Active Magazine // South Leicestershire // May 2015

! Your great new guide to sport and leisure E We launch our first issue for South Leicestershire - take a look inside E

FR

ISSUE 1 // MAY 2015

South Leicestershire's Sport and leisure magazine

Revitalise your weekend!

ISSUE 1 // MAY 2015

Don't sit about - make your days off count: spas, sports, walks, food, fitness. Our complete guide!

PLUS

Dog walks and training l G reat recipes l H ealth & fitness advice l

Generation game

An Active Life our guide

Roundup of www.theACTIVEmag.com sport near you

South Leicester RUFC is a family affair

Brilliant places to go and see, amazing things to try out

How your local teams have fared this month

SL Cover 35.indd 116

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NOTTINGHAM BEESTON

M1

BOSTON

A1

A52

SWINESHEAD

A52

GRANTHAM

KEYWORTH

A17 KEGWORTH

A6

A

A16

A607

A606

A15

A46 MELTON MOWBRAY

LOUGHBOROUGH

HOLBEACH

A151

SPALDING

A1

BOURNE

A17

KING’S LYNN

M1 A1101

A606 A50

A606

OAKHAM

LEICESTER

STAMFORD

A6003

A47

MARKET DEEPING

A15

A10

WISBECH

A16

UPPINGHAM Enjoy a restful break at the Falcon Hotel, our stunning 16th century coaching inn.

Experience an innovative twist on brasserie food at A1DonPETERBOROUGH Paddy’s, or simply M1 relax with a local ale in our cosy traditional English pub, The Vaults.

A47

OADBY

WIGSTON

A1122

MARCH

A6003

MARKET HARBOROUGH

A427

A508

CORBY A43

A6003

A6

TO N O LOND

A6

LUTTERWORTH

DOWNHAM MARKET

A47

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A6116 A43

TO ON D LON

We are located just off theA14 A47 between KETTERING A14 Leicester and Peterborough, situated in M1 Uppingham’s historic Market Place.

A605

THRAPSTON

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TO BIRMINGHAM

A508

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A509 A6

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UPPINGHAM

A45

A

Falcon Hotel 01572 823535 info@falcon-hotel.co.uk Don Paddy’s 01572 822255 info@donpaddys.co.uk The Vaults 01572 823259 info@thevaultsuppingham.co.uk

A

Sat Nav LE15 9QH

A

A6003

T HE MARKET PLACE, UPPIN G H AM, RUTL A N D.

Advert Don Paddy Falcon Vaults 285x220v2.indd 1

23/01/2015 13:00:04

Editor’s Letter WELCOME TO THE FIRST ISSUE OF ACTIVE magazine for South Leicestershire. Three years ago, in the golden glow of the London Olympics, we launched our first version of Active just over the border in Rutland. You may have seen it on your travels east.

Well, such has been its success that the time has come to expand. After all, we can hardly tell our readers to get out and try something new if we don’t, can we?

And so this is it: a magazine for those people who want to live life to the full, to be fit, healthy, play sport or take up new challenges.

We’re not just a magazine about local sport, although that is a big part of what we do. Our view is that anything which gets you off the sofa is a good thing. Our aim is to provide you with ideas and inspiration.

In this first issue we’re looking at how to revitalise your weekends and make the most of your time off to be fitter and healthier, as well as how local teams have fared over the winter, while looking forward to what the summer has in store.

But we want to hear from you, about what you are up to and the interesting things you do. So if you have a hobby you reckon others would enjoy, or play a sport and are looking for more to join in, please get in touch (email addresses and phone numbers are over there on the right!), and we’ll feature what you do in the coming months.

I hope you enjoy the magazine, 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, Sandie Hurford, Jeremy Beswick, Julia Dungworth Photographers Nico Morgan, Pip Warters Production assistant Gary Curtis Advertising sales Lisa Withers lisa@theactivemag.com Rachel Meadows rachel@theactivemag.com Office administration & accounts Kate Maxim kate@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. Distributed by Grassroots Publishing Ltd. ISSN 2049-8713 A Grassroots Publishing Limited company. Company registration number 7994437. VAT number 152717318 Disclaimer

Twitter // @theACTIVEmag Facebook // www.facebook.com/theACTIVEmag

Copyright (c) Grassroots Publishing Limited (GPL) 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or be stored in any retrieval system, of any nature, without prior permission from GPL. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of GPL or its affiliates. Disclaimer of Liability. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, GPL and its affiliates assume no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of and, to the extent permitted by law, shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained in this publication.

Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of the advertising material which they submit and for ensuring the material complies with applicable laws.

GPL and its affiliates are are not responsible for any error, omission or inaccuracy in any advertisement and will not be liable for any damages arising from any use of products or services or any action or omissions taken in reliance on information or any statement contained in advertising material. Inclusion of any advertisement is not intended to endorse any view expressed, nor products or services offered nor the organisations sponsoring the advertisement.

/// M A Y 2 0 1 5

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3

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Contents NEWS

ISSUE 1 /// MAY 2015

28

14 ACTIVE LIFE

Music in the Park at Wistow

17 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

Rockingham Castle Estate CEO Andrew Norman

18-19 HEALTHY EATING

A tasty recipe from Riverford Organic

20 FIVE THINGS TO DO IN MAY...

Great ideas for days out with the family

23 WONDERFUL RUTLAND

Reasons to pop over and visit the smallest county

25 GARDENING

Advice on preparing and potting for summer

27 WIN TICKETS TO THE BIG OUTDOORS SHOW Family ticket to sport and leisure event up for grabs

33 MARTIN JOHNSON COLUMN

The Sunday Times writer ponders local sporting greats

34-35 KIT BAG

Essential gear for the sporting summer

FEATURES 28-31 LOCAL RUGBY

Jeremy Beswick visits South Leicester RFC

36-41 REVITALISE YOUR WEEKEND Make more of your Saturday and Sunday

42-48 HEALTH AND FITNESS

The latest on looking and feeling great

17 36

33

REGULARS 50 DOG HEALTH

More great advice to make life with your pooch easier

52-53 GREAT WALKS

Will Hetherington heads to Knossington

55 SPORTSMAN’S DINNER

We try out The Grey Goose at Gilmorton

56-59 SCHOOL SPORT

Our focus on the latest achievements from local pupils

60-66 ROUND-UP

How clubs in the area are faring

6 M AY 2015 ///

6 SL contentsOK.indd 6

26/04/2015 18:53

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In Play

8 M AY 2015 ///

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26/04/2015 20:54

JORDAN MANSFIELD

CiCLE Classic serves up a quality race.

Based upon the legendary Paris – Roubaix and RondEe van Vlaanderen spring classic races of Northern Europe, the Rutland – Melton is a race between Oakham and Melton Mowbray. This year’s winner was Australian Steele Von Hoff from the NFTO Pro Cycling team.

/// M AY 2015 9

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In Play

1 0 M AY 2015 ///

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Jump to it!

NICO MORGAN

Competition was fierce for the Quorn Gold Cup at Garthorpe. Pictured, from le : Alex VaughanJones (riding Sandpipers), Dale Peters on Nightcap Jack, Jack Day (obscured on Mac Helen) and Fred Henderson on Otto The Great.

/// M AY 2015 11

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In Play

1 2 M AY 2015 ///

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26/04/2015 20:55

UPPY61

Don’t be blue spring is here!

A carpet of Bluebells in our woods signify the seasons have well and truly changed, and it’s time to get outdoors and active again.

/// M AY 2015 1 3

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26/04/2015 20:56

Activelife GREAT THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO SEE, PEOPLE TO MEET // Edited by Mary Bremner

OUT AND ABOUT

Music in the Park Music in the Park at Wistow Hall will be held on Saturday, June 13, in aid of two local charities. Bring your own picnic and enjoy a fabulous evening listening to music with a grand finale firework display in front of the hall.

Tickets are £15 in advance.  For more details and to book visit www.wistow.com

1 4 M AY 2015 ///

14 SL Active lifeOK.indd 10

24/04/2015 19:40

4421_HDLT STS Ad_Active Magazine_AW.qxp_188mm x 125mm 16/04/2015 09:20 Page 1

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15.indd 1

24/04/2015 11:10

Help for flat owners in South Leicestershire Sexton Property Management is a newly established business that is helping apartment owners to affordably manage the maintenance of their buildings.

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24/04/2015 09:18

Activelife

A day in the life of

ANDREW NORMAN

CEO of Rockingham Castle Estate who’s still classed as a newcomer after 13 years

I

started work at the castle 13 years ago, but I consider myself a seriously junior member of staff. The head forester has been here 60 years; the head gardener 27 years and one of the guiding team started here when I was 13 years old. Everyone who works here has a genuine love for the place, and the sense of continuity is fantastic – the castle has been standing for nearly 1,000 years and owned by the same family for 500.

This is certainly the longest job I’ve ever had.

I’ve gone from six months as a jackaroo in Australia, to painting and decorating, estate agency, three years as a soldier in the Army, to running a sporting estate, then an outward bound centre in Devon, to Belvoir Castle and finally here. And never a day goes by when I don’t look out of my window and think what a lovely place it is to work.

I commute an hour from Newark. One of the first things I do is go around the estate and notice jobs for the maintenance team. There’s a lot of re-roofing, mending and repairing to do.

At the moment we’re resurfacing the Great Park Road and refurbishing the caretaker’s flat. I have a weekly meeting with our heads of department and another with the office team to make sure we’re not overlapping or missing anything. I don’t walk the estate as often as I’d like but frequently drive, which is not as satisfactory. I used to bring my old dog into work but my current dog is a bit bonkers and until she calms down she’s staying at home.

Suffering in the workplace We have 85 members of staff, including 13 who work full-time. Apart from the maintenance team we have guides, ticket office and gift shop staff and the team in the Walkers House restaurant.

We have about 25,000 visitors during the year and we host weddings, shooting parties, product launches, school visits and, of course, our big park events. We have jousting in June, a big Vikings weekend in August and this year it’s our third horse trials from May 22 to 24. Last year we had 16 Olympians riding and 19 nations represented. It’s a popular course as it’s an old-fashioned one – long and galloping – as opposed to more modern courses with lots of sharp turns.

I took part in The Suffering race last year,with my daughter and her friends – we ran seven kilometres over 39 obstacles. It was fun but brutal as there were Marine-type men making you do press-ups and things if you weren’t running fast enough. Never again!

‘I took part in The Suffering race last year.

It was fun but brutal... never again!’

My job involves marketing, amongst many other tasks, to raise the castle’s profile both locally and nationally, and I work with many different tourism bodies. I’m now the chair of the Corby Visitor Forum and we’re trying to build a single website so visitors can find out where to stay in the area and discover different places to visit. I also work with Hidden England which is a group of 10 stately houses and gardens in the East Midlands.

I lunch on a sandwich from M&S, Greggs or Subway, and then carry on with administration, dealing with staff training and making sure this is a safe place for visitors and staff. Our diary runs about two years ahead, particularly for weddings, and we have to always balance the needs of the Saunders Watson family with the

demands of the estate. I walk through the house four or five times a day and think of how to improve the visitor experience. I also walk the gardens once a week, otherwise we do all this work and don’t manage to appreciate it.

I leave at about 6pm and on the way home I contemplate the day or, if Mrs Norman and I are about to go off to Italy, I’ll listen to a CD to try and become less incompetent at Italian. I love music too, particularly country, so I’ll often listen to that on the way home.

Mrs Norman is a great cook so we’ll eat well then I might get on the mower in the summer – I’m an enthusiastic labourer – and head off to bed at around 10pm. I have a very positive outlook and I’ve had an incredibly lucky life so far. Not by design: it’s just worked out. /// M AY 2015

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24/04/2015 19:41

Activelife

1 8 M A Y 2 0 1 5 ///

18-19 recipeOK.indd 18

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FENNEL AND OLIVE TAGINE INGREDIENTS

1 onion 2 garlic cloves 2 fennel bulbs Oil for frying 1 large potato 70g preserved lemon Vegetable stock cube 30g fresh coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground ginger Pinch of saffron 30g pitted green olives 100g wholemeal couscous Salt and pepper 2 teaspoons ras al hanout 2 tsp olive oil

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160 C/gas mark 3. Boil the kettle. Peel and slice the onion. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Wash and slice the celery.

