Issuu

Editor’s Letter

I RECENTLY WATCHED THE FILM ‘I BELIEVE in Miracles’, the excellent documentary about Nottingham Forest’s rise to glory in the late ’70s. It seemed a good time to dig it out, what with Leicester, as I write, being ﬁve points clear at the top of the Premiership.

People seem to be comparing the two a lot, and there are parallels: unfancied provincial club, a smattering of unlikely players from lower leagues, a manager coming off an inauspicious time in his last job.

But actually, the Leicester story is even greater than that of Clough’s team. At that time, football was not ruled by three or four massive clubs, and it was easier for small clubs to be successful. In and around the late ’70s and early ’80s, Liverpool were dominant, but a look at the runners-up – QPR, Southampton, Ipswich and Watford. If you had a good year, you could challenge. That’s not been the case for most clubs for a long time.

Also, Nottingham Forest spent a lot of money to get to where they did. Shilton was signed when he was probably the best keeper in the world, and the year they won the European Cup, Clough doubled the British transfer record to sign Trevor Francis for £1 million. They were a big club at the time, spending like a big club.

So not to denigrate what was a fabulous achievement, but Leicester, should they win the league, will be the greatest story in English football history, because they’ve not signed proven world-class players or broken transfer records to do it.

To watch their commitment, work ethic and organisation as a team is a joy. So like most of the country I’m praying they do it. Then, next year, all they have to do is win the Champions League, and somebody can make a ﬁlm about them, too.

Win a bike!

Don’t forget to enter our competition to win a fabulous bike from Rutland Cycling in this issue – entries are coming in and time is running out. It’s a great opportunity to think up something fun to do, and get some great expert support and a superb machine on which to do it. You don’t have to be riding round the world, or over the Andes, to win. It just has to be an adventure or challenge important to you. So don’t sell yourself short or assume only the grandest challenge will win the bike – we’d love to hear from you. See page 35 for more details on how to enter.

Enjoy the issue! Steve

Publisher Chris Meadows chris@theactivemag.com

Editor Steve Moody steve@theactivemag.com

Deputy editor Mary Bremner mary@theactivemag.com

Production editor Julian Kirk julian@theactivemag.com

Art editor Mark Sommer mark@theactivemag.com

Contributors

Martin Johnson, William Hetherington, Jeremy Beswick, Julia Dungworth

Photographers

Nico Morgan, Pip Warters

Production assistant Gary Curtis

Advertising sales Lisa Withers lisa@theactivemag.com

Sarah Stillman sarah@theactivemag.com

Amy Roberts amy@theactivemag.com

Leigh Chapman leigh@theactivemag.com

Editorial and Advertising Assistant Kate Maxim kate@theactivemag.com

Accounts accounts@theactivemag.com

Active magazine, The Grey House, 3 Broad Street, Stamford, PE9 1PG. Tel: 01780 480789

If you have information on a club then get in touch by emailing editor@theactivemag.com. If you would like to stock Active magazine then email distribution@ theactivemag.com. If you would like to discuss advertising possibilities please email advertise@ theactivemag.com Active magazine is published 12 times per year on a monthly basis. ISSN 2059-8513

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Disclaimer

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ACTIVE LIFE

12-13 HOW TO...

Brew a tea cocktail and learn to Morris dance

14 NATURE

The seasonal delights on offer outdoors

16-17 HEALTHY EATING

Another tasty recipe from Riverford Organic

21 DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

Leicester goldsmith Stephen Wilkinson

23 WHAT’S ON

Great things to do locally for all the family

FEATURES

26-29 THE OTHER HIGH-FLYING FOXES

Jeremy Beswick meets Leicester City Women FC

40-43 EAT WELL, LIVE WELL

Healthy recipes packed full of ﬂavour

ACTIVE BODY

46-67 AVOID THAT TRAINING HANGOVER

Expert training advice from Function Jigsaw

51 GOOD CARB, BAD CARB...

More from our nutritionist on eating healthily

52-53 HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Tips and products to help you look great

REGULARS

29 KIT BAG

Essential gear to help you put a spring in your step

33 MARTIN JOHNSON COLUMN

The Sunday Times writer on fattie sports stars

55 SPORTSMAN’S DINNER

The Castle Inn at Caldecott

56-57 WILL’S WALKS

We head out to the Grand Union Canal

59 SCHOOL SPORT

Our focus on the latest achievements from local pupils

60-66 ROUND-UP

How clubs in the area are faring

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The dream continues...

Every game, every tense 1-0 win (of which there have been a few recently) inches Leicester City closer to the greatest, most unlikely, championship in the history of English football, and maybe football anywhere. Expect to see a lot of people tripping over and dropping things in the area over the next few weeks, what with all toes and ﬁngers crossed permanently...

Active life

CELEBRATING EVERYTHING ENGLISH! A REFRESHING TEA COCKTAIL, BEAUTIFUL WOODLAND BLUEBELLS, FRESHLY MOWN GRASS, MORRIS MEN (BUT NO DRAGONS) AND A SPICY TAKE ON HAM HOCK

Edited by Mary Bremner

HOW TO…

Learn to Morris dance

We are celebrating everything English this month, but, sadly, can’t tell you how to slay a dragon like St George. Instead, have a go at Morris dancing, the traditional English ritual dance. It’s called a ritual dance as it’s performed for others to watch rather than join in. It’s great exercise and very sociable. There are a lot of clubs locally, so grab those bells and coloured handkerchieves and have a go.

Ingredients

4 English breakfast teabags

500ml boiled water

200g caster sugar

400ml Burleighs

London dry gin

2 lemons

Method

Infuse teabags in 400ml of boiled water for 5 minutes. Remove teabags and refrigerate to cool.

Mix 200g caster sugar and 100ml boiling water to make a syrup, allow to

cool.

Mix cooled syrup and tea with 400ml of gin and 200ml of fresh lemon juice in a jug or teapot. Pour into a glass or teacup and add a thin slice of lemon. Chin chin!

Recipe courtesy of www.thehopeandglory.co.uk

It’s April so the grass is growing quickly. Now is the time to put those distinctive stripes on the lawn. The stripes you see on a lawn are actually light reﬂecting off the grass blades. The weight of the roller on your lawn mower pushes the grass in one direction as the blades are leaning in the opposite direction, so reﬂecting light differently. To make the stripes you need to ensure that you cut your lawn in straight lines, turning back on yourself each time.

Household tip of the month…

To remove rust from metal – take a sheet of aluminium foil, crumple it into a loose ball, rub on the rust and it wipes away. For really stubborn rust, wet the foil slightly – this makes a huge diﬀerence.

NATURE BLUEBELLS

April is the month for bluebells, a ﬂower that is dedicated to St George. They can be found in woodland or grassland and grow so closely together that they give the appearance of a blue carpet – one of nature’s most stunning displays. Remember, don’t pick or dig up any wild bluebells as they are a protected species.

THE TAWNY OWL

One of the most common owls in Britain and quite common in our area, too. Most likely to be seen at dawn or dusk, this owl makes for a magniﬁcent sight as it quietly patrols its territory. The tawny owl is about 38cm long with a rounded head. It has large brown eyes with its face surrounded by a ring of dark feathers. Its back is a reddish brown (hence tawny) with a line of light and dark patches on its wings and head. The under parts are much paler, making it easy to spot in ﬂight.

The tawny owl preys on small birds and rodents as well as rabbits. The silence of its ﬂight means it can approach its prey unobserved. When hunting they rely upon their sight and hearing and use their talons to attack.

Badgers

The badger is a member of the same family as stoats and weasels – the mustelids. They are omnivores, eating both plants and animals. Badgers live in setts below ground but are very adaptable to their surroundings so can be found in woods, hedges, quarries or moorland. Commonly seen in open countryside, the badger can be found on the edge of towns and cities and can be the bane of a gardener’s life as they are inclined to raid the vegetable patch. As they are nocturnal they can be hard to spot but can be seen foraging for food at night – keep an eye on those vegetables…

JERK HAM HOCK BUNS

– with celeriac chips and crunchy salad

INGREDIENTS

1 lemon

1 large celeriac

Oil for frying

1 bulb of fennel

1 apple

50g salad pack

1 red onion

1 pack of ham hock

½ tsp dried chilli ﬂakes

Pot of jerk seasoning (1/4 tsp each of allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and smoked paprika)

2 wholemeal rolls

1 tbsp coarse grain mustard

40g mayonnaise

2 tbsp mixed seeds

METHOD

● Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C. Juice the lemon. Peel the celeriac and chop into 1 – 1 1/2cm thick slices then into 1cm chips.

● Toss the celeriac chips with 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 2 tbsp oil and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Pop into the oven for about 30 mins until they are tender and starting to colour. It is worth tossing them once so they bake evenly.

● While the chips cook, trim away any tough stalk tops from the fennel and cut into quarters. Cut out the solid root core and slice each quarter into three generous wedges.

● Wash the apple, core and cut into chunky dice. Mix the fennel and apple together with 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Season lightly with a pinch of salt. Wash and drain the salad leaves.

● Peel the red onion and ﬁnely slice. Heat 1tbsp of oil in the frying pan and cook the onion

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gently for 10 minutes until starting to colour and soften. Add a dash of water if it starts to stick.

● Shred the ham hock into the frying pan and turn up the heat. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the hock starts to colour and crisp. Add ½ the chilli ﬂakes and jerk seasoning and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

● While the ham cooks, split the bread rolls in half and pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes to warm. Mix the mustard with the

mayonnaise. Taste the ham hock and add more chilli ﬂakes if you wish.

● Slather a blob of mustard mayo in the warm rolls, pile in the jerk ham hock and ﬁnish with a pinch of salad leaves.

● Mix the remaining salad leaves with the fennel, apple and mixed seeds. Serve alongside the rolls, hot celeriac chips and remaining mayo.

Tip: Be warned – the chilli ﬂakes add quite a kick so go gently with them at ﬁrst.

nutritious, with a few treats thrown in. Our cooks come up with nine new recipes every week, so there is always plenty of choice.

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THE RACE IS ON

A group of friends from Leicester have set themselves an ambitious challenge, to complete seven sporting challenges involving running, cycling and rowing and, at the same time, raise money for charity.

Training is going well so far. Everyone has enthusiastically got stuck in even though the weather hasn’t been ideal. But they’ve got the bit

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If you are aged between 17 years 9 months and 49 years 11 months you can apply to join the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) Army Reserves.

The 1st Military Working Dog Regiment at South Luffenham is looking to recruit reserve soldiers as dog handlers, veterinary technicians and qualiﬁed vets. Civilians and individuals with past military service are all encouraged to apply. If you are interested in a challenge and would like some adventure, overseas travel and can commit to at least 27 days training per year in the RAVC Reserves; log on to www.army.mod.uk and follow the links for more details. Or consider regular service as

between their teeth and are getting on with it. The runners intending to do the Cannock Chase 10k have been training together in Leicester which was good fun and showed how well they are pushing each other to compete.

Russell Gamadia, who is running the London Marathon in 2017, has continued training hard on the treadmill. He is determined to run it in under four hours.

Jit Chauhan has taken his new bike out and is getting an outdoor ride at least once a week,

a full-time career. Both regulars and reserves can provide you with recognised qualiﬁcations, sporting opportunities and lifelong skills which will beneﬁt you both in military and civilian careers.

Regular and reserve service offers good rates of pay. There are great incentives for those wishing to re-join the Army and a tax-free bounty for reserves who complete the speciﬁed annual training requirements.

The RAVC Reserves needs to recruit dog handlers, veterinary ofﬁcers and veterinary nurses now. Log on to www.army.mod. uk to ﬁnd out much more about a challenging career in the Army and the RAVC.

weather permitting. He had his ﬁrst ride of the year on March 19 which went well so all is looking good for the big one later in the year.

