Active Magazine // Stamford & Rutland // Winter 2020

The Active team play socially distanced indoor bowls Zero waste shops, the new way to shop Christmas trees and quality tastings Get out and about with Will’s Walks ISSUE 102 | WINTER 2020

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E E R F

The winter issue This winter it’s all about long walks and getting cozy in front of the fire

w w w .t h e a c t i ve m a g . c o m

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E DI TO R ’ S L E T T E R

Editor and Publisher Mary Bremner mary@theactivemag.com Deputy editor Kate Maxim kate@theactivemag.com Art editor Matt Tarrant Contributors Will Hetherington, Jeremy Smithson-Beswick Advertisement Sales Director Lisa Chauhan lisa@theactivemag.com Production assistant Gary Curtis Accounts accounts@theactivemag.com Active magazine, Eventus Business Centre, Sunderland Road, Northfield Industrial Estate, Market Deeping, PE6 8FD If you have information about a club then please get in touch by emailing editor@theactivemag.com.

If you would like to stock Active magazine please email distribution@theactivemag.com.

Active magazine is published monthly 12 times per year.

ISSN 2059-8513 Published by Triangle Publishing Ltd Printed by Warner’s of Bourne

www.theactivemag.com

Disclaimer

Copyright (c) Triangle Publishing Ltd (TPL) 2019. 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 TPL. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of T or its a liates. isclai er of iability. Whilst every effort has been ade to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, TPL and its a liates assu e 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.

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

‘This year it’s even more vital that we support our local independent retailers and businesses.’

I WAS PLANNING to write that by the time you read this we should all be out of lockdown 2 and happily Christmas shopping supporting our high streets and local independents; didn’t go quite to plan did it? I have decided that all presents this year will be bought locally. In 2020, it’s even more vital that we support our local independent retailers and businesses. This has always been our mantra on the magazine and we have been doing our bit on Instagram and Facebook every day during lockdown to point you, our readers, towards these local independents who have either stayed open, done takeaways or run a click and collect system. Tough business decisions have had to be made by many this year and we have had to make them too.

We have decided rather than go online again as we did last lockdown, to co bine two issues to ake a winter issue. This sadly reflects the uncertain environment we are trading in but is very much a temporary measure. We have supported local businesses as best we can and hopefully the feeling is mutual. And hopefully there is a hint of light at the end of the tunnel so we have something to aim at.

The Active team managed to enjoy an indoor bowls tournament recently.

And good to see our competitive instincts are as resilient as ever.

I’ve had to take a hit for the team this month tasting many of the lovely local Christmas goodies. We were going to do many together but lockdown put paid to that so it mainly fell to me to do; someone had to do it and can tell you had to ake a great any sacrifices along the way.

We ve been finding out ore about hrist as trees Waterside Garden entre chocolate firewood and woodburners all things to en oy during the winter. I’ve also been visiting zero waste shops; somewhere we should all consider shopping to help live more sustainable lives.

Have a very happy and healthy Christmas and here’s hoping for a prosperous new year for us all, and a return to life as we knew it as soon as is possible.

See you soon Mary - Editor FIND US ONLINE

FACEBOOK theACTIVEmag

TWITTER @theACTIVEmag

INSTAGRAM theactivemaguk

WEBSITE theactivemag.com

Winter 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Call our friendly team today to see how we can tailor a care package for you Bluebird Care Stamford & Rutland, Peterborough & Oundle Stamford: 01780 480881 Peterborough & Oundle: 01733 459907 Rutland: 01572 729357

bluebirdcare.co.uk/peterborough-oundle peterborough@bluebirdcare.co.uk

ISSU E 102 / T H E W I N T E R I S S U E 2020

Contents

ACTIVE LIFE 14 TINSEL TIME

Choosing a Christmas tree is a special experience

18 INTERVIEW

Mary Bremner meets the owner of Waterside Garden Centre

20 ALFRED POPPINS The man behind the chimney brush

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24 HOTEL CHOCOLAT

Mary Bremner meets one of the directors of this chocolatier

27 FOOD FABULOUS FOOD

Christmas is an epicurean’s delight. We have been sampling delicious food in the area

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37 PET TASTINGS

The Active dogs have been joining in the tasting fun

38 NOT JUST A GAME FOR OLD MEN

The Active team recently enjoyed a competitive indoor bowls competition

42 ZERO WASTE SHOPPING

ary re ner finds out ore about sustainable shopping

38

46 WILL’S WALKS

Will has found a quiet corner of north west Cambridgeshire

ACTIVE BODY 53 MENSTRUAL CUPS

Why we should all be using them

ACTIVE SPORT 55 CYCLE ROUTE

Gary Waterfall is joined by friends starting in Oundle

58 TRAIL RUN

Wild Dog Events puts us through our paces with this challenging run

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ActiveLife Christmas delicacies | Roaring log fires | Not just a game for old men Zero waste shopping | Waterside garden centre | Will’s walks E DI T E D BY M A RY B R E M N E R

Choosing a Christmas tree is a special experience p14 Winter 2020 / theactivemag.com

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SPEAK TO A SPECIALIST TODAY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND STEER YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

Active life

Local heroes DURING THE FIRST lockdown the owners of The Old White Hart in Lyddington, the East family, made 300 eals a day to feed the frontline staff at ettering General Hospital through the charity ‘food 4 heroes.’ In total they cooked filling and nutritions eals like roast chicken, risotto, pulled pork and lasagne all served with fresh vegetables.

During the second lockdown they were asked by Kettering Hospital to cook again, initially 250 meals a day for the staff and also ade eals a week for food banks through ‘food 4 heroes.’ They were only too happy to help and the whole family has been involved including the two children and granny! Owner Holly East says: ecause of ovid we ve had to furlough a lot of our staff and make some redundant. Being involved in these schemes has been great, not only for the people who benefit fro the eals but for us as a business helping to keep us busy and something positive to focus on.’

They have also been able to count on tremendous support from the community, keen to get behind such a great cause. Dev Brahmachari from Display UK, has kindly donated the boxes for the food to be transported to hospital in and Joe Cornes from Becketts Foods is printing the labels. A team from the village are helping to make up the boxes and stick the labels on, so it is truly a co unity effort.

For more information visit www.food4heroes.co.uk www.oldwhitehart.co.uk

Stamford Junior School’s new head THE NEW HEAD of Stamford Junior School is Mr Matthew O’Reilly. Matthew will join in September 2021 from St Mary’s School, Cambridge; an independent school for ages 4-18 where he has been head since 2016.

Prior to starting his teaching career in the UK Matthew taught in Japan and was an interpreter for Siemens, Goldmans Sachs and Deutsche Bank. He has also worked with and mentored underprivileged teenage boys in a previous role.

Matthew is a keen runner and has completed two London Marathons for charity. He and his wife Jess have three daughters who will also be joining Stamford Junior School in due course. www.stamfordschools.org.uk

Iconic Rutland view THIS IS THE award winning image in the International Lucie Awards 2020 (landscape category). Limited edition prints are available from £95 from peter@peter-mason.com or visit www.peter-mason.com

Winter 2020 / theactivemag.com

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The

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Order the best artisan cheeses and bespoke hampers.

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Next Day delivery to all of England available all year round 17 St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DG CALL 01780 489269 or 07749671659 | www.stamfordcheese.com Visit us on The Stamford Cheese and Wine Cellar Support our local business we would love to be with you next year

Active life

Sponsor a student TINWELL BASED HEALTH company Cell Regeneration has beco e one of the first companies to ‘Sponsor a Student’ with the Northampton Saints Foundation.

Liz Clare, MD of Cell Regeneration and co-Founder of the Always a Chance charity has been personally involved with the Foundation for nearly a decade, donating time, skills and funding to the Northampton Saints Hitz project.

The Sponsor a Student scheme gives a young person 12 months support and education through the Northampton Saints Foundation. These students have struggled in mainstream education and have been referred to the Foundation to receive help with training and development, giving them the chance of a better future. www.mbst-therapy.co.uk | www.alwaysachance.org.uk www.northamptonsaintsfoundation.org

New to the Welland Valley

Will’s Walk book completed in record time WE RECENTLY RECEIVED this email from Fiona Parker and thought we’d share it with you.‘We would just like to say how much pleasure and joy this little book has given us. uring the first lockdown Jill was shielding and live on my own so we couldn’t walk together. However when this lockdown was announced we decided to set ourselves a target and aim to walk each of the 21 walks together.

It has been fun, exciting and so good for keeping up our spirits. We have enjoyed every minute of it. We have met interesting people along the way including the lady who lives in Station House en route to Braceborough. She gave us the history of the house and said she’d have invited us in for a cuppa had we not been in lockdown.

We have today actually completed all of the walks and achieved our target but sorry it has finished. We have saved Will’s walks over the years and look forward to more in the future.

So, thank you to Will for taking us on his tour.

Fiona and Jill Purchase the book at www.theactivemag.com

FOLLOWING A LENGTHY building project, a purpose built osteopathy clinic - Welland Valley Osteopath - is now open for business within the third arch of a timber framed building next to the Village Hall, at the Old School House in Harringworth.

Jo Jones’ introduction to and passion for osteopathy started some years ago after she had successful treat ent for a stiff and painful neck. She went on to train and, after graduating with a BSc (Hons) Osteopathy, she’s been fortunate to gain a wealth of experience working both in the UK and New Zealand and ran a team of osteopaths for 15 years.

Osteopathy was developed on the principal that the body has an innate capacity to repair itself under the correct conditions. It is a drug-free, non-invasive form of manual medicine that focuses on the health of the whole body not ust the in ured or affected part. t seeks to restore the body to a state where this healing mechanism can be allowed to work. This is achieved by restoring movement, i proving circulation of blood and ly phatic fluid and by addressing any lifestyle/postural/ergonomic problems that may be preventing recovery.

Osteopathy is the recommended form of treatment for low back pain by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

However osteopaths do not just treat backs. They can help a wide range of musculoskeletal symptoms and conditions including peripheral joint pain such as elbow, ankle and knee, to arthritis, sciatica, postural problems, sports injuries or driving and work strains.

Contact Jo on 07952 629768 or email info@wellandvalleyosteopath. com if you need help. She is keeping her clinic safe during the pandemic, following the government guidelines with strictest hygiene control and PPE. www.wellandvalleyosteopath.com

Winter 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Active life

ECO TIPS

Sustainable seasonal times Lizzie Davies looks at how we can make positive environmental choices as we plan our festivities.

IF YOU DON’T already have an artificial tree and want to keep costs low bare branches in a large pot decorated with fairy lights and baubles can look stunning. f you are buying a fresh tree choose a local far . locally grown tree has a pretty low carbon footprint the tree absorbs carbon dio ide as it grows and can be co posted. fter hrist as lay the branches on bare veg beds to protect the soil fro the ele ents and to deter cats any stores are selling plastic free crackers this year so we can easily reduce our carbon footprint at no e tra cost.

There are lots of ake your own cracker kits available which can be a fun pro ect if you have ti e. ook out for cracker si ed surprises in charity and local shops eg wa elts key rings ba boo cutlery. hoose recycled wrapping paper if you can or use decorated brown packing paper which recycles well. ook out for the logo on paper products which indicates that the wood was grown under orest tewardship ouncil rules. or store cupboard ingredients we now have really good coverage for buying package free efill evolution stores in arket arborough undle and ta ford i pler ife stalls at ppingha and akha arkets the ll Good arket in ta ford and The Eco hop in Great asterton. n these tricky ti es however and wherever you are celebrating wish you a safe and erry festive season with your loved ones.

You can follow Lizzie @lizcatalpa on Instagram and Facebook.

