Active Magazine // South Leicestershire // October 2015

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It's not all mud, glorious mud...

Sun, sea, sand: where to travel for the best sport this winter ISSUE 06 // OCTOBER 2015

S o u t h L e i c e s t E R s h i r e S P O R T A N D L EI S U R E M A G A Z I N E

ISSUE 06 // OCTOBER 2015

OAD TO JOY Oadby Ladies are taking football by storm

Walks with Will...

Far and away around East Farndon

Final Covers Issue 40.indd 117

A Day in the Life

Nature of art: illustrating local wildlife

Four Men in a boat

www.theACTIVEmag.com

The men rowing across the Atlantic for charity

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Editor’s Letter WHAT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES HAPPEN when a team, a forced-together-collective of individual minds, seem to come together and create an effort and performance greater than the sum of their parts?

The reason I got to thinking about this was while watching Leicester taking apart a previously dominant Aston Villa and come from two goals down to win. Once they got the first goal, once they accessed that memory bank of spirit and success that they built at the end of last season, there really only looked one winner. And yet many of the players and management are different, so the new people have bought into that remarkable never-say-die attitude.

Jonny Wilkinson talked recently about the ‘bubble’, the rare feeling of momentum of a tight ball of energy that a team playing with utter commitment in front of thousands of their fans can get.

He said once all those factors some together – playing well, trust, amazing support – you can feel invincible. And it is exactly that which has taken Leicester to the heady heights of the Premiership.

Can you replicate it in lower levels of sport? It’s probably more difficult because players are less consistent, they are less tight knit because they might only play and train a couple of times a week, and it’s unlikely they have 30,000 people screaming their names.

But it can happen – although I can think of two or three occasions in my life where I have been in a team that has over-performed and become way greater than the sum of its parts over a season.

Generally it has needed complete relaxation rather than intensity: see ball hit ball, take risks without fear of failure, that sort of thing.

One small example: we dropped everything one cricket season.

The next year we agreed that as long as everyone practised with complete commitment beforehand, there was no pressure on them to hold catches during the game. There would be no tutting, swearing or recriminations. That year we caught everything going.

The next year we were back to our old ways. The bubble had burst. It goes to show that ‘momentum’ is so fleeting – when you have it, like Leicester, you’ve got it enjoy it for all that it is worth.

Because it could be gone in an instant.

I hope you enjoy the magazine, Steve

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

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 Amy Roberts amy@theactivemag.com Editorial and Advertising Assistant Kate Maxim kate@theactivemag.com Accounts accounts@theactivemag.com Active magazine, The Grey House, 3 Broad Street, Stamford, PE9 1PG. Tel: 01780 480789 A member of the Stamford Chamber of Trade and Commerce If you have information on a club then get in touch by emailing editor@theactivemag.com. If you would like to stock Active magazine then email distribution@ theactivemag.com. If you would like to discuss advertising possibilities please email advertise@ theactivemag.com Active magazine is published 12 times per year on a monthly basis. ISSN 2049-8713 A Grassroots Publishing Limited company. Company registration number 7994437. VAT number 152717318 Disclaimer

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.

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Contents

ISSUE 6 /// OCTOBER 2015

36 NEWS 11 ACTIVE LIFE

Spy games at Foxton Locks

15 COOPED UP

Editor Steve Moody updates us on life with chickens

16-17 ON YOUR BIKE

Rutland Cycling expands, and our Team Sky bike winner

18-19 HEALTHY EATING

Another tasty recipe from Riverford Organic

20 DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

Natural history illustrator Helen Neave

23 WHAT’S ON

Great ideas for fun family days out this month

25 ROWING THE ATLANTIC

Quartet set out on a gruelling adventure

33 MARTIN JOHNSON COLUMN

The Sunday Times writer on the Rugby World Cup

34-35 KIT BAG

Essential gear for the sporting season

FEATURES

33

26

26-31 OAD TO JOY

We meet a thriving women’s football team

36-43 HEAD FOR THE SUN

The best places for an active autumn holiday

23

44-51 HEALTH AND FITNESS

The latest on looking and feeling great

REGULARS 54-55 GREAT WALKS

Will Hetherington heads to East Farndon

55 SPORTSMAN’S DINNER

We try out The Lake Isle in Uppingham

59 SCHOOL SPORT

Our focus on the latest achievements from local pupils

60-66 ROUND-UP

How clubs in the area are faring

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£20,910 £3,915 £16,995 £249

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representative of real-life driving conditions. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a significant effect on fuel consumption. Abarth UK is a trading style of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK Ltd. The New Abarth 595 Competizione range starts from £19,890 OTR. Model shown is an Abarth 595 Competizione 1.4 T-Jet 180 hp at £20,910 OTR with Cordolo Red Tri-Coat Metallic Paint at £660, 17" Formula – Matt Black Finish Alloy Wheels at £190, Black Stripe and Door Mirrors at £170. Promotion available on new Abarth 595 Competizione models registered by 30th September 2015. With Abarth i-Deal you have the option to return the vehicle and not pay the final payment, subject to the vehicle not having exceeded an agreed annual mileage (a charge of 6p per mile for exceeding 6,000 miles per annum in this example) and being in good condition. Finance subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Terms and Conditions apply.

At participating Dealers only. Abarth Financial Services, PO BOX 4465, Slough, SL1 0RW. We work with a number of creditors including Abarth Financial Services.

In Play

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A game of two halves

LCFC/PLUMB IMAGES

Jamie Vardy (le ) celebrates scoring Leicester City’s second goal in their 3-2 home victory over Aston Villa. City came back from 2-0 down. The result moved Leicester up to second in the Premier League. For more on Leicester City and local football, see pages 62-63.

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

OUT AND ABOUT

Spies on a mission Visit Foxton Locks during half-term and have a go at their Spy Mission Treasure Trail. It’s a great way to explore and discover something new even if you think you know the area well. Everyone in the family will need to join in to solve the clues. Sounds great fun! www.treasuretrails.co.uk/leicestershire/ things-to-do-in-foxton.html

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Activelife SPORT

Rutland Cycling at Peterborough Rutland Cycling’s new Peterborough shop is now open at Orton Meadows, next to Notcutts garden centre.

Rutland’s newest venture is a spacious, purposebuilt store stocking bikes, cycle clothing and gear from top brands including Specialized, Giant, Trek, Cube, Cannondale, SCOTT and Whyte. The store has a full workshop, a dedicated women’s department, road and mountain bike pro shops, a custom build centre and a bike fit studio.

Paul Archer, chief executive of Rutland Cycling, said: “We are delighted to open our new store and welcome all cyclists to our shop, from beginners to performance athletes. We have over 250 bikes on display, a regular calendar of free rides and classes and we even have a cyclists’ pit stop, where you can take a breather, grab a coffee and speak to one of our cycling experts.

“This store is in addition to our Ferry Meadows hire centre which opened earlier in the year, offering affordable bike hire for all ages to enjoy the various routes around Ferry Meadows.

“The growth of our business over the years shows there is a great demand for cycling products, from bikes through to clothing and accessories and it is great to see so many people involved in cycling for enjoyment, commuting and exercise.

“Our new store will provide the quality products and service that Rutland Cycling is renowned for, with an exceptional team of qualified staff, but with a strong ethos of a friendly, family-run business.”  Rutland Cycling Peterborough, Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough, PE2 5UU. Telephone: 01733 371 013.

Website: www.rutlandcycling.com

WIN A NEW BIKE! Don’t miss the official Rutland Cycling Peterborough store launch on the weekend of October 24-25, with giveaways, exclusive discounts and the chance to win a new Giant bike worth £500.

FREE CLASSES AND SEMINARS Rutland Cycling has just launched its winter rides and events calendar and it’s jam-packed with free events and activities for cyclists of all disciplines, ages and abilities. If you’re a mountain biker, then you won’t want to miss Rutland’s annual MTB Demo Day, taking place at Fineshade/Wakerley Woods on Sunday, November 15. The popular Breeze Mums and Tots ride, now in its third year, continues weekly through the winter months, and there are new night rides, beginners’ road rides, winter maintenance classes and women-only seminars.

For details see www.rutlandcycling.com.

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Outrageous October...

Leisure club membership 15 months for the price of 12 with a reduced joining fee for all new annual memberships in October!

Call or pop into the club for more information

› 22 Metre Swimming Pool › 2 Spa pools › Sauna & Steam room › NEW & IMPROVED Gym › Studio fitness classes included › 2 Squash Courts › 6 Tennis Courts › 9 hole Pitch & Putt COMPETITION

Sam joins Team Sky We reveal the winner of our fabulous Rutland Cycling Team Sky kids road bike competition Seven-year-old Sam Chapel from Billesden has been named as the winner of our fabulous Frog Team Sky road bike.

The judges from Rutland Cycling chose him having studied at great length all the entries from nearly 100 children who entered the competition. Sam recently picked the bike up from Rutland Cycling’s Whitwell store, and was soon heading off around Rutland Water on it.

Cycling mad Sam, who goes to Stoneygate School in Leicester, had only recently been given for his birthday a load of new cycling gear.

Having grown out of his old mountain bike, the timing could not have been more perfect.

His mum Sally said: “When he found out he had won, he could barely sleep with the excitement. He’d desperately wanted to win the bike as he loves cycling and wants to go out with his dad.”

Dad Alex is a keen road cyclist, and so now the two can head out together. Sam said: “It’s much lighter and faster than my old bike, and the brakes and gears are really good. I feel like Chris Froome!”

› 18 hole crazy golf

Leisure Club Tel: 01572 771 314 Did you know?

We also have a beauty department with a whole range of treatments available Tuesday-Saturday.

Please call or check the website for more information.

Beauty Tel: 01572 771 313 Barnsdale Hall Hotel, Nr Oakham, Rutland, LE15 8AB www.barnsdalehotel.co.uk

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1803 0915

Activelife Carrie Wright of The Clever Coop Company (www.theclevercoopcompany.com) offers some chicken-keeping advice..  To prevent feeding your local wild life and pests, it is essential not to leave food lying around. Think about either a ‘scatter ad lib’ feeding idea so your chickens consume all the feed within a short period of time, or perhaps have a treadle feeder that opens only when your hens stand on the treadle plate.  Minimise the risk of illness and parasites.

By keeping your feed contained and away from wild birds, you will help prevent disease amongst your flock. Wild birds can bring parasites, respiratory problems and infections to you chickens. There is always a risk how ever careful you are but, by minimising the interactions between chickens and wildlife, will aid towards a healthy flock.

LIFESTYLE

COOPED UP The days are getting shorter and editor Steve Moody has a plan for letting the chickens out on a cold morning

Y

ou become very sensitive to the changing of the seasons when you keep chickens, mainly because of shutting them in and letting them out of their coop every day. It’s getting colder.

They nest earlier and earlier every day, as the sun sets sooner. That’s quite handy, obviously.

However, the mornings are interesting. Mildred lays her eggs first thing, and you can hear her squawking with the effort while you are laying in a nice warm bed. So up you get, and then start layering.

It’s noticeably colder and the grass considerably more dewy so an extra layer of clothing is being added at a rate of about one

piece every two weeks. I’ll be honest, at 6.30am in late September the cold is a bit of a shock. I’m dreading the middle of January.

When I picked the coop up from Carrie at The Clever Coop Company, she was experimenting with an automatic coop door opening device powered by a small motor and I wasn’t really sure what the need was for it.

Now, with my wet feet, I’m thinking it would be a fantastic idea. Failing that, the door has a quick release system and is on a spring, requiring just a flick to set the chickens free. I’m thinking that if I attached a piece of string to the lever, ran it through an eyelet on the top of the fence and then the entire length of the garden I

 What signs to look for in an unwell chicken. Symptoms in poultry vary dependant on the type of illness however there are a few tell-tell signs to help you spot a poorly bird.

Indications include (but not limited to) a pale, sunken face; lethargy and distancing from other flock members, heavy or noisy breathing, dirty vent/bottom, fluffed-up appearance, and lack of appetite.

could sit in the warmth of the kitchen, give a quick tug on the strong and hey presto – welcome to the day, chickens. I shall begin my experiments forthwith..

On the escape front, Ollie is proving impossible to cage. My wife has laid all sorts of traps and obstacles, but the chicken is out-foxing her at every turn. At this rate, next up will be watchtowers, machine gun nests and searchlights. Let’s see her get past those.

