Active Magazine // Stamford & Rutland // September 2022
Herbs, herbariums and horticulture. Leicester botanic garden
Diamonds are forever, we visit a bespoke jeweller in Market Harborough Local community gardens galore Travel: Kate gets creative on a Greek activity holiday
Just add water, but it’s not quite as simple as that
SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER 9.30AM - 12.30PM
Editor and Publisher Mary Bremner mary@theactivemag.com
Deputy editor Kate Maxim kate@theactivemag.com
Art editor Matt Tarrant
Contributors Will Hetherington, Jeremy Smithson-Beswick,
Advertisement Sales Director Lisa Chauhan lisa@theactivemag.com
Production assistant Gary Curtis Accounts accounts@theactivemag.com
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EDITOR’S LETTER
‘And with new beginnings there’s always hope and something to look forward to.’
I HAVE TO confess, I’m always glad to see the back of August. It probably sounds daft but August always seems rather a sad month to me and makes me think of endings. The nights are noticeably drawing in, the weather is quite often disappointing, very little sun and lots of rain (although this year, so far is proving an exception) and summer and the holidays are coming to an end. ‘Winter is coming.’
But then September arrives and my spirit lifts which seems completely illogical. September to me means a fresh start. This could be because the academic year starts so it’s ingrained in all of us, however long ago it was we were at school; new beginnings. And with new beginnings there’s always hope and something to look forward to. Every bright sunny day in September is a bonus so the disappointment of the hope of long, lazy summer days that usually didn’t materialise has passed. As I said, completely illogical but apparently I’m not the only one who feels this way. And for some it means Christmas is just around the corner; but we won’t go there.
Helping lift the spirits in many ways are the community gardens which are ourishing in our area e all kno that getting outside in the fresh air is bene cial to our health nd gardening pro ides a double ha y fresh air and the nurturing of plants or growing your own vegetables really does offer a sense of achie e ent and ellbeing e ha e en oyed nding out ore about these rather special places
Kate has visited one of the oldest gardens in our area, Leicester botanic garden, and donated an herbarium which has been in her family for many years. I’ve been having fun trying on jewellery and drinking beer as well as catching up with the head of Leicester High School for Girls.
It’s been a busy month and as the sun is shining and it’s Friday afternoon I am now going to make the most of this late summer sun; life is good!
See you next month.
Mary - Editor
This stunning period town house is located in the town centre and offers stylish accommodation set over three foors. A spacious sitting room with high ceilings and wooden window shutters, which can be opened up to the study via an original room dividing screen, with both rooms coming with feature freplaces.
There is a generous Master bedroom, double guest bedroom and single third bedroom, with a modern style bathroom and large landing completing the frst foor. On the lower ground foor is a well presented breakfast kitchen with Aga and good sized dining room, as well as a utility area.
To the rear of the property is a beautiful south facing mature walled garden that is set across several levels and leads to a gate that offers easy access to Rock Road and Waitrose. Viewing is highly recommended and the property is offered with NO CHAIN
Rock Terrace, Stamford £750,000 Saxon Court, Stamford £600,000
Set on the River Welland with stunning views of Stamford town bridge, this three storey stone town house comes with four bedrooms that includes a superb Master bedroom with en-suite. The location provides easy access to the train station, local schooling, Burghley Park and the Town Meadows.
The accommodation comprises: - Entrance hall, cloakroom, sitting room, kitchen, landing, two double bedrooms, family bathroom, second landing, Master bedroom with en-suite and the fourth bedroom/study. The spacious sitting room opens onto the patio that has river views, with the equally impressive Master bedroom also having lovely views over the river and Stamford town centre. To the front of the property are two allocated car port parking spaces that provide off street parking. NO ONWARD CHAIN. 8/9 Star Lane, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1PH I 01780 754737 I www.sowdenwallis.co.uk I
ISSUE 117 / SEPTEMBER 2022
ACTIVE LIFE
22 HERBS, HERBARIUMS AND HORTICULTURE
Find out more about Leicester Botanic Garden
28 COMMUNITY GARDENS hese gardens offer solace and friendship to many
34 UNCOMMONLY GOOD BEER
Meet the award winning Round Corner Brewery
40 DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER tephen ilkinson e ellery in arket arborough offers bespoke designs as ell as repairs
43 RUTLAND’S FIRST HORSE HOTEL
The perfect short term, full ti e horse li ery SERIES
44 MANAGE YOUR LIFE Two women are running a successful business in the construction industry
46 WILL’S WALKS n oy a agni cent hall and a cluster of ha lets east of rantha
ACTIVE BODY
51 oothly does it to be a successful rider ACTIVE KIDS
kev@sciondesign.co.uk or visit www.sciondesign.co.uk
ActiveLife
Local community gardens
Diamonds are forever, meet Market Harborough jeweller Stephen Wilkinson
Uncommonly good beer, brewed in Melton Mowbray
Manage your life; Jills of all trades | Rutland’s first horse hotel
EDITED BY MARY BREMNER
Herbs, herbariums and horticulture
We visit Leicester botanic garden p22
Be Inspired
And then there were three
FIKA WOOLFOX IS opening in the middle of September which will be just in time for when the new leisure facilities open at oolfo hich is ust north of ta ford up the s ell as the golf course there ill be a lu ury pool gy and spa facilities. Both members and non-members will be able to en oy ika’s legendary brunches top coffee and other delicious dishes at their brand new third site. www.fikacafe.co.uk
Windmill wheels
COMING INTO ITS twelfth year in business, Windmill Wheels at Wymondham has rebranded with a new logo and website. This lovely bike shop at Wymondham is the perfect go to for the e perienced cyclist to the absolute beginner ner ack is an e perienced bike tter ho ill also help you with custom builds, servicing and everything else you can think of; he really is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to bikes; friendly too.
www.windmillwheels.co.uk
New business app
BUSINESSES ACROSS SOUTH Kesteven are signing up to a free app to promote their discounts, products and services direct to local residents.
South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) has teamed up with award-winning technology company bubltown to deliver the app which provides businesses with an easy-to-use tool to win more customers. Members of the public are now being urged to sign in to the HelloSK app to take advantage of the goods and services on offer hich include listings of local e ents
The HelloSK app has been paid for with money from SKDC’s £250,000 allocation from the Government’s Welcome Back Fund. By using in-built location services the app is designed to show residents the shops, restaurants, gyms and other services available in their area usinesses can then offer e clusi e discounts and offers to the app’s users.
Business wishing to sign up for the HelloSK app should go to: www.join.hellosk.co.uk
The app can be downloaded, HelloSK from Apple Appstore and Google Play Store. https://apps.apple.com www.play.google.com
New barbers
ANNA AND CO is a new family run barber’s shop that has opened in St Mary’s Street in Stamford. Open since early July many of you ill recognise nna and nge as they are fa iliar faces in the to n having worked at Beyond the Fringe which has now closed.
Well now they have opened their own traditional, walk in barber shop which caters for everyone, including children - note the large ruffalo ural and colouring table ai ed at s aller custo ers o make children feel comfortable if they aren’t too keen on a haircut you can book an appointment on a Sunday otherwise it’s a walk in barber’s shop with no appointment necessary.
www.annaandco.co.uk
Hand-stamped, personalised biscuits through the
www.the-kitsch-hen.co.uk hello@the-kitsch-hen.co.uk @thekitschhen get 15% off your next order with the code ActiveMag
Wright Care at Home
fun family afternoon tea party
THE TEAM AT Wright Care at Home certainly know how to throw a party. To celebrate their sixth birthday (as Covid put paid to their fth founder a antha a is right her other step-mother, granny, twin girls and many members of the 33-strong team put on a lavish spread at Ryhall village hall.
After 15 years of working in the care centre, Sammy’s vision was to create a ‘family’ of team members who are able to provide a service to their customers full of compassion and care. This person-centred service shone through in spades as beaming and well fed ladies and gentleman enjoyed the festivities.
a y as keen to thank the any different organisations Wright Care at Home work with on a daily basis, leading to outstanding CQC ratings, including Marie Curie, district nurses, local care homes and GPs. But most of all she wanted to show her gratitude to her team members for their many years of service, loyalty and dedication; attributes that have been invaluable to the success of the company.
Sammy and the team never wanted their service to become too corporate, but to provide a personal and friendly way for people to live independently at home. It is plain to see they have certainly achieved their aim.
www.wrightcareathome.co.uk
Well done Jacob!