GARDE NING

Winter wonderlands Garden designer Teresa Kennedy much prefers the short, sharp days of winter to the longer, drawn out, hot summer ones

I

DON’T ACTUALLY like the heat or the long su er days. y outdoor space is not as co fortable as it could be in the su er. haven t anaged to create suitable shade for the table we eat at so it s too bright and hot to en oy a eal. nd despite building an area for sitting in the sun it s too hot in the late afternoon to sit there for e. bviously should fi these issues and will. ut in the eanti e a relishing the winter it s y favourite ti e of year. always feel that there s no pressure to ake the ost of the day. They are so short that even the s allest task takes up all the available daylight ti e and you can then retreat indoors pleased with your efforts. t s slow living and speaks volu es to e. nd it akes e appreciate y garden in a different light.

The fire pit is the ain feature of y winter garden far ore so than in the su er when barely light it. t s a very si ple four sided structure built with old bricks with a double fire cha ber hot fire one side cooler e bers the other perfect for baking potatoes . light it in the orning and it slowly crackles away while potter about tidying bits of wild growth adding the to the fla es. n old kettle gently

boils away ready for a cuppa and a sit down. ike said slow living it s a beautiful thing.

The outdoor kitchen. This is a ore pared down version of the su er . or e it s part and parcel of y firepit. t s so ewhere to prepare a si ple one pot eal. pen fire suits the rustic nature of the eal. si ple tripod with a hanging cooking pot will do the trick. ut pro ise you however si ple the ingredients the war th against the cold fresh air will bring you all kinds of co fort.

The sheltered south facing spot. This is the best place for winter seating. have an old bench ore of a perch really that pull into the best winter sun spot can find ust for these few onths. t doesn t need to be your big co fy su er version of seating.

This is ore for a fleeting stop ust to rest and take in those valuable rays.

The wonderful thing about gardens nature and the seasonal cycle is that it slows down and you can follow that and do the sa e. There are very few obs to be done in the garden for a good three onths during the winter. t s a ti e to en oy being outside without the pressure of keeping everything tip top ake the ost of it. www.viridisdesign.co.uk 07726 334501

Winter 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Tinsel time Choosing a Christmas tree from Digby Farm in North Luffenham is a special experience, Kate Maxim went to find out why

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Active life

C

HRISTMAS IS ONLY just around the corner and this year we all want to keep to our family traditions for some semblance of normality. So Christmas cakes have been stirred and baked, wreaths decorated and hung on the front door and presents bought and wrapped.

And then, of course, there’s the tree. Every family will have their own tradition of buying and decorating their Christmas tree. Every year I envisage an idyllic Victorian-style couple of hours with every member of the family taking it in turns to put another bauble on the tree with a glowing fire in the hearth and carols on the radio. nstead it often degenerates into arguments over tinsel or not to tinsel, do we opt for a sophisticated look or chuck on every decoration my children have ever made? Still, there’s always lots of laughter, mince pies and wine to help us through.

Many local garden centres and village shops supply Christmas trees and that’s a great way of shopping locally. But for a truly personal experience many families head to Digby Farm in North uffenha to buy their tree. ou can walk into the fields where the trees are grown, choose the species, and pick the one that most appeals for size and shape.

John and Helen Ellis farm 150 acres at Digby Farm and dedicate 60 acres to the trees. John reared beef cattle when he took the farm on with his father and brother in 1975 but fortunately decided to get out of that arket in ust as started. They planted the first trees on the far in one of only five far ers in the country. John and Helen used to attend the Methodist church at Barn Hill in Stamford and one year it needed to raise funds to repair the roof of the school rooms. John remembers ‘there was an advert in the paper from someone wanting to get rid of a plot of Christmas trees, so we bought the plot, cut them down and sold them on. That gave me the idea to do it myself on the farm.’

A FAMILY AFFAIR

John and Helen joined the Christmas Tree Growers Association and learned how to do the job properly. Since then, as their four children have grown up it has beco e a full on fa ily affair. on ichard works full-time on the farm, and daughters Katie, Gill and Felicity are all involved in the business during the festive period. There’s an awful lot of work to be done.

They plant 10-15,00 trees a year. They arrive as 12 inch transplants and they leave 1 - 1.3 metres between each one. When they get to 4 foot high they start thinning them out. They sell a lot of this greenery to horse shows like Burghley for decorating the jumps.

Once the trees are fully established they grow at a rate of roughly a foot a year, depending on the variety and weather.

We re not in the best part of the country says John as firs in particular need 30-40 inches of rain per year; we get 24 inches if we’re lucky. The spruce and pines will grow about a foot a year. We limit them to that if we do have more rainfall as we don’t want a thin, straggly tree so we cut the leader off. The firs take years longer to grow than spruce, but they are a popular choice.

‘They plant 10-15,00 trees a year.

They arrive as 12 inch transplants and they leave 1 - 1.3 metres between each one. When they get to 4 foot high they start thinning them out.’

Winter 2020/ theactivemag.com

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Active life FAMILY FAVOURITES

The ord ann fir is the ost popular fir as they re reputed to hold the needles well. ut as they re slow they re ore e pensive to grow and therefore to sell. We also have alsa and rasier firs. pruce is the ost popular variety particularly the orway spruce there s fewer things that go wrong with it so they re good for us. The lue spruce are susceptible to aphids and weed da age and they re spiky which is great for hanging decorations on but they re di cult to handle. and will be put down to trees for years and then left fallow for years to get rid of the weeds and stu ps before it s replanted. bout seven years ago there was a boo in the rabbit population which deci ated the transplants and left a big gap in the rotation.

John used to sell huge trees to local authorities but the health and safety issues of erecting and disposal has beco e far ore co plicated. file for putting up a single tree would be half an inch thick now he says. We have to be so careful because if the wind blew one down and it hit a e ber of the public it doesn t bear thinking about.

They deliver to a radius of iles fro the far but ost people co e and pick their own. They en oy walking round the field looking at the trees even if they don t choose one fro there. The yard is full of trees to pick fro then it s netted and off they go. There is also a seconds pile of trees that ay be a bit isshapen and a shop in the barn which sells decorations stands lights potatoes logs wreaths and istletoe. This year there s a one way syste in place. rices are per foot for a spruce and per foot for a ord ann fir.

John s advice is to buy your tree in the second week of ece ber but they don t necessarily want everyone co ing at the sa e ti e They cut trees every day so the public know they re getting a fresh tree which will keep its needles. tree needs a fresh cut on the botto so if you buy elsewhere and you re not sure how fresh it is cut an inch off like you would a flower. nce you ve taken it indoors ake sure you keep it in water. osition it away fro radiators and fires if possible the cooler it is the longer it will last. orway spruce will take up a litre of water a day initially the firs not as uch as they re a denser ti ber. fter hrist as the far reopens so people can bring their trees back for John and ichard to recycle. ocal authorities also have recycling sche es and various charities like the scouts recycle trees as a way of fundraising.

‘Once you’ve taken it indoors make sure you keep it in water.

Position it away from radiators and fires if possible; the cooler it is the longer it will last.’

We always advise people to recycle so the trees don t end up in landfill says John. t s a flawed argu ent to have an artificial tree for environ ental reasons. ou have to use an artificial tree for at least years to offset the carbon and how do you ever recycle it eople say we re growing trees only to cut the down but they re a crop like any other and are in the ground for uch longer than wheat for e a ple contributing to the environ ent in a positive way. When they re in the ground they re giving out o ygen and for every tree we cut down we ll probably replace it with two.

We re very passionate about the environ ent and the trees ake an ideal setting for birds ani als and insects. We ve seen green woodpeckers and woodcock here since growing the that we d never seen before.

Digby Farm is open for business from 26 November until Christmas Eve. Open seven days a week from 9am to 5.30pm, with late night opening until 7.30pm on Wednesday 2, 9 and 16 December. With the current situation it’s best to check the website for changes to opening times.

Visit www.digbyfarm.co.uk

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Active life

From little acorns…

Thirty years ago Waterside Garden Centre opened.

Mary Bremner finds out more

A

NDY PARROTT AND Alan Walters were neighbours in Waterside Close in Bourne. Both had a great love of gardening; Andy had two allotments, Alan three and they bonded over their gardening tips. Andy was a toolmaker and worked in engineering and would sell his produce to his workmates; Alan was doing the same at Fiat Allis where he worked. And this is really what got them started.

In 1984 they decided to go into business together and opened the Waterside Nursery at Kate’s Bridge near Bourne. They specialised in bedding plants and conifers and grew much of their own stock. But this was just the beginning. As well as running the nursery at Kate’s Bridge they were also selling plants to large garden centres in Nottingham, Leicester and Northampton.

And this started sowing seeds. The pair of them realised they could do the same and sell what garden centres did; garden furniture, implements, tools and much more.

Andy was very interested in the retail side whilst Alan was more keen on the landscaping; a good combination as they complemented each other.

In 1990 a 150 acre farm across the road came up for sale. A local farmer bought it but ndy and lan were able to buy acres off him on the same day. It was no use to the farmer as it did not have good access over the dyke for his large machinery. The pair of them persuaded the bank to back them and bit the bullet. First of all they had to improve the road junction and then build a bridge over the dyke and dig bore holes. They put everything they had into this plot of land selling their houses in Bourne and building two houses on the site as well. nd they were off. They opened in with one building and one e ber of staff plus Andy, Alan and their wives with their children helping when they could, selling plants and garden accessories. By 1992 they had added another building and the business grew rapidly from there. Obviously it was not all plain sailing and there was a lot of blood, sweat, toil and tears that went into building the business - including being flooded in but they ade it and years later Waterside Garden Centre is renowned not ust locally but further afield as well. n years they have gone fro a staff of one to e ploying before the pandemic). In 2006 Alan retired and Andy continued with the business along with his wife Sue. Andy is very proud that the

business is still very much a family concern with his four children being involved. Jon, one of his sons runs the Olive Grove in Oundle which they bought in 2016.

That one original building has now become one of many. As well as plants they sell virtually everything you can think of including having an in-house butchery and grocery, cookery utensil shop, furniture, pets and aquatic centre, gifts and homeware and a really successful restaurant as well as an art gallery. There are also a couple of franchises within the business as well. What makes the shopping experience unique is that the whole of the outside retail area can be covered so customers are protected from inclement weather. This means that people are not put off visiting the garden centre if the weather is bad. Waterside was the second garden centre in the country to introduce this method of shopping in 2010.

Waterside is a day out destination for many people as you can spend hours wandering around the centre and enjoy lunch as well; or it was until Covid struck. ‘I genuinely didn’t think we or many others would survive,’ says Andy. ‘Obviously we had to shut and what on earth were we going to do with all of our stock? We gave a lot of it away including to the local food bank in Bourne. But many plants unfortunately went into the skip as they became unsellable.’

The majority of employees were put on furlough with only a s all core group of staff remaining to hold the fort. ‘As soon as we could we started doing deliveries and worked extremely long hours. Supermarkets were struggling to keep up with demand for loo rolls and we were struggling to get compost to people. There was a huge demand for it and we were struggling to keep up with deliveries,’ says Andy.

As soon as they were able in Mid April they reopened. But only a third of the garden centre was able to open including the butcher, grocery, pets and plants and demand has been high ever since. Even the pandemic cloud has a silver lining it would appear.

‘We got through the crisis by sheer hard work and determination,’ says Andy. ‘We received no financial support fro the bank at all. They were an absolute disgrace at this point and would not speak to us for six weeks. We were left in complete limbo to fend for ourselves; but this is probably a story for another time.’

‘Garden centres have been lucky, unlike many other businesses who have been hit

hard,’ says Andy. ‘This time during lockdown 2 we have been able to stay fully open and thank goodness we can as we have an awful lot of Christmas stock to shift that we ordered in January, long before anyone knew how serious coronavirus would become.’

Many of you will know about the Waterside Christmas cornucopia; it really is a sight to be seen. Every possible decoration you could think of can be found here. It really is an Aladdin’s cave with tinsel galore, artificial trees acrylics and you ust en oy the animated Santas and reindeers.

Obviously Santa’s grotto will not be opening this year and his absence will be felt after 25 years. Fingers crossed he will still be making an appearance with his own story time sessions, but you have to book online for this.