She potters round the garden though, and when my wife goes to put her back in she just follows dutifully, head bobbing from side to side as she runs along. It’s just attention seeking, really.

NATURE

How to spot... the little egret The Little Egret was first recorded in Rutland in June 1982 and is now a familiar bird at Rutland Water and Eyebrook Reservoir and has also been seen along the Rivers Gwash and Welland as well as at Fort Henry Ponds.

Little Egrets are obvious herons, smaller than the Grey Heron, white in colour with black bill and legs and yellow feet. In summer the adults have long

plumes on the head and breast – formerly much in demand by the fashion trade.

Little Egrets have colonised much of England and Wales, having pushed north across Europe. They bred in Dorset and Cornwall in 1996 and since 2011 have been nesting in small numbers at Rutland Water.

Many birds assemble on the Egleton lagoons after breeding – 84 in July 2013 –

including birds from breeding colonies in Norfolk and Nottinghamshire.

Unlike the Grey Herons which are a ‘stand and wait’ hunter, Little Egrets are very active when seeking prey – small fish, snails or frogs – walking or running quickly through shallow water. They will also use ‘foot paddling’ to disturb prey, making it easier to catch.

With so many of our birds in decline, it’s good to report on a successful and expanding species.

Terry Mitcham

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Activelife OUT AND ABOUT

Five things to do in October  As it’s half-term this month it’s an ideal time to get out on your bikes for some fresh air and exercise. A very pretty route to try is the Brampton Valley Way that links Market Harborough to Northampton. It’s six miles north of Northampton and easily accessible from a number of locations along the A508.  It’s the Rugby World Cup this month and lots of local pubs, including the Red Cow in Market Harborough, will be showing the matches on their big screens. Where better to watch a match cheering on England and the other home counties than in the pub, drink in hand, soaking up the atmosphere with friends?

 Visit Boughton House (below) on October 25 when they have their gardens open between 11am and 3pm in support of the National Gardens Scheme. Teas will also be available.  The hedgerows are full of sloes (below right) at this time of year. Pick some, prick them and put them in the freezer so the skins split ready to make sloe gin. By doing this you can speed up the gin making process.

MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES

 It’s Halloween on October 31 so time for trick or treating. Grab a scary mask, don a ghoulish costume and get out with the kids and have some fun. Just don’t frighten the neighbours….

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NATURE

Know your crop: sugar beet Remember the distinctive smell there used to be when you came into Peterborough on the train? That was the smell of the sugar beet factory. Now sadly long gone (but we doubt the smell is missed).

Sugar beet is the short green crop that is starting to be lifted now.

Therefore it can mean some very muddy roads and you will notice the huge beet harvesters in the fields. Gone are the days when farmers used to spend months lifting a few rows at a time before taking the beet to the local factory. The enormous harvesters will lift six rows at a time and clear a field in a day.

The sugar beet grown in this area is a plant whose root contains high levels of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. It is a root crop that has a conical, white shape with a flat crown. There is a rosette of leaves on the top which is what you can see in the field.

Sugar beet is only grown in temperate climates in direct contrast to sugar cane which only grows in sub-tropical zones. Sugar beet needs moisture retaining, fertile soil that is level and well drained.

Planted in the spring and lifted in the autumn the crop is normally grown on a three year rotation with cereals and peas. Long, sunny days with cool nights and plenty of rain make for ideal growing conditions.

Sugar was first extracted from beet during the 16th century. Sugar beet production took on a more commercial life during the Napoleonic wars. Napoleon Bonaparte encouraged the building of beet factories because the blockade of Europe by the Royal Navy and the Haitian revolution against his brother in law made the import of sugar cane impossible. So he decreed that a million francs should be used for the establishment of sugar schools compelling farmers to plant large acreages of sugar beets. He also banned any imports of sugar cane from the Caribbean until 1813. By 1837 France had become the largest producer of sugar beet in the world. A position it held until as recently as 2010. Where France led the rest of Europe followed, placing large subsidies on the production so eventually it affected the sugar cane market, causing it to diminish rapidly.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that sugar beet was grown on a large commercial scale in Britain. Seventeen factories were built (Peterborough being one of them) because of war time shortages of imported cane sugar. Until this time Britain had relied on importing cane sugar from the Empire.

In 1927, after many years of doing battle with the government the British Sugar Beet Society succeeded in procuring subsidies in line with the rest of Europe to make the British market more stable.

Subsidies have been reduced in recent years and the Peterborough factory shut making transport costs higher so not as much beet is now grown locally. But it is still quite a common crop in this area and you will often see sheep grazing on the beet tops once the crop has been lifted.

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Activelife

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CHICKEN AND BEAN PASTA WITH BASIL AND PANGRATTATO Ingredients 1 lemon 1 onion 2 garlic cloves 200g runner beans 50g breadcrumbs 50g parmesan ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes Olive oil 250g skinless chicken breast 200g trenne pasta 60ml white wine 15g basil 1 pot of mascarpone Salt and pepper Method Fill the saucepan with salted water and put on to boil. Zest the lemon. Peel and finely chop the onion. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and gently cook the onions for about 15 minutes until starting to collapse and soften.

While the onions cook, peel and finely crush the garlic. Top and tail the runner beans and de-string them. Slice them very finely at an angle. Mix the breadcrumbs with the parmesan cheese, half the chopped garlic, dried chilli, half the lemon zest and 3 tbsp of olive oil.

Heat another frying pan and gently fry the

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.

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breadcrumb mix until it is crisp and golden brown, 6-8 minutes (1). Keep it moving so the parmesan doesn’t stick to the pan. Put to one side once cooked.

Blanch the beans in the boiling water for 3 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon. Cool immediately in cold water to stop them cooking.

Keep the water on the heat.

Slice the chicken breast into thin slices. Add the chicken and the remaining garlic to the onions and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the pasta to the water, stir well and cook on a rolling boil for 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, add the wine to the frying pan with the chicken and onions and let it reduce down until half the volume. Drain the beans and add them to the frying pan. Heat through for a few minutes.

Add 3 tbsp of mascarpone to the chicken mix (2). Warm it gently but don’t let it boil. Remove from the heat and tear in the basil (3). Season well with salt and pepper and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice. Drain the pasta and stir it through the sauce. Scatter over the breadcrumb mix.

1

2

3

Tip Never leave your pasta waiting for the sauce.

Always have the sauce ready to add to the just cooked pasta.

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.

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Activelife

A day in the life of

HELEN NEAVE

Natural history illustrator

I

grew up with a beekeeper. The shed at the bottom of the garden was where my dad had his cottage industry. Mum would bottle the honey. When I moved to Leicestershire I had a few hives of my own but you need a lot of time to manage them properly especially now with all the diseases, mites and colonies collapsing. Many people are now aware that our bee stocks are having a hard time but they don’t appreciate what a knife edge the planet is on when it comes to pollination and food chains.

Without bees we’d be dead, it’s that simple.

We lived in north Norfolk when I was a kid and we used to go on night manoeuvres to pollinate fruit trees in Lincolnshire. We’d put the hives on the back of a truck then drive on to a farmer’s orchard, set them around the trees and in the morning they’d pollinate the fruit. At the end of the season we might take them onto the marshes for different types of nectar. There’s a lot of sea lavender on the coast which makes a strong, dark honey with loads of taste to it.

Honey made from intensively farmed crops such as oilseed rape is pretty flavourless and has a really high sugar content so tends to granulate and go solid. Most stuff in supermarkets is a blend of different bee-keepers’ honey, but the best bet is to buy local, especially if you have allergies because you’ll be exposed to local allergens and irritants and build up immunity.

I had a really rural upbringing which is where my love of wildlife began. I went to Great Yarmouth College to do graphic design but it wasn’t for me. So I trained in technical natural history illustration in Bournemouth studying things that grow, creep, crawl and breathe.

That’s where I met my other half as he did a talk on endangered species and the animal trade and we immediately hit it off. He’s a snake man; reptiles, that sort of thing. We travel once a year to places such as Indonesia and Thailand and go off into the jungle where everything is dripping with wildlife – it’s like the English countryside on steroids. It gives me a chance to draw wildlife in its habitat.

I use my art to promote awareness of conservation. I went with members of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International Institute to Ghana to illustrate a booklet on growing and harvesting medicinal plants. We were encouraging people to grow these plants in herb gardens or harvest them from the wild.

Day to day I run art classes, mainly in watercolours, and I take in specimens for still life lessons like feathers, skulls or pinned insects that I’ve bred myself. We go to insect fairs and buy captive bred larvae and pupae or collect a few 20

‘Without bees we’d be dead, it’s that simple’ from clumps on nettle patches. We keep them at the right conditions until they emerge, and rear them on for a couple of seasons. That way we get a good amount then we let them go to boost the local population. There are millions of insects and animals that are harvested from the wild and collected as souvenirs within certain cultures. I’ve never seen as many pinned insects as I saw in Thailand. Even a beautiful bag of shells will have been collected by divers, the animal inside will have been killed just to end up on countless bathroom shelves.

Each morning I make sure my larvae have food as they need to eat continually or they become stunted. We try different plants in the

tanks and see which ones they prefer. We grow food plants in the garden like sallow which is native to this area and honeysuckle.

Once I’ve sorted the livestock I teach a couple of classes each day locally. I try and give clients a better understanding and appreciation of their natural surroundings. I write and illustrate magazine articles and do talks to art groups and gardening clubs and I really enjoy doing fine art commissions. My great pleasure is being out in the field sketching but I don’t have much time for that day to day. I leave that to weekends in the camper van and on holiday.  To enquire about fine art commissions, email Helen on wildcorners@yahoo.co.uk

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Activelife

EVENTS

What’s on OUTDOOR FUN FOR ALL Visit Avalanche Adventure at Sibbertoft.

Housed on a 400-acre site just outside Market Harborough, there are plenty of things to do from quad biking, clay pigeon shooting to off road driving. You can have a go at paintballing, take a flight in a glider or try archery. www.avalancheadventure.co.uk CACTI AND CARS Langton Garden Centre near Market Harborough is more than what it says on the tin.

It has a very good nursery as well as an excellent café serving locally sourced food and drink, a gift shop and farm shop which supplies its own freshly cooked bread as well as pickles and preserves. And for car fans they hold a vintage and classic car rally on the third Wednesday of every month between 5-9pm. www.langtongreenhouse.co.uk

HALLOWEEN DELIGHTS Pop down to East Carlton Country Park on Friday, October 31, to enjoy a Halloween extravaganza. Activities start at 11am with a spooky walk at 6.15pm.

01536 770977 A DAY AT THE MUSEUM Lutterworth Museum, just a five-minute walk from the centre of town, is well worth a visit.

Full of local artefacts including a large collection of Frank Whittle (the inventor of the jet engine) memorabilia. There are lots of old photographs of Lutterworth and the surrounding villages.

Entry is free but donations are very welcome.

The museum, a charitable trust, is always looking for volunteers so would be delighted to hear from anyone willing to spare some of their valuable time. www.lutterworthmuseum.com

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Activelife

CHALLENGE

ROWING THE ATLANTIC

An intrepid quartet of Old Uppinghamians are preparing for a gruelling 3,500-mile row across the Atlantic to raise money for two charities. Here we meet the four...

F

or two years, a group of four Old Uppinghamians have been training their bodies and minds for an epic 3,500-mile journey across the Atlantic in a boat barely bigger than a family car. The race, billed as the toughest on Earth, is going to be a massive challenge. More people have climbed Everest than rowed the Atlantic. The intrepid four are aiming to raise £100,000 for the charities Cystic Fibrosis and the Teenage Cancer Trust in the process.

With 800 miles of rowing already under their belts, they have a final fund-raising charity ball on November 13 before they set off from the Canary Islands and head out into the blue yonder.

The boat is two metres wide, powered only by human muscle and grit, so the four have needed as much practice together as possible to prepare them for the trials of the Atlantic. Jack Mayhew, Joe Barnett, Gus Barton and Angus Collins, who were all at school together, have been putting in the hours training; almost being mown down by a yacht off the south coast being one of their more testing moments.

With D-day looming, the final months before their December 14 departure offer a chance to

put the finishing touches to two years of gruelling preparation. They can expect 50 foot waves, hurricane strength winds and, operating strict round-the-clock shifts, no more than two hours’ sleep at a time.

It will be a wild, unpredictable and deeply challenging 3,500 miles across the open seas. But the team is very positive: “We know we can do this,” said Jack. “Who knows, we might even see dolphins along the way.” Good luck to them.

