitchenAid

Artisan K400 blender, pistachio, £299.

Newgate Clocks

Mr Clarke analogue wall clock, 40.5cm, bubble green, £65.00.

SAGE

advice

LSA International

Canopy recycled glass low tumbler, set of four, 270ml, green, £38.

Apple

Watch Series 7 GPS, with clover sport band, £390.

This month we’re taking the fresh summer shade of sage as our inspiration for when you furnish your home...

All products featured are available at www.johnlewis.com.

Anyday

John Lewis & Partners Hem five drawer chest, green, £499.

Roberts

Rambler DAB/Bluetooth radio, leaf green, £149.99.

Dualit

NewGen 4-Slice toaster, eucalyptus, £199.99.

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KITCHENS FROM WILLIAM HERCOCK

TRANSFORMING YOUR

KITCHEN Last year, Oakham-based William Hercock began to offer its customers high quality kitchens that can transform the look and the usability of arguably the most important room in your home...

Words: Rob Davis.

IT’S NOT ABOUT FOOD, it’s about family.

Your kitchen is the most important room in your home, not because it’s where you prepare – or consume – food, but because over recent years, the kitchen has become the space in which families come together to conduct their lives.

Today’s kitchens are spaces to entertain in, to chat in, to work in, to laugh in, to argue in... and just occasionally, they’re also used for cooking and eating in, too!

Creating a new kitchen is perhaps the largest financial investment you’ll make to improve your home, and one that has implications for how your home looks as well as how it functions for your family.

Speaking of family, Tim Hercock now heads up the family business first established as a coal merchant back in 1890. Latterly, William Hercock has been serving the local community as a builder’s merchant, opening its Melton Mowbray premises in 1984, then in Birstall in 2012 and in Oakham in 2017.

To accompany your choice of cabinetry, William Hercock can supply quartz, granite or engineered stone surfaces in partnership with Midlands Stone, and quality appliances from brands such as Neff, Smeg or Hotpoint as well as Franke sinks and taps.

Last year, the company opened up its kitchen centre, partnering with Symphony to provide kitchens you’ll love from an established family business you know you can trust.

Bespoke lighting, too, can be provided courtesy of The Anvil Lighting Company and the company can put you in touch with established fitters who can help to project manage your entire installation from start to finish.

Based on Oakham’s Pillings Road, the company has nine displays demonstrating the wide range of styles within the company’s portfolio. Meanwhile, there’s a full in-house planning service with photo-realistic 3D renderings created courtesy of in-house design expert Carl Harris.

When it comes to adding both intrinsic and financial value to your home, nothing helps like a beautiful kitchen, and with help from William Hercock, you can enjoy creating a kitchen that looks great, works well and will add to the enjoyment of your home for many years to come. n

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Find Out More: William Hercock provides a range of kitchens with 29 different styles and many colourways. For a free, no obligation discussion about your kitchen, call 01572 490790, visit William Hercock on Pillings Road, Oakham LE15 6QF, or see www.williamhercock.co.uk.

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DARKE AV HOME AUTOMATION

Taking Control

OF YOUR HOME Completely bespoke, completely integrated, and completely designed to make your life easier. For a complete solution to controlling your home, Darke AV can integrate all of your technology, streamlining your home and making your devices work for you...

We’re lucky enough to live in a world of tremendous technology. TV, audio, films, heating and ventilation, CCTV and access via your powered gates are all just a push of a button away. But for a long time, all that potential has developed in sequestration, meaning many different controls, many different technologies, and a disparate approach to taking control of your home.

The rat’s nest of cables behind the TV? Wi-Fi that doesn’t reliably reach your whole home? Lots of different remote controls? Confusing interfaces, no instruction books and nobody on hand to offer a simple explanation?

All these things make technology a hassle. Think of Robert Sullivan as a sort of architect, but an architect for the technology in your home, rather than the building itself. Darke AV was founded by Robert on the premise that if technology doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work at all. He and his team aim to address all of the problems we face with incorporating technology into our home, mainly that people purchase – not plan – the introduction of technology in their home.

Working alongside two experts, George West and Alex Hornett, both experienced programmers of home automation brands Crestron, Lutron and Control Four, the three bring a wealth of expertise to their profession, with office managers Rachel Barraco and Michaela Pateman on hand to ensure exceptional customer care.

His work on both new-build and existing properties sees him sitting down with clients and embarking on a highly consultative process aimed at finding out exactly what you want from your technology. Whether you’re looking to consolidate the control of your home audio, TV, internet, security, heating and ventilation, curtains and blinds, or you just want to be able to stream audio or TV throughout your home as you move from room to room, Robert can create sophisticated, easy-to-use solutions which can do as much or as little as you need,

which can grow with you as your needs develop, and which can adapt to include new technology.

Control systems include your existing iPhone/iPad or Android phone, or dedicated controllers from names like Crestron or Control4, or controls on neatly integrated wall switches. Naturally your existing media – Sky TV, Spotify, Netflix or AppleTV – as well as Alexa and Siri can be integrated, and everything works together.

For instance, Rob can set up a ‘cinema’ scene which will dim lights, close blinds, lower a projector screen and play your choice of movie from a remote media server.

Reliable Wi-Fi is an integral technology, cables can be hidden and even conspicuous elements like speaker systems can be invisibly ‘embedded’ in ceilings or walls.