A PUPIL AT Oakham School has received a national swimming title at the 2022 Speedo British Summer Championships. Year 10 pupil Jacob won the 15 years men’s 100m freestyle title at this year’s e ent he talented s i er also nished a close second in the backstroke ade the nal in the freestyle and came a close fourth in 100m backstroke and 50m y Jacob, who trains at Leicester Sharks Swimming Club, is an all-rounder, taking part in nine events at the championships. He competed in seventeen races including two relays and made six nals
Varsity cup win for Catmose College again
CATMOSE COLLEGE HAS retained the Varsity cup for the eighth year in a row which was presented to students at the Active Rutland Community Sport Awards held at Greetham Golf club in July. It was the College’s most successful event with all nominated students winning in their category.
There were many individual winners; too many to namecheck here with the Catmose U19 gymnastic team also winning best team award. Well done everyone!
I have been practicing Pilates and yoga with Tash for 4 years and highly recommend her classes. My posture, flexibility and conditioning are better, my core stronger and it has changed my body. I look forward to each and every class and always leave feeling calmer and better with a smile on my face. Tash is a beautiful soul and gets the balance just right between work and fun. Highly recommend.
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR OUR YOGA, PILATES & FITNESS CLASSES NOW!
southstloft.co.uk
South Street, Oakham
An exquisite holiday home surrounded by 70 acres of woodland nestled deep within the beautiful countryside on the Northamptonshire/Rutland border. Sleeps 10. Open plan & fully accessible. BBQ & frepit. Dog friendly. Info & bookings: missyshouse.co.uk Missy’s House
What’s On!
STAMFORD FLOWER CLUB have a busy schedule ahead of the ith a oral art display in St Michael’s Church Yard, Stamford on September 17. You can enjoy o er arrange ents created by ta ford lo er lub and also ake a oral cro n fro locally gro n o ers ick up tips at 12 noon on how to create a hand tied bouquet at their demonstration. www.stamfordflowerclub.com
AND ENJOY A o er arranging de onstration by aula outledge on Monday September 12 at 6pm for 7pm start at Stamford Methodist Church, Barn Hill. Membership not required £6. No need to book. Contact karenlelawrie@icloud.com
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE’S HISTORIC
CHURCHES Trust is holding its annual sponsored ide and tride on aturday epte ber ith churches and chapels to visit, it’s a great day out for walkers, cyclists, joggers and riders, while raising money for a church of your choosing and the Trust at the same time.
Some participants visit as many churches as they can, whilst others prefer a more leisurely approach, taking more time at each.
Visit www.nhct.org.uk for more details or email county organiser Liz Doherty on emdoherty@sky.com
STAMFORD INDOOR BOWLS club is hosting an open weekend at its Exeter Gardens stadium on Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11 (from 10am- 4pm) when experienced bowlers and coaches will be on hand to provide free sessions with equipment provided.
Founded in 1990, initially to provide opportunities for outdoor bowlers to pursue their sport year round, the club has become more than that. It also provides a haven for those seeking a place to meet friends and share a chat as well as enjoy a game for all ages. It provides a place to go for those seeking conversation as well as competition.
The club, with its state of the art six rink carpet surface, has a mixed membership with an average age of more than most sports clubs but the skill level is very high - from juniors to seniors t offers the ideal opportunity to those perhaps not uite as t and acti e as they used to be to continue to play a sport competitively while striking up lasting relationships. www.stamfordindoorbowls.co.uk
PARKINSON’S UK, EUROPE’S largest charitable funder of arkinson’s research has launched its annual alk for arkinson’s series hich includes a alk at urghley ouse on Sunday October 2. Sign up now for a 2.5 or 6.5 mile route. Both routes start and nish on the la n by the ain car park ith e eryone setting off together at a You can sign up now to walk OR volunteer by visiting www.events. parkinsons.org.uk/event/walk-parkinsons-burghley-house/ home
ROUND CORNER BREWING’S fourth annual rare foods festival takes place on September 10 and runs alongside the traditional and rare breeds show held at Melton Mowbray market.
You can spend the morning ambling around the rare breeds admiring cattle, pigs, sheep and poultry and then an afternoon and evening sampling rare foods and street foods as well as beer from the brewery and live music.
Tickets for the Rare Foods Festival are free but you need to book here www.roundcornerbrewing.com/pages/round-cornerbrewings-4th-annual-rare-food-festival
STAMFORD HEAVENLY CHOCOLATES is based at Sacrewell Farm where they have a wide range of chocolates on sale for all occasions. As well as being able to buy chocolates you can join them for a workshop, where you make your own. All ages and celebrations are welcome; birthdays, hen and stag dos or family get togethers.
Whilst at Sacrewell why not enjoy one of their chocolate fondues in the artisan court yard. Note that you will need to pre- book this.
You can visit the Scarewell courtyard without having to pay to get into the farm, just tell the reception on arrival that you are going to the courtyard only and they will give you a special wristband. www.stamfordheavenlychocolates.co.uk
CONTINUING THEIR DIVERSE season of plays; Stamford Shoestring Theatre is determined to lift your spirits in September with its revival of Neil Simon’s ‘California Suite’. This witty play, full of comical situations and delightfully outrageous characters, is set in Suite 203 of the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. Hugely funny and surprisingly moving it mixes laugh out loud moments with recognisable empathy for our all too human failings.
Tickets are available now from Stamford Arts Centre or box office 01780 763203
WANT TO GET back into singing? If so, The Harborough Singers are keen to hear from you. The 30-strong local chamber choir have been having a great summer, singing in the sun in Tuscany, making glorious music with Great Bowden Camerata, and lolling around in the chairman’s garden with a glass of something cool. But they are looking for more people to share all this with!
So if you love to sing and fancy airing your vocal chords come September but can’t commit to weekly rehearsals maybe this is the choir for you. Unique in their practice arrangements, the Harborough Singers meet for a weekend of intensive singing just once a month. They rehearse on a Friday night and then continue all day Saturday, usually at Church Langton Community Hall.
New members tend to have some choral experience, and a blending voice, and those aged under 23 sing free. Autumn rehearsals start on September 2 for a performance of Brahms e uie at yddington on on re ight o e ber so do get in touch
www.harboroughsingers.com
Sausage, blackberry and sage traybake
September means it’s blackberry season so grab a bag and go out and pick some. Blackberries obviously make fantastic crumbles and puddings, but they can also be great in a savoury dish. Try this one, it’s really simple and easy, and traybake means only one pan to wash up!
INGREDIENTS
• 8 sausages
• 1 butternut squash cut into wedges
• 4 large parsnips cut into length-wise strips
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 3 tbsp dried sage
• 230g blackberries
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp honey
• 4 tbsp wholegrain mustard
METHOD
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Toss the vegetables, sage and sausages in some oil and season in a large roasting tin. Roast for 40 minutes, turning half way through.
• Mix the honey and mustard together. Scatter the blackberries over the sausages and vegetables then stir in the honey and mustard mix. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes until the sausages are cooked and vegetables tender.
