Nene Valley Living April 2014 by Best Local Living

HELPING

YOU

GET

THE

MOST

OUT

LIVING

NENE VALLEY LIVING FOOD/FASHION/HEALTH

THE WOMEN’S TOUR INTERNATIONAL CYCLE RACE IN OUNDLE HEADING OUT NEW WALKS, PUBS AND RESTAURANTS

BEAUTY/HOME

LOCALLY

GARDEN/LIFESTYLE

new! Try something

Local workshops and courses

APRIL 2014 £1.50 04

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NEW WEBSITE! www.nenevalleyliving.co.uk GET IN TOUCH: NVLAPRILCOVER .indd 1

Nene Valley Living 20/03/2014 12:34

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Is your weight affecting your health? Have you tried all the diets available with no success? Fitzwilliam Hospital can offer a solution to obesity through surgical weight loss procedures. Procedures available are Gastric Banding, Gastric Bypass and Gastric Sleeve. All procedures can result in loss of around 60% of excess weight over time.

For more information please call our Hospital Service Advisor on:

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N E NE VA L L EY LIVING

Cover illustration: HARE BY POLEBROOK ARTIST SAM PURCELL

This Issue A PRIL PR IL 2014

ene Valley Living likes to support independent retailers and family businesses. When I was discussing this with a colleague the other day, he said: “there is one area of Peterborough you never mention, yet it’s full of small independents.” The area was Millfield. He was absolutely right. So on a sunny spring afternoon, my colleague Yasmin Bradley and I set off to explore and meet some local business owners. The greengrocer I knew is no longer there, but the Star Supermarket has the biggest and freshest range of fruit and vegetables you’ll find. Coriander and flat leafed parsley in huge bunches, cherries, pomegranates, custard apples, the choice was endless. We visited a Polish deli, a Portugese café with the best coffee and custard tarts, and a framing shop that’s been around for 20 years. I came home with bags full of food, including baklava (crisp pastries containing nuts and honey), chapattis, pitta breads and Polish pickles. Find out more in our feature on page 19. • Here’s a late notice for an interesting event. The Friends of Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery will be holding the Martin Howe Memorial Lecture on April 8 at 7pm. Carenza Lewis of Time Team will be giving a talk entitled From Time Team to a Dig on Your Doorstep. Tickets cost £10 (£8 concessions) from the Visitor Information Centre in Peterborough. Have a great month.

Fion a Cu mberpatch Editor SUBSCRIBE TO Nene Valley Living

5 Editor’s selection Our pick of Easter treats

7 Upfront

Read our new heritage column

8 Upfront

The Lampshade Warehouse

11 Upfront

Cook a delicious Riverford lunch

13 Upfront

Cream teas at Lyveden

14 Food News

Barnwell Country Park’s new café

24 The Top 10 interior design shops 26 Health and beauty notes A hot stone massage tried and tested

29 The Women’s Tour comes to Oundle The big race starts here!

33 Insuring a young driver What to avoid

36 Learn a new skill

Bread-making, furniture painting and sewing

19 Focus on Millfield

39 A walk in Market Harborough 42 Founding fathers

23 The Crown Inn, Elton

45 Diary dates

16 Fresh spring fashion Ideas for him and her

Peterborough’s independent quarter

A reader offer

Two music legends come to Peterborough

Our pick of this month’s events

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 Warners of Bourne

W W W. N E N E VA L L E Y L I V I N G . C O . U K

Nene Valley Living

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 APRIL 2014

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E A S T E R T RE AT S FOR Y OU AND Y OUR FAMILY

Editor’s selection 1

Bunny box with chocolate eggs, £9, John Lewis, Queensgate, Peterborough

Make your own fl ower craft kit, £4 .50, Jollys Toys, 28a High St, Thrapsto Tel 01832 3589 n 15 www.JollysToy s.co.uk

Selina Lake Outdoor published g, in iv L Peters by Ryland, Great l. al m S and ur yo ideas for om fr garden ylist talented st To e. ak Selina L he T om fr r orde kshop. Oundle Boo lace, 13 Market P Oundle PE8 32 4BA Tel: 018 3 2 5 273

figures, from Papier mache Hobbycraft, at a selection Garden Park Peterborough

Colour in Easter table cloth, £5.50, Jollys To ys, Thrapston, details as before

Papier mache egg, from a sele ction at Hobbycr aft, Peterboroug h Garden Par k

these, and Patchwork eggs. Find crafted and ally gin ori er lots of oth elle jew ry and handmade gifts, cards, r Pop Up High ste Ea home wares at the Hall, April 13, e lag Vil ell rnw Street in Ba room. Raising 1pm-5pm. Vintage tea -School and Pre cle funds for Aldwin up. Gro ty uni mm Co Barnwell

Fairy doors, ha ndmade locally . £30 each from Daisy Chain, 33 Elton Rd, Wansford PE8 6JD Tel: 07713 31 7006

NENE VALLEY LIVING APRIL 2014

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W H AT’ S NEW T HIS MONT H

UpFront OUNDLE’S FESTIVAL FORTNIGHT Preparations are underway Alison for the 30th anniversary of Balsom Oundle International Festival this summer. Taking place from July 6 to 20 in a variety of venues, there will be a mix of classical music, opera and open air theatre to suit both adults and children. Performances will vary from melodious chamber music to festival choirs, traditional organ recitals to 1920s jazzy classical and headlining the festival will be the internationally renowned trumpeter Alison Balsom. If it’s more popular music you’re after, you could dress up and singalong to an interactive screening of Dirty Dancing, or pack a picnic and enjoy an evening’s entertainment watching a wonderful line up of bands at the Oundle Wharf field. If theatre is your preference, why not see an all-male cast performing Romeo and Juliet, or theatre company Ilyria performing Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine? The Oundle Food Festival will once again kick off the festival fortnight on Saturday July 5, with a huge array of stall holders selling produce as diverse as smoked fish, local wines and bison. Oundle’s newest bakery, The Small Bread Company, will be running a series of cookery workshops throughout the week. A fringe festival will run alongside the main events, with performances in pubs and other venues around town, including folk music, poetry and comedy gigs. • Tickets are on sale from Easter. For more information, visit the website or call the box office. www.oundlefestival.org.uk Box office: 01832 274734 4 New St, Oundle PE8 4ED.

SAM PURCELL DESIGNS BRANCHES OUT Fans of Polebrook artist Sam Purcell (creator of this month’s gorgeous cover) will be delighted to discover that her designs now appear on a new range of mugs, jugs and egg cups. They feature one of Sam’s most popular hare drawings, and he now has a name: Hector! The move coincides with the launch of Sam’s new look website and will allow customers to buy direct from Sam Purcell Designs. “I’m really excited to finally put some of my most popular designs on to ceramics,” says Sam. “And I’m delighted to be able to offer them direct from a new website.” Hector Hare mugs are £10, small milk jugs £11, and the large jug is £15. Egg cups are £3.50 each or a set of four is £12. Watch out for more products and designs and news of events at which you can buy the items at www.sampurcelldesigns.co.uk Sam’s new range of mugs, jugs and egg cups will only be available through her website and at special events. You can see them this month at a pop up Easter fair on April 13 in Barnwell Village Hall, 1pm5pm. READER OFFER: Sam is offering a 15% discount to the first 10 NVL readers to make a purchase from her website.

•

OUR HERITAGE

•

The first in an occasional series of columns by Peterborough Civic Society. Here, Kem Mehmed explains the importance of conservation areas

round and about Peterborough there are about 30 villages and suburbs that merit the designation ‘Conservation Area’. Within their boundaries special consideration is given by the City Council to directing and controlling development and other changes which may alter the appearance and character of the area. There is also a duty to enhance these areas. The Peterborough Civic Society considers that this is a duty the City Council takes seriously and recently its Planning Services department published for consultation four new appraisals covering Longthorpe, Bainton, Marholm and Orton Longueville. These reports join the 18 published since 2007. All can all be read under the ‘Planning and Building’ pages of the Peterborough City Council’s website. These are essential reading, not only for residents of particular villages but for anyone who has an interest in our urban and rural heritage. They are full of information about the way the villages have developed over the centuries, building types, landscape, materials and architectural details. There is an analysis of the positives which give each place its unique character and those features which detract from the scene. The purpose of these appraisals is to raise awareness of the qualities of these conservation areas and of how enhancement might be possible in both the public and private realm. Each appraisal provides residents with an understanding of what should be cared for and preserved in the conservation area, and the need for sympathetic alterations and repairs. Public Consultation took taking place during February and March on the four appraisal and management reports. A major feature of the reports is a Draft Management Plan for each village which make a number of proposals, including; extensions to the Conservation area boundaries, resistance to more infill or backland development, assistance to owners in maintaining stone boundary walls, reducing visual dominance of roadways and additional tree planting. The Peterborough Civic Society is not directly involved in producing these appraisals and although strongly in favour in principle, we commented in a critical but constructive way during the recent consultation period. • If you would like to know more of what the Civic Society does, visit our website, www.peterboroughcivicsociety.org. uk or come to one of our monthly talks or days out, details are online.