We shall keep you up to date with their progress over the next few months.

The team, known as Ocean Reunion, can be followed on Facebook under the name of Atlantic Row or on their website (www. oceanreunion.co.uk) which also has lots of information about the coming challenge and links to the JustGiving page.  Are you planning a challenge similar to these boys, or James Peach who recently cycled around the world? If so, do get in touch as we’d be delighted to talk to you. Email: mary@theactivemag.com.

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Feature /// Women’s football

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OAD TO JOY

Oadby and Wigston Girls & Ladies FC is an example of how women’s football is thriving. By Jeremy Beswick Photography: Pip Warters Women’s football has been around for much longer than many people think. Depending on your definition of ‘football’ we could go back to the Hen Dynasty or even to many millennia BC, but we may as well start in 1895 and a match between the North and South of England organised by the deliciously named Nettie Honeyball (it finished 7-1 to the North – as many of you will doubtless recall).

A few years later during the First World War the popularity of the women’s game soared in the absence of their male counterparts and by 1920 Goodison Park would see more than 50,000 fans attend a match with, according to reports, ‘several thousands locked outside’.

There were well over a hundred women’s teams across the country by then and the future seemed bright until the cold dead hand of

bureaucracy dealt it a near fatal blow. The doubtless blazered fools of the FA (how little things change) pompously declared: “The Council feel impelled to express their strong opinion that the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged” and banned them from its grounds.

It took 50 years for them to correct the mistake – to the FA’s eternal shame it remained in force until 1971.

The redoubtable aforementioned Nettie was far more prescient, saying that women’s football was a way of “proving to the world that women are not the ornamental and useless creatures men have pictured.....and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs.”

Who knows what heights the women’s game

might have reached had it not been all but killed by the faceless committee men, but fast forward to the current day and the sport is rightly thriving again. Globally, it is arguably the most popular team sport for women and once again there are over a hundred sides across the country.

One such club is Oadby and Wigston Girls and Ladies FC. I joined them for Thursday night training at their Meadows Park ground in Countesthorpe, poles and cones already laid out and the sessions’ activities finely tuned by the coaching team. “We’ve over two hundred female players here, from the academy for six-year olds to over 30s,” first team manager and vicechairman Alan Wells told me. “And there’s a wide variety of skill levels – we never turn anyone away – from some in their 20s who’d

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Feature /// Women’s football

‘WE’VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD PLAYERS AND SOME WHO ARE STARTING OUT BUT THEY ALL PUT THE EFFORT IN’

never played football before to those who’ve gone on to the highest level”.

Alan estimates that around two-thirds of Leicester City’s squad have passed through Oadby Wigston at some point in their careers and other alumnae include Coral Haines and Kirsty Linnet of Birmingham City and, in Kirsty’s case, England.

Alan’s own daughter used to play for the club, which is how he first got involved and together with his team of Pete Bloor, Mike Palmer, Ady Bramley and Hannah Randon form a key group of volunteers who coach the adult sides – with countless other volunteers looking after the ten or so junior teams.

The club was formed in March 1997 by Graham Randon and Gillian Wait, when they

were approached by an 11 year-old who had wanted to form a girls’ football club.

The following season saw the creation of under 12s and under 14s teams as the club grew quickly. Those girls included, among others, regulars Kerry Read, Michelle Cooper and Leanne Clarke. Now the club puts out teams in every age group from under 10 to under 17s, as well as two senior sides.

Pete Bloor returned to the touchline from putting the players through some fitness routines to tell me: “There’s never a dull moment with this lot – we do have our jokers.

We’ve got a lot of really good players and some who are just starting out but they all put the effort in.”

How would he sum up women’s football?

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Feature /// Women’s football “Tactically and technically they’re just as good as the men. Sometimes I hear people disparage the women’s game and I just know they’ve obviously never seen a game. If they did, they’d be surprised.”

Hannah Randon agreed. Made of sterner stuff than many of today’s cosseted male professionals, she had to retire after playing for months with an undiagnosed ankle injury.

“There is one difference,” she said. “When the men are fouled they fall over and roll around.

Women get straight back up and try to get the ball.”

She obviously misses playing regularly, although she did come on as a sub recently despite having a bone protuberance on her foot that, if further damaged, might have meant an operation and six months on crutches.

“I used to find it a massive relief to be on the pitch sometimes,” she said. “If things aren’t perfect at home or at school you can leave all your problems behind you as soon as you cross the white line. I really looked forward to the weekend in a new environment with different people.”

The first team, which plays in the Leicestershire Women’s Senior League, go on tour and recently went to Hereford. What goes on tour stays on tour, but apparently both guitar and ukulele were put to good use around the camp fire in what was a useful and fun team bonding exercise, as are the regular meals at club sponsors Dine India.

Captain Sammy Hargrave took a break from marshalling her troops to tell me: ”We’ve an interesting bunch of players this season. We certainly won’t struggle for numbers and there’s good potential coming through. We were third in the league last time around so we’ll be looking to get both firsts and seconds promoted.”

On the other side of the pitch one-on-one scoring drills are going on and there is general amusement as one player tries to give another ‘the megs’ – that’s a nutmeg to you and me.

England’s historic performance in the World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals and beat Germany – let’s repeat that – beat Germany in the play off for third place has given the game a further boost in this country but it’s also growing strongly all over the globe. According to UEFA the number of registered women players in Europe has increased exponentially from 200,000 in 1985 to 1,200,000 today and as interest grows there are signs of a virtuous circle beginning with greater coverage in the media, and particularly television, spawning even higher levels of participation.

As I left Meadows Park with the sound of laughter mingled with the barked instructions from the coaches ringing in my ears, I reflected that Nettie would approve.

Clockwise, from below

Training at Meadows Park. The club fields a number of age group sides as well as two senior teams and welcomes players of all ages and abilities

WANT TO GET INVOLVED? Visit www.oadbyandwigstongirls.co.uk for more information.

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Guest column

World Cup fever brings me out in a cold sweat Martin Johnson is looking forward to the Rugby World Cup n-depth studies show that World Cups coincide with a marked drop in suicide rates, although this is a statistic which surely can’t include World Cup opening ceremonies. As far as I’m concerned, whenever one of these things is taking place, the urge to open a major artery, or find a bus to throw myself under, is never stronger. They are invariably overlong, expensive, pretentious and choreographed by someone who appears to be under the influence of hallucinatory drugs. There is always a dark and meaningful message to get across, of course, although the task of deciphering that message is usually beyond anyone with an IQ below 10,000.

I found it difficult, therefore, not to utter a sigh of relief when the 2015 Rugby World Cup was awarded to England, as no-one stages World Cup opening ceremonies less reverently than us. ‘If we have to have one, let’s keep it brief,’ is the usual principle.

The best opening ceremony ever was held in England, for the 1999 Cricket World Cup, at Lord’s. With the rest of the world looking on in breathless anticipation, we showed them just what could be done with a budget which wouldn’t quite have covered the price of a Nursery End hot dog. It began with a fireworks display that produced less smoke than a boy scout rubbing two sticks together, and a gunpowder bill slightly less – even at 17th century prices – than the one delivered to a Mr G Fawkes.

Then we had the then-Prime Minister, Tony Blair, giving a stirring address. At least we have to assume it was stirring because unbeknown to Blair or the assembled glitterati, the microphones weren’t working. After all this it came as no great surprise when England were eliminated at the group stage, precisely 24 hours before the official World Cup song was released.

I was quite hopeful that this year’s Rugby World Cup opening ceremony at Twickenham would have had a similar budget, perhaps paid for with the loose change from a violin case at the bottom of a Jubilee Line escalator, but no such luck. It wasn’t overlong, thankfully, but as usual we had to have a ‘theme’ foisted upon us.

This one, predictably, was all about rugby’s great journey, beginning with someone dressed up as William Webb Ellis picking up a football and running off with it. And if they really wanted to deliver the message of just how far rugby has come since young William got yellow carded for deliberate hand ball, they might have at least considered concluding the show with someone biting into a fake blood capsule.

I

However, now that I’ve got opening ceremonies off my chest, it never fails to get the juices flowing when major sporting events come to this country. Even more so because they don’t come around that often. Such as the football World Cup, which we’ve only ever staged once before. Mind you, Held 1 Played 1 is not a bad record to have.

The fond belief is that England’s victory in 1966 was masterminded

by Sir Alf Ramsey, whereas in actual fact the two men behind it were both foreign. Firstly there was that German ref who sent off the Argentine captain in the quarter-final for reasons no-one ever found out, when Argentina were the more talented team. And secondly, in the final itself, when a Russian linesman flagged for an England goal when he was about 40 yards away from a ball bouncing off the crossbar and down to the goal-line. In the 49 years since, technology has failed to prove whether the ball was over the line or not, but this bloke managed it alright, dare one say with a fierce determination to cement his place in history.

1966 – so long ago that goals in those days were traditionally celebrated by throwing hats into the air, which always made me wonder how many people returned home from a football match with the same hat they left home with. Not many I’d guess.

Whether you are old enough to have watched the final live on TV, or young enough not to remember an era in which a team’s players were numbered from 1 to 11 and had no substitutes, the abiding memory is Kenneth Wolstenhome’s BBC commentary... “Some people are on the pitch. They think it’s all over. It is now. It’s four!”

Meantime, over on ITV, Hugh Johns was not cementing a place in football folklore with his own take on that final goal. “Here’s Hurst.

He might make it three. He has! He has… so that’s it. That is IT!” By contrast with footie, this is the third time the Rugby World Cup has been hosted in the UK since the inaugural one in 1987, but the most memorable was 2003 in Australia, and it had certain parallels with 1966 in that Ian Robertson’s BBC radio commentary also went into folklore with his description of Jonny Wilkinson’s dropped goal: “Thirty-five seconds to go… this is the one… it’s coming back for Jonny Wilkinson… he drops for World Cup glory… it’s up, it’s over, he’s done it…”.

Robertson is still the man behind the Beeb’s radio mike, and it would be quite something for him to top that particular entry in history’s great sporting commentaries in this World Cup. Although… “and with seconds to go, it’s coming back to Felipe Berchesi, he drops for glory, and, it’s over. There’s no way back for New Zealand now, and Uruguay have won the World Cup!” Yes, that would probably do it.

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Feature /// Gear

Kitbag

The latest kit to keep you active as autumn approaches

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Giant Cyclotron Mag Turbo Trainer

The Giant Cyclotron Mag II is a solid trainer, perfect for the recreational cyclist through to the club racer looking to clock up some indoor miles. A magnetic resistance unit offers six levels, and there’s a handlebar mounted remote adjuster too.

Price £99.99 From www.rutlandcycling.com

Scent Lok Boot Sock Full Cushion

Darn Tough construction and Scent-Lok technology create the ultimate shooting sock. Knitted with odour-inhibiting, fine gauge, shrink treated, Merino wool, they deliver itch free and breathable all-weather comfort in the most extreme conditions. Cushioning around the entire foot provides additional comfort and support. Guaranteed for life.

Price £26.99 From www.getlostinrutland.co.uk

3 4 O C T OBE R 2015 ///

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Orvis Wraparound dog bed

Give your dog the gi of ultimate comfort with Orvis’ wraparound memory foam dog bed. The high-density foam allows your dog to sink in just enough to achieve optimum support, and open-cell technology provides optimum comfort while helping maintain your dog’s body temperature.

Price £189- £269 From www.orvis.co.uk

Sherpa Adventure Gear limited edition t-shirt

A t-shirt that will help raise funds for the Nepal Earthquake Relief Efforts, as well as a sum that will go to the Paldorje Education Fund – a charity that helps the children of Nepal receive an excellent education.

Price £25 From www. sherpaadventuregear.co.uk

Rabbit helmet cover

Kids (and adults too!) will love the Rabbit helmet cover. A cotton exterior and plush/polyester fabric interior fits over the lids while on the back is an opening so ski goggles can be fitted. An elastic cord can be attached to the side pieces of the ski helmet for optimal fitting to the helmet.

Rabbit £26.99 from www.helmetheads.co.uk

Lightweight Bluetooth sport headphones

The JBL Reflect Mini BT is a lightweight sport headphone designed for ultimate comfort and stability in fitness. The Bluetoothcompatible sport headphones provide wireless freedom, a lightweight feel, secure fit and premium JBL signature sound to push through your workout.

