H e l p i n g y o u t o g e t t h e m o s t o u t o f l i v i n g LO C A LLY
NENE VALLEY LIVING food/fashion/health & beauty/home & garden/lifestyle
SP R ING IDE A S Walks, restaurants, shopping
ÂŁ1.50 MARCH 2012
@LocalLivingUK
www.bestlocalliving.co.uk
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F A M OUS FOOTSTEPS F o l l o w t h e l i t e r a t u r e t r a i l KIT C H EN ESSENTI A LS C r e a t e a n e w l o o k NVLMARCH12.indd 1
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NENE VALLEY LIVING
W W W. B E S T L O C A L L I V I N G . C O . U K
This issu e March It’s the tenth anniversary of Oundle’s Festival of Literature this month, and, as usual, there is a really excellent programme on offer. We’re marking the occasion with the inclusion of our own Literature Trail, written for us by Dave Phillips (see page 14). So many famous writers have been inspired by this area, but anyone who enjoys walking in the countryside probably won’t be surprised. We may not have towering peaks or rolling dales in these parts, but the gentle, pastoral landscape and even the bleakly beautiful Fens, have a charm of their own. 2012 is a year of landmark dates and celebrations and we’ll be reflecting them from a local perspective. If you have any special memories of the Queen’s Coronation that you’d like to share with us, please do get in touch (fiona@bestlocalliving. co.uk). We’re also appealing for any recipes that you remember from that time, especially if you were involved with a street party or even if you celebrated at home. Our feature on Heirloom Recipes this month (p.25) shows how food is firmly linked with memories and it would be great to get some Coronation contributions. Our postal address is Nene Valley Living, PO Box 208, Stamford PE9 9FY. Please mark your envelope ‘Diamond Jubilee’. I look forward to hearing from you.
Fion a Cu mberpatch Editor SUBSCRIBE TO Nene Valley Living
@LocalLivingUK Cover shot:
March hare, from an original painting by Polebrook artist Sam Purcell. Email sampurcell@ btinternet.com
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Editor’s selection
Ideas for Mother’s Day
Upfront
Greek holidays and summer camps
Upfront
William Lloyd’s bespoke garden buildings
11 Upfront 8 BESPOKE GARDEN BUILDINGS
The Queens Head Inn, Nassington, reviewed
13 Birthday celebrations
Ten years of the Oundle Festival of Literature
14 Local heroes
Follow in famous literary footsteps
16 Food news
Get down at The Brewery Tap
14 LOCAL HEROES
16 THE BREWERY TAP 20 KITCHEN ESSENTIALS Editor Fiona Cumberpatch fiona@bestlocalliving.co.uk Write to Nene Valley Living, PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY www.nenevalleyliving.co.uk Advertisement Manager Bridget Steele 01733 707538 bridget.neneliving@ntlworld.com Advertisement Director Helen Walton 01780 754801 helen.stamford@btopenworld.com Head of Design Steven Handley steve@locallivingdesign.co.uk Senior Designer Nik Ellis nik@locallivingdesign.co.uk Advertising Copy Rachel Beecroft 01780 765320 rachel@locallivingdesign.co.uk Publisher Nicholas Rudd-Jones 01780 765571 Email: localliving@btopenworld.com Published by Local Living Ltd, PO Box 208, Stamford, Lincs. PE9 9FY www.locallivingltd.co.uk Printed by Warner’s of Bourne
18 Food news
Make a cake for Mum
20 Kitchen essentials Stylish and practical designs
25 Heirloom recipes
Cooking down the generations
26 Health and beauty notes Reflexology and Zumba
29 Portrait of the artist Sam Purcell’s inspirations
30 What colour car?
Ashley Martin on the impact of colour
32 The wind of change Peterborough’s history in windmills
34 A family walk Robin Moore’s route
37 Diary dates
What’s hot this month
For £20 (UK only) you can subscribe to Nene Valley Living for 12 issues. Please send your name, address and a cheque made out to Local Living Ltd to: NVL Subscriptions, PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY Or you can subscribe online – go to www.bestlocalliving.co.uk
NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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NIGEL FRIEND Carpets, Vinyl, Laminate Flooring supplied and fitted
Dry Carpet Cleaning & Carpet Restoration Specialist
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The Largest Independent Lighting Showroom in Cambridgeshire
Opening Hours - Tues-Fri 9-5 Sat 9-4 The Lampshade Warehouse 10 Saville Road, Westwood, Peterborough, PE3 7PR
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Editor’s selection March buys with Mother’s Day in mind
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Cup and saucer, £9.50, Marks and Spencer, Queensgate, Peterborough
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Bouquet, starting at £15 for a small one, Foxtail Lilly, 41 South Rd, Oundle. Tel 01832 274593 www.foxtail-lilly.co.uk
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Through the Garden Gate by Susan Hill, a gentle illustrated guide to English gardens. £3, from The Courthouse Bookshop, Workshop Unit 3, The Courthouse, Mill Rd, Oundle PE8 4BW www.courthousebookshop.co.uk
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Le Creuset 26cm Cast Iron Casserole in Coastal Blue, £150, Le Creuset at Peterborough Garden Park.
Candles, hand crafted in Oundle, £6.50 each from Oundle based business www.thehandmadeemporium.com or from Greetings, West St, Oundle
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Songbird wallet, £30, John Lewis, Queensgate Centre, Peterborough
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Personalised hearts, £9.95, and cushions, £29.95 each, by local company Two Little Birds www.two-little-birds.co.uk
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Rosalie earrings, by Chain of Daisies, £11.50, www.thehandmade emporium.com NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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1st Class Travel
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hether you are planning a holiday or a special event, race shows or just a day out, why not travel to your destination in style and comfort? Fully Licensed to carry up to 5 passengers, we offer one way and return journeys to all major UK Airports as well as transport to local towns and villages within a 20 mile radius of Peterborough.
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• NVL March ADS.indd 6
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LOCAL NEWS
Upfront
Have fun this summer
What’s new this month
The real Greece D
espite Greece’s current economic difficulties, the fundamentals of a perfect holiday remain unchanged: warm sun, crystal clear waters, stunning scenery and good food. Oundle Travel offers a selection of Greek breaks which are an attractive alternative to the mass market holiday companies, favouring areas off the beaten track which have retained a genuinely Greek flavour. Here are three favourites for Summer 2012: Symi It boasts one of the most atmospheric small harbour towns in the Aegean. Grand neo classical houses and mansions, many once owned by wealthy sea captains, line the horse-shoe shaped bay. The array of shops and tavernas are plentiful and come to life after sunset. Beaches are small and pebbly, lapped by the clearest of seas. Symi may be combined with other islands for a two week combination holiday and Oundle Travel can arrange an island hopping tailor made holiday to suit your budget. Nireus Hotel is on the waterfront, with 36 renovated rooms. From £793 per person, including flights and transfers. Parga The pretty resort of Parga situated on the Greek mainland is set in lush countryside, which remains green all summer, with perfect beaches and a characterful harbour, topped off by a castle. The town shelters behind a rocky headland, and a cluster of brightly coloured cafés and restaurants line the waterfront, with narrow lanes and small shops open late each evening. Parga’s character and charm ensure that people return time after time. Visit early season when the town is at its best. For the best location on the beach, Oundle Travel recommends The Lichnos Beach Hotel. With newly refurbished deluxe rooms, from £796 per person, travelling in June 2012, including all flights and transfers.
Alonissos Enjoy a quiet, unhurried holiday in natural surroundings on the island of Alonissos. Just 15 miles long by four miles wide, it is a perfect retreat in which to swim, walk and gently explore. We recommend the pretty port of Patitiri: although sleepy in June and July, there is plenty of waterfront activity during the evening, and some good tavernas and restaurants which come alive at dusk. Fine beaches and clear waters make the island perfect for snorkelling, diving and boat hire. The Yallis Hotel has 22 rooms with wonderful sea views from £818 per person, travelling in June. Special offer: if you are able to travel early or late season, Oundle Travel is offering two weeks for the price of one at chosen properties on selected dates. For more information, contact Oundle Travel on 01832 273600 or visit www.oundletravel.co.uk
I
f you are a busy working parent looking for childcare this summer, you’ll be pleased to hear that Churchill Summer Camps have announced dates for 2012, with extra weeks added in Stamford and Peterborough, and the addition of new camps in Oakham. Churchill Summer Camps have been operating in this region for over 20 years, are OFSTED registered and all staff are CRB checked. The organisation prides itself on offering quality child care and excellent staff to children ratios. Children get the chance to participate in a host of different activities, including bouncy castles, quad bikes, MegaBall pond, arts and crafts, curling, fencing, snooker, athletics, archery, shooting, football, swimming, orienteering, computer gaming, clay modelling, Uni-hoc, quizzes, sports tournaments and cooking. • Summer camps in Oakham (Brooke Priory School/Oakham School from 23-27 July and 30 July – 3 August). • New for 2012, Stamford Easter Camp based at Stamford Junior School from 2-5 April. This is in addition to the four weeks of summer camps running from July 30 – August 24. • Extended summer dates in Peterborough based at The Peterborough School (formerly Peterborough High School) covering six weeks from July 9 – August 17. This is in addition to Easter weeks from April 2-5 and April 10-13. Payment in childcare vouchers is accepted, and early care from 8am, and late care, until 6pm, is available. Call 01780 753461 or email info@ churchillsummercamps.co.uk
Join the U3A Peterborough U3A offers a great way of keeping your mind and body active during retirement. It has more than 110 activity groups at numerous locations in the city and district, on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis. ‘U3A’ stand for ‘University of the Third Age’ but don’t let that put you off. It offers a full range of educational, cultural and leisure opportunities for anyone who is retired or semi-retired. Peterborough U3A is one of the largest in the country with 2,600 members, with interests covering ten pin bowling, quilting, walking, theatre and bird watching and many more. Membership is just £9 a year. For a membership form, send an SAE to: Peterborough U3A, P O Box 946, Peterborough PE1 9ES or visit www. peterboroughu3a.org.uk NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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LOCAL NEWS
Upfront
Garden inspiration
Let your imagination run free…whatever the style, size or character of your garden, William Lloyd can bring it alive with a bespoke creation. A well-considered structure will not only enhance your garden, but provide a sanctuary where you can escape the stresses of everyday life. Specialising in the design and construction of bespoke garden buildings, ranging from tree seats to classical reading rooms and large summer houses, William Lloyd produces beautifully crafted designs in stone, wood and reclaimed materials to provide the perfect focal point for your garden. The company can either take your own idea, or suggest a concept to you. They will design and sketch a proposal, liaising with you at every stage, and he can even make a scale model prior to the build. Producing structures that complement quaint cottage gardens, landscaped parkland and private estates, William Lloyd has developed a wide client base, which includes garden designer and Gardeners’ Question Time regular Bunny Guinness. For more details, or a free consultation, contact www.williamlloyd.co.uk or call 07974 071551
Oliver in King’s Cliffe
To commemorate Charles Dickens’ bicentenary, the renowned King’s Cliffe Players are putting on a production of Oliver The Musical, from March 14th-17th and March 21st-24th. Tickets are priced at £8 and are available from King’s Cliffe Post Office or for enquiries, email tickets@ kingscliffeplayers.co.uk. Performances start at 7.30pm. The show is directed by Bill Lindsay and the musical director is James Major.