RECIPE
Vegetable monsters
Relatively new to the UK and with a fight over its name, Rowan Griffiths explains more about these enormous trees
NO, NOT THE ay f he ri ds or the l ttack f he iller o atoes but the iant e uoia or alifornian ed ood his true colossus of a tree can often be seen literally outstanding in the landscaped gardens and arboreta of large country houses in ritain n their nati e ierra e ada they can gro up to tall ha e a trunk base dia eter of and li e for o er years nly introduced to the nited ingdo in by illia obb ho referred to the as egetable onsters e ha e yet to see a fully gro n speci en but so e are already i pressi e here is one in enter arcs ongleat that is etres tall and another year old e a ple in en ore cotland hich is etres and still gro ing
s suggested by its na e this hardy e ergreen and narro cone shape tree is distincti e by its assi e height t has do n s ept branches that on touching the ground ill take root and begin to gro up ards again he dark green lea es are scale like in appearance and gro in spirals he bark is thick red in colour deeply ssured yet also soft and spongy in te ture his casing is kno n to be a natural defence against re he cones are s all co pact and hard producing inged and attened shaped seeds perfectly designed to be scattered to the ind
n its arri al in ritain and as a recent disco ery it as yet to be botanically classi ed either here or in erica and as uickly na ed ellingtonia after national treasure the uke of ellington his label pi ued our colonial cousins ho anted to na e it ashingtonia after the rst president on the other side of the pond and a ro ensued he atter as nally settled ith the classi cation of the tree as e uoiadendron giganteu rips off the tongue doesn’t it
GARDENING
Glorious Grasses
Ornamental grasses can look lovely in your garden, Welland Vale Garden Centre tells us more about them
ILOVE THE erges in the countryside ro the lush ne gro th of ay the oyous greens ith clouds of co parsley and geraniu and then the su er onths as the grasses turn to seed and start to dry out lo e the di ersity of grasses their o e ent and the sound of the bree e s ishing through the e can create this effect in our garden design here is a huge range of grasses a ailable i different heights te tures colours and habit o e are e ergreen others deciduous upright or eeping easy to look after and re uire little attention hey don’t like hea y shade to be aterlogged or e cessi ely dry soil se in a border or as a state ent plant in a container adore tipa gigantea s its na e suggests it gro s to al ost etres lant it in full sun here its dainty oat like eeping o ers ill shi er as they nod in the bree e tipa ten ony ails is a s aller cousin gro ing to around etre ith uffy sil er green o er heads ala agrostis arl orester is great for adding height ith little spread bout etre tall the green foliage produces bron e o ering panicles like ripe corn fading to pale bro n ala agrostis erda is an i pressi e ariegated speci en here are any arieties of iscanthus to e plore ne orth nding is ed loud co pact deciduous around one etre tall its arching lea es and feathery panicles pro ide a onderful array of colours throughout the year
estuca li ah lue has plu p cushions of ery ne ice blue foliage ith o er plu es turning golden bro n through su er are are gold and sil er ariegated for s ry lata urea ce ance or erest
or introduce a bron e red co bination ith uchananii or ed ooster or ore reds there’s anicu ed etal and the purple o ered arrior lso try perata such as ed aron ennisetu ire orks is i id the d arf ittle unny or the ne kyrocket are orth a look escha psia oldtau is an e ergreen for ing a lo ound for sun or light shade n su er frothy light sil ery o ers catch the light to great effect akonechloa lboaurea for s a strikingly striped yello and green deciduous ound phiopogon igra is an unusual grass ith black leathery lea es and s all purple o ers and a good contrast to so e of the ibrant ariegated choices y nal choice is the dra atic ne anthele heasant’s ail his e ergreen offers year round colour of yello orange and red spotting and streaking hich intensi es in the inter f course there are any ore but anted to het your appetite ith a fe fa ourites o e of these speci ens ay be too large for your garden so look for d arf arieties hich ill gi e a si ilar effect a e fun don’t ust plant uickly en oy positioning these plants rst to check ho they sit ith one another or e tra pops of colour add perennials such as erbena bonariensis upatoriu purpureu and ersicaria iretail hich are all agnets for insects chinacea agnus has o ers of pink to deep red green and hite udbeckia oldstru has cheery yello daisy like o ers chillea erbascu s and eronicas all link in ith the country erge the e and any retain onderful structural beauty during inter onths ust like y uch lo ed co parsley
www.wellandvale.co.uk
The holiday you take home with you
Kate enjoys a creative break on a Greek island
IFIRST SAW an advert for Skyros Holidays over ten years ago and was attracted by the tagline ‘Adventure, Creativity, Joy.’ I’ll have so e of that thought heir ction riting courses had ra e reviews and the picture of sun-baked writers learning on a terrace overlooking the Aegean Sea had me hooked. But circumstances and co it ents kept foiling y plans until nally in anuary prevaricated no longer and booked two places in Atsitsa Bay on the Island of Skyros, Greece, for myself and an old friend.
Skyros Holidays was founded over 40 years ago specialising in personal development and writing courses, taught by established authors and leading therapists from around the world. That tradition continues and has been e tended to include l akers usicians artists and comedians. Also yoga teachers, singing and dance teachers; the list goes on.
ach eek there’s a raft of different courses to choose fro he idea is to try something new, discover hidden talents and meet like-minded people from all walks of life. And boy, did we do that! I’d i agined before arri ed ’d only be taking the ction riting class and maybe a yoga class or two. How little did I know.
I started the mornings with either a short yoga class, coming to grips ith the e ibetan rites or ring up y brain ith short writing exercises or I’d join a group on the beach for a round of Buddhist chanting and meditation. Then after breakfast (where you learn a smattering of Greek each day) I attended the writing class with the wonderful author Alison Habens who packed masses of useful information into the week while managing to keep it light and fun for both beginners and more experienced writers.
During that morning slot I could have chosen to take a class in beach art indsur ng dance or li ing your best life ’ o e er uch I found that class intriguing, unfortunately I didn’t have the time; perhaps another week…
Each afternoon a group of us spent two hours in the pine circle learning from Kenneth Ryan and his wonderful blend of restorative eastern yoga practices. It was magical and it’s completely inspired me to include more yoga in my daily life. During our sessions we could hear the singing group in the distance learning songs fro different cultures. Apparently that class was the highlight of many people’s eek but unfortunately there as no ti e for e to oin as as off to go kayaking or paddleboarding before dinner. Other sunset activities included comedy improvisation, a sound bath, disco, pub quiz, trip to Skyros town on the bus, stargazing, impromptu night swimming and a fantastic cabaret that showcased what the dance and singing group has been up to all week. The vision and energy of Kym, the dance teacher, as Henry VIII is not something I’ll forget in a hurry. Nor Dawn, the storyteller in residence, who had gathered people’s individual memories of the week and transformed them into one vivid tale for us all to take home.
You can do as much or as little as you like: some people concentrate on one class a day; others pack in as much as physically possible including exploring the local area by foot, and some decide to simply rest and gaze out across the beautiful Atsitsa bay. Siesta time is built into the daily schedule which gives you a chance to sleep, sunbathe or swim. The water is ludicrously buoyant - the salt content is high - so s i ing and paddleboarding as effortless as you looked back to shore at the unspoilt coastline amidst the pine woods.
Most people go on their own, some with friends or family (childcare is offered during the school su er holidays and any link up ith old friends they’d met on previous courses. The sense of community is strong and there are structures in place to foster that. Everyone eats together and you’re given a daily task such as chopping vegetables or clearing away the dishes. Apart from helping out the work scholars it gives you a chance to meet people you may not yet have spoken to. There were over 50 people during the week I was there including the staff but ithin a fe days ’d spoken to ost of the t could be the warmth of the sun, the incredibly delicious food (three meals per day) or the mind expanding courses but everyone mellowed, relaxed and embraced new friendships.
There was a great balance of both physical and mental activities and each morning I was keen to get started on a new set of adventures. ach eek carries its o n ibe ith different teachers and participants but the general advice by the facilitators is to be yourself and take risks in a supportive environment.
Most people stay in the eco huts; round structures with bamboo sides, sharing communal bathing facilities. You can also book rooms in the house on-site or in the neighbouring hotel. Other venues with courses are the Skyros Centre in Skyros town and the Grange by the Sea on the Isle of Wight.
It’s been described as ‘the holiday you take home with you’ and I’d have to agree. It gives you plenty of food for thought, new friends, and at least one new habit or practice you’d like to build into daily life and, no doubt, others you’d like to leave behind or even throw into the sea after a chanting session!
www.skyros.com
www.alisonhabens.com
Yoga Beyond Yoga on YouTube
Herbs, herbariums and horticulture
Kate visits the most diverse garden in the East Midlands and meets Dr Richard Gornall, Director of the University of Leicester Botanic Garden
I’VE KNOWN ABOUT the botanic garden in Leicester for many years but have never actually visited. Coming across an herbarium belonging to my mother-in-law during a recent house move, I wondered if it would be of any interest to the researchers there and thought it was the perfect excuse to go and see what the gardens had to offer
Leicester Botanic Garden houses a conservation seed bank focusing on the local ora of eicestershire and Rutland and takes part in an international seed exchange. Seed or gene banks are invaluable for research for disease resistance, preservation of crop diversity, and protection against climate change and natural disasters.
My herbarium is a collection of pressed plants from Italy, Germany and Northamptonshire collected in 1904. Unfortunately very few of the specimens were properly labelled; to be useful they need to be marked with the place and date of collection and the collector’s name. But some sheets did have the right information and Dr Richard Gornall, Director of the University of Leicester Botanic arden as pleased to take the off y hands e told e that ‘herbarium specimens are the best way to preserve the characteristics of a plant: you have a record of the morphology, anatomy, chemistry and even the DNA.’
he rst botanic garden dates back to isa taly in Botanic gardens were laboratories associated with the medical schools run from the monasteries. Medical knowledge depended very heavily on plant-based cures and extracts. These gardens were there to support the training of young doctors and to provide plant materials.
The University of Leicester owns this botanic garden and, as Richard explained, ‘it is essentially an academic institution for teaching and research. We provide teaching materials for undergraduates; we hold some undergraduate classes here like the rst year e olutionary biology practical e run plant identi cation classes and pro ide plant material for other classes held on campus including wheat to feed locusts in neurophysiology classes. We support research work for physics, geology, geography and archaeology and education students; in short, we serve the whole university facility.’
The original site of the Botanic Garden was adjacent to the Fielding Johnson building which was bequeathed by the Fielding Johnson family to found the university in 1921. The
garden remained there until 1947 when the university wished to expand and build new buildings on the site. The four houses and gardens that now comprise the 16-acre site in Oadby were bought by the university between 1947 and 1964.