Christmas at Waterside is not only artificial trees and tinsel. They sell a lot of real trees too; and for the last 10 years are all British grown, many in pots and from as local a supplier as they can manage. The eco argument goes both ways according to Andy.

‘A real tree is environmentally friendly as it is replaced with a new tree as soon as it is cut.

They are grown for a purpose and whilst growing they help wildlife and of course can be recycled. f you buy an artificial tree buy a good quality one that will last you 20 years, because they, of course, are made from plastic and are not manufactured in this country.’

Environmental credentials are important to Andy and his business. ‘I am proud of the business and what we have built and that, apart fro a thief in years have never fallen out with a customer. But I am equally proud of our environmental stance. I am passionate about recycling and we recycle everything we can, including metal. We have built reed beds to clean dirty water and have planted a willow wood so that water goes back into the river clean. We also collect rainwater to use for watering.’

As we said every cloud has a silver lining, even a pandemic one, and Andy appreciates this. ‘We have gained many new customers and after many attempts have managed to start selling successfully online; it was needs must but we did it. We are developing the click and collect side of our business and still have more plans to add another building.

And we will start selling more houseplants as they are increasingly becoming more popular.

‘But what is best of all is that the pandemic has introduced so many new people to gardening. Keen gardeners have been able to spend more time in their gardens and newbies have fully embraced it. The thrill of growing your own vegetables has been enjoyed by many of us and I think newcomers have now become gardeners for life, which is excellent.’ www.watersidegardencentre.co.uk

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Chim, Chimeny; Chim, chim Cheroo!

Nothing beats an open fire, or maybe a woodburner does?

Mary Bremner chats to a man in the know

M

ANY OF YOU will know Wayne from Alfred Poppins, he’s been sweeping chimneys in Stamford and the surrounding villages since . ou ight not know that his name is not Poppins though, it’s Hibbitt. The business is very much a family concern with wife Helen helping in the showroo and o ce and both boys are now sweeping chi neys.

There’s only the youngest daughter who is only 11 who isn’t involved, yet. Just as well it’s not Victorian times…

Wayne has a background in engineering but had a window cleaning round before he started chimney sweeping. It was that very hard winter of and he couldn t work it s pretty di cult when your water freezes. Wayne realised there were a lot of chimneys in our area that needed sweeping. And he then decided to do lots of courses to ake sure he was doing it properly safely and effectively.

‘I quickly realised that when I was sweeping chimneys I was coming across woodburners that were really poorly installed and knew I could do it better myself. So I started to install them as well and had the ualifications to sign the work off. t s i portant that

woodburners are put in properly.’

It can be expensive to install a woodburner, particularly if you need building work as well. Wayne can organise all of this including knocking out a fireplace providing a supporting lintel and lining the chimney with a steel liner. Prices start at £1,500 which is the installation and liner as well as the woodburner itself.

So why would you go to all that expense when you already have an open fire uel e ciency is the answer. f you have an open fire ost of the heat is wasted and goes up your chimney. A woodburner sends 80% of the heat into the room and also burns less wood. It’s also safer as you can leave a woodburner burning whilst you are out of the roo . ecause it burns ore e ciently it eans you also use a lot less fuel. And as well as the room you are in, the whole house heats up.

Woodburners have recently got quite bad publicity because they supposedly give off air pollution. ut according to Wayne it is what people are burning rather than the stove itself. If you are using properly seasoned wood the particulates given off are very low. ou needn t worry as Wayne only supplies and fits

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Active life

co pliant burners and will not fit a woodburner that does not have a E badge. f you visit his showroo you will find plenty to choose fro . The co pliant burners keep the s oke in the stove for as long as possible. Wayne s an e pert on e issions s oke particulates and wood te peratures so can offer really good advice. nce your burner has been lit for inutes it should be up to te perature and if using correctly seasoned wood below oisture content there won t be any s oke. ou shouldn t be able to s ell your woodburner if it is burning wood e ciently. nd it s a yth that you can keep the burning overnight. This ust eans that the wood is s ouldering not burning so is causing pollution. ou

should always be able to see a fla e. ooking after your woodburner is pretty si ple. ave the chi ney swept at least once a year if you live in a thatched property at least twice. This will help prevent chi ney fires or blockages fro birds nests and the like.

To start your fire both vents should be wide open. se plenty of soft wood for kindling stacked like a hashtag and an eco friendly firelighter. eave the door slightly a ar when you light it until the glass has war ed up otherwise you will get condensation. nce the fire is going shut down the botto vent and regulate air flow with the second vent.

The best wood to use is birch ash or oak. irch is cheapest oak the ost e pensive. ut you get what you pay for oak is by far the longest burner. hoose a supplier with a Wood ure label as they only supply dry ti ber. ou don t e pty the ash if you are only burning wood ust scoop the top off. ou need a good inch of ash as it retains heat and burns down to a very fine powder. f your glass does get dirty and it shouldn t if you are burning correctly use a da p newspaper dipped in the wood ash and rub over the glass. Then use a dry cloth. f you ve got a ulti fuel burner you will have to buy a glass cleaner.

Woodburners burn e ciently give off tre endous heat and are not polluting the at osphere as long as you have an e cient burner and are using the right sort of wood. nd know ust the place want to be curled up this winter. www.alfredpoppins.co.uk For tutorials about how to light a fire and recommendations for wood efficiency www.burnright.co.uk

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Active life

Throw another log on the fire Having a hungry woodburner to feed, Kate Maxim went in search of the perfect logs to burn

T

HE USE OF woodburners has shot up in recent years and now because ore people are working fro ho e this trend is only set to continue. Who doesn t love sitting in front of a roaring fire during the winter which uickly war s up a roo and keeps you cosy all day or evening ut what s the best way of buying your wood and how do you know it ticks all the bo es in ter s of fuel regulations ro ebruary the use of household coal will be banned in a bid to reduce carbon e issions. There are s okeless fuels available like phurnacites for ulti fuel burners and fro ebruary any wood you buy will have to be certified as having a oisture content of or below. This is because green or wet wood produces ore s oke and fine particulates when it burns than seasoned or dry wood. These particulates can be har ful to health as they can enter the lungs and bloodstrea . f the oisture content is opti ised then

your open fire or woodburner will also be ore e cient and the risk of chi ney fires is reduced. o all log suppliers are now aking sure they are drying their wood su ciently to eet the regs. Ja es odily fro utland ogs in tocken has been in the business for five years. efore this for any years he was the far anager at tocken prison running the far and gardens. n addition to two s aller barns where he stores his wood to naturally barn dry during the su er onths or uses kerosene to dry s aller uantities he s now taken on a larger barn that can store cubic etres of logs. t has a ventilated floor which allows war air to flow fro beneath fed by a huge boiler burning waste wood. e buys his ti ber in cord lengths of foot fro suppliers locally or fro hropshire and orfolk. The wood is harvested under the woodland anage ent sche e when woodlands are thinned out so nothing is wasted. rdinarily the suppliers leave the wood to season for about three years but nowadays a lot of felled wood is i ediately chipped and burned for electricity. o seasoned wood is getting harder to source. t takes ust a inute or two for his processer to turn one cord of wood into a stack of inch logs suitable for ho es. ubs hotels and those with large fireplaces such as inglenooks will burn inch logs.

Ja es then fills up both sides of the shed closes the doors and leaves the logs to dry turning the fro ti e to ti e which can take four to si weeks. ccording to Ja es the best wood is seasoned ash as it grows uickly and is easy to grow and is also hot and clean. ak is the hottest wood and burns for longer than other wood types but takes years to dry and beech is also a good choice. ou can i agine what he thinks to the paltry green logs in a net you buy fro a garage One cubic metre of logs costs ÂŁ90 including delivery in a 25 mile radius from Stretton. Kindling is also available. For details visit www.rutlandlogs.co.uk

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Richard and the chocolate factory We all know Hotel Chocolat produces great chocolates but imagine being the man who has to organise the manufacture of them. Well he lives in Stamford and his name is Richard Isaac. Mary Bremner meets him and talks all things chocolate

H

OTEL CHOCOLAT STARTED out in in a different guise with owners ngus Thirlwell and eter arris sourcing mints and bespoke business gifts. They soon e panded into chocolate and in the early s were a catalogue business selling chocolate online, soon becoming one of the s leading o ni channel retailers. o e of you will re e ber the onthly tasting club that then aterialised and ay well have been e bers it s still going today. otel hocolat was original in its thinking e tra thick chocolate on Easter eggs no seg ents on the bars and lots of very different flavours and fillings for their chocolates and we all loved it. This pair really were innovative setting up an online business before even a on had got started. They then started opening shops the first one in and now growing worldwide with shops in the and Japan. ore recently the digital arm of the business has thrived. When Covid hit, stores and online worked together to ove stock to where it was ost needed and have done this again during lockdown .

The co pany has always prided itself on great ethics one of their uotes being ou work too hard to eat bad chocolate. They work too hard for cheap cacao.’ This refers to the cacao farmers and Hotel hocolat prides itself on the support it offers the far ers. ost of their cacao is grown in Ghana and the business is working closely with these far ers to help i prove their lives and wellbeing. s well as growing their own beans the co pany also has any far ers growing under contract. This is an incredibly poor country so they have benefitted fro bore holes being dug and edical centres being built by the company. The business are intent on improving the cacao far ers standard of living and slowly but surely this is happening.

This will ean that the cost of cacao will go up as the far ers will earn more for their crop but the company believes that the consumer will buy into this and support the decision working fairly with the

as part of the company’s Engaged Ethics programme is very important. Hotel Chocolat products are not cheap, but nor are they ridiculously e pensive. ou effectively get what it says on the tin good quality, ethically produced, excellent tasting chocolate that is low in sugar and high in cacao content. otel hocolat s antra is ore cacao less sugar. Their ilk powder is ritish and they only use real natural ingredients. uick tip if the first ingredient on the list is sugar you are buying confectionery if it s cacao you are buying good quality chocolate.

The company has bought and restored the Rabot Estate - an organic, sustainable acre aribbean cacao far on t ucia which dates back to 1745. You can stay on the estate sampling the delights of the Caribbean and learning more about the cacao pod.

The company recognises that ethics and sustainability go hand in hand. t has pledged to reduce waste so isshapen chocolates aren t thrown out but are sold in the gly but Good bags using recyclable packaging. Where possible almost all packaging is recyclable, or made from recycled materials, and they have made a Planet Pledge to be carbon zero by 2030.

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Active life All the chocolates are made by the company in their factory in Huntingdon. 400 million chocolates a year come out of this factory and the man in charge of all this is Welshman and director of manufacturing operations Richard Isaac, who lives in Stamford. He certainly has a big job. He’s in charge of all the planning, machines, technical food safety, café food safety and back pack labelling.

Once the chocolate arrives on site in liquid form it is Richard’s responsibility until it leaves the factory: manufactured, sealed and packaged ready to be sold. He is in charge of the entire manufacturing process. He has equipment that is worth millions and has to make sure that the factory is running to full capacity, and safely at all times.

This means vegan and allergen free chocolates are kept separate using different achines and all other lines are running s oothly.

And this was before Covid hit. When it did in March the business was hitting one of its peaks, Easter. All warehouses were full of eggs and chocolate galore when suddenly the whole country was shut down including Hotel Chocolat’s stores, so what to do with the Easter stock? ‘We shut down the factory for three months,’ says Richard. ‘We did it for two reasons, the main one being to keep our customers and employees safe and because we had a glut of stock we had to sort out.’

But the factory could only stay shut for so long as the liquid in the chocolate tanks can only be kept for a finite period and ore importantly, they had to start manufacturing for the Christmas rush, the biggest peak of the year for them. So in June the factory reopened and has been running 24/7 ever since, and will continue to do so from now on. Capacity is expected to rise to 700 million chocolates per year in the next few years.

This time they were ready for the second lockdown. Shops that could, in accordance with government advice, stayed open, customers have been directed online and with the high demand for products everything is running smoothly with plans on track to get their

products to their stores around the world.