NENE VALLEY LIVING APRIL 2014

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W H AT’ S NEW T HIS MONT H

UpFront BOUTIQUE TURKEY

Oundle Travel recommends the beautiful harbour town of Kaş Kaş is situated in the heart of the old Lycian region. Framed by the Taurus Mountains, it enjoys a cosmopolitan atmosphere, with superb restaurants, colourful shops and winding cobbled streets. The roof terraces are a highlight of the evenings, where you can dine and enjoy the magical views across the tiled rooftops to the harbour and out to sea. Kaş has managed to retain an authentic ambience with relative sophistication that makes it a picturesque and welcoming destination. The region affords many opportunities for exploration of numerous cultural sites. Sporting enthusiasts are also well catered for as Kaş is a centre for outdoor sports and provides a range of activities from scuba diving to canyoning, sea kayaking and trekking. The Deniz Feneri Lighthouse is a superb choice for an early summer week in guaranteed sunshine - this is the region’s premier hotel and offers a relaxing week in stunning surroundings within easy reach of Kaş. A complimentary gulet sailing day is available with all holidays booked through Oundle Travel for Summer 2014: spend a day aboard as the gulet slowly explores the local bays; lunch and afternoon tea is included. Flights are included from Stansted to Dalaman from the Private Jet Terminal at Stansted on a privately chartered aircraft. From £800 per person including hotel, flights and return shared transfers based on seven nights travelling in May 2014. Individual villas sleeping up to 12 are also available for rental in the area. • For more information, contact Oundle Travel on 01832 273600. www.oundletravel.co.uk

LOW ENERGY BULBS THAT YOU’LL LIKE By The Lampshade Warehouse, Peterborough

With soaring energy costs, it makes sense to make savings where ever we can. Double glazing and insulation are well known areas of energy conservation but how many of us look at our lighting costs? Much public money went into promoting the benefits of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). These are fine in that they provide energy efficiency, but the feedback from our customers is that they are slow to warm up, they do not like the light they give, and they are not pleasing to look at. LED lighting is the latest technology to provide household lighting. LED has been around for some years, and is most commonly found in Christmas lights, car headlights and, increasingly, in street lighting, but it’s only relatively recently that the technology has been developed to provide domestic light bulbs that are available to the public. Although these bulbs are more expensive, the savings they provide more than compensate for the initial outlay. A Which? Survey found that the bulbs can cost from £4 - £40, but at The Lampshade Warehouse we have created a range of LED bulbs which retail at £10 each. The lifetime of an LED bulb is around 25 years. The range we stock in our Westwood showroom includes various types of candle bulbs and golf ball bulbs in all fittings as well as GU10 spots in warm or cool white. These can be seen and demonstrated at the The Lampshade Warehouse Lighting Outlet. • 10 Saville Rd, Westwood, Peterborough PE3 7PR Tues –Fri 9-5pm, Sat 10-4. Tel 01733 264391 www.thelampshadewarehouse.co.uk

ASK THE EXPERT

ARE YOU READY FOR PENSIONS AUTO-ENROLMENT? Garry Wiles of Peterborough accountants Stephenson Smart & Co offers the following advice: If you are an employer with staff working for you in the UK, then automatic pension enrolment will apply. You will be required by law to enrol certain staff into a pension scheme, and this must be done from a staging date which will already have been allocated to your Pay As You Earn scheme. Automatic enrolment means that, rather than having to actively choose to join a pension scheme, staff are registered as a matter of course by their employer. If they do not wish to be part of the scheme, staff must choose to opt out. In broad terms, you must enrol staff who are: • Aged 22 to state pension age • Working in the UK • Earning over £9,440 per annum You will be required to pay a minimum employer contribution for all staff you put into the scheme, starting at one per cent of salary. You will need to write to each staff member advising of automatic autoenrolment and also register your scheme with the Pensions Regulator. It is essential to start planning early and the first step is to identify your staging date. Once known, you will need to plan for setting up a pension scheme or modifying an existing one, ensuring that your payroll function can handle the new requirements and ensure systems are in place to monitor the ages and earnings of your staff. At Stephenson Smart we offer a full pensions auto enrolment facility, from initial assessment of the workforce and advice on the most appropriate scheme for your business, through to assistance with all of your employer compliance obligations and providing a fully integrated payroll and pension function. • For more information, contact Garry Wiles on 01733 343275 or Ian Donmall on 01733 572200

NENE VALLEY LIVING APRIL 2014

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Visit The Barn for all your garden needs

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W H AT’ S NEW T HIS MONT H

UpFront NENE VALLEY LIVING

recommends LE BISTRO, WANSFORD

FROM THE RIVERFORD KITCHEN SPRING GREEN LINGUINE Serves two • 200g linguine • 2 handfuls of breadcrumbs • 2 tablespoons olive oil • One onion, sliced finely • One or two cloves garlic, chopped • One glass (125ml) white wine

• Zest of half a lemon • 200g spring greens, tough stalks removed, leaves finely shredded • 125ml crème fraiche or double cream • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan or pecorino • Squeeze of lemon juice to taste

Method Bake the breadcrumbs at 200 degrees centigrade until golden. Leave to one side. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion for eight minutes without colouring. Cook the pasta according to instructions, drain and toss in olive oil. Add the garlic to the onions and fry for a couple of minutes. Add wine and simmer for one minute. Add lemon zest and greens. Wilt for two to three minutes. Add the cream, parmesan, half the breadcrumbs, the pasta, some seasoning and a squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle over the remaining breadcrumbs to serve. • To order your vegbox, contact 01780 789700 or visit www.riverford.co.uk

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We visited the recently opened Le Bistro in Wansford (formerly Fiddlesticks restaurant) which is now run by the team behind The Papermills pub, also in the village. This charming restaurant offers delightful provincial French food with a twist, under the guidance of head chef Luke Marsh. We ordered from the Auberge menu, which is available at lunchtimes only. There is a limited choice, but the menu changes regularly. As we studied our menus, warm baguette and a selection of toppings arrived at the table. These included tomato butter, tapenade and aoli, all at perfect spreading temperature and a great prequel to the rest of our meal. Belinda chose the Soupe du Jour, a roasted red pepper and tomato soup. I had a tomato salad with little golden balls of breadcrumb-coated mozzarella cheese and toasted pine nuts, drizzled with basil oil. Both starters were bursting with flavour and absolutely delicious. Belinda then chose an unusual combination of corn fed chicken with fried egg, anchovies, capers and French fries. There were some gutsy flavours in this dish and it all worked to make an original take on chicken and chips. I chose the classic French omelette with a green salad, fresh herbs and a grating of parmesan. I wish I could make omelettes like this! It had just the right amount of fluffiness and a light, herby flavour. A simple dish, but cooked to perfection. We didn’t need a dessert, but we were tempted by the descriptions. Belinda decided on a crème brulee. The glazed topping was crackly, with no grainy bits, and had a rich baked custard underneath. My chocolate tart with hazelnut crumb was sublime. Chocolate desserts can be tricky to get right, but this was light and sophisticated and not at all cloying. I would like to return to Le Bistro in the evening. The food, service and ambience were spot on. The chef is clearly passionate about his food (and has a great selection of French cheeses apparently!). It is a place to meet friends, not too formal, yet still special. Bridget Steele The Auberge menu is £12 for two courses, or £18 for three. Le Bistro is open Tuesday – Saturday serving lunch 12 – 2.15, dinner 6pm-9pm Tuesday to Thursday and 6pm-10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. • Le Bistro, 26 -30 London Rd, Wansford, Peterborough PE8 6JE Tel: 01780 784111

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call 01780 789700 or visit www.riverford.co.uk/FFB14 NENE VALLEY LIVING APRIL 2014

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W H AT’ S NEW T HIS MONT H

UpFront TEA AT LYVEDEN Take advantage of sunny spring days with a walk followed by a delicious cream tea at Lyveden New Bield, the stunning National Trust property near Oundle. “We’re amazed how popular the tea room has already become, although it’s not surprising as the food is all home cooked and the location is perfect, whether sitting outside and enjoying the setting on a sunny day, or in the warm and cosy cottage after a muddy walk,” says Mark Bradshaw, National Trust General Manager for Northamptonshire and Rutland. There’s a Ladies at Lyveden event on March 29 and 30, a special weekend to treat your mum for Mother’s Day, hear about Lady Tresham and her life at Lyveden and enjoy the show of spring flowers around the property. And from Friday April 18 to Monday April 21, bring the children to be Cadbury Eggsplorers on the Cadbury Easter Egg Trail, 10.30am – 4pm. • Lyveden New Bield, Oundle, PE8 5AT

GIVE YOUR CHILD A HOLIDAY TO REMEMBER Churchill has been operating in the Stamford and Peterborough area for over 20 years and for the past two years in Oakham during the school holidays. It is not just a sports camp, as there is an extensive range of over 30 activities, such as quad biking, swimming, archery, arts and crafts, bouncy castle, orienteering and cooking, to name just a few. The day camps are a great opportunity for children to make new friends and to try new activities in a safe environment, surrounded by supportive and experienced staff. The Summer Camps now run every school holiday in Peterborough, and the company has extended the number of weeks in Stamford over summer 2014. It is happy to accept payment by childcare vouchers. • Call 01780 753461 for further details.