Originally these gardens were open meadowland di ided into elds after the s enclosures ro three wealthy industrialists: William Stevens, William interton and rancis rice ac uired the land and built grand Edwardian homes there, Nether Close (now Hastings ouse iddle eade no eau ont all and he noll with the fourth house, Southmeade, constructed later as a retire ent ho e for r rice
he uni ersity ac uired the houses and gardens in stages rst ere eau ont and astings ouse in Within ten years it had bought Southmeade meaning the gardens joined up to became one continuous space. In 1964 the uni ersity bought the noll and the site reached its full 16 acres. It is one of only two botanic gardens in the country that are currently free to visit. You can pay to have a guided tour of the houses or garden for just £5 per person if you book in advance. On the outskirts of Leicester, in Oadby, it is ery easy to nd ith the public entrance on lebe oad ‘Today the scope of botanic gardens has changed,’ ichard e plained o longer ust for teaching and
research, people visit to see plants that grow all around the orld across the different seasons e get about isitors per year and they co e for all sorts of different reasons. They come to walk round for daily exercise; some come for an afternoon out; some come to see the plants and others co e ith their fa ilies to let the kids let off stea ’ There is huge emphasis on engaging with local schools ith about ainly pri ary school children per year co ing through the gates fro eicestershire utland and neighbouring counties e ha e a ide range of nearly activities covering most aspects of the curriculum focusing mainly on natural history or biology but we also have programmes relating to history, geography, maths, art and English. You can teach practically anything in the botanic garden and it’s all listed on the website.’ here is so uch to disco er per anent sculptures from local artists; a beautiful water garden with very hungry carp; a sunken garden with a brick pavement and d arf bo hedging that as lled in during orld ar o to use as a vegetable plot. It was rediscovered in the late s and restored here’s the sandstone garden dominated by a mature collection of Japanese maples; a li estone garden ith the tallest speci en of ristlecone Pine in the country. The Himalayan lawn, Chinese oodland ritillary la n herbaceous borders the uschia
‘We get about 40,000 visitors per year, and they come for all sorts of different reasons.’
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garden, Fibonacci pavements, the list goes on. It’s not called the ‘most diverse garden in the East Midlands’ for nothing. Then there’s the glasshouses: the desert house, the alpine house, warm-temperate house and the tropical house with a cutting from the original Bodhi tree under which Buddha meditated.
The Attenborough Arboretum, also owned by the ni ersity is a ile a ay on a e acre site t houses a collection of hardy trees and shrubs that are native to the British Isles planted in the sequence of how they arrived here after the last ice age. Although as Richard pointed out, ‘there are some alien intruders as we inherited the land when it was a farm and they were already growing there.’
One of the challenges is having inherited four mature gardens some seventy years ago and converting them into one. Initially not a lot was done; much emphasis was placed on supplying the undergraduate courses and the gardens were just maintained. But since the 1970s botanic gardens all over the world have really upped their game and it has become clear they have an important message to deliver in terms of biodiversity, caring for the environment and conservation.
‘We needed to look at what we had,’ said Richard. ‘We had four mature gardens with mature trees, how were we
going to convert that into one, with a message that people will learn from? You don’t want to cut down a mature tree just because it’s in the wrong place, so you have to live with it. You devise planting schemes that it either goes with, or you simply say this tree doesn’t really belong, but it’s here, so admire it!’
Richard trained as a botanist and came to Leicester in 1980 as curator of the herbarium and garden. He brought up his family here and knows every inch of the garden. He is now about to retire, leaving a rather hard act to follow I should imagine.
‘We are trying to update some of our planting schemes,’ he told e e ere onths in to a e year progra e but then Covid stalled the refurbishment. And we only have four gardeners to carry out the work.
‘We don’t have demonstration gardens but the plants are all labelled and we have interpretation panels which explain what a particular border or walk is all about. We have plants from all around the world and the focus on global biodiversity is very important; we stress that.’
o take full ad antage of hat’s on offer you can beco e a friend of the garden and have access to a range of talks and visits to other gardens and places of horticultural interest hich offer great inspiration riends help run the family open day each summer and a crocus Sunday in late ebruary here is also a plant identi cation ser ice here people can send in pictures of specimens they’re unsure about.
The University of Leicester Botanic Garden is open all year round except over Christmas and New Year. Visit www.le.ac.uk/botanicgarden for more information.
One year at the Community Garden
Pippa from Pepper’s - A Safe Place in Oakham - tells us how they are celebrating a year of community gardening at Oakham’s fire station
IT IS GENERALLY accepted that gardening is great for helping support your mental health. It can help reduce stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety, help with mindfulness and keeps us active and connected with nature.
Last year keen amateur gardener Julie Hodson bumped into att and ndy t o local re ghters and they got chatting. The Fire Station’s hopes to connect with the co unity and to pro ide a ellbeing space for staff to relax at the end of a long shift, combined with Julie’s love for horticulture and expertise created a new idea. They would form a community wellbeing garden.
The plan was that the garden would be an accessible space for anyone in the community to take some time out, relax, get stuck into a new venture and engage with others so they set to and started work.
Soon, Pepper’s - A Safe Place was invited to take part in sessions. Pepper’s is a mental health support centre based in Oakham. A team of our members, together with Oakham re ghters ha e orked to transfor the outdoor space to create a relaxing hub for all.
Station Manager Greg Ayres, said: ‘The outside of the station looked tired and the grounds poorly maintained. ut no the re ghters use the garden daily in their do n time, to relax. Being involved with the Community ellbeing arden has gi en the re ghters a positi e focus
away from the stresses of work.’
o ing seeds planting o ers and eeding are ust the basics he tea ha e also added a ater feature hich is no a hotspot for birds a boat o er o ing ith o ers providing a welcome seating area to passers-by and a rela ing sensory border around the patio
ulie said t has been such a pri ilege to atch the guys at epper’s and the cre at the re station transfor this space and ake it their o n ellbeing hub t’s been a great co unity effort and no a space that e are all so proud of.’
he tea ha e been ell supported by locals ith arious donations fro illagers the boat ca e fro Anglian Water; plants from local garden centres; planters were made by Men and Ladies in Sheds (Age UK) and locals have been willing to share their extensive knowledge and skills.
e ha e been able to run art orkshops learn about the bene ts of herbs ith a local herbalist learn about supporting biodi ersity in our gardens engage ith ne e bers of the co unity and so uch ore e recently had a bb for our e bers hich as a ell earned celebration for the rst anni ersary of the pro ect n oying salads gro n oursel es e ere able to re ect on the past year any e bers ha e de eloped a love for gardening and gained a great new skill and hobby. o e ha e seen grand ideas co e to fruition and helped plan their o n little oasis ithin the grounds thers ha e gro n in con dence and ade lasting friendships
e ha e lo ed being a part of this pro ect and ha e seen for oursel es the huge ental health bene ts that gardening can provide. Members are able to come and relax, escape and connect with others.
‘The plan was that the garden would be an accessible space for anyone in the community to take some time out, relax, get stuck into a new venture and engage with others so they set to and started work.’
Many NHS practices are now prescribing gardening to patients and we can see why. As we have said, it is known to help alleviate stress, to ease several symptoms of mental illness keep us acti e and out in the fresh air it helps to increase our ability to engage and concentrate on tasks and it gi es us so ething to feel proud of as ell as a sense of achievement.
he o unity arden has gro n o er the past year and e hope it ill continue to e pand ocal groups are elco e to use the space for their o n sessions or you can oin in ith epper’s e ery other uesday at p ake so e ti e out rela and look after your ind
ulie says the garden is a safe space for anyone in the co unity and e ould lo e to elco e ore locals ’
To find out more follow @peppers.asafeplace and @Communitywellbeing on Instagram or contact info@peppersasafeplace.co.uk.