Wash the fresh coriander and shake dry.

●

Trim the fennel bulbs by removing any stalks at the top and excessive root at the bottom.

Discard the tough looking outer layer. Cut each bulb into 8 wedges. Wash and peel the potato and cut into 1 1/2cm cubes (Picture 1).

●

Warm some oil in the pan and fry the onions and celery for 5 minutes until starting to soften.

Add the fennel and cook for a further 5 minutes, turning up the heat to allow it to take on some colour (2) .While the onions cook, dissolve the stock cube in 400ml of water. Remove the seeds and pulp from the lemon with a spoon and

●

RECIPE BOXES Riverford recipe boxes are a simple and inspiring way to cook. Every week, we deliver everything you need to make three tasty organic meals. Inside each box, you’ll find the freshest, seasonal organic produce, step-bystep recipe cards and all the ingredients in exact quantities.

The recipes are quick to cook and ideal for week nights – most are ready in under 45 minutes. Think well balanced and nutritious,

discard. Slice the skin into thin strips. Chop the coriander stalks roughly, keeping the leaves for later.

1

Add the coriander stalks to the pan with the sliced lemon skin, garlic, potato, ground coriander, cumin, ginger, saffron and olives. Fry lightly for 3 minutes to release the fragrance from the spices.

●

Pour over the stock and bring to a simmer giving it a good stir to release any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan (3). Cover with the lid and put in the oven for 40 minutes.

●

2

Put the couscous in a pan. Add a good glug of olive oil, a pinch of salt and the ras al hanout.

Mix well so the oil coats the couscous. Pour over enough boiled water to cover the couscous.

Cover and leave to stand.

●

Remove the pan from the oven, everything should be cooked but holding its shape. Add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. If it needs longer to cook put it back on the hob, uncovered for a while.

●

3

Fluff the couscous up with a fork. Roughly chop the coriander leaves and stir into the tagine, served on a bed of couscous. Absolutely delicious!

●

TIPS

Don’t worry if you don’t have a tagine, a casserole dish with a lid does the job just as well.

We found that the fennel could have been cut into slightly smaller pieces.

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

There are three different varieties of recipe box – choose from vegetarian, quick or original.

A box for two people ranges in price from £33 for the vegetarian box, to £39.95 for the quick and original boxes. Delivered straight to your door, with everything you need to cook included, generous portion sizes, and three delicious meals per box they offer great value for money.

No waste. No missing the vital ingredient. All you have to do is cook.

Visit: www.riverford.co.uk/recipebox to find out more or call 01803 762059.

/// M A Y 2 0 1 5 1 9

18-19 recipeOK.indd 19

26/04/2015 19:03

Activelife

OUT AND ABOUT

Five things to do in May

There’s lots to do around our area this month, so why not try one of these?

Visit the Rockingham International Horse Trials on May 22-24. A three-day event with plenty of well-known riders. It’s not just horses though as there are lots of trade stands, a climbing wall and lots for everyone to do, including the children. www.rockinghamcastlehorsetrials.com Explore Foxton Locks. What better way to spend the afternoon than watching the canal narrow boats traverse the Grade II listed 10 locks

in two staircases, the largest in England? And then enjoy a leisurely lunch or drink watching the world go by, perfect.

Visit Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and find out more about the Battle of Bosworth.

One of the area’s premier historical sites, discover more about the battle and the death of King Richard III, who has recently been re-interred at Leicester Cathedral. www.bosworthbattlefield.com

It’s half-term so get the kids outside. Remove them from their computers, X-Boxes or mobile phones and take them for a walk (even though they’ll object initially). They’ll have a great time and enjoy the benefits of fresh air and, who knows, they might even want to do it again...

Book tickets for Singin’ in the Rain at Kilworth House. Experience the open air theatre in the grounds of Kilworth House Hotel. www.kilworthhousetheatre.co.uk

NATURE

If you go out in the fields today...

When you’re out and about do you look across the fields and debate which crop is which? This month we look at the much maligned oilseed rape.

Famous for it’s bright yellow flower it’s a member of the brassica family. Some hate the expanse of yellow across the countryside, others love it. Just coming to the end of its flowering period long thin pods will soon develop which house tiny black rape seeds. Also known as canola it’s the third largest source of vegetable oil in the world.

Used for animal feed, vegetable oil and increasingly bio-diesel. It’s a popular winter break crop with farmers as the foliage covers the soil and adds nutrients that are particularly beneficial to a following wheat crop.

Blamed by many for causing hayfever, but it has never actually been proven to do so.

2 0 M AY 2015 ///

20 SL Active life.indd 26

24/04/2015 19:43

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24/04/2015 11:11

Caring for you is our passion

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Read the magazine first online at: www.theactivemag.com Connect with us on the following social media platforms: facebook.com/theactivemag

google.com/+theactivemag

twitter.com/theactivemag

thinglink.com/theactivemag

pinterest.com/theactivemag

linkedin.com/company/ theactivemag

1 F E BRUA RY 2 0 14 ///

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24/04/2015 16:08

DARIUS SUTHERLAND

Activelife

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

OH TO BE IN RUTLAND…..

One of the nicest places to live in the UK... and it’s not just us saying that The tiny county of Rutland has just been named as Britain’s best rural place to live, and we know exactly why...

It has one of the lowest crime rates in the country and has been voted one of the happiest places to live with the adult population being the most satisfied and content. Residents thankfully enjoy good health and earn above average salaries – hence being happy and content.

It’s renowned for its beer, bread and birds. The Grainstore Brewery in Oakham makes a good pint. Award-winning Hambleton Bakery bakes the most delicious artisan breads and it’s home to the osprey that have returned once again to nest at Rutland Water – you can find them on the Egleton reserve. There are good schools –private and state, – including Oakham, Uppingham and UCC with the Stamford Endowed Schools just a stone’s throw away.

And if sailing or fishing’s your thing you have Rutland Water on your doorstep which offers a plethora of entertainment for all the family.

It rarely rains! Rainfall is well below average for the UK. Rutland is well represented by estate agents, they know a good thing when they see it, and have just been joined by another one; Simpson and Partners have recently opened a branch in Market Harborough.

/// M A Y 2 0 1 5 2 3

23 Active life.indd 23

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24/04/2015 12:40

Activelife

GARDENING

Summer’s on the way!

Time to dead-head and plant your pots... but beware of late frosts There’s lots to do in the garden now. Dead-head and divide clumps of daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs.

There’s still time to divide hardy perennials to improve their vigour and create new plants.

Divide hostas as they start growing. Tie sweet peas to their support frames to encourage them to climb. And, of course, as it’s maximum growing season remember to top dress your beds with fertiliser.

Now is the time to start planting up your hanging baskets and pots. But, beware, there can

still be some late frosts so keep an eye on the weather forecast before putting them out. And, if it’s dry remember to keep them watered.

Hopefully the weather will be warm enough to spend a few hours sitting in your garden, gin and tonic in hand enjoying life….

■ Allotment Corner May is a fabulous month. Days are longer, temperatures are hopefully higher giving us a promise of the summer months to come. It’s also a busy month as it’s time to start sowing

seeds. But be aware of the weather forecast and avoid planting small seedlings if there is frost on the way. Start hardening them off so that, towards the end of the month, when the soil has warmed up, they can be planted outside.

May is the month for asparagus and there’s nothing more delicious than freshly harvested spears. It grows rapidly so check every day for new growth. Rhubarb should be ready to harvest this month. Pick when the stalks get to about 12 inches, don’t let them get much longer or it will get too stringy.

NATURE

How to spot a sedge warbler The sedge warbler is one of a number of small songbirds which winter in Africa and migrate to Europe to breed.

Slightly smaller than a house sparrow, sedge warblers are brown with darker streaking on the head and buffish white underparts.

A clear white stripe over the eye is a good identification mark, helping to separate it from the similar reed warbler.

As its name suggests this is a

bird that frequents damp areas with reeds and scrub by rivers and lakes.

It is a common bird at Rutland Water and is found by the River Welland near Tinwell and further upstream, and also at Leighfield Fishponds.

Like most warblers, sedge warblers are more often heard than seen, so a knowledge of their song is key to finding them. It is loud, chattering and very fast, usually delivered from cover.

Don’t despair – sedge warblers have a song flight which takes

them into the air, singing furiously, before dropping back into the vegetation.

Insects provide the sedge warbler’s food and in late summer they fatten up on aphids, almost doubling their weight before making their return flight to West Africa.

Birds ringed at Rutland Water have been re-trapped in Spain, Portugal and Ghana.

Terry Mitcham /// M A Y 2 0 1 5

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24/04/2015 19:44

Activelife

COMPETITION

Win! Big Outdoor Show tickets

Active has a weekend family pass for two adults and two children up for grabs Active has teamed up with The Big Outdoor Show to celebrate the great outdoors.

The event is taking place in Milton Keynes from May 23-25 and our competition prize is a pass for two adults and two children to camp at the event for the whole weekend.

Plus, we’re giving the lucky winners the chance to learn survival skills from ex-Royal Marines Commando John Sullivan with tickets

to see his exciting seminar. John is just one of the line-up of speakers including Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Felicity Aston.

As well as learning from expert adventurers, you can also explore different outdoor activities including kayaking, paddleboarding, climbing and sailing.

You can also get up close and personal with Exotic Animal Encounters, or watch

demonstrations in water safety from Newfoundland dogs (pictured), or be amazed by what the Action Sports Tour can do on two wheels. There’s something to suit everyone. Visit www.thebigoutdoorshow.co.uk for more details.

To enter, email the answer to the question below to bos@theactivemag.com by May 14.

Question: Which young lady is speaking about water safety with her canine friends?

EVENTS

What’s on...

OPEN GARDENS The National Gardens Scheme has been opening gardens to raise money for nursing and caring charities since 1927 and last year donated £3 million to several charities, including Macmillan, Help the Hospices and the Carers’ Trust as well as supporting young gardeners by sponsoring traineeships. This year they are

aiming to do it all over again, thanks to the support of all the visitors and the generosity of those who open their beautiful gardens.

Admission ranges from £3.50 to £5 (children free) and there are always delicious refreshments on offer. www.ngs.org.uk Rutland Garden opening dates Sunday, May 3: Barleythorpe gardens, 2-5pm Sunday, May 17: Manton gardens, 12.30-5pm Sunday, May 24: The Old Vicarage, Burley, 1.30-5pm Sunday, May 31: Burrough gardens, 2-5pm

RED RIDING HOOD Red Riding Hood is being performed at the University of Leicester’s Art Centre on May 26 and 27. Suitable for children aged four and above, it promises to be a fun show with lots of silliness and spooky moments – a classic re-telling of the girl and the wolf. www.embracearts.co.uk or call the box office on 0116 252 2455 ART IN UPPINGHAM Visit Uppingham Theatre. There are lots of performances throughout the year with something on virtually every week in May. www.uppthearts.co.uk

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28/04/2015 07:36

Feature /// Rugby

THE GENERATION

GAME

South Leicester RFC have had a great year, but that success is based on deep-rooted support going back many decades. By Jeremy Beswick

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Far le and le

The Colts celebrate winning the 2014-15 County Cup at the Leicester Tigers ground; Colts captain Reece Harris and 1st XV captain Will Ward savour the victory

SOUTH LEICESTER RFC have had a season to remember – arguably the most successful in their 96-year history. The league has been won at a canter by around 20 points and both the 1st XV and the Colts have landed the coveted County Cup. Next season will see them playing in National 2 for the first time. That’s the fourth tier of English rugby and, to put it into perspective, only one more promotion away from playing against famous old clubs like Blackheath and Rosslyn Park.