Price £79.95 From www.uk.jbl.com

Rooster helmet ears

Stick-on Crazy Ears for skiing and other helmets will convert your ordinary safety helmet into a unique protective headwear. The textile products are fastened to a helmet using a velcro pad.

Price £14.99 From www.helmetheads.co.uk

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Feature /// Winter sport

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SUN, SEA, SAND AND SPORT

AMERICAN911

Looking to break free of the gloom of an English winter? Why not get active abroad? Here are some of our favourite sporting holiday destinations

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Feature /// Winter sport

GRAND CANYON

Riding is an all-year round religion for many, but once in a while it’s nice to leave the muddy byways of middle England for somewhere a little warmer.

How about the remote North Rim of the Grand Canyon? It has a micro-climate which is sheltered from the cold and winds above, and 200 metres below the top of the canyon there is exquisite scenery and solitude for winter camping and exploring.

The rugged country means it is not a place for beginners to learn horsemanship, but for those looking for adventure in a landscape unchanged for hundreds of years, unadorned by modern conveniences, it is hard to beat.

LATIN AMERICA

and the Peruvian Pasos while you visit the nesting grounds of the monarch butterflies in Mexico, the Mayan ruins of Belize, the rain forests of Costa Rica, the awe inspiring ruins of the Inca Empire in Peru, the pampas and Andes of Argentina or the glaciers of southern Chile.

TURKEY

Another destination closer to home but well worth a gallop is Turkey: you can explore ruined castles and elaborate palaces from ancient empires, and diverse backdrops of snow capped mountains, rich agricultural valleys, open steppes, extensive sandy Mediterranean coastline and vibrant cities – all on Akhal-Teke, Arabian and Turkish horses.

Some of the best riding is in Cappadocia, the name of which comes from the ancient Persian phrase ‘the land of beautiful horses’. The landscape is stunning and there are many wonderful villages, historic sites and towns in the area.

JOSÉ CARLOS PIRES PEREIRA

South of the Equator the weather is a little warmer, and Latin America has many incredible rides to offer.

You can ride some fine horses like the Criollos

MARCELO_MINKA

HORSE RIDING

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OLEGMIT

Feature /// Winter sport

CYCLING Smooth roads, long climbs, fabulous hills, warm weather and an infrastructure built around cycling makes Majorca the perfect winter cycling destination.

The Serra de Tramuntana mountain range runs parallel to the north-west coast and the longest climb on the island, the Puig Major, rises to 854m over the course of 14km, while the infamous Sa Calobra climbs 668m at an average 7.1 per cent via 26 hairpins.

Traffic is generally light too in the winter months, apart from the many pelotons snaking their way around the island, of course.

TENERIFE

Further afield is Tenerife in the Canary Islands, which boasts warm, dry terrain, beautiful wildlife and plenty of elevation to suit both road riders and mountain bikers.

One of Sir Bradley Wiggins’ favourite training grounds, the 3,718m Mount Teide volcano that dominates the island is the third biggest in the world. There are plenty of long, smooth road climbs up and round it, although the summit has been known to get snowy in winter.

If it does, the lower slopes and warm sea level rides should still provide plenty of challenge.

Mountain bikers have lots of options here too, with Tenerife being relatively undiscovered in the world of mountain biking destinations.

CÔTE D’AZUR, FRANCE

The Côte D’Azur offers the cyclist an amazing experience of incredible views across the Mediterranean and stunning climbs that snake inland. Temperate weather in the winter makes a pleasant change from UK riding at that time, without a huge leap in temperature, and the hills are not so high to be closed off for snow.

The Col de Vence is especially stunning with a glorious flat run through Provence after you come down the other side, while the climb out of Menton into Italy was used by Lance Armstrong to test his fitness. But don’t let that put you off.

ANDALUCÍA, SPAIN

Andalucía in southern Spain is known for its cycling, and with coastal roads along the Med, dry plains and the Sierra Nevada mountain range, it has plenty to occupy roadies and mountain bikers alike.

This is an area of outstanding natural beauty, and if you are after altitude, the highest point on continental Spain is here – Mulhacen, at 3,478m above sea level. That’s enough to get your legs working, while for mountain bikers, miles of natural trails, and everything from smooth and rooty to steep and rocky is on offer as well.

RAPHAEL DANIAUD

MAJORCA

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WATER SPORTS CALIFORNIA

California offers something for the beginner in Malibu or Manhattan beach to the professional with waves like Mavericks outside San Francisco. Steeped in surfing history, it should be close to the top of your list.

OAHU

The Cortegaca region of northern Portugal offers a true surfing paradise – quality surfing, great atmosphere, and is just perfect for those people looking to escape crowded conditions further south. The Algarve offers warm weather and more sedate surfing.

CANARY ISLANDS

There is a lot of windsurfing in the Canary Islands thanks to the trade winds. Pozo in Gran Canaria, El Medano in Tenerife and Sotavento in Fuerteventura are a reasonable bet all year round and tend to be most popular with good intermediate to experienced windsurfers, while also playing host to the biggest professional windsurfing competitions.

CAPE VERDE ISLANDS

For a great windsurfing or kitesurfing holiday, 300 miles off the west coast of Africa are the Sal and Boa Vista islands.

These islands are directly in the path of the north east trade winds which makes this destination an ideal winter windsurfing and kitesurfing holiday destination from November through to late April.

The Cape Verde archipelago consists of 11 volcanic islands, the flattest of these being Sal, and with direct flights from UK it’s an ideal winter destination. The little town of Santa Maria is the main focus for all activities on Sal with windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing, stand up paddleboarding (SUP) or scuba diving while

Cabo Verde has been transformed from a previously barren land, into a fast growing watersports paradise.

AGADIR, MOROCCO

When you are looking for some winter sun and surf, the uncrowded waves of Morocco are the perfect place to surf.

Whether a beginner, improver or an accomplished surfer Morocco has the perfect conditions to suit: Agadir is sheltered from the storm systems sweeping across Europe from the Atlantic and has a diverse coastline that throws up all sorts of waves for all standards of surfer.

EGYPT/RED SEA

Sometimes described as having wind all year round, which it does because it’s always pretty hot, the Red Sea still has seasons. The popular Egyptian resorts are at their most reliable and windiest during the summer, and at their least reliable during the winter. However, since the least reliable is often around 60% of days with force 4 or above, you can see where the reputation comes from. Popular with all styles and levels, there are a few hidden ‘wave’ spots such as El Tur’s Habibi beach.

Other places making a splash in watersports are Brazil (Jericoacoara – August to December), Australia (west coast centred around Perth – December to March) and South Africa (December to March), and the spiritual home of windsurfing, Maui (wind pretty much all year round, waves from December to June).

EPICSTOCKMEDIA

EPICSTOCKMEDIA

Monster waves. Huge wipeouts. Hawaii is, of course, America’s surfing Mecca, and the North Shore of Oahu is the state’s Holy Grail. Waikiki was the playground for Hawaiian royalty and where they came to surf so if you are just learning then the calmer waves there will help you find your feet but if it is pro waves you are after head up to the North Shore and hit the likes of Sunset Beach, Pupukea Beach and of course the much celebrated Banzai Pipeline.

PORTUGAL

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Feature /// Winter sport

WALKING wonderful mountains known as jebel that rise out of the desert sands, creating exciting terrain to explore. And then of course, is Petra, the city made of stone. Despite the unrest in neighbouring Syria, the Foreign Office has no travel advisories against visiting Jordan.

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

The southernmost point of Africa is stunning with rocky coastlines, verdant green mountains and gorgeous vineyards! The mountains which surround Stellenbosch towards Cape Town are great walking country, while a visit to the famous Cango Caves, Tsitsikamma National Park and Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve are worth heading for.

The Croatian coast is craggy, beautiful, and unspoilt, dotted with occasional fishing villages and of course, Dubrovnik, one of the jewels of the Adriatic.

Stroll around Dubrovnik then take a ferry to isolated Lopud, one of the Elafitis Islands, stretched out along the Adriatic coast. With enough walking for a day or two on the island’s mazy paths, and churches and forts to explore, you can also swim at one of the few sandy bays in the Adriatic. Kolocep, the smallest island reachable from Lopud, is also a car-less little gem.

From there you can island hop to your hearts content, eating fresh fish plucked straight from the sea.

PETRA, JORDAN

OMALOS, CRETE

CAPE TOWN AND THE SOUTHERN TIP

Explore south-west Crete and the stunning White Mountains by starting out at Paleochora, then walk to Sougia via the ancient port of Lissos, trek through spectacular gorges to the Omalos Plateau and the famous Samaria Gorge, to the beautiful, car-free Loutro.

ALEXBRYLOV

Keen for an Indiana Jones style adventure? Some of the most spectacular desert scenery in the world is found in the south of Jordan at Wadi Rum, a place of dramatic beauty which provides an ideal environment for trekking.

Thousands of years of erosion have formed

ISTOCK

Patagonia is fast becoming a must-see destination, with December, January and February the warmest months, although it’s not a guaranteed scorcher due to the heights, which can mean very cold nights. It is an area of uninterrupted lakes, smoking volcanoes and vast tracts of wilderness though. The famed Torres del Paine National Park, a showpiece of outstanding grandeur, is a world biosphere reserve with a wealth of wildlife amidst superbly impressive mountain scenery where walkers should see guanaco and condors.

BLYJAK

PATAGONIA, CHILE

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ActiveFit

KATARZYNABIALASIEWICZ

EXPERT ADVICE ON GETTING, AND KEEPING, IN GREAT SHAPE

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Well-being at work

Is your company offering massages, healthy food and fitness advice? If not, should they be?

SHOULD YOU BE offering your employees a ‘well-being’ programme at work, which includes healthy food, nutritional advice and massages?

According to research by Public Health England, helping employees’ well-being at work can bring about higher job performance in three ways.

The first is by affecting employees’ cognitive abilities and processes – enabling them to think more creatively and to be more effective at problem-solving.

The second is by affecting employees’ attitudes to work – raising their propensity to be co-operative and collaborative.

The third is by improving employees’ physiology and general health – improving their cardiovascular health and immunity, enabling speedier recovery from illness, and securing greater levels of energy and potentially effort.

It is a concept that BGL Group, the Peterborough-based financial service giant, has been using for many years. Spread across its seven locations and stretching into mainland Europe, BGL avoids the use of a ‘one size fits all’ approach, rather choosing to deliver a more site specific well-being programme.

BGL’s initiatives range from on-site osteopathy and massage

treatments, subsidised yoga classes, a newly launched Cycle 2 Work scheme and nutritional advice to an optional Know Your Numbers health check that monitors cholesterol, BMI, body fat and blood glucose levels.

The group’s commitment to well-being is evidenced by the ready availability of organic and healthy, locally sourced foods in its on-site restaurants. Additionally, there is free fruit available throughout the day. A whopping 587,000 individual pieces of fruit were consumed at BGL over the last 12 months!

Each of BGL’s locations has a specifically tailored well-being programme. For example, employees at the Fusion contact centres benefit from an at-desk massage service. In the Netherlands, they employ a cook who comes in daily to prepare a healthy buffet lunch.

The group also has a personal well-being resource centre hosted on its internal website which focuses on a ‘live well, work well, achieve more’ approach. It provides clinically validated support and guidance for a range of health topics such as exercising, stopping smoking, handling stress, drinking less caffeine and achieving a better work life balance.

Cathy Lawson, well-being manager for the BGL Group, said: “BGL takes the well-being of its employees extremely seriously. We provide everyone with the relevant tools and information they require to live as healthy a life as possible.”

Cathy explains the importance of growing the group’s well-being package: ‘’As a business we are committed to looking at innovative ways of developing our well-being programme. Forward thinking and delivering first class initiatives are integral across BGL, and are ever present in our approach to the health and well-being of our employees.’’

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Health & Wellness EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BE FIT, HEALTHY AND FANTASTIC

// Edited by Sandie Hurford

We’ll soon be missing out on some daylight hours but there are things you can do to stop that getting you down

BODY CLOCK MONTH: Energise your body and boost your mood The autumn season spells many changes for our internal body clock and this time of year can o en seem like we’re fighting a losing battle. Most of us sense the two key changes quite easily - the reducing amount of daylight and the drop in temperature.

Our bodies need to manage the change from summer to winter time as the clocks fall back.