Neat, integrated, easy to use and future-proof, taking technology in hand and making it work for your home is what Robert specialises in. So, if you’ve given up trying with Wi-Fi, if streaming has left you screaming or if home cinema has turned into a video nasty, let Robert and his team tame your technology once and for all, and rediscover the joy, not the frustration, of a modern home. n

Find Out More: Darke AV provides simple integrated technology. For a free, no obligation, jargon-free chat, call 01733 246907, email hello@darkeav.co.uk or see www.darkeav.co.uk.

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Unique and beautiful audio visual systems WE MAKE TECHNOLOGY SIMPLE

Working with home owners and interior designers to design and install easy to use home technology CINEMA ROOMS MULTI-ROOM AUDIO SYSTEMS INTELLIGENT LIGHTING ULTRA-HD VIDEO DISTRIBUTION BESPOKE SYSTEM DESIGN

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hello@darkeav.co.uk

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL MARINE 86

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LOCAL GARDENS

A Green Anniversary Where better for an ad-hoc day out than Burghley House, right on the doorstep.

This month we’re enjoying the stately home’s Gardens of Surprise and its sculptures...

Words: Rob Davis.

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RUTLAND AND STAMFORD GARDENS

THIS YEAR represents the 15th anniversary of Burghley House’s Gardens of Surprise, created

by Lady Victoria Leatham – mother of the estate’s current custodians Miranda and Orlando Rock – in 2007. As the Marquessate passed to the current generation of the family, Lady Victoria wanted to leave a final legacy behind that would provide a great day out for families, give a fresh approach to garden design and create a place that would reflect the Elizabethan fascination with classicism, and the emerging disciplines of astrology and astronomy.

The Gardens of Surprise comprise around 30 fountains or landscaping features from a moss house to curtains of water to its mirror maze, including other attractions which reflect the elements of water, fire, earth and wind.

Surrounding the hard landscaping features are ivy, hostas, ophiopogon, ajuga and trailing heuchera as well as lavender and other shrubs and box hedging. The gardens were refreshed in 2018 and again in 2021, with a shift away from interactive play.

Instead, the appeal of the gardens has been broadened for their 15th year and when the gardens reopen again this month, its visitors will doubtless enjoy a truly unique garden with an even greater appeal. >>

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IN THE GARDEN IN MAY...

Jobs to complete and a guide to planting in the summer months n Time for bedding plants: Depending on whether we enjoy a run of sunshine and high temperatures, May is generally a good time to plant out bedding plants. n Hardening off hardies: Harden off half-hardy plants during the day and bring them back under cover before planting outdoors. Do the same with dahlias if you can be sure frosty periods have passed. n Cut to the chase: Get busy with the secateurs, cutting back late-flowering honeysuckle, pruning penstemons, and thinning out clematis. Trim lavender plants too and prune spring-flowering shrubs after they flower. n Hanging around: Now is the time to create hanging baskets with bumper displays of colour and trailing foliage. A visit to the local garden centre is definitely in order. n Lawn care: Wait until the dew has lifted from the lawn before cutting it, and ensure your mower blades are nice and sharp. It’s better to trim little and often than to wait for it to grow too tall, and choke your mower deck with too much sward. Robot mowers, incidentally are now very efficient and inexpensive.

If you’ve a small formal area of lawn, using a company like TruGreen or Custom Lawn Care will absolutely transform your lawn within a year. n The fruit and veg plot: Keep on top of weeding to prevent competition from weeds for soil resources.

Support strawberry plants and pea plants, and protect soft fruit plants from hungry birds. n Other jobs: Before it becomes too hot, give the glasshouse a good spring clean, applying whitewash to the glazing to prevent plants being scorched. Remove blanket weed from ponds.

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RUTLAND AND STAMFORD GARDENS

>> Adjacent to the Gardens of Surprise are Burghley House’s Sculpture Gardens, with around 20 contemporary pieces in an area of the parkland covering about five acres at the head of Brown’s Lake reclaimed in 1994. During the reclamation of the garden the estate’s groundskeepers also uncovered the property’s domed ice-house.

Covering about 15 hectares of the parkland, Burghley’s third area of grounds which appeal to visitors during the summer months are its south gardens, which also include the south and south western lawns overlooking the lake. A lime reputed to have been planted in the first Elizabethan era and an oak planted by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1844 will shortly be joined by a new area of woodland covering 70-acres, which will be planted this year as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy project.

A similar 60-acre area of woodland was also created at Burghley for HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Burghley Estate head forester Peter Glassey said it was a privilege to repeat the successful collaboration with the Woodland Trust from a decade ago: “I love planting trees and The Queen’s Green Canopy is a wonderful vehicle to provide a lasting legacy of Her Majesty’s reign. But it is also a recognition of the importance trees and woodlands play in trying to address many of the issues affecting the UK and the world.”

The grounds of Burghley House are always busy throughout the summer with a packed programme of events, but 15 years on from the creation of its Gardens of Surprise, the grounds of the estate remain one of the simple pleasures of summer in Stamford. n Burghley House gardens only tickets, £13.50/adults, £8/children call 01780 752451 or see www.burghley.co.uk.

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Matching your k itchen flooring with your garden paving is the per fec t way to blend the t wo spaces , creating a seamless transition bet ween the indoors and outdoors .

SE AMLESS INDOOR AND OUTDOOR OUTDO OOR ST YLE Browse our collection of natural stone flooring and external paving at www.ssathome.co.uk or call us onn 01780 740970 to book a showroom visit.