EASTER FUN AT CHARITY FUNDRAISER DAY Come along to Rose Landscapes’ indoor superstore in Peterborough on April 18 for Easter family activities. Between 10am -2pm, there is an Easter Egg hunt with chocolate eggs and a tee shirt prize for all correct entries, as well as face painting, digger discovery and kids’ goody bags. Refreshments and cakes will be on sale, plus free juice for children. All event proceeds will go to Anna’s Hope, a charity which exists to give hope to children and young people with brain tumours. • Rose Landscapes (next to Activity World), Padholme Rd East, Peterborough PE1 5XL

HERLINGTON DENTAL PRACTICE STRIKES GOLD Herlington Dental Practice has been awarded Gold membership of the British Dental Association Good Practice Scheme. The practice joins a select band of about 250 within the UK which have received this prestigious recognition. The scheme is recognised as a trusted mark of quality and is the UK’s leading quality assurance programme for dental practices. It demonstrates the practice team’s commitment to working towards nationally agreed standards of good practice. Gold membership is only given to dental practices that have consistently adhered to the high standards of Good Practice Scheme for a period of 10 years. During that time, the Herlington practice has provided documentary evidence to BDA assessors every year and has passed intensive audit visits by BDA appointed inspectors to prove compliance. The Good Practice scheme recognises the efforts of the whole dental team in delivering a high standard of service for patients and, like all things worth achieving, it requires dedication and patience. By being awarded Gold membership status, Herlington Dental Practice has demonstrated a very strong commitment to embedding the principles of quality into their patient care pathways. Practice manager William Benson says: “I am absolutely delighted to have received this award on behalf of everyone who is either currently working in, or has worked at, the practice within the last 10 years. Our patients recognise that we provide a service of the highest quality and for this to be confirmed by the British Dental Association, is a testimony to everyone’s hard work and effort.”

COME FLY WITH ME On Sunday April 13, you can visit Gransden Lodge Airfield to find out about the sport of gliding. All are welcome, between 10am -4pm. There will be trial flights with qualified instructors on a first come, first served basis. Free admission. Refreshments are available. The airfield entrance is on the B1046 between Little Gransden and Longstowe, opposite Gransden Lodge Farm. The satnav code is SG13 3EB. • More info is available at www.glide.co.uk NENE VALLEY LIVING APRIL 2014

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FOOD & DR INK

Food News All the latest on local food and drink

WHAT’S NEW AT DEXTERS, OUNDLE Ian Simmons, owner of Dexters in Oundle, is no longer at The White Swan, Woodnewton, and is now focussing his energies on popular eaterie Dexters in Oundle. “The White Swan is now in the hands of Julie Heywood, and it will remain the much the same as it was when I was running it, open seven days a week,” explains Ian. Meanwhile, Dexters will be undergoing a few changes in the next couple of months. “From Mother’s Day, we’ll be open on Sundays for the first time,” says Ian. “We’ll be serving a mixed set menu, so you can come along for a traditional roast, but we’ll also be serving our famous burgers and other options.” On Tuesdays, the popular Tapas Tuesdays will be in place, where customers buy four dishes and get a fifth free. “We’re also busy getting the popular garden ready for summer, and we are looking to reintroduce our barbeques, new menus and some other exciting promotions,” says Ian. • Dexters, 1-3 Market Place, Town Centre, Oundle PE8 4BQ. Tel: 01832 273366

A COUNTRY PARK CAFE A new café will be opening at Barnwell Country Park in time for the Easter weekend. Sited in the former Kingfisher Lodge, the café will provide outdoor seating on a newly built deck overlooking the ‘Refuge Lake’ with views to the kingfisher hide and nesting banks. Seven indoor tables will also be available at which to sample refreshments including hot and cold drinks, soups, sandwiches and child-friendly favourites. “It was sad to see the demise of the Visitor Centre café two years ago,” says Mary James, Chairman of The Friends of Barnwell Country Park, “We wanted somewhere for people to meet, sit down and relax after going for a walk or a play in the Park, so it’s great news that the new café is finally here.” “We’re hoping visitors to Kingfisher Café will be able to see kingfishers flit across the lake showing their full turquoise and bronze sheen. The café will give people the opportunity to enjoy a drink and a snack while observing nature at its most beautiful in peaceful and comfortable surroundings.” Kingfisher Café will be run by New Horizons Care, an organisation which provides support for adults and children with learning disabilities. They are hoping to employ people with special needs from the Oundle area to work in the café, an approach which provides a good fit with Barnwell Country Park’s inclusive ethos. The emphasis will be on offering freshly prepared food using locally-sourced ingredients. Alongside the café will be a new toddler play area featuring an enclosed ‘Hobbit Garden’ with a wendy house, veg patch and duck pond complete with wooden squirrels, chickens and toad stools. “We are hoping to start fundraising soon for an indoor soft play area which would be housed in an extension to the café in order to provide Oundle’s only café and toddler play facility,” adds Mary James. Funding for the new outdoor play area has come via a grant from King’s Cliffe Environmental Association which has also financed a camera and TV system which will allow visitors to the café to watch

wildlife on the lake via a live feed while remaining warm and dry within the café. Kingfisher Café will also be available for hire as a party venue, with a marquee option to provide extra capacity. For more information, contact the Barnwell Country Park rangers on 01832 273435. • Look out for Easter trails at Barnwell Country Park over the long Easter weekend. For £1.50, children can follow a trail around the Park and answer clues to win a chocolatey prize!

DELI DELIGHTS Don’t miss the incredible hummus, taramasalata, cacik and other mezze on sale at the newly opened Stamford Delicatessen. The authentic treats are freshly made at The Mad Turk, the town’s popular Turkish restaurant and cost £2.50 per pot. It’s best to place an order as they soon sell out. • 39b High Street, Stamford Tel: 01780 755772

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FASHION

Fresh Spring Style Fashion writer Sally Stillingfleet and her husband Nick tried out the John Lewis style advisor service in Peterborough and both came out with a great new look

For Him I am very open about what to wear – I love advice and guidance, but Nick not so much! He reaches for black and white and has so carefully honed his ‘fashion’ likes and dislikes that his wardrobe is dull and conservative. Can Ian the Menswear Fashion Advisor change him from his black ‘V’ neck jumper and jeans into a more fashionable version of himself? Ian is a consummate fashion expert and gentleman. His challenge was to get Nick suited and booted for work, through to advice on a better mix of casual separates which would work together and not leave him resembling Top Gear’s James May! Ian is so approachable and very knowledgeable about the John Lewis stock and all the fashion details that are so often overlooked. I was very impressed with the neat dark navy Paul Costelloe suit. We liked the mean lapels and slim fitting trousers, later teamed with a more casual shirt by Ted Baker his options had already increased! I especially like the Kin (John Lewis’s more Fashion forward range) white shirt worn with what I named the Gary Barlow waistcoat (also Ted Baker) and slimmer 511 Levi’s. The slightly padded and more fitted Ted Baker navy jacket finished off the outfit once again. This service is complimentary and transformative. The combination of innate stock knowledge combined with a nod to fashion is just what Nick needed. Ian is a tonic to all those men floundering in fashion wilderness.

“Fashion advisor Ian is a tonic to all those men floundering in fashion wilderness.”

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For Her My friendly Fashion advice was delivered by Lorraine and Alison (not Trinny and Susannah!) in the special suite of rooms dedicated to the service. A two hour complimentary service is primarily for finding specific outfits for customers, such as Mother of the Bride or dressing for a special occasion. But I was treated to the new ‘Style Profile’ service which approaches the targeted shopping experience in depth. The questions the girls asked me are aimed at drawing out information about personal style, my body proportions and what would suit my body shape and how to shop accordingly. There is emphasis on accessorising and a fully comprehensive in depth colour analysis with a take-away shade card. There is even advice given on the best brands stocked for me. Armed with my newly acquired know-how Lorraine and Alison darted around the shop floor like heat-seeking fashion missiles, finding me outfits which I could not have chosen better myself. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and, who knows, you could find out something about yourself as we did along the way! The Style Profile service is £125 redeemable against a shop of £500 and over. The Style Profile price is correct at the time of going to print. Pictures by Elli Dean (07932 055548) www.ellideanphotography.co.uk

“Lorraine and Alison darted around the shop floor like heat seeking fashion missiles.”