Diminishing sunlight can lead to a lack in Vitamin D, especially in vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women. For some of us, the decrease in sunlight leads to a drop in mood and even seasonal affective disorder (SAD) on occasion.

Colder and wetter weather gives cold and flu bugs the chance to thrive and an increase in windy weather can o en dry our lungs and windpipes and can generally leave us feeling a bit battered.

Our hunter-gatherer history suggests certain ‘harvest’ opportunities in terms of diet and, more recently, autumn is seen as a chance to detox, so

we can o en change what we use to fuel our bodies quite significantly.

So how do we link our hunter-gather past to our 21st century technology driven present? What can we do to boost our natural energy levels and to keep spirits high?

Dave Gibson, sleep advisor at bedmaker and mattress supplier Warren Evans, leads a team of experts to bring you top tips, tricks and professional advice to help you manage the seasonal changes.

Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning.

Keeping to a routine helps your biological clock. Taking long a ernoon naps can interfere with night-time sleep patterns. If you need a nap, don’t take longer than 30 minutes.

Don’t work late, especially on computers as they emit blue light. Blue light regulates our secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Exposed to blue light, we limit the production of

1 2

melatonin and we stay alert and awake. In the absence of blue light, melatonin production increases and we get sleepy.

No caffeine a er 4pm for coffee drinkers.

This will not only reduce stimulus to the brain but also allow you to replenish your body fluids during the evening. Coffee is a diuretic and the last thing you need is to be woken up during the night needing a ‘bio break’.

Get some outside light if possible to reduce potential decrease in mood in the darker days. The decrease in natural light can have significant effect on mood, resulting in a winter depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder.

SAD can o en be treated successfully by light therapy. This involves sitting in front of or beneath a light box that produces a very bright light.

Try to tune into seasonal energy. Do less, start to wear warmer clothes and slow down with the commitments. Take time to look a er yourself.

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Active Fit

LOOKING FOR HAPPINESS? Reminiscing a bigger boost than chocolate A new study has revealed that anyone looking for instant happiness need simply look to their past.

Of the 2,040 UK adults surveyed, an overwhelming 80% of respondents stated that they were happiest when reminiscing about old times with friends and family, with just under half (45%) agreeing that reminiscing about past times gave them a greater, more prolonged emotional boost than chocolate (17%), and even sex (38%).

When asked which memory made them feel happiest, 45% of respondents cited the birth of their children, followed by a particular holiday (32%) and meeting their partner (30%). Christmas, birthdays and other celebrations took fourth place followed by wedding day memories, for just over 20% of respondents. School days, on the other hand, fared less well, coming in with 11%, and work proved least popular, with just 4% citing a job promotion as their favourite memory.

The survey also revealed that looking through old photos of happy times gave people the biggest emotional li (53%), with talking to relatives and reminiscing about the past coming second (36%) and looking through photographs of parents and grandparents taking third place (25%).

The research was carried out to mark the launch of lifetile, an online service which enables users to

securely build and organise the story of their life and share it, or parts of it, with the people who matter most.

Richard Grant, founder of lifetile, explained: “In the past, a shoe box under the bed housed all our most precious memories and si ing through its contents provided us with a simple tangible way of reconnecting with the past, but as technology has advanced, our focus has moved to the present.

“We have now reached a stage where we are so busy capturing everything the second it happens that we risk losing sight of why we are doing it – we forget to pause and look back at the unfolding story of our lives, and the things that really matter, moving instead from one status update to the next.” lifetile enables users to curate the story of their life through a user interface which employs hexagonal “tiles” to capture and store memories in various formats, including photos, videos, or other files such as Excel, Word or PDF documents.

Information such as date, location and notes can be added to provide further context and reminders keep users informed of important dates.

The lifetile sharing functionality means users have complete control over what tiles and memories they choose to share – as well as who

they share it with – and what they keep private.

Built-in security measures provide peace of mind about the safety of user data, and each tile can also be password protected.

All the memories uploaded are displayed chronologically in the user’s ‘lifeline’, which runs along the bottom of the screen. Users can slide backwards and forwards along their lifeline for an at-a-glance overview of distant or more recent memories.

Grant concluded: “It was the loss of my dad which inspired me to develop lifetile. When he died, I realised that all I had le of him, apart from my memories, were a few photos. I had missed my opportunity to discuss where he grew up, what school was like, how he met my mum, and so many other questions. So I began to fill in the gaps and created a place to capture and store the things that really matter, somewhere I can build the story of my life with a view to one day handing this legacy over to my own children.”

The basic service will be free to users, though a number of revenue streams currently being explored include: a lifetile app, corporate lifetile accounts, family memberships and ‘bank vault’ level security for crucial life documents (eg. wills and investments).

Reminiscing about a holiday we’ve been on has been shown to boost our happiness

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// Active Fit

GIORGIO1978

You can do a half marathon Part 3

Weeks 9-12 of your easy 12-week training guide to the 21k Perkins Great Eastern Run this month. By Claire Maxted

PART 3 – YOU CAN RUN 10K, NOW DOUBLE IT It’s four weeks until the Perkins Great Eastern Run (PGER)! If you’ve been following local personal trainer Jon Sheehan’s training plans in the last two issues, you’re now ready for the final count down to Peterborough’s halfmarathon (21.1k/13miles) this month. Even if you haven’t followed the previous plans, if you can jog steadily for an hour for about 10k, Jon’s plan will take you all the way to doubling that in time for your half-marathon achievement.

FUEL UP RIGHT Your muscles contain enough fuel for 60-90 minutes exercise, so practice eating 20-30g of easily digested carbohydrate (ie sugars) in the form of a sports gel or jelly babies during training to see what fuel source your body handles best and when’s best to consume it.

GET THE GADGETS While training for 10k you got a feel for chafe-free kit, now it’s time to consider using a sports watch. A heart rate and GPS watch will help you monitor your pace and effort level for longer distances.

NEVER EVER… Give up. Even if you feel like hell and start walking at 10 miles in, believe in yourself – you’ve done the training, you know can do this.

Get your breath back, listen to the cheer of the crowds, lope into a steady jog and off you go.

STOP NIGGLES Always warm up, even on longer training runs or races. Try five minutes jogging, three minutes of dynamic movements like high knees, butt kicks, skipping and walking lunges. Afterwards, do a five minute walk and stretch your quads, hamstrings and calves.

HAVE MORE FUN! Make it sociable and you won’t realise you’re working out. Run with Stamford Striders on Tuesdays (group run) and Thursdays (hill session), from 7pm at Borderville sports ground.

On Sundays there is a long steady run, starting at 8:30am from Bath Row. Cross train with Jon Sheehan and Vicky Player at Stamford Endowed Schools sports hall.

Circuits - Mondays 7-8pm Boxercise - Thursdays 7-8pm The Weekender strength & conditioning Saturdays 8-9am. All levels welcome.

STAY MOTIVATED Sunday, October 11 is just a few weeks away, so now’s the time to prioritise your long training runs. Ask friends, family and colleagues to support you in achieving this.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

The secret to half marathons is…

Ed Fancourt, 46, from Stamford Striders, set himself the challenge of running a half-marathon every month in 2015 and is going for a personal best of 1 hour, 32 minutes at the Perkins Great Eastern Run this month. Here are his top tips: WHY THE HALF-MARATHON? It doesn’t wipe you out like a marathon and you don’t have to run a ridiculous mileage in training that takes over your life.

TYPICAL TRAINING WEEK? With Stamford Striders – Tuesdays 7-8 miles fast and Thursdays hill session, Sundays 10-11 miles Long Steady Run (LSR). Yoga and a Saturday 5k parkrun if possible, too.

HALF-MARATHON HIGHLIGHTS? The amazing Isle of Mull scenery, getting a PB of 1:34:30 at Derby, and arriving late for the North Lincolnshire half and overtaking 1,000 people from the back of the field!

TOP 5 TIPS 1. Don’t go off too fast! You can ride the adrenaline by running 10 seconds faster for the first mile, but let others fly past and stick to your planned pace.

TRAINING SCHEDULE 21.1K WEEK 1

Day 1: Rest or cross-train 20-30 minutes Day 2: Run 60 minutes steady Day 3: Rest or cross-train 20-30 minutes Day 4: Run 45 minutes hilly Day 5: Rest Day 6: 5k parkrun speed session Day 7: Long steady run 13k

WEEK 2

Day 1: Rest or cross-train 40 minutes Day 2: Run 60 minutes steady Day 3: Rest or cross-train 40 minutes Day 4: Run 45 minutes hilly Day 5: Rest Day 6: 5k parkrun speed session Day 7: Long steady run 16k

WEEK 3

Day 1: Rest or cross-train 45 minutes Day 2: Run 60 minutes steady Day 3: Rest or cross-train 45 minutes Day 4: Run 45 minutes steady Day 5: Rest Day 6: 5k parkrun speed session Day 7: Long steady run 19k

WEEK 4

Day 1: Rest or cross-train 20-30 minutes Day 2: Run 40 minutes steady Day 3: Rest or cross-train 20 minutes Day 4: Run 20 minutes steady Day 5: Rest Day 6: Rest Day 7: Perkins Great Eastern Run, good luck!

2. Practice eating gels on your training runs to see what you can stomach. I take a gel 10 minutes before the start, then one every 30-40 minutes in the race.

3. Hydrate well the day and morning before the race, but stop drinking an hour before the start so you don’t need it during the event.

4. Check if the water stations offer bottles or plastic cups – cups spill so I take my own if it’s a hot day.

5. Drink a protein-based recovery drink when you finish long runs and races to speed up muscle repair.

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// Active Fit

Getting strong and fit for rugby It is vital to work every area of the body in a specific way for specific positions to ensure strength and avoid injury. Max Hartman of Function Jigsaw explains WITH RUGBY UPON us and World Cup fever gripping the country, this season rugby clubs the length and breadth of Britain are expecting record levels of participation, with more newcomers than ever getting involved in the game.

More people picking up sports is only ever a good thing: a fitter, healthier, happier population beckons, and if this increased number of players yields just one future international the World Cup will in my mind be a success.

While increased participation is good news, with it comes the threat of widespread injury as newcomers with poor technique, a lack of game sense, and often a lack of fitness, have a significantly increased chance of injury and often suffer from longer injury times than those in

good physical condition to start with. With this considered it is important that individuals picking up the game as well as seasoned weekend warriors do what they can to reduce their chances of picking up a serious injury and keep themselves fit long enough to attain their highest level of performance.

What gets injured?

In 2010 the Rugby Football Union (RFU) produced a report going back four seasons surveying all 900 professional players across 14 Premiership teams. They recorded and documented injury risk, severity of injury, and factors contributing to injury based on position and amount of playing time over the four years.

Results clearly show a difference in injury

profile by position, particularly between backs and forwards, and with this considered different playing positions should look to tailor conditioning programmes based on the different demands of the game for their position.

While injury rates and profiles vary massively from elite level to grass roots, the statistics indicate what the demands of the game are for each position. For both forwards and backs the most commonly injured area of the body is the shoulder. Given the high impact nature of the game and the emphasis placed on winning the collision, the shoulders take a number of high force impacts throughout a match regardless of position. After this, forwards most commonly injure the knees, and backs most commonly injure the hamstring.

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players, and indeed any individual playing pitch based sports, focus should be put on rotational stability via strengthening of the obliques as well as ensuring that the lower back is strong and stable under significant load.

Tailoring the training: lower body

The fact that the back line are required to make more high intensity sprint efforts throughout the game explains the hamstrings, and the high level of contact that the forwards experience may explain the incidence of knee injuries. Across the board, ankle injuries are also very common given the need for repeated high intensity changes of direction.

What to do about it

While these figures may vary at grass roots level given the lower level of intensity and reduced level of athleticism of the average player, they still show the need for position specific conditioning. One area of fitness that is essential for performance in all sports and in all positions is the core. A powerful core, strong lower back, and a balanced and stable pelvis set the foundation for good lower limb control, efficient movement, and the ability to effectively transfer force from the lower to upper limb.

This all leads to decreased injury risk in areas such as the hamstrings, groin, knees and ankles, as well as the upper limb (for core training ideas see Active Magazine June edition). For rugby

Once this foundation is in place it is perhaps most crucial that lower limb training be tailored to the individual. Single leg training should be incorporated where possible with individuals playing in the forwards focussing on maximal strength and power.

Single leg (unilateral) training as opposed to bilateral (double leg) training ensures that the individual must stabilise the pelvis throughout the movement instead of having both hips supported.