An app a day
Organic veg box company Riverford, based locally at Sacrewell Farm, Thornhaugh, have launched an iPhone app featuring almost 800 searchable recipes. It’s free to download and the recipes featured have been inspired by the seasonal organic produce that Riverford’s customers receive in their veg boxes. Jon Day, who helps to run Riverford’s farm at Sacrewell says: “the idea is to help people make the best use of the veg available at any given time of year, including some of the more unusual varieties. You tell the app which items are in your fridge, and when you click ‘results,’ you’ll be taken through to a list of recipes that match the vegetables you have.” Download by searching for ‘Riverford’ on the app store, or find out more by visiting www.riverford.co.uk/sacrewell
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Ask the expert Kerry Hilliard from Stephenson Smart & Co answers your financial queries
I recently received a ‘notice of coding’ from HMRC and I don’t know what it means. Can you help? Your employer or pension provider will use your tax code to work out how much tax to deduct from your pay. It is important to ensure that your tax code is correct or you could pay too much or too little tax. Tax codes are usually made up of a series of numbers and a letter. The numbers (broadly multiplied by 10) indicate how much free pay you have before you pay tax. The standard tax code for the 2012/13 tax year is 810L. This will be used from April 2012 onwards and it means that you can still earn £8,105 per annum before you pay tax. If you have a second job or pension then it is likely that all of your allowances will have been used against your main job. Your second job or pension will then be taxed at the basic rate, higher rate or additional rate of tax. You will be given a tax code of BR, DO or D1 and pay tax at 20 per cent, 40 per cent or 50 per cent respectively on this income. If you have more deductions than you have tax allowances, you will be given a K code, indicating to your employer how much they should add to (rather than deduct from) your income when they calculate your tax. Individuals with simple tax affairs will generally not receive a notice of coding and will automatically be allocated a code of 810L. For more information and help, contact Stephenson Smart & Co. Tel: 01733 343275 or visit www.stephensonsmart.com
NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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www.jamesbowyer.co.uk 01733 221318
MULTI-ACTIVITY HOLIDAYS FOR CHILDREN AGED FROM 4 - 14 BASED AT THE PETERBOROUGH SCHOOL EASTER 2 – 5 APRIL AND 10 – 13 APRIL SUMMER 9 - 13 JULY 16 - 20 JULY 23 - 27 JULY 30 JULY -3 AUGUST 6 – 10 AUGUST 13 – 17 AUGUST BASED AT STAMFORD JUNIOR SCHOOL EASTER 2 – 5 APRIL SUMMER 30 JULY -3 AUGUST 6 – 10 AUGUST 13 – 17 AUGUST 20 – 24 AUGUST BASED AT BROOKE PRIORY SCHOOL,OAKHAM SUMMER 23 – 27 JULY AND 30 JULY – 3 AUGUST 9.30 am – 4.30 pm EARLY and LATE CARE AVAILABLE FROM 8am – 6pm Bouncy castles Quad bikes MegaBall pond Arts and Crafts Curling Fencing Snooker Badge making Bread making Kwik cricket Archery Shooting Football Bouncy slide Crossbows Tennis Swimming Orienteering Computer games Disco Air hockey Clay Uni-hoc Adventure playground Bodyrock Baking Fun quiz Fancy dress Ball games Golf …AND MORE!
For further information or to make a booking Telephone: 01780 753461 Email:info@churchillsummercamps.co.uk www.churchillsummercamps.co.uk
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Advertisement Feature
SAVOUR A BRAND NEW SLICE OF STILTON VILLAGE LIFE A niche courtyard development of new homes by a local developer is bringing a former farmyard site bang up to date in the centre of one of the area’s historic villages
D
evelopment sites in pretty and historic villages are scarce and are closely guarded by civic and local authorities. So when an opportunity comes forward, it’s something that a developer – especially one with an affinity in the county – cannot afford to ignore. That was the situation in which Huntingdonshire-based Amesview Developments, found itself a couple of years ago, just as the housing downturn was beginning, when a small development site of just under half an acre in the centre of the village of Stilton came to its attention. The attraction of the location and exclusivity of a site with such a small number of brand new homes ideally suited the Amesview Developments portfolio. It acquired the site and began to build the new homes last year. The development, known as The Old Stackyard, has now completed and has been launched for sale. What Amesview Developments has built on this former yard of derelict outbuildings, off Church Street and to the north of Manor Farm House is, according to property consultancy Carter Jonas - who are acting as agent in selling the newly completed detached and terraced 3 and 4 bedroom homes - a model example of what brand new developments in a village should be. To many, Stilton is a picture perfect example of traditional village life. It lies within the historic
church of St Mary’s. county boundaries of Huntingdonshire and the No talk of Stilton is complete without modern day boundaries of Cambridgeshire and mentioning cheese and while all Stilton cheese is the local authority is Huntingdonshire District factory-made these days, it’s always done so with Council. locally produced milk. Stilton is mentioned in The Domesday Book The annual Cheese Rolling Championship is of 1086 and its commercial growth stems from held every May Day when crowds gather its importance as a staging post on the to watch teams in fancy dress guide Great North Road which was the Prices their Stilton cheeses down the original coaching route from London start from village streets. The event includes to Edinburgh and corresponds, £199,995 rising maypole dancing and live music roughly, to the modern day A1(M) to £329,995 and is the highlight of the village’s route. The village has retained four for the largest, social calendar. of its ‘coaching’ inns and although 4-bedroom But when city life calls, Stilton each has been modernised down properties. has a choice location for the daythe centuries, all remain at the heart to-day realities of modern life: just six of village life.And there’s a lot of village miles south of Peterborough, 33 miles northlife about Stilton which has endured down west of Cambridge and 70 miles north of the the years, in times which have taken their toll on metropolis of London via excellent road and rail amenities and the fabric of equivalent English connections. villages. Not so in Stilton. It still has a thriving Yet feedback on The Old Stackyard from casual village centre focused on its central and sweeping visitors and purchasers in the market looking to thoroughfare of North Street and High Street buy a contemporary, family home is that while it’s Its ‘village-shop’ is still the hub of the village the convenient location attracting them to look at on North Street. Called Stilton Stores, it’s as the development, it’s the draw of village life which well-stocked as many of the metro-style miniwill convince them to buy and settle in Stilton. supermarkets in town and city centres. The post • The Old Stackyard, Church Street, Stilton office is within the shop and the premises extend PE7 3RF. For more information contact Louise to include a pharmacy. Fox, Carter Jonas in Peterborough, The primary school, Stilton Church of England Tel 01733 588600 primary school, is, appropriately enough, on Church Street and is affiliated to the village
www.theoldstackyardstilton.com 10
• NVL March ADS.indd 10
15/2/12 13:09:03
The Queens Head Riverside Inn 54 Station Rd Nassington, nr Peterboro Northamptonshire PE8 6
Visit the newly refurbished Queens Head Inn &LOCAL experience our fantastic seasonal menus NEWS and hospitality at its finest.
UPFRONT
Open daily for lunch and dinner – reservations advisable.
54 Station Rd, Nassington, PE8 6QB Reservations: 01780 784 006 www.queensheadnassington.co.uk info@queensheadnassington.co.uk
Special Offer for April 25% off the A la Carte menu
NENE VALLEY LIVING RECOMMENDS .
Bring this advert with you to get 25% off our a la carte menu on any Monday or Tuesday this April.