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Tel:01780 250000

www.burghleysecurity.co.uk

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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

Your local appointed Sheraton dealer and Neff Master Partner

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DAV AVID GREAV AVES Design

DAVID GREAVES DESIGN offer a bespoke 2D concept and 3D visual landscape design service to create your dream garden achieving the best for outdoor living.

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Lo ooking to re edesign your ou utdoor space?

DAV AVID GR REAV AVES DESIGN w. www.davidgrreavesdesign.co.uk e. info@davidgrreavesdesign.co.uk m. 07852 371873 t. 01664 823588

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A view toward Empingham’s St Peter & St Paul's Church.

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WALKING IN RUTLAND

The Magic

CIRCLE A circular walk taking in the beauty of the village of Empingham... which rather conveniently finishes up at the village pub!

Image: C M Glee, licensed under Creative Commons.

Distance: 5.7 miles / 9.2 km.

Description: A circular walk around the village of Empingham.

How to Get There: Starts from Main Street, Empingham, Oakham LE15 8PS.

STANDING with your back to the White Horse Inn, take care crossing the busy A606 to your right and then join Nook Lane.

Follow the lane until you see a sign post marked Hereward Way and Rutland Water on your right. Turn right and follow the path between two houses.

Pass though a bridle gate into a pasture field and make your way towards a stile in the opposite corner. Cross the stile, turn right, and cross a second stile that is straight ahead. A track now leads you up some steps and through a small spinney to a stile.

Climb the stile and enter a pasture field.

Directly ahead is another stile. Cross this, turn right and follow the edge of the field until you reach a metal hand gate alongside a field gate. Pass through the gate and turn left on to the road.

Following the Rutland Water perimeter track, now look for signs for Whitwell. Stay on the perimeter track for 20 minutes or so, until you reach Whitwell Sailing Centre. At the entrance to the Sailing Centre, where it joins Bull Brig Lane, take a right.

Follow Bull Brig Lane in to Whitwell village, and to the A606. Cross the road with care, turn right and head towards the Noel Arms Inn. Turn left in to the driveway of the Noel Arms. Stay left and follow a footpath running down the side of the garden.

In the far corner of the garden on the left is a kissing gate. Go through the kissing gate and turn right. Immediately ahead is another gate. Go through this and then continue straight ahead to the corner of the field.

Climb another stile that leads you to a wide grassy track around the edge of an arable field. Stay on the track until you reach a kissing gate under a large maple tree.

Proceed through the kissing gate and the small plantation beyond, turning right as you exit through a second gate. Continue to follow the footpath around the edge of the next few fields and at the junction with

Oxwell Road cross straight over and head toward Exton.

Just before you cross the bridge and enter the village turn right on to a footpath. Stay to the right as the track opens up, and follow the course of the stream. After 15 minutes or so cross the bridge on your left and follow the footpath up the slope and around to the right.

Continue on this track until you reach a stile on your right. Climb the stile and proceed up the hill. On reaching the road turn left, walking along the wide grass verge. Just past the entrance to Horn Mill there is a footpath on your right. Climb the ladder stile and head straight across the field to Horn Mill Spinney.

Follow the path through the spinney and then across the arable field beyond that.

Continue in this direction until the path reaches Warren Spinney.

Make your way around the spinney and turn left on to Exton Road. Walk down the hill and turn right at the cross roads. The White Horse Inn is now just ahead on your right. n Walk courtesy of Discover Rutland, see www.discover-rutland.co.uk.

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Improve Your Home Environment Architectural

Planning Drawings Planning Permission Listed Building Consent Barn Conversions Loft Conversions Home Offices

Last July marked 21 years of Optimum Design Services. We cover both domestic and commercial premises, providing a wealth of experience and with English Heritage experts on the more trickier listed properties.

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DAIRY FARMING

MAKING DAIRY FAIRER The folks at Rutland’s slaughter-free eco-dairy, Ahimsa, believe there’s a better way to produce milk.

As we consume 14bn litres of the stuff every year, we should probably take note... which is why this month, we’re paying a visit to a very different kind of farming operation...

Words: Rob Davis.

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RUTLAND’S AHIMSA DAIRY

Sometimes, the best thing to be is… different. Sometimes people, companies or entire industries can become mired in convention when, in fact, innovation is needed instead. Milk may be one of our grocery staples, but as farming has become more mechanised, and as the dairy industry has seen the emergence of behemoth farms, somehow dairy farming is neither more humane, nor as profitable as it once was, either. And the milk itself ? Thin, not very creamy, processed and very… ordinary.

Failing both farmers and consumer, the entire dairy industry needs a (milk)shake-up, and we reckon the folk to do it are the founders of Ahimsa. These local advocates of slaughter-free started on borrowed land at a farm in Kent, but moved to land they 102

purchased in Rutland in 2016 with milk produced in accordance with principles of non-violence, and aside from the ethical constituent, it is a very good product.

consumer is absolutely willing to pay more for high-welfare milk.

Director Sanjay Tanna founded Ahimsa 15 years ago with a desire to offer consumers ethical high-welfare slaughter-free milk.

“We founded Ahimsa and spent the first few years campaigning, and seeing if there was a demand for slaughter-free milk if it costs more than £3. We opened our small dairy operation in 2011 with just six cows.”

Today, he and his team have succeeded in crafting a business model which they say is viable for communities, and to prove it they’re already selling their milk in Rutland and London, with a further 600-odd customers on the waiting list.

“The early days were funded by a pay-it-forward campaign, with customers paying for their milk sometimes two years in advance.

We then acquired 72-acres of land at Wing on which our 40 cows, including our milking herd of around 12 cows lived.”