I took myself down to their ground at Wigston Magna to see if I could discover the secret of their success. It wasn’t long until I stumbled on my first clue.

Taking the admission money was volunteer Jeremy Oldham, who joined the club to play for the Vets. His love of the game is such that he played until the age of 62.

“I did feel it the next morning” he told me.

“But even now I’m still tempted. Sometimes I watch and think ‘I could do better than that’.”

I wandered into the packed clubhouse to meet Stuart Marsden, also a Vet but happily a mere strip of a lad at 52.

“Yes, I still play – and then I have a month off groaning,” he said, graciously buying me a drink at the bar. Stuart also coaches the under 13s – all told there are an impressive total of 120 lads in the juniors.

“This is still a sociable outfit in the oldfashioned way, but people come to South for good quality rugby. It’s a fun place to be and if you want to go further with your career you can

do. We’ve got the best coaching money can buy with Paul Westgate at the helm, play the type of rugby that’s respectful to our opponents, and we pride ourselves in being a family club,” he added.

As befitted the family theme, next up was his brother, chairman Wayne Marsden. Watching South from the touchline in bright sunshine as they expertly dismantled Bourneville by 73 to 18, he explained how he’d been at the club since the age of 12 and chairman for the past three years.

“We’ve prioritised coaching and infrastructure,” he told me. “And every facility at the club is on offer to everyone. Whatever your level, there’s a team for you here. There’s a match every Saturday in the season and we’re happy for anyone to just show up at the clubhouse and buy a drink.

“If you think you’d like to play, come and train with us for free for a couple of weeks and see if it’s for you.”

As Wayne stressed, volunteers are the heartbeat of this club – and more are needed.

“We like to support and acknowledge our volunteers,” he continued. “For example, we’ll pay for you to get your coaching badges if that’s how you’d like to contribute.”

Help with everything from cleaning to the website is needed, it seems. Promotion will mean new financial challenges as well, as they’ll now be expected to provide a communications system for the officials, videos of every game and much enhanced medical facilities. Wayne’s therefore keen to attract more sponsors.

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26/04/2015 18:56

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24/04/2015 11:11

Feature /// Rugby

Clockwise from far le

Chris Bale, who came through the Mini/Junior section before playing for the 1st XV; the Mini section walking around Tigers’ ground during half-time; Juniors during warm-up before a game; vice-president’s lunch; the clubhouse which was renovated in 2010

‘BEING PART OF THE COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT TO US AND WE MAKE SURE WE PUT BACK INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY’ “We’ve opportunities for perimeter advertising and for player, team and kit sponsorship. Being part of the community is important to us and we make sure we put back into the local economy when we can, be it the local pub or the butcher, so come and be part of a thriving club, build friendships and entertain your clients with a great day out.”

On the opposite side of the pitch I sought out president John Sanders, who’s been here for the small matter of 45 years and remembers Leicester Tigers and England stars Harry Ellis and Dan Cole gracing their turf. As we chatted, a young lad caught the eye, showing impressive pace to save a try and then scoring a fine one of his own at the other end.

“That’s Matt Cook from the Colts,” John told me. “It’s his debut today. His father, uncle and grandfather all played for the first team too. Not that long ago a father and son played in the same side. As for today....” He opened the team sheet and pointed to not one but two sets of brothers on the field.

Beating even John’s club longevity by eight years is fixture secretary Bob Colyer. “I played mostly in the thirds or fourths and then in the Vets,” he said.

By now I just had to ask how old he was when he played his last game. “Fifty seven years of age,” was the reply (which made me feel no better, being not unadjacent to my own tally).

What made South different, I asked?

“This is a special place. I know of no other with the same spirit. We like to think we’re forward thinking. For example, we were the first in the county to start mini and junior rugby, but on the other hand most of those I played here with more than 50 years ago are still involved with the club.”

One of our fellow spectators, overhearing, turned round and summed it up perfectly: “You don’t leave South,” he said.

Later, captain Will Ward told me: “So many people here weigh in to help and it was great to see all the juniors and their mums and dads coming to support us at the cup final. In fact, everyone here supports everyone else. The club has a strong vision of developing talent and our success this year, apart from the outstanding coaching we get, has been down to hard work and raising our level of professionalism. There’s a really good team spirit.”

The game over, it was back to the clubhouse where Chris Brewin keeps a mean pint, ably

assisted by daughter Alice. What’s his club history, I asked? The answer, to paraphrase Hot Chocolate’s famous 1992 hit, was “It started with a bus.”

His father had been travelling into Leicester with his kit to see if he could find a game, any game, when a South player noticed his boots.

“Come along with me young man,” was the invitation that led to a 45-year stint, a record that Chris himself matches this year. Ninety years at the club in total as the result of one chance encounter. So what’s their secret? A love of the game, volunteers who want to give something back and families at the heart of the club, to be sure. But, above all, the secret is that this club is a family.

INFORMATION Club South Leicester RFC 2014/15 season Champions of National League 3 Midlands, County Cup Champions, Colts County Cup Champions Where they play Welford Road Ground, Wigston Magna, Leicester, LE18 3TE. Alumni Dan Cole, Harry Ellis Website www.pitchero.com/clubs/southleicester/ Clubhouse 0116 2882066

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17/04/2015 11:15

Guest column

Local legends Martin Johnson picks the greatest sportsmen he’s seen in the region aving covered sport in this area since my days as a cub reporter, I’ve seen a procession of greats pass through our corner of England. But who are the best?

It’s hard to judge without some sort of points system, so instead I have gone with a more subjective approach: the ones that I remember most fondly.

Peter Wheeler. One of the great England and British Lions hookers, who mostly managed to retain his cherubic features despite the health hazard of the position he played in. Apart from after the infamous Five Nations international against Wales at Twickenham in 1980.

Wheelbrace, as he was known, turned up to training at Leicester on the Monday after the game sporting a terrific shiner, and I asked him which Welshman had clocked him. “None of them,” he replied.

“It was Maurice.” (Colclough, the England lock). “One of the Welsh props needed sorting out at a scrum, so I turned round to ask Maurice to send a nice haymaker through. As it turned out, his fist was already on the way, hence the black eye.”

Raymond Illingworth. Captained Leicestershire to their first ever county championship title in 1975, and was widely regarded as one of the canniest captains ever to play the game. And led England to a 2-0 Ashes triumph in Australia in 1971-72 despite the team – in the days of non-neutral umpires – not getting a single lbw decision in six Test matches. Like most great players, he was supremely selfconfident, and whenever he was dismissed batting his team-mates would wait with baited breath to listen to what he’d blame it on.

Les Taylor. There was a time in the late 1970s to early 1980s, when only one Leicestershire cricketer was capable of emptying the members’ bar at Grace Road when he came out to bat. And it wasn’t David Gower. There have been more incompetent No 11s than Les Taylor, albeit not many, but none quite as entertaining. It was his unique combination of aversion to pain and lack of co-ordination which made him such box office material, and it was when watching Les take guard against Surrey’s lethal Sylvester Clarke that Gower got up off his chair on the balcony and, despite Leicestershire badly needing runs, declared the innings closed. “I wouldn’t have been able to face Sue (Les’ wife) at his funeral,” said Gower.

Dusty Hare. During my six years as the Leicester Mercury’s rugby correspondent, when there was still a Saturday night sports paper, I reckon about three-quarters of my ‘running’ reports began something like: “Tigers kicked off into a stiff breeze, and after the visitors were caught offside at the opening scrum, Hare made it 3-0 with a penalty.” He never missed, or never seemed to, and was the

H

epitome of the old amateur era. Some of the modern pre-match warm-ups start a good 90 minutes before kick off, but Hare, a farmer by trade, would arrive at Welford Road for a 3pm start at about 2.55, still wearing his wellies and bits of straw stuck to his cloth cap.

Gary Wolstenholme. Son of Leicester-born English amateur golf champion Guy, Gary will forever be famous for beating Tiger Woods on the final hole of the 1995 Walker Cup singles at Royal Porthcawl.

Legend has it that Gary needed a three wood to hit the 18th in two, while Woods used a nine iron and put it out of bounds. He might have been a short hitter, but he was never short for words, and Gary also won matches by talking his opponents into submission. At the 1997 Walker Cup, in his singles against the USA’s Casey Wittenberg, Gary was behind for much of the game against the monosyllabic American until Gary’s cheerful conversation – “...and how’s your hotel? How do you like bacon and eggs for breakfast? You lot eat waffles and syrup and things don’t you?....” finally got to him.

Alan Birchenall. A member of the Leicester City team back in the 1970s, ‘the Birch’ played football with a constant smile on his face.

During one match at Filbert Street, Birchenall was standing on the touchline waiting to take a throw-in. As he did so, a bloke selling meat pies walked past (couldn’t happen nowadays of course) and the Birch sent the crowd into raptures by pinching one and eating it.

Bob Taylor. There’s a plaque at Hunstanton Golf Club marking a scarcely believable feat from Robert Taylor. Representing Leicestershire in the Eastern County Foursomes in 1974, when it was his turn to tee off at the 16th – a par three of 188 yards – a biffing head wind prompted him to use a one iron. Which he duly holed in one. With the elements a bit kinder when he came to the same hole again the following day, he selected a six iron – with which he also holed in one. The following day, it was a six iron again, and once again in it went for a one.

Martin Johnson. Had a frankly unremarkable football career with Leicester Press FC in Leicestershire’s Charnwood Sunday League, regularly missing open goals, before finding his true niche and converting from hopeless striker to butter-fingered goalie – where he found not having to run around a lot more rewarding. But enough about me.

The talented, rugby playing Martin Johnson from Leicester played no less than 307 times for Tigers from 1989 to 2005, helping his team win six league titles, and the prestigious Heineken Cup on two occasions. He also holds a unique place in British Lions history as the only man to captain the tourists twice, and shares with Willie John McBride the honour of being the only Lions skipper to savour a Test series victory in South Africa in the 20th century. Mind you, I think I might have made a better coach.

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24/04/2015 19:45

Feature /// Gear

Kitbag

The latest kit to keep you active this summer Polar V800 (with heart rate sensor)

Polar’s top of the line fitness watch is more than double the price of the M400, though it boasts an even wider feature set, including beefed-up smart coaching features, support for swimmers and a ni y recovery mode that’ll tell you how long to wait before getting back on the track again. There’s GPS for accurate step tracking, a HR monitor and easy profile switching depending on your activity.

Price £354.50 From Leicester Running Shop

Blueroom custom bats

Your own bat hand made by resident bat maker, Robert Pack, in elite grade English willow. Robert’s bats are being used all over the world by junior club players all the way up to international players on your TV screens. His work for Puma has been voted best bat for three years running in 2009, 2010 and 2011 in Wisden Cricketer magazine’s annual Good Gear Guide.

Price £350 From www.robertpackcricket.co.uk

GripGrip Pro and Strips

GripGrip is a highly flexible and stretchy rubber tape that when applied properly to a bat handle, will stop the grip moving. GripGrip realised that rubber doesn’t move much when it is stretched tight over rubber.

By employing a special vulcanisation process, they developed an extremely stretchable thin tape that has no negative effect.

Price £8.95 From Talent Cricket www.talentcricket.co.uk

Sage Method fly rod

Delivering the highest line speeds of the Sage line-up, the Method rod punches tight loops through the wind to get your fly out to the fish, all with the feel and accuracy that comes from Konnetic technology. If you love your fishing and want to be a great fly caster, this Sage Method will be the rod to make it all possible!

Price from £719 From www.eyebrooktackleshop.co.uk

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6Vitamin Shot

Created by expert nutritionists, 6vitaminshot is a one-stop vitamin energy shot, giving your recommended vitamin allowance and more. A slow release energy boost, the precise mix of ingredients has been developed by expert nutritionists.