The team have been interviewed by BBC Radio Leicester’s Rupal Rajani and the response from the public has been positive. Their website has also been launched so you can ﬁnd out more about 7events at www.7events.org.

Don’t forget you can help, take part and donate to the campaign which is supporting great causes in Leicester – visit their website to ﬁnd out how.

SHOP OF THE MONTH

Much Loved Shabby Chic in Corby Village is housed in a listed building and sells home furnishings, gifts, paint and beautiful hand-painted furniture. But it’s not just a shop; Gaye the proprietor also runs upholstery workshops and teaches painting techniques and other handcraft courses. The shop is the only stockist locally of Annie Sloan chalk paints. It’s quite an accolade as Annie handpicks her suppliers and trained Gaye herself on her techniques.

As well as selling painted furniture Much Loved Shabby Chic will also take commissions to repaint old furniture. They have seven rooms to wander through so there’s sure to be something you must have.

Much Loved, 57 High Street, Corby Old Village, NN17 1UU. 07984 400585.www.facebook. com/MuchLovedShabby ChicandVintage

OPENING TIMES

A day in the life of STEPHEN WILKINSON

- GOLDSMITH AT WILKINSON JEWELLERS

As a boy of 16 I was into cars, girls and guitars, but I didn’t want to be a mechanic. Then a chap opened a jewellers in Kibworth and invited all the school leavers at my school who were interested in design, woodwork and metalwork to apply for an apprenticeship with him as a goldsmith. When I walked into the shop for the first time and saw the flame of the blowtorch I was hooked. It’s not quite at the caveman level but you do use fire and hammers.

The apprenticeship took ﬁve years and there was a lot to learn. I went on day release for two years to London on the train. One hundred years ago you would have had one person setting jewellery and another polishing it. Now you can’t afford to do that, you have to be able to do it all. The reality is there isn’t the market just to make beautiful things – repairs are where you make your money and trade accounts with other shops are my bread and butter.

There’s only a few shops in Leicester that have a workshop with a goldsmith making or repairing jewellery in the back room. We’re normally hidden away but I have the best of both worlds. It’s lovely selling jewellery but, to me, it’s all about the workshop. I’m as happy to repair a chain as to design something from scratch. Apart from engraving and pearl stringing I do everything here.

Finishing touches

I’ve been in this job for nearly 24 years. I’ve worked from home in the past but polishing creates a lot of dust. That’s why it’s done at the end of the day. At ﬁrst I thought polishing was a case of rubbing metals with a cloth, but we use a motor with an extractor, different wheels and polishing compounds. Essentially it’s about replacing big scratches with smaller ones until in the end you can’t see any at all. It’s the least skilled part of my job but is the part of the process where you can ruin a piece of jewellery very quickly.

Most jewellery decisions are sentimental. We often melt items down to make into something else. And it is usually more cost effective than buying a new item, depending on the price of the gold.

Pure gold is 24 carat and is very dense and orange. Gold is alloyed with other metals after it comes out of the ground to make it into 9 or 18 carat – 18 carat is a nice middle ground. Gold can be incredibly hard or soft and that’s mainly down to the alloy. Pure gold is quite soft and you can sometimes dent it with your teeth.

‘I’m as happy to repair a chain as to design something from scratch’

White gold is alloyed with just white metals and has been fashionable for quite a while now. Palladium is also popular as it’s a lot cheaper than platinum. We make a lot of men’s wedding rings from it.

We don’t have a typical customer. We try and cater for everyone and our repair charges are less than most jewellers as we work in-house. Half of my customers come in knowing exactly what they want as they’ve probably seen something somewhere else in a shop or a magazine, so we try and recreate it. Or they may want me to design something unique. In that case I have thousands of drawings here waiting to be made into something.

I get my gems from the jewellery quarter in Birmingham. The Mohs Scale is the measure for stones. Diamonds are 10 and talc is the least as it’s a limestone. Emeralds are about a seven but

you should never put them in an ultra sonic sound wave cleaner which shakes the dirt off. It’s too strong for them.

Diamonds are often the most expensive part of a piece of jewellery. It’s all about the four Cs: carat (weight), clarity, colour and cut. The carat for a stone is nothing to do with the carat measure of gold. Initially it was all to do with the weight of a carob seed. One carob seed is pretty much one carat which is what people normally want, at least, for an engagement ring. The cut of old diamonds could be a bit haphazard. Now brilliant cut diamonds are cut with 57-58 facets which get the most shine reﬂection as long as the proportions of width and depth are right. Basically if it’s not cut properly it can look dead. A diamond has got to sparkle.

www.wilkinsongoldsmiths.co.uk

WHAT’S ON

There’s lots going on in your area this month... why not try some of these?

■ Legally Blonde is coming to The Curve Theatre in Leicester. The feel-good show is a hot favourite and runs from April 11 until May 14. To book your tickets go to www.curvetheatre. co.uk.

■ The Harborough Singers will be performing Mozart’s Lost Requiem at 6pm on April 17 in All Saints’ Church in Brixworth. As well as the requiem there will be a feast of chamber music performed. Tickets are £10, which are available from www. harboroughsingers.com or by calling 01604 882622.

■ Market Harborough in Bloom Volunteers started in 1996 and are still going strong 20 years later. Over the years they have made Market Harborough look fabulous with their beautiful displays and are keen to get others involved. Their main gardening day is a Monday and newcomers are very welcome. Meet at 9.30am at the volunteers’ nursery in Welland Park – just bring your gardening gloves.

■ Rockingham Horse Trials are returning to Rockingham Castle for the fourth year from May 20-22. Featuring dressage, cross country and show jumping it will be a great day out for everyone. As well as other events for young horses and competitors there are the trade stands to browse around and lots of family entertainment. Details at www. rockinghamcastlehorsetrials.com.

■ Café Ventoux in Tugby is hosting an evening with One Pro Cycling’s rider Yanto Barker on May 5 at 7.30pm. Founder of Le COL cycling clothing, Yanto will be chatting about his business and about his experiences on the pro tour. Tickets are £5, available by ringing 0116 2598063 or by emailing ride@cafe-ventoux.cc.

■ The Queen turns 90 this month and to celebrate Harborough Town Football Club will be lighting a beacon on her birthday, April 21, to celebrate. The Girl Guides and the ATC Club will be there at 7.30pm to light the beacon, along with some local residents who are celebrating their 90th birthdays on the same day. There will be lots going on so do go and join them at the football ground on Northampton Road.

THE OTHER LEICESTER CITY

The men’s team are the hottest story in football, but Leicester City’s women’s team has been having a pretty successful time of it too, as Jeremy Beswick discovers

Photography: Daniel Smith and Ben Atterbury

IF THE QUESTION was ‘Which football side in Leicester, playing in blue and sponsored by King Power, is having the most successful season in its history?’ then you might be surprised to hear there’s not just one correct answer.

The less obvious answer is Leicester City Women FC, who are about to be promoted with what will almost certainly be an all-time record points tally for their league. Furthermore, they’ve won each and every one of their 18 games so far. Not even the men can match that.

The parallels don’t stop with their success either – the more I learned about them the more striking the similarities became. I spoke to skipper Holly Morgan.

“One of our great strengths is our fantastic team spirit,” she told me. “We never give up. We never stop – we play at 100% for the whole 90 minutes. We’re united, we’re together, we’re one – and that’s what gives us the extra 10% that makes all the difference.”

A team greater than the sum of its parts – sounds familiar, doesn’t it? But there’s more. Manager Jonathan Morgan said: “We’ve lots of pace across the pitch and look to counter attack.” Holly agreed, adding: “Our level of ﬁtness is certainly among the best. We’re very threatening going forward. Opposing defences just can’t handle our pace.”

Apart from the perfect English, that could be Claudio Ranieri speaking.

Come off it, I hear you scoff, you’ll be telling me they’ve got their own Jamie Vardy next. Here’s Holly again: “Our top scorer’s Helen Busby. She’s lightning quick and chases down every ball. She’ll often win possession and turn nothing into something – what looks to everyone else to be a lost cause turns into an attacking opportunity.”

As you can tell, this side has much more in common with their more famous colleagues than their blue strip.

It’s been an extraordinary year. Holly, who at 23 is a relative veteran in a side with an average age of around 19, said: “It’s been a very special season and I’m very proud and happy to captain such a great bunch of girls.”

Just as there are parallels to the Premiership leaders, there are contrasts, too. If you’ve not watched women’s football that much then you might be surprised and impressed if you went along to see them play. The men’s game is increasingly physical and reliant on strength but Jonathan, who has managed sides of both genders and is therefore in the perfect position to judge, told me: “The women’s game is more technical and deﬁnitely more skills-based than the men’s. You’ll see more trickery and clever turns. It’s more creative.”

Above Team unity is one of the main reasons the side has enjoyed such success this season

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Expect a short game with pass and move to the fore. “Our matches are always dramatic and exciting. You can see and feel the team spirit” added Holly.

Another difference, inevitably, is the size of the crowd. Although the women play at the King Power Stadium once a year in an end-of-season charity match, you’ll normally ﬁnd them at their Riverside Pavilion on Braunstone Road with a gate of 50 to 100 spectators. Nor will you be paying up to £50 for a ticket – it’ll cost you the princely sum of £2 to get in. So, if you love football and like your sport up close and personal, or dislike the hype that goes with the men’s game, this could be just the place for you on a Sunday afternoon.

Next year they’re hoping they’ll be able to play more of their games at the King Power. “City help us out so much,” said Jonathan. “They are very supportive, supplying us with mascots and kit, helping us recruit young players and with several meetings throughout the year. The pages they give us in their match day programme are a great help too.”

After their inevitable promotion, you’ll also be able to see some full-blooded local derbies as the likes of Derby County and Nottingham Forest come to visit. Media manager Daniel Smith told me the club’s medium-term objective is to get into the Super League and the side are bullish about their chances of achieving back-to-back promotions.

“We’ll be aiming to get there immediately,” added Jonathan. “The league we’ll be playing in next term is a competitive one and, although we’ll respect the level we’re going into, we’re conﬁdent the gap in class isn’t that big and we can challenge for promotion. We know we can beat anyone on our day if we play our own game.”

Furthermore, being such a young side, they can only improve with age and Holly agreed with Jonathan: “We’re in a very strong position and ready to the take the challenge on. We’ve deﬁnitely grown as a club.”

The club has certainly come a long way since it was founded in 2004, just as the men have made their own remarkable progress. It would nice to think that, one day, a fan at the Riverside will ﬁnd themselves standing next to an incognito Vardy, Mahrez or Ranieri, there to learn – and to ﬁnd out about the secrets behind the other Leicester City success story.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

Leicester City Women FC has an impressive infrastructure. Both the reserve and development sides are topping their own leagues and the latter has also reached their cup semi-ﬁnal. There’s also an academy, new for the 2016/17 season, with teams from under 10s to under 16s. They’re actively looking to recruit more players at all levels so, if you feel you’d like to be part of what Holly called “a home, a family and a great bunch of people” as more than just a supporter, then get yourself down to the Riverside on 11 June when they’ll be holding academy trials.

Details will soon be on the website – www.lcwfc. com – or contact manager Jonathan directly on jonathan.morgan@springrock.co.uk. First team captain Holly Morgan herself took a similar route, joining the club at 11 and making her debut for the ﬁrst team at just 16.

‘Our level of ﬁtness is certainly among the best. We’re very threatening going forward. Defences can’t handle our pace’

at Uppingham School Sports Centre

Swim at the additional times listed below and benefit from ½ price admission.