That’s impressive, but even more so as their milk retails at about £4/litre. That’s about four times the price of supermarket milk, but the demand for it proves that the

April 2021 saw the acquisition of 40 more acres in the Chater Valley on the site of a former equestrian centre, which is now used as a visitor centre and a facility for educating

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other farmers and smallholders in the model that Ahimsa has created. That model advocates a different approach to dairy farming – one that is characterised by high-welfare and slaughter-free policies.

Conventional dairy farmers have increased the size of their herds, supplemented arablederived pasture diets with mass-produced feeds, mechanised their milking operations, and formed co-operatives. The result? A year or two ago, they were pouring milk down the drain, unable to make a profit from it.

And so, the idea of doing what Ahimsa advocates – scaling back production and embracing traditional farming methods; keeping a dairy cow for her 18-year average lifespan rather than just her five or six productive years; keeping the oxen instead of

selling them for meat, relying on arable pasture rather than mass-produced feeds – would seem even less viable from a commercial farmer’s point of view.

Against conventional wisdom in the industry, though, Ahimsa is doing very well both in terms of its own viability and as a model for other farmers and smallholders to follow suit. The dairy has formed a partnership with Little Bytham based farming family the Turners.

“We were seen as cranks by the industry at first,” says Tanna, “but not anymore. We’re not the new boys now, and we’re much more widely accepted when we turn up to events like January’s Oxford Real Farming Conference. One of the earliest people to express an interest was John Turner. The family are

fourth-generation farmers whose daughters decided to follow vegetarian or vegan diets.

Suddenly the family beef farming operation seemed at odds with their lifestyle, and together we started to explore and refine the methods we’d been advocating.”

Our next project is to put the oxen to work on a small corner of the Turners’ arable land. There’s a real symbiosis as the boys, as they move across the land drilling crops into the soil, and as they drop manure, that material has an almost signature microbial composition that’s unique to the soil which results in noticeably stronger quality crops.

The farmland that the oxen work will be used to produce oats for our own brand of Ahimsa plant-based oatmilk. >> 103

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RUTLAND’S AHIMSA DAIRY

>> The Turners organic farm also produce heritage varieties of wheat, and interestingly, it’s the only land in the UK we know of that produces organic marrowfat peas, some of which are exported to Japan for the production of wasabi. As part of the crop rotation, the oxen, the girls (including the milking herd) graze the top quality organic pasture exclusively with no need for commercial feed.

“We don’t want slaughter-free farming to seem like something at the fringes of the dairy industry,” says Tanna. “And actually, it’s practical and viable and it’s good for consumers and the animals, and for farmers too. Our operation makes sense to us, and so the next consideration we’re keen to address is that of certification so that our model can proliferate throughout the industry.”

Whilst the boys are at work in the arable fields, the girls of the milking herd are milked twice a day, usually by hand. At the moment with one of the cowhands having hurt their hand, there’s a small portable machine that’s lending a hand for milking, but ordinarily, the physical milking helps to slow down the operation and make it less mechanised.

Ahimsa says it has a very good working relationship with Defra, who are very interested in what the operation does. But current farming policies and guidance are designed to reflect conventional farming operations.

To truly embrace slaughter-free, high-welfare dairy farming, Sanjay and his team, and their other Ahimsa partners are keen to table a framework and tie that into the programmes of education they are creating – one being their Future Farmers course for 18-35 year olds – so that the farm’s principles aren’t just applied lazily as a marketing boast to anyone selling milk for a premium price, but are applied consistently and completely. The farmers are also keen to offer a transitioning model for existing dairy operations, and to offer certification in the future.

“Milking by hand allows you to build a relationship with the cows, to look out for illness and to have that contact with the animal,” says Tanna.

“We milk directly into a bucket, which is poured into the churn and then it’s taken to the micro-dairy on site. We mostly offer our milk raw – just bottled and refrigerated – but also provide pasteurised milk too, for those who prefer it.”

“It’s creamier – you can see that in its viscosity – and because it’s not been homogenised the cream sits at not only at the top of the milk, but is throughout the whole bottle! We also produce cream and offer a semi-skimmed milk as well. We’ve a small cheese-making operation, too.”

The dairy has a local round which currently takes in Oakham, Manton and Wing.

It’s also sold down south where Ahimsa’s operation is already familiar to those at Queens Park Farmers Market.

Some dairies have begun to offer milk vending machines which are essentially big fridges with dispensers, but for the moment, Tanna prefers the idea of having face to face contact with customers, although they do like the idea that customers can bring their own, reusable vessels rather than relying on single-use plastic.

Ahimsa is also working with PhD students from UCL in London to create a biodigester system which can utilise methane to produce hot water for the processing unit. The idea is that each element of the operation is as sustainable as possible.

It’s taken 15 years to prove that the model Ahimsa proposes is commercially viable, but it’s an approach worth exploring, certainly, because dairy products are consumed by 98% of the population with the average person consuming 144 pints of milk a year.

Given that milk is one of the most commonly purchased products in our shopping basket, nobody could argue that we owe it to ourselves, to the planet, and most importantly to the UK’s 1.84m dairy cows to produce the best quality milk, as sustainably and as humanely as possible. n

Find Out More: Based in Wing and at Chater Valley, see www.ahimsamilk.org for more information on the dairy’s high welfare operation.

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WEDDINGS

A Countryside Wedding From life in the city to a wedding in the countryside, this month we meet Abi and Nikita, who celebrated their special day in the manner that the bride and her best friend have dreamed of since being young girls!