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Getting a real buzz out of bees… Honey bee numbers are in decline globally and one of the ways we can draw attention to this is to fire up young minds and get them interested in honey bees. The humble honey bee is set to give youngsters a real buzz this summer as they can find out all about the fascinating world of the honey bee. And it’s all courtesy of Central England Co-operative – which has been championing the beleaguered bee and over the past four years educating more than 1,000 children about the importance of the creature to our environment and our economy. They have developed a bee garden and observatory using this to educate primary schoolchildren in the importance of the honey bee to our environment and economy. Youngsters get to see inside hives from the safety of a purpose-built observatory, learn all sorts of facts and figures about the honey bee and leave with mementoes of their visit, including packets of bee-friendly flower seeds to create havens for the hard-working insects at their home or school.

The education visits are perfect for children aged between 5 and 9 (Years 1-4). Our hives should be open from May. To register your school’s interest in making a visit to our bee observatory, please telephone Siobhan Lakey on 01733 225554 or email Siobhan.Lakey@centralengland.coop

Central England Co-operative

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SHOPPING

Focus on Millfield It is often overlooked, but multicultural Millfield, in Peterborough, is full of independent shops with character selling merchandise from all over the world. Yasmin Bradley explores Photos: Fiona Cumberpatch

nce upon a time it was a field with Adam’s windmill alongside it - about where the petrol station is now. Peterborough’s original showground was situated here too, and Ingram Booth’s ginger beer was brewed nearby. That was a long time ago. Even the Windmill pub has gone now, destroyed in a fire. In the mid eighties I remember Millfield as a thriving bustle of slightly run-down Victorian terraces, small shops, businesses and a few larger houses with huge gardens, where gloriously green woodpeckers were seen – and heard. Millfield has radically changed even since then, it seems. Now we are about to find out, as one sunny spring Thursday, armed with a camera, we ventured out! First stop: Star Super Market just off Stone Lane. It is a supermarket indeed, but perhaps not as we expect: huge bunches of flat-leaved parsley and coriander, knobbly ginger, immense cloves of garlic, fat purple cherries, custard apples, guava, and other exotic and familiar fruit are all on display outside - along with magnificent pomegranates at only £1.29 each. Everything is fresh in today! Inside there are little, fresh cucumbers similar to the Polish gherkins in jars elsewhere on the shelves. “You can put them in an Indian salad,” suggests the young, Asian shop owner, “or just crunch into them - like an apple! Try before you buy?” Near the counter, loaves of Polish rye bread are stacked cheek by jowl with pitta breads and pastries. A little way along Lincoln Road towards the city centre is the familiar

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Old prints like these are on sale at Prints Charming for £6

face of Prints Charming, a long established art and picture-framing business still flourishing albeit in a different guise. The window glisters with golden painted icons vying with primary coloureds prints for attention. “I try to reach out to different cultures,” explains Alex Baranowski, an ex- Londoner of Russian/ English extraction, who started up in Millfield in the eighties. Inside, my favourite pieces are hexagonal, Art Deco style mirrors with frames of bronze and pewter that Alex makes using the “proper” interlocking joints he learned as an apprentice at Charles and Co. in Notting Hill. Brightly-painted Mexican ceramics are displayed under witty “coffee cup clocks”, but glimpses of old Peterborough lie waiting to be discovered. The antique images of the city are precious, limited editions since the elderly owner of the original plates no longer prints from them. A FEAST OF FOOD Next stop the Take Away Café to check out Poland’s national dish, “bigos”: slowly simmered hunters’ stew made with sausage, porcini mushrooms and sauerkraut. Seventiesstyle but freshly made Russian salad (salatka watzyna); Turkish- influenced, Polish tortilla wraps (gyros) stuffed with spicy chicken and salad, and stuffed potato dumplings (pyzy) are all on offer. A delicious- sounding eat-in special of chicken Kiev, fried potatoes with a side salad

is up for grabs for £4.90! The food is freshly made on site and looked and smelt extremely appetising. Past the old Stagecoach bus station with its intriguing, giant “bus wash”, a large Sue Ryder charity shop tempts with foxy, purple boots with curved heels; funky retro jugs in smoky blues and purples, and a pretty blue and yellow 18-piece tea set - all to be had for a song. Down the road, passing hair salon Michael John Hair Artwork’s training academy, I remember having one of my best haircuts ever there. In the sunshine, outside the Algarve café, two locals swap banter and chat over their fresh coffee. We try another Portugese café: steamy, aromatic coffee arrives swiftly and delivers the much needed burst of caffeine for a bargain £1.20. Traditional pastries and custard tarts tempt too. We sit there as if we had slipped through a chink in the earth’s strata and been transported straight to a bar in Lisbon … or Sau Paulo … or Bissau, since Peterborough’s eclectic Portuguese-speaking community have roots in Brazil, Angola, Cap Verde and Guinea Bissau. After a nostalgic look at Frank Bros, one of Peterborough’s oldest butcher’s and an inquisitive one at the International Food Centre proclaiming its speciality as English, Polish, Bulgarian and Turkish, we return to pick up a purchase or two at the Star Super Market: tiny baklava, crisp, sweet pastries made with honey and nuts. Millfield has changed, certainly, but somehow, the spirit of the place remains and has been re-enlivened by the vibrancy of a new community.

Star Super Market 399 Lincoln Road, PE1 2PF 01733 340456 Prints Charming 391 Lincoln Rd, PE1 2PF 01733 341868. www.printscharming.co.uk Sue Ryder 331 Lincoln Rd, PE1 2PF 01733 897440. www.sueryder.org Take –Away Café, 347 Lincoln Road, Peterborough, PE1 2ND Euro Mini Market 300 Lincoln Road, PE1 2ND Frank Bros 304 Lincoln Rd, PE1 2ND 01733 343506. www.frankbros.foodplaces.co.uk

World foods are on sale at the Star Super Market.

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HAVE YOU HAD THE OCULIST OPTICIANS

EXPERIENCE? THE

PRACTICE

An INDEPENDENT boutique opticians in Peterborough's Westgate Arcade. We have a fantastic collection of frames from mainstream brands and exclusive specialist engineered frame designers. Rimless, lightweight, retro, geek chic you decide. An extensive collection of wrap around eyewear, children’s eyewear and contact lenses are also available.

GERRY SONDH

ROB GILBERT

HANNAH CASTLE

Spends 40 minutes examining your eyes. He caters the eye test to address your needs. The test includes digital retinal photography, glaucoma pressure check, visual field examination as standard. Gerry concludes the examination by giving advice about the most suitable eyewear.

Combines his supreme spectacle lens knowledge with his eye for bespoke frame design to find you the “perfect” pair of glasses. Rob is one the UK’s leading TD Tom Davies bespoke frame designers so if you don’t see your perfect frame in the practice he will design it for you.

Clinical excellence and a flair for fashion is the basis of your style consultation with Hannah. She will push the boundaries and get you trying new and innovative styles.

OPTOMETRIST DIRECTOR

OCULIST MANAGER

DISPENSING OPTICIAN

FIND US AT: 24 WESTGATE ARCADE, QUEENSGATE CENTRE, PETERBOROUGH

CALL NOW AND BOOK AN APPOINTMENT...

01733 555 621

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EATING OUT

New developments at the Crown Inn, Elton Over the past six years, the Crown Inn, Elton has been undergoing a programme of extensive alterations and renovation. The latest phase sees the complete renovation of the restaurant to create an interesting and highly individual space for customers to enjoy the Crown Inn’s delicious menu

he vision of chef-owner Marcus Lamb, the new restaurant combines relaxed style with a chef’s eye for detail. “For me, the restaurant was the final piece in the jigsaw, so it was vital we got it right,” says Marcus. “Our work over the past years on the bar and snug dining rooms have provided two really special areas for our customers to enjoy. They have a dash of modernity about them, while exposing the 17th century character of the Inn.” “The restaurant posed a different challenge. It had to give our customers something a little different, yet reflect the character of the rest of the Inn. We wanted to create a fashionable London restaurant liveliness, yet keep an intimacy to it, too, so whether you’re having Sunday lunch with the family or a romantic evening meal, it’s a beautiful place to enjoy your food.” The design, which uses a mix of new and reclaimed materials, takes the exposed stonework and wooden floored theme from the historic bar, while introducing striking modern touches such as the lowered feature ceiling with specially commissioned candelabra light and innovative use of fabrics. State of the art mood lighting creates the unique lively yet intimate feel that Marcus was striving for. The Crown Inn is celebrating its latest addition with a new menu where classic favourites such as steak and hand cut chips sit with modern classics such as ox cheek with horse radish potato gratin. • The Crown Inn, Duck Street, Elton Tel: 01832 280232 www.thecrowninn.org.uk

READER OFFER To tempt you to try out the new restaurant, Marcus is offering a free bottle of house red or white wine per table with every restaurant booking made by NVL readers up to and including the evening of Tuesday April 29. The offer applies to restaurant bookings only, and is available on a first come, first served basis. To take advantage of the offer, readers must book in advance and mention the NVL reader offer at the time of booking.