THE QUEENS HEAD INN, NASSINGTON
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All main courses are just £10 on any Monday to Thursday
national newspaper recently reported that having a lively local adds value to house prices. I do hope that’s true, as Nassington’s Queen’s Head Inn, which is my village pub, certainly falls into that category. We dropped in one Saturday evening to sample the steaks. The Queens Head is especially proud of its carefully sourced beef. The Black Angus Rib Eye from the USA, for example, is fed on a high grain diet to maximise the flavour, whereas the Japanese Wagyu breed is renowned for its sweet and tender meat. “You’ll not eat a better steak than this,” promised owner Paul Smyth as he brought the menus to our cosy table in the bar area. My husband, being the more enthusiastic carnivore, opted for the famous Wagyu Rib Eye, while I went for an eight ounce Black Angus Rib Eye. The last time we had such a special cut was in the middle of cattle ranch country in Montana, USA, and our steaks were the size of soup plates. The Queens Head version is (thankfully) smaller, and comes attractively served on a rustic wooden board, with a roasted tomato and sautéed mushrooms. Our hand cut chips were presented in a mini wire basket, and we ordered a green salad (which deserves a special mention as the mustard dressing was superb). The steaks arrived promptly. Cooked in a special high temperature charcoal burning Josper oven, imported from Spain, the meat was char grilled on the outside, but the middle was meltingly tender. My husband had ordered a peppercorn sauce, but wished he hadn’t, as his steak was so flavoursome that it needed no embellishment. But was it really the best steak we’d ever had? We would have to agree that it was. For dessert, we shared a plate of warm, cinnamon coated churros with Vahlrone chocolate fudge sauce and mocha ice cream. Churros are small strips of deep fried doughnut mixture, and they are very good. We enjoyed everything about our meal, and were glad that we were able to eat in the more atmospheric bar area of the Inn, as opposed to the larger restaurant at the back. Service is efficient, friendly, and courteous. All I would ask for is a linen napkin, instead of the paper ones offered, but frankly, after a truly fabulous steak like that, it’s a minor detail. Fiona Cumberpatch
LE CREUSET EVENING
Plu
Join the team at Le Creuset, Peterborough Garden Park on Thursday March 15th, 4-6pm, to celebrate the launch of the new cookware (e.g) 8oz Sirloin Steak – normally £17.50 now just £10 colour, Nutmeg. Special offers, a Grand Prize Pheasant – normally £14.50arenow just £10 draw, champagne and nibbles available. Le Creuset, Unit 3, Peterborough Garden (offer valid from 2nd Jan to 9th Feb 2012 & cannot be used in conjunction Park, with otherPeterborough offers or meal deals &PE1 offer 4YZ excludes Wagyu & USDA Tel: 01733 Grainfed steaks &221291 sharing meals)
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(o e c
Tel: 01780 784006 Fax: 01780 781539 Email: info@queenshe BEAUTY OF Web: THE www.queensheadnassington.co.uk
In a nutshell: Fresh, flavoursome food with an emphasis on provenance Head chef: Duncan Hooper Average price for two, with wine £60 (although a 10oz Wagyu Rib Eye steak costs £32.50 for one). Meal deals are sometimes available, check website for details (conditions may apply). The Queens Head Inn, 54 Station Rd, Nassington, Peterborough PE8 6QB Tel: 01780 784006 www.queensheadnassington.co.uk
LIMESTONE
The Stamford Stone Company was established in 1997 by builder Ivor Crowson and building stone specialist George Wilson. It has quickly established itself as one of the country’s leading suppliers of English limestone products to the construction industry. Working with the most beautiful English limestone has enabled the family run business to prosper, gaining an unrivalled reputation for supplying new build and restoration projects, and acquiring the famous Cliphsam Quarry along the way. The company’s team of stonemasons are often asked to finish off a project with a limestone fireplace, and as a result of customer requests, it has now launched its own collection. Laura Green of Stamford Stone explains: “we have always let the company evolve organically, demands change with fashions, market trends and economic changes and we react to them accordingly. We always have, and continue to provide a bespoke masonry service for fireplaces but customers are always asking for inspiration. Our fireplaces are hand carved, using limestone from the famous Lincolnshire belt. Formed over millions of years, each bed contains variations in colour, intermingled with fossils, which ensures that each fireplace has a unique appearance that mellows and improves with age. Our knowledge of English limestone, the skill of our master masons and our experience in the design of bespoke pieces has resulted in a collection we are extremely proud of.” To view it, visit www.stamfordstone.co.uk contact 01780 740430 or email fireplaces@stamfordstone.co.uk to request a brochure. NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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Men and Women’s Country Clothing & Accessories R M Williams •Katie Mosa Ness • Le Chameau Lyn Antley • Seasalt • Barbour Really Wild Open Monday to Saturday 9:00am till 5:30pm
www.harveytweel.co.uk Unit 1 The Bazaar West Street Oundle PE8 4EJ - 01832 272444
4 star Gold Award
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ACTIVITIES
Birthday celebrations Favourite authors and performance poets mingle with exciting new events when the Oundle Festival of Literature reaches its 10th anniversary this month. Sue Dobson reviews the programme
Alexander McCall Smith
Luke Wright
Simon Brett
F
rom very small beginnings, the Oundle Festival of Literature has become an essential event in the local calendar. From the thought provoking to the sheer fun, some of the best authors and performance poets in the land have made their way to Oundle, delighting audiences of every age. Ten years on, and it’s time for a celebration. The 10th anniversary programme is a lively mix of friends and favourites from earlier festivals, well known writers making their Oundle debut, meet the author events, poetry with a difference and relaxed evenings of top entertainment.
Old favourites An engaging speaker with a delicious sense of humour, Alexander McCall Smith makes a welcome return to open the Festival in style. The author of the No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and a clutch of popular series, including 44 Scotland Street and Corduroy Mansions, will be supported by The Rusty Players, a local group of 40 just-for-fun musicians inspired by the author’s own Really Terrible Orchestra, in which he plays the bassoon (but only the notes he likes). The affable Simon Brett, author of the Charles Paris, Mrs Pargeter and Fethering crime novels and writer of scripts for radio and television, is making his third Festival visit. “When he appeared alongside Colin Dexter several years ago, Simon told a crime story in rhyme that was so funny we asked him if he’d come back and perform A Crime in Rhyme as a one man show this year,” says new Festival Director, Paula Prince. “With a range of characters and voices he sends up all the clichés of the golden age of whodunits.” Paula is also happy to welcome back storyteller Shonaleigh, whom she describes as “mesmerising.” With stories that draw on millennia of eastern traditional wisdom in the age-old quest to discover What Women Want, and what happened to some of the people who tried to find out, Shonaleigh is witty, wise and captivates audiences worldwide. The much-loved children’s author Pat Thomson holds nursery-age listeners in thrall with tales of squeaky, creaky beds, socks full of treasure, a velveteen rabbit and an extremely fat cat. With the help of staff from the Oundle Community Playgroup, the under-fives can let their
imaginations fly and create crafty things based on characters in the stories they’ve just heard. Performance poet and broadcaster Luke Wright is back with a new and edgy poetry stage show, Cynical Ballads. A sell-out at the Edinburgh Fringe, these caustic tales from Broken Britain garnered rave reviews in the national press. On a double bill the same evening, popular local performance poet Nick Perry reads excerpts from Perversery, his first book that’s hot off the press for its Festival launch. Family audiences love Paul Cookson and David Harmer’s lively mix of poetry, jokes and fun. Their latest offering, Spill the Beans, is as action packed as ever.
New friends Fun poetry even makes its way into Oundle’s Farmers’ Market. At The Poetry Takeaway, cunningly disguised as a burger van, poetry chefs will be on hand to create and perform made to order poems, free of charge. Discuss the subject of your choice and within 10 minutes or less, they’ll deliver a hand written copy of your personal poem, suitably boxed. During the ten sparkling days of the Festival you could spend A Night at the Bull with Charles Collingwood, the debonair actor who plays Brian Aldridge in The Archers and is famed for his after-dinner talks (a fish and chip supper is included in the ticket price); hear Tales of Robin Hood and watch the 1939 film starring Errol Flynn; meet authors at free events in the Victoria Hall’s coffee shop; join a Write that Novel workshop; be inspired as Vanessa Kimbell demonstrates recipes for spontaneous parties, unstructured suppers and unexpected guests; enjoy a talk by Salley Vickers, author of the international bestseller Miss Garnet’s Angel; celebrate the Charles Dickens bicentenary in Lloyd Lee’s one man show The Squire of Gad’s Hill; be intrigued as Jason Potter unravels some of the mysteries of Rennes Le Chateau, source of much popular fiction including The Da Vinci Code; and party with musical satirist Mitch Benn. The Oundle Festival of Literature runs from 7th-18th March. For brochures and tickets contact the Oundle Box Office, 4 New Street, Oundle PE8 4ED, Tel: 01832 274734, or visit the website www.oundlelitfest.org.uk NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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PERSPECTIVES
LOCAL HEROES Dave Phillips sets off on the trail of the region’s greatest writers and poets
“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there” So wrote local author L.P. Hartley, in his famous novel, The Go-Between. But in the case of our area, both the past and present have produced a rich array of literary talent. Hartley is one of the best-known, but he’s by no means alone: wherever you go in this locality, you’re likely to be walking in the footsteps of a great writer or poet. Why not join me on a literary trail to some of the places that have inspired them? As good a place to start as any is Peterborough Cathedral (OS ref: TL 192986), where our earliest great writer was educated. John Fletcher (1579-1625) was the son of the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral and attended the King’s School, then in the cathedral precincts. At the age of 11 he went up to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and later became one of the great dramatists of his age, collaborating with William Shakespeare, with whom he cowrote Henry VIII, Two Noble Kinsmen and a third play, Cardenio (since lost). He later died of the plague and was buried in the chancel of Southwark Cathedral, London, alongside Shakespeare’s brother, Edmund. Peterborough Cathedral also inspired our greatest poet, John Clare (1793-1864), who in the 1820s was a guest of the wife of the Rt Rev Dr Herbert Marsh, Bishop of Peterborough, who invited Clare to visit her at the Bishop’s Palace. He was taken to a room, supplied with paper, pens and ink and expected to write a masterpiece there and then! Mortified, he fled to the nearby Red Lion pub. By the time he returned he was very drunk, but happily the Bishop’s wife wrongly attributed his condition to “high poetic musings”! Mrs Marsh wasn’t the only person to misunderstand Clare, who was born at Helpston and, after a tragic life that included long spells in lunatic asylums, he was buried in Helpston churchyard (TF 122054). Nearby is a memorial erected to his memory and the cottage where he was born, which is now a learning centre run by the John Clare Trust. Two miles south of the village is one his favourite places, the Swaddywell Pit Nature Reserve (TF 118029), which he knew as “Swordy Well” and which was the inspiration for his poem railing against the hated Enclosure Acts of the time: There was a time my bit of ground Made freemen of the slave The ass no pindar’d dare to pound When I his supper gave The gipsy’s camp was not afraid I made his dwelling free Till vile enclosure came and made A parish slave of me Thirty years after Clare’s death, L. P. (Leslie Poles) Hartley (1895-1972) was born in