Wedding Photographer: Ben Davis Photography, 07515 776526, www.bendavisphotography.com.

Living in the city is alright... but when it come came to planning their wedding, there was really only one place in which that Abi and her fiancé Nikita could imagine celebrating.

Nikita is from the Czech Republic and he met Abi whilst studying in London in 2016.

The two met online and began dating.

Abi works as a clerk for a team of barristers whilst Nikita is an accountant.

WEDDING SUPPLIERS ABI & NIKITA

Three years ago, Nikita was planning a proposal and even had the ring delivered to Abi’s father’s workplace so she didn’t find it.”

“We opted for a marquee wedding and used Every Occasion Events for the marquees who worked with out caterers Salted Orange. The two suppliers made things so much easier, as they also provided the chairs, tables and so on.”

“Our reception was the first element of the wedding we planned because we had always envisaged celebrating in my parents’ back garden at the house I grew up in. We had to make sure there was enough space to fit a marquee and checked that my parents were really happy to accommodate the wedding!”

“I bought my wedding dress from Wedding Pronovias on New Bond Street in London,” says Nikita. “When I first came home with the news of the engagement my mum had bought me a wedding magazine to look through!”

Meanwhile, Abi and his father went to Charles Tyrwhitt and opted for bespoke tailoring, choosing the tweed, the pattern and the lining to suit the colour scheme Nikita had in mind.

“Next came our cake, which was from Michelle Waters, based in Oakham. She was brilliant! We gave her just a few inspirational pictures and she managed to create exactly the style we were hoping for.”

“More than a few hints had been dropped about a proposal somewhere seren like a beach, and so, on a holiday with Abi’s parents to Rhossili Bay Beach in South Wales, Nikita chose his moment and dropped down on one knee, in the sand.

“We held our ceremony at Bourne Abbey, which was an easy decision too, since Father Chris is actually my best friend’s dad… my best friend, his daughter, was also my maid of honour, this meant we could have the event we had dreamed of as little girls!”

“I saw an advertisement for the dress and I knew it was the one, so I went to try it on, and although it was the first dress I had looked at, I had already fallen in love, with it! The dress even had pockets and the ability to change sleeves, so it was really versatile too.”

Wedding Ceremony: Bourne Abbey.

Wedding Flowers: Miss Pickering, 01780 482961, www.misspickering.com.

Wedding Cake: Love Life Eat Cake, 07503 412335, www.lovelifeeatcake.com.

Catering: Salted Orange, 07792 419730, www.saltedorange.co.uk.

Wedding Photographer: Ben Davis Photography, 07515 776526, www.bendavisphotography.com.

“Together, they really did make planning feel seamless, especially when we felt we could give each supplier the power to use their own judgement and make decisions.

For instance, I asked for lots of fairy lights, and they answered immediately that it was ‘no problem,’ and they’d take care of it.”

“Sure enough, they did just that and it was a nice surprise on the day seeing the finished reception with all of its lovely details for the first time. Most brides would shudder at the thought of not knowing how everything would look, but we were just happy for the day to be there.”

“We found our bridesmaids’ dresses online.

I had always liked the look of retro 1970s 107

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WEDDINGS

floral dresses, and they complemented every other element really well. All of our lovely suppliers were invested in the look we were trying to create like our florist, Miss Pickering, who took inspiration from the dresses and incorporated the look into the floristry.”

“For our reception entertainment, my eldest sister’s boyfriend offered to DJ as he has experience in the industry.”

“We created a playlist for him with requested songs, and on our RSVPs, a line of text read: ‘I promise to dance if you play...’ Our guests were all so excited when their song was playing, and it was a great ice breaker!”

“For me the fact that it rained was a big moment to remember. At the beginning I thought it was annoying as no one wants rain on their big day, but everyone stayed inside the marquee which meant we spent more time together. We also had the chance to get the most perfect photo from the wedding day with us on the steps with the umbrella.”

“We’ve had to postpone our honeymoon, but we are rebooking for next year to go to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, so we can’t wait.”

“When planning a wedding, research is definitely key. I’ve been really lucky with my local suppliers though, as they all helped to bounce ideas around and they really did work as a team.” n Wedding Photographer: Ben Davis Photography, 07515 776526, www.bendavisphotography.com.

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ALWAYS THE

BRIDESMAID The bridesmaids serve a crucial role in looking after the bride on her special day, but they can also convey the colour scheme and style of the wedding via their dresses...

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4. Pronovias long A-line cocktail dress with sweetheart neckline and open back, puffed sleeves and full skirt, www.pronovias.com.

1. Iris by Romantica, A-line with high illusion lace neckline and scoop back, romanticaofdevon.co.uk.

2. Allure Bridals navy off the shoulder gowns with supportive straps, style 1560, allurebridals.com.

5. Nicki McFarlane’s Betsy for flower girls from 9m-13yrs, www.nickimacfarlane.com.

6. Linzi Jay sweetheart neck bridesmaid dress with illusion bodice, available in over 30 colours, www.linzijay.com.

3. Sorella Vita Charmeuse dress in Tuscan Gold, one of 18 different colours available, see www.essensedesigns.com.

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7. Nicki McFarlane’s Lara flower girl dress, available from nine months to 14yrs, 33 colours, seen here is ivory colourway with lipstick belt, www.nickimacfarlane.com.

8. Anya from the Bridesmaids

By Romantica collection, romanticaofdevon.co.uk.