Price £2.50 each or £24.99 for 6 From www.6vitaminshot.co.uk

Arnica rescue salve 15ml

Arnica rescue salve is a natural salve suitable for strains, sprains and bruises – a real gym bag must have. Oil based, safe for use on babies and children,100% natural it is ideal for taking with you while travelling, with no parabensn or perfumes.

Price £4.65 From www.purepotions.co.uk

Nutribullet 600 Series nutrition extractor

Make delicious, nutritious smoothies with the nutrition extractor everyone’s raving about. The secret of the Nutribullet is its powerful 600 watt motor combined with bullet cyclonic action that forces everything through the turbo extractor blades at an incredible 20,000 RPM, breaking down and pulverising stems, seeds and skins, where some of the usually neglected essential nutrition lies, into a pulp free, delicious smoothie.

Sleek and compact (only 14in high with tall cup) it’s quick and easy to clean.

Price £99.99 From www.buynutribullet.co.uk

Herpatch cold sore prevention

Ideal for the sporty or travellers that are more susceptible to get a cold sore due to extreme weather conditions or the over-exposure to sunlight, the Herpatch serum is the effective way to treat fever blister symptoms. The serum forms a protective and transparent film over the blister and helps speed up the healing process.

Price £4.99 From www.boots.com

Komo bike

The versatility of 27.5” wheels allows for exceptional pedal efficiency, while 153mm of Rocker independent suspension and a 160mm RockShox Pike fork keep you pinned on the descents. The linkage is laterally stiff thanks to over- sized pivots and bearings, while the frame features a low BB, 40mm stem and the shortest chainstays possible for a nimble ride. New for 2015, the seatpost is upgraded to KS Lev Integra, while the rear derailleur is upgraded to SRAM X9 Type 2.

Price £2,899 From Rutland Cycling

Gaiam Toeless Gripp socks

With Gaiam’s toeless socks, you don’t even need your mat to get into yo=targeted traction zones provide no-slip grip on any surface, while the open design allows toes to spread for better tactile feel and balance.

Price £9.99 From www.johnlewis.com

/// M AY 2015 3 5

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26/04/2015 21:19

Feature /// Weekend fun

Rejuvenate you, and your

WEEKEND!

SAŠA PRUDKOV

Looking for ways to make Saturdays and Sunday more spectacular, special or active? Read on...

Do you ever get to work on a Monday morning, and when a colleague asks what you did at the weekend, you can’t really remember? Of course, that’s not always a bad thing: not every end of

the week needs to be like a lifestyle advertisement for an energy drink.

But if you want to make the best of the weekend, and get some real benefit out of your days off, we have some handy suggestions which are

3 6 M A Y 2 0 1 5 ///

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DIGITAL VISION

You’ll never feel more alive than when you’re upside down at a few thousand feet. The Blades aerobatic team, based at Sywell in Northamptonshire, offer passenger rides for those with a strong stomach.

If that seems a little too extreme, then a helicopter ride across the region is still an unforgetable experience. There’s nothing like hovering over your neighbours’ houses and having a nose into their gardens, and Helicentre Aviation, based at Leicester Airport, offers a variety of flights from as little as £25. // www.flyheli.co.uk // www.theblades.com

JUMP OUT OF A PLANE

Some people seem to think that leaving a perfectly serviceable aeroplane at a few thousand feet is a logical thing to do. And once you’ve tried it, such is the heady rush of adrenalin you will probably agree. UK Parachuting at Sibson, near Peterborough, is one of the best in the country for novice tandem dives or training for a solo effort, and will ensure that the experience is truly unforgettable. // www.skydivesibson.co.uk

SHOOT SOME GUNS

Whether it is with air rifles or shotguns, finally nailing your target is a real buzz, and at Kibworth Shooting Ground you can take down

as many clays you fancy across their various ranges. Cleverly computer controlled, it means you can move through various areas trying different traps, with your tally counted up at the end. There’s even expert tuition if you’re not quite the meanest gunslinger in Middle England just yet… // www.kibworthshootingground.co.uk

DRIVE FAST

Both Donington Park, near Derby, and Mallory Park in Leicestershire offer various trackdays and high speed experiences. But for thrills and spills on a lower budget, karting is great fun and there are some excellent ones around: Sutton near Hinckley, Daytona in Milton Keynes and Ancaster near Grantham will test whether you really are the next Lewis Hamilton, as you suspected all along. // www.msauk.org

FUFFA

GO FLYING

FUSE

PUMP SOME ADRENALIN

TAKE TO THE WATER

One of the fastest growing new watersports, flyboarding uses jets of water to fling you up into the air where you can hover and move around like a watery IronMan. Alternatively, how about a jet-ski that will do 80mph, and accelerate faster than most motorbikes? If you’re thinking of any adrenalin-fuelled water based fun then 158performance are the people to speak to: they use a number of sites in the region. // www.158performance.co.uk

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IMAGINE

WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE IN JUST ONE DAY

THE CHAMPNEYS DAY FROM £79 PER PERSON

Don your Champneys robe and flip flops and allow our experts to take care of you.

The Champneys Day is topped off with a 25 minute seasonal treatment worth £39.

THE CHAMPNEYS DAY WITH ADDED VITALITY

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Why not kick-start your wellbeing with a 30 minute health appraisal (worth £25) and 55 minute personal training session (worth £45) to help you re-assess your fitness goals and rejuvenate your whole body.

Pamper yourself with extra spa treatments including one 55 minute treatment (worth £59) and one 25 minute treatment (worth £39) designed to unwind the mind and ease away stresses.

TO BOOK, VISIT CHAMPNEYS.COM REFRESH. RESTORE. REWARD.

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KZENON

Feature /// Weekend fun

INDULGE YOURSELF Sometimes it’s best to just get away for the weekend, unwind and chill out. Here are the best places to do that in our region...

CHAMPNEYS SPRINGS

In a tranquil setting in Leicestershire, surrounded by water walkways and beautiful open parklands, Champneys Springs has created a cocoon of calm that grows around you, melting away your stress and leaving you feeling fabulous.

Springs spa hotel near Ashby-de-la-Zouch is home to the finest Champneys traditions of health, fitness and well-being, all delivered with a touch of luxury in the heart of the Midlands.

You can enjoy more than 80 spa therapies at the health resort, from the classic to the more exotic, including treatments such as cupping and Russian honey massage, reiki and personally blended aromatherapy. Afterwards, the

pleasures of gym, swim, whirlpool and steam await. If you’re not the type to just lie around, there’s a superb gym, tennis courts and personal trainers as well as a football pitch if you feel the need for a kickabout. It’s the perfect active home from home. // www.champneys.com

BARNSDALE HALL HOTEL

Nestled on the banks of Rutland Water, Barnsdale has a wide range of sporting activities as well as a spa, and when you’re finally sated after all your pampering and action, you can sit on the idyllic banks of the water and try and spot an osprey or two. // www.barnsdalehotel.co.uk

RAGDALE HALL

Ragdale Hall has state-of-the-art facilities for those looking for the latest treatments with the Middle England charm of traditional Victorian architecture, resulting in one of the most luxurious and relaxing health spas in the country.

Whether you are looking for total relaxation, me-time and pampering or to kick-start a healthier lifestyle, its great selection of spa days and breaks include something for everyone, including a wide range of innovative holistic therapies and spa treatment.

There are even walking breaks too, for those who want to get out into the beautiful rolling Leicestershire countryside. // www.ragdalehall.co.uk

STAPLEFORD PARK

Live like an aristocrat on your own sporting estate at gorgeous Stapleford Park near Melton Mowbray, with hawking, shooting and golfing on offer alongside the more modern spa and gym. // www.staplefordpark.com

KILWORTH HOUSE

Kilworth House’s two luxurious beauty treatment rooms are havens of peace within the tranquil surrounding of the estate near Market Harborough. This is the place to enjoy a well-earned hour or two of pampering, from a soothing massage to holistic treatments such as reflexology or Indian head massage. // www.kilworthhouse.co.uk

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Feature /// Competition

RAGDALE REJUVENATION Win a luxury late escape day for two people at award winning Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa. PROBABLY THE ULTIMATE way to revitalise and replenish at the weeked, Ragdale Hall combines state-of-the-art facilities with the charm of traditional Victorian architecture to create one of the most luxurious and relaxing health spas in the country.

Located in the rolling Leicestershire countryside, whether you are looking for total relaxation, me-time and pampering or to kick-start a healthier lifestyle, Ragdale Hall is the perfect choice. Its great selection of spa days and breaks include something for everyone.

You and a friend or loved one could escape to Ragdale from 11am until 8.30pm, for a day of serious me-time on a Luxury Late Escape Day to include: • Ragdale Prescription Facial • Healthy buffet lunch • Three course dinner and a glass of sparkling chilled Prosecco in the Dining Room • Complimentary robe • Plus use of all of Ragdale’s facilities including

the multi-million pound Thermal Spa. Just answer this simple question and email the answer to ragdalehall@theactivemag.com by 5pm, May 20, 2015.

Where is Ragdale Hall located: a. Lincolnshire b Leicestershire c. Lanarkshire Terms and conditions: Travel to and from Ragdale Hall is not included. The prize is available only to persons over 16 years of age, The prize must be taken at the weekend and not a weekday The prize is non transferable.

If you are not the lucky winner, then maybe a Ragdale Hall gift voucher would be the perfect present. Available in monetary amounts from £25 or for days or overnight breaks, they are the ideal gift.

For further information contact Enquiries on 01664 434831 or visit www.ragdalehall.co.uk

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Feature /// Weekend fun

LIVE BETTER

INDULGE IN YOUR HOBBIES.

Even if it is a busy weekend, dedicate an hour or two to do what you love most. Whether it’s cooking, crafts or gardening, pursuing your passion will leave you invigorated and full of purpose.

LOG OFF FROM THE WEB

Controversial this, but what if you spent the weekend without once peering at your phone, wondering whose cat has done something funny on Facebook, or whether your boss is sending you next week’s tasks? It’s amazing how much spare time you might unlock.

STAND UP

Even if you’ve got some personal projects to attend to, try to do them from a standing position.

Research shows that sitting all day is terrible for your cardiovascular health and increases your risk of diabetes, obesity and some cancers.

A great deal of time spent sitting also lowers life expectancy. So instead of plopping down at your dining room table or home office desk, why not stand at the kitchen counter with a laptop?

GET SOME SUN

Not always easy with the British weather, but getting in the sunshine is vital for well-being.

While it’s essential to protect yourself from cancer-causing UVA and UVB rays by wearing sunscreen, letting the sun shine on your skin is good for your body and your mind: the hormone vitamin D is synthesized from sunlight and helps with everything from weight management to immune function.

START YOUR DAY RIGHT

Go for a walk first thing in the morning. Get out the door before you become too engrossed in the Sunday newspaper and your breakfast.

Walking first thing in the morning ensures you fit in your workout. Once you return, you’ll feel invigorated and be more likely to be active during the rest of the day.

FUSE

Looking for some ways to make your weekend more healthy and productive? How about trying some of these simple lifestyle changes (for two days only, of course!)...

CATCH UP ON LOST SLEEP

Though it is reckoned you should have at least seven or eight hours of sleep most nights, it rarely happens during the week. So the weekends could be the chance to indulge. If you’ve got kids, that might be hard, but perhaps they won’t grow up delinquents if just one morning they sit and watch a DVD while you get a well-earned lie in.

EAT HEALTHY

For most, the weekend is the time to indulge, and long should it remain that way, but what about just cutting out carbs, or not eating any processed food? You’ll feel better, lighter and more full of vigour for it, without having to feel hungry and miserable all weekend.

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ActiveFit

AMMENTORPDK

EXPERT ADVICE ON GETTING, AND KEEPING, IN GREAT SHAPE

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A post-run recovery plan If you are doing long runs this summer, such as marathons or other highly challenging distances, the experts at British Military Fitness have some useful post-event recovery advice...

0 - 2 DAYS: Complete rest – congratulate yourself for having completed the challange! Make sure you drink water in small amounts, frequently, to help with the dehydration and flush out the extra lactic acid that builds up after intense exercise.