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John Fletcher
John Clare Whittlesey, the son of a Peterborough solicitor. In 1908 the family to moved to Fletton Towers in Queens Walk (TL 190976). He was sent to boarding school, becoming head boy at Harrow public school before studying modern history at Balliol College, Oxford. After writing several short stories, his first full-length novel, The Shrimp and the Anenome, was published in 1944. The Brickfield (1964) was set locally. His best-known work is The Go-Between (1953), which was made into a 1970 film, starring Julie Christie and Alan Bates. Although Hartley later lived a nomadic existence, he often returned to the family home in Fletton, where his younger sister Norah lived until her death in 1994. Hartley was a member of the literary aristocracy. He was a close friend of Aldous Huxley and for many years was the lover of Lord David Cecil. But he became increasingly troubled in his later years and died an alcoholic. His life was very different to his contemporary, H. E. (Herbert Ernest) Bates (1905-1972), who
was born a few miles up the River Nene, in an ordinary red brick terrace house at 51 Grove Road, Rushden (there’s a blue plaque on the wall to mark his birthplace). There is also a road named after him to the west of the town. Bates was the son of a director at a local shoe factory and attended Kettering Grammar School. He left at the age of 16 to become a reporter on the local newspaper. But he didn’t enjoy life as a junior newshound and left to work in a warehouse, writing short stories in his spare time. He was only 20 when his first novel, The Two Sisters, was published. A prolific writer, H. E. Bates averaged a novel and collection of short stories every year for the rest of his life. Of these, his most famous creation was the Larkin family, who appeared in the novels The Darling Buds of May (1958), A Breath of French Air (1959), When the Green Woods Laugh (1960), Oh! To Be in England (1963) and A Little of What You Fancy (1970). Nearly two decades after his death, they were
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L. P. Hartley
Lotte Kramer H. E. Bates’ birthplace
John Clare’s grave, Helpston Church adapted for television as The Darling Buds of May TV series. His earlier novel Love for Lydia (1952) was inspired by Rushden Hall (SP 955660), which today is the headquarters of the town council and open to the public. Many of his books feature local places, including The Feast of July (1954), which traces the journey of a pregnant young woman along the River Nene from Wisbech to Wellingborough. His 1937 travelogue, Down The River, describes a boat trip along the Nene near Oundle, in which he describes the hump-backed bridge at Lilford (TL026837) as “the finest in all England.” During World War II, H. E. Bates was commissioned into the RAF to write moraleboosting stories about the people fighting it. They were published under the pseudonym of “Flying Officer X” and were published in book form as The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave.. Meanwhile, Lotte Kramer had a very different
sort of war. Born in Germany in 1923, she lived in the town of Mainz until 1939 when her Jewish family put her on one of the last Kindertransport trains to Britain. She later found they had all perished in the death camps. Lotte moved to Peterborough in 1970 and began writing poetry in 1979. Today, she lives in Longthorpe, and is regarded as one of the world’s finest Holocaust poets, although her work is also inspired by the fenland landscape around her adopted home. In 2008, she told Nene Valley Living that one of her favourite places is Orton Lock on the River Nene (TL 166971), which reminds her of the River Rhine of her childhood. Another living writer is Edward Storey, who was born in Church Street, Whittlesey, in 1930. He, too, was inspired by the flat landscape around his home town and his first volume of poetry, North Bank Night, was published in 1969. The North Bank of the Nene (TL 254987) runs alongside the river to the east of Peterborough
and from there you can see the broad sweep of the flat, almost treeless landscape, with Whittlesey’s brick chimneys smoking in the background. Edward’s recollections of his childhood, growing up in the brick town, appear in Fen Boy First (1994). He has written 14 books in all – all with a strong local affinity. He says that among his most inspirational places locally are Woodwalton Fen (TL 234848), near Ramsey, Welney Wildfowl Trust reserve (TL 545946), Crowland Abbey (TF 242102) and Fotheringhay (TL 061929). These days, Edward lives in Discoed in Powys, Mid Wales. He moved there in 1999, after many years living in Peterborough Cathedral Precincts – which is where this story began. We’ve now come full circle in our literary tour, but I doubt if this is the end of the story. I’m sure Peterborough and the Nene valley will inspire generations of writers to come.
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FOOD & DRINK
Food
news All the latest on local food and drink
Great music at The Brewery Tap in March
The Brewery Tap, Europe’s largest brew pub in Westgate, Peterborough, has some great music in store for its customers during March, guaranteed to blow away the winter blues. The pub will be hosting its popular open-mic and jam session on Sunday March 4th, with special guest band The Gangsters. In addition, on March 31st, Randall Rootz will present a charity soul night out with the Motor City Vipers, in support of Sue Ryder Care at Thorpe Hall hospice. Saturday Night Brew is now a regular event with resident DJs picking up the pulse from 9pm-2am. The bands The Gangsters are an eight piece band with originality at the forefront of their sound. With a hard-hitting and infectious infusion of dance, The Gangsters will have die-hard music lovers moving and grooving. The Motor City Vipers are a dedicated and experienced group of musicians. The band lovingly recreate music from the Sixties and Seventies, performing a selection of hits, from soul classics alongside a few modern gems. Sponsored by award-winning local brewery Oakham Ales and The Brewery Tap, performers at the open mic and jam session receive a free drinks voucher. Tickets will cost £10 a head for The Motor City Vipers. Call 01733 358500 or email brewerytap.manager@oakagroup.com
Free Marquee Hi re Conditions apply
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The King’s Head Apethorpe
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Make sure you quote Nene Valley Living when booking your table to receive a free glass of wine for mum!
SENIOR CITIZENS ½ PRICE ON TUESDAY LUNCHTIMES! WHAT’S ON IN MARCH? • Thursday 1st March – Quiz night 8.30pm £1/person. Fantastic prizes to be won • Saturday 17th March – St Patrick’s Celebrations – set menu with Irish theme. Open until 12am • Sunday 18th March – Mother’s Day Dinner served until 4pm • Lunch of the day + a drink for £10
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Thursday 29 March – All you can eat buffet £15.95 The Kings Head, Apethorpe, Peterborough, PE8 5DG Tel: 01780 470627 - Email: enquiries@kingsheadapethorpe.co.uk
8 NENE 16 NENE VALLEY VALLEY LIVING LIVING MARCH July 2008 2012
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NEW £10 Tuesday Menu Two delicious courses Inclusive of rice and vegetables
Mothering Sunday 18th March Celebratory Buffet Make your reservation today
Lunch 12-2:30pm Mon to Sat • 12-3:30pm Sunday (Buffet) Dinner 5:30 - 10.30pm Sun to Thur • 5:30 - 11:00pm Fri to Sat
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www.east-restaurant.co.uk Upper Deck Charters Town Bridge Peterborough PE1 1FP
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FOOD & DRINK
news All the latest on local food and drink
Join an Easter tea party
Rosie Ribbons will be hosting an Easter themed tea party on Sunday April 1st from 2.30 to 4pm in Castor Village Hall. There will be a delicious selection of Easter themed sweets and treats alongside the traditional sandwiches, scones and plenty of tea served from vintage china. Tickets are £10 per person and bookable in advance only. Contact Nicola on 07917 095390 or email nicoladudhill31@ yahoo.co.uk
Treat your mum to afternoon tea, including these pretty pink homemade cupcakes with a secret ingredient…. www.lovebeetroot.co.uk
Food
Mother’s Day cupcakes Beetroot and vanilla cupcakes with rose butter icing For the cupcakes 175g castor sugar 175g unsalted butter 3 large eggs (separated) 175g self raising flour 175g plain cooked vacuum packed beetroot, drained (hold a few drops of juice back to use as colouring), and pureed 1 tablespoon vanilla extract For the icing 300g icing sugar 150g unsalted butter, slightly softened A few drops rose flower water, to taste
• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C, gas mark 4. Blend the sugar and butter until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks, flour, pureed beetroot and vanilla and beat until smooth. • In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until fairly stiff. Take a large spoon of egg white and beat into the cupcake mixture to loosen it a little. Then, using a large metal spoon, fold the remaining egg whites gently through the mix, taking care not to overbeat. • Spoon the mixture into 12 cupcake cases and bake for around 20 minutes, or until the cakes are firm to the touch. Remove and cool on a wire rack. • To make the icing, beat the icing sugar and butter together, either in a food mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon. Add a few drops of rose flower water to taste, and a few drops of beetroot juice to colour the icing. Spread generously or pipe over the cooled cupcakes. Top with a sugar flower. For more beetroot recipes, visit www.lovebeetroot.co.uk
We have now opened our latest Antique & Craft Centre at - 15 Broad Street, Stamford, PE9 1PG
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Valuations Given 8 NENE 18 NENE VALLEY VALLEY LIVING LIVING MARCH July 2008 2012
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Advertisement Feature
Tax efficient investments Our last article referred to the need to review your existing retirement plans, concentrating on asset allocation and charges. As the tax year end approaches you should also consider other tax efficient investment options, the most common of which being the Individual Savings Account (ISA). The contribution limit for the current year is £10,680, increasing to £11,280 from the 6th April 2012. ISAs offer the ability to avoid paying capital gains tax and income tax on fixed interest returns. There is no additional tax liability on dividends although the 10% tax credit cannot be reclaimed. ISAs offer the following benefits:• Simple administration – no need to declare ISA income on your tax return and any income doesn’t affect age related allowances. • Flexibility – you can access your capital, take regular withdrawals and often access 1’000s of different funds within one account, in this way a portfolio can be designed to meet most risk profiles. • Cash – you can invest up to 50% of the allowance into cash, however, with cash returns being low we tend to favour asset backed investment over the longer term. You can also now establish children’s ISAs where a child is not eligible for the child trust fund; the annual savings limit for the children’s ISA is £3,600.
Waveney McKenna Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. At Waveney McKenna we offer a comprehensive planning service and aim to
create long term relationships with our clients. • Visit www.waveneymckenna.co.uk or call us on 01733 425818 if you have any queries or would like further information.