This transfers onto the pitch in situations such as running, jumping and sidestepping which all involve single leg loading. If all training is conducted from a stable base on two feet then ultimately the strength training effect is greater, due to the more simple nature of the movement.

However as soon as any instability is introduced, control of the movement is compromised and injury risk increases. With this considered, strength exercises such as Bulgarian split squats, single leg squats, single arm loaded carries, and walking or reverse lunges are all very good options to develop strength and size in the lower limb, whilst unstable surface training such as lunges and single leg holds on a Bosu ball or wobble board are also useful when looking to develop proprioception, balance, and control.

For players in the backline where the emphasis during match play is focussed around high speed sprint efforts, kicking, sidestepping, and explosive changes of direction, much more thought needs to be given to explosive power and agility training.

Again, a stable foundation must be laid by building the core first with particular focus on lateral stability and strength in the obliques and glutes (see last month’s Active Magazine for glute training ideas). This foundation then reduces the strain on the groin and hamstrings when changing direction, making movements quicker and more explosive, whilst also reducing injury risk by increasing movement efficiency.

For all out explosiveness and power, movements based around the Olympic lifts (the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk) are excellent for training a coordinated and efficient hip, knee, and ankle extension as required during sprinting and jumping. It should be said that these are highly technical and complex movements that should only be performed when suitably trained. Supplementing these lifts with box jumps, plyometric training and sprint training begins to build a very strong and powerful athlete.

Strength training should be performed as with athletes playing in the forwards, but with more focus given to the hamstrings and adductors for the sake of injury reduction. Strong hamstrings and strong groins are less likely to be injured than weak ones, so given the increased risk of playing in the backline these areas have a much greater need to be strengthened.

Tailoring the training: upper body

With regards to the upper limb and shoulder all positions on the rugby field require high levels of stability, control, and strength to protect the shoulder girdle from injury. The high impact nature of rugby puts every player at risk every time they enter a contact situation at tackle, ruck, maul, or scrum.

By design the shoulder joint is massively unstable. To give us the mobility required at the shoulder joint, humans have evolved with a very shallow socket, in contrast to the very deep socket of the hip joint, which provides us with great stability at the expense of range of motion.

To keep the ball centred in the socket and avoid dislocation, a group of four muscles known collectively as the rotator cuff work to stabilise the joint. Ensuring that these muscles are strong is your first step toward good shoulder health and stability. Following this and looking more globally, the strength of the rotator cuff musculature is dependant on the position of the shoulder blade (the scapula).

If an individual has a posture where they tend to slump and round the shoulders then the cuff muscles are pulled into a length where they are slightly weaker, reducing their efficiency and increasing the likelihood of shoulder instability in contact.

To ensure stability, athletes should look to develop mobility through the upper back and ribcage before training strength, and begin by working on the muscle groups responsible for retraction: pinching the scapula together, along with the rotator cuff muscles themselves.

By training these movements and muscle groups effectively a good foundation can be put in place to then build a strong and robust upper body. As with the lower limb, upper body training should focus primarily on building strength through the shoulders, arms, and upper back. By strengthening the muscles that surround and support the scapula, more stability is given to the shoulder girdle and the shoulder joint itself and as a result reduces the chance of injury in contact.

Plyometric and power training for the upper limb is also essential for improving capacity in contact situations such as the handoff and tackling with an outstretched arm.

Explosive pushups, medicine ball slams, and overhead push or jerk presses are all excellent movements to develop power through the shoulder girdle and should be included in any conditioning and prehabilitation programme.

Putting this training in place will by no means reduce your injury risk to zero, but by regularly exposing yourself to appropriately programmed strength training and injury reduction training you can make sure your body is in the best possible condition to cope with the demands of the game.

Information

Get rugby fitness advice for your club from the expert consultants used by Leicester Tigers and Argentina.

For more information on specific conditioning, contact Function Jigsaw: 0116 340 0255, @FunctionJigsaw, or info@FunctionJigsaw.co.uk

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// Active Fit

Exercise like it’s 1925!

To celebrate the multi-award winning drama Downton Abbey returning to our TV screens this autumn, British Military Fitness has travelled back in time to shed light on how Britain kept fit and flexible in the Roaring Twenties.

With the war over, and Britain enjoying a period of prosperity, fitness in the 1920s began to take off as women and men alike began the quest for self improvement that we still see today. These drills have a serious emphasis on control, poise and technique, which to this day are still crucial factors in the development of fitness and core body strength.

Here are all the exercises you’ll need to get limbered up for Downton’s return...

5. Arm stretch

With elbows tucked into to the lower chest, extend your arms outward and then li so that your fingertips are touching your shoulders. This is effectively a basic bicep curl using the leverage created by the forearms as a weight.

ATTENTION!

1. Breathing preparation

6. Arms up/down stretch

7. Forwards leg li

To start, stand up straight with your heels together and your toes pointing slightly outwards. With your arms straight down and your palms facing inwards, this stance is intended to create uniformity and order, allowing for further instruction.

Start with your hands about shoulder width apart with straight arms and palms facing inward, widen your stance to add balance. Proceed to reach upwards as far as possible and then return to a relaxed position.

With your mouth closed and your hands placed lightly over the lower chest area, take in deep nasal breaths, exhaling slowly to relax and prepare the body.

With a straightened back, hands on hips and pointed toes, li your right leg forwards, into the air, as far as possible. Slowly return to a recovery position and repeat the exercise with the le leg.

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2. Step and recover

3. Lunge and recover

4. Trunk stretch

8. Sideways leg li

9. Hopping exercise

10. Stand at ease

Where step class started; with hands placed firmly on the hips, li your right foot and step about two feet in the direction of your toes, then step backward and repeat on the le foot.

With a straightened back, hands on hips and pointed toes, li your right leg into the air in a sideways motion at an angle of around 75 degrees. Slowly return to a recovery position and repeat the exercise with the le leg.

To give the legs a good stretch, with your right foot, lunge out about three paces in the direction of your toes whilst keeping your other leg completely straight. You should feel a pull on your le leg. A er ten seconds, recover. Repeat by lunging forward with your le foot.

With hands placed tightly on the hips, li your le foot into the air and point your toes downwards. Proceed to hop into the air using your right foot as a springboard.

To aid balance, lean slightly toward the side of the raised foot.

To begin, place your fingertips on your shoulders and your elbows by your side. Proceed to bend forwards.

Using your hips as a hinge and keeping your back straight, li your chest upwards and stretch the midriff.

With your feet about twelve inches apart, clasp your hands together behind your back and take some deep breaths. This standing position allows for optimum recovery.

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Feature /// Great walks

East Farndon and the Judith Stone The outskirts of Market Harborough make for a pleasant stroll taking in an unusual glacial deposit, as Will Hetherington discovers Photography: Will Hetherington

Difficulty rating (out of five)

There are a number of footpaths running in and out of the linear village of East Farndon, but for this walk I parked in the large gateway on the right hand side of the road just outside of the village on the Marston Trussell Road. To get here take the East Farndon road out of Market Harborough and when you get to the village drive halfway up the hill and then turn right onto Back Lane. You will soon see the Marston Trussell road on your right.

Once I had parked I set off straight on to the

footpath which runs pretty much north from here out across the fields towards Lubenham. The second field was full of cattle with calves but as I didn’t have the dog with me on this occasion (vet’s orders) this was no problem. The path heads uphill through this field and from here there are some lovely views of Market Harborough to the north east.

At the end of the next field the footpath is crossed by a bridleway and I took the right turn here on to the bridleway. Having seen the Judith Stone marked on the OS map near the footpath I was keen to find this mysterious rock.

Although it didn’t prove that easy as the stone itself is on the other side of the large hedge from the bridleway, so I had to retrace my steps to find

it. Anyway this rogue rock is a relic of the glacial era and adds a little bit of interest to the walk.

Once I had regained the footpath it was a gentle downhill stroll towards the Lubenham Road and Harborough beyond. Although again once I had reached the field boundary and could see the road beyond it was a bit tricky to find the footpath. In fact it’s completely overgrown and unmarked and I ended up climbing the high gate to get out on to the road. From the road it’s clear where the bridleway comes out but it’s far from clear when approaching from the field side.

From here the bridleway carries on towards Harborough and within 500 metres I entered the brand new Farndon Fields housing estate. In fact it’s so new it’s not finished and it doesn’t feature on the OS map. However I had seen it as I drove towards East Farndon so I knew it was there.

On the map the path back south west towards East Farndon is clearly marked so it doesn’t take a genius to skirt around the perimeter path of the estate and find the path leading out of a corner of the playground. From here you have to use your nose a bit to find the footpath as it crossed a field and goes through a gap in the hedge before recrossing the Lubenham Road. I was lucky because there was a couple in front of me so I knew the gap was there.

Once you have crossed the road there are two routes back to East Farndon so take your pick but I took the direct route straight back to the car. But there are a number of other paths leading out of the village so there are lots of options.

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ne was The Judith Sto ce med a er a nie supposedly na who is ror ue nq Co the of William Domesday Book recorded in the d in the parish. lan g as ownin

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ESSENTIAL INFORMATION Clockwise, from far le

There are stunning views of the Market Harborough area from the early stages of this walk; the Judith Stone is a glacial relic halfway around this walk; East Farndon is a linear village with plenty of footpaths to choose from

Where to park: There are lots of paths around here but I parked by the large gateway on the north side of the Marston Trussell Road just outside the village.

Distance and time: Two and a quarter miles/one hour (detour to see the Judith Stone).

Highlights: Sweeping views of Market Harborough from the early stages of the walk. The Judith Stone.

Lowlights: Hard to find the path connecting to Lubenham Road on the outward stretch. The new housing estate provides a stark contrast to the

surrounding countryside and is not marked on the OS map yet.

Refreshments: The award winning Farndon Fields farm shop is close by, on the road to Market Harborough.

Difficulty rating: Two paws. This is not a long walk and there are a few big stiles but they are all fairly sturdy and easy to climb.

The pooch perspective I didn’t have the dog with me on this one (under vet’s orders following an operation) but the cows on the early part could be a problem. Also there is a shortage of fresh water on this route.

For your own safety and navigation make sure you have an OS map with you when you go out walking.

You won’t regret it.

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Opening Times Mon - Fri 7.30am – 9.30pm Sat 7.30am – 8.30pm Sun 8.30am – 7.30pm

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Dining through the seasons at the Lake Isle

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The Lake Isle prides itself on the celebration of the seasons by using the very best seasonal produce for each of its mouth-watering menus.

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Feature /// Sportsman's Dinner

The Lake Isle, Uppingham Kate and Tim experience some peace and tranquility inspired by WB Yeats Kate Some locals might think The Lake Isle offers such fine dining it isn’t a place to come for a midweek meal out, but they’d be missing out. It's a friendly place and the food is delicious. And it is well worth the price. I come here sometimes for lunch and the spicy lentil cakes or fishcakes with a cool glass of wine is a lovely treat.

Tim We ate here last year when they did the Dine for Less menu and that was great value at £16.50 for three courses. They offer it for a few weeks in the summer too.

Kate I remember. But we did have to book early as it’s such a popular offer. There’s a private dining room that seats 16, and you can even book the whole restaurant just for yourselves for up to 36 people.

Tim The owners, Richard and Janine, have been here since 2001 and since then they’ve completely refurbished the bar, restaurant and bedrooms. It certainly feels very clean, light and welcoming.

Kate The idea is for guests to experience the same atmosphere of relaxation and tranquility evoked in WB Yeats’ poem ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ and I’d say it’s working. Tonight the lights are twinkling and being reflected in the huge mirror

and windows leading on to the High Street.

When I walk past at night it feels so inviting.

Tim Well we’re in here now, so let’s concentrate on the food. I know what happens on nights like these... we always over order, so let's share a starter. The savoury Stinking Bishop crème brulee looks a bit different (£7.95). I say we have that.

Kate It’s called Stinking Bishop because that’s the name of the pear the cheese is washed in and Janine has added pear and watercress salad. It’s delicious – I’ve not eaten anything as tasty as this for ages. The caramelised top and the cider vinegar jus cuts through the creaminess. I wish we’d had one each now.

Tim We’ll have more room for the main course.

My maple and chilli glazed pork fillet and twice cooked belly (£17.50) has just the right amount of chilli and the meat is perfectly tender.