9. Jasmine Bridal L224055, see www.jasminebridal.com.

10. Pronovias midi-dress in micado colourway with off-the-shoulder sleeves, www.pronovias.com.

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14. Bridesmaids from David’s Bridal, sand and tawny shades, www.davidsbridal.co.uk.

11. Ellie Wilde EW120012, EW121023, EW121034 in red, one of five available colours, www.elliewilde.com.

12. Emily Grace from Romantica Collections, see romanticaofdevon.co.uk.

15. Jasmine Bridal A-line boho dress with halter neckline and cowl sleeves, www.jasminebridal.com.

13. Claudia & Mirabelle dress styles from Nicki Macfarlane, choice of colours, and available for ages nine months to 14 years, nickimacfarlane.com.

16. Shown here in lemon, one of 36 different colourways, In One’s knee-length dress, which can be worn in any of 14 different ways, www.inoneclothing.com

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17. Impression Bridal style 20350 in over 40 different colours with contrasting belt and bodice colours, impressionbridalstore.com.

18. Oria by mermaid style, with an off the shoulder neckline, romanticaofdevon.co.uk.

19. San Patrick’s Caroline, in chiffon with crossover bodice, www.sanpatrick.com.

20. Mix and match bridesmaids dresses new for 2022 by Dessy, www.uk.dessy.com. n

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How to be the perfect bridesmaid... n Be there to listen... sometimes even the groom will tire of wedding talk! It’s important for the bride to feel she has someone who will always listen to her and she can always turn to. n Compromise when it comes to the bridesmaids’ outfits... the bride’s choice of dresses can sometimes bring her into conflict with her maids. Find a way to diplomatically negotiate any colours or styles that you’re not keen on so everyone is happy with the final outfits. n Plan a really great hen night or weekend. This doesn’t have to be a wild night out, just something memorable, enjoyable and something that the bride will remember for the rest of her life. n Help to maintain a calm atmosphere on the morning of your bride’s wedding.

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Bone Joint Pain or Sports Injuries Our specialist team deliver high quality diagnostics and treatment for Shoulder and Elbow, Hand and Wrist, Spinal, Hip and Knee and Foot and Ankle.

For more information and appointments please call: 01733 842 304 or visit:

.co.uk

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THE NAVY

LARK You’ll look shipshape all season long with a selection of navy separates from some of the area’s smartest brands...

This Page: Phase Eight, Julianna Cropped Trouser, £69.

Rosan Zip Funnel Neck Stripe Jumper, £75.

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Gant, Linen Viscose Pull-On Pants, £95.

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Gant, Wild Floral Print Boatneck Dress, £145.

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FASHION

Top/Left: Joules, Torie Print Midi Dress, £49.95. Top/Right: French Connection, Helena Rick-Rack trim dress, £130.

Above/Left: Jigsaw, Honeycomb Ditsy Tea Dress, £78. Above/Right: Ted Baker, Karolia Sleeveless Waterfall Midi Dress, £250.

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Health & Beauty

AT CONEYS DEPARTMENT STORE A team of experts are on hand at Coneys with personalised product recommendations and the availability of top brands, like Clinique, Estée Lauder, Clarins and Hermès Double Wear foundation, the UK’s number one foundation, from the first health and beauty brand founded by women for women, available in over 50 shades.

If an era of online retail has proven anything, it’s the fact that there’s no substitute for personal contact and face-to-face advice.

That’s the premise that Coneys Department Store in the centre of Spalding embraces across its departments – fashion, homewares, wine and spirits – but nowhere is it as abundantly clear than on the ground floor, in one of the area’s largest health and beauty departments with over 100 quality brands.

Clarins ambassador Christine Johnson’s recommendation is the brand’s Total Eye Lift.

Its unique and specialised formula is designed just for the eye area, smoothing out fine lines, reducing under-eye darkness whilst providing hydration and brightening the eyes.

The departments experts are well-placed to offer personal advice, guidance and product recommendations that you could never get from online shopping.

Coneys’ Charlotte Mayock and Jade Frost’s recommendations for summer scents are La Vie est Belle EDP with its fresh feminine scent, and for gentlemen, Terre D’Hermès with its woody vetiver nose.

Five of the team’s summer picks are featured below, and as beauty begins with health, Clinique expert Hazel Worth recommends the brand’s moisture-surge 100-hour mask for moisturisation and skin health.

Lauren Nelson’s recommendation for foundation is Estée Lauder’s

Lauren Nelson and Jade Frost

With exceptional personal service, the best brands and the chance to try products in store, there’s no better place to experience the latest health and beauty brands than at the area’s best independent retailer, Coneys Department Store. n

1. Clinique Moisture Surge hydrator, £38/50ml.

2. Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation in 50 shades, £35.

3. Clarins Total Eye Lift £59/15ml.

4. La Vie Est Belle EDP £81/50ml.

5. Terre D’Hermès £87/100ml.

Find Out More: Coneys Department Store is the new name for Hills in Spalding. The retailer has been established for 60 years and includes health and beauty, fashion, homeware and furnishings ranges. On the first floor there’s a Prosecco bar and the Riverview Restaurant.

Visit Coneys Department Store on Broad Street, Spalding PE11 1TB. Call 01775 767155 or see www.coneysdesignerwear.co.uk.

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COSMETICS

THE EYES HAVE IT COSMETICS, COLOURS AND CREAMS TO CARE FOR YOUR EYES THIS SEASON...

1. For lashes that look lovely all summer long...

Sweed presents an easier way to achieve beautiful lashes with its incredible North 3D Lashes.