Monday 16.00 – 17.00* and Tuesday 09.45 – 10.45

£2.10 adult, £1.60 child

For more information contact our friendly team on: 01572 820830 ussc@uppingham.co.uk www.sportscentre.uppingham.co.uk

KITBAG

SPRING INTO ACTION WITH ALL THE LATEST GEAR

1. Cycliq Fly6 camera & light

A combined camera and rear light, the Fly6 offers 720p video and audio recording from behind in HD, leaving you to enjoy your ride or commute in the knowledge that your ride is being documented safely. A serious light output of up to 30 lumens ensures you are visible to all road users when cycling with the Fly6 ﬁxed to your bike.

Price £99 From cycliq.com

2. Asics FuzeX Black Red Cushion women’s trainer

A shoe that combines a lightweight design with protection and cushioning. You can still take on your longer runs with fuzeGEL underfoot. So lightweight it can be spread from your forefoot to your rear foot.

Price £99.99 From Rutland Sports

3. Tribesports women’s shorts

These women’s 2-in-1 running shorts have an inner-short providing optimum support and comfort while the outer layer delivers ventilation and a stylish, ﬂattering ﬁnish.

Price £28 From tribesports.com

4. Canicross running waist belt and running line

This waistbelt and line combination is ideal for anyone starting out and getting a feel for the sport of canicross. Made of soft neoprene and hard-wearing nylon it is ideal for canicross, jogging, Nordic walking, etc. The lead system evenly spreads the pull of the dog across the waist and gives more freedom as both hands are free.

Price £29.99 From innerwolf.co.uk

5. Saucony Guide 9 men’s trainer

The Guide 9 is back at it again, delivering a plush and supportive ride to take you all the way to the ﬁnish line, and beyond. It features EVERUN, the latest in cushioning construction and material innovation. A new TRI-FLEX outsole conﬁguration gives better ground contact and a smoother ride.

Price £115 From leicesterrunningshop.co.uk

6.

GIRO Foray MIPS helmet

The Foray drafts off the bold design language of Giro’s premium Synthe helmet, and offers many of its key features including durable In-Mould Construction and the Roc Loc 5 ﬁt system with two-way ﬁt adjustment. The slim design is very light and offers great ventilation.

Price £69.99 From rutlandcycling.com

7. Electra Townie Go 8i SL ladies electric hybrid bike

Electra’s Townie lets you cruise with the wind at your back even uphill into a head wind thanks to the latest generation Bosch Active Line motor. A sleek, integrated drive unit and low mounted battery, means the Townie Go! 8i handles just like the normal bike, just with less sweat and tears.

Price £1,999.99 From rutlandcycling.com

Spring clean your clubhouse

The third part of our series on how to keep your club’s facilities in the best condition

FOR MANY ORGANISATIONS coming out of winter hibernation, it’s time unlock the clubhouse for the ﬁrst time in months and get it ready for the upcoming season. So what are the ﬁrst jobs that need doing?

1. CLEAN GUTTERS

It’s incredible how much material can gather in gutters during the winter, and that build-up can create problems elsewhere when water backs up and starts running down walls. So get up on the ladder and ﬁsh all the muck out. Also, keep an eye out for loose rooﬁng material, which can be a sign of issues above.

2. INSPECT THE ROOF

Either from a ladder or using a pair of binoculars have a good look at the roof. Experts

Peterborough Rooﬁng have some advice on what warning signs for possible roof problems would be:

• Damp patches/stains in ceiling.

• Signs of dampness on external or internal walls.

• Signs of any mortar dropping (which may have come loose on ridge tiles) on the ground or fragments of tiles/slates.

• Vibration sounds in high winds (a sign of loose tiles). Preventative maintenance should be carried out recommended once a year after leaves have fallen.

3. REPAIR PAINT

Keep painted surfaces in good repair by scraping off any chipped and peeling paint and

spot painting exposed surfaces. “The worst thing you can do is leave wood exposed, because that’s when it will begin to rot,” says Simon Banks of The Decorators.

4. TRIM OVERGROWTH

Spring is a good time to trim branches of shrubs and trees away from your clubhouse —get an early start before leaves grow and while you can see individual limbs. Keep branches ﬁve to seven feet away so they can’t conduct moisture onto your rooﬁng and walls. You’ll also help discourage squirrels from exploring ways to nest in roofspaces.

5. ENSURE GOOD DRAINAGE

Good drainage is vital. Check to make sure the soil slopes away from foundation walls at least six vertical inches over 10 feet. That’ll move rain far enough away to prevent problems.

kitchen craft

Getting the right catering facilities for your club or organisation can be awkward, because it can be hard to judge its usage. How much do you spend when it might not be used everyday, but when it is, has to cater for a lot of people very quickly?

It’s best to get an expert in such as Banks and Banks, who can source appliances at very competitive rates and fit the kitchen too, having undertaken a detailed survey visit that works out exactly what you need and how to hit your budget.

Simon Banks of Banks and Banks said: “Our priority is to supply competitively priced, stylish kitchens with a specific focus on customer service. Our kitchen models are similar in style and quality to those supplied by the big high street retailers but we think that we offer a far more specific and personal level of service that will suits your organisation’s budget and catering needs.”

Banks and Banks have a wide range of fitted kitchens, which are all manufactured to high standards in the UK, to suit a club’s needs. They are also able to provide you with CAD drawings to help you visualise how your kitchen will function, and manage the entire project.

www.banksandbankskitchens.co.uk

Call Freeway Travel on 01572 822918 or email neil@freewaytravel.co.uk to confirm your place and receive a £25 discount voucher towards a booking on the day.

Who ate all the pies (and drank all the beer)?

Martin Johnson picks out his favourite fattie athletes

Leaving aside the fact that Colin Montgomerie has never won one of golf’s major championships, he has (so far) trousered upwards of £30 million in career earnings – with a ﬁgure that makes you wonder how much of it he’s spent on cream cakes and ﬁsh and chips. Thirty million quid isn’t a bad return from a sport in which it’s a big help to be able to see your feet when you look down, but Monty is one of many top sportsmen and women who have somehow managed to excel without spending 10 hours a day on a rowing machine, and consuming nothing but grilled chicken and freshly squeezed seaweed.

Healthy eating is one of the features in this month’s issue, and even those of us who would sooner die young than submit to a daily glass of carrot juice have given it a try at some time or other. Including Monty, although it’s never done his golf any good. A close examination of his career will tell you that of the aforementioned £30 million, the amount he’s won when his golf shirt is clinging to his abs, rather than appearing to house a small colony of ferrets, is somewhere in the region of 58p.

Being thin, or to be more accurate, not being overweight, doesn’t suit his game, and the same goes for many sportsmen. Golfers in particular. John Daly gets through the day fuelled by Diet Coke and Marlboro Lights, while Lee Westwood is, like Monty, a golfer whose periods of being trimmer in shape have coincided with being trimmer in the wallet.

There are, of course, downsides to being overweight, such as the risk of type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and – worst of all for a golfer – the prospect of being lectured by Gary Player. The South African has turned into a messianic messenger, mounting his soapbox at all the major championships to deliver daily sermons on the perils of McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts, and the beneﬁts of 1,000 pressups before a breakfast of radishes and lightly boiled noodles.

Most people, if asked to name the sport they most associate with the complete opposite of a healthy diet, would single out darts. That long walk from the oche to remove three quivering arrows from the treble 20 has serious heart attack potential for the oversized competitors, most of whom are compelled to wear shirts capable of accommodating a family of four on a camping holiday.

Snooker is another sport in which you’d say diet wouldn’t necessarily play a huge part in being able to play it well, and one of the big names – in every sense of the word – when the sport was ﬁrst

taking off was a Canadian by the name of Bill Werbeniuk. I once interviewed Bill in a pub in Vancouver, and still have a framed copy of the receipt I later submitted for expenses. Bill’s share – for a meeting lasting fractionally under two hours – amounted to 15 pints of lager and a plate of meat pies.

Football players are probably the sportsmen with the most carefully orchestrated diets; understandable given the rewards on offer but a bit sad for the spectators, who now have to ﬁnd an alternative to the traditional enquiry as to ‘who ate all the pies?’. Somehow, ‘who ate all the muesli?” doesn’t have the same ring to it.

This is not to say that footballers didn’t eat with care in the old days. I remember an episode of Roy of the Rovers in the old Tiger comic, when the Melchester Rovers goalie Tubby Morton was ordered to go on a diet by his manager. The well-named Tubby was doing pretty well until his dastardly rival for the jersey lured him into a tuck shop and locked him in. He ﬁnally let him out three days later, and when Tubby reported back for training resembling a pregnant hippo our hero got the axe.

Before the modern trend towards specialist diets, one sport on which the accent was less on eating healthily than eating as much as humanly possible in any given 24-hour period was cricket.

When I was covering Leicestershire for the evening paper in Leicester in the 1970s and ’80s, a typical day’s food intake for a professional cricketer would be roughly as follows: hearty fried breakfast followed by mid-morning coffee and biscuits. Lunch would be at least three courses, sometimes more, with tables groaning under the weight of roast potatoes, apple pies, cheeseboards and sticky toffee puddings.

It was an unholy wait of two hours until the tea interval, when you could recharge the energy levels with plates of sandwiches and chocolate cake. Then, after the game, it was into the members’ bar, or the next door Cricketers pub, for several pints over a natter with the punters, before a huge plate of curry and off to bed. Assuming you could make it without a stair lift.

Old time cricketers such as Colin Cowdrey and Colin Milburn were, shall we say, generously proportioned, getting by in the field largely because there was then no requirement to even get a grass stain on your flannels, but the most celebrated trencherman the game has ever seen was Mike Gatting. Gatt was the subject of some hilarity during a Test match in the 1980s when the then-England captain David Gower, contemplating a change in the field, shouted to the bowler, Chris Cowdrey, ‘would you like Gatt a bit wider at mid-on?’. “Better not,” replied Cowdrey. “If he gets any wider he’ll probably burst.”

WIN

GO ON AN AMAZING JOURNEY

Planning a great cycling adventure this year? Active and Rutland Cycling can help with our brilliant competition. You could be heading off on a 2016 Genesis Croix de Fer 20 adventure road bike

Tell us what your cycling adventure is and your challenge could win you this amazing bike and Ortileb panniers from Rutland Cycling, a prize worth £1,350.

Whether you are thinking of riding around the world, across Europe, around Britain or through your county, tell us what cycling adventure you have planned this year and one lucky winner will receive an amazing bike and expert back-up from Rutland Cycling to help you achieve it.

We’ll follow you all the way through training and the challenge in the magazine too, helping you drum up support.

The bike

One bike. Come rain or shine, the Genesis Croix de Fer 20 olive green will take you almost anywhere thanks to its excellent blend of Tiagra components, TRP Hy/Rd-C brakes and Reynolds 725 steel frame.

Fast and responsive on the road, yet stable and perfectly balanced, the Croix de Fer 20 is a real pleasure to ride on both smooth Tarmac

and on terrain where you’d normally reach for a mountain bike. The wider gear range and great trickle down technology in the new 2016 Tiagra creates a premium riding feel for a more affordable price. TRP Hy/Rd-C brakes offer all the beneﬁts of hydraulic disc brakes with standard cables. The Reynolds 725 frame is tough, and fully ﬁtted with all the mounts you can think of.

Getting you ﬁtted right

Rutland Cycling will get the right ﬁt for you, using the latest in Retul sizing technology and years of good old-fashioned experience.

You’ll enjoy its Bike Fit process, using the latest Body Geometry video capture technology in the hands of guys who have raced and coached at the highest level.

You’ll then be helped with training, with the team getting you out on their regular organised rides and tailoring a bespoke program.

They’ll also offer you nutritional advice. So you’ll be as well-prepared for your challenge as it is possible to be.