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H OM E INT E R IOR S

The 10 best interior design shops Looking for a fresh spring look for your home? Fiona Cumberpatch selects the most inspiring shops in our area. Illustrations: Jeni Cairns Snow Designs

Foxtail Lilly

32 St Mary’s Street, Stamford Tel: 01780 751551 www.camillasnowdesigns.com Four floors of quirky, contemporary and vintage home wares and gifts. Owner Camilla Snow is not a fan of the ubiquitous white-painted furniture trend, so expect to find a more urban vibe, with decorative objects such as a giant metal ampersand, a huge selection of printed lampshades by Lush designs, industrial storage, wooden shoe lasts, a bit of taxidermy, and glorious bedding and soft furnishings (see our illustration). The mix includes work by around 14 local designers.

41 South Rd, Oundle, Tel: 01832 274593 www.foxtail-lilly.co.uk Cut flowers and a lovely range of vintage furniture fill Tracey Mathieson’s fragrant barn shop. Find old painted meat safes and shelves, Lloyd Loom style chairs and storage, painted chairs, stools, candles and vintage jugs and glassware. The small selection of stock changes regularly: look out for one off sales and special events which includes wares from visiting dealers.

Priddy Essentials 25 High Street East, Uppingham LE15 9PY Tel: 01572 850041 I discovered this unusual shop just before Christmas and I’ve returned several times since. Selling a small selection of ceramics, candles, soaps, creams and prints, including the work of nationally known print maker Angela Harding who lives nearby, it is beautifully curated with an almost Shaker-like simplicity. The large cream ware bowls would make a great centre piece on any Print by Angela Harding table. There is also a selection of utilitarian clothing, which compliments the shop’s style.

Asha’s

John Lewis Queensgate Centre, Peterborough, PE1 1NL As well as outstanding customer service and reliability, John Lewis stays on top of all the home trends, offering a huge range of styles. The more reasonably priced House range is simple and good quality, and includes basics such as a desk task lamp for £25 in a range of colours. The metal Brigitta rise and fall ceiling light, which I purchased recently, is also great value at £60, much cheaper than competitors’ similar designs. This season, expect to find an artistic mood in the interiors sections, with painterly prints, patterns and beautiful basics with an artisan feel.

J&S Interiors 30 Phorpres Close, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8FZ Tel: 01733 558864 www.jandsinteriors.uk.com If you need custom made curtains or blinds, this is a great local business. Stocking fabrics by Harlequin, Prestigious, Blendworth Snow Designs and Interiors

The Bazaar, West St, Oundle PE8 4EJ Tel: 01832 275605 www.ashas.net Barbara Katavich’s shop in Oundle has been so successful that she’s now opened a second branch in Market Harborough. The blend of vintage and new furniture, furnishings and kitchen and dining accessories, and an upholstery service using tasteful fabrics by Asha’s designers such as Ian Mankin, are all set off by the range of Annie Sloan chalk paint. Barbara also runs courses on furniture painting on site at both stores.

Romejo’s 15 Market Place, Oundle PE8 4BA Tel: 01832 272165 A newcomer to Oundle’s Market Place, Maggie Meigh’s little shop has a tasteful selection of interiors accessories, such as glass candlesticks, storage, cushions and garden furniture. These are the small touches which make a house a home.

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John Lewis

J&S Interiors

and Villa Nova, owner Sean has just added the classic (and locally based) Swaffer fine furnishing fabric collection of beautiful florals and prints to his portfolio. Ask for a no-obligation quotation and home visit. Wall coverings, wooden shutters, awnings and conservatory blinds are also available.

The Lampshade Warehouse 10 Savile Rd, Westwood, Peterborough PE3 7PR You can have the coolest house in the world, but if the lighting isn’t right, you may as well not bother. This outlet, which claims to be the largest independent lighting showroom in Cambridgeshire, has a huge collection of shades, fittings and lamps. Spotlights, uplights, downlights, it’s all here. Not only that, the staff offer expert advice, too. It’s well worth a browse if you have lighting issues or need to update your home.

Elizabeth Stanhope 27 Mill Street, Oakham LE15 6EA Tel: 01572722345 www.elizabethstanhope. co.uk Still one of the best places in the region to buy fabrics, which is brilliantly displayed in long, hanging swatches. You can find all the big names here, such as Mulberry, Colefax Hunters Interiors and Fowler and The Dairy, Copthill Farm Harlequin, as well as Enterprises, Deeping Rd, quirkier designs including Uffington, Stamford PE9 4TD Thornback & Peel. For those Romejo’s Tel: 01780 757946 on a more modest budget, A great selection of fabrics, wallpapers, there is a great choice of ticking paints, furniture, carpets, lighting and stripes, spots and fresh country florals at more accessories, and a skilled team of interior reasonable prices. As well as fabric, there is a designers who will undertake everything from gorgeous selection of homewares, furniture upholstery to individual room planning, and and accessories: you’ll probably wish you could complete project management. buy the whole lot.

Snow Designs and Interiors

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HEA LTH & BE AUT Y

Health & Beauty Notes All the latest on local health and beauty businesses. By Bridget Steele HOW TO GET HEALTHIER LOOKING SKIN

The Cosmetic Clinic is pleased to announce they have now added the Vitality Institute VI peel to their extensive range of treatments. Anyone who wants younger looking, healthier and clearer skin will benefit from this superior peel. The VI peel will improve the tone, texture and clarity of the skin. It’s highly effective in clearing acne and impurities without any preparation of the skin beforehand with minimal or no downtime. A major plus for this peel is that it suits all skin types and does not cause the discolouration that was once a problem for women with black skin. It is therefore a safe, collagen producing peel without the worry of hyper-pigmentation. The VI peel is designed to reverse the signs of ageing and sun damage. As well as the facial area, it is also effective for sun damage on the décolletage and hands. This peel also reduces or eliminates acne scars, treats rosacea and even softens lines and wrinkles as it contains a synergistic blend of gentle yet powerful ingredients suitable for all skin types. It has the advantage of being convenient and painless. With a VI peel you should see results in about a week. • Book for a consultation at the clinic most convenient for you – Peterborough (01733 310090) or King’s Lynn (01553 692531).

FREE NEW PATIENT EXAMS AT TOWNLEY HOUSE

Free implant, orthodontic and cosmetic assessments are on offer at Townley House Dentral Practice in Oundle. This is an established practice with an enviable reputation for quality treatment. It is a dental implant referral centre for other dentists in the area. Dentist Mr Hayward can provide treatment for all cases, from a single tooth, implant retained dentures to a complex reconstruction with bone grafting. The practice can also provide computer guided treatment and diagnosis with the latest CBCT 3D scanner. Patients can be referred by their own practitioner or self refer by contacting the practice. There are a team of experienced dentists who can provide cosmetic work from simple whitening to complex complete smile makeovers. They also provide orthodontics including fixed braces, the new “invisible” braces and lingual braces. Splint therapy is also available for tooth wear and grinding to help relieve headaches and migraines. • Tel 01832 272515 or 273967 www. townleyhousedentalpractice.co.uk Email townley@izrmail.com

TIGHTEN YOUR TUMMY

HOT AND COLD STONE THERAPY This is a rebalancing treatment for your mind and body, using warm volcanic basalt stones and/or cold marble stones, combined with the therapist’s hands to give a deeply relaxing massage to the body and face to smooth away muscle tension and everyday stresses. I went along to Amanda at Apollo for the full body Hot Stone Massage. This is a 90 minute treatment and from the moment I lay down on the warm couch, I was taken on a tranquil journey of relaxation. Amanda’s expert massage techniques combined with the stones soothed my body and released tension. It was hard not to fall asleep but I wanted to savour every moment of this comforting treatment. After the treatment I felt surprisingly refreshed and reenergised yet relaxed and too. It was a great experience and one I can thoroughly recommend. • For more information contact Amanda at Apollo Hair and Beauty, Netherton Shopping Centre, Winslow Road, Peterborough PE3 9RE or telephone 01733 333300.