It’s not only chocolates that Richard produces, his job is a lot more than that. As said the company has pledged to use only recyclable products for their packaging so he is involved with that. He works with the chocolatiers to make sure their new chocolates can be produced in the factory and he is always forward planning. The business is growing and he needs to make sure that the factory is innovative and up to date whilst being able to cope with extra de and. t s a challenging but rewarding ob with a lot of staff to manage, and a lot of chocolate to handle!

So how on earth did a Welshman from Swansea end up in Stamford running a assive chocolate factory ichard graduated fro ardiff Business School and went straight into the manufacturing side of business. He then moved and worked in Ireland for three years ‘to see about a girl to uote a fil . icola and he then worked in the and ustralia before ichard got enticed back to the for a ob with erry oods a co pany he had worked for before based in palding. ot knowing the area one of the directors of the co pany advised he either live in Stamford, Oakham or Oundle; he took that advice and has been in Stamford ever since. Hotel Chocolat snapped him up as head of manufacturing in 2017 with him becoming Director of Manufacturing in 2019, 15 months ago.

The whole world eats chocolate and Hotel Chocolat is working hard to provide them with it. ‘The question is can we make the global supply chain work,’ says Richard. ‘And we can. I want the site at Huntingdon to be a global centre of excellence for chocolate.’

Hotel Chocolat’s best selling product is the billionaire shortbread chocolate. Richard’s favourite is the peanut butter and jelly chocolate that was launched for America. So does he eat a lot of chocolate? Yes he s whip thin . ut ours is ade with ore cacao and less sugar so you don’t need a lot of it to feel the lift that good quality chocolate offers. nd at the o ent we all need a lift. www.hotelchocolat.com

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Launde Abbey

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Our Christmas range will include a selection of delicious goodies, Christmas Puddings, Mince Pies, Fruit & Savoury Tarts, Christmas Cakes, Pecan Buns Chocolate Brownies, Stilton & Celery Scones, Rutland Pippins, Cocktail Sausage Rolls, all made with the finest ingredients and full of flavour.

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Active life

Food Fabulous Food

Christmas is an epicurean’s delight and that cannot be taken away from us, even by a pandemic.

Mary Bremner has been sampling some local delights; ably helped by friends and family.

Fine wines, mince pies, artisan cheeses, canapés, pastries, olives, chocolate galore and so much more. Christmas is the time to indulge and we at Active have certainly been doing that, visiting some local retailers and sampling their wares; and we have thoroughly enjoyed it!

Cheesaholics Anonymous I am really rather partial to cheese so I very much enjoyed sampling some from The Stamford Cheese and Wine Cellar

‘CHEESE IS NOT a food, it is a love’ says Piotr from the Stamford Cheese and Wine Cellar; I’m with him there, he’s absolutely right. And Christmas is not Christmas without cheese. Traditionally Stilton, but there s so uch ore. iotr has different artisan cheeses made from cows, goats and sheep milk to choose from that are made either in Britain or Europe and he can tell you about every single one of them. Stinking Bishop, Pecorino, Lincolnshire Poacher, the list is endless. Piotr only stocks artisan cheeses, many unpasteurised and not sold in supermarkets. He can recommend cheeses for Christmas, but remember cheese is not just for Christmas, it’s for all year round.

‘Cheese is healthy, it’s full of vitamins and the unpasteurised ones have lots of probiotics in them,’ says Piotr. ‘Cheese can be used for cooking but my favourite way is to relax and enjoy a glass of wine at the same time. Sit down and appreciate it. My cheeses are made with love so take the time to enjoy them.’

And that’s just what I did when Piotr sent e ho e with so e different ones to try. The timing was perfect as it was the day before

Lockdown2 so I enjoyed a last supper with my family before we would all be separated again. And we were delighted with Piotr’s cheese choices. The Rachel, a semi hard unpasteurised goats milk cheese that is washed in brine is an award winner and I can see why. The pecorino with tru e was delicious the God inster heddar a fir favourite, and my absolute favourite Durrus, a semi soft, rind washed cheese that’s made in Co Cork in Ireland. Needless to say the cheeses were demolished in record time. We are all a fan of cheese and were not

disappointed. uckily we all had a different favourite so there was no arguing over the last piece. Now we have to just wait until we are allowed to meet again and enjoy some more delicious cheese from Piotr. It will be one of the first things on our list to do.

Piotr sells cheese online for those who can’t get to the shop and also delivers excellent hampers; there’s lots of choice. And remember, as well as the cheese shop in the cellar there is a wine shop on the ground floor that specialises in spirits as well. www.stamfordcheese.com

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Pick a pickled pepper Mary enjoys a pickle and preserve tasting session at The Pickled Shop in Bulwick

MANY OF YOU know that the Pickled Shop in Bulwick has reopened after a devastating fire destroyed it last year. t s the perfect village shop selling everything you need including ilk and bread. ut it also has that e ne sais uoi that little bit e tra. roducts you didn t know you needed until you walk through the door. nd when you do walk through the door one of the first things you notice is a whole wall of shelves stacked with pickles chutneys and a s.

The pickles are the life blood of the shop courtesy of owner a ille rtega c ean who has spent any years perfecting her art and brings a European flair to everything she does. he s been aking pickles at ulwick since . t one point she was aking ars a day with people fro the village co ing to help with the stirring and chopping so it was very uch a oint effort with the village en oying the aro a of chutneys and a s.

Today the pickles are ade nearby in arket arborough to a ille s specific recipes. he has different varieties ranging fro a very hot chilli chutney to delicious a s and curds as well as seasonal ars including The hrist as heer. nd she s not averse to adding a bit of alcohol too a ille runs pickle tasting sessions and very uch en oyed sa pling the different flavours recently. To cope with guidelines tastings are held outside behind her shop in the very pretty terraced

garden. The table is covered with a linen table cloth crackers and bread are used for dipping sausage rolls too and a glass of wine adds to the occasion. ake sure you chat to a ille about her life she s got lots of very interesting stories to tell. was advised to start with the ore gentle chutneys first and the red onion ar alade was a fir favourite. The spicy to ato chutney with vodka had a good bite to it and as a ille advised would be perfect to add to a pasta sauce for that e tra bit of flavour. The Green ire is a green chilli ar alade with int and coriander this was delicious with a ille s spinach and feta slices and adds a certain so ething to guaca ole. ou can ake the sauce for patatas bravas using E The ot one. tried this on a sausage roll and it s certainly hot a little goes a long way and you definitely know you ve had it but d definitely reco end it.

The hrist as chutneys and a s added a seasonal taste. The berry sloe gin a was another favourite a scone and clotted crea would be the perfect acco pani ent. t s great chatting to such an enthusiastic creator of all these pickles chutneys and a s as a ille gives you so any hints and serving tips. he suggests adding a spoonful here and a dollop there to recipes would never have considered adding the to. s well as chutneys a ille delivers ha pers all over the country and is busy organising hrist as deliveries as we speak. ou can pick anything fro the shop to be included in the plus her pickles. he was doing these all over lockdown and has been very busy she s been rushed off her feet these last few onths organising the grand reopening of the shop too. s well as pickle tastings a ille also hosts tapas evenings. signing up for one of the as soon as can. f they re as good as the pickles in for a treat. nd you can also have breakfast lunch or afternoon tea on her terrace. ount e in www.thepickledshop.com

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Active life

Mediterranean magnificence Apparently 27% of people hate olives. Luckily Kate and Mary are definitely part of the other 73% and loved the olives on offer from The Mediterranean Deli in Wistow

TRUDIE AND SEFER Ustabas are renowned for their olives at The Med Deli, which can be found at the Wistow Rural Centre. It’s how they started their business and they’ve stuck to their roots; if you want good quality, delicious olives this is where you should go. Sefer is Turkish so started selling Turkish olives stuffed with garlic in chilli flakes on local arkets. To ake sure they were classed as local produce he used locally produced rapeseed oil to preserve the olives in. This worked in two ways, to qualify for the far ers arkets but ore i portantly olive oil congeals below a certain te perature so was not suitable for the winter onths on a arket stall.

The business e panded with ore choices of olives and one of their specialities, pickled garlic. This again is preserved in rapeseed oil and is incredibly good for you, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. nd ost i portantly is delicious. f you like pickled onions you’ll love these. There’s no garlic after taste or breath . ate and loved the and all the olives as well. I particularly liked the black Greek ala ata olives whilst ate preferred the stuffed garlic and chilli flakes.

The ones stuffed with feta cheese were thoroughly enjoyed too; let’s be honest there wasn’t one that we didn’t like!

Their business kept expanding and in 2012 they opened the Mediterranean Deli at Wistow. But the shop is not just about olives, it specialises in Mediterranean and English food and now has any sian dishes and products as well. This fabulous deli is stuffed to the rafters with deliciousness. Sourdough bread fro isbrooke rtisan bakery fresh veg, eggs, cheese and every sort of pickle, pasta, pesto, paté, prosecco and anything else not beginning with P you can think of. nd then we have to ention efer and his cooking skills. As we said he is Turkish and he has anaged to recreate his other s recipes perfectly. ‘It took a lot of practice,’ says Trudie. orek is a filo pastry based savoury stuffed with spinach and feta cheese. ilo pastry is the lowest fat pastry and Sefer’s borek is light and tasty. Served cold you would nor ally eat it with salad. ate and very uch en oyed trying it in the shop. egans are also catered for and any products are gluten free. think efer s pi ce de r sistance ust be his other s baklava and they will post it to you). Trays and trays of it are laid out in front of you and it’s very popular with people co ing in all the ti e to buy it. ight and sweet but ade with honey rather than

syrup so not cloyingly so. Each tray uses one ar of honey and can definitely vouch for it.

But don’t forget to try the other cakes as well.

Kate and I really enjoyed the chocolate pistachio slice and the Turkish le on cake which is ade fro yoghurt se olina and egg and soaked in honey. We finished off with a square of Turkish delight each. This could have been a wafer thin int o ent (think Monty Python) but we had wisely kept so e of the borek and cake back for later. ut have to ad it we did stagger out thoroughly replete; and can’t wait to go back for ore of those olives and garlic The ed eli offers bespoke ha pers which are very popular. You are able to peruse the website and pick exactly what you want and then ring up and place your order.

Trudie is on hand with plenty of advice.

There’s a huge selection of artisan wines, beer and spirits too. eliveries are ade all over the country and is free if over £40 is spent. ou don t have to order a ha per though, they will deliver anything that is in the deli or the showroo . ention ust go to carpets, bone china and household goods, but we didn t taste any of the Visit their website and see for yourself www.olivetreecompany.co.uk

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Magical mince pies We hot footed it to Oakham to get our hands on some award winning mince pies; it was worth the journey

THERE ARE MINCE pies and then there are Lily and Honey award winning mince pies. Yes, last year Lily and Honey’s mince pies won the Guild of Fine Food taste award and it’s thoroughly deserved. They are ust celebrating their first birthday being in akha and have quickly gained a reputation for excellent baking including sourdough loaves, small cakes, cinnamon buns and those mince pies.

Last year they quickly sold out of mince pies so this year I hot footed it to akha during the first week of lockdown to ake sure got my pies to try.

What akes these ince pies so special is the ha elnut cru ble that is used as topping, the excellent pastry and delicious mincemeat.

The combination of the three makes for an excellent mince pie that will take a lot of beating. Get your order in quick before they sell out. www.lilyandhoney.co.uk

Time for Tea Mary received a very welcome parcel during lockdown x 2

I AM UNASHAMEDLY a tea addict. The day does not start for me until I’ve had an enormous mug of builder’s strong tea, preferably Taylor’s Yorkshire Tea. And then throughout the rest of the day, I will have a cup on the hour, every hour. In the evenings I will happily drink turmeric tea and head to bed with a cup of ‘sleepy tea.’ I can run out of anything else in the house, but I will never run out of tea.