How to win

To enter the competition send us your CV – not your actual CV, a cycling CV – stating your name, address, cycling experience (if any), the challenge you’re planning and 100 words telling us why you should be shortlisted.

Send your cycling CV, along with a picture of yourself, to adventure@theactivemag.com by Wednesday, April 20.

After the closing date, a select panel will choose a shortlist of entries to feature. We’ll announce those shortlisted in the magazine and then readers will be asked to vote for who they would like to see win the bike. So what are you waiting for?

Also up for grabs are these Ortileb panniers worth £150

arise.

Richard wears Scotch & Soda

Ralston regular slim ﬁt denim

jeans £94, Ralph Lauren short sleeve custom ﬁt polo in spring melon heather £75 and Ralph

Lauren long sleeve full zip sweater in winter navy heather £129 from Cavells, Oakham.

Rachel wears Passport Lissabon

white dress £109 and Plus Fine

Marlin stripe blazer £119 from Jacks for Women, Market Harborough, along with HenryBLAKE The Wanderer sunglasses £85.

PLAY DATES

The sun is coming out, it’s getting warmer – time to stock up your wardrobe with clothes for summer party fun

Photography: Katie Ingram

Rachel (l) wears Otto Dame multi-coloured spot print dress with a

waist £144 and Rosamunde cotton limelight cardigan £80 from Cavells, Oakham. Richard wears

in Spring

£75 from Cavells, Oakham, along with HenryBLAKE

The Wanderer sunglasses £85.

Charlotte (r) wears Gant block stripe

ﬂared dress in marine/cream £134 and Gant ﬁne rib cable clear/yellow jumper £84 from Cavells, Oakham.

RIGHT

Charlotte wears Derhy Elvira printed dress £115 from Jacks for Women, Market Harborough, and sunglasses from HenryBLAKE The Wanderer £85. Blake wears Scotch and Soda Ralston regular slim ﬁt Touchdown jeans £94 and Ralph Lauren long sleeve full zip sweater in winter navy heather £129 from Cavells, Oakham.

Clothing Cavells

16 Mill Street, Oakham, LE15 6EA Tel 01572 770372 www.cavells.co.uk

Jacks for Women 16 Church Street, Market Harborough, LE16 7AA Tel 01858 431396 www.jacksforwomen.co.uk

Accessories HenryBLAKE Eyewear www.henryblakeclothing.co.uk

Tennis balls kindly supplied by Rutland Sports www.rutlandsports.co.uk

Models

Thanks to Charlotte, Rachel, Blake, Richard and Dave the dog for kindly modelling. Models are wearing their own footwear.

Photography Katie Ingram www.katieingram.co.uk

Venue

Thanks to Ivor, Marion and Nick for the kind use of their tennis court and gardens.

TOP

LEFT

HenryBLAKE

TOP LEFT

Charlotte (l) wears Maison Scotch short sleeve beige/green/blue linen/ cotton paisley shirt £84 and Yerse belted cuffed trouser in azure blue £68 from Cavells, Oakham. Richard wears Scotch & Soda Ralston regular slim fit denim jeans £94, Ralph Lauren short sleeve custom fit polo in spring melon heather £75 and Barbour Wadd crew bug heritage grey marl sweater £99 from Cavells, Oakham, and HenryBLAKE The Wanderer sunglasses £85. Rachel (r) wears Absolu black printed skirt £109, Sandwich Essentials peach top £39 and Passport Barcelona cream poncho £35 from Jacks for Women, Market Harborough.

RIGHT

Barbour Wadd crew bug heritage grey marl sweater £99 from Cavells, Oakham.

The Wanderer sunglasses £85.

RIGHT

From le to right, Rachel wears Plus Fine cream lace top £109, Intropia coral/cream trouser £89 from Jacks for Women, Market Harborough. Blake wears Scotch and Soda

Ralston regular slim ﬁt touchdown jeans £94, Ralph Lauren long sleeve full zip sweater in winter navy heather £129 from Cavells, Oakham.

Charlotte wears Otto Dame wide leg print trouser in white/blue/green £95, Velvet crew neck white tank top £69 and Brax Seattle deco denim jacket £159.95 from Cavells, Oakham. Richard wears Scotch & Soda

Ralston regular slim ﬁt denim jeans £94, Ralph Lauren short sleeve custom ﬁt polo in spring melon heather £75 and Barbour Wadd crew bug heritage grey marl sweater £99 from Cavells, Oakham.

HOW TO WIN AT EATING!

You don’t have to have bland, tasteless, dull food when you eat healthily. Here’s some great recipes to show you how to eat well without piling on the pounds

SMOKED CHICKEN, AVOCADO AND MANGO SALAD WITH TIGGS BASIL AND PEA DRESSING

By Steve Conway of Lambert’s Kitchen-Deli-Coffee, Stamford

“Smoked chicken with its oak smoked depth of ﬂavour is a good source of protein and complemented with the mango and avocado is a lovely summer salad.”

Ingredients

1 x smoked chicken breast

1 x ripe avocado

1 x ripe mango

1 x bag of washed rocket salad

Tiggs Basil & Pea dressing

Drizzle of reduced balsamic to ﬁnish

Method

● Give the rocket salad a wash under running cold water. This always helps to refresh and crisp up the salad.

● Peel and slice the mango into nice long thin strips, which

CHARGRILLED SQUID, BUTTER BEAN AND TOMATO SALAD

By Jamie Allsopp of the Red Lion, Great Bowden

“I have chosen squid for this dish as it is not only sustainably and responsibly caught, it is a great source of protein, it works well with the butter beans and tomato which are a great source of iron, zinc and magnesium, and the coriander ﬁts perfectly, as well as being full of antioxidants.”

Ingredients

can be folded over to help give volume to your salad.

● With the avocado carefully cut in half and the stone removed, cut each half in half again and now you should be able to remove the skin.

Slice the avocado into a fan or big wedges if you prefer.

● Lightly dress the rocket with the dressing (I chose Tiggs dressing because of its hint of mustard, refreshing basil ﬂavour and we sell lots of it).

● Layer the sliced mango and smoked chicken, top with avocado and ﬁnish with your dressing and reduced balsamic.

● You can add some walnuts to give your salad a bit more crunch and make it more rich in omega-3.

Lambert’s opened its doors in February, and not only is it a restaurant but has a deli which has a good selection of smoked goods, cheese, snacks, drinks and takeaway salads and sandwiches.

Lambert’s 5 Cheyne Lane, Stamford, PE9 2AX 01780 767063

www.lamberts-stamford.co.uk

Tempura batter

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tomato cut into concasse

1 lime wedge

1 lemon wedge

Method

● Slice the squid down the centre and score gently 1mm deep, season and chargrill for 20-30 seconds (slightly press so as not to curl up). Leave to rest.

● Sautee diced shallot and chopped garlic in 1tbsp olive oil

● Add butter beans and chopped tomatoes. Reduce.

● Stir in rocket, coriander and lime juice. Season to taste.

● Slice the grilled squid into slices and stir gently through the tomato and butter bean mix.

● Tempura batter the squid tin tacks that are left over and deep fry for 30 – 45 seconds until crispy.

1 squid, prepped 50g butterbeans

1 diced shallot Small bunch coriander

1 clove garlic chopped Bunch of rocket

● Serve with a lemon wedge and a sprinkle of chopped coriander.

The Red Lion 5 Main Street, Great Bowden, LE16 7HB 01858 463571

SCALOPPINE DI POLLO AL LIMONE

By Mido Fricha of il Vicolo, Stamford

“Italians have some of the healthiest diets in the world, despite liberal use of butter and wine. It’s all about balance and natural ingredients. This tender chicken ﬁllet in lemon sauce is just such a dish.”

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

Extra virgin olive oil

Half a lemon for juice

Half a lemon for slices

Plain ﬂour for coating

Sea salt

Black pepper

Glass of white wine

50g of butter

200g of ﬁne beens

Method:

● Slice the chicken into small ﬁllets, season with salt and black pepper.

● Coat the ﬁllet in plain ﬂour then fry in a non-stick pan in light olive oil on low heat.

● After you seal the meat completely, add the wine and let it evaporate to get rid of the alcohol, then add the juice from the lemon and two slices.

● Increase the heat and add the butter. The sauce will start to thicken up and look yellow after 10 minutes.

● Serve on your blanched green beans and garnish with some ﬂat leaved parsley.

il Vicolo Ristorante Italiano

2-3 Cheyne Lane, Stamford, PE9 2AX. 01780 480048

FISH PIE

Serves: 4 Time: 60 minutes

You can use any kind of white fish, such as cod or haddock, or even salmon to make this tasty and filling fish pie. Salmon is a good source of vitamins A and D.

Ingredients

700g potatoes

4 ﬁllets of haddock (or any kind of white ﬁsh or salmon)

425ml 1% fat milk

25g low-fat spread 25g ﬂour

25g reduced-fat strong hard cheese

320g broccoli (to serve)

Method

● Preheat the oven to 200ºC or

CITRUS CHICKEN

Serves: 2 Time: 45 minutes

A zesty protein-rich dish. Try serving this with brown rice and green beans.

Ingredients

1 tsp sunﬂower oil

1 onion, ﬁnely chopped

1 chicken breast

1 dessert spoon wholemeal ﬂour

1 red pepper, sliced

Juice of 1 orange, or 75ml unsweetened orange juice plus 25ml water

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1-2 medium potatoes, cubed

Chopped parsley (optional) Black pepper, freshly ground

130g brown rice, raw

Method

● Heat the oil in a pan and brown the onions over a low heat for two to three minutes.

● Cut the chicken breast into large pieces and coat each piece in the ﬂour. Then add the chicken to the pan and brown for two minutes, stirring all the time to make sure it doesn’t stick.

gas mark 6.

● Start by preparing the potatoes. Boil them for about 10 to 15 minutes until they’re soft, then drain them and mash with a little milk.

● To make the sauce, mix the milk, low-fat spread and ﬂour in a small pan and warm over a medium heat. Stir continuously until the sauce starts to bubble and thicken.

● Pour the sauce over chunks of ﬁsh in an ovenproof dish, then top with mashed potato and sprinkle the cheese over the top.

● Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Serve with broccoli.

● Once the chicken is cooked, add the other ingredients. Then bring it to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer over a low heat for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

● While the chicken is cooking, cook rice according to packet instructions.

TOMATO PASTA SAUCE

Serves: 2 Time: 35 minutes

Tasty and rich, this easy-tomake tomato sauce is great with pasta and can be made in advance and reheated. It’s low in salt and fat, and is perfect for vegetarians too.

Ingredients

1 tsp oil

1 onion, ﬁnely chopped

1 garlic clove, ﬁnely chopped

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

Pinch of mixed dried herbs

Pepper to taste

210g uncooked

Wholewheat pasta

Method

● Heat the oil in a saucepan or frying pan. Cook the onion on a medium heat until it’s soft.

● Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Make sure the

pan is not too hot when you add the garlic, as it burns easily. Burnt garlic will make the sauce taste bitter.

● Add the tin of tomatoes, tomato purée and herbs.

● Simmer gently for 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and rich.

● Add pepper to taste.

● Cook the pasta according to packet instructions and serve topped with fresh herbs.

Other options

● Add a tin of tuna or some sliced vegetables to the sauce at step three. Try mushrooms, peppers or courgettes.

● Pour the sauce over ﬁsh ﬁllets and bake in the oven at 180°C or gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes.

● Use the sauce as a pizza topping. Just sprinkle with reduced-fat cheese and your favourite vegetables.

CHILLI CON CARNE

Serves: 2 Time: 50 minutes

A hot and spicy ﬁller that’s high on ﬂavour but healthily low in salt.