The most advanced version of a proven technology that helps improve the texture and appearance of loose and over stretched skin is now available in Peterborough at Medispa, The Beautiful Truth, on Cowgate, Peterborough. New mum Colleen Rooney recently tweeted about how effective her course of 3d Lipomed skin tightening has been in getting her back into shape after her recent pregnancy. Annalisa Phillips, Director at the Beautiful Truth, says: “ 3d Lipomed is the latest technology available BEFORE AFTER in non surgical liposuction, skin tightening and cellulite treatment. We are the only Medispa offering the more effective ‘medi’ version of this treatment in Cambridgeshire. 3d Lipomed is particularly effective for ‘mummy tummy’ a condition caused when the skin is over stretched during pregnancy and becomes loose on the abdomen after birth. Diet and exercise may only improve the area to a point with loose skin often causing women to feel self conscious. We are thrilled to be able to offer a pain free treatment alternative to surgery that can lead to genuine improvement in a condition that affects so many women.” • Treatment is available to buy in one hour sessions for £80 or as a block of eight for £400. For more information call 01733 555540 to book a free of charge consultation or see www.beautiful-truth.co.uk

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• Laser Hair Removal • TITAN Skin Tightening • Vein Treatments • Skin Rejuvenation • Microdermabrasion • Botox and Fillers • Dermaroller

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• Age and Brown Spots • Chemical Peels

The BodyLaser Clinic Peterborough Clinic 60 Broadway, Peterborough, PE1 1SU Tel. (01733) 555200

Cambridge Clinic Essex House, 71 Regent Street, Cambridge, CB2 1AB Tel. (01223) 464171

www.bodylaser.co.uk

Treatments from £80, call now to book a free of charge consultation

The Beautiful Truth - 40 Cowgate, Peterborough, PE1 1NA E: hello@beautiful-truth.co.uk W: www.beautiful-truth.co.uk

T: 01733 555540 27

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Advertisement Feature

Elysia Health and Beauty we are delighted to announce that we have introduced radio frequency into our extensive facial anti-ageing treatment menu.

TheTreatment Rooms at Apollo Hair & Beauty Salon

Hot & Cold Stone Therapy A Rebalancing Treatment for your mind & body, using warm volcanic basalt stones and/or cold marble stones, combined with the therapist’s hands giving a deeply relaxing massage to the body & face to smooth away muscle tension & everyday stresses.

Reflexology • Hot Stone Massage • Ear Candling Natural Faceli Massage • Organic Facials • Massage Aromatherapy • Reiki • Indian Head Massage Jessica Manicures • GELeration • Pedicures • Waxing Tinting • Fake Bake Tanning • Non-surgical Faceli Treatments

GIFT VOUCHERS available...treat someone you love to something they'll love FREE PARKING Netherton Shopping Centre – Peterborough - PE3 9RE

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agging , lax skin and wrinkles are common problems. Radio Frequency gives visible tone and tightening after just one treatment. No pain, no downtime. It is a non-invasive way to tighten the skin on face or body. Fantastic for fine lines, wrinkles, pore size, dull and tired skin. It heats the deepest layers of the skin without damaging the top layers, to stimulate new collagen and elastin. ALSO INTRODUCING 3 D LIPO MED – A COMPLETE APPROACH TO FAT REDUCTION AND BODY CONTOURING. This is one of the most advanced treatments of its kind in the fight against fat reduction, cellulite and skin tightening. These are all medically proven technologies that work and will help you. We use the latest technology of ULTRASOUND CAVITATION, CRYPLIPOLYSIS, RADIO FREQUENCY SKIN TIGHTENING, 3d DERMOLOGY. YOU DO NOT NEED TO EXERCISE OR OMIT FOODS FROM YOUR DIET – THIS WORKS. This already has a huge celebrity following and Coleen Rooney, Binky (made in Chelsea) are just a couple of famous names. Also Apprentice winner Dr Leah, sponsored by Sir Alan Sugar, has this machine in her Clinic. CALL US FOR OUR AMAZING LAUNCH OFFERS AND DETAILS OF OUR LAUNCH EVENT – YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED. • ELYSIA HEALTH AND BEAUTY 01832 226328 0R 07879 620196. LIKE us on FACEBOOK for our latest offers or visit the website www.elysiahealthandbeauty.com

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ACT IVIT IE S

The Women’s Tour comes to Oundle We round up all the activities surrounding the start of Britain’s biggest ever international women’s road cycling race which kicks off in Oundle on May 7 Words: Lucy Banwell

undle has long been a popular destination for cyclists. The sight of Lycra-clad riders gathered outside the town’s coffee shops to soak up the sun after a bracing Sunday morning ride is not an unfamiliar one for Oundle residents. But on May 7, the town will experience cycling on a whole new level. That’s when the UK’s first ever Women’s Tour cycle race kicks off from a starting gantry which will take pride of place in Oundle’s Market Place. “This is a massive deal for Oundle,” says Oundle’s mayor, Cllr Neil Fraser. “I think it’s so exciting that we’ve got the first ever women’s tour. The organisers think we’re going to have up to 5,000 spectators coming in which is great news for the town. I really hope the event can help to support local retailers. “I feel this event is going to put Oundle on the map,” continues Neil Fraser. ‘I’m also hoping this will be a great way of inspiring people to take up exercise.” The inaugural Women’s Tour has been awarded a 2.1 classification by the cycling’s governing body, the UCI, which is the highest category awarded to an international women’s event. This means the race has attracted the highest calibre of competitors, with 14 teams taking part including cyclists from the USA, Australia and the Netherlands, as well as Britain. The first stage of the race will be based entirely in Northamptonshire – starting in Oundle at 11am on May 7 and finishing in Northampton via Boughton House and Althorp House. As well as the 102 cyclists who will be heading to Oundle for the starting line, the town will also welcome 30 police motorcyclists, 30 ex-RAF outriders, the cyclists’ support teams and a number of race officials and sponsors.

HANNAH’S HOMECOMING Top cyclist Hannah Barnes is looking forward to returning to her roots to compete in the Women’s Tour this May. The winner of last year’s Tour of Britain Women’s Grand Prix is currently training for her team United Health Care in the States. “It’s going to be really exciting having everyone cheering me on for the Women’s Tour,’ says Hannah, who’s from Towcester in Northamptonshire. ‘I can’t wait to see my friends and family who I won’t have seen for a while. Last year women’s cycling went up leaps and bounds. We were on TV for longer than ever and we had so much coverage. This new Tour is going to be huge for the county, the country and for women’s cycling.”

Extra activities In the run up to the big day there will be a whole host of events being held in and around town to celebrate the arrival of the Women’s Tour. “I want to make sure there will be something for everyone,” says Paula Prince, Oundle Town Council’s Town Centre Manager. “On Sunday May 4, we’re having a Women’s Wellness Fair at Victoria Hall which will see free taster sessions of activities like Jazzercise, Zumba, yoga and hypnotherapy. Then Monday May 5 will be ‘Have A Go Day’ which will see loads of sporting activities going on around the town including

Oundle’s mayor Neil Fraser leads cyclists on the Tour launch day

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ACT IVIT IE S to Northampton Stage 1: Oundle 7th May 2014 Stage Start: Oundle 11:00 Stage Finish: Derngate, Northampton 13:26

Oundle Desborough

“We’re hoping it will help make Oundle more of a destination for cyclists, that people will come here for a holiday with their bikes in the future and cycle the route and see what our lovely countryside has to offer.” Tai Chi and Spinning Bikes in the Market Place and belly dancing in The Ship! Tuesday May 6 will be our party day in which lots of the central roads in Oundle will be closed off and we’ll have a street food market, bike demonstrations and live music.” Local retailers will be staying open later than usual on Tuesday May 6 to make the most of the ‘Party Day’ atmosphere, and food providers in the town will be opening early on race day. Beans Coffee Stop is considering staying open all night on the Tuesday before the race and Smiths at No. 4 are planning a special menu which will represent every nationality competing in the race. The Gorilla Firm bike shop at Oundle Wharf will be holding an open day on May 7 when leading bike manufacturers will be demonstrating their wares. “We’re hoping people will watch the start of the race and then come down to the Wharf,” says Justine Perkins of The Gorilla Firm. “Manufacturers such as Cannondale, Cervelo and Boardman Elite will be there. They’ll all have their own stands with demo bikes, clothing, parts and accessories. Nene Valley Brewery will be on hand to provide refreshments along with The Little Soup Kitchen van which will be offering delicious homemade soups and sandwiches. “It’s so exciting that this event is coming to the town,” continues Justine. “We’re hoping it will help make Oundle more of a destination for cyclists, that people will come here for a holiday with their bikes in the future and cycle the route and see what our lovely countryside has to offer.” The council are looking 50 to 60 volunteers to help as stewards on the day as well offers of bed and breakfast and parking spaces in order to accommodate the extra visitors. If you think you can help, please register your interest via www.oundle.info

Harrington

Rushton Boughton House

Grafton Underwood

Total Stage Length 92.4km / 57.5m

Brixworth Spratton Chapel Brampton Althorp House

Northampton

Rothersthorpe

WWW.WOMENSTOUR.CO.UK Facebook: /thewomenstour

Twitter: @thewomenstour Instagram: @thetourcycling Youtube: /thetourcycling

Please note: Route details and Stage Start/Finish times are subject to change, please refer to www.womenstour.co.uk for updates and announcements.