2- 4 DAYS: Full body stretching, with particular focus on the legs.

Supplement this with some light activity such as swimming, due to the low impact nature of the activity. To complement stretching, try foam rolling too. This is a form of self-massage with a ‘foam roller’, used by athletes to release muscle tightness and tension. Use your body weight to apply weight over the roller to stretch out the tight muscles – it will be painful (and if an area really hurts, go easy on it), but it reduces muscle stiffness and leads to a better recovery.

5 -7 DAYS: Up the ante slightly by adding in some light, short-duration jogs (around 30 minutes). Supplement this with lots of stretching/foam rolling. The overall aim of this plan is to recover safely and effectively by keeping the nervous system moving gently. Therefore, exercise is key, but the amount done should be minimal and low impact.

As well as the obvious physical factors, the stress of long distance running can affect your immune system, making you more susceptible to colds and flu, so it’s important to eat a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins, and drink lots of water.

In addition, some people often find they gain weight after running a marathon – do not be alarmed, this is usually due to water retention and will pass.

AMMENTORPDK

For more hints and tips visit www.britishmilitaryfitness.com

4 STEPS TO BEING MORE GYM FIT 1. MANAGE TIME BETTER It’s easy to try and just poke exercise in the holes where you’re not rushing about working, looking a er the family, doing errands and all the other things in your life. But block out time in your day to do exercise, just as you would any other part of your life.

2 EXERCISE WITH COMMITMENT Never just go through the motions: if you’ve planned time for exercise, don’t use it to chat or gently wa through the gym machines. Focus on achieving specific goals and working specific parts of your body.

3 REST! Over-training can be as damaging as not training at all. Make sure you allow your body to recover and strengthen.

4 BUILD MUSCLE MASS Concentrate on building muscle rather than losing weight. If you build muscle your metabolism will increase, and you’ll burn more energy training, which will result in weight loss.

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ABARTH WITH

FROM RAT RACE TO OPEN ROAD IN A HEARTBEAT

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ABARTH 500 CUSTOM AT £15,280 OTR INCLUDING OPTIONAL GARA WHITE PAINT (£300), 17" DIAMOND CUT ALLOY WHEELS (£320) DIGITAL DISPLAY WITH G-FORCE INDICATOR AS STANDARD LARGE RANGE OF COLOURS MULTIPLE CUSTOMISATION OPTIONS DISCOVER THE ABARTH RANGE FROM £14,660 OTR

Model shown: Abarth 500 Custom at £15,280 OTR including optional Gara White paint (£300), 17" Diamond cut alloy wheels (£320). Official fuel consumption figures for the Abarth 500 range: Urban 33.2 – 37.2 mpg (8.5 – 7.6 l/100km); Extra Urban 52.3 – 60.1 mpg (5.4 – 4.7 l/100km); Combined 43.5 – 48.7 (6.5 – 5.8 l/100km).

CO2 emissions 155 – 134 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a significant effect on fuel consumption.

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www.rla.co.uk

Active Fit

Health & Wellness EVERYTHING A WOMAN NEEDS TO BE FIT, HEALTHY AND FANTASTIC // Edited by Sandie Hurford

GOOD MOOD FOOD: Eat your way to happiness You’ll have heard of Tilda Basmati Rice but did you know that Tilda has produced a ‘Mood Food Manual’. Its Eat Your Way to Happiness guide features a

seven-day meal planner, including mood-boosting recipes. Designed by clinical dietician Dr Sarah Schenker and nutritional therapist Dr Christy

Fergusson, the manual gives nutritional information and highlights foods that are good for your physical health and your mental wellbeing ((visit tilda.com)

Top 10 mood foods to make you feel good

1

PUMPKIN SEEDS Contain tryptophan, the amino acid needed to make hormones including the mood-regulating neurotransmitter serotonin which plays a role in fighting anxiety, promoting good moods and producing the hormone melatonin to help regulate your sleep pattern.

During the winter, we can experience a drop in serotonin levels as a result of a lack of sunshine.

Cue the winter blues. A handful of pumpkin seeds could be all you need to give your body the building blocks it needs to make serotonin and wave goodbye to cravings and the blues.

■ Sprinkle onto salads, breakfast cereals and porridge and stir into yoghurts.

2

CHIA SEEDS Rich in fibre, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus and magnesium. Just one tablespoon contains 5g of fibre so adding a tablespoon to your breakfast is a great way to increase your fibre intake and stabilise blood sugar levels. They are also rich in protein and full of tryptophan, an amino acid that encourages good mood, sleep and a sense of calm.

■ Soak in coconut water or yoghurt overnight and then mix with fruit for a nutritious breakfast.

3

SALMON A rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, vital for good mental health, brain function, energy production, oxygen transfer and immunity. Salmon contains omega 3 fats DPA (docosapentaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), which can help to reduce inflammation, high levels of which may be linked to depression. Also rich in DHA (decosahexaenoic acid), a lack of which increases corticotrophin, the hormone responsible for your day-to-day emotions.

Without this, your hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal axis can become imbalanced and affect

your ability to stay cool and calm, leaving you irritated, anxious and moody.

■ Serve pan-fried with steamed vegetables or flake into some Tilda.

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WHOLEGRAIN BASMATI Low-GI foods such as wholegrain rice contain the type of carbohydrate that releases energy slowly, keeping blood sugar levels steady and maintaining a balanced, calm mood. It also provides vitamins and minerals important for good mental health.

■ Serve with curries, stews, casseroles and tagines and use in pilafs and kedgeree.

7

COCONUT High in protein and fibre. The saturated fat in coconut oil supports the thyroid gland and the nervous system, both of which are important for maintaining your energy levels and help keep you in a positive mood. The fatty acids in coconut oil are excellent for killing harmful pathogens (disease) and so potentially helps prevent you getting infections.

■ Add to curries, grate into yoghurt and serve with fruit salad.

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5

ASPARAGUS One of the richest sources of B vitamin folate available, a lack of which has been linked to poor mood. Folate is one of the key ingredients your body needs to make the feel-good mood chemical serotonin, without which you can’t properly metabolise what your body needs to feel upbeat and smiley.

■ Serve steamed with fish or chicken dishes, use in omelettes and risottos.

6

SPINACH Contains vitamins A, C and E, needed for the healthy production of thyroid hormones. Energy, appetite, mood, weight and body temperature are all governed by these hormones and an underactive thyroid can cause weight gain, put you in a low mood and make you feel sluggish and cold all the time.

■ Use in salads, stir fries and soups.

QUINOA Provides complex carbohydrates and fibre to maintain stable blood sugar levels. With a higher amount of protein than most grains, it can help to control your appetite and reduce cravings for sugary and fatty snacks between meals. As well as being vegetarian, it is gluten free and has a low glyceamic load, making it an ideal food for boosting your mood.

■ Use in risottos and add to soups and salads.

CHICK PEAS Contain phytoestrogens, which can help to balance hormones such as testosterone, found in both men and women.

When the level of this hormone rises, mood can be affected and increased feelings of stress and anxiety can occur. The phytoestrogens help to stimulate the production of another hormone which binds testosterone and prevents excess levels circulating in the blood. Chickpeas also contain plenty of fibre, which can prevent fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. If you have been struggling with hormone havoc, phytoestrogens could be just what you need to go from haywire to harmonious.

■ Add to salads, soups and stews and use to make hummus.

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10

BEANS The fibre, protein and complex carbohydrates in beans can reduce the amount of insulin needed a er eating. Insulin is released to regulate blood sugar levels so if too much is produced, mood and energy levels can be negatively affected.

■ Replace half the quantity of red meat in dishes such as bolognaise, cottage pie or chilli con carne with beans.

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A PERFECT FIT www.rutlandcycling.com

Ride the dream this year with & at Rutland Cycling

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Active Fit

GOOD MOOD FOOD: Recipes to regulate your mood Brown Basmati Porridge with Banana and Blueberries Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: 20-25 minutes Serves 2 Ingredients 250g Tilda® Brown Steamed Basmati Rice pouch 300ml semi-skimmed milk ½ tsp cinnamon 1 egg ¼ tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp of chia seeds 1 banana, sliced 50g blueberries Drizzle of honey

Method Combine the pouch of Tilda® Brown Steamed Basmati Rice, milk and cinnamon in a pan.

Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Temper the egg by whisking in some of the hot rice, a tablespoon at a time until you have incorporated about six tablespoons.

Stir the egg mixture into the rice along with the vanilla and seeds and continue cooking over low heat for one to two minutes to thicken.

Stir in the sliced banana and blueberries and drizzle with honey just before serving.

Goat’s Cheese and Asparagus Basmati and Quinoa Risotto Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 2 x 250g Brown Basmati & Quinoa pouches 200mls gluten free vegetable stock 2 tbsp rapeseed oil 4 spring onions, finely diced 1 bundle (200g) asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off and discarded 200g frozen peas, defrosted 125g so goat’s cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method Put the oil into a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook gently

until they turn so and translucent – about five minutes.

Increase the heat a little and stir in the Brown Basmati & Quinoa straight from the pouch, making sure each grain is coated in the oil. Add the stock and stir through; reduce the heat slightly and cook for about eight minutes until hot and most of the stock has been absorbed.

Steam the asparagus spears for about seven minutes until tender. Slice into pieces about 2cm in length. Add asparagus and peas to the risotto.

Increase heat and stir for a few minutes to heat everything through. Just before serving, dot the risotto with three-quarters of the goats’ cheese, giving it a stir to slightly mix the cheese through.

Serve hot with the remaining goats’ cheese dotted over the top.

Harissa Chicken Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: 40 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 250g Tilda® Wholegrain and Quinoa Steamed Basmati rice pouch 4 skinless chicken breasts 2-3 tbsp harissa paste 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp pine nuts 2 spring onions, chopped ¼ cucumber, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 200g kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 tbsp raisins 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds Handful each of parsley and mint, chopped

Method Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas mark 4 Smear each chicken breast with two teaspoons of the harissa paste and place in an ovenproof dish.

Drizzle over the oil, season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

Put the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and place over a medium heat for a few minutes to toast – remove from the heat as soon as they turn golden as they can burn quickly.

Add the kidney beans for the last five minutes.

Drain and then combine with all the remaining ingredients.

Serve each chicken breast on a bed of Wholegrain and Quinoa Steamed Basmati Rice.

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Feature /// Sports rehab

GYM BAG ESSENTIALS Forget the sweaty socks and dirty t-shirts; space in your gym bag should be reserved for these essentials, says Function Jigsaw trainer Max Hartman WHILE SPECIFIC TRAINING should always form the core of any programme, corrective exercises are key for keeping you in the gym and off of the treatment couch.

Mobility, stretching, postural corrections and specific strengthening exercises are all key in maintaining good quality of movement and a full range of motion, both of which are huge factors impacting the likelihood of sustaining an injury. Here is our pick of some of the most economical and effective tools you can use to keep you injury free whether training for sport, fitness, or pleasure.

Foam roller

My favourite piece of kit. In my opinion the most useful and effective training aid in today’s market. Pre-activity foam rolling keeps you supple, increases joint range of motion, helps keep you injury free and improves performance across a range of markers.

Post-training rolling can help to speed up recovery and reduce muscular soreness. Simple techniques can be learnt to safely, comfortably and effectively provide self-massage to all major muscle groups. Used pre-training, the extra mobility gained at specific joints helps to ensure good technique and posture at all times.

The example I most commonly use with clients is the squat. If an individual is particularly tight or stiff through either the hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, calves, lower back or groin, it makes it almost impossible to even get into a deep squat position, putting excessive load through the knees and lumbar spine in end of range movement.

When they then walk into a gym and try to squat with a barbell on their back we are setting the scene for a multitude of injuries. Unlock your fascia and achieve competency across a range of key movement skills by getting into the habit of foam rolling before or after every training session. You won’t regret it.