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HOME AND GARDEN
KITCHEN ESSENTIALS Ian McBain at The AGA Shop
A well-planned kitchen can add value to your home and bring hours of contentment to you and your family. But where do you start with such a major project? Fiona Cumberpatch asked local companies for advice
Fired Earth
P
lanning a new kitchen can be exciting - if you know exactly what you want. But in a fast-paced industry, which offers consumers a huge choice of styles, it can also be an overwhelming task. Gathering ideas, by studying magazines and pulling out any images which appeal, is a good start. Make a list of ‘must haves’ and also things that you dislike. Collect samples and swatches, and ask friends for recommendations. When you’re ready to go ahead, draw on the expertise of the kitchen company that you choose. Smaller local companies stand and fall by their reputation, so they’re not going to rip you off or sell you something that you don’t want. “We will give people advice, but we’ll always work with them,” says Guy Bolsover of Kuchen Kraft in Oundle. “Layout tends to be dictated by the room – factors such as the position of the windows and doors, for example. I’d always advise people to think hard about the colour that they choose as if you get it wrong, it can date very quickly and some choices, such as black and aubergine, are not practical.” Nick Hurford, of Hurford and Tebbutt in Peterborough, spends plenty of time talking with clients prior to any decisions. “I need to find out people’s aspirations, but there are also practicalities to consider. Moving drainage or
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Hurford & Tebbutt
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Hurford &Tebbutt KITCHENS AND BEDROOMS SINCE 1969
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Hurford &Tebbutt Showroom 17 - 18 Fenlake Business Centre. Fengate. Peterborough PE1 5BQ VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR PHONE FOR A FREE BROCHURE AND PRICE LIST: WWW.SMA-WARDROBES.CO.UK, 01480 417415 21
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HOME AND GARDEN
Kitchen by Kuchen Kraft
Kitchen tips • • •
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John Lewis electrical points can incur major expense, so its worth bearing in mind that the fundamentals will have to go in roughly the same place,” says Nick. Finding out how people use their kitchen is essential. “It’s important not to have any ‘tight spots,’” he says. “You know, that area in the corner where everyone seems to end up at the same time. It’s a matter of using the available space, perhaps just moving things around to free up the congestion. It’s much easier for someone like me to come in with a fresh eye and new perspective and make suggestions.”
A good basic design rule for most kitchens is to create a triangle with the sink, the hob and the fridge forming the three essential points. “I am also a fan of the island unit, although you do need a bit of room for one of these,” says Nick Hurford. Finally, for peace of mind, don’t be tempted by a cut price kitchen if you’re not sure that the supplier is reliable. By choosing a retailer with membership of a nationally recognised association such as the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Association (KBSA), any deposit and subsequent monies that you part with will be protected.
Contacts: Hurford and Tebbutt. Visit the new showroom at 17-18 Fenlake Business Centre, Fengate, Peterborough PE1 5BQ Tel: 01733 561991 Kuchen Kraft. A showroom in Oundle at 81 West Street, PE8 4EJ Tel: 01832 270300 www.kuchenkraft.co.uk The AGA shop, Warmington Mill, Eaglethorpe, Warmington PE8 6TJ Tel: 01832 280855 QKS, Visit the new shop at 3 Star Lane, Stamford PE9 1PH or the Barnack Road showroom, with 32 room settings. The Maltings, Barnack Rd, Stamford PE9 2NA Tel: 01780 756514 www.qksstamford.co.uk Fired Earth, Warmington Mill, Eaglethorpe, Warmington PE8 6TJ Tel: 01832 280088 John Lewis, Queensgate Centre, Peterborough PE1 1NL Tel: 01733 344644
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Establish your budget, and then build in an extra 10 per cent for emergencies. The perfect kitchen is u-shaped, says Nick Hurford of Hurford and Tebbutt Stain-resistant granite worktops are worth investing in, says Guy Bolsover. They are long lasting and won’t date. Mix up old and new. A contemporary kitchen, accessorised with vintage pieces, works well. Hunt for old enamel food advertising signs at auction houses such as Batemans of Stamford, or try the vast Lincoln Antiques and Home show (www.asfairs.com) for rustic stools, step ladders and enamelware. Introduce some casual seating in your kitchen if there is room, advises Guy Bolsover. Consider installing a Rayburn so that you can generate hot water and run radiators, while you enjoy the benefits of cast iron cooking, suggests Ian McBain of The AGA shop at Warmington Mill. Dark kitchen? Bring the light in with carefully chosen flooring, lighting and work tops, says Guy Bolsover. Consider investing in an AGA. “Gone are the days when an AGA is limited to chimney breasts or external walls. Now that AGAs run cost effectively on electricity, they can be located almost anywhere in the kitchen,” says Ian McBain.
NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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News from Oundle Mill
Mother’s Day Lunch Sunday 18th March
Guaranteed Personal Service from a Local Family Business
To see the menu go to www.oundlemill.co.uk
2 courses £25.00 - 3 courses £30.00
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PERSPECTIVES
Heirloom recipes
Handwritten recipe books, passed down through the generations, can help to keep loved ones’ memories alive and inspire a lifelong love of cooking. Fiona Cumberpatch reports
Sally Williams
S
grandmother’s recipe book written in my own fair hand. Her dressmaker dictated it to me when I accompanied her to a fitting one day,” says Sally. “I’ve continued the tradition with my own recipe book, which has snippets from one of my daughters and my grand daughter, too.”
Auntie Kit’s lemon curd By Tasha Kosviner
Some people hold on to lost loved ones through possessions, passed down through the generations like memories: a particular piece of jewellery; a painting; a seat whose polished contours bore witness to uncountable companionable afternoons Me? I remember Auntie Kit through steamed up kitchen windows and thick, unctuous food smells: roast dinners, stewed pepper, rice puddings and lemon curd. We lost our precious Kit aged 98, just before the sun rose on 2012. Her last jars of lemon curd, as yellow as that sun, as sweet and sharp as our loss, were still in the fridge. Here is her recipe: 4 lemons 4 free range eggs Tasha Kosviner 1lb caster sugar 4 oz butter Grate the lemon zest and squeeze out the juice. Strain into a pan and add the zest, eggs, sugar and butter. Stir over a gentle heat until the curd thickens. Do not boil. Pour into sterilised jars and cover immediately. Give to visiting relatives, or eat spread on thickly buttered toast. Tasha Kosviner runs The Tiffin Kitchen, an upmarket catering company which provides fresh, seasonal and home made food for picnics, weddings and special events. For more details visit www.tiffinkitchen.com or ring 07795 007792 NENE VALLEY Living MARCH 2012
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PHOTO: Lesley Anne Churchill
eeing the recipe for Yorkshire pudding written in my great aunt’s careful hand (above) in the shabby green recipe book that sat on her kitchen table during my Sunday morning childhood visits triggers a host of vivid memories. The smell of roast lamb drifting through the house, the coal fire that always seemed to be burning in the grate, come rain or shine, and the silver half crown that was pressed into my palm as we put on our coats to leave. A friend still bakes her late mum’s chocolate cake, a king among sponges, which she would always bring back to our rented university house each term. The recipe is barely legible now, but she likes to open the book, and smooth out the page, before settling to the familiar routine. Many of us have a similar book, the pages almost furry with handling, and faint, much loved recipes dotted with spots of cake batter. Sally Williams, from Longthorpe, runs The Edible Gift Company, creating bespoke hampers of home made chutneys, preserves and baked goods. She credits her grandmother’s love of cooking with her own passion for the art. “It was my grandmother who started me off on chutney making, and I still have her original recipe for apple chutney which she made every year with apples from her garden. My copy is obviously well used as it’s rather chutneyspattered now!” Sally began cooking aged five in her grandmother’s kitchen, rolling out scraps of pastry and filling them with raisins. She progressed to cakes, and steamed puddings. “There is even a recipe for brandy snaps in my
As local communities plan celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, with street parties ear marked for many, the chances are that some of those old recipe books will be dusted down again. If you have any heirloom recipes that you’d like to share with us, please drop us a line at Nene Valley Living, PO Box 208 Stamford PE9 9FY. Mark your envelope ‘heirloom recipes’. We’ll be doing our bit to help keep the baking tradition alive. The Edible Gift Company. Email info@ediblegiftcompany.co.uk or call 07731558743
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Bridget Steele rounds up news from local health and beauty businesses
HEALTH & BEAUTY
An optician... but not as we know it A visit to the optician is not something we usually look forward to. Gerry Sondh and his team at The Oculist have a unique approach which makes a trip to the opticians a pleasure rather than a chore. The first real difference is the beautifully designed shop floor, with frames displayed on illuminated shelves. There are no crowded waiting areas or queues: instead, The Oculist has a charming environment and the staff are genuinely interested in finding the perfect frames and lenses for you. The eye examination is 40 minutes (up to twice as long as a standard eye examination) and includes retinal photography as standard for private and NHS clients. Gerry tailors the eye examination to your needs and relates your examination to your everyday life. As well as great service, The Oculist offers a number of handmade, specialist spectacle brands. They are intelligently designed by companies dedicated to innovative design and technology. Book an appointment now by calling 01733 555621or visit www.theoculist.com
health & beauty notes Are you up for a challenge?