WHAT’S HAPPENING WHEN? Sunday May 4 WELLNESS DAY From 10am: Health and Wellness Fair at Queen Victoria Hall Bank Holiday Monday May 5 HAVE A GO DAY From 10am: sports activities at Pocket Park, the Market Place, Queen Victoria Hall and the town’s sports clubs including an urban gym, T’ai Chi and lots more Tuesday May 6 PARTY DAY! From 4pm: Music, dance and international street food in the Market Place ‘Bike World’: Bikeability races and Ministry of Cycling demos ‘Along the River Nene’: Stands from companies representing fun river activities Wednesday May 7 RACE DAY From 9am: Visit the Tour Village in the Co-op car park and chat to the riders and their support teams. Watch the teams sign in at the podium in the Market Place. Find yourself a good spot from which to watch the race! 11am: Start of the race • For more information visit w ww.womenstour.co.uk or www.oundle.info/womens-tour

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PE R SPE CT IVE S

Insuring a young driver Sean Rowcliffe, a partner at Hegarty LLP, has been a personal injury solicitor for 20 years. This cautionary tale is based on his considerable experience with motor vehicle insurers

arents will be aware of the enormous increase in insurance premiums for young drivers since they took out insurance some years ago! Insurance premiums now frequently dwarf the cost of a first car. Many parents wish to provide financial help getting their child “on the road” but in an effort to reduce insurance premiums may well leave new drivers with an enormous financial outlay if care is not taken. Here at Hegarty LLP, we often field calls from young drivers or their parents where the young driver has been involved in a collision and then had their insurance declaration scrutinised by their insurer who then refuse to indemnify the young driver. This can be for a number of reasons but the most common we have found concerns a parent who is identified as the primary driver of a new vehicle with their child as a named driver. In reality the vehicle is in fact driven primarily by the young driver who then sadly has a road traffic collision. The insurers investigate and establish that in fact the young driver is the primary driver. The insurers would then be within their rights to seek to recover any financial outlay they incur from the young driver. If the incident in question was serious this could have life changing financial consequences for the young driver. They could be saddled with an enormous debt for the rest of their life as a consequence of a decision made to try to save a few hundred pounds. Our advice is to take insurance declarations extremely seriously. An insurer can and will scrutinise claims involving young drivers and they are aware of the practice of parents suggesting they are the main driver

when they are not. The AA report that one in five drivers have an accident in their first year of driving and 26% of all road traffic accidents involve at least one driver aged between 17 and 24. The risk of a road traffic collision involving your son or daughter sadly therefore cannot be ignored and it is crucial that declarations over insurance are carefully considered and answers given truthfully. Insurers will not only be looking at the ‘real’ primary driver of a vehicle but also whether the vehicle has been modified, where it is normally parked overnight, that driving penalty points have been declared etc. It is easy for mistakes to be made now that insurance quotes are sought on the internet but our advice is to check and recheck the declarations that you are making as the financial consequences of making a mistake could be enormous. There are practical steps that can be taken to reduce insurance to include using a vehicle with a small engine, low insurance grouping and even having black box GPS devices fitted to record how the vehicle is being driven which gives your son or daughter the opportunity to show to their insurer that they are a careful safe driver. These practical steps could well reduce the insurance premium you would need to pay but whatever happens, no corners must be cut over the declaration you make to avoid disastrous financial consequences.

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ACT IVIT IE S

Learn a new skill

Have you ever wanted to learn how to bake bread? Sew a dress? Make your own herbal remedies? Revamp your furniture? A workshop might be the springboard you need. Four NVL writers took up the challenge

Simple sewing

I’ve had a basic sewing machine for about five years now, and although I can make straightforward cushions, I have struggled to take my skills any further. Ema Corcoran runs a number of classes out of a studio at Barnwell Workshops and when she invited me to join her ‘Absolute Beginners’ sewing course, I jumped at the chance. The course is described as “a gentle yet comprehensive introduction into dressmaking, ensuring you have a good foundation knowledge of all the elements involved for successful dressmaking right from equipment needed through to sizing a commercial pattern.” Ema stressed that this is a ‘prequel’ to other workshops that she runs. Our morning began with a chat about fabrics. Some, such as cottons and linen, are easier to work with than other, including velvet and jersey. Ema then showed us a commercial pattern and talked us through the bewildering maze of pattern marks. We learned about different seams, and which ones are appropriate for certain garments, and the techniques which are essential for making a dress. By now, my head felt as if it might burst with information, so it was a relief to transfer to the sewing machines. Ema gave us a basic walk through, from threading a machine, to filling a bobbin: the grassroots stuff that is vital to get started. I did not know, for example, that there is a ‘right way up’ for a cotton reel (the small notched section is the bottom!). The course, which ran from 10am -2.30pm, including a short break for a bring-your-own packed lunch, inspired me to come home and start sewing again. It’s not a hands-on course, but you will come away with many useful tips. I may not be winning the Great British Sewing Bee any time soon, but thanks to Ema, my enthusiasm for sewing is back. Absolute Beginners costs £40, bring your own lunch. Or WIN a free place on this course with our competition (see box). • Green Olive, 22 Barnwell Workshops, Barnwell, Oundle PE8 5PL Tel: 01832 273209 Fiona Cumberpatch

Making herbal remedies

I did an evening workshop with Helen Shardlow called ‘Combat the Winter Blues.’ Our group of six people first discussed troublesome cold symptoms: we all agreed that not being able to sleep properly was the hardest to deal with. We looked at different herbs and their properties, and how we might mix and match them to make our own tea. I chose a relaxing mix, and enjoyed selecting a combination of herbs, and was then able to drink my customised brew (surprisingly tasty!). We also made a chest rub, using a scent-free base cream, to which we added five drops of peppermint, eucalyptus, thyme and lavender essential oils. Our tutor explained the properties of each of the oils: for example, thyme has an anti-spasmodic action that can help to relieve coughs. The course provided a great insight into using herbs for cures and it was really enjoyable to make our own concoctions. It’s something that I will be trying at home for tailor-made remedies. Similar courses cost £40 - £45. • Green Olive, 22 Barnwell Workshops, Armston Rd, Barnwell, Oundle PE8 5PL Tel: 01832 273209 www.green-olive.com Bridget Steele

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Learn to bake bread

It’s 10am and myself and seven other budding bakers are all aproned up and ready to go for our ‘Basic Bread’ workshop run by The Small Bread Company’s Fi Smallridge. Despite being at work since 2am to produce the daily 100 plus loaves required for her Oundle bakery, Fi is as enthusiastic as ever as she kicks off the proceedings with a simple soda bread recipe. Armed with our essential kit of a bendy plastic scraper and a transparent plastic bowl, we set to work at our stainless steel work stations, weighing out the ingredients for our yeastless loaf which uses bicarbonate of soda as the main raising agent. The dry ingredients of wholemeal flour, strong white flower, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar are combined, and then a tub of soured cream is stirred in. No kneading or proving is required, so it’s just a matter of forming the dough into a ball and baking for 30 -35 minutes. The result is a tasty loaf, very easy to make and the perfect accompaniment to soup. Next up is a basic white loaf and then a brown loaf with optional inclusions, such as dried cranberries and walnuts which are worked into the dough. I chose chunks of Gruyere cheese which created a deliciously gooey loaf when served warm. Fi Smallridge is passionate about promoting the use of simple ingredients to create a great, home cooked product. “Real bread consists of flour, yeast, salt and water. It’s so simple,” says Fi. “No preservatives, additives or emulsifiers. You can really taste bread made this way and it really complements the ingredients you serve alongside it. With this course, I want to take away the fear out of baking bread.” This fun, one day course includes a delicious lunch of focaccia, pate, hams, cheeses and salad, as well as loads of insider tips from Fi. • The Basic Bread Baking class takes place on the third Wednesday of the month, 10am -3pm, at Unit 18, Barnwell Workshops, Armston Rd, Barnwell. The class costs £55 per person, including ingredients and lunch. Tel: 01832 270938 www.thesmallbreadcompany.com Lucy Banwell

Paint the furniture

Want an easy but creative way to liven up furniture, lamps, picture frames, melamine units…just about anything really? Try one of Asha’s Inspired Living paint studio workshops in Oundle and learn painting and waxing techniques to transform your home using Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint. Annie Sloan’s paint goes on smoothly without – incredibly – the need to sand, undercoat or prep your piece. The coverage is amazingly good: they dry to a flat, chalky look and feel. Use the 34 gorgeous neutrals and colours (such as Aubusson blue or Scandinavian pink) inspired by art movements through the ages. Use straight from the pot or mixed together. We learned how you can then go on to achieve an ultra-matt, smooth surface, or distress using rags, stippling or an antique crackle effect. A layer of clear or antique wax is then smoothed on, softening the colour and rendering the piece durable and safe to use for children, or in the kitchen. It can even be used outside! We learnt all of these techniques in four hours, and a delicious light lunch and refreshments were provided in the light and airy venue. We came away with our own paint effects board and great fun was had by all. Beginners Workshop costs £75 including lunch. • Asha’s, The Bazaar, West Street, Oundle PE8 4EJ Tel: 01832 275605 email: Barbara@ashas.net www.ashas.net Yasmin Bradley

WIN! WIN! WIN! Ema Corcoran, owner of Green Olive at Barnwell is offering four lucky Nene Valley Living readers the chance to go on an Absolute Beginners sewing course on May 16th – absolutely free! Just email ask@green-olive.com by Friday April 18, leaving your name and contact details. Ema will draw four names at random.