FJ Active Roller, £35: www.functionjigsaw.co.uk

Hockey ball

Staying on the topic of self-myofascial release and going alongside the foam roller nicely is the hockey ball. Small and lightweight, the hockey ball is perfect for hitting smaller muscle groups around the hips, feet and shoulders, providing excellent relief from muscular stiffness and soreness.

Common conditions in weight-lifters such as shoulder impingement, plantar fasciitis in distance runners and sciatica can all be attributed to some extent to tightness, tension, and a general lack of mobility in certain areas of soft tissue.

The plantar fascia, rotator cuff, glutes/ piriformis, and pectoralis minor can all be effectively released using the hockey ball, opening your body up to a healthier, more comfortable, less injury prone posture and more efficient movement.

Alternatively, golf balls and cricket balls make excellent massage tools, with different sizes and shapes lending themselves to different areas of the body. Simply experiment with different balls to find the right one for you.

Slazenger hockey ball, £2.99: Sports Direct

Minibands

Minibands are short loops of elastic resistance band that are used to provide low impact, gentle resistance to movement based exercises with the aim of either warming up or ‘activating’ certain muscle groups pre training, or strengthening muscles as part of a training session.

For such a simple piece of kit the Miniband is also possibly the most versatile, with the only limitation on usage being imagination. In clinic the main use we have for Minibands is strengthening around the shoulder girdle focussing on the rotator cuff and scapular stabilisers, and around the hip working on the glutes.

All of these muscle groups play a vital role in maintaining stable joints and good posture through the provision of stability and control across the shoulder and pelvic girdles.

Performance Mini Bands, £10.80: www. performbetter.co.uk With a minimal financial outlay and minimal effort, you can fully stock your gym bag with all the tools needed to keep you fit and injury free year round.

So much of what we see in clinic here at Function Jigsaw stems from a lack of mobility in key areas and key muscle groups being weak or inhibited.

Luckily, the key to unlocking peak performance may lie with one of these simple and cost-effective tools.

For advice on the use of any of these pieces of equipment, or for any injury or performance related queries, please get in touch with Function Jigsaw to organise a consultation free of charge at their Leicester clinic.

Contact Email: info@functionjigsaw.co.uk Twitter: @FunctionJigsaw Telephone: 0116 340 0255

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SAKSONI

Feature /// Dog health to do. The most exciting play should come from the toy and capturing that moment when a puppy is doing the action that you want them to do (i.e. biting onto a toy) and praising them for it is the key to speedy success. When you have become good at this yourself you will be able to be very accurate.

Your puppy might quickly learn the general message, but it will take lots of repetition and praise in different situations, to truly re-condition your puppy’s behaviour, from what he is naturally designed to do.

Further essential actions

‘Ouch!’

Bobs Broadbent on how to inhibit a dog’s natural bite behaviour

MANY NEW PUPPY owners-to-be start to select their puppy at this time of year, ready to bring a puppy home during the warmer months. As exciting and rewarding as the prospect is, with lots of fun on the horizon to look forward to there will also be challenges to overcome. One of these is dealing with the mouthing and biting that puppies naturally do.

Teaching your puppy how to inhibit the use of their mouth in the human world does need to be part of a training programme and the more positive learning experiences you offer, the sooner they will succeed.

First of all, it’s important to understand that young puppies don’t know anything different as they use their mouth to investigate their environment and to interact with their littermates, so when they do arrive home with you they are simply following their instincts and what they have been doing for the first months of their life.

When you bring your new puppy home you’ll become their new playmate and it’s up to you to teach him or her about what is expected socially.

It’s therefore important that you know what’s involved and how to do this.

Adults need to train this exercise and children need to be supervised at all times while a puppy is learning to inhibit this normal behaviour. It’s key that you don’t feel a puppy is being naughty or aggressive, as this isn’t the case. Although it’s worth noting that bad management at this early stage can lead to a puppy learning unwanted behaviours because it doesn’t know any different,

and this can be misunderstood as ‘being aggressive’.

From the beginning you will need to get your puppy familiar with a toy that you can use for training ‘bite inhibition’ and this needs to be soft, fairly flat and floppy (or at least have areas like this, such as ears, arms and legs) so that a small mouth can easily get hold of it. Use toys like this to play with your puppy during the first day or two so it becomes its favourite toy to have a game with.

From the first day that your puppy arrives, encourage him to play with toys and praise him when he does. The message is that toys can be played with (like littermates) but self-control is needed around human hands, skin and clothing.

Once you know your puppy is confident and happy to engage in a game, have regular training sessions throughout each day. With a toy hidden about you, start playing with your puppy and it’s likely that very soon he will put his mouth onto your hands (especially if you entice him a little).

When this happens, keep your hand still and swiftly bring out the toy with the other hand and flap it around in front of your puppy to encourage him to move from your hand onto the toy.

Watch carefully and at the point when your puppy bites down onto the toy, give lots of praise.

By doing this you are giving lots of attention for the behaviour you want to encourage and with lots of repetition, your puppy will gradually learning that biting on to the toy is a better thing

• Once you know how to do this exercise, teach all the adults in the home to take the same approach and ALWAYS supervise children to prevent your puppy’s teeth on their skin.

• Have plenty of toys for your puppy to play with at all times and rotate them throughout the day to keep them interesting.

• Provide age appropriate chews and interactive food toys (such as a Kong) or anything that offers a legitimate outlet for a puppy to bite onto. This should be available throughout the day, every day.

• Refrain from allowing your puppy to mouth your fingers or hands at any time as this will undermine your training and give a conflicting message.

• If there are children in the home or that regularly visit, buy a huge soft toy and tell them to pretend the toy is a shield that they need to hide their hands and body behind to prevent the puppy from catching them with their teeth (explain that a puppy’s teeth are like little needles and will really hurt). In a similar way to above, when the puppy bites onto the toy the child can follow the adult’s guidance and praise the action whilst dropping the toy for the puppy to play with. This is a game that must only take place under adult supervision.

• Create a ‘safe-zone’ for your puppy in the home that has been completely puppy-proofed. It will help to build for success and avoid lots of reasons to remove things from your puppy’s mouth.

• Teach your puppy that hands can be trusted at all times by exchanging an item they have picked up for a tasty treat and then offer a longer lasting distraction. During this phase, it’s easier to barter than get into a battle to remove something from their mouth.

With good teaching and a consistent approach in the early days, it won’t be too long before your puppy understands what’s expected in the human world.

INFORMATION Bobs Broadbent runs a puppy school in Oakham and offers ‘Best Start’ private home puppy visits. You can contact her by e-mail: bobs@dogknows.co.uk, via Facebook: We Are Dogknows, or by telephone: 01664 454 792.

If you have any concerns about your dog’s behaviour please seek professional advice prior to introducing any changes to their routine, either from a pet behaviourist (see www.apbc.co.uk for contact details) or trainer (www.apdt.co.uk).

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Feature /// Great walks

A classic English country walk This superb route includes a market town, three villages, plenty of hills and a few good pubs too, as Will Hetherington discovers.

Words & Photography: Will Hetherington THE ROUTE

As this is a classic circular walk you can start and finish in Uppingham, Lyddington or Seaton and take the clockwise or anti-clockwise route. But I would recommend starting in Uppingham and taking the anti-clockwise option. I think you get the best of the views this way round and you can always stop for a quick refreshment in one of the excellent village pubs if you don’t want to miss them.

Park in the Market Place or on High Street East in Uppingham and take the alleyway which runs south a few doors down from the Lake Isle hotel and restaurant. Cross South View road and the path then goes through a couple of big dippers as it leaves the town behind. In wet conditions this is probably the trickiest part of the walk because the hills are steep and muddy. But it should get your heart rate going nice and early on a cold day. After the two dips the path crosses the playing fields of Uppingham College and over a quiet road before entering the open country looking down at Lyddington and beyond.

When you cross the stile at the bottom of the hill which brings you onto the road into Lyddington you have a choice. You can either stay on the road into the village and enjoy what is probably Rutland’s most attractive settlement. By doing this you can stop at either the Marquess of Exeter or The Old White Hart and walk past the stunning Bede House, before rejoining the path to Seaton. Or if you are familiar with Lyddington and want to get cracking then cross the road and take the field path which by-passes the village via a couple of paddocks with a pretty stream to the right. Just watch out for grumpy horses that don’t like dogs.

Both routes are charming in their own way and both will bring you to the mile and a half long path to Seaton. The path takes the low route with intriguing Prestley Hill and The Barrows to the right. With no roads in view it’s a soothing experience as you gradually approach Seaton on its hillside perch. On weekends expect to see a few other people on this part of the walk because it’s a local favourite.

Just below Seaton the path joins Grange Lane which heads up the hill and joins Seaton Road at the top. Turn right here and walk into the village.

Look out for the stone steps on the left which lead

to the footpath further up the hill. If you need a refreshment stop then keep going until you get to the George & Dragon which is a good village pub. But if not take the stone steps and follow the path up and over the hill. Once you are over the crest you can see Glaston and the A47 ahead, but the path bears downhill and to the left over the dismantled railway and towards Bisbrooke. After the old railway you will soon cross a clear stream on a wooden footbridge before crossing another stile on the approach to Bisbrooke. I think the best way to enter any village is via a footpath and it’s no different with sleepy little Bisbrooke, as St John the Baptish church gently hoves into view.

Once you have passed the church carry on over the crossroads on to Bottom Road and pick up the path again as it leaves the village via The Inhams, a row of houses on the western edge. From here it’s straight over a hilltop on an exposed path and back into Uppingham.

By now you will be ready for a drink and a bite to eat in any of the town’s fine hostelries. We always find The Vaults in the Market Place hits the mark but Don Paddy’s, The Crown and The Falcon are all good alternatives.

Difficulty rating (out of five)

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION Where to park The Market Square or High Street East in Uppingham.

can be quite a challenge, as can some of the steeper well-trodden hills.

Distance and time Six and a quarter miles/two and a quarter hours.

Refreshments The Marquess of Exeter and The Old White Hart in Lyddington and the George and Dragon in Seaton.

Uppingham has plenty to choose from but The Vaults is a good place to start.

Highlights Uppingham and Lyddington are both stunning. The views from the numerous high spots. The whole stretch from Lyddington to Seaton.

Excellent pubs at regular intervals.

Lowlights There are a lot of stiles on this route and in wet conditions they

meet one horse in a paddock near Lyddington that clearly doesn’t like black Labradors!

The pooch perspective Very dog friendly. Lots of arable fields and hardly any livestock. And the route crosses at least five streams so there are plenty of cooling off opportunities. We did

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TOP STAT

lway station Uppingham rai s of a branch was the terminu n. It opened line from Seato one stage in 1894 and at trains a day there were five miles away. to Seaton, two .

It closed in 1960

Clockwise, from top

There are plenty of streams on this route, giving your pooch ample opportunity to cool down. This route features some stunning Rutland scenery, including the picturesque villages of Lyddington and Seaton. The only downside are several stiles en route, which can prove to be a little tricky. On the plus side, there are several excellent pubs both along the way and also in Upingham so you won’t go thirsty or hungry.

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Corporate Architecture Ltd

office@corporatearchitecture.co.uk www.corporatearchitecture.co.uk

With great beers, superior ciders and a pleasant patio, we will make sure your summer afternoons and evenings are as rewarding as they should be.

The Early Bird offer of three courses for £15.95 is proving as popular as ever, as is the Saturday Night three course Set Menu.

The weather has seen the revival of salad season and we have an absurdly great range of light summer salads on offer.

View menus online at greygoosegilmorton.co.uk

Phone 01455 552555

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Don’t forget our Sunday Carvery which is a definite hit in South Leicestershire. Served all day from midday, we have four sittings - 12/12.30, 2.30, 4.30 & 6pm. Be sure to reserve your table.

Monday - Saturday: Sunday:

Restaurant

Bar

12pm-2pm / 6pm-9pm

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24/04/2015 11:12

Feature /// Sportsman's Dinner

The Grey Goose, Gilmorton Kate and Susanna enjoy some unexpected twists from an intriguing menu Kate Well I wasn’t expecting this when we pulled up in the car park. From the outside it looks quite traditional, inside it’s a bit like a ski chalet – lots of stacked wood piles and chunky bar stools.