Kate I’ve chosen steamed pave of cod with crispy coconut prawns and lemon lentil dhal (£17.50) and I’m in heaven. I wouldn’t normally choose curried fish but this is amazing. The prawns are melting in my mouth and I wish I could have more of them. That’s the beauty of fine dining though, it always leaves you wanting more.

Tim After Cumbrian butterscotch tart, Bramley apple yoghurt and vanilla sponge ice cream (£7.75) I know I won’t be wanting any more. The apples are grown by Janine’s father and I bet the beetroot in your chocolate brownie is local too.

They like to cook with seasonal fruit and vegetables and change their menu every six weeks. It certainly tastes fresh. How’s yours?

Kate I’ve been off sugar for a few weeks so the warm chocolate is delicious, as is is the pecan ice cream. I’ve never been a fan of marmalade though so I may give the thyme marmalade a miss. You can tell Richard loves his wine, with all the corks and pictures of wine bottles around. He has an extensive wine cellar and each bedroom is named after a wine region. A nice quirky touch is the golden loo seat in the ladies. It glitters and made me feel like a princess.

Tim Don’t get any ideas. Our wooden seat at home is fine just as it is.

The Lake Isle 16 High Street East, Uppingham, LE15 9PZ. 01572 822951. www.lakeisle.co.uk

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Open Morning Tuesday 13th October 9.30am-11.30am

Church Langton CE (Aided) Primary School Looking for your child’s first school or relocating? Why not come to see the amazing opportunities we could offer your child.

If you would like more Information or would like to organise a tour on a separate date please contact

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Inspiring all students to strive for excellence Applications for our popular and over-subscribed school are now being taken for September 2016.

Manor High School welcomes students from Oadby and the surrounding areas to study at our friendly school. We celebrate and benefit from a rich cultural diversity within our school community. Our results are excellent, from KS2 SATs to GCSEs.

If you would like your child to join our caring, ethos driven school apply via www.leics.gov.uk/admissions by 31 October 2015.

To arrange a tour of the school please contact us directly on 0116 271 4941.

MANOR HIGH SCHOOL Copse Close, Oadby, Leicester LE2 4FU Telephone: 0116 271 4941 Email: admin@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk Website: www.manorhigh.leics.sch.uk Twitter: @ManorHighSchool

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Feature /// Future stars

Talented local athletes encouraged to ‘Go Gold’ Leicestershire & Rutland Sport (LRS) and its partners are encouraging applications for its Go Gold funding programme which supports talented individuals.

The aim of Go Gold is to support talented athletes who are being recognised by their national governing bodies of sport as being our future Olympic, Paralympic, Special Olympic and Commonwealth Games participants.

The programme is spilt into two funding awards – podium and performance.

The Podium Award is for athletes from across Leicestershire and Rutland who are competing at regional level or higher.

The Performance Award is for athletes who are competing at County level or lower.

Applicants must reside in Leicestershire, Leicester city or Rutland. The application process closes on Friday, October 30.  For more information visit www.lrsport.org/gogold

TALENTED ATHLETES WHO HAVE RECIEVED FUNDING In 2014/15, LRS awarded 124 grants of £300, £500, £750 and £1,000 across 28 sports at the Podium Funding level. These included:  KAREEM QUEELEY (Leicester City) This has been a break-through year for Kareem who is now coming to the end of his second year of GO GOLD Funding.

A product of the Leicester Warriors Basketball Club, Kareem has recently announced that has signed for Real Madrid Basketball Club. He played for them earlier in the year at the prestigious Minicopa in Gran Canaria which they won and in the process Kareem won the Most Valuable Player Award. This season has also seen Kareem represent England at both U15 and U16 level in competitions in Copenhagen and Lithuania.

 AMY GRIFFITHS (Oadby & Wigston) This season has seen Amy win medals at the European Junior Championship at 1500m (Silver), British Universities Championships (Gold) and National U20 Championships (Silver). She has also competed in the Sainsbury’s British Championships and a Diamond League event. In her 6th year of GO GOLD funding it is fantastic to see Amy have such a successful year.

 BEN DIJKSTRA (Charnwood) In his fourth year of funding, Ben has had yet another highly successful season. Some of his highlights included winning the Junior London Marathon in April, coming third in the European Triathlon Championship (against athletes two years older than himself) and being part of the team that won the European Youth Relay in Spain. Ben is ranked first British Junior Male Triathlete and hope to build on becoming Young Olympic Champion.

of

 Simon Mabey, father of SAM MABEY (Blaby) who plays Table Tennis and is ranked second nationally at under 21 level said: “Go Gold has supported Sam from a young age and he is proof of the benefit of the support given. The funding has enabled us to increase his training, fund the trips abroad to train and play against the best players. With his dedication and talent and the support given through Go Gold, Sam is knocking on the door of the senior National Team”.

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

Rugby World Cup special

Advice and World Cup predictions from legends

BY CHRIS MEADOWS JASON ROBINSON, SALE AND ENGLAND, GIVES HIS ADVICE FOR YOUNGSTERS…

MARTIN CORRY, LEICESTER TIGERS AND ENGLAND, ON WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE WORLD CUP…

“I suppose my advice is to make the most of the World Cup and ensure you watch some of the best players to see what they’re good at and and go away and replicate that. There is so much talent on display it’s going to be a great learning for me let along youngsters. There will be lots to watch and learn from the game but it is also about enjoying it. Learn from the best.”

“I think the fact that we’re playing at home tilts the advantage to us. We can sit here with any confidence, as this side hasn’t done a huge amount. We’ve had peaks as a team but we have had a sustained run. Yes we can beat anyone in the world on our day, but we’ve got to put the performance in for seven games.

“It’s unchartered territory. The amount of pressure on this team means we don’t know how they’re going to cope. However, I’m a man that likes a bet so the one thing that I think will swing it is the home advantage.”

ON ADVICE FOR YOUNGSTERS… “When you talk to any international rugby player, they all started at a junior rugby club.

My lad is just starting at Market Harborough and I grew up in Kent and I played 12 years at my local club. So where does rugby start? First off…you’ve got to enjoy it. You’ve got to play

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the other sports when you’re young growing up, you can get so much from other sports.

“I was playing basketball, athletics, cricket as well as rugby. I do quite a bit of coaching and what you look for as a coach or selector is attitude. It’s not about skill because skill can come as your body develops. What stands out more than anything else is attitude. Go in there, give everything you’ve got, love it, work hard and enjoy. That’s a good basis for everyone.”

that the opposition will have to play brilliantly.

“But bringing your best game to a knock out stage in the World Cup takes some doing.

So whoever does that I think will win it. Mike Tyson made a great quote, ‘Everyone stepped in the ring with a plan, until I punched them in the face!’ It’s like rugby, you’ve got the most perfect plan in the world until you hit that first ruck and an all-black hits you and you swiftly realise it’s not like training.”

WILL GREENWOOD, LEICESTER TIGERS, HARLEQUINS AND ENGLAND, ON WHO WILL WIN THE WORLD CUP…

ON ADVICE FOR YOUNGSTERS…

“What’s great about the World Cup development is that during the early days there were a few teams that could have won it and the rest were making up the numbers and slowly but surely I think we’re getting to a stage now where it’s the most open World Cup there has ever been.

“A genuine possibility of an upset is that South Africa could get beaten by Scotland at St. James’s Park (Will was speaking before Japan’s shock defeat of the Boks). It’s not far from Hadrian’s Wall, and they will come storming down!

“You can’t under-estimate home advantage.

I think England have three teams in their group that could win it and Fiji could cause an upset for all three if points come into play. But France and Ireland, France have had a shocking two years but then you look at their

record and what they’ve done they’ve done recently and even they have a chance.

Argentina smashed South Africa in Durban this year too. It’s not a case of sitting on the fence, a pundits view is getting harder and harder.

“I’d say that New Zealand are likely to be one of the teams that make the semi-finals, but you can argue that there are eight teams that could make the semi-finals, but I’m going to stick one being South Africa v New Zealand and the other being England v Ireland and I think that it’ll be New Zealand v England in the final.

“We’re not the worlds best team, they know they’re not the worlds best team, but they’re tough, hungry, young and they’re at home so it’ll make a huge advantage. Which means that another team has got to come to Twickenham face England in front of a huge patriotic crowd, such as 1966 or 2012 and with

“Sit and watch and mimic. The golfer Phil Mickleson is left handed because he used to stand opposite his father, who was right handed, and mirrored his father. My dad captained England so I copied my dad. It comes down to the 10,000 hours theory. You can’t turn up at 18 and think I want to play for England in a World Cup final, you’ve got to want to go down to the rugby club on a Sunday morning, or get in the back garden and pester your parents to throw a rugby ball about.

“Get out there do it, come rain or shine.

Rugby clubs are the best places to make some great mates and sport is the place to find a community. I played rugby to play for Preston Grasshoppers, I then just got a little bit better and moved on but all I wanted to do was play for Preston Grasshoppers and I was passionate about that.”

Show your support for local sport...

Email advertise@theactivemag.com /// O C T OBE R 2015

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Roundup

Football

Foxes fly as county’s Sunday sides bid for new title

BY JEREMY BESWICK

L

eicester City have confounded sceptics and pundits alike with a barnstorming start to their campaign. When the current run is added to that famous great escape at the end of last term, they are unbeaten in nine Premier League matches at the time of writing – a club record - and one of only two Premiership sides, the other being Manchester City, who are undefeated this season. That’s the sort of form which, if continued for a whole year, would see them not only into Europe but crowned as Champions.

Whilst it’s fair to say that Claudio Ranieri’s men have not had the most forbidding early fixture list – which, with all due respect to them, included the likes of Sunderland, Bournemouth, West Ham and Aston Villa – there has been much to admire about their play and signs that not even the traditional league favourites will relish coming to the King Power. Genuine pace is something that will always trouble any opponents and City have it in spades.

The evidence comes from the Premier League’s adoption of a system called TRACAB which, by measuring every players’ position 25 times a second, is able to compute their peak running speeds in a match. And the top three speed merchants in the whole Premiership so far are.....all Foxes, in the shape of Jamie Vardy, Jeffrey Schlupp and Marc Albrighton.

Add to their blistering pace the skills of winger Riyad Mahrez, who is seen by greater experts than I as a real prospect (and “is not for sale at any price” according to Ranieri), a resurgent Nathan Dyer (with a hat-trick on his debut) and Gokhan Inler (Switzerland’s captain) finding his feet in the maelstrom that is English football, and the future looks more than bright.

They seem to have the right stuff between their ears too. Ranieri has praised their “mental strength under pressure” and ability to “never give up. That is the spirit that I love,” whereas vice-chairman Aiyawath Srivaddhanaprabha (just as well he’s not a

player or he’d have to play in a tent not a shirt) called them “brave, committed and adventurous”. Blues everywhere will be trying not to get too excited just yet, but there is a real chance they’ll do something special this season.

Among the local sides, Oadby Town have had a difficult start to their league campaign although cup competition has been better for them. After losing 4-2 away to Boston Town they travelled to Rothwell Corinthians for a bruising encounter. One down after a quarter of an hour, they were outplayed in the first half, Joe Latham being the only bright spot with an inventive performance. The second period was much better for the Poachers as they increasingly gained penetration from the flanks and Tendai Daire finally scored with ten minutes remaining to earn them a point.

Next up were Quorn in the FA Cup qualifying draw. Town again went one behind but goals from Ryan Seal, Ollie Brown-Hill and Sam Grouse saw them safely through to the next round. After a home win against

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GEOFF ATTON

Right

Action from the game between Cottesmore Amateurs and Kirby Muxloe Reserves

Deeping Rangers and a 3-2 defeat to Desborough Town in the league it was back to cup competition against Harborough Town where a screamer from Ben Stephens and Rob Morgan’s fast reactions to score from a Ryan Seal shot that hit the bar saw them progress.

The following league matches against Holbech United and Leicester Nirvana had little to commend them, Oadby gaining just the single point from Nirvana, but the cup again proved to be the light relief they needed as they eliminated Sutton Coldfield with a giant-killing 1-0 victory away, a late goal from Jon Stevenson enough to get them through.

Lutterworth Athletic lost their opening two league fixtures but fared better against Bourne, St Neots and Burton Park, winning all three.

However they were then bundled out of the FA Vase by Birmingham based Pilkington –

5-0. A steadying away draw to Bugbrooke followed.