MindSpace Wellbeing Garden
The MindSpace Wellbeing Garden officially opened its gate to announce its presence to the public recently after many years in the making
WHAT BEGAN AS a massive overgrown plot on ngton oad ta ford has been transfor ed into a co unity garden ith raised beds seating areas o ers egetables and trees er the four years that it has taken to tidy build and plant it has been through nu erous challenges fro o id restrictions that delayed the ork schedule to the current drought ts i pact has been felt by any already fro the ind pace ta ford olunteers and helpers ho en oy eeding planting and ore recently har esting fruits and eg to the e bers ho ha e en oyed sessions dra ing colourful plants
ind pace rustee ary o glass ho has o erseen the pro ect orking ith a ulti talented steering group says t’s designed so that people can both be acti e digging and gro ing eggies for e a ple but it’s also designed so that other acti ities can take place such as our ind pace ketching roup ’
he ind pace ellbeing arden is the result of a co unity ide collaboration in ol ing co panies ho ha e loaned’ e bers of staff to do hea y lifting to generous donations fro to n charities such as the otary lub and in ol e ent by green ngered e bers of ta ford in loo and gardeners fro urghley ouse hris oung oint designer of the garden orking ith long established professional garden designer en a son e plains that the garden is di ided into t o areas an acti e area and a cal area he intention is that if you ant to co e and garden you can do so but if you si ply ant to be outside in nature you can do that too ’ here has been a lot of hard ork along the ay in creating this garden fro reclai ing the land the e ui alent of four to si allot ents fro the o ergro n eeds and plants to designing a space hich anticipated a range of needs of future users
Varied planting
en a son is a keen plants an and the plants in the ind pace ellbeing arden ha e been selected by hi and hris for year round interest ith su er purples agentas and yello s colours for the autu n and shrubs to gi e structure in the inter hris for er editor of the aga ine he arden says e ha e got orna entals perennials grasses egetables like potatoes and courgettes and so e orna ental trees e put in earlier in the year atural ild o ers are ust co ing through nd e put in a ne hedge against the road to gi e us pri acy ’ e adds hat’s i portant for e is that you can be un ell ith ental health issues but connection ith nature ith the en iron ent ith co unity all these things are natural healers here’s so uch research no that sho s that connection ith nature and being outside is good for you ’ se of the garden by ind pace e bers and ia the groups that the organisation runs fro sketching to herbal orkshops ill ulti ately pro e its success urrently the garden is a ailable to the olunteer gardeners on a eekday ho e er there are plans for it to be accessible on aturdays in the not too distant future too ind out ore about the garden and opportunities to help in it or isit it fro ind pace at road treet and online at indspacesta ford co he charity has a ision to i pro e the ental health and ellbeing of local residents ro iding a range of co unity based groups it also partners ith local organisations and educational settings to encourage adults and children to support one another listen better and be able to better anage ental ellbeing
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Waterloo Cottage Farm Community Garden
Waterloo Cottage Farm Community Garden is an organic garden just outside Market Harborough
THE COMMUNITY GARDEN is situated behind the Waterloo Cottage farm shop in Great Oxendon just outside Market Harborough. It began in 2014 with lottery funding from Sustainable Harborough. The garden as de eloped on far land offered by the o ners and much of the development was completed by volunteers including construction of the polytunnel.
In 2018 Sustainable Harborough’s funding ended. The running of the garden was taken over by volunteers to run as a charity (CIO). A small committee meets regularly to organise the running of the garden with all volunteers meeting occasionally to plan what to grow.
The garden is organic with two volunteers training as master gardeners with Garden Organics in Ryton. A no dig regime (Charles Dowding) is also followed. The ethos is to educate people about gardening, to understand the importance of gardening with regards to wellbeing and health, caring for the environment and, of course, to grow food.
There are well established fruit trees and bushes which had been planted prior to the opening of the community garden. The garden consists of several beds growing a range of vegetables plus some raised accessible beds. Anyone can volunteer to join the garden. At present they have 10 regular volunteers. Volunteers go through a short training session and can then go to the garden whenever they want. Tuesday and Friday mornings are group gardening sessions but this is e ible nyone is elco e to visit the garden on these days and other days by arrangement.
All produce is shared by the volunteers with any excess going to the Farm Shop or visitors to the garden.
A series of events and workshops are held throughout the year including seed sowing, potato planting/picking, composting, pruning, apple pressing etc.
Grants have been received from the Co-op and Kelmarsh Windfarm Charity which has helped to replace the shed, build accessible beds and paths and to open up an additional area of land. Volunteers have built two brick paths using reclaimed bricks. Interest has been shown by a local doctors’ surgery to use the garden for mental health and wellbeing.
A beaver group from Market Harborough have been to the garden a couple of times learning about gardening and taking part in various activities.
arlier this year a r fro ortha pton ca e to the garden for a works’ volunteering day and built an amazing pond. They are hoping to come again. Other groups are welcome as well.
Last year they were involved with Market Harborough Big Green Week with the garden being open to visitors and talks given on regenerative farming, essential oils and the use of plants for health. The same is planned for this year between September 18 – 26.
The team work closely with the farm and the farm shop. The shop supports events with refreshments and ad ertising hey al ays need ne olunteers offering whatever time they can and visitors are also very welcome so do pop along. If you are interested contact Kath Stephens - 07904 010715 or Waterloo Cottage Farm Shop 07976 263311.
‘In December 2018 Round Corner Brewing (named after the round corner of a Stilton cheese) sold its first beer; Frisby lager.’
The cattle market is held every Tuesday with a farmers’ market held twice a week. There are now food festivals too including a cheese one, pork pie (of course) and the rare food festival held in September.
Colin persuaded his wife that Melton Mowbray was where their future lay so he left Australia and realised his ambition alongside Combie to set up a brewery. They had to start from scratch, make sure the residents were onside and invest a substantial sum of money to set up the brewing facilities.
I can tell you now, after being shown around this state-ofthe art bre ery bre ing beer is de nitely a science olin and head brewer Lara, were constantly tweaking things to make sure that temperatures, pressure and amounts were exactly right. The equipment is so high tech that it can be run from their phones; useful when they are brewing daily and away from the brewery.
Beer is basically made of four things: barley, water, hops and yeast ut after seeing the bre ery in action it’s a ne art. The crushed barley is turned into a mash by mixing it with hot water. The natural enzymes in the barley malt convert the starches into fermentable sugars and these are dissolved in the hot water. This sugar solution, called wort, is then separated from the grain husks, which go to a local farmer for animal feed in trade for the occasional steak. The wort is boiled, hops are added for bitterness and aroma and the wort is then chilled and yeast added, then fermentation can begin.
It takes eight litres of water to make one litre of beer and around 17 days to ferment for ales and up to 50 days in the tank for the lagers. Everything else is down to Colin, Lara and the brewing team’s expertise.
In December 2018 Round Corner Brewing (named after the round corner of a tilton cheese sold its rst beer Frisby lager. Many of you will recognise the name as it’s a illage ust outside the to n heir roots are r ly in elton o bray and any of their beer na es re ect this Everything was going really well with beer sales growing, awards being won and then, of course, we all know what happened. Covid.
But Round Corner Brewing survived. Like many a small business Colin and Combie thought on their feet and quickly adjusted. ‘We had set up a takeaway provision anyway where people would buy a growler which is basically a agon hich holds pints and ould then bring it back hen e pty for a re ll e already had of these so we moved to home deliveries. People were at home; the weather was perfect so wanted beer delivered. e got in our ans and deli ered in a ile radius ’ says
recycled gold is now common throughout the jewellery trade, upcycling at its best. It means that scrap gold is melted down and kept in this country and then remodelled so is good environmentally; rather than reduced food miles it’s reduced gold miles.
Stephen will also melt down customers’ gold but this is usually done for more sentimental reasons like wedding rings being made from inherited pieces.
Diamonds of course are not quite so environmentally friendly but these days rather than a mined diamond coming from South Africa you can have a manufactured one that is more ethical and with exactly the same properties as a mined diamond. It’s maybe not quite the same as being given a large diamond in an engagement ring, but who’s to know….
Stephen and I agree that we would not be too impressed to be given a ‘fake’ diamond in such a scenario (both of us rather tongue in cheek) but it seems that manufactured diamonds, which are hard to tell from real, are becoming more popular in necklaces and earrings – and as we said, who’s to know?
One of Stephen’s specialities is wedding rings. He sells them in all shapes and sizes and because of his gold mounting skills can ake the t around any engage ent ring If you have bought your engagement ring from him he will also clean that so it is gleaming and shining brightly before the wedding to match the new wedding ring.
A large part of Stephen’s time is spent remodelling jewellery. Customers regularly bring in old jewellery that they want either re-set or redesigned and Stephen is your man
for this as he has great design skills. He will either design from scratch or work with the customer as they often have some sort of idea of what they want. Stephen will sketch designs, take images and make a model and it is ery uch a co bined effort bet een Stephen and the customer. To have a piece of jewellery remodelled from a family piece has huge sentimental value.
Gold bullion arrives in wire form, 3mm square, and Stephen then uses a rolling mill to shape it and his workshop is a fascinating place. And when you see some of the bespoke pieces that Stephen produces you will be very impressed. Beautiful pendants, stunning rings and you know that every piece is bespoke and unique.
Going back to engagement rings (as they are fascinating), diamond solitaires are still the most popular and Stephen can order one of them for you and have it in the shop within a day or so to accommodate impulsive declarations. But they are unusual. Wedding rings at short notice are more common and Stephen can help out there.
nd hat about the prospecti e anc coming in to buy a ring of his choosing? I got a big grin from Stephen, ‘that’s pretty unusual. If he does come in alone he’s usually got a very good idea of what he’s after. There’s always lots of hints dropped beforehand!’
Rutland’s only independent handmade chocolate shop
All chocolates are individually handmade by us at Sacrewell Farm, where we also hold workshops and birthday parties. Open 7 days a week Mill Street, Oakham.