Susanna It’s much bigger than you think too.

Apparently the extension was put on the back about six years ago and now they have a roaring trade – especially for the carvery on Sundays. I’d say it would be perfect for celebratory dinners.

Kate I’ve been saving myself for this menu all day, so what should we have to kick off with? I did fancy one of their tempting cocktails but unfortunately it’s the cocktail-maker (and manager) Martin’s night off.

Susanna Shame. Never mind, we’ll just have to have a glass of refreshing dry white. I’ll have a pinot and I know how much you like your sauvignon.

Kate You know me so well! And I have to say this Marlborough Cloud Factory is delicious. So smooth. And it’s perfect to wash down my sashimi tuna and warm Nicoise salad. I’m glad chef Shaun recommended it as a starter. I wouldn’t normally go for such blue tuna but it’s just melting in my mouth.

Susanna I couldn’t cope with that I’m afraid – raw fish is not really my bag, but the chicken liver pate with onion marmalade is gorgeous. The drunken sultanas are the best of all – they seem to have hit the brandy pretty hard. I might try to make some of these at home.

Kate You wouldn’t fancy my lightly cooked tuna but I couldn’t manage your slice of chicken liver I’m afraid. I’m not great at eating body parts.

Luckily we’re not ordering for each other. What have you chosen for the main course?

Susanna I’ve gone for the asparagus risotto with goats cheese bonbons, but mainly because I’m intrigued to taste the beetroot ketchup. It’s great as the sharpness cuts through the creamy rice. I’m in goats cheese heaven and I love the little pea shoots too. So fresh. How’s yours?

Kate I’ve gone for the Loomswood duck breast and duck leg bonbons and croquet with potato rosti, blueberry jelly, green beans and a sweet potato puree. What a mouthful. How am I going to manage all this? Saying that, the duck’s so tender it slides down easily and the shredded duck bonbon tastes just like aromatic crispy duck which I love. The potato puree tempers down the richness of the dish, but I might have to leave

some of the rosti, if only to make room for the pudding.

Susanna We are having a blow out tonight but it's such a varied menu I can't resist. I’m only making excuses because I’ve got my eye on the crème brulee. It’s been blended in a thermo mixer instead of an oven so it’s perhaps not as crunchy as they often are, but seriously creamy. The sous chef Noah has added some excitement with a novel addition of chocolate popping candy.

Kate I bet you weren’t expecting that, were you?

The team here is so young and dynamic; I can see why it’s such a popular place and having Aubrey Allen as your butcher is a great accolade to any establishment. They supply some of the great chefs including Raymond Blanc and Alain Roux.

Susanna If I’d known that, I might have gone for the burger on the specials board. Never mind, it will give me another reason to come back.

The Grey Goose

Lutterworth Road, Lutterworth, LE17 5PN. 01455 552555 www.greygoosegilmorton.co.uk

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Feature /// School sports

Sainsbury’s School Games Spring Championships in Leicestershire Around 900 talented young athletes from across Leicestershire and Rutland pitted themselves against each other in an exciting range of Olympic-style competitions at the Leicestershire & Rutland Sainsbury’s School Games Spring Championships.

The athletes, representing more than 50 schools in 120 teams, descended on Loughborough University’s sporting facilities at the end of April in an actionpacked day full of Olympic-style sport and presentations.

The honour of becoming county champions was up for grabs in each of the 15 competitions, as youngsters aged 12-18 years battled it out in eight sports – wheelchair basketball, learning disability basketball, boccia, dodgeball, netball, indoor rowing, swimming and volleyball.

All teams qualified from Level 2 area finals to participate in this Level 3 County Final Championships.

The athletes, who were representing the 10 school sport and physical activity networks (SSPANs), were vying to finish in the gold medal position to help their partnership in the School Games Medals Table.

Determination, honesty, passion, respect, self-belief and team-work were all on display as the athletes fully represented the School Games Values, to hopefully be crowned ‘Spirit of the Games’ winners for that competition.

Geoff Maltby, sports development manager from Leicestershire & Rutland Sport (LRS), said: “The School Games Championships give our young people across Leicestershire and Rutland the opportunity to come together and compete against their peers in a safe, fair, well led and high quality arena.

“It is fantastic to see nearly 1,000 of our most talented athletes from over 50 of our secondary schools participating here today, not only representing their individual school, but also their partnership area.

“The School Games continues to be made possible, thanks to the ongoing support from our schools, staff, volunteers and young leaders and we hope it continues to go from strength to strength for many more years to come”.

The Leicestershire & Rutland School Games is part of the national Sainsbury’s School Games programme of competitive sport that is open to all young people in every school from across Leicestershire and Rutland. It is a celebration of competitive sport that involves young people aged 5-18 years, of all abilities.

County Sport Partnerships (CSPs) like LRS have been set up by Sport England as the delivery system for the development of sport and physical activity at a county level, working across the sporting landscape, actively supporting partners to increase participation in sport and physical activity. For more information visit www.lrsport.org.  For more information visit www.lrsport.org/schoolgames 5 6 MAY 2015 ///

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Emma lifts her way to national championships Oakham School sport scholar Emma Peters has qualified for the British Youth Weightlifting Championships after lifting an immense total of 110kg at the Atlas Weightlifting Open.

This success comes just days after 16-year-old Emma received the news that she had been selected for the British Weightlifting regional development programme.

This selection confirms that Emma has the potential to be an elite weightlifter and means she has moved up a stage as part of the British Weightlifting talent pathway, which aims to discover and develop athletes who have the potential to represent Great Britain one day.

Emma has only been training since September, having been inspired by watching the Commonwealth Games. She said: “This allowed me to compare myself with the senior weightlifters. I was surprised at how comfortable I felt, despite it only being my second competition!”

Emma has built on her achievement in her last competition, the Nottingham Open, where she lifted the highest combined weight in the U17 Girls category.

She is now training for the British Youth Weightlifting Championships which take place in Glasgow on May 2.

Cross-country runners excel at Witton event Harriet Wright, Asia Hamdorff and Angharad Conant represented Leicestershire and Rutland in the English Schools Cross-country Championships held at Witton Country Park in Blackburn.

It was a fantastic achievement to be selected for the teams, as only eight students in the region were selected for each age group. The girls, from Oakham School, ended the day with success, with the regional team placing fourth out of 45 counties. The runners were up against stiff competition, with more than 2,000 students attending the event to represent their counties.

Asia said: “It was a great experience and hope to represent the county again next year.”

Angharad has also had further success recently in the Inter-County Cross-country Championships, where she represented Northamptonshire U17s, finishing 137th out of 273 runners.

CALLING ALL SCHOOLS...

Active magazine exists to promote and celebrate local sport in all its forms, from the Leicester Tigers at the pinnacle of professional rugby to local primary school competitions.

If your pupils are involved in sport and you’d like them to gain some recognition, you can get them featured in our school sports pages.

To include your school reports in these pages, simply email: steve@theactivemag.com

/// M AY 2 0 1 5 5 7

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24/04/2015 11:12

Feature /// School sports

Report finds two-thirds of primary school kids are unfit In response to research published recently claiming that two-thirds of primary age children in the UK are unfit, the Youth Sport Trust chief executive Ali Oliver has claimed that more should be done to get children playing sport in schools.

Oliver said: “This research reiterates the need for increased activity levels among young people. At the Youth Sport Trust, we believe every child has a right to access high quality PE and school sport. We were pleased to see the two largest political parties pledge to improve our nations’ health, education and sporting prospects with a minimum two hours of physical activity in schools per week.

“The challenge we face in confronting physical inactivity amongst young people should not be underestimated.

“We know that PE, school sport and physical activity improve physical health, boost mental health and build resilience, creating active habits for life. Its impact should not be underestimated.”

The Youth Sport Trust has a range of resources and programmes aimed at helping member schools improve the quality of the PE and sport activities offered at their school.

Pendleton inspires next generation Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton welcomed 165 teenage girls to the first-ever Girls Active camp at Loughborough as part of a drive to get more 14-16 year-old females into sport.

Funded by Sport England and run in partnership with Women in Sport, the three-day event aimed to empower girls to look after their health and wellbeing.

The girls took part in a series of practical sessions during the event, which was hosted at Loughborough University.

Workshops and discussions focused on how they can act as role models and inspire other girls to get involved in sport. The event also involve interactived elements where attendees ask why girls their age are often reluctant to get active.

Pendleton said: “I believe in the power of sport to generate successful, well-rounded young people.

“I feel immensely honoured to be involved in such a worthy cause as the Youth Sport Trust Girls Active programme.

“Sport has played such an integral part in my life and I have learned so much through its ups and downs. I want to show these girls that it is not just about competition, sport equips you to succeed in life.”

The Girls Active Pilot has already seen great results. A survey taken after the completion of the one-year scheme found that:  Girls who are happy with the way their body looks more than doubled from 25% to 56%  Girls feeling ‘very unhappy’

about their bodies look reduced by more than half from 37% to 16%  The number of girls who look forward to their PE lessons has nearly doubled - from 38% to 71%  The percentage of girls that felt positive about school rose from 24% to 78%.

The Girls Active camp comes as Sport England announces a further £3.14million of National Lottery funding for school sport, much of which will go towards getting girls active as part of the national This Girl Can campaign.

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

Football

Amazing April for Leicester

W

hen Matt Taylor missed a penalty for Burnley, and Jamie Vardy scrambled a winner in for Leicester, it completed four wins on the trot for the Foxes, and something that seemed unthinkable for almost all of the season now seemed possible: Leicester staying up.

It would have been easy to have folded and accepted their fate: plenty of in sides in the relegation places have in the cauldron of pressure that is the Premier League.

But Leicester have kept fighting, and four wins from four take them out of the relegation zone for the first time since November; as Active went to press it means that their destiny is at last in their own hands.

Unbeaten April had been an incredible month for the club, and one that supporters will look back on with great fondness if they stay up: 2-0 at home to Swansea, 3-2

away at West Bromwich Albion, and a 2-1 win at the King Power over West Ham. Credit to the players for fighting, but credit to the club too for it would have been easy to take the route so often travelled: sack the manager and hope a new one bring just enough impetus to haul you clear.

If they can finish the job off, then hopefully next season, fully acclimatised to the top flight, will allow them to show off the quality that got them back there in the first place.

In the local leagues, there have been plenty of end of season nerves, too. It was a season-long battle in the Leicestershire & District Premier League, with Cosby United and NKF Burbage neck and neck at the end: both seven points clear of third placed Birstall RBL. After 18 games, they both had matching records: won 12, drawn four and lost two, but it was Cosby who headed the table

thanks to their markedly superior goal difference of +36 to Burbage’s +28. It might have been closer, but a late season 10-0 thumping of lowly Glenfield Town did wonders for their goal difference.

At the other end, Glenfield Town were rooted to the bottom, six points adrift of Kibworth Town, having only won twice all season.

Meanwhile, in Division One Queniborough completed a superb season, taking the title and promotion by a country mile from Burbage Old Boys. After 22 games, 16 points separated first and second with Queniborough having lost only one game all season. With four games still to play and only two points behind Burbage, third placed Bermuda Village should still sneak second.

Over in the East Midlands Counties League, St Andrews can only sit and wait, with their league campaign finished and 82 points in the bag after 38 games. Behind

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Oadby Town were in league action against AFC Kempton Rovers, ending up 3-2 winners PICTURE: TER-LEIGH PHOTOGRAPHY

them, Bardon Hill have 79 points from 37 games, with a goal difference seven points better. If Bardon can beat Ellistown & Ibstock United they’ll take the title on the last evening on the season.

St Andrews will be kicking themselves, as the title was there for the taking as they just needed a point from the game at Shaw Lane to win the championship against Holbrook Sports.