FitXtreme Bootcamps are run by Philippa Wakefield-Lilley who has 14 years experience in the Royal Air Force and is a qualified gym and outdoor fitness instructor. FitXtreme was launched in Hampton, Peterborough in September 2011 and due to its popularity, it is now launching in Oundle on 16th April. The FitXtreme Bootcamp is designed for both men and women of all fitness levels. The course aims to increase your cardiovascular fitness and provides an all over body workout with proven results. Sessions are run by fully qualified instructors who are there to ensure that you not only work hard but also have fun. At a FitXtreme Bootcamp you exercise five days a week for a three week period. A three week course is £95. The instructors will motivate you to push yourself harder than you’ve worked before to get the optimum results. Sessions are specially designed to appeal to a wide audience so that anyone who joins gets the maximum results. For more information see www.FitXtreme.co.uk or to book contact Philippa on 07739 580295 or email info@ fitxtreme.co.uk
Purely pampering Try the Pamper Experience at Pure Health and Beauty in Glapthorn The offer consists of three treatments for £90 and you can choose from a Jessica Deluxe Pedicure, or Geleration Manicure, IntensiveFacial, Swedish Back Massage, Half set of Lash Perfect Eyelash Extensions, Indian Head Massage, Make up Lesson, or spray tan. Lunch can also be arranged when booking and vouchers are available. For more information contact Pure Health and Beauty, Main Street,. Glapthorn, Peterborough PE8 5BE Tel: 01832 272310 or 07807 879459 e-mail:pure@farming.co.uk
Turn that frown upside down Fiona Cumberpatch tries a Zumba class
I’m not sporty and I have the dancing skills of Ann Widdecombe, but I need something to help keep the middle aged spread at bay so I went along to Sophie Hurford’s Zumba fitness class in the Christie Hall, Wansford. Described as ‘Latin inspired dance fitness,’ Zumba has become incredibly popular in the last couple of years. Starting with a Based in Wansford, Liz Brock started Lily Holistics in October 2011. warm up, you then plunge Previously a nurse in Peterborough, Liz wanted to explore her interest straight into a number of in holistic therapies. I tried a 55 minute reflexology treatment. Liz fairly complicated routines set worked on my feet applying gentle pressure to the reflex points which to Latin and reggae music. It’s correspond to specific organs, glands and systems in the body. “The so fast that you don’t have time treatment stimulates the body’s own healing process and has proved to worry that you’re hurtling along very effective for many conditions,” says Liz. The treatment can be in the opposite direction to everyone used for general aches and pains, to balance the digestive system and else, and Sophie is the smiliest fitness strengthen the immune system, stimulating the lymphatic system and instructor you’ll ever meet. At £4 a class, helps to rid toxins from the body. After my treatment, Liz suggested which can burn up to 650 calories, I’m going I drank plenty of water and avoided caffeine and alcohol. I felt the to join this party. treatment was soothing and although I could not keep awake while I Zumba with Sophie takes place in Walton, was receiving it, I was energised afterwards. The treatment costs £35 Wansford, Stanground and Eye. For dates and for a 55 minute session, or six sessions for £175. details visit www.zumbawithsophie.co.uk or For more information contact: Liz Brock, Lily Holistics, 4 Old call 07594880617. North Road, Wansford, PeterboroughPE8 6LB Tel; 01780 789919 www.lilyholistics.net
Relax with reflexology
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NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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Private Psychological Therapy Service
Johan Truter
Chartered Clinical Psychologist Specialised in treating the following areas: • Low self esteem and loss of confidence • • Anxiety, panic and stress • • Depression, low mood and despair • • Phobias, obsessions and ruminations •
www.psychologistuk.co.uk For further information please contact
01780 758556
Orion House, 14 Barn Hill, Stamford, PE9 2AE
Elizabeth Brock SNHS Dip (Aromatherapy) SNHS Dip (Reflexology)
Treat someone special with a wonderful Pamper Experience.
LiLy HoListics
4 Old North Road, Wansford, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE8 6LB teL 01780 789919 - www.LiLyHoListics.net
Id M ea ot l g 18 he ift th r’s fo M Da r ar ch y
Book any 3 treatments for £90 • Jessica Deluxe Pedicure • Indian Head Massage • Jessica Deluxe GELeration Manicure • Intensive Facial • Swedish Back Massage • Half Set of Lash Perfect Eyelash Extensions • Make Up Lesson • Spray Tan
Opening Times
Pure Health & Beauty
Mon 9.30-7.30 Tue 9.30-7.30 Wed 9.30-7.30,
The Old Stables, Church Farm, Glapthorn,
Thur 9.30-7.30 Fri 9.30-5.00 Sat 8.00-5.00
Nr Oundle, Peterborough, PE8 5BE
Tel: 01832 272310 or Email: pure@farming.co.uk
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HOME & GARDEN
Portrait of the artist Sam Purcell, who drew our cover image of a hare, is an artist who lives and works in Polebrook, near Oundle. Here she shares her inspirations and influences. Words: Fiona Cumberpatch. Photos: Lesley Anne Churchill I’m adding new cards to my collection all the time. My best sellers are the designs with hares and the ones with the Jack Russell (the dog belongs to my mum!). The cards are printed by Inkwell printers at Barnwell, who have been very helpful to me.
This is where I work, developing my designs, painting and drawing. Lottie always tries to get on my knee when I sit down! When I get stuck, I take her out for a walk, which never fails to clear my head. We got Lottie two years ago. She’s a Parson Jack Russell, and is my constant companion. I haven’t turned her into a card design yet, but I will, because she’s a great shape to draw!
I found these seed heads when I was out walking Lottie one day. When I got them inside, I saw that they were teeming with greenfly, but that’s long gone and now I’m inspired by their sculptural shape.
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This painting is by my uncle, Charles Sutton, who was an artist. He has always had a huge influence on me. When I was young, my idea of perfection was being in his beautiful house, with wonderful music on the record player, a drink, lots of laughter and good times. He lived in Winchester, where I grew up and he threw the most amazing parties. I suppose you could call him a bon viveur. When he died a couple of years ago, I inherited some of his furniture and paintings, which mean a great deal to me.
I did a degree in Expressive Arts at Brighton Polytechnic. I didn’t do much drawing while I was there, preferring to paint instead. My style and subject matter has developed since I moved to the countryside. I have a range of cards, which I sell direct (for enquiries, email sampurcell@btinternet.com) and through Foxtail Lilly in South Road, Oundle, and I’m planning to set up a website and to introduce some other products into my range.
I’ve never been keen on contemporary music, I prefer jazz such as Ella Fitzgerald and Django Reinhardt. Again, it’s my uncle’s influence, because that’s the music I heard when I was growing up. These records come from his collection and I often play them when I’m working at my desk. NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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MOTORING
“Psychologists believe that the colour of car is a clear reflection of an owner’s personality”
WHAT colour Car? What does your car colour say about you? Ashley Martin reflects
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s the colour of car we chose to drive haphazard or does it have a deeper meaning possibly reflecting fascinating details about the individual owner? Additionally, can selecting one colour of car over another aid road safety and improve the value of vehicle at resale time? Psychologists believe that the colour of car is a clear reflection of an owner’s personality, while safety can be improved and cash saved if simple rules around colour selection are followed. According to figures obtained from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) the most popular new car colour last year was black, which accounted for 460,975 models sold. It was followed by silver (368,177), white (296,818), grey (279,929), blue (263,113) and red (185,104). Those six colours were comfortably more popular than the remaining four colours in the top 10 list: brown (21,629), green (19,464), beige (12,560) and bronze (8,185). Although black and silver maintained the two top positions in the new car colour chart last year, there was a surge in the popularity of white cars with over 100,000 more sold than in 2010, according to the SMMT’s figures, while bronze models crept into the list at the expense of yellow vehicles. Research suggests that, for example, a black car reflects traits such as power and authority while also revealing the owner to be self-assured and in control, but also wanting to display a touch of elegance.
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A silver car is supposed to reflect prestige, wealth and luxury - or it could be that owners just don’t like cleaning their car as silver models are supposed to show the least dirt. Keeping to the dirt theme and a clean white car is a reflection of an individual who pays attention to detail, while a dirty white car makes the owner look sloppy and indifferent. Other colours that reflect individual characteristics include grey - stability and selfreliant; blue - loyal, dependable and calm and someone who values friendships; red - perhaps not surprisingly a passionate person but an owner who is also likely to be wealthy and full of life; brown - reliable and responsible and not a show off; and the owner of a green car is likely to be conscientious. Meanwhile, studies in Australia, New Zealand and Sweden that have linked vehicle safety to car colours suggest that black cars are involved in the most crashes. The Swedish study highlighted that pink cars were involved in the fewest road crashes, while the New Zealand research found that there was a significantly lower rate of serious injury in silver cars; with higher rates in brown and green cars as well as black. A vehicle colour study, conducted by the Accident Research Centre at Monash University in Australia analysed crash risk by light condition. It found that in daylight black cars were 12% more likely than white to be involved in an accident, followed by grey cars at 11%, silver cars at 10%, and red and blue cars at 7%, with no other colours found to be significantly
more or less risky than white. At dawn or dusk the risk ratio for black cars jumped to 47% more likely than white, and that for silver cars to 15%. In the hours of darkness only red and silver cars were found to be significantly more risky than white, by 10% and 8% respectively. Car colour, according to experts at leading new and used car information providers CAP, is the single most important factor in adding or destroying value to a car. Colour, according to CAP chief editor Chris Crow, has a greater impact than any other accessory in helping a car to stand out on a forecourt or in a showroom. Car owners wishing to minimise their exposure to changing fashions are advised to stick to black, silver or grey coloured cars by CAP. Latest vehicle disposal data from the organisation suggests that in the first weeks of 2012 white cars achieved on average 6% more than blue cars at auction, while pink and purple cars also out performed the market but orange cars proved less attractive. As Mr Crow says the cyclical nature of the popularity of car colours - white being the best example capturing over 15% of new car sales in 2011, up from 2% in 2007 – is replicated in the used market. Could it be, as reported by high street car parts and car servicing operator Halfords quoting design experts, that the rebirth of white resulting in it being the fastest growing new car colour is due to computer giant Apple, whose ‘must have’ sleek, white iPods and iPads have made the colour trendy again?