Kibworth Town had a successful pre-season with some new faces in the side which would have whetted their appetite for the competitive matches to follow. First up were Huncote, who they had lost to in the semi-final of the league cup the year before, but their good form continued with a 3-1 win – an exact reverse of the previous score. A victory against Kingsway Celtic followed before a loss to Magna 73, but the reserves have played four matches unbeaten.

Cosby United had the best start of all, declaring their intent with an opening day 4-0 win against Magna – with George Young (two) Sam Miller and Joe Pritchard doing the scoring. The Badgers continued their good form and went top of the league with further wins against Huncote and Leicester Three Lions.

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The FA has announced that the top Sunday sides will be up for a new title this year with those highest placed in last season’s Alliance, Hinckley & District, Leicester Sunday and Charnwood Sunday Leagues playing each other in what will be called the Leicester Sunday Champions League, with a second tier dubbed the Leicester Sunday County League.

Pete McGrath, league secretary, said on the FA website: “We’re extremely pleased to announce the launch of what is expected to be two very exciting competitions. Leicestershire and Rutland can boast some very strong clubs taking part in Sunday League competition in their respective leagues, so to be able to bring those clubs together and compete for the title of ‘best of the best’ is something that I know players and coaches are looking forward to immensely.”

So are we!

OPENING TIMES Monday 9 - 6.00 Tuesday 9 - 5.00 Wednesday closed Thursday 9 - 5.30 Friday 9 - 5.30 Saturday 8.30 - 2.30

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Roundup

Rugby

South Leicester endure chastening start to the season

BY JEREMY BESWICK

W

e’re off! Another season begins and, as well as the World Cup, we’ve a feast of rugby on our doorsteps.

No story is likely to be more compelling this season than South Leicester’s, who move into uncharted territory due to their superb form last year which saw them elevated into National League 2. So far, alas, it’s proved to be a somewhat chastening experience as they opened their campaign with two losses, away to Huddersfield and at home against Sedgley Park.

After a pre-season win in a friendly against Barnes RFC, they showed heart away to Huddersfield in their first ever game at this level to fight back from 24-3 down and finish 24-17 despite losing the unfortunate Blane Howe to a dislocated elbow in the first minute – an injury which necessitated an overnight stay in hospital. We send him our best wishes.

In their first home game of the season they conceded two tries to Sedgley in the opening few minutes and by half way through the first

period found themselves 0-17 down, a position which was always going to nighimpossible to recover from given the visitors’ greater experience at this level and all-round quality. However, there were more encouraging signs in the second half as Will Evans went over early doors and Calum Gunn added a further two tries, but Sedgley responded as well to run out 51-29 winners.

Chairman Wayne Marsden said: “South will not meet too many teams of Sedgley’s quality and it was an entertaining game to watch. We’re still finding our feet in the higher league.” He described it as “a battling performance” from South. Ever searching for the positives, he remains upbeat, headlining his match reports for the two fixtures as “South come away with losing bonus point” and “South secure a four-try bonus point”.

With optimism like that, they’ll be OK. Fellow National League 2 team and local rivals Leicester Lions had a better start, winning their opening two fixtures. Opening with a trip to Tynedale, relegated from

who we are

National Division 1 last term, they too lost a player within seconds of the start, Jon Boden the unlucky party with a pulled hamstring.

Tynedale had far the better of the opening exchanges and soon led 11-0, but Lions’ pack was performing well and winger Sam Benjamin went over just before half time to reduce the deficit.

A penalty from Lions’ Will Bishop was quickly answered by a drop goal from Tynedale’s Matty Outson before Lions took the lead for the first time in the match with another Benjamin try. A penalty to the opposition levelled matters at 17 all and a visit to the sin bin for Lions’ Devon Constant with ten minutes to go seemed to have turned things Tynedale’s way. However, despite being a man down Lions’ scrum continued to wreak havoc resulting in a penalty right at the end of the match which Will Bishop kept his nerve to convert – 20-17 to the visitors.

Next up was a trip to Otley and after an opening penalty from the home team Lions took the lead from a rolling maul, Oli Taylor

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Right

World Cup winner Jason Robinson was touring the region in the build up to the Rugby World Cup

the scorer. Rob Young added a further try, converted by Will Bishop who also added a penalty before Otley fought back with a try of their own from Alex Beaumont. Despite losing a man to the sin bin Otley started the second half brightly and their scrum half Adam Shaw scored the try of the match after a mazy 35 yard run, but with 5 minutes to go Lions back row Oliver Povoas settled things, crashing over for a try which Bishop converted and gaining a four-try bonus point.

Otley 10, Lions 29.

Stoneygate continue to enjoy life at their new home in Uppingham. Their division has been re-organized and they’re now part of the newly formed Leicestershire Merit Leagues.

Captain Cillian Brugha knows they will “face some very competitive teams over the course of the season” as a result, but the stronger set up should mean that they get more regular rugby, a number of sides having conceded matches last term.

They travelled to Coalville for the opening fixture of the season to play their seconds and

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it was a good early sighting of the type of opposition that awaits them. Cillian told me “We boasted some new faces following a good recruitment drive over the summer and it was great to see some young lads pulling on the famous Red and White stripes for the first time”.

The game started with Gate using the wind to good effect and they looked the stronger of the two teams with driving mauls from the line out gaining ground and yielding their first try from Henry Bridgwood. Coalville fought back with two scores of their own before a fine individual try from Jack Storry and a second from Bridgwood saw them go into the break 22-12 up, although Cillian conceded “The scoreline didn’t do the home side justice as the first-half had been very evenly matched all across the park.”

Gate were the first to score in the second half, somewhat against the run of play, and Coalville fought hard for the rest of the match, dominating possession and scoring two tries.

The last ten minutes were conducted almost

entirely in Gate’s 22 but dogged defence – “ Tom Cox and Tom Charnley were superb” according to Brugha – saw them home by 29-24.

Market Harborough opened their campaign in Midlands 2 with a tough match against an Oakham side that had done the double over them last year. However, they got off to a flier with Ed Parker scoring a try within a couple of minutes and then Ed Sumpter going over twice to make the score 22-0 after only around a quarter of an hour.

Although Oakham fought back after the break to 28-12, that man Sumpter completed his hat trick and Laurence Joel put them out of sight at 40-12 with a further try. Oakham were to add two tries late on as Harborough relaxed but were never going to reach their total and the match finished 40-22.

As the World Cup progresses, seek out your local side. Apart from the action on the pitch, it’s also the place with the best atmosphere to watch England’s heroics at Twickenham.

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Roundup

Equestrianism

Local riders enjoy success with Team GB squads

BY JULIA DUNGWORTH

T

BASKETBALL BEGINS

Adam Fanthorpe

wo up and coming names who had success this season on the event circuit with Team GB squads are Alex Tordoff and Sophie Beaty, whom are ambassadors for equestrian brand Noble Outfitters.

Alex from Tilton-on the-Hill rose through the ranks of the local Cottesmore branch of the Pony Club.This year Alex was Reserve British Junior Champion and was selected to represent Great Britain in the Junior European squad in Poland in August.

He was one of only eight competitors who went clear inside the time, eventually being best placed British competitor, narrowly missing out on a medal finishing in fourth place. He will be moving up to the Young Riders squad next year, leaving him three years to aim for a place on the team, which is his ultimate aim. If this is not enough of a challenge, Alex also plans to set up his own yard in 2016.

Sophie Beaty works from her yard in Northamptonshire, and similar to Alex her passion for riding came from family life and being an active Pony Club member. Sophie has just topped off her season with an

Above

Alex Tordoff

Individual Silver Medal at the Young Rider Europeans also in Poland as part of the Young Riders Team riding Stanly.

Sophie’s highlights from this season also included fourth place in the National Championships and 11th in the Under 25 CCI3* on Pink Gin, which was also her first ever CCI3*.

Next season Sophie will be aiming for young rider team again as well as more three star experience and then hopefully her first time at Burghley Horse Trials on Pink Gin!

The new BBL season is now upon us and we assess the chances of the Leicester Riders, who added a former favourite to their ranks during the summer, and are looking to improve on last year’s play-off disappointment.

Unlike some of his peers, coach Rob Paternostro has opted not to blow up his roster and start over. The developing talents of Jamell Anderson, Harrison Gamble, Conner Washington and Levi Noel are back, with Barry Lamble and Ant Rowe providing that stability.

Tray vonn Wright, Tyler Bernardini and Neil Watson all return too, as big man Billy Reader comes in from Moorhead State and Great Britain captain, Drew Sullivan, the BBL MVP with Riders in 2012-13, is back in the East Midlands.

Signing Sullivan was a huge coup for Riders and the return of Watson will be key too, as he almost embodies his coach’s philosophy on the floor. But Paternostro will no doubt have a keen eye on ensuring Anderson continues his progression. The 25-year-old forward averaged 7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds-per-game off 47.8 % shooting last term, and the arrival of Sullivan should help to steer him in the right direction.

Keep up to date with the team at www. leicesterriders.co.uk or Twitter @RidersBball.

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Sun, sea, sand: where to travel for the best sport this winter ISSUE 06 // OCTOBER 2015

South LeiceSteRShiRe SPoRt AND LeiSuRe MAGAZiNe

ISSUE 06 // OCTOBER 2015

OAD TO JOY Oadby Ladies are taking football by storm

WALkS WITh WILL...

Far and away around East Farndon

A dAy In ThE LIfE

Nature of art: illustrating local wildlife

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fOUR mEn In A BOAT

The men rowing across the Atlantic for charity

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OAD TO JOY

Oadby and Wigston Girls & Ladies FC is an example of how women’s football is thriving. By Jeremy Beswick Photography: Pip Warters Women’s football has been around for much longer than many people think. Depending on your definition of ‘football’ we could go back to the Hen Dynasty or even to many millennia BC, but we may as well start in 1895 and a match between the North and South of England organised by the deliciously named Nettie Honeyball (it22:19 finished 7-1 to the North – as many 17/09/2015 of you will doubtless recall).

A few years later during the First World War the popularity of the women’s game soared in the absence of their male counterparts and by 1920 Goodison Park would see more than 50,000 fans attend a match with, according to reports, ‘several thousands locked outside’.

There were well over a hundred women’s teams across the country by then and the future seemed bright until the cold dead hand of

bureaucracy dealt it a near fatal blow. The doubtless blazered fools of the FA (how little things change) pompously declared: “The Council feel impelled to express their strong opinion that the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged” and banned them from its grounds.

It took 50 years for them to correct the mistake – to the FA’s eternal shame it remained in force until 1971.

The redoubtable aforementioned Nettie was far more prescient, saying that women’s football was a way of “proving to the world that women are not the ornamental and useless creatures men have pictured.....and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs.”

Who knows what heights the women’s game

might have reached had it not been all but killed by the faceless committee men, but fast forward to the current day and the sport is rightly thriving again. Globally, it is arguably the most popular team sport for women and once again there are over a hundred sides across the country.

One such club is Oadby and Wigston Girls and Ladies FC. I joined them for Thursday night training at their Meadows Park ground in Countesthorpe, poles and cones already laid out and the sessions’ activities finely tuned by the coaching team. “We’ve over two hundred female players here, from the academy for six-year olds to over 30s,” first team manager and vicechairman Alan Wells told me. “And there’s a wide variety of skill levels – we never turn anyone away – from some in their 20s who’d

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beauchamp

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Be Part of the Picture Sixth Form Open Day Saturday 31 October 2015 10.00am - 2.00pm

Beauchamp College All students, and their parents, who are considering joining Beauchamp in Year 12 in September 2015 are warmly invited to attend our Open Day

Sixth Form Open Day

Head of College Address: 10.15am, 11.30am & 12.30pm

Opportunity to meet staff and students Tour of our outstanding facilities Assurance of our values, standards and expectations Share our passion for learning

Be Part of the Picture

Saturday 31 October 2015 10.00am - 2.00pm

All students, and their parents, who are considering joining Beauchamp in Year 12 in September 2016 are warmly invited to attend our Open Day Principal’s Presentation: 10.15am, 11.30am & 12.30pm Opportunity to meet staff and students Tour of our outstanding facilities Assurance of our values, standards and expectations Share our passion for learning For more information please visit beauchamp.org.uk Ridgeway, Oadby, LE2 5TP . 0116 2729100 For more information please visit beauchamp.org.uk admissionsKS5@beauchamp.org.uk

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15/09/2015 14:59