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L O C A L WALK

Market Harborough town and country stroll This walk has just about everything – an ancient village, a thriving town centre packed full of history, a delightful town park and a canal. You will feel you know a very great deal more about Market Harborough once you have done this walk, whether you have lived in the town for years or you are just visiting for the day. Nicholas Rudd-Jones walked it on a glorious early spring day

POINTS OF INTEREST Great Bowden is a quintessential English village, with a charming village green and church. The village was included in the Domesday Book, under the name ‘Bugedone’ and was worth 40 shillings per year to the King, who held it. It has Anglo-Saxon origins.

WALK DATA Distance: 6 miles Typical time: 2.5 hours Map: Explorer 223 Start & Finish: Great Bowden Church Terrain: Easy going, quite a lot on pavements How to get there: Park in the road opposite the church in Great Bowden

The Magistrate’s Court

Martin Hobbs Fishmonger

The Old Grammar School stands on wooden stilts. The school room had to be built upon posts to allow the butter market to be held on the ground floor. The School was founded in 1607 and built in 1614, through the generosity of Robert Smyth, a poor native of the town who became Comptroller of the Lord Mayor’s Court of the City of London and member of the Merchant Taylors’ Company. The subjects taught were Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and many boys were sent to Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The most distinguished of these was John Moore, who became Bishop of Norwich in 1691 and William Henry Bragg, Nobel Prize winner. (restoration is expected to be completed in September 2014) The Victorian Symington Building, formerly a corset factory, has undergone a major transformation in the past 12 months. It now houses the integrated Harborough Museum and Harborough Library in a new learning and heritage hub, as well as shops, businesses and some county council services.

Great Bowden Church

Bates Butchers & Delicatessens

The River Welland, which runs through Welland Park, is 65 miles in length. The river rises in the Hothorpe Hills, at Sibbertoft in Northamptonshire, then flows northeast to Market Harborough, Stamford and Spalding, to reach The Wash near Fosdyke. It’s interesting to note that its width in Market Harborough is only about a third of what it is in Stamford, probably because steep embankments were created on either side to prevent flooding. Grand Union Canal Market Harborough Arm, from Foxton Locks to Union Wharf in Market Harborough. Completed in 1809 the original idea was to continue the Arm from Market Harborough on through to Northampton - it never happened. Union Wharf has a place in canal history as the location of the first canal rally in Britain held in 1950, which was fundamental to the preservation of the canal network for prosperity. NENE VALLEY LIVING APRIL 2014

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LO CAL WA L K

1 2

4 5

By permission of Leicestershire County Council Ordnance Survey mapping © Crown Copyright. Media Licence No. Media 052/14. With thanks to Leicestershire County Council who were the inspiration for this walk. You can find a whole range of walks created by them at www.leics.gov.uk/strolls_leaflet_harborough.pdf

PITSTOPS

The Rutland Pippin

Great Bowden Welton’s Tel: 01858 465433 www.weltonsdeli.co.uk A café, a deli, a shop and a post office. A delightful and popular place. Red Lion www.redliongreatbowden.co.uk Kieran & his team run a really stylish and independent establishment, with good beer and an interesting menu. Hambleton Bakery (Church St) Recently opened, there are some great treats for walkers, notably the Ploughman’s Parcel or the Rutland Pippin, which will fill you up nicely whilst you are on the move. Joules Yard (53-55 High St, top of Church St) is almost on your route and has a delightful outside space and catering all day if you need a bite to eat. Aldwinkles (8 Church St) is a cosy coffee shop with a courtyard area for sitting in the warmer weather.

THE ROUTE

1 2 3 4

Park by the church. Walk SW past the Shoulder of Mutton pub on your left, across the green to the far left side, where you will see a sign indicating ‘Market Harborough one mile’ Skirt along the right edge of the recreation ground, over the railway footbridge, and then in a couple of hundred yards bear left up the hill. This path comes out in The Ridgeway. Turn right, then shortly left, then follow this path, Rutland Walk, all the way down toward town and Kings Rd When you reach Church St turn left, down a delightful ‘indie’ shopping street, to the church. Turn right into the high street, past the Grammar School, into the Town Square and past the war memorial, and then cross the river by a footbridge with the car park immediately on your right (toilets here if needed) Once over the bridge, turn right, and you will shortly enter Welland Park; follow the river right to the end of the park, until you come out on Farndon Rd; turn right, follow it up to the junction with Coventry Rd, then take Logan St, directly N opposite; continue into Logan Crescent, and after a few yards you will see a cut-through to the canal On reaching the canal, turn LEFT (Union Wharf makes an interesting brief detour to the right). Follow the canal for 2 miles, under two road bridges. When you pass under Bridge No. 9 ( Sedgley’s Bridge) turn immediately right up the bank, joining a path that takes you back to Great Bowden

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ACT IVIT IE S

Founding fathers Two legendary stars of jazz and rock’n’roll will be appearing separately at The Key Theatre in April. Jonathan Craymer reports

A jazz and blues legend

Still Wilde

Marty Wilde is one of a select few to whom the term ‘living legend’ applies, having been there at the very start of the rock scene on this side of the Atlantic. e’ll present a selection of his own and others’ hits from the 50s and 60s - a time he says was the best ever to have been a teenager: “Basically because of the music and the energy in this country at the time. We had a huge advantage over other countries having a shared language with the States. “For example a great folk song could be understood in both countries. As a result we were getting a lot of imported music from the US. But Britain also has a natural talent for popular music. We’ve produced some great writers.” His greatest influences? “Without a doubt Elvis Presley, but also people like Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis. Most of my influences were American. “I believe the impact of rock and roll was one of the biggest influences on popular culture there has ever been. Its effect continues. Hits from the 50s are still being played on Gold stations, so clearly people go on wanting to hear them.” Does he feel envious of other veterans, like Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones, who bathed in the spotlight at the recent Grammy Awards, competing for Best Rock Song an amazing 50 years after they first hit the charts? After all, if it hadn’t been for Marty and others like him...? “No. Just having been part of that movement was something rather special. I feel great pride. I had a phenomenal amount of luck.” He and wife Joyce have four children – Kim, Ricky, Roxanne and Marty Jr. “Most of the family are or have gone into music. I wanted them all to appreciate rock and roll and I think they do.” From the middle of 1958 to the end of 1959, along with contemporaries Cliff Richard and Tommy Steele, the three were hardly out of the charts, with Marty’s songs such as Teenager in Love, Rubber Ball and many more providing a vibrant backing track to British life. In the 80s he helped daughter Kim achieve a string of hits. He keeps fit, playing golf almost daily and walking his three dogs, but the word retirement clearly isn’t in his vocabulary right now. The Key appearance is part of two tours he’s doing this year. The second – a more extensive one – is planned to include around 40 dates with some of his other contemporaries. • Marty Wilde, Key Theatre Saturday 19th April 7:30pm, tickets £21 (£19.50 concessions). Telephone: 01733 207239

Chris Barber is one of Britain’s best known bandleaders, and he’s also played a role as one of the founders of the British blues movement. Now in his 80s, he’s as active as ever musically, and retains a sharp wit. On being asked how long is his current tour, he snaps back: “it’s been 60 years so far!” His outfit, the Chris Barber Band, is coming to the Key Theatre to play one night on April 17th, his 84th birthday. He knows the city well, and has played here ten times or so in the past. Chris doesn’t object to being reminded of his long career and isn’t surprised to hear audience members say things like: “I saw you in 1956,” and he is proud to be celebrating his 65th anniversary as a band leader