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil

100g lean beef mince

1 onion, ﬁnely chopped

1 garlic clove, ﬁnely chopped

400g can of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 red pepper, chopped

100g mushrooms, sliced

1 small can of kidney beans

Black pepper, freshly ground 150g wholegrain/brown rice, raw

Method

● Brown the mince over a gentle heat, stirring to stop it from sticking.

● Drain any excess fat from the meat, then add the onion and garlic to the mince and cook for two to three minutes.

● Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and spices. Bring the sauce to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.

● Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.

● Add the chopped pepper and sliced mushrooms and simmer for ﬁve minutes.

● Add the drained kidney beans and simmer for another ﬁve minutes.

● Add the pepper to taste and serve with boiled rice.

Other options

Serve any leftover sauce with baked potatoes.

ACTIVE BODY

DEAL WITH THAT ‘DAY AFTER’ TRAINING FEELING; KNOW YOUR CARBS AND GET TO THE POINT WITH STRESS-BUSTING ACUPUNCTURE

Edited by Mary Bremner

HARD EXERCISE MAKES YOU EAT LESS

Exercising hard results in people eating less than those who are dieting, according to a new study

Researchers at Loughborough University have found that long runs seem to trigger chemical changes in the body that curb the appetite, while eating less food than you need seems to have the opposite effect.

The scientists asked 12 young women to run hard (rather than jogging) on a treadmill at 70% of their top speed for 90 minutes. Six-and-a-half hours later, after a controlled breakfast and lunch, they were invited to eat what they wanted from a buffet. It was found that the women had eaten an average of 660 calories after their run. They then repeated the experiment without the run, when the women ate 944 calories.

The levels of ghrelin, a hormone that makes you hungry, were about 50% higher in the women who had not exercised, while the level of peptide YY, which suppresses hunger, was also much higher after the run.

GOOD FITNESS MAKES YOUR BRAIN BIGGER

A separate study has claimed that exercising in your 40s could stop your brain shrinking.

It found people with good ﬁtness levels in their 40s had larger brains than their unﬁt peers when measured 20 years later – the concern being that people with smaller brains may be more likely to develop dementia.

The study, part of an on-going research project in the US (the landmark Framingham Heart Study) measured people’s exercise capacity and heart and blood pressure reactions to exercise during a treadmill test, at an average age of 40.

The same people were assessed about 20 years later, with a repeat exercise test and an MRI scan to determine brain volume.

People with 20% less ﬁtness compared to the average had smaller brains by the equivalent of one additional year of ageing. A similar effect was seen for higher blood pressure or heart rate in response to exercise.

The research adds to the growing evidence that physical ﬁtness and better mental capacity in older age go hand-in-hand.

FREEDOM FROM D.O.M.S

HOW TO AVOID THAT PAINFUL MUSCLE SORENESS WHICH OCCURS A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER EXERCISE. BY FUNCTION JIGSAW’S TOM HEELEY

We have all experienced that feeling of soreness, muscle ache and tightness the day after a hard workout. These feelings are technically described as ‘delayed onset of muscle soreness’ (DOMS). There is some argument about what causes DOMS. It has historically thought to be a build-up of lactic acid and toxic metabolic waste, although new research suggests it is in fact inﬂammation caused by microscopic tears in connective tissue. Exercises which stretch and lengthen muscles are the worse culprits: speak to anyone who plays cricket and they will say that the couple of days after bowling in the ﬁrst net of the winter, when muscles get stretched in a manner they haven’t been subjected to for months, are the worst for DOMS.

Irrespective of the physiological and biological causes, the simple fact remains that DOMS is an issue which can be tough to recover from. Here are some strategies for minimising it, and recovering quicker too.

MASSAGE

Exercise and competition can be stressful on the body, and will lead to injury if proper precautions are not taken. Sports massages are ideal to help the body deal with this stress and injury prevention.

A sports massage increases blood flow and lymph fluid (lymph builds up during exercise and can prolong the effects of DOMS), both assisting in the body’s natural healing process and speeding up waste removal. Swelling and inflammation associated with physical activity is also reduced. Scar tissue, normal from a severe injury, can be lessened with massage.

Sports massages can also be beneﬁcial to help your range of movement and have also been shown to improve sleep patterns, which is another component of recovery.

STRETCHING

Static stretching has come under a lot of flak recently, after conflicting articles suggested it could reduce strength and power. You need enough flexibility to move well and remain pain free. So include dynamic stretching in your warm-ups while saving static stretching for after your workouts. Static stretches should be held for 30 seconds. Any longer than this and there is no benefit. Less than this and not enough benefit to make the appropriate changes in muscle length.

FOAM ROLLING

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique used by athletes and physical therapists to aid in recovery of muscles that are prone to being overactive. Fascia is the soft tissue portion of the connective tissue around the muscle that provides support and protection. The fascia can become restricted due to overuse, trauma, and inactivity. Consequently, inﬂammation occurs and if it becomes bad enough the connective tissue can thicken, which results in pain and irritation, and additional inﬂammation.

SMR techniques via foam roller are performed by rolling the device under each muscle group until a tender area is found, and maintaining pressure by one’s own body mass on the muscle group for 30–60 seconds.

Recent studies suggest that SMR of the quadriceps, or potentially any other muscle for that matter, was an effective treatment method to increase range of motion without suffering muscle performance.

HYDRATION

Drinking adequate amounts of water is critical to health, energy, recovery and performance. Athletes tend to be very

attentive to hydration levels close to and during competitions, but keeping that awareness during training and recovery can make just as large an impact. Water helps all of our functions. A few examples of that are more efﬁcient nutrient uptake, lower levels of stress on the heart, improved skin tone and better hair quality. The simplest way to check hydration is to look at your urine. If it is clear to pale yellow, you are hydrated. The darker and more colour, the less hydrated you are and more water you need to drink.

• Water is the best way to hydrate.

• Sports drinks are only needed for before, during and after strenuous training or completion – don’t drink them simply because they taste good.

• Flavourings and other additives simply give your system more to process. Stick to adding a lemon or lime in your water.

Function Jigsaw’s Active Roller can be purchased online at http://functionjigsaw. co.uk/product/rollers/

@FunctionJigsaw info@functionjigsaw.co.uk www.functionjigsaw.co.uk

ORDINARY JOE

Joe Wicks has become a social media sensation with his fast, high intensity training and healthy eating regime. Active caught up with him

Active It’s time to start thinking about your summer body. Where and how would you recommend starting?

JW The ﬁrst thing I say to everyone is prep your own meals and get nutrition under control. If you make your own meals you’ll sleep, eat and train better. Small things make a difference – so taking a lunchbox to work instead of grabbing something off the shelf will help a lot.

Then, your exercise has to ﬁt into your lifestyle. That’s why I’m a big advocate of high intensity interval training (HIIT). It keeps you feeling lean in literally in 25 minutes a day.

You just have to prioritise the time. If

you keep telling yourself you haven’t got time then you’ll probably never do it.

Active You’re a big advocate of HIIT. What are the key beneﬁts? How often should you train?

JW It’s really intense, really hard work and you don’t want to do it when you’re doing it, and when you’re ﬁnished you’ll feel winded, but it can be done in your living room, the garden or your gym, and can be squats, burpees, jumps – anything that gets your heart rate up, creates tone and burns calories. You can do it at least four to ﬁve days a week, with a couple of rest days to allow your body to recover.

Active Any good starter exercises you would suggest and anything you would avoid?

JW My favourite HIIT exercise for a real beginner is running on the spot, getting your knees up as high as you can. And burpees really get your heart going, too – 30 seconds on and a 30-second rest, and repeat that for 15 to 20 minutes

Active You’re not a fan of fad diets are you? What would be your top healthy eating tips?

JW Don’t mention the word diet around me. Low calorie diets are the reason my

business is booming, because I’m rescuing people from them. They don’t work so that’s why I came up with this 90-day plan because food is important fuel.

Eat the right stuff at the right time. So on a rest day, when you’re not very active, you’re not going to want carbohydrates because your body only needs them for high intensity exercise. So those days are for protein and healthy fat.

On a training day, eat more carbs and drop the fat so the energy system is switching to the right sources for training.

Active Wearable tech is also changing the habits of how people train. How can ﬁtness trackers, such as the Microsoft Band, be most effectively used?

JW I’m just starting to reap the beneﬁts of these bands. Getting ﬁt is about more than just counting calories and lowering your intake. A lot of people just don’t realise they have a resting metabolic rate, even when they asleep they’re consuming calories, and bands give you a wider picture. People often under-eat.

And the accuracy of the heart monitors is so good you get a really accurate picture of whether you’re hitting the exercise levels you want to be. Then the sleep mode shows the quality of sleep you’re getting. You think you’ve had a good deep sleep rather than waking up, but often you haven’t. These bands can give an insight over a month and allow you to change a few lifestyle habits.

JOE WICKS’ TOP THREE TIPS FOR A SUMMER BODY

● You have to prep your meals right for each day. You cannot get away from that.

● Do HIIT training, four to ﬁve days a week, for 25 minutes a day

● Replace ﬁzzy drink juice etc and drink more water. Hydrated bodies are more efﬁcient at burning fat.

For recipe ideas pick up a copy of Joe’s book Lean in 15, which features a hundred recipes for nutritious, quick-to-prepare meals and guides you through Joe’s signature HIIT home workouts – revealing how to combine food and exercise to ignite intense fat-burning. Available from www.thebodycoach.co.uk.

JOE’S ‘HEART-BREAKER WORKOUT’ 15 minute workout – three rounds of the following:

30 sec running on spot

30 sec rest

30 sec standing half squats

30 sec rest

30 sec explosive push-ups

30 sec rest

30 sec mountain climbers

30 sec rest

30 sec sit-ups

30 sec rest

Joe’s goal for this was to raise his heartbeat as high as possible during each ﬁve-minute round, then beat that peak heart rate in the next round.

For people wanting to live healthier and achieve more there is Microsoft Band. Reach your health and ﬁtness goals by tracking your heart rate, exercise, calorie burn and sleep quality, and be productive with email, text and calendar alerts on your wrist. Whether you’re off for a run, on your bike or out on the golf course, Microsoft Band gives you a wealth of information thanks to its 11 sensors, such as built-in GPS, UV monitor and barometer. And one of these could be yours! We have a Microsoft Band 2 to give away to one lucky winner. To enter go to www.theactivemag.com/ competitions

GOOD CARB, BAD CARB…

Carbohydrates are vital for health and energy, but make sure you eat the right ones, says nutritional adviser Helen Cole

Carbohydrates get a lot of bad press, especially by those watching their weight, but they are in fact our body’s preferred source of energy and should not be avoided. It might be that we just need to look more carefully at the types of carbohydrate we consume and get a better understanding of how our body uses them.

SO, WHAT EXACTLY DO THEY DO?

Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient and their main function is to provide the body with energy, so it is important that we consume enough to provide us with energy for everyday activities and to manage our blood sugar and insulin levels.

Another vital role of carbohydrates is to provide a steady and readily available supply of energy for the brain and nervous system. Most of the carbohydrate we eat is converted to glucose in the body and the brain needs a constant supply of glucose in order to function properly. Carbohydrates are either used immediately or stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen (a starch that maintains blood sugar levels).

ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CARBOHYDRATES?

Carbohydrates are generally classiﬁed in two types: simple (sugary) and complex (starchy). What determines one from the other is the amount of sugar units they are made up from – simple carbohydrates consist of between one and 10 sugar units, whereas complex carbohydrates are made up of hundreds of sugar units joined together.

Simple or ‘sugary’ carbohydrates occur in fruits, some vegetables, milk and dairy products. They are also in processed and manufactured foods, juiced fruits and vegetables.