Holbrook took a two-goal league but one pulled back in the 76th minute by Lewis Turland saw St Andrews then lay siege to Holbrook’s goal, but they couldn’t find that

all-important equaliser. So now they wait.

Over in The ChromaSport & Trophies United Counties League it’s been a mixed season for local sides.

Oadby Town managed to get to midtable habving improved after a problematic start to the season, but in truth their home form was not good enough to warrant a higher position, losing 11 games there.

Lutterworth Athletic still have a shot at promotion but will surely need to win their final two matches if they are to achieve that.

Harborough Town ended up in a relegation battle. There’s been an upturn

since the appointment of Nick Pollard as manager, and they managed a draw in their penultimate game against Eynesbury Rovers, which gave them a chance, although it could have been so much better with many a sage onlooker reckoning the referee missed a stonewall penalty when Jordan Crawford was clean through in the box, only to be up-ended.

A 1-1 draw away at Holbeach United in the last game resulted in them ending up second from bottom though, although it is yet to be decided whether one of two sides will go down. So fingers crossed.

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Email advertise@theactivemag.com /// M AY 2015

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Roundup

Rugby

Mixed emotions at the end of the season

BY JEREMY BESWICK

W

e start with the mostimproved side for many a mile, and South Leicester didn’t allow their triumphs in the County Cup or their unassailable lead in the league to distract them from a strong end to their campaign, winning their last four games. In fact, they haven’t had a reverse since the narrow loss to Scunthorpe way back in November.

It’s going to be a busy close season for South as they prepare for their new life in National League 2, a higher tier than they’ve ever played before. The step-up has its challenges both on and off the pitch, but Veteran and Under 13s coach Stuart Marsden told me: “Although we’re coming out of our comfort zone, the other clubs in the new league have embraced us and given us lots of advice. It’s brilliant that they’ve been so welcoming.”

Brother Wayne added: “We’ll spend another £10,000 on the pitch this summer

and with the other expenditure we’ll need on infrastructure, finance is the main challenge.” In a season review in the club programme he gave well-deserved praise to the unsung heroes of the seconds and thirds who “have again given 100% in a green and white shirt every week.”

Unless the ‘powers that be’ are perverse – and choose to put South into the other half of the mix – Leicester Lions await them in League Two and I’m sure both clubs are relishing some fiercely contested derbies.

Lions’ own season in the league above has been mixed and they finished in the lower half of the table, but a recent highlight was the home fixture against high-flying Chester. Lions scored the first try of the game after good work from the scrum, hooker Ollie Taylor grounding the ball, and their forwards continued to dominate resulting in a yellow card for the opposition, followed by not one but two penalty tries. Although Chester fought back

in the second half, No 8 Rob Young and winger Luke Veebel also went over to see them home by 38-28.

Lions’ director of rugby, Ken Whitehead, said: “This was a superb, spirited and deserved result against a most able Chester side. The players supported each other well, playing with commitment and self esteem.”Press officer Mike Howkins added: “A fantastically fought win for Lions with five tries, five conversions and five points. Good to see fly-half Jon Boden still in good all-round and kicking form.”

Alas, they couldn’t keep it up, losing to both Broadstreet and Harrogate in their next two, but returned to form with a crushing victory away to Stockport 47-10.

Over in the snappily-named Midlands 2 East (South) Division, Lutterworth and Oadby Wyggestonians have the edge over local rivals Market Harborough, their respective league positions being fourth, fifth and ninth. Lutterworth snatched

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A rather more salubrious setting for our press conference this month, swapping Oadby Town’s coffee and chocolate digestives for wine and canapés in Leicester Cathedral.

We were here for the launch of ‘Kings of the North’, a pre-season tournament between Tigers, Sale Sharks and Newcastle Falcons to take place during the World Cup. The unusual choice of venue is down to the PR team behind Richard Cockerill tying in the kings theme of the new competition to the recent re-burial here of his namesake. A ruthless leader who stops at nothing to get his way – and then there’s Richard III. With an impressive grasp of history, Tigers chief executive Simon Cohen expanded the theme by noting that Richard had battled the Lancastrians (Sale) and that this was the opportunity to avenge the treachery of Northumberland (Newcastle) at Bosworth Field.

The promotional video – which you can view at www.kingso henorth. net – was plainly edited at Welford Road. It features all three teams of course, but includes five tries by Tigers whilst Sharks and Falcons, between them, manage to score, err... none.

Cockerill summed up the appeal: “The start of the season is an exciting part of the year for rugby coaches, players and supporters. Everyone always wants to get the league season off to a good start and the Kings of the North provides a perfect opportunity to get a run of games together ahead of kick-off in the league campaign.”

Doubtless it will also be a chance for the younger players to show what they can do in the absence of so much of the first team on World Cup duty.

But back to this season, and Cockerill remains defiant following the chastening defeat by Saracens. “We’re hanging in there and still in the mix.

The boys are showing great spirit,” he said. “It’s easy to be a player when everything’s going well but now we’re seeing what they’re really made of.”

Certainly Tigers are trying everything to qualify, including eliciting the support of cathedral canon Peter Hobson who gamely put on a Tigers shirt over his dog collar. Divine intervention isn’t needed quite yet, but they will need to win their remaining three fixtures to be involved in the play-offs.

fourth position thanks to their 30-20 victory over Wyggs. Nevertheless, the All Blacks of Harborough have some claim to the local triple crown having drawn with, then beaten, Wyggs and finishing honours-even against Lutts with one win apiece.

Harborough had a successful March, winning all three of their games including that defeat of Wyggs with the Blair brothers – Billy and Callum – prominent on the scoreboard, but just came up short in their last match against Oakham. The club will be delighted with the Colts, who won their own league title, which promises great things to come.

TIGERS IMAGES

Tigers talk

Above

Leicester’s Richard Cockerill, Newcastle’s Dean Richards and Sale’s Steve Diamond in front of the tomb of Kind Richard III at the launch of the new Kings of the North competition

Wyggs did however finish on a high note with a 51-10 victory at Northampton Old Scouts. First team coach Joe Hill said: “We should have come away with something from the match at Lutterworth but tried to play too much rugby. The Harborough game was wind affected and they used it better than us and we were probably not aggressive enough at the breakdown. The Scouts game was a very good finish and, overall, we’ve been able to field a more settled side this season.”

He singled out Lewis Jones in the back row, captain Bryn Bolton-Waugh and inside centre Tom Bishop for special praise.

He continued: “We’ve also had four or five lads come through from the Colts who have done well, and the seconds have been outstanding and kept the pressure up.”

West Ham fans will be surprised to see one Sam Allardyce at blindside flanker.

Well, we all need a fall-back plan in an uncertain world.

As for next season, Hill reckons: “We’ll be looking for a top-five finish or better and to pick up some silverware. That’s achievable if we get better at referee management – figuring out how he wants to run the game and adjusting our play accordingly.”

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Roundup

Cycling

Hundreds turn out for Festival of Cycling

M

ore than 200 people took to the streets for the first ‘Festival of Cycling’ event sponsored by Alden Electrical in Market Harborough last month. Offering something for everybody, it proved to be a test of character as well as a test of endurance.

The weather forecast from Saturday night couldn’t have been worse with gusts of 80 mph and torrential rain forecast for the following morning. Conditions weren’t quite as bad but weren’t ideal either, especially for some of the family friendly fun that had been planned.

The bad weather resulted in a slightly reduced number of people taking part with about 40 people pulling out on the morning of the event. However, 100 participants took part in the 100km route and 65 participants in the 50km route. Participants came from across Leicestershire and Northamptonshire and included former England rugby captain Martin Johnson.

All routes started at Robert Smyth Academy and went round local villages including Great Bowden, Foxton, Medbourne, Kibworth and Mowsley before returning back to Market Harborough.

CALLING ALL SPORTS CLUBS...  Want to see your club featured on our roundup pages? We’re looking for all your news, reviews, pictures and results.

Please bear in mind we go to press on the penultimate weekend of every month.  Have you ever fancied being a sports writer? We are looking for correspondents to cover various sports every month too.

Please give editor Steve Moody a call on 07770 377217, or email steve @theactivemag.com and we’ll be in touch.

Both the adult events were ‘sportives’ so there is not a winner as such because of the way they are structured; given the

conditions everybody who completed the distance was a winner!

Other activities at the race HQ included 25 free coaching sessions on cycling from Dean Barnett of Whizz Kids. The event also included a prize-laden family trail that was run by Sustainable Harborough.

The organisers said: “We would like to pay tributes to the volunteers who also had to brave the weather and supported the riders along the way – without them, the event couldn’t have taken place.”

Many of the participants took to Facebook after the event, including cyclist James Stretton who commented: “Thoroughly enjoyed today, especially the last half with the wind finally behind us.

Looking forward to next year, when hopefully the weather will be better. My thanks goes out to all the marshals and volunteers that helped support the event”.

In total the event raised more than £1,200 for charity AdamSmile. The next event will be the Carnival of Running, taking place on June 13, which will include the first half marathon in Market Harborough for over three decades. For more information see www.raceharborough.co.uk.

Show your support for local sport...

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Roundup

Equestrianism

Plenty of pointing action

BY JULIA DUNGWORTH

Nico Morgan

T

he month kicked off with the Belvoir Point-to-Point at Garthorpe on March 26. A huge crowd turned out, despite some of the most horrific weather we have seen so far this year, with massive gusts of winds threatening to pull the trade stands down, But that didn’t dampen the spirits of the 106 entries who contested the seven races.

The mixed open race went to John Russell, riding Gunmoney for his tenth win. He is looking forward to coming back to Garthorpe for the Pytchley meet soon, no doubt. Alex Vaughan-Jones took the restricted race with Fearthedark, surviving a near-miss at the last on the seven-year old to take the spoils.

The Atherstone also held their point-topoint on April 19 at Clifton-on-Dunsmore.

The highlight was a double for trainer Tom Morgan in the final two races of the day.

Shutthebackdoor, a five-year-old halfbrother to Shutthefrontdoor who provided AP McCoy with his final Grand National ride, started the 2-5 favourite for the BRI Wealth Management Restricted race, a qualifier for the Subaru Restricted Point-toPoint Series final at Stratford on May 29.

Ridden by Sam Davies-Thomas he gained a length victory over Annamult with Fermat in third. “He did it nicely; he’s an

Above

John Russell riding Gunmoney at Belton

out and out stayer so the track didn’t really suit him. He ran a bit green but then he is only five and there is a lot more to come from him,” said the winning jockey.

With two wins and a second from three starts, Shutthebackdoor is clearly an exciting prospect for owners Dave Cook and Tom’s partner Lizzie Harris.

Geoff Bridges from Thornhaugh managed to tick one off the bucket list by getting his first picture in the Horse and Hound (April 2). Unfortunately it was a photo of his rider-less horse Eeyore completing the Fernie Team Chase without

him. Geoff told me he watched him divert up hills to follow his new found friends in the race!

He did however make up for it, as the next week he went on to finish his first point-to-point at Thorpe, in the South Notts Hunt Challenge, placing sixth overall.

Vale View Equestrian Centre yet again hosted the Quorn’s infamous Gate Jumping Competition; they again had a huge crowd turn out. Ben Cornwall was crowned champion jumping a huge 1.65m jump.

The sun beamed down for Belton Horse Trials over April 17-19, and yet again they had to ballot most classes due to their increasing popularity. There were at least a thousand horses and riders taking part, from unaffiliated dressage to inter-hunt relays, to the big boys contesting in the CIC3* as a warm up for Badminton.

Oliver Townend won the CIC2* over fellow Brit Tom McEwen. The hotlycontested CIC3* was a real international affair with the only Brit in the top 10 being Kitty King in third place. The USA’s Clark Montgomery took the coveted Grantham Cup beating Australia’s Bill Levett.

The next big event is Rockingham International Horse Trials, which runs over the weekend of the May 22-24. If last year is anything to go by, it’s sure to be a great event to go and watch..

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