So I was very excited to receive a parcel through the post during the first week of lockdown to find it was tea fro The rew and oast o in akha . nd the first thing noticed was the fabulous esty

fruity smell. I might not be able to share a cup of tea with anyone at the moment but I could certainly indulge myself; thank you Debbie!

She had provided me with parcels of loose tea and some empty tea bags so I could make my own. English breakfast tea was a tick but my favourite was the esty breakfast one of rew and oast s own blends.

This is a Chinese green tea with apple pieces, rosehip, hibiscus, rosebuds and orange peel. Doesn’t matter what it tastes like it smelt fabulous and was so pretty. I had agreed to post some of the teas on to Kate so she could try them too; well she’s not having this one! It’s absolutely delicious refreshing and as it says on the package esty. t certainly added that ing. ebbie has got this ust right and as soon as can I’m heading to Oakham to buy some more; sorry Kate!

Kate did get a look in too The arrival of my parcel from Mary was very timely; having slept badly, I was able to pick yself up id orning with a erry Cherry fruit tea. Made from eldeberries, hibiscus, apple, rosehip, blackberry leaves, raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, orange peel and moretto cherries this tastes fruity but clean and fresh at the same time. In the afternoon oved on to Earl Grey. filled one of the teabags and followed the instructions faithfully, so left it to brew for far longer than I would normally, and discovered that stronger tea is much tastier than I realised. Finally I tried the pear and frangipane tea which I’d bought as a present last year for a relative. It’s not quite my cup of tea (sorry) but that’s because I’m ambivalent about almonds. It would be great to bake with though, and I plan to do that over Christmas. Watch this space! www.thebrewandroastco.co.uk

Winter 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Active life

Hambleton Bakery’s Christmas haul

I AM A big fan of Hambleton’s Christmas pudding so was disappointed they haven’t made their own this year; something to do with building the new bakery so we’ll have to wait until next year; but not to worry there’s still plenty of Christmas cheer available from them and they are selling lovely puddings, just not their own.

I was very pleased to pick up a goody bag of some of their Christmas fare to sample. Christmas food can sometimes be all about the sweet stuff and forget the savoury or it s sausage rolls and pigs in blankets, delicious though they are. Hambleton gave me their Stilton and celery scone, Christmas focaccia, and bacon and brie slice to try. I heated them all up but hasten to add I did not eat them all at the same ti e ve had the scones before and they are a fir favourite. The Christmas focaccia was absolutely delicious. I love focaccia alone but this had bacon cranberries sausage and stu ng on it a eal in itself.

As for the brie and bacon slice; please can we have that all year round. uff pastry ince pies are delicious and a bleton s are large substantial and tasty. In contrast the mini mince pies with frangipane are the perfect size if you want something sweet, but just a couple of outhfuls and at p are a very good price. The shortbread Christmas tree covered in chocolate was grabbed and devoured by one of my daughters (big kid that she is). My absolute favourite though was the mincemeat and almond slice. Moist and sticky with a layer of ar ipan topped with al onds and filled with delicious mincemeat, it was just fabulous. I didn’t think I had a particularly sweet tooth; this proved me wrong.

You can place your Christmas orders online at orders@ hambletonbakery.co.uk www.hambletonbakery.co.uk

Chocaholics’ choice A Hotel Chocolat box of goodies was quickly shared out between us. Kate and her husband enjoyed the slab of Rocky Road milk chocolate with cookies and puffed rice.

THE FIRST THING I noticed was its size! It must have been an inch thick so you certainly felt you were getting a proper chocolate fi . The chocolate was very creamy and then you got the contrasting texture of the puffed rice to lighten things up a little and the wafers of cookie. always thought Rocky Road had to have marshmallow in it (which I’m not keen on) so I was very happy that marshmallow doesn’t feature in this one. d like to say it took a long ti e to eat but we polished it off rather too quickly. I’d give it a 10 out of 10.

But the giant chocolate buttons didn’t have quite the same kick. I think they’re lower in sugar than Cadburys buttons, which we’re all used to. Low sugar content is much better for your health though, so perhaps we should all be converted to these. ary tried the salted cara el snowflakes and hasn t stopped raving about them since: ‘What I love is the thickness of the chocolate and a little really does go a long way.’ www.hotelchocolat.com

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Active life

The Shekleton Selection There’s a new wine shop opened in Stamford.

We went to try some of their excellent wines

SHEKLETON WINE SHOP in Chapel Yard, Stamford opened on November 6; the day after England went into Lockdown number 2, what bad timing. But husband and wife Charlotte and John Shek were not to be deterred and were able to stay open, albeit with limited hours because, as we all know, alcohol is an essential item. They are now doing deliveries and you can order online.

Charlotte and John have a great love of wine and have been busy doing their wine ualifications. They never really intended to have a shop but things snowballed and they are now the proud owners of Shekleton Wines; pop in and have a look, it’s a lovely shop.

They have extensive knowledge and specialise in English wines with a choice fro up to different vineyards and atural wines which are wines made without the use of pesticides, chemicals and other additives; these are from all over the world.

And they have lots of other wine to choose from starting at £7.50.

They have gins and ciders too as well as other alcohol. Pop in and have a chat. They chose their wines through a tasting panel, six of the who all have different palates. They have ade tasting notes which they are happy to share, along with recommendations.

Charlotte and John kindly invited me to do a Christmas wine tasting with them. This is something they will be doing more of when

restrictions ease. I was lucky and was able to sneak one in.

Christmas day should always feature champagne at some point; that is a rule in my household. Apparently there are two sorts of champagne, the celebratory and the food friendly. Charlotte and John had chosen food friendly Esprit Giraud. They described this wine aker as the eston lu enthal of cha pagne. e is so specific that he will go and choose the oak tree he wants his barrels to be made from. This champagne is non vintage that tastes like vintage and costs £45 a bottle. Charlotte and John have been to this vineyard and it’s a strong favourite, particularly with Charlotte.

I was inclined to agree. It was delicious. They taught me to suck the champagne through my teeth which added more oxygen to it and it then goes to the back of the nose giving you more taste. Initially rather strange and even more strange trying not to dribble in front of strangers but effective. nd it s certainly an ice breaker. e ony and pastry-like with nut notes was the conclusion; slightly biscuity which makes it good to go with food. We all agreed there was nothing better than fish and chips and a good bottle of cha pagne not very Christmassy I know but hard to beat.

Next was an Australian chardonnay from Philip Shaw (£15.95).

Chardonnay would not be my choice of white wine but I was assured it would be perfect with turkey or a vegetarian alternative. Its creamy, buttery texture gives it the substance to go with turkey. ‘Peaches and apricots’ was Charlotte’s comment and she said it would be perfect with mashed potatoes and creamy sauces. My palate is nowhere near as sophisticated (or trained) but I could agree with that. A tip from John is to let white wine and champagne warm up slightly rather than drink it straight out of the fridge ice cold you get ore flavour this way.

Rather than a dessert wine John and Charlotte chose a tawny port from Churchill which would go with Christmas pudding, mince pies and cheese. have to ad it port and are not great friends find it very heady, heavy and sweet. So I tried it very tentatively. Well this was delicious; incredibly smooth and warming; prunes and butterscotch sprang to mind and all you wanted to do was reach for the Christmas pudding or Stilton (or both). I was converted.

The glass you choose to drink from is important. A large glass (not filled to the top for white wine allows you to swirl it to en oy the aroma which adds to the taste. White wine glasses are usually narrower at the top as well to en oy the aro a. nd apparently certain champagnes should be drunk from wine glasses.

Pop in and see Charlotte at Shekleton Wines; she and John really know their stuff and are war and welco ing and able to offer great recommendations and advice. They are open Wednesday to Sunday and offer out of hours appoint ents. www.shekletonwines.co.uk

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ACTIVE RUTLAND We’re now spending more time at home, which is why staying physically active and looking after your wellbeing is more important than ever. There are many ways that we can remain active in our homes and outside in your local area, whilst following social distancing guidelines.

There are lots of local instructors, clubs and organisations delivering virtual classes to help you stay active at home. Visit www.activerutland.org.uk/activeathome to see what local online classes you can get involved in, including fitness, dance and pilates.

It’s the perfect time to stay connected with regular sessions or to try something new.

Active life

Dogs enjoy Christmas too We have been enjoying trying all the local Christmas goodies, so it’s only fair that the Active dogs do the same

MIDGE MY LURCHER is typical of his breed, an absolute thief who sometimes gobbles up everything he’s given and other days will completely ignore his food. He’s very good in that he will sit and wait to eat until told; I can even leave the room knowing he’ll wait patiently in front of his bowl until given permission to eat. But leave a piece of cheese out and it’s gone without me even noticing he’s pinched it!

The Green Pantry food from Pets Korner in Stamford is a dried holistic and hypoallergenic range that’s suitable for all dogs, all ages and sizes. There’s lots of different flavours ranging fro turkey with carrot and turmeric for oral health to duck, blueberry and nettle to keep them calm and relaxed; Midge won’t need that he’s the most relaxed dog out as long as he’s had a good run. He devoured the chicken, pumpkin and apple for skin and coat and the trout with spinach and lentils for digestion barely touched the sides; unusual as give him so ething different and he often doesn t eat it straight away. I think he sometimes thinks I’m trying to poison him and views strange food with great suspicion; not this time.

His goodnight treat of a mince pie was very gratefully received and they have to be well hidden to make sure they’re not stolen; success all round.

‘The Green Pantry food from Pets Korner in Stamford is a dried holistic and hypoallergenic range that’s suitable for all dogs, all ages and sizes. ’

Kate says: I have a two-year-old cocker spaniel May and a 10 year-old sprocker Knibbs, both with very healthy appetites. To be brutally honest I have to say that my dogs will eat anything you put in front of them with the exception of certain raw vegetables.

They know that if they’re slow or leave anything in their bowl their companion will eat it in a flash. o wasn t worried they d turn down a new i of food. The first night

I tried them with the trout, spinach and lentil dried food from Green Pantry just on its own, normally I’d add tinned meat too. They absolutely wolfed it down ay finishing first which was unusual. This food aids digestion apparently but the speed they ate it, I’d be surprised if they didn’t get indigestion.

The next night I gave them chicken, pumpkin and apple which is good for their skin and coat and again ay finished first.

And for pudding (not a usual occurrence) I gave them a tasty mini mince pie treat which they reduced to crumbs in seconds.

Absolutely delicious they told me, and could they have some more. Funny that. www.greenpantry.co.uk www.tailsnwhiskers.co.uk

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NOT JUST A GA M E FOR OLD M EN The Active team recently had a socially distanced get together playing bowls at Stamford and District Indoor Bowls Club. Mary Bremner reports on the highs and the lows Photography: Pip Warters

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Bowls

T

HE LAST TIME the Active team got together for a bit of bonding we went to Rumble Live Gaming and ended up reverting to 10-year-olds playing cops and robbers trying to kill each other (via laser, not literally). It was great fun, reverting to our youth running around a field thinking we were young again but boy did our thighs tell us about it over the next couple of days. t was definitely not one to be missed. Little did we know at that time what was coming…

This time we were going to be much more sedate. Maybe you could describe it as going from the sublime to the ridiculous. One year reverting to childhood, this year jumping forward to old age. Indoor bowls it is then.

Some of us might be approaching middle age but is this really what life has come to? I can tell you now trying to beat someone at bowls and knocking a bowl out of the way is just as competitive as trying to shoot someone.

Indoor bowls is one of the few sports that you can do inside at the moment, so we decided to make the most of it and have a go after kindly being invited by Stamford and District Indoor Bowling Club to join them for a session. None of us had ever done it before (or not that anyone was admitting to) so we were supposed to all be novices. Covid rules state that there is a limit of six people per rink with up to 20 people on the green at one time. There were only 10 of us so we were fine. The o cial guideline is that face asks should be worn unless actually on the green.

Stamford and District Indoor bowling club went a step further and requested that we wore masks all the time unless sitting down eating, which we complied with. I can see why, over half of their members are yet to return to playing so they are being extra careful, understandably.