Complex or ‘starchy’ carbohydrates are rich in many other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals and tend to be found in bread, cereals, rice, pasta and potatoes.

HOW DO WE KNOW THE GOOD CARBS FROM THE BAD?

The rule here is to ensure you are eating the right sort of carbohydrates...

• Ditch the white bread, pasta and rice and

switch to wholegrain complex carbs as these help to maintain steady blood sugar levels, keep you fuller for longer and they contain ﬁbre.

• Obtain most of your simple carbohydrates from fresh fruit and vegetables, as these contain a range of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and ﬁbre.

• Milk and dairy products are also a good source of simple carbohydrate and they also provide protein and calcium. Choose lower fat options if you are trying to lose weight, but make sure you read the label properly – a ‘lower fat’ option may still be high in calories and could contain a lot more sugar.

As mentioned, eating the right sort of carbohydrates also increases our fibre intake. Fibre can be classed as soluble or insoluble. Soluble fibre slows down digestion and the absorption of other carbohydrates such as starch, so can help to manage blood sugar levels. It may also reduce cholesterol levels. Soluble fibre is found in fruit, vegetables and some cereals and beans.

Insoluble ﬁbre does not dissolve in water and is undigested in the body, which helps to keep the gut moving and promote regular bowel movement. It therefore reduces constipation and the risk of bowel cancer. Insoluble ﬁbre can be found in all plants, wheat, rye, fruit and vegetables.

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON’T GET ENOUGH CARBOHYDRATE?

If we don’t consume enough carbs to maintain the required level of blood glucose, our bodies must convert protein or fat to glucose. This system is designed to see you through an unexpected fast and is a less efﬁcient back-up process. It is true that eating a high protein, low carb diet will aid in weight loss; however, this is not sustainable in the long term. Without carbs you lose water, sodium and potassium, and you won’t have energy reserves in your muscles to help you in an emergency.

So, listen to your body. It needs carbs in order to run efﬁciently but make sure you are making the right choices.

Information in this article is provided by Future Fit Training.

Cole Nutrition offers a full dietary analysis to identify the requirements for each individual. Together, we look at current eating and lifestyle patterns or habits and identify possible changes in realistic and achievable terms. Whatever your lifestyle, Cole Nutrition will endeavour to ﬁnd the perfect balance for a happy, healthy you. If you would like to book a consultation or ﬁnd out more about what they offer, contact Helen Cole on 07966 050 193, email colenutritionh@ gmail.com or visit the website at www. colenutrition.co.uk.

DITCH THE WINTER COAT

It’s now ofﬁcially spring – even if the weather hasn’t quite realised that. So that means it’s time to ditch the winter coat at last. Thankfully this year the fashion designers seem to have seen some common sense and the shops have been

THE FINISHING TOUCHES

You’ve done all the hard work in the gym playing sports and getting fit, so now is the time to reap the benefits and add the finishing touches...

Edited by Mary Bremner

ﬂooded with the practical coat-to-jacket combination. And what’s really great is that you can interpret that how you want as there’s lots of variety on sale.

A few examples we’ve seen in the shops recently are the biker jacket – there are some great leather versions around in different colours rather than classic black. The lightweight coat and the trench coat are both popular. Alexa Chung’s take on the trench will be in Marks and Spencer this month. The blazer seems to be making a bit of a comeback or, if that’s too ’80s for you, try a bomber jacket, a favourite with fashion editors this season. Or what about the sleeveless, otherwise known as a gilet? A long sleeveless gilet can look really stylish and is great for showing off what you’re wearing underneath.

CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS…

Well, it is in beauty terms. The powersthat-be in the beauty world, and even your mother, are always going on about the beneﬁts of a good cleanser and how you must remove your make up, without fail, every night, to guarantee a healthy, blemish-free skin. And you know that your mother is always right, so a good cleanser is an absolute must-have in your daily

beauty routine. But which cleanser do you go for? They can range from the sublime to the ridiculous and, if you wish, you can spend £70 or more on some ridiculously expensive concoction that basically is going to be washed down the plug hole.

The best advice we can give is to either visit a beautician and get some advice with regards to your skin type and their recommendations, or go to somewhere such as Boots and ask the staff for advice.

But whatever you do, and whatever you spend – and it doesn’t need to be a lot – remember to cleanse your face religiously every day.

ACUPUNCTURE

Menopausal symptoms such as hot ﬂushes and night sweats can be a nightmare and many women of a certain age struggle to get any sleep because of them.

I had never considered that acupuncture could be the answer to my problems but was willing to give anything a go.

The practitioner was very conﬁdent that he would be able to help. A er an initial consultation I lay on the couch and he felt my pulse in both wrists. From this he was able to tell the state of my general health and bizarrely had a look at my tongue. Apparently the tongue is important in Chinese medicine.

And then it was time for the needles. I had three placed in my le hand, ﬁngers and thumb, another in my right thumb. It wasn’t comfortable when they were put in, apparently that means they are eﬀective, but once in I couldn’t feel them. Another needle was placed in my forehead; this one ‘calms the spirit’. The needles were le in for half an hour, and that was it.

Did it help? Yes! I had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in years and other symptoms have diminished as well. They recommend that you have three or four sessions to be completely symptom-free.

An initial consultation costs in the region of £50 and a follow-up appointment is around £40.

WESTLAB EPSOM SALTS

Epsom salts seem to be a panacea for all aches and pains and a er years down in the doldrums as something your grandmother would use they are now very much back on the beauty radar. There are claims that it can cure gout, reduce water retention and bloating and, mainly, ease muscular aches and pains. The salts contain magnesium sulphate so are ideal for people with a magnesium deﬁciency.

I tried the Westlab Epsom salts – mine were the soothing and detoxifying ones – when I went back to the gym a er a

month’s break. A er my session I knew my muscles would be complaining the next day so I sank into a bath generously laden with the salts. It’s just like having a normal bath but I have to say the next day I didn’t feel nearly as stiﬀ as I thought I would.

I could claim it was because I was ﬁtter than I thought, but I think that would be a bit unfair to the salts, they certainly did their job and are now what I turn to every time I’ve overdone it in the gym.

Westlab is oﬀering Active readers a 33% discount until

the end of June. Just input the code ACTIVE when ordering online at the website – www. westlabsalts.co.uk.

And ﬁnally…..

The latest fashions to show off

Garment washed linen blazer £150 www.jaeger.co.uk

Tartan bag £39.95 Too Much Baggage, 56 High Street, Corby Old Village, 01536 400058

Barbour Hackamore bomber jacket £89 www.cavells.co.uk

Biker jacket £29.99 www.zara.com

Try our delicious...

It's the Easter School holidays! Spanish Tapas

Toro Latino, Market Harborough

Kate and Debs try some spicy tapas dishes from across Europe

with chilli peppers, and prawns in a coconut sauce? Can you guess I love seafood?

That sounds great and what about chicken in a spicy pepper sauce and chorizo with garlic mushrooms? If people want something less adventurous you can always choose something from the main menu such as soup, paninis, salads or a main course. And if you only have a short lunch break, you can order ahead and the food

The Castle Inn, Caldecott

Kate and Susanna pretend they're in Venice as they enjoy an Italian feast

Kate Finding my way here tonight was no mean feat as the entire Welland Valley is ﬂooded as the river has burst its banks. But I felt much better as soon as I walked in here. I think it’s the pizza oven – it makes the place smell delicious and warms you up in an instant. Just what you need in such grim weather!

Susanna It seems quite incongruous finding a restaurant that makes stone baked pizzas smack bang in the middle of the countryside but it’s fitting on a night like this: it'll be like eating pizza in the heart of Venice. There’s a definite Italian feel to the menu with lots of pasta and risotto dishes, although they do offer a large selection of more traditional British dishes too. I suggest we share the piatta castle antipasto (£15.95) to start with and then one of us just has to choose a pizza, don’t you agree?

Kate Absolutely. The contadina looks an interesting choice with roasted chicken, goat’s cheese, red onion and spinach (£9.50). You can add extra toppings so let’s put on some fresh chilli to pep it up a little too. I know some people get a bit fed up with chefs adding chilli to everything, but it will be perfect on a thin crust pizza.

Susanna This sharing platter is a meal in itself. There’s a mountain of prosciutto, salami and ham and these sundried tomatoes are packed full of taste. It would make a great lunchtime choice, with a glass of this delicious pinot grigio too, of course.

Kate There’s a lot of ﬁsh and seafood on the specials menu, but as you’re allergic to prawns I don’t think I should chance it. I’ll go for the risotto primavera with wild mushrooms, asparagus and baby spinach (£9.95) and then we can share both main courses. It’s a really spacious pub/restaurant so I can see why it’s popular for parties, wedding receptions and large family gatherings. There are various different eating areas including a large conservatory. But it also feels cosy on a night like this for a mid-week supper.

Susanna Being so close to Corby and Uppingham it’s a great location too if you want some rustic charm but don’t want to drive for miles down winding country lanes. This pizza is delicious with a ﬁne, crispy base, lots of goats’ cheese and just the right touch of chilli. How’s the risotto? I’m not normally too keen on mushrooms.

Kate These have been sliced so ﬁnely they add a really delicate touch to the dish. The rice is creamy, the asparagus crunchy. What more can I say? It’s perfect. I couldn’t possibly manage a pudding though so let’s have a coffee and call it a night.

Susanna Good idea, I’ll have an espresso. If the ﬂoods were to rise even higher we could always stay in the Castle Sleeper hotel which is situated across the road. There are 20 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms – very convenient if you don’t want to drive after a night out. And the Eyebrook Reservoir and East Carlton Park are close by which are ideal places to walk off any excess calories the following morning. Or, if you were feeling really energetic, you could make your way up the very steep hill to Rockingham Castle – there's always something interesting happening there.

The Castle Inn Main Street, Caldecott, Leics, LE16 8RT Telephone: 01536 770641 www.castleinnrestaurant.co.uk

Great Bowden and the Grand Union Canal

TOP STAT

Great Bowden is actually

of Market

but

Open ﬁelds, an attractive village and the Grand Union Canal make for an interesting stroll on the outskirts of Market Harborough, as Will Hetherington discovers

Photography: Will Hetherington

Difﬁculty rating (out of ﬁve)

THE ROUTE

Great Bowden is split in two by the railway line which runs north/south, but I parked in the western section of the village giving immediate access to the numerous footpaths which either head north west towards the canal or south towards Market Harborough.

To be speciﬁc I parked on the road where Main Street becomes Leicester Lane, just west of the junction with Burnmill Road. From here there is a path which heads north initially through a couple of gardens, as only public footpaths in England can! It always seems a bit intrusive to walk past someone’s otherwise private front window but I suppose you know about the path when you buy the house.

Anyway this path soon turns north west and out into open countryside. There is a gentle climb across three ﬁelds before you come to the Grand

Union Canal. The path drops down on to the towpath here at Sedgleys Bridge and here you have some options. You can turn right and take a gentle stroll around the path for a while before heading back.

It’s extremely peaceful ambling along the towpath and there should be a canal boat or two to investigate. But if you are in for a long walk then don’t turn back, just stay on the towpath until you come to a footbridge taking you to the other side and then past Gartree Prison and back over the ﬁelds to the canal on the edge of Market Harborough. It’s about ﬁve miles if you take this route and makes for a good walk.

If you take the ﬁrst option when you turn back you don’t just retrace your steps back from Sedgleys Bridge. Stay on the towpath and carry on until you get to Bowden Hall Bridge which as the name suggests is just next to Great Bowden Hall.

Here you can leave the canal and walk down the main road back into Great Bowden and the Red Lion or stay on the canal and walk all the way into Market Harborough and then pick up one of the three footpaths back to Great Bowden.