The perfect short-term, full livery solution while you’re away
WHAT DO YOU do when you want to go away on business on holiday or you nd yourself in hospital and you’re unable to care for your horse? Maybe you’d phone a friend or engage a house sitter but that may not be convenient or you may not want someone staying in your home.
ogs are ordinarily packed off to the local kennels ith hardly a back ard glance but historically horses ha e been a different atter
Amanda Biggs, who has owned and competed horses for 45 years and worked in hunter yards and racing stables has had the brainwave to open a local horse hotel. Based in Lyddington near Uppingham, she has eight acres of land and nine stables in a lovely airy barn, seven to rent out on a short-term, full livery basis.
he o ns e horses and is proud to say she has three ery old ladies who have been with her since they were 4-6 years old and are
now in their late 20s who are all happily retired at home with no particular health problems. She calls them her ‘comrades, soulmates and trusted companions who lead happy, healthy lives and will live out the rest of their days with me.’ She has also recently rehabilitated and retrained two younger horses, one who is now happily competing and the other due to start next year.
If your horse needs temporary accommodation for box rest Amanda can also provide a solution. Having specialised in equine science as part of her agricultural degree all horses that stay ith her bene t from her extensive knowledge and high level of one-to-one care.
Alternatively, if you are holidaying in the area and want to bring your horse(s) with you Amanda can put them up while you stay in one of the any local hotels pubs or s he can also offer guided rides in the area too.
Prices include hay and straw bedding, daily care and daily updates including photos to give owners complete peace of mind. Situated in beautiful, tranquil countryside, why not give your horse a holiday while you have one!
Contact Amanda to fi nd out about her bespoke packages tailored to individual requirements on horsehoteluk@gmail.com or phone 07919 542133 or fi nd The Horse Hotel on facebook and instagram.
Jills of all trades
It’s unusual to find two women running a limited company, and even more so in the construction industry. Mary meets Stephanie Hall-Stead who is one of them
WHEN WE TOOK o er cti e
we found out that it was virtually unheard of to have three women solely owning and running a limited company; surprising and somewhat disappointing, so I was really pleased to meet Stephanie Hall-Stead who is a director of Perkins Fit Out Solutions which she runs with close friend Hunnii Woodward. Two women as sole directors of a limited company, hurrah! s ho e o ners at so e point e ill probably need a builder of some description. We might want to extend our house, put in a new kitchen or even build a house from scratch t’s usually fairly easy to nd so eone to do the si ple obs nding the right reliable person slightly ore di cult maybe, and anyone who has undertaken a big project knows how frustrating it can be to get tradespeople and materials on site to keep a ob going nd of course it’s e actly the same for businesses, albeit on a larger scale; so this is where Perkins Fit Out Solutions is needed.
If you own a large company, a chain of shops storage facilities or large o ces it is inevitable that at some point you are going to need some sort of construction work doing. This could range from the small, but vital problems such as changing strip light bulbs in out of reach spots and sorting out water leaks, to the major work such as refurbishing and recon guring an o ce building or shop nd ti e is oney and businesses can’t just stop trading whilst work is being done. This is where Stephanie and Hunnii come in. Perkins Fit Out is a construction and services company that deals with commercial, leisure and educational premises ranging from the large hotel super arket or o ce refurbish ent down to reactive maintenance projects, ie sorting out day to day problems which can
occur such as broken window catches, that sort of thing. Stephanie has a building surveying degree from Nottingham Trent and is a chartered surveyor who spent many years working in the industry mainly managing projects. She worked for the National Trust managing their portfolio in the East Midlands and specialises in heritage and pre 1900 buildings. ‘During my career I was working client side as the project manager and in working with contractors often felt that I could do a better job of delivering the project myself. So in 2019, along with Hunnii, we decided to do just that and set up our o n t out business
‘Our job is really all about logistics. Hunnii specialises in the new build and reactive maintenance side of the business whilst I deal with existing buildings and the heritage work. We manage a skilled team of 14 and can pull in extra labour when and where it is needed. To project manage successfully you need to be incredibly organised and know exactly how long certain jobs will take. I am often out on site overseeing projects or will be back in the o ce planning obs fro start to nish ’ nd planning is hat it is all about f you have ever had any building work done you know it is a logistical nightmare to get the bricklayer to turn up when you need them, and the bricks delivered on time. Then you need the plumber on site to do a job and if the plasterer doesn’t turn up when you need them you can’t carry on with the work. If one of these tradespeople doesn’t turn up you know the job will grind to a halt. Stephanie and Hunnii have all this to organise, but on a much larger scale! They must be incredibly well organised and co pletely un appable as getting supplies
‘Stephanie and Hunnii both live locally with Hunnii having grown up in Stamford. With their skill sets they are able to take on any construction jobs anywhere in the UK.'
YOURLIF E
delivered on time in the construction industry has been quite problematic since Covid.
The reactive maintenance arm of the business is a vital part of the company. Their response needs to be quick and reactive and they can usually guarantee to get someone out to a premises for urgent works within 24-48 hours.
The project management side of the business can be anything from one week to six months and usually involves the job fro start to nish s pro ects and reacti e maintenance work are run alongside each other, managing the team of 14 can be tough trying to work out where each team member needs to be s their pro ects are all o er the country the team live all over the place as well.
Stephanie and Hunnii both live locally with Hunnii having grown up in Stamford. With their skill sets they are able to take on any construction jobs anywhere in the UK.
tephanie has recently anaged a re cleaning ob nd as she has e perience working on old buildings with traditional materials she is able to source stonemasons and knows all about Collyweston slate and lime repointing.
But project managing a job is not just about getting builders and supplies on site at the correct time. The project manager is responsible for the health and safety of all on the actual site and needs to be able to plan with the owner of the business how to keep the staff on site as ell as their o n staff safe nd to keep the business up and running as well. ‘Working in a live environment such as a warehouse or school presents other problems. We need to keep staff and anage ent infor ed so e erything o s ell lot of our ob is planning and communication.’
Problem solving at its best and this really is Stephanie’s forté. She enjoys planning and recon guring a site and is also really interested in renewables and helping companies improve their environmental footprint.
s ell as being a chartered and building surveyor Stephanie knows how to plaster, tile and undertake basic joinery. ‘I know when to ask for advice from a much more skilled tradesman too. It’s all about being professional and getting the job done and that can mean asking a very skilled joiner the best way to do something.’
www.perkinsfitout.co.uk
Culverthorpe, Heydour, Oasby & Aisby
A magnificent hall and park and a cluster of hamlets make for a charming walk just to the east of Grantham. By Will Hetherington.
Images: Will Hetherington
WILL’S WALK
There are two lakes to the south of the hall within the park.
Difficulty rating
The route
There is a designated car park for people who want to enjoy walking around Culverthorpe Hall and the surrounding area, and it’s ust off the road to the south of the lakes t’s clearly arked ith a bro n signpost and is open a till p pril to ctober and a till p o e ber to arch
From the car park walk west through the trees for a few yards and then turn right on to the road north between the t o lakes urn right at the end to alk along the north shore of the bigger lake and then turn left at the end ollo the path and you will soon come to the main access road through the park urn left here and alk past the front of the agni cent ul erthorpe all tay on the road and you ill soon co e to ark ar f you anted a ery short alk you could turn left here and make your way down to the car park
ACTIVE INFO
Culverthorpe Hall is surrounded by 3,000 acres of parkland and while it was commandeered in 1940 to provide wartime billets it’s now back in private ownership and has been restored to its former glory.
ut suggest you head straight on along the far track heading est fter etres turn left follo ing the path and then left again in etres fter another etres turn right through the big gap bet een the elds and then turn right again after another etres ou ill no be on the lovely path into charming little Heydour, with its impressive church and smattering of grand houses he path brings you on to the road by the church – turn right here and then left shortly afterwards to take you on to a diagonal path across a eld ith a pond and a lot of geese and then a sequence of smaller elds on the ay into asby here the oublon Arms may serve your purposes should you need so e refresh ent
From Oasby the most pleasant way back to Culverthorpe is ia isby and there’s a good footpath across the elds to isby ust to the south east of asby off ill ane his goes o er o o on to sleepy isby hich is only a e inute alk a ay hen the footpath reaches isby oad go straight o er on to all ane and stay on this road as it bends around to the right and then left, passing the green on your right ea e the illage on ere oad and after the rst couple of bends you ill nd the footpath on the right ust after anor ar alk north east for about half a ile o er the elds and one inor road and then turn right on to the road for the nal etres back to the car park
The building of Culverthorpe Hall was started in 1679 by Sir John Newton.
Every Body Happy!