Stamford’s members range in age from 14 to and it s definitely a ga e anyone can play. And many families play together. What is very interesting is that it’s a sport where

there is no differentiation between en and women so teams can be mixed. Distances covered are the same. Men and women play on competitive terms, unusual in most sports. So we were the perfect mix when we joined the club for a social evening; mixed age group and split 50:50 male to female.

The rules for indoor bowls are fairly simple. Nearest to the jack scores. And if you can get all four bowls nearer than your opponent you can score points and it s first to 21, be it an individual or team. The jack must be a minimum of 23 metres from you and the player must keep at least one foot on a mat. You play from one end and then reverse play back from the end you’ve just played to. This is called the end of an end.

I don’t quite know what I expected but I was surprised at the size of the green. It was large, large enough for six groups to play on at one time, each in their own rink (preCovid). But what was most surprising is how far away the other end see ed We arrived to be greeted by club chairman Keith Rippin, Bob Warters who had invited us, his wife Carole and head coach John Little. They had wanted to know who was coming because they needed to get the right bowls. Who knew that they varied in weight and size. It might sound very simple, nearest to the jack is the winner but, be warned, bowls don’t travel in a straight line, as we all found out to our cost. Apparently the bowls aren’t quite round and are shaved on one side

‘Stamford’s members range in age from 14 to 93 and it’s definitely a game anyone can play.’ which gives them the bias. As the bowl slows it begins to curve in the direction of the bias.

The faster the delivery the smaller the curve.

The skill is being able to judge the line and length accordingly. This is very much a game of tactics; and that’s the fun and the skill.

The coaches divided us into three groups to give us a bit of tuition to get us started.

You stand on the mat, bend the knees and roll the bowl towards the jack. Sounds so easy. But it isn’t. You have to allow for the bowl to curve. Each side of the bowl has a circle on it, one larger than the other. The bowl curves like a banana when you launch it so the smaller circle needs to go on the inside so you know which direction you are going in. Now this sounds very simple, but re e bering it is uite di cult It was interesting seeing our initial attempts. I was watching the boys who were ne t to us. Gary s first bowl overshot the green and ended up in the ditch (or the gutter as we started to call it). Excellent, as he was particularly good at u ble ut then y first bowl did e actly the sa e poetic justice. We were presenting the bowl far too hard as we hadn’t yet judged the distance. So my next attempt was far too short; this was uch ore di cult than it looked. The ore you bend the knees the better drive you get. y daughter Edina started off really well getting her line right virtually every time

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‘There’s no doubt about it, if you are competitive - and most of us are - you will definitely enjoy playing bowls. Don’t be fooled, this is not just a game for pensioners.’ and judging her distance well. Georgia, my other daughter and were way off initially.

Tom after a few failed attempts was hot on Edina’s heels. You could send the bowl to the left or right to try and get closest to the jack, but you had to remember the small circle goes on the inside of the curve. And could most of us remember that? Not a chance!

Whilst we were getting the hang of it in our group of four the others were doing the same. There were a few collisions, some meant, some not and the noise level was going up. Lots of laughs and heated discussion. We then started scoring and I heard that Will on the next rink was 4-0 up.

Time to stop for refreshments!

After a quick sandwich and glass of wine (it might help improve aim) we reconvened, splitting the tea s so we all i ed with five of us on each team playing against each other. We did not seem to have a ringer until

now but one quickly popped up. It turns out that Matt’s father plays bowls; he claims he never has but it obviously runs in the family.

To won the first end easily with the rest of us managing to stay on the rink and not too far off which was an i prove ent for us all. eversing play To again got off to a good start when Matt started coming into his own. Jeremy got the circles mixed up so went the wrong way, he’d been pretty good up to then. Final bowl for us all (you get four each) and Tom and Matt were ahead. Will and I decided sabotage was needed. He promptly sent the bowl the wrong way, as did I, those cursed circles! We couldn’t believe it.

As I’m sure you can tell it was now getting pretty competitive. Tom was still ahead, but only ust so the final end was going to be the decider. Matt by now was really in his stride and looked unbeatable with three of his bowls in contention against one of Tom’s. I was nowhere near and then on the final bowl Will stole their thunder by getting his bowl nearest the jack. There was much debate about who was nearest and the tape measure might be needed. Eventually it was decided that Matt and Tom had drawn over the three ends but Will had played a blinder with that final bowl. There was lots of laughter sledging and competition amongst our team.

You can see that this could get pretty heated and a referee would definitely be needed.

And it turned out to be the same on the other side of the rink. Gary, Georgia, Edina and Kate were neck and neck with Kate blowing the all away on the final end by hitting their bowls out of the way and

claiming bragging rights. Again lots of laughter, but we were all in it to win it.

There’s no doubt about it, if you are competitive - and most of us are - you will definitely en oy playing bowls. on t be fooled, this is not just a game for pensioners.

All ages play and compete to a high level.

There is a real skill to placing that bowl in the correct position and it is very satisfying to be able to push your competitor out of the way.

Tactics are the name of the game. Your heart rate might not soar through the roof because of physical exertion but, rest assured it will through stress and pressure levels. You get a gentle work out bending the knees and walking backwards and forwards. Will we be having another go? I think so. We all enjoyed it, trying something new is always a good thing, we all quickly improved; now it’s time to get even better!

The club at Stamford are happy to welcome new players and are particularly keen to involve businesses in a new league.

Membership costs £50 per year with green fees of £3.20 for two hours. You can pre book pleasure bowling sessions. If you are thinking of joining the club they run sessions on a Saturday morning with all bowls provided for a maximum of 20 people. Again, pre book and you must wear trainers.

Visit www.sites.google.com/site/ stamfordindoorbowlsclub/

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Bowls

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Waste not want not Refill Revolution is aptly named. The owner of this company, Beth Lambert, is quietly fuelling a revolution. Mary Bremner meets her

B

ETH LAMBERT WAS a high flying business wo an involved in strategic business planning who travelled all over the world for her ob. wasn t particularly environ entally savvy but certainly didn t abuse the planet she says despite flying a lot.

When eth was on her second aternity leave three years ago she had a bit of a lightbulb o ent. We were getting through so any bottles of hand soap that it got e thinking particularly when found out that the pu ps weren t recyclable. t ust didn t feel right. was brought up to not waste anything always turn lights off when leaving a roo and not waste water as any of us were. nd felt throwing away perfectly reusable plastic bottles wasn t right. o started doing so e research. found so e refill pouches which were available but they weren t what really wanted. wanted to be able to refill used bottles and eventually found a ero waste shop in Totnes in evon which was a lovely shop. They were refilling li uids and supplying dried goods as well. They were way ahead of their ti e and was inspired. eth wanted to find out if there was any interest locally for a si ilar outlet so posted on facebook. he could not believe how uickly people picked up on it and e pressed interest. decided to try a pop up shop. eally was buying stuff in for y fa ily and friends a s all range of dry foods and cleaning li uids but thought d run a pop up shop as an e peri ent to co bine the two. had very low e pectations. ature s antry in arket arborough kindly let e use their top floor and it was unbelievable. had roped in four people to help e but we were still rushed off our feet all day. There were ueues in the street it was incredible. nd everyone wanted to know when was going to run the shop again. t would appear that eth had hit on so ething so she decided to run a stall fortnightly at the indoor arket. wanted to ake sure that y fa ily life wasn t i pacted. y youngest daughter was only si onths old. This uickly beca e three days a week by and efill evolution was gaining ground. spent a long ti e finding the right producers and stockists. wanted to use like inded ethical businesses so sourced stuff really carefully. went with people liked and wanted to work with and this

has ade a huge difference. tried to get as local people as possible but was ore concerned that they had the sa e views as e. ustainability is what the public wanted the sa e as e. anaged to find nearby chocolate and crisps and the beeswa wraps are ade in arket arborough. try and use local independent wholesalers too.

The efill evolution ethod is very si ple. roducts are sold by weight. ou bring along a container which is weighed. t s then filled with what you want and then weighed again. i uid products are the ost popular it s very satisfying filling a bottle and tea and coffee too. offee is supplied by arket arborough based Jute who started out at a si ilar ti e to eth and is also ero waste and another success story.

The efill evolution story has been so successful that eth opened another shop in undle. This had to close during lockdown as one e ber of staff was shielding and eth ust couldn t anage to be ho e schooling and running two other businesses as well. ut all was not lost. harlotte worked with eth at undle as well and when it could reopen took it on as a franchise. y hand was forced by the lockdown as ust couldn t do everything. harlotte was a e ber of y tea and took it on. Without her it would not have stayed open. harlotte has now helped open another shop in ta ford again run by a franchisee. ecause they are run as franchises they can use y supply network which have built up over the years. To start a ero waste shop fro scratch would take onths of research and work but can point y franchises in the right direction in a couple of hours as the work has already been done and the business odel up and running. want the to succeed so offer lots of support.

There has been great support locally for a refill shop says eth. nd there was a really strong co unity of people who wanted ore. any custo ers beca e great friends and would co e to y arket stall for a chat as well as to purchase. nd any wanted ore products including fresh locally produced produce. o eth hasn t stopped there. s a fa ily we wanted to drink plastic free ilk and was having to travel nearly to eicester to be able to find so e. nd if wanted organic d have to go even further. There certainly see ed to be de and for ore choice so the other eth and got together and ca e up with the eco village.

‘‘I decided to try a pop up shop. Really I was buying stuff in for my family and friends; a small range of dry foods and cleaning liquids.’

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Active life

Images: Nick Osbourne

The other eth is eth wdry who worked for eth at efill evolution. etween the they could both see there was potential to introduce other producers with a si ilar ethos to the and have the all under the one roof. n ove ber they took on the old lu b entre in arket arborough to run a oint venture the Eco illage. eth a bert is still the owner of efill evolution which is now a li ited co pany. The Eco illage is a co unity interest co pany. eth and had co e across any s all businesses who were doing brilliant things producing or anufacturing a a ing products all with the sa e ethos as efill evolution sustainable ethically produced with as little waste as possible. They all needed so ewhere to sell their goods. one of the could afford retail pre ises with the high business rates and rents or to staff these shops. We could see that an eco village would give these s all sustainable producers an outlet for like inded people to sell their wares. We now have s all businesses running fro the Eco illage including a butcher greengrocer organic ilk fro a vending achine a florist indoor plant specialist and any ore. y all being under the one roof we can help offer business and arketing support. nd it eans we are all working as a tea which akes a big difference when you are a s all individual producer.

The Eco illage had a baptis of fire as it opened si weeks before the first lockdown and has stayed open throughout both. nd they have built up a loyal band of custo ers who have stuck with the with ore and ore people finding the every day. usto ers are all ages and fro all walks of life. They have elderly custo ers who have always hated waste teenagers who co e in to fill their sha poo bottles and young fa ilies any encouraged through the door by their children. ll have a co on purpose they hate waste. ockdowns have changed the way people shop. We want to support local producers and independents and an eco village is the way to do it easily with everyone under the sa e roof. ero waste shopping is really popular now. got started with efill evolution early and was lucky as y ti ing was right. t eans can

now offer y knowledge to other people. think eco villages will be the new depart ent stores of the future and d like to see one in every town. ew world depart ent stores without the fat cats They are a odel that works lots of s all sustainable independents banding together to be under one roof. eth describes herself ore of a hu anitarian than an environ entalist and thinks that this has been an i portant part of her ourney with efill evolution. We can all take s all steps to ake a difference and support others to do the sa e. y focusing on what people en oy and aking it as easy as possible to ake changes we ve achieved uite a lot since we ve been open. nd we worked out the a ount of plastic waste that we ve saved is the e uivalent in weight to a s all whale www.refillrevolution.co.uk www.eco-village.co.uk

Winter 2020/ theactivemag.com 43

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Active life

Zero, nil, nothing Zero waste shops are popping up all over the place at the moment, three have opened in and around Stamford in the last month; and it’s a good thing

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HE ZERO WASTE revolution is gathering pace and thankfully our area has woken up to it. It’s a way of shopping we all need to get used to and it’s catching on. Similar to having to remember to take your bags to the supermarket, once you’ve got into the mindset of remembering containers, that’s it, you’re away.