It’s certainly a good idea to have your OS map with you for this walk because there are a number of options. But you will ﬁnd Great Bowden is a good-sized village bearing all the hallmarks of prosperity through the ages, including the present day. And in the Red Lion it also boasts a cracking pub. This area offers a bit of everything for walkers; village, canal, countryside and town. Go and explore.

Clockwise, from above

This walk combines open ﬁelds, an attractive village and the Grand Union Canal; impressive Great Bowden church; a walk on the towpath is a peaceful experience; The Red Lion pub is popular

part

Harborough

there is still a gap between the town and the village.

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

Where to park

I parked on the western edge of Great Bowden on Main Street very close to the junction with Burnmill Lane.

Distance and time

If you do the whole loop around past Gartree Prison and back its ﬁve miles and takes two hours but there are lots of diﬀerent length options.

Highlights

It’s very peaceful walking on the towpath of the Grand Union Canal and the countryside all around is attractive. Great Bowden is a prosperous little place and Market Harborough is always worth a look.

Lowlights

Might be best to plan your route properly before you start otherwise you can get caught in two minds.

Refreshments

The Red Lion in Great Bowden is excellent. There is also the Shoulder of Mutton.

Diﬃculty rating

Three paws. Nothing too strenuous, particularly on the towpath, but there are a few contours.

The pooch perspective

I didn’t see any livestock but swimming in the canal is probably not recommended.

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.

Edmund on track for race success

Market Harborough motorcycle racer Edmund Best will be aiming high this year in his second season competing in the British Motostar Championship, a support class of the highly prestigious MCE British Superbike series.

The 15-year old will again be riding for Leicestershire-based team, Symcirrus Motorsport, as he lines up against Europe’s top young riders. Held over 12 rounds, including at Silverstone, Donington Park and the Assen circuit in the Netherlands, the series is widely regarded as a stepping stone to riding on a world stage and has seen all of Britain’s current MotoGP riders pass through its ranks.

In his first season at this level last year, the Robert Smyth Acadamy pupil established himself as a regular top 10 finisher in a field of nearly 40 riders, culminating with a superb seventh place at Cadwell Park.

This season will see Edmund competing on top level machinery with Symcirrus Motorsport ﬁelding the ex-works KTM bike ridden by 2013 World Moto3 champion Alex Marquez.

“Last year was a huge learning curve for me,” explained Edmund. “The high speeds and technicalities of riding were such a step up from

anything I had done before. This year we will be aiming for podium ﬁnishes from the start. Symcirrus are putting me out on a bike as good as anything else on track so it’s down to me.”

Testing will start early next month for the team in readiness for the ﬁrst round to be held at Silverstone in April. This will be the start of a hectic racing schedule in which the Harborough

Olympian set to open Pitsford School’s new £2m sports centre

Pitsford School’s new £2 million sports centre will be ofﬁcially opened by former world champion and Olympian Colin Jackson on April 29.

Jackson is an Olympic silver medallist, double world champion, world record holder, 110-metre hurdler and a star of Strictly Come Dancing!

Large enough to hold four full-sized badminton courts, plus a fully-equipped cardiovascular ﬁtness suite, café area and changing facilities, the sports centre will also offer a wide choice of sports facilities including volleyball, badminton and ﬁve-a-side football.

To celebrate the opening, Pitsford School will be holding a 24-hour cyclothon with pupils competing against members of staff in addition to hosting a senior school mini-Olympics to raise funds for Sports Relief.

rider and team will be hoping to bring both success and silverware back to the town.

Symcirrus Motorsport would like to thank Leicester’s RRS Recruitment, Stanair of Kettering and Pumpkin Print of Corby for their support.

Anyone wishing to get involved with the Harborough-based team and rider can contact Jeremy Best on 07771 684908.

LUTTERWORTH TEAM RAISE A CHEER

Lutterworth College has started up its ﬁrst ever cheerleading squad and students have raised £600 through bag packing at the local supermarket, arranging school discos and bake sales so they could fund competition entry, uniforms and pom-poms.

Last month TripudioCheerLC entered its ﬁrst competition and was placed ﬁrst in the senior pom category.

Michael Hodges, head of physical education at Lutterworth College, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for their ﬁrst try and just proves that commitment, teamwork and a positive attitude really does lead to success.

“Well done girls. You represented yourselves, the squad and the school ﬂawlessly – you should be very proud of yourselves and what you have achieved. Roll on competition two!”

Robert Smyth Academy sixth form student Isaac Akers has starred in recent cross-country national races.

In late February Isaac won the under 17 men’s national cross-country title at Donington Park and also the under 17 men category at the British Athletics Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships at Cofton Park in Birmingham.

Isaac also took bronze in the senior boys’ race at the English Schools CrossCountry Championships at Wollaton Park in Nottingham despite being a year younger than many of his opponents.

The Leicestershire senior boys also won the senior boys’ team silver medal.

Le Edmund Best on his KTM Moto3 bike

Roundup

The scores, star performers and stats from a month in local sport

Rugby Fight for promotion (and relegation) heats up

BY JEREMY BESWICK

Leicester Lions and South Leicester had good months in National League Two, with Lions in their pursuit of a promotion play-off spot and South in their ﬁght against relegation.

Lions opened against Chester and had the best of the ﬁrst half, scoring two contrasting tries: prop Ben Stokes crashing over after good work from the forwards and winger Devon Constant then contributing an elegant run to put them 12-0 up at the break. Chester’s wind advantage in the second half was soon compounded by an early yellow card for Lions’ Joe Collingham and after extended pressure they put themselves back in the game with a converted try from Llion Jones Lions responded with another try, Sam Benjamin’s mazy run outpacing the defence, yet Chester hit back again through Rhys Hayes to bring the score to 19-14 with seven minutes to go. It required some resolute defending to see Lions home.

Next up was mid-table Preston

Grasshoppers away which was a close affair, Lions ﬁnally prevailing 20-17 with tries from Collingham, Spokes and Luke Veebel. Their status as play-off challengers was conﬁrmed with another away victory at Sale, with Sam Benjamin and Joe Collingham again the heroes as they prevailed by 16-12. This completed a run of seven wins out of eight to put them into fourth.

A record of two wins and ﬁve losses in 2016 had raised fears of relegation, but South Leicester’s nerves were settled by a win over fellow strugglers Tyndale and a draw at Sale.

Tyndale were making their ﬁrst ever visit to South and seemed troubled by the muddy conditions. South’s forwards dominated the visiting side for much of the match and tries from Andrew Gates and Jacob Heath saw them take an early 15-0 lead before Tyndale fought back to narrow the gap with a penalty. However, just as it seemed a period of pressure might get them back into it Gareth Turner made an interception on his own 22 and ran the remainder of the ﬁeld to touch

down. Calum Gunn then added a bonus point try to see South into the dressing room with a comfortable 27-3 lead. The second half was almost incident free as South looked to close the game down, the only score a converted try from South’s Will Ward

The following away draw at Sale leaves them 10 points off the relegation spots, but still not entirely safe.

Market Harborough remain in the second promotion slot in Midlands 2 East (South) and have widened the gap to chasing Lutterworth and Oadby Wyggestonians by notching up seven consecutive victories since their defeat at the hands of table-topping Melton Mowbray. Their ﬁxture against Lutterworth therefore, would possibly be decisive.

First they had to visit a Leicester Forest side fighting relegation in a potential banana skin of a game, but when Ed Parker opened the scoring with a soft try in the first minute they could have been forgiven for thinking this was going to be an easy day at the office. Yet Timmy Waterfield’s yellow card shortly

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Tigers talk

Richard Cockerill’s press conferences always start with enquiries about the status of those on the injured list – and this one was no exception. Halfway down the usual list of pulled hamstrings and medial ligaments there was something very unusual.

When Cockers was asked about Tom Youngs who had, as far as we knew, been having back spasms, he paused for an inordinately long time to gather his thoughts and then answered in a quiet voice, sounding most unlike his normal ebullient self: “Tom Youngs had surgery on a disc in his back yesterday and won’t play again this season.”

We all knew this was a signiﬁcant blow to Tigers’ campaign and, Youngs being universally popular at Welford Road, what a dampener it would be in the dressing room.

“We’re hopeful he’ll make it back fully fit but we’ll miss what he brings to the team, both on and off the pitch” he added. It’s a second big blow for Youngs in a month, having earlier been a shock omission from Eddie Jones’ first England squad.

Later the conversation turned, as it tends to do, to the new, more expansive playing style under Aaron Mauger. The team was in a tough period right then and had just lost to Wasps, but there was no plan to abandon the new philosophy.

“We’re committed to playing a diﬀerent brand of rugby,” said Cockers. “We could all clamp up and go back to how we played last season and it might well buy us a result or two, but wouldn’t put us where we want to be at the end of the season, to kick on from there in the new style. So we’ve got to stick with it through the bad patch.”

But did he think they were suffering from a lack of physicality – always their traditional strength? “Our injury list is full of big, strong ball carriers,” he said, “but there have been lots of games where we’ve been pretty tough too. It’s a search for the right balance between flair and strength. Everyone’s got a bit gloomy but we’re fi h in the league and in the quarter-final in Europe. That’s not a bad place to be. ”

Later he was very complimentary about England’s new side, saying: “They’ve been good to watch. Great at the set pieces, patient, playing in the right areas. An organised, tough and motivated group of young players.” He then added with a grin: “Even Eddie Jones seems to be enjoying himself.”

I also sat down with the Kiwi that plays for Tonga – Telusa Veainu. He’s been a revelation this season and, a er originally coming for a two-month trial, he’s now signed a contract until the end of the season a er next. Good news for his many admirers in the crowd. He’d played under Mauger at Canterbury, so knows him well.

“His strengths are he’s approachable and, having played at world class level himself, knows just what a player needs to hear at what time. He keeps it simple and he’ll tell you it the way it is – good or bad – but you know it’s only because he wants you to improve. In a way he and Cockers are opposites. One calm, one with passion, but both make you want to play for them.”

He then smiled and added: “Otherwise they’ll shout at you!”

thereafter, followed by two Forest tries in his absence, punctured any complacency and when Michael Woodford followed Waterﬁeld to the sin bin the home side scented blood. For a while their forwards dominated but Harborough remained resolute in defence and as their binned players returned a second try from Parker and then others from Caolann Fitzpatrick and Fin Clarke saw them 24-10 up in the half-time dressing room with the bonus point secured.

A Forest try early in the second half reduced the deﬁcit and yet another yellow card, this time for George Lee, meant the result was still in the balance but two penalties from captain Ed Bale kept Forest at arm’s length and near the end Billy Blair put matters beyond doubt

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with a try under the posts to make the ﬁnal score 37-17.

That result meant that when Lutterworth visited Northampton Road the two teams were level on points, the stage was set for a classic and the ground was packed. The visitors had the better of the ﬁrst quarter and deservedly led 6-0, but slowly Harborough improved with Billy Blair beginning to orchestrate proceedings and on 30 minutes Caolann Fitzpatrick took his pass, split the defence and set up Ed Parker who couldn’t miss, Ed Bale slotting the conversion. A third penalty to Lutterworth reversed matters before half time, giving them a 9-7 lead.

Harborough emerged from the dressing room with their tails up and when Fin Clarke

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collected a kick deep in his own half there didn’t appear to be much on, but an audacious run took him to the Lutterworth 10-metre line where he chipped on, the chase for the ball being won by Parker for his second try. A penalty to Lutterworth brought the scores level.

With 20 minutes left Sam Patterson picked up the ball and surged into the opponents’ half where he found Parker, who took the ball cleanly and waltzed over the line for his hat-trick. A penalty brought the score to 17-15 close to the end and a second gave the visitors the chance to steal the win with the last play of the game. The silence as the kick was taken was as intense as the roar from the home supporters as it missed the post.