NENE VALLEY LIVING march 2012
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PERSPECTIVES
The winds of change As wind turbines appear across the countryside in ever-greater numbers, Simon Potter takes a look at how wind was harnessed across Peterborough in the days before electicity
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s there an image that sums up the tranquil countryside of a bygone age more effectively than a majestic windmill? Many of us grew up with Windy Miller, nonchalantly avoiding the rotating sails as he went in and out of his front door in Trumpton. Alan Davies then kept the magic of windmills alive through the hit TV series Jonathan Creek. Midway through the 19th century there were dozens, hundreds, even thousands of them throughout England’s green and pleasant land. Beyond the genteel appeal, though, was the reality that they were dangerous places in which to live and work. Not only did the millers face the uphill struggle of making their buildings pay as a business, but there was the battle of bringing up their families in cramped conditions amidst the daily danger of a stray spark setting fire to the place. Rats would be plentiful and strong winds spelt potential ruin. Until the railways came in the mid 19th
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century, Peterborough was an agricultural backwater. The local economy depended upon farming and its associated trades, which included milling. There was certainly no shortage of windmills. Barnack, Castor, Farcet, Fletton, Glinton, Thorney and Yaxley – amongst other places – all had a mill, and of course, one gave its name to the district of Millfield. By the Second World War, there were just two operational mills left in Peterborough: one at Eye and the other in Werrington, which had the honour of being the last working windmill in the country. The building still stands to this day, albeit with no sails.
An ancient mill It’s believed Werrington’s first windmill was built around a thousand years ago, replaced in the 17th century and again rebuilt following a fire in 1835. In 1912 a violent storm broke off two of the four sails, but the mill was kept working with
the two that remained. It was in that year that a man by name of John Tyler, whose stepfather had previously run the mill, started work at the place. Sixty years later, he recounted, in an interview with The Evening Telegraph, how the mill used to make 300 loaves of bread, each selling at tuppence farthing, every day. Government legislation during the First World War deemed stoneground flour as unfit for human consumption, and the mill switched to grinding animal feed until it eventually closed down in 1953. Perhaps the most famous local mill, though, was the one which gave its name to a whole area. A four-storey, brick-built, six-sailed mill in Dogsthorpe was built in 1831 on the site of a previous wooden windmill. It became such a local landmark that the area became known as Millfield and its legacy lives on through Windmill Street and the recently-closed Windmill public house.
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Werrington
Thorney It became known as Adams’ Mill after a John Adams took over the place in 1846 and thrived for many years as a popular baker, running the business for almost 50 years. The next couple of decades saw a number of different owners and major damage to the sails in a gale before it fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished in 1937, making way for what became known as Adams’ Garage, now the site of a petrol station.
A different time During the windmill’s heyday, Millfield was a very different place. Just along the road from the mill was the East of England Agricultural Society’s showground, site of their annual show until 1910, when it moved to Eastfield. The mill had five sails, one more than Werrington’s, but that was only after a gale snapped off one of the original six in 1905. The following year, a James Garner took over the place and
although he wouldn’t have known it at the time, he would be Millfield’s last miller. After being forced into the animal feed market, he sold up in 1937. After several years of being reliant on steam – rather than wind – power, the windmill was demolished to make way for the garage. At least the name lives on. Millfield adopted its current name some time between 1854 and 1864. Whilst those two windmills were brick built, Thorpe Road boasted one made of wood, which stood alongside a mill house that had reputedly once been an inn. It was lucky to survive the 1840s when, in the ownership of the Holdich family – which remains a wellknown name in the city to this day – a group of vagrants broke into one of the outhouses, according to a report in The Stamford Mercury, and lit a fire to keep warm. It did succumb to fire in the late 1860s, though, but the Holdich family instead developed their other mill, in Fengate, where the business had a ballroom on the first floor of an adjacent barn. That seems to have stopped working around 1903 – the miller of the time blaming Peterborough Cathedral for shielding it from the wind – and it was razed to the ground when a fire that spread over half an acre of land destroyed all but the Holdich family home, and their ballroom, and caused farmer Frederick Holdich serious burns to his back and hands as he rescued his favourite horse from its stable.
Eight sails in Eye While Werrington had four sails, Millfield five (and previously six), Eye boasted a rare eight-
sail mill, one of only seven ever built in the country. A map dating from 1824 is the first reference to a windmill there and by the 1930s it had been adjusted to having just four sails. The Peterborough Advertiser of the day published a picture of the place, showing its four sails and windows on seven floors, to accompany an article explaining that 82 year old William Oldham, was believed to be the oldest working miller in the country. It was derelict by the 1950s, though, and the last remaining brickwork demolished in 1982, although the two millstones live on, forming the entrance to the business that now stands there. The word ‘Millstone’ lives on in Barnack, too, where the local pub has it as its name. The village actually had two mills. Glinton’s mill, which stood in the middle of an orchard near what is now the site of Arthur Mellows Village College, is long gone and it is well over a hundred years since the windmill at Castor, not far from a watermill there, last ground any corn. Only the older residents of Fletton will know that they, too, had a windmill which stood near the Peacock pub; it was demolished in the early 1970s. The area, a village in its own right at the time, had a windmill in the 1590s, and possibly much earlier than that but little is known of the scale of the operation of those ghosts from the past. As wind power once again comes to the fore, with enormous turbines built on exposed areas of fenland, it is hard to imagine how the same force once powered our ancestors, and kept them in the bread that was their staple diet. NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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Activities
A FAMILY WALK Robin Moore suggests a route starting from Oundle Start and finish: St Peter’s Church, Oundle DISTANCE: About 6 miles. ROUTE SUMMARY: Marked with scallop shells and yellow-taped sign posts, the walk starts at St Peter’s Church. Walk to the Oundle School Boathouse at the end of North Bridge - follow the river bank to Cotterstock - joining the cycle route beyond the meadows, continue to Tansor and the A605. Cross the main road and walk half a mile along the old Polebrook Aerodrome Road to the Nene Way path on the right. Follow the trail to Ashton Green (The Chequered Skipper). Cross the meadows to return to Oundle. EQUIPMENT/INFORMATION: A Pilgrim Passport if required (to collect stamps – see main Pilgrimage Guide). Bottled water, picnic lunch, a basic first aid kit, a good pair of boots, wet weather clothing. Contact Trek Kits, Eastwood Rd Ind. Estate, Oundle, tel: 01832 272050 for advice about equipment. RECOMMENDED INNS: The Chequered Skipper, Ashton; The Rose & Crown and The Ship Inn, Oundle.
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eaving the churchyard at North Street (traffic lights), walk to the boathouse at the left end of the stone bridge. The entrance is marked by a yellow-taped sign post and scallop shell; beyond the wooden structures, the path follows the Nene as far as Cotterstock Mill. It is roughly a mile from the boathouse to Cotterstock Lock. Across the meadows from the lock stands the beautifully restored mill which, for over 150 years, was an important feature of local commerce. In those days, the river was an artery of trade, and barges transported grain along the Nene valley. Cotterstock is a small village, comprised of a few traditional stone buildings, a 17th century manor known as Cotterstock Hall and the Church of St Andrew nestling close to the river bank. Its history dates back to Roman times, and in the 13th century it was the base of a religious institution founded by John Gifford who was at the time the Rector. He succumbed to the Black Death and later the college was dissolved. Continuing to Tansor, east of Cotterstock, exit the meadows via the gate and turn right to cross the bridge; now follow the cycle route to this diminutive community. On reaching Tansor, keep to the byway (pointing right) which passes through the village and over the old railway bridge where a few houses occupy what was once the track bed below. Beyond the bridge, continue along the cycle route to Tansor Crossroads and the A605. Cross to rejoin the byway which is only a short distance away to the left. This country lane once served Polebrook Aerodrome
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when it was active (1941 – 1963). After walking half a mile, locate the Nene Way Trail/Public Footpath on the right. This section stems from a farm track at Warmington which crosses the aerodrome road to renew its course along a dirt track to the Elmington Ranges. From here, the path becomes a solid track traversing pleasant rural landscape to the woodlands of Ashton Estate. Turning right at ‘Murder Cottage’, follow the Nene Way from Ashton Wold to the village green and The Chequered Skipper. The green provides an opportunity to savour a special part of the Oundle Pilgrimage. Originally a farm, the surrounding reed-thatched stone-built village affords a unique ambience that is still kept in traditional style. A short walk across the field leads to Ashton Mill which was converted by the Rothschild
family in the 19th century to supply water to the village residents. On the approach to Ashton High Bridge, the scent of indigenous flora and soothing sound of running water in summer months adds a special atmosphere to the journey as the tributaries of the Nene flow back towards the meadows. Across the bridge on the left is an alternative family route (‘The Two Mills Way’) which also originates from Oundle and follows the Nene Way to Barnwell Mill (about 6 miles); our present journey continues straight ahead to the bypass. Cross, and follow the footpath to Ashton Road; turn right and walk to the Joan Strong Centre. Continue into town by turning left onto East Road. • A family Pilgrim Guide containing this walk is on sale soon at Trek-Kits for £1.99. For more information contact www.robin-moore. co.uk
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Private Lessons at our Tuition Centre KS3 yr7, yr8, yr9 GCSE A Level Secondary Maths English Biology Chemistry Physics KS1 KS2
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RIDGEWAY GARAGE DOORS Local family run business specialising in the supply and installation of manual & automatic garage doors.
Also available Help with Science practical tests Every Science GCSE or A Level syllabus has a coursework, practical assessment which many students find difficult. We can offer classes to prepare for this. Courses will run during the half term holidays in February and May/June.
ABACUS TUTORS 01733 367204 (Between 2pm and 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm Saturday)
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WHAT’S ON
29 February to 25 March EXHIBITION: Rejoicing in the Cross German-born Karola Onken paints huge, brilliantly coloured acrylics that encourage viewers to look at their lives in new ways • Free. Peterborough Cathedral, Cathedral Precincts, Peterborough, PE1 1XS. Contact mark. tomlins@peterborough-cathedral.org.uk or call 01733 355300.
DIARY DATES Yasmin Bradley selects interesting events for February
March
Wednesday 7 to Saturday 10 March PLAY: The Boyfriend - 7.45pm Sandy Wilson’s impossible-not-to-tap-your-feet-to score transports a talented cast of Oundle School performers back to the heyday of glamour on the French Riviera. • Tickets: £9. The Stahl Theatre, West Street, Oundle, PE8 4EJ. Box Office: 01832 273930. www. stahltheatre.co.uk.