We have everything you need to concentrate on your own personal health and wellbeing and there is something for everybody:
• Lane Swimming • Fitness Access
• Family Swimming • Court Hire
• Swimming Lessons
Plus! Fitness Classes including Pre and Post-natal Fitness, Yoga, Pilates, Aqua Aerobics and more.
We also host a variety of Social Activities and coming soon our Health and Wellbeing program.
Time for some ME time... Use
There is some lovely walking in the parkland.
WHERE TO PARK
The car park off the main road just to the south of Culverthorpe Park.
DISTANCE AND TIME
Three and a half miles/an hour and a half.
HIGHLIGHTS
Culverthorpe Hall and Park with the two lakes. Heydour church and three hamlets all very close together.
LOWLIGHTS
There isn’t really any access to the lakes for the dogs on a hot day.
REFRESHMENTS
The Houblon Arms in Oasby.
DIFFICULTY RATING
Two paws. There are some slight undulations and one or two stiles but it’s pretty easy going
THE POOCH PERSPECTIVE
The Park isn’t really ideal dog walking territory because you can’t let them off and they can’t get into the lakes. There are horses in the paddocks on the way into Oasby.
For your own safety and navigation make sure you have an OS map with you when you go out walking. You won’t regret it.
OPEN MORNING
ActiveBody
EDITED BY KATE MAXIM
Getting on the horse
Smoothly does it is the key to being a successful rider. Physio Sarah Babbs explains how this can benefit all of us
WITH BURGHLEY HORSE
Trials on our doorstep we are so lucky to be able to see e perts in their eld horse and rider partnerships at their very best. Three day eventing originally started as a military test to show prowess of the cavalry testing the soldiers on their tness and suitability for service. Dressage showed the skills re uired on the parade ground cross country and show jumping demonstrated speed and stamina.
The combination of horse and rider is obviously the key to great performances; any rider at any level will talk about the understanding between the two. But communication is key and this includes physical communication. A rider with an asymmetrical seat leading to imbalance may affect the horse’s rhyth and a rider ho is tense will pass that to the horse; I speak from experience!
s ith uch of y ork hen looking at riders e look at ho a person o es how that movement feels and how they hold themselves at rest and during activity. Many people especially those in pain or around in ury hold the sel es tense and braced while often subconsciously holding their breath his can li it ho they o e ho they sense that movement as well as aggravating the pain. In riders this will also affect ho they feel the horse o ing beneath them. Learning how to improve all of that can be as simple as breathing effecti ely reathing ell using our diaphragm engages the parasympathetic nervous system which is involved in calming us in ti es of stress bringing do n our heart rate i pro ing o ygenation and rela ing us
The diaphragm also shares connections to the lumbar spine. Other muscles around the spine and pel is ost notably the psoas and the gluteal uscles also affect the seat’ or ho the pel is and legs in uence the horse y keeping the breathing soft the tension through the seat will be less and the riding ore uid
e often nd that riders are unable to dissociate the pel is and hips ell ie o e the hips and pelvis independently. We have often learned how to brace our core abdominal muscles leading to a sense of stiffness his is regularly seen in people with back pain too.
My favourite way of learning how to improve this is to imagine the pelvis as a bowl containing melted chocolate. It can be done hile lying ith the knees bent standing and of course sitting hich ill mimic how you sit in the saddle. After a little releasing diaphrag atic breathing i agine o ing to coat rst the front of the bo l then the back of the bowl with the chocolate. Work with this a few times. Sense what this feels like as you ork aybe trying a side to side and more circular action. Some of that
action will be similar to being on the horse in walk and when done well improves the connection enor ously creating the o ing movement as the horse and rider work as one.
he gluteal uscles are i portant especially gluteus medius which attaches to the pel is and the fe ur anaging ho the pelvis sits level. This gives even pressure in the saddle and is used to o e the leg particularly when giving leg aid or pressure to in uence the horse
When hips feel tight it may be that the muscles around the hips are either not strong enough or that the awareness and timing of engagement is poor. Working to strengthen the muscles through the many exercise options available is important. Using a different approach to help your body ini ise effort ay be the ost i portant part building the foundation of o e ent onto which strength can be built.
i ply put to be the best rider concentrating on one’s o n body before that of the horse may be the key.
To contact Sarah ring 07780 900201.
Taking the sting out of cystistis
Gary Trickett offers advice about how to combat cystitis
CYSTITIS IS A common bladder proble that affects as any as one in e o en en do also get cystitis but it is far more common in women, in part because the journey to the outside world is that much shorter, making it easier for bacteria to spread. In men, cystitis is often associated with Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH). sually the rst indication that so ething’s wrong is the need to visit the bathroom more fre uently hich often hurts and ne er uite gives relief.
As well as the constant urge to pee and a painful burning sensation when you do, cystitis symptoms can also include pain or pressure in your lower belly, you may feel sick or achy (backache is common) and your urine may be darker or smell stronger than usual.
So, what to do?
irst things rst increase your uid intake
We lose about 1.5 litres of water a day just by breathing, sweating and going to the loo. Just to remain in balance you need to drink at least 1.5 litres a day but this will vary according to your weight and general activity. Aim for at least two litres of water, preferably still to ush through
You can also try drinking lemon or cranberry juice, as these have mild antibiotic properties and may help to ease infection. You should try to drink these with only naturally occurring sugar. Although not all e perts agree on their e cacy cranberries have been used over the years to help support bladder health, and the evidence for cranberry extract helping prevent infections is fairly good.
If you’re not keen on the taste of cranberry juice, A Vogel’s cranberry complex tablets are a concentrated source of freshly harvested cranberries. Each tablet contains the e ui alent of g of fresh cranberries
Another bladder-friendly berry is uva-ursi or bearberry. A small woody shrub native to Switzerland, uva-ursi is a favourite bear snack - hence the catchy alias. A Vogel’s uva-ursi and echinacea complex can be used
to relieve symptoms associated with urinary tract infections. Echinacea provides additional immune support.
What’s the link between cystitis and immune health?
Your overall health and immune system can in uence ho uickly you reco er fro cystitis and recurrent cystitis can be a sign your immune system is struggling.
Make sure your diet is balanced by cooking from scratch and incorporate lots of fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants. If an infection is present a diet rich in fruit and vegetables should also help to reduce the acidity of your urine. Spinach, kale and broccoli are good options. They are great for your whole body, are packed with vital nutrients and they help to support the immune system.
Probiotic and prebiotic foods can also help with bladder health. Plain, natural yoghurt is
packed full of good bacteria, which can help keep bad bacteria in check and reduce the chances of an infection taking hold. Other food sources of probiotics include tempeh, iso ke r and sauerkraut ut caffeine and alcohol fro your diet during an infection, as these irritate the bladder and will worsen symptoms of pain and burning. They may also cause recovery from infection to slow down.
It is important to urinate as much as you need; holding on when you need to go to the toilet can cause bacteria to build up in the urinary tract, making you more prone to infection f you are suffering fro an infection, this is particularly important, as this will encourage the bacteria to leave the system.
‘First things first, increase your fluid intake. We lose about 1.5 litres of water a day just by breathing, sweating and going to the loo.’
Finally, chemicals in personal care products, such as intimate washes and soaps can also cause cystitis so keep these to a minimum or seek out natural alternatives. If symptoms do not improve within 48 hours or are recurrent, or if there is blood in your urine or a fever is present, consult your GP.
For further information, visit Gary and his team at The Health Store, West Bridgford or call 0115 9814080.
Active Kids
Aiming High
They say you can always judge a school by its head and there is certainly an element of truth in that. Mary chats to the head of Leicester High School for Girls, Alan Whelpdale
IFIRST MET Alan about nine years ago when I went to visit Leicester High for The Good Schools’ Guide. I’ve met many heads over the years and most are pleasant, competent, often charismatic individuals running good schools, exceptional schools in many cases. Some stand out but, some not always for the right reasons. There’s the odd arrogant one, occasional condescending one and quite a few have a bit of a God complex. But by and large far more are people who do a really good job of selling their school, run it well and inspire confidence; which, as a parent, is exactly what you want.
Alan had been at Leicester High School for just over a year when I met him for the first time and his enthusiasm was infectious. I described him at the time as ‘chatty, intense and open,’ and nine years later he’s still the same, very likeable. His enthusiasm and love for his school is not only infectious, it’s inspiring. You can’t help but join in and this is apparent when you meet the staff and the girls too.
Leicester High is a girls’ school for ages 3-18 situated in the middle
of Leicester. It’s a small school of 340 bright girls who are there on academic merit. Class sizes are small and the education could be classed as ‘boutique and bespoke.’ Parents send their girls here because they strongly believe in single sex education and want the best education they can get for their daughters. Many of them are making huge sacrifices to be able to afford the fees. A lot are medics with the majority of the rest being business owners. Many are from an Asian background, reflecting the demographic of Leicester.