Endorsed by influencers online, Sweed come with a flexible cotton band to provide easier and more reliable application.

Comfortable to wear, these lashes make it easy to create lash looks with impressive volume and length. Apply along the lash line, finish with a coat of mascara to blend, £19.

2. Care for Delicate Eyes...

Milk Makeup’s all new Hydro Grip Eye Primer is a skin care-laden eye primer designed to help hydrate the delicate skin around your eyes.

The primer smooths over lids and under the eye, preventing creasing, stopping smudging and holding tight to pigment all day, £20/8.5ml

3. Out of this World...

Volumising and curling, Astronomical Mascara by Byredo has a long-lasting formulation and a curved application wand for precise lash dimension in a single stroke.

100% vegan, 91% natural ingredients and free from natural endocrine disruptors, £37/14ml.

5. Promoting collagen under your eyes...

A youth-prolonging treatment for your delicate under-eye area to a shot of revitalising hydration and instant lift. With hyaluronic acid and the brand’s signature plantbased replica of Epidermal Growth Factor ages the production of collagen and elastin, you can expect reduced puffiness and fine lines with even tone.

An advanced, hydrating formula firms and restores radiance £80.

6. Creamy matte colour for bright summer eyes...

Brimming with creamy mattes, molten metals and animalistic textures, unleash your inner wild child with the limitededition Python Wild Obsessions palette.

Add dimension to all eye colours with this bewitching selection of earthy greens, tropical oranges and warm golds.

Streamlined packaging with nine full-sized pans, it won’t overstretch your make up bag! £27/8.4g

4. Eye Renewal...

A supercharged treatment, this featherlight serum smoothes and softens wrinkles for greater resilience, leaving your eyes looking less lined and youthfully dewy. With regular use you should begin to notice improvement in as little as two weeks, £73, 15ml.

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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S I T UA T I O N S VA C A N T A T P R I D E M A G A Z I N E S

FIELD SALES EXECUTIVE REQUIRED

FIELD SALES EXECUTIVE Excellent Salary + Commission + Benefits Location: Boston Enterprise Centre, Endeavour Park, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 7TW Full Time, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. No weekend work.

About us Lincolnshire Pride and its fellow titles Rutland Pride and Stamford Pride are the number one magazines in their areas, ensuring the highest quality editorial and photographs for our affluent readership.

The Role Due to the massive success of our titles, Pride Magazines has a full time position for a Field Sales Executive. Your role will involve looking after our existing clients and introducing new businesses to our portfolio of high quality titles. Experience is preferred although full training can also be given.

The Ideal Candidate: • You must be confident and determined.

• Have excellent communication skills.

• You should be accurate and methodical.

• You must be hard working and self-motivated.

Salary Excellent salary plus commission/bonuses.

Basic salary is based on experience in telesales.

Generous Benefits: • Exciting career with a friendly, professional team.

• No weekend work, no late nights.

• 25 days holiday, all bank holidays paid for.

• Ongoing training with opportunities to progress your career within the business.

• Workplace pension.

• Modern air-conditioned offices with free parking.

• Christmas party including free food, drink and accommodation. Plus: Christmas gift (usually a Fortnum & Mason food hamper).

• NEW: Free unlimited tea, coffee and juice, use of kitchen, microwave, fridge and break-out area.

• NEW: Free breakfast club with food and drink.

• NEW: Quarterly work events including summer party, fully funded by management.

Rewards for Heroes: As part of our desire to ensure a happy team and a fun working environment, our Directors and Managers also run a ‘Heroes and Superheroes’ programme, with up to three Heroes and a Superhero named each month: • Our Superhero receives a paid day off, a bottle of wine, chocolate or treats, a Friday afternoon off and a late start Monday, plus a month of free lunch vouchers and a full valet of their car.

• Heroes can ‘spin the wheel’ to win a prize, such as a paid day off, a Friday afternoon off, two late start Mondays, a full valet for their car, a meal out for up to four people, lunch vouchers, a free ‘fast food Friday,’ a family cinema ticket with treats and popcorn, or a choice of wine, chocolate, treats etc.

If you’re the ideal candidate then send your CV to our Managing Director, Julian Wilkinson julian@pridemagazines.co.uk with covering letter.

Pride Magazines, Boston Enterprise Centre, Endeavour Park, Boston, Lincolnshire PE21 7TW. www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

R&S Pride MAY 238.qxp 06/04/2022 17:12 Page 123

THIS MONTH: CHANNELING THE SPIRIT OF CHURCHILL WITH THE KBO BALL

To feature your event call 01529 469977. Our magazines are free to read online, so you can share the magazine with your friends. Visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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Invoking the spirit of Churchill at

The KBO Ball near Stamford KBO was an expression used by Winston Churchill in times of trouble and uncertainty. The same spirit was invoked by three good friends supporting each other through the highs and lows of their respective cancer treatments, who decided they wanted to do something positive to raise £48,000 for the charities closest to their hearts, and most importantly, to have some fun!

They agreed that hosting a ball would be the perfect conduit, and the event served to remember two of the three friends in particular, who received amazing 24-hour support thanks to the event’s beneficiary Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice. The event was held at the newly refurbished Haycock Hotel. n

Images: Rob Davis.

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MOTORS

DBX Appeal A new and powerful edition of Aston Martin’s DBX all-wheel drive model is taking aim at the high-performance SUV market... is the extra bang worth the extra buck?

IT’S QUITE A BOAST. ‘The world’s most powerful luxury SUV,’ cries the press release.