Above Telusa Veainu has been a revelation since joining the Tigers this season

Football Harborough eye mid-table security

BY JEREMY BESWICK

Harborough Town started with a tough ﬁxture away to title favourites Kempston Rovers, who are unbeaten at home this season and after 40 minutes, with the score at 0-0, their job was made even harder after a sending off, but they held on for a scoreless draw.

Vice-chairman Andy Winston said: “To play that long with 10 men and not concede against that side was a fantastic performance. We could even had nicked it late on as we had two good chances near the end.”

Another scoreless draw followed against Sleaford, in what was the sort of match no-one would mind missing, including Winston who, luckily for him as it turned out, was absent at a wedding.

“Not a staggering game. Apparently it was all a bit dire,” he told me but, despite neither side meriting points for artistic impression, this was still an excellent away result against a team that is ﬁve places above them in the league.

As a result they would have gone into their home fixture again Peterborough Northern Star full of confidence. Football being football, they were soon 2-0 down. Winston commented: “They were clearly the better side in the first half. I think we were resting on our laurels a bit after those two good away results but to find ourselves down at half-time was a wake-up call.”

Manager Nick Pollard made two substitutions which proved to be inspired as replacement centre half Ryan Watkins scored twice before Barnes Gladman bagged the winner to the delight of the crowd at Bowdens Park.

“Our target at the beginning of the season, having been promoted, was just to survive,” said Winston “but now we’re aiming for 55 points which will see us safely into mid-table and hopefully next season we can kick on from there.”

He told me they’ve secured most of the funding for their new 3G pitch which is now planned for installation during the close

season after next. With plans to grow from a total of 50 teams of all types playing at the complex to around 70, they’ll need it.

Oadby Town remain in danger of relegation from the Premier Division, despite two recent wins and a draw. As Huntingdon Town are miles adrift at the very bottom, the second slot seems to be between them, Wellingborough Town and Northampton Sileby.

Only one point separates all three and both of their rivals have played fewer games. To maximise their chances of staying up, town continue to recruit new talent. Having signed three players last month, they added another four this, including a youngster on Peterborough United’s books – Josh Burniston. The other new arrivals are Conor Brown-Wingﬁeld from Kirby Muxloe, Keaton Towers from Blaby and Whetstone and Leighton Simmonds for his second stint at Wigston Road.

Their crucial recent run of games included double headers against both Peterborough Northern Star and Cogenhoe United. After a

Vox Fox

While this column rarely strays into the realms of investment advice, surely shares in Leicester’s own Thomas Cook are set to rise as the vast corporate and executive entertainment staﬀs at Barcelona, PSG, Real Madrid and all the rest – having only the vaguest idea of where Leicester actually is – look to hand them lucrative contracts for advice and guidance surrounding their surprise visits to the King Power Stadium next season?

However, even if that were true, it’s unlikely to be as lucrative an investment as the betting slips owned by some prescient – or helplessly devoted – Foxes fans, who bravely backed their side to win the league at the start of the season.

In February one supporter was reportedly the ﬁrst to cash out early –banking £1,100 for his £1 at 5,000/1. Although he may now be regretting not hanging on a bit longer, he reasoned at the time “Over a grand is too good an oﬀer to turn down and it will go towards trains and tickets to follow Leicester chase the dream in the title run-in. Football isn’t cheap these days and the feeling of winning the league will be priceless anyway.”

He was followed some time later by fellow supporter Jon Pryke, whose conundrum was somewhat more intense, having laid out a whopping £20 at the same odds.

On ITV he explained his logic: “Teams have worked out how to play against us and the smaller teams will just start parking the bus. I’d actually have preferred our run-in to be against the bigger teams as we know how to beat them.”

How someone who had proved himself to be a dyed-in-the-wool optimist by placing that bet in the ﬁrst place could turn into such a pessimist in the space of a few months can only be testimony of the stress that money brings.

Crucially, Jon had waited until a er the Foxes won at Manchester City, which meant he did rather better proportionally, receiving £29,000 of the £50,000 he could have won. Even that would have been higher had he waited longer, but don’t feel too sorry for him. He still has another, un-cashed betting slip in his back pocket – for the Foxes to ﬁnish in the top four at 400/1.

According to Ladbrokes, 47 people backed Leicester to win the Premiership pre-season and three others have already cashed out. Spokesman Alex Donahue said: “Jon’s gut must be telling him Leicester’s luck is about to run out so we don’t blame him for cashing in his bet at all. £29,000 from £20 is an incredibly impressive return regardless and we take our hat oﬀ to him for

home draw against Peterborough they continued promisingly with a 4-2 win away to Cogenhoe. Two-nil up at half time with a penalty from Ollie Brown-Hill and a goal from open play by Louis Hamilton, the Poachers soon put the game beyond the home side’s reach with a further two goals in the ﬁrst ﬁfteen minutes of the second period from Josh Burniston and Jurelle Phillip, before easing up and losing concentration to concede twice.

Those two performances seemed to have opened clear blue water between them and the relegation spots, however they then contrived to put themselves back into trouble by losing both return halves of those double headers.

Despite taking an early lead at home to Cogenhoe through Sam Hollis, they conceded

Above

Leicester’s winning run has continued – they are now eight points clear at the top of the table

having the vision to back his side at the start of the season.”

Actually, on reﬂection I’m rather torn. Should I put my money into Thomas Cook or back Leicester to win the treble next year – Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup?

three goals in the last third of the match and were then narrowly beaten 4-3 at Peterborough. A win against Northampton Spencer was followed by a loss to Wisbech to ensure a nail-biting ﬁnish to the season for all at Freeway Park.

Over at the FA, David Jamieson issued a plea for everyone involved in the local game to vote for their volunteer of the year. He said: “This month brings with it the ﬁnal weeks in which you can nominate a Leicestershire grassroots hero for one of the FA Community Awards. These accolades comprise of three stages; county, regional and national – with our Leicestershire & Rutland County FA Community Awards taking place on May 17 at Leicester City Football Club’s King Power Stadium.”

So this is your opportunity to say thanks to

all those stalwarts at your club that do the hard work behind the scenes for no reward, save the satisfaction of helping the game that they love.

Jamieson added: “I encourage anyone who knows of a volunteer that deserves acknowledgement to visit our website and nominate them. Last year, we received an outstanding 70 nominations, and we’d very much like to see that number increased this year.

“We’ll be releasing further details of the local Community Awards in due course, with our ceremony taking place in advance of the Challenge Cup Final on the same night”.

It takes hardly any time to nominate someone by clicking on “Who’s your grassroots hero” at www.leicestershirefa.com So get typing!

Equestrianism

Eventing gets underway... just

BY JULIA DUNGWORTH

Hunting has nearly ﬁnished for the season apart from a few of the smaller packs who will keep going until the end of March.

After a deluge of rain, some of the last meets have been cancelled or cut down to a one-horse day, but luckily all the local packs managed their last ofﬁcial meets and again with spring almost happening overnight, they were all massively well supported as usual.

With the end of hunting, the point-to-point season is well underway. The Cottesmore made a great start at Garthorpe at the end of February, when more than a thousand people endured the Baltic conditions to watch a great afternoon of racing, which also meant the bar did an extraordinary amount of trade!

There were doubles for trainers Gerald Bailey and Tommie Morgan and also wins for leading jockeys Gina Andrews and Claire Hart

One of the best performances of the day came from Agent For Chaos who was a winner in the Maiden at Thorpe Lodge just a fortnight before with part-owner Kelly Morgan on board. Here Sam Davies-Thomas rode him in the restricted race but the performance was no

less impressive and he ﬁnished very strongly, a distance ahead of Brianogue, with Eastern Witness a distance behind them. The horse has only been in the Morgan yard for six weeks, having been spotted in Ireland, but will now look for an intermediate to contest the rest of the season.

It was not a great start to the eventing season again with the sad death of Olivia Inglis who was tragically killed after a rotational fall. Even though it wasn’t in Britain, the aftershock was felt across the continent and ﬁlled our social media pages with over three million people posting tribute photos in support. You may have seen some of the posts #rideforolivia, where her friends and family are planning to use them to make a mosaic.

Eventing in this country also took a hammering with the weather and many events cancelled their ﬁrst events including locally at Oasby, which luckily only managed to get away with cancelling the ﬁrst day, which is even more unfortunate as Oasby very generously give a pound from each competitor to charity!

Oliver Townend probably pulled off the best performance with a win in the open

intermediate with Black Tie and a third with Dromgurphy Blue.

Tom March from Maidwell is also doing well in light of Piggy French’s maternity leave with a win on Jump Jet in the intermediate, after Piggy has piloted him for the last couple of years, notably at the Young Horse Championships at Le Lion last autumn.

Simon Grieve from Tilton-on-the-Hill has made a great start to the season. He pulled off three ﬁrsts at Isleham in the 90, 100, novice and second in the intermediate, then followed that up at Oasby with a third and fourth in the intermediate. I’m sure he would have won more too, but he was one of many to have the bulk of his entries on the cancelled day. He’ll be one to watch for the rest of the season with so many horses and his main stay Conacrew. I’m sure he will be aiming for Badminton.

Vale View Equestrian had a rare treat to have famous event rider Matthew Wright contest his ﬁrst Prix St George in February. He was riding his girlfriend Victoria Peace’s Branduardi; he scored a very impressive 67.24% to win the silver section.

Steph Croxford won the gold section on a score of 72.5% so he’s not far off hitting the big time.

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Hockey Leicester ﬁnishing strongly

Leicester produced a superb performance just when they needed it most: a 1-0 victory against rivals Reading being enough to secure their Premier League status with two games to go

It was always going to be a hard fought battle, as visitors Reading were also in need of points to bolster their bid to avoid the drop.

They re-inforced their ranks with three returning Olympians, and Kate Richardson Walsh playing as captain.

But Leicester were more than up to the task and muted any attack that Reading put their way.

As the game went on, the home side started to wrestle the initiative away from the visitors and it was in the 33rd minute that the deadlock was broken by an excellent individual goal from Lizzie Honarmand who calmly rounded the advancing keeper and ﬁred into an empty net.

Leicester were very calm at half-time and understood the gravity of the task that faced them in the next 35 minutes, and they grew in conﬁdence and controlled the pace of the game as it went on in a very assured and professional manner.

The game was seen out with 10 players, but old head Hannah Fair, was at the fore as Leicester didn’t put a foot wrong and secured a massive result for this young, maturing team.

Leicester then travelled down to Clifton, still

hopeful that a win there would keep their play-off hopes alive after a recent run of good form.

A season’s best performance saw them comprehensively victorious with a 6-2 win but results elsewhere meant that Leicester will have to settle for mid table safety.

The game was an open affair with Leicester quite happy to concede the majority of possession to the home side and play them on the break.

The ﬁrst goal came from Emily Kilner who pounced on the loose ball and thundered her shot into the roof of the net.

Nikki Laybourne then ensured that the visitors went into the break two up after calmly slotting home after a brilliant break and set up play from Katie Long and then Liz George

It only took 30 seconds of the second half for Katie Long to punish a defensive Clifton error and within another two minutes, Liz George copied her team-mate and ﬁred home another unstoppable reverse stick strike from the top of the D.

Clifton kept ﬁghting and got their deserved rewards with two goals both from short corners, but Leicester weren’t to be denied and a penalty stroke from Holly Payne and goal poached at the far post from Laybourne settled the game.

Leicester go into the last game of the season having won ﬁve of their six games since Christmas.

Above

Lizzie Honarmand scored the only goal in Leicester’s win against Reading which secured their Premier League status

Active Magazine // South Leicestershire // April 2016

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