And it’s definitely true that parents certainly look at the head when they choose a school. Alan in many ways reflects the parents he has at the school. Proud of his humble beginnings in South Yorkshire he realised that education was going to be the way he would be able to progress, and these parents feel exactly the same for their daughters. He’s bright with a love of history so worked hard at school and got himself to university, ‘the first from my family to get there.’ He quickly realised that teaching history was what he wanted to do ‘as I could see that gaining a good education can change lives. It had changed mine and I wanted to be able to do the same for students.’
His plan was never to be a head and he fell into it really after initially turning down a role in Durham despite being acting head for almost a year. He quickly realised his mistake and the rest as they say is history and Leicester High’s gain.
Leicester High is made up of clever girls who work and play hard. Sixty percent of the sixth form cohort take maths, biology and chemistry at A levels with many of them then going to medical school. And many go on to study engineering as well, still sadly an unusual subject for girls. But humanities are also popular. Class sizes are small throughout the school, with a maximum of 20 lower down the school and smaller than that in the sixth form.
‘The girls make memories and friendships here that last a lifetime,’ says Alan and you can see why. The small numbers mean teachers know the girls well and vice versa. Pastorally this means the girls are well looked after with pupils being trained as mentors and scooping up newcomers and making them welcome. Students’ voices are heard and the girls are not frightened to voice an opinion with the School Council heavily involved with some decisions ‘but ultimately it’s down to me,’ says Alan.
There’s plenty of opportunities for sport including rugby, cricket
and football as well as 80 extra- curricular groups so enrichment is a huge part of the school. Litter picking, Mandarin, cheerleading, self-defence and everything in between. If you can think of it, they are probably doing it!
Mental health and wellbeing is thankfully much more prominently on the agenda at schools now. And Alan is well aware of this. Leicester High gets tremendous results but not at a cost to mental health. Parents are made very aware of wellbeing and the need for the
‘His enthusiasm and love for his school is not only infectious, it’s inspiring. You can’t help but join in’
girls to ha e a break ’ al ays telling parents to ha e a p cut off hen their daughters need to be turning off electronic appliances particularly their phones.
‘We are a small school when it comes to size but not small in a bition or ision a al ays thinking about the difference can ake s a teacher you are in uencing the li es and future of your pupils so we need to make it count.’
As I said, when you meet Alan who is a youthful livewire, full of zest and enthusiasm you are carried along with him. He has a great sense of humour and a pretty good eye for the ridiculous as well. We can see why parents love him, and the girls too. That joie de vivre needs bottling.
www.leicesterhigh.co.uk
Oakham Town Cricket Club’s Under 15s are living the dream, Jeremy Smithson-Beswick enlightens us
IEXPECT A high proportion of you good people who kindly read this column have been – or indeed still are - enthusiastic players of sport. Bear with me but do you, like me, distantly remember being thirteen or fourteen years old when everything seemed possible and that, one day, you might win cups and medals and emulate whomever your heroes were? You did your best to copy the way they played the game in the local park or the playground and practiced while you dreamed. And then there came a time when you pitted yourself against increasingly better and stronger opponents and you found out just how good you really were when tested on a wider stage.
For most of us, inevitably, pure statistics dictate that experience must end in a bittersweet reality check and eventual acceptance that there are greater talents than our own. Although the love of sport goes on, the dream of stardom ends, and that is one of the realities that’s part of growing up.
But not if you play for Oakham Town Cricket Club’s under-15s side. For those boys, the dream can live on for a while longer. Like Peter Pan, they don’t have to grow up just yet. Here’s their story.
he rst ti e ost had pitted the sel es outside school or club was the recent age group Leicestershire and Rutland competition. You know from what I’ve already said of course that they won it against all the odds -- or you wouldn’t be reading this - defeating eight other sides including many much better funded and established including Loughborough Town in the nal o uch further could they go though inning it eant uali cation for the knock out stages of the whole Midlands section and yet, gathering belief and con dence they again got through to the decider and, yes, unbelievably, they prevailed against Cambridge to mean there is another chapter in this story for you to read.
o e ust take oursel es off to ational Finals Day at Rugby School last month. This is a massive step up for someone of their age ith professional support staff photographers, commentators, announcers, a crowd numbered in the hundreds and each
player welcomed to the wicket with the team song blasting through the PA. (Arctic Monkeys with ‘Do I Wanna Know’ in Oakham’s case, since you ask). The trappings are proportionate with the occasion because, once they’d reached the nal akha represented one of the last two from an original total of 1,400 clubs entering. Enough suspense, I hear you say. They on the trophy beating ottingha ’s a aliers and arrington by e ickets They are England and Wales Cricket Board’s ational ha pions club fro utland
Oakham’s heroes
Harry Gilman (c)
Olly Billington (w)
James Laud
Devarsh Shah
Alex Green
Fred Cox
Raiffe Headley
George Chapel
Xavier Wildsmith
Maxie Weir
Harvey Justice
Sam Welford and
Kian Jayanti
Freddie St John
Jack Scott
Will Pearce-Smith
and our own modest Lime Kilns ground. I don’t think ‘wow’ quite does it justice. I sought out team coach Dave Billington for an interview, scooping the national press for this exclusive (or, if you prefer, buying hi a coffee in af ero lthough he’d played for England Schools in his day, injury had ended his own hopes of greatness and by now he was just one of the many parents at the club who step up to the plate, despite having no formal coaching experience. ‘Probably the hardest game of them all was against oughborough in the nal of the local tournament,’ he told me. ‘The lads had to dig deep in a di cult spot and ith their backs against the wall they turned it around.’ He refused to pick out particular performances or players. ‘They’re a tight group with a determination to succeed and all of them, the strongest and the not so strong, have stepped up when needed’. It was also a credit to the whole club. ‘We get a huge amount of support. Thanks to groundsman Malcolm Rawlings we play on a great wicket and without all the parents rallying round to get kids to games nothing would be possible.’ From kit sponsor G2 Survey and President ick egy through to scorer ark Worthington and to Stamford School who lent their minibus, many played their part.
‘They pride themselves on being family oriented and have countless examples of parents lining up in the same team as their children.’
So there you have it. Played thirteen, lost none. The only slightly disappointing thing about our narrative is that there is no international version of the tournament for them now to progress to. Let’s get carried away and point out that, if there were, we could potentially be bragging about a town in the smallest county in England being the undisputed centre of the future talent of world cricket, and that really would be a fairy tale.
Hockey now and the Bourne Deeping club have celebrated their tenth anniversary although, as the club’s Graham Brewer points out it as a so e hat uted affair thanks to some virus or other that was apparently going around at the time. Like many clubs, they found some people drifted away during the pandemic to more solitary activities such as running, cycling or golf. He tells us this season is pivotal for them and they’d dearly like to replace them – and more – with new players of both genders. He went on to say they pride themselves on
being family oriented and have countless examples of parents lining up in the same team as their children. Apart from the four male and two female teams competing in the East League every Saturday there’s sociable summer hockey, friendlies and festivals offering ne e bers the opportunity to play competitive hockey across a range of levels to suit every age and ability’ as he puts it.
The popular junior section (5 to 13-yearolds) meet at Arthur Mellows College on Saturday mornings where they learn the practical skills of stick and ball but also the life skills of team work, fair play and resilience. Ladies training is on Monday evenings at the same venue and for the men it’s Wednesdays at Stamford School. If this works for you, more info can be found at www.pitchero.com/clubs/bdhc or get in touch at bournedeepinghc@gmail.com
That’s it for this month, without even a mention of the rugby season, which kicked off this onth all around the area ore on that next month.
ROUTE
Distance: 45.23km
Elevation: 529m
Moving time: 1:47
THE WYMONDHAM WINDMILL is a great place to start as there’s plenty of parking and you can grab a coffee or get some last minute bike help from Windmill Wheels; Jack is really helpful and knowledgeable. Leaving the car park enjoy a good gentle downhill to start the route and then over a busy road at Garthorpe to follow the long gradual uphill to Waltham on the Wolds. Be careful crossing the cattle grid as you enter the village by the water tower.
Cross the Grantham-Melton road and then enjoy the coast down into The Vale of Belvoir and enjoy the views, but watch out for loose gravel on the steep hill. Head down the hill into Harby and turn right towards Bottesford. After four miles turn right again and you’ll face one of the more gentle climbs back up from the Vale of Belvoir to the castle car park. This is half way so an ideal time to stop for a drink if needed.
Then turn left and ride around the castle before taking a right turn in Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir where a short but steep climb will bring you into Harston and then onwards and mostly uphill to Croxton Kerrial. Again, take care crossing the busy road, and then enjoy the really scenic undulating ride back through Saltby, Sproxton and back to Wymondham for a well-deserved drink and cake and browse in the shop. https://www.strava.com/routes/2987409166108533058 Or scan to QR code