Tuesday 13 March (Key Theatre) PLAY: The Trial by Franz Kafka, adapted by Steven Berkoff 7.30pm
Wednesday 14 March (Stahl Theatre)
7.45pm Two rare opportunities to see the shocking, thrilling and funny European literary classic of a man awaiting trial for a nameless crime, performed by an innovative company. • Tickets £12 (£8.50) at the Key; £5 at The Stahl (details as before) www.blackeyedtheatre.co.uk.
Friday 16 March EVENT: An evening with author Stephen Booth 7pm. Meet the award-winning crime author whose police detectives work in the beautiful Peak District. • Tickets £3 (£2) from Central Library. John Clare Theatre, Central Library, Broadway, Peterborough, PE1 1RX. libraryenquries@vivacity-peterborough. com. 01733 864280.
Sunday 25 March CHARITY EVENT: Sport Relief Mile at Ferry Meadows Country Park, Polebrook, Northborough and Whittlesey. The annual Peterborough mile takes place at venues throughout the Nene valley and raises money to help people living tough lives in the UK and some of the world’s poorest countries. • Visit www.sportrelief.com for more information
Sunday March 25 CONCERT: City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s Spring Concert - 3pm Violin soloist Amy Littlewood plays The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams – top choice for Desert Island Disc listeners - in a programme including Delius’ Walk in Paradise and Beethoven’s No.6 Pastoral Symphony. • Tickets: £12.50 (£10.50). Accompanied children free. The Voyager Academy, Mountsteven Avenue, Walton, Peterborough PE4 6HX. Tickets from Peterborough Visitor Destination Centre www.cpso. org.uk
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PLAY: Our Country’s Good Nightly 7.30pm, Saturday matinee 2.30pm The acclaimed Original Theatre Company return with this award winning modern classic set in Australia in 1788 about the transforming power of theatre. • £16 (£13) Key Theatre, Embankment Road, Peterborough, PE1 1EF. key.theatre@vivacitypeterborough.com. 01733 207237/39
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Friday 2 – Saturday 3 March
Saturday 17 March CONCERT: Handel’s Messiah 7.30pm Peterborough Choral Society, now in its 11th year, and the City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra perform this stunning work in the spectacular surroundings of the Cathedral. • Tickets: £14 (£12) from Stamford Arts Centre on 01780 763203 and Peterborough Visitor Destination Centre, 9 Bridge Street, Peterborough, PE1 1HJ. Peterborough Cathedral, Cathedral Precincts, Peterborough, PE1 1XS. Saturday 24 March CRAFT FAIR: St John’s Handmade Fair 10am-3pm Browse for handmade gifts for yourself, or someone special! Homemade refreshments • Free. St. John the Baptist, Church Street, Peterborough, PE1 1XE. Contact Keely Mills at platformpeterborough@yahoo.co.uk.
SUNDAY
26 MONDAY 27 TUESDAY 28 WEDNESDAY 29 THURSDAY 30 FRIDAY 31 SATURDAY
Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 March, and Saturday 31 March EVENT: Big Bunny Egg Hunt Hop on the bumpy tractor ride to the Enchanted Wood, hunt for eggs, then meet Sacrewell’s Easter Bunny to receive a special chocolate gift! • £3 per child; £1.50 (accompanying adults) plus normal farm admission (£4.70 - £6.95). Sacrewell Farm & Country Centre, Thornhaugh, Peterborough, PE8 6HJ. 01780 782254. info@sacrewell.org.uk. www.sacrewell.org.uk. NENE VALLEY LIVING MARCH 2012
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ESSENTIAL LIVING will help you win new customers Essential Living, our annual publication, will pack an even bigger punch this year, with a truly upmarket and aspirational feel about it. It’s the magazine that everyone will want to have a copy of and keep because of its ‘national magazine’ production values. ESSENTIA L LIVING
2 012
This year we are making some big new investments to give you even better value: • Distributing 10,000 (an extra 25%) copies; so as well as going door to door across all the ultra upmarket addresses in the region, we will be distributing to gyms, golf clubs, beauty salons, top hotels and upmarket food outlets in the region • Providing much stronger marketing support, through Twitter, Facebook and local radio • Investing still more in photography and design to make it the stand-out publication in the region – glossy, desirable, highly aspirational - a source book for all the products and services that a discerning customer needs or desires
food/fash ion/health & beauty/ home & g S TA m F ORD arden/life RUTLAN style D OU NDL E
NENE
VA L L E Y
PETERB
OROU
GH
mARkE
T HAR BO
ROUG
H
YOUR
GUIDE T O T HE VER Y BEST THE RE GION
What others have said • Read from cover to cover: “The magazine has been our ‘bible’ since moving here at the end of October last year. An invaluable read for all of us, so many thanks for that!” • Gets a great response: “I would like the ad to look the same as last year, as it was very eye catching and we did get a huge amount of business from it.”
ESSENTIA LIVING L
HAS TO OFFER
The details: • Distribution: 10,000 controlled distribution and retail sales Publishing date: late May • Categories covered: Local Food, Eating Out, Fashion, Health & Beauty, Indoor Living, Art & Gifts, Outdoor Living, Get Active and Learning • Rates: Double page spread £1,200, Full page £750, Half page £395. Quarter page £240, Eighth page £140 (all exc VAT). • Geographic region: Stamford, Rutland, Melton Mowbray, Market Harborough, Stoneygate, Oundle, Peterborough, the Deepings, Bourne EL2011C
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Contact your local advertising manager for more information or email the editor at nicholas@bestlocalliving.co.uk
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DIRECTORY ACCOUNTANTS
HEALTH
Elizabeth Brock SNHS Dip (Aromatherapy) SNHS Dip (Reflexology)
LiLy HoListics 4 Old North Road, Wansford, Peterborough Cambridgeshire, PE8 6LB teL 01780 789919 www.LiLyHoListics.net
Best Local Walks and Best Local Bike Rides are stunningly produced A5 guidebooks describing 20 spectacular walks or bike rides in detail with maps, pictures and directions. They also describe points of interest on each route and the best places to find refreshments.
20 Best Local Bike Rides MUSIC
rides
BIKE
20 best lo cal
Spectacular rides around cycle Stamford, Ru Harborough tland, the Nene Va and lley
In association with Rutland Cycling
CAR VALETING
MINI VALET ONLY 1.5 – 2 HOURS
ANY CAR, ANY SIZE INC PEOPLE CARRIERS & 4X4S
ALL CARS CLEANED TO DETAIL INCLUDING A FULL DEODORISING WITH BOTH VALETS LEAVING YOUR CAR SMELLING CLEAN & FRESH
LEAVING YOUR CAR IN SHOWROOM CONDITION
COUNSELLING
now available in Oundle
For more information, call our main clinic in Peterborough on
01733 565911 or visit www.prestonsphysio.com
0 ISSN 175 7-747
9 771757 747012
Magazines
around Spectacular walks, Harborough Stamford, Rutland y Valle e Nen and the
In association with Barnack Country Clothes £3.50 0 1
3 – 4 HOURS
Physiotherapy Appointments
9 771757 747012
FULL VALET ONLY
PHYSIOTHERAPY
470 ISSN 1757-7
WOULD YOU ADAM & EVE IT, WHERE ELSE CAN YOU GET ALL THIS AT THESE PRICES. THE PRICE YOU SEE IS THE PRICE YOU PAY WITH NO HIDDEN EXTRAS.
Living
20 Best Local Walks
walks 20 best local
PROFESSIONAL MOBILE CAR VALETING TEL: TOM 07538 402555 WE COME TO YOUR HOME OR WORK 7 DAYS A WEEK
01
£3.50
20 spectacular bike rides around Stamford, Rutland, Harborough and the Nene Valley
Living
20 spectacular walks around Stamford, Rutland, Harborough and the Nene Valley.
Feel Better Today
“Caring for the people of Peterborough and beyond for over 40 years”
Human Givens therapy provides fast and effective help to:
TUITION
Please enclose a cheque for £3.50 per booklet, made payable to Local Living, and return the completed coupon below to: PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY.
Succeed with Languages
Or online at:
Lift depression Reduce anxiety Prevent panic attacks Overcome fears & phobias Cope with stress Enhance self-esteem For information or appointment contact
Francesca Farino 07746 835 153
francesca@hgee.org.uk
HEALTH
HYPNO-SLIMMING
Amazing new easy way to lose weight • Are you unhappy with your weight • Tried all types of diets • Dislike the way you look in the mirror • Uncomfortable with your size • Can’t shift that extra weight • Clothes don’t fit • No motivation The Hypno-Slimming Programme can help you includes Free Hypnotic Gastric Band worth £150 Quit smoking in just 1 hour with hypnosis
Telephone 01733 768839 Peterborough Hypnotherapy Clinic, 26 Priestgate, Peterborough City Centre. Free initial consultation www.curativehypnotherapy.com
• NVL March.indd 47
New Specialist Language Academy
Small Classes & Private Tuition Easter & Summer Kids Camps * Wanted: Friendly Tutors, Helpers & Host Families * Full list of languages online Call 01733 304 140 www.mlslanguageacademy.co.uk
To place an advert in next month’s magazine please call Bridget on 01733 707538
Magazines
www.bestlocalliving.co.uk
Select which title you wish and print in capitals please
Best Local Bike Rides Best Local Walks Name: -------------------------------------------------Address: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Postcode: -----------------
15/2/12 14:07:43
A Gentleman needs the right Time
In sleepy Stamford a firm of extraordinary watchmakers has crafted an entirely English-made, hand-wound, mechanical wristwatch. The 39mm case is hewn from Sheffield stainless steel and turned on English lathes. The traditional English movement is engraved with acanthus leaf and flowers, where the head of each flower contains a sparkling jewel. The movement is the same design that Sir Edmund Hillary wore to conquer Everest.
ROBERT LOOMES
EXTRAORDINARY WATCHMAKERS
• NVL March ADS.indd 40
Robin is a limited edition of one hundred signed and numbered watches. Elegance and discretion combine to tell no more than an Englishman’s watch should do – the right time.
www.robertloomes.com 01780 481319
15/2/12 13:12:41