Refill Revolution

efill evolution is e panding with shops now open in Stamford and Oundle, both franchises. I popped in to see Julie Danby at The orn E change in ta ford and found custo er arah auntson filling up with supplies. I asked her why she was using the shop. efill evolution was the first ero waste shop I had visited. I want to live a more simple life and to shop local and to use the supermarkets less. Shopping this way makes it possible; you’ve just got to remember to bring the containers with you but you quickly get in the habit.’

Julie e plained to e that people were getting used to buying in weight rather than a packet. ‘A lot of customers don’t know what g of flour looks like and nor did initially but you quickly get the hang of it. I can either fill a container or put as uch in it as the customer wants; and this is what they like.

Customers initially came and tried a couple of things when I opened in September and have since beco e regulars. Julie finds that household liquids are the most popular product ‘as people have bottles at home they can reuse.’

Julie works in partnership with Charlotte tevenson who also has the efill evolution franchise shop in Oundle on the wharf which she took on in June this year. She has more stock than Julie, being longer established, including the bundles which are packages to help kickstart someone’s sustainable journey; great for Christmas presents. She also has household products including soap bars and loo rolls as well as lots more. Pop in and have a look. www.refillrevolution.co.uk

The Eco shop

Based on an industrial unit on Grange Farm in Great Casterton it’s easy to park outside Michelle’s shop. It’s a good idea to make an appointment then you can guarantee to be the only one in the shop. Michelle sells unpackaged produce and is proud that prices compare favourably with most supermarkets.

You can order online and do click and collect.

‘We all need to do our bit for the environment and it’s just a case of shifting people’s attitude to shopping,’ says Michelle. As well as dried goods Michelle has some sustainable gifts from local producers as well. And something for the kids too. www.theecoshop.net

All Good Market

Old Stamfordian Annabel Brittan was working in aris when the first lockdown hit.

She returned to her parents and found that ta ford was issing a ero waste shop that sold dried goods and local produce. ‘In Paris there are lots of ero waste shops and you can get virtually everything from them that you can get at the supermarket,’ she says. ’I realised that during lockdown we could buy bread and meat from local shops but it was virtually impossible to buy dried goods without going to the supermarket.’

The All Good Market in St Paul’s Street sells unpackaged dried goods including sugar and coffee beans but she also sells fresh local produce including sourdough bread and hummus from Bisbrooke Artisans, eggs, unhomogenised milk (she’s saved 175 plastic bottles in the first onth and yoghurt as well as other produce, much of it organic. The aim is to be a one-stop shop; pop in and have a look. 07723 149204

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W I L L’ S W A L K

Folksworth and Washingley There are a few surprises on the way around this quiet corner of north-west Cambridgeshire.

By Will Hetherington

46 Winter 2020 / the activemag.com

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Sponsored by

Make sure you turn right shortly after leaving Caldecote to see this view of the magnificent oak and the two towers of Peterborough Transmitting Station at Morborne in the distance.

Difficulty rating THE ROUTE

Park on Elm Road in Folksworth somewhere near the junction with Manor Road and take the footpath which leads west from Elm Road down what looks like a driveway. You will immediately pass through an equine training area with a dressage training arena on the left.

When you have travelled through some small paddocks and are no ore than into the walk take the first right hand turn public footpath available. It’s not entirely clear but it’s very important to get this bit right. I know this from personal experience. From here you will be heading north west towards a agnificent oak tree with the two towers of Peterborough Transmitting Station at Morborne in the distance.

When you get to the oak tree your dogs may be in for a treat if the Pooches Pub has been recently restocked with water, but even if not it’s a rare and entertaining touch.

Turn left at the tree and then right at the next corner and stick to the peri eter of this very large field as the path follows Holme Brook on the left all the way to North Wood ahead. When you get to the next footpath junction bear left through the woodland spur and then shortly afterwards turn left again over the wooden footbridge and into the woods. When you emerge from the woodland turn left and follow the woods around to the south west corner. Here turn right and left immediately to take the path which curves south towards Washingley Lane. Washingley was an Anglo-Saxon settlement which was ultimately abandoned in the 1400s, so there is little remaining now, apart from the low mounds in the grass where the houses were. There is an information plaque which is useful because you would never know otherwise.

Cross Washingley Lane and go through the grand gates of Hall Farm following the footpath.

ACTIVE INFO You will shortly see another plaque with There are two structures information about Washingley Castle, which at the Peterborough Transmitting Centre at has gone the same way as the village. However Morborne: a 154m guyed there is something undeniably grand about this steel lattice mast and a piece of land, loaded with Anglo-Saxon and 98m reinforced concrete medieval history as it is. I found it unexpectedly tower belonging to attractive and look forward to returning. In the BT. iddle of the large grass field the path forks and took the right hand option to go through a small piece of woodland ahead with a fishing lake. n the other side of the wood turn left and then take a right across the field up to Manor Farm.

From here you can take a shortcut straight across to Caldecote but I would recommend the extension loop to go around Caldecote Wood to the south. At Manor Farm turn right on the farm road and follow it down to Buck’s Lodge where you turn left and then follow the path almost all the way around the perimeter of the wood, down the eastern edge, across the southern border and then most of the way up the western side. From here follow the path as it heads to the converted church at the top edge of Caldecote. You will see distinctive Manor Farm again to the left but you won’t regret taking the longer route. Turn right to walk downhill towards tiny Caldecote but look out for the footpath to the left very shortly. Take this path and follow it back to Washingley Lane. Cross the road and you will see the path continuing just to the right. Follow this path and before long you will recognise the outskirts of Folksworth.

Winter 2020 / the activemag.com

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A21 rambles bookaround of Stamford Will’sandWalks Rutland.

We’ve answered your call and compiled a selection of Will’s favourite walks around the area; some short and sweet for busy days, others more meandering and lengthy when you want to fully explore what’s on our doorstep.

The perfect present, and only £7.95 plus P&P For more details and to order your copies, visit:

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You will walk through this gateway before passing the old site of Washingley Castle.

Sponsored by

Essential information WHERE TO PARK On Elm Road near the junction with Manor Road in Folksworth.

DISTANCE AND TIME Five miles/one hour and 45 minutes.

HIGHLIGHTS The magnificent oak tree which is also the site of the Pooches Pub. Ancient woodland and the abandoned settlement and castle of Washingley.

LOWLIGHTS Nothing springs to mind.

REFRESHMENTS The Bell in nearby Stilton is a grand old coaching inn.

DIFFICULTY RATING Three paws. It’s a decent length but only undulating land.

It’s rare and welcome for the dogs to find their own pub on one of these walks.

Expect plenty of open fields, woodland and signs of ancient settlements.

THE POOCH PERSPECTIVE I did not see a lot of livestock most of the way round and there is the odd stream for refreshment, not to mention their own pub at the oak tree.

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.

START/ FINISH ©Crown copyright 2020 Ordnance Survey. Media 040/20

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ActiveBody E DI T E D BY K AT E M A X I M

Grumbling groins Groin injuries aren’t just for sportsmen; physio Sarah Babbs explains

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HEN I FIRST ualified treat ent for groin strain was a bit of a oke a bit of assage and off you go back to your sport. Thank goodness ti es have oved on. esearch has been done and evidence is used for best treat ent and anage ent going forward. re e ber on a course a few years ago a orwegian sports edicine doctor talking about how his football players attended the sa e rehabilitation as the wo en who had recently given birth. The ost i portant thing being for both groups strengthening around the abdo en and pelvis. ost people reporting to the clinic with groin pain are en with sport related in uries tackling and changing direction on the pitch at speed being the ost co on cause. owever wo en do have groin pain. ut theirs is ore often through stress fractures and these as well as so e longer ter in uries are often due to over use and under or over training. n an aside it is thought that in running up to of in uries are due to training issues.

There are of course other causes for pain around the groin and as always when we see patients we look for red flags causes of concern about general health that physiotherapists will refer on for a edical opinion. These ay be if a patient has a history of so e cancers which can lead to bone secondaries. f the patient is unwell with fever etc this could be an infection. r long ter steroid use for other conditions could i ply a fracture re uiring rest and even surgery. s always letting the patient tell us what has been happening regarding pain and their concerns and future hopes is vital. We learn ore fro this than any physical e a ination as it also helps to deter ine

how the treat ent will be planned together and how the patient ay anage that treat ent. Then we e a ine. We look at how the patient oves even as they co e into the roo how they bend and stretch balance lunge hop u p and cli b on to the couch. We test the range of ove ent and the strength of all of the uscle groups around the abdo en pelvis and hip. With the athlete we would also test how they would ove in their sport including fil ing these ove ents for analysis and co parison.

There are thought to be four areas fro which groin pain can occur ostly uscular and around the attach ents to the bony points around the pelvis. Generally scans do not need to be done as they do not add uch to a properly assessed in ury but ay be re uested if there is no response to treat ent or if there is suspicion of a stress fracture or other ore serious proble . nd treat ent this is generally the physiotherapist s favourite co bination of education what is the proble . dvice how to anage the current pain how to continue e ercise without aggravating the sy pto s sleep and general day to day living. nd then rehabilitation e ercise and planned

return to the sport or activity re uired. epending on the stage severity and origin of the pain this ay include relative rest. n the case of a stress fracture this ight include ti e on crutches to o oad the bone and gradual reintroduction of walking alongside strengthening work. ostly though activities will be odified cycling instead of running or football for instance. We always try to keep the person continuing with their sport or activity if possible as uch for the social and ental health benefits as the physical side. specific progra e of rehabilitation to load and strengthen will be planned. E ercises ay include a bridge position and s uee ing on a ball held between the knees for an adductor uscle proble . or an abdo inal or pubic strain graded leg raises planks and sit ups ay be chosen. or hip related strain strengthening around the hip and gluteal uscles etc would help. ut a plan with your physiotherapist is always best done after a full e a ination so that the proble is dealt with and return to activities that are i portant is done correctly and successfully.

01780 480889 or 07780 900201

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ActiveBody

Our cup floweth over Secret Whispers explains what a menstrual cup is and why we should all think of using one

M

ENSTRUAL CUPS ARE designed to collect your menstrual blood rather than absorb like a tampon or pad. They are becoming very popular because of their eco friendly credentials.

They are shaped like a small funnel and ade of rubber or silicone. They fit into the vagina but, unlike tampons, are reusable.

Once inserted it pops open and forms a seal against the walls of the vagina. They come in different si es and are designed to be worn for up to 12 hours. Compared to the average of four to eight hours for a tampon, that’s a lot of time saved. They also collect more blood than a standard tampon or pad. Also, unlike tampons, menstrual cups won’t dry out the vagina. This preserves the healthy bacteria that protect you from recurring vaginal infections. Lastly, as they have no chemicals or toxins they are the healthier alternative for your body.

The environmental impact

Statistics show that approximately 700,000 panty liners, 2.5 million tampons, and 1.4 illion sanitary towels are flushed down the toilet in the UK every single day. On average, a woman will use more than 11,000 disposable menstrual products throughout her life. In the UK the use of tampons, pads and applicators generates more than 200,000 tonnes of waste per year. This equates to the average woman throwing away between 125kg to 150kg of tampons, pads and applicators in her lifetime. adly this plastic ends up in landfill and heartbreakingly, rivers, oceans and beaches.

The conventional sanitary towel is estimated to be made up of up to 90% plastic content and it can take as long as 500 years to fully break down a single pad.

On average, a woman will use more than 11,000 disposable menstrual products throughout her life.

Figures from the Marine Conservation Society reveal that on average 4.8 pieces of menstrual waste are found per 100 metres of beach cleaned. That means that for every 100m of beach four pads, panty-liners and backing strips, along with at least one tampon and applicator will be picked. Now more than ever we all need to look at the impact we are having on the environment and do our best to reduce our burden.

Why swap to a menstrual cup?

It’s a no brainer. Most menstrual cups are designed to last up to 10 years. This means you just need one cup and no other menstrual products. Think of the huge saving to the environment and your purse.

They do not contain any toxins or chemicals and only need to be changed every 12 hours.

You can run, sleep and swim with a menstrual cup.

Size (really does) matter

Confusingly many of the well-known brands

state that if a woman has given birth vaginally she will need the bigger si ed cup.

This is not the case at all. A woman’s vagina does not suddenly expand after childbirth.

The cup si e you need depends on where your cervi is. Every wo an is different and your cervix actually moves throughout your cycle. This is why we include two si ed CupITs ™ in our Secret Whispers Menstrual Kit. It takes away the guesswork.

Can a menstrual cup get ‘lost’? No, don’t worry. It cannot get lost. Remember, your vagina is only 8-10cm long and your cervix will not let this happen.

How do I insert a menstrual cup?

It’s easier if wet. You can either use the U-fold; simply fold in half and then in half again and then it will pop out to create a seal. Or you use the push-down fold so it looks like a little rosebud - this is a smaller entry si e which any wo en prefer. i ply give it a gentle tug to ensure that the cup has properly opened and created a seal.

Remember that it will sit lower.

To remove it just carefully pinch at the base and twist to release the suction and slowly slide out - do not bear down and don’t forget to breathe!

We are very proud to say that for every CupIT™ Menstrual Kit sold we donate a CupIT to our local Leicester charity to help with period poverty. www.zinthiyatrust.org www.secretwhispers.co.uk

Winter 2020 / theactivemag.com 53

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Orbea Gain: E.Bike in disguise Tugby Orchards, Tugby, LE7 9WE I 0116 259 8063 I www.cafe-ventoux.cc By bike follow the Route 64 Cycle way

Cafe Ventoux are open during the week and weekend throughout lockdown and Christmas for takeaway. You can find our freshly baked cakes, traybakes, quiches, pasties and famous sausage rolls in the cafĂŠ, alongside our breakfasts and sandwiches. Bespoke cakes can still be pre-ordered for any special occasion and our takeaway Afternoon Tea can be booked for any day of the week. Friday and Saturday nights we are open for stonebaked pizzas to takeaway from 5-8pm. We have an international theme on Thursday evenings, with a rotational menu -- give us a call to find out our weekly specials.

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Try a new trail run route | The roundup; Jeremy talks Tigers

ActiveSport King’s Cliffe

Apethorpe Blatherwycke

Woodnewton

Bulwick

Fotheringhay

Southwick

Warmington Glapthorn

START / FINISH Oundle

Distance: 26.37 miles Elevation: 1006ft Ride type: Road

Polebrook

On your bike!

This month Gary Waterfall and Richard Mackintosh (plus guests) enjoy a 26 mile ride from Oundle encompassing 1000ft of climb.

T

HIS HAS TO be one of the more enjoyable rides we have done recently. There are some amazing views and some very pretty villages on this route and it was great to be joined by guests Dave Poole, Rob Adlam and Lydia Grice this time. It’s challenging in a place or two, but there’s lots of gentle downhill parts to balance out the ascents.

Starting at Oundle Wharf car park leave the town on a steady climb that lasts until Bulwick. Turn right for some stunning views out over latherwycke lake and spot the wildlife. nce in ing s liffe turn right to Apethorpe. Warning; when we rode the road was closed but there was more than enough space to walk past the closure with your bike. Go through Apethorpe and Woodnewton and then

Fotheringhay; well worth a stop once over the river to look back at the mound that was Fotheringhay castle – a view Mary Queen of Scots never got to enjoy!

Cross the busy A605 at the roundabout and then tackle the challenging 9% hill leaving Warmington before enjoying the gentle downhill ride through beautiful Polebrook and back over the roundabout to Oundle Wharf.

For me the Tap and Kitchen is worth a stop even for a glass of seasonal cheer fro ene alley s fine ales. Their hrist as special Lone Star is a 3.7% ABV special with a malty and fruity taste, gluten free and red in colour. Well deserved after this ride. Happy Christmas! http://www.strava.com/routes/2755878884892246426

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Rutland has a new cricket centre but the RFU are still sitting on their hands with regards to club rugby. Jeremy Smithson-Beswick enlightens us

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OOD NEWS FOR Rutland’s cricketers this month as local professional coach and ex first class player To lowers opens his Rutland Cricket Centre at aldecott. This brand new facility eans there s now a real opportunity for players to work on and i prove their ga e throughout the year and in any weather conditions. lready well known to any clubs around the region for his sessions with all age groups and abilities lowers told e t s an e citing pro ect that s been in the pipeline for a while.

The advantage is there s nowhere else like this for miles.’ illed as utland s only cricket specific facility it has three indoor lanes for either instruction or practice and the centre’s coaching tea has certification at levels and . The lighting nets and surfaces are all to E standards and a bowling achine is on hand too. ossibly for the best of reasons the cricketing powers that be have been centralising coaching e pertise in eicester

of late a state of affairs that led to less of it being easily accessible around our area and lowers told e he s hoping to attract custo ers fro arket arborough ta ford undle and further afield. nly around of our recreational players use coaching at the o ent he continued and whether it s one on one or entire groups that co e we can acco odate the .

With lane bookings starting at and plenty of parking it looks set to be busy. wish the well especially as To also recently found the ti e to help raise for with a sponsored walk to all of the eicestershire and utland eague cricket grounds. www.rutlandcricketcentre.co.uk There s good news over at Grace oad too as a tranche of players signed contract extensions to commit their future to eicestershire. ot property bowler le Evans still only was probably the ost encouraging retention but was also preceded by veteran hris Wright all rounder en ike bats an assan ad keeper ewis

ill and others. They also have a new signing pace bowler Ed arnes fro orkshire. eanwhile in the rugby world it s still unclear at ti e of writing despite the govern ent s announce ent that grassroots sport can restart what this eans for our local rugby sides. The plead they re now seeking guidance on per itted levels of contact in scru s and auls before advising co unity clubs how to proceed but given that they knew a restart was going to co e at so e stage it s rather disappointing they hadn t clarified this in advance. eing proactive would be nice. nstead they appear to have waited for it to happen and then implied in their announcement that it’s all out of their hands until the govern ent responds which is a tad passive if you ask me. ne local player not so affected by it all is e ta ford nu ber onnor ollett who found an elegant solution to the absence of local rugby by aking his debut for ewcastle alcons instead. las not a route open to any but an effective one nonetheless. et s hope his debut is the first appearance of a long and successful career.

Talking of ta ford if you d like to support the financially during this di cult period you can sign up to their arrange ent with a charity website. t doesn t cost you a penny all you have to do is start any on line shopping e peditions at a site called easyfundraising and the retailers you buy fro will then ake a donation.

Tigers will be disappointed that there is to be no i ediate return of spectators to Welford oad due to eicester and eicestershire being in Tier but at least the players will be able to en oy appearing before albeit s all crowds on their travels.

Things have started well for new ead oach teve orthwick and recently had the pleasure of y first press conference with hi . is style is so ewhat different to that of say ichard ockerill who was always forthco ing and often very a using. Even aking allowance for being so new to the role and the i personal nature of oo

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ActiveSport

Borthwick is very much one to play a straight bat to any uestioning. air enough it s not his ob to ake ine easier but can tell close followers of the team they’re unlikely to be reading about any player injury or availability updates in the national or local press for a while. ‘I don’t talk about availability. When I announce the team I announce it and that’s the policy,’ he told us.

We chastened hacks are going to have to think of some new questions as the custom had been we discussed little else for the first few minutes ever since I can remember.

In spite of also responding to ‘What player stats are most important to you?’ with ‘I’ll keep that to myself’ and more of the same in response to pretty much everything else, if he can keep on field perfor ances up to the level of their opening win against Gloucester then even the press will love him. On top of the win, Tigers got a try bonus point,

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‘I’m delighted and honoured to be part of Leicester Tigers. It is such a historic club with the biggest crowd in England.

It feels like being part of Boca Juniors.’ something that had eluded them for something like the last 23 games.

One thing we did learn was that Matias Moroni, the recently signed Argentine centre, has arrived in the UK and is self-isolating prior to joining his squad mates. He brings the experience of 40 caps for the Pumas, and

Geordan Murphy was really excited about his recruitment before his departure. As for Moroni, he said on signing, ‘I’m delighted and honoured to be part of Leicester Tigers. It is such a historic club with the biggest crowd in England. It feels like being part of Boca Juniors’.

He’s going to have to wait to enjoy those crowds, but will probably be relieved that, if Bath vs Tigers is perhaps the most hotly contested fi ture of the season it isn t uite as fierce as the local derby between Juniors and River Plate. The Superclasico, as it is known, is famous (infamous) for its ability to infla e passion and even putting aside some tragic deaths that have occurred as a result has seen fans attacking players with pepper spray on the pitch and arenas literally bouncing as fans jump in unison. The Recreation Ground should feel quite genteel in comparison.

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businesses info@hallsdale.co.uk Email: info@hallsdale.co.uk Winter 2020 / theactivemag.com

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03/12/2020 08:45

ActiveSport Great Easton – Nevill Holt – Bringhurst

Nevill Holt

Distance: 12.9km Time: 1h 10min

Great Easton

START/FINISH Bringhurst

Trail Run Fun Bruce Donald from Wild Dog Events suggests an eight mile trail run that is certainly testing; you have been warned!

T

HE STARTING POINT for this tricky but picturesque eight mile run is from the Leicestershire village of Great Easton. There is plenty of street parking in the village, especially near The Sun Inn, which could be a good place to visit afterwards; you will have deserved it.

From The Sun Inn follow the road towards Drayton and Bringhurst. Immediately after the bridge, which crosses over the brook, turn right onto Brook Lane. Follow it to the end where you turn left onto Deepdale and join the Bridleway. This will take you alongside the brook for a short while and past the Great Easton flood storage reservoir.

Turn right after the first wooden gate and follow the path towards Nevill Holt passing through a number of other wooden gates as you go.

Keep looking up to the top of the hill and eventually Nevill Holt Hall comes into view.

As you near the top of the hill there is a crossroad of paths. Take the path to the right and follow it until it brings you past the stable block and St Mary’s Church. Follow

the road for a short distance and turn left and then left again around the perimeter of Nevill Holt Hall.

As you will discover Nevill Holt Hall is situated on top of a hill. It is a Grade 1 listed building and dates back to the 1300s. Its previous owners have included the Cunard shipping family who owned the estate from 1876 to 1912. The Hall became a preparatory school in 1919 and closed in 1998. In 2000 the Hall was bought and restored by its current owner, who has also built an opera theatre in the 17th century stable courtyard.

Follow the road for approximately ¾ of a mile which will take you past the avenue of trees and the front of the Hall. At the driveway to Watson’s Lodge re-join the footpath and get ready to enjoy a spectacular view of the Welland Valley. Then drop down the steep descent and cross over the Drayton to Medbourne Road to continue on the path over the River Welland and onto the Ashley to Middleton Road. Turn left on the road and left again at the fork in the road after a few hundred metres. Continue for about a mile to

the sharp right bend. This is your cue to turn left onto the Jurassic Way which you will be following back to Great Easton.

Keep to the track which eventually becomes a path and keep a lookout for the Jurassic Way arrow pointing off to the right up towards Bringhurst. According to the late historian WG Hoskins, Bringhurst is one of the oldest village sites of the Anglo-Saxon period in the country.

Turn right at the old phone box in Bringhurst and follow the road down the hill for a few hundred metres until you see the Jurassic Way sign directing you across the final few fields and back to Great Easton.

WildDog Events will be running a trail run series every Thursday from the 25 February - 1 April 2021 in Rutland, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. For more info visit www.wilddogevents.com OS maps reference: OS Explorer 224 https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/osmaps/ route/6673499/great-easton-nevilholtbringhurst

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