Aston Martin’s DBX all-wheel drive SUV has been on sale since summer 2020 and though the prevalence of Covid has stopped the firm from assessing its sales success in non-Covid trading conditions, the company expects that half of its worldwide sales will be made up of the DBX when things settle.

We do know that back 2020, Aston Martin sold 4,250 cars worldwide, of which 2,186 were its DBX model. Unique as a five-door, four-seater all-wheel drive model, rather than a slinky GT coupé or drop-top, the DBX is arguably more practical than the other models in the company’s stable. The potential for sales success of a performance SUV has been precedented by the likes of 126

Porsche’s Cayenne and SV variants of the Range Rover. Aston is now greedily eyeing up sales of their range-toppers with this new £189,000 flagship, badged DBX 707, a reference to its 707ps of power.

The 707 commands a premium of over £25,000 compared to the standard DBX, and for the extra cash, drivers will enjoy an enhanced 4.0-litre V8 engine with all that power and an impressive 900Nm torque.

There’s a new wet clutch gearbox plus fettled engine, transmission, suspension and carbon brakes, plus 22” wheels and car’s all-wheel drive and air suspension which

control roll and ensures traction even when driven on a track by an enthusiastic pilot.

The car’s performance credentials are reflected inside with sports seats, as well as carbon-fibre dash embellishment available as an extra. Stylistically the car is very well reconciled too. It’s not a clumsy grafting of Aston design language onto an SUV body but a genuinely graceful car.

Performance, naturally, is epic. 60mph is reached and breached within 3.3 seconds which makes it quicker than a V12-engined DBS, and on a race track it’ll reach 193mph.

Undoubtedly, there’s performance to spare, but the standard DBX is so graceful and well-equipped, we’d question whether the extra might be better spent on a few choice options for a standard model instead. n

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THE DETAILS

Aston Martin DBX 707

Price: £189,000 (on sale Q2).

Powertrain: 4.0V8 twin-turbo with 707ps, 900Nm torque.

Performance: 0-60mph: 3.3 secs.

Top speed 193mph.

WLTP range 19.9mpg.

Equipment: 22” alloy wheels, all-wheel drive, air suspension, 16-way electrically adjustable seats, soft-close doors, navigation, cruise, Apple CarPlay, power tailgate, 360° camera, adaptive cruise control, park assist. n 127

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EAT, LAUGH EAT, LAUGH A AND ND SMILE S MILE A AGAIN GAIN WITH W I TH DENTAL DE NTA L IIMPLANTS. MPLA NTS. B Book your FR REE consulta ation today!

Call 0147 76 6 5944 480 I found the Dentall Health Care Centre just ovver a year ago when it beccame apparent that I was going to lose my four front teeth annd also finally admitted to myself m that my remaining top p teeth were not going to la ast much longer either. I have had d problems with my teeth since I was a child when my fo our front teeth were broken in an accident and growing up I never had confidence in my m smile. Over the years I ha ave spent a fortune trying to o save them and have that gleaminng smile so many of my friends had. How I wish the op ption of Dental Implants had d been around forty years ago and how I wish I had met Colin C Sutton and his fantasticc team sooner. From the minnute you walk into the h Centre yo ou are fill filled d withh confidence fid e - the h receptionists are welllcoming, professional f l and d ffriendly dl and d are extremely knowleedgeable. Mr Colin Sutton explains different options to o you thoroughly in a calm and reassuring manner and, after a couple of consultations,I decided that for me the best option was to have full dental implants in my top jaw. Not only o will they give me a smile that I am confident with but b also teeth strong enough to eat without fear that my teethh will drop out! The procedure is quite lengthy but I wa as not in any discomfort at all a and despite having some facia al swelling for a few days after I was absolutely fine. I am now waiting for the fina al implants to be inserted. Throughhout the whole process I have had total confidence in Mr Sutton and his Dental Nurse N and they have made everything so much easier. Imp plants are not a cheap optio g believe me. on but they are life changing

Patient, Thee Dental Health & Implannt Centre

014 47 76 594480

innfo@dentalhealthceentre.co.uk

3 Avenue Road, Granthham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6TA

R&S Pride MAY 238.qxp 06/04/2022 17:14 Page 129

THE DIRECTORY

To advertise here call our friendly team on 01529 469977

R&S Pride MAY 238.qxp 06/04/2022 17:14 Page 130

THE DIRECTORY

To advertise here call our friendly team on 01529 469977

The Directory: an exciting and affordable new way to market your business Appear in the area’s finest magazines, with prices from just £49+VAT.

For more information call our friendly team now on 01529 469977 or email sales@pridemagazines.co.uk

R&S Pride MAY 238.qxp 06/04/2022 17:14 Page 131

Your health doesn’t have to wait With Spire Leicester Hospital you’ll see a leading specialist in a hospital where safety

with us, you can be sure that you’ll receive expert care in a secure environment.

Fast access to diagnosis and treatment You can see one of our specialists quickly, because less waiting means less worrying.

Advanced technology

We use the latest technology and techniques wherever possible to get the best outcome for you.

Safety first

Our hospitals have thorough protection measures in place to keep you safe.

Book to see an expert today Search ‘Spire Leicester Hospital’ Call 0116 490 3416 0% representative APR available Credit is subject to status. Spire Healthcare Limited is acting as a credit broker, Omni Capital Retail Finance Ltd is the lender. All named parties are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Spire Healthcare’s registered address is 3 Dorset Rise, London, EC4Y 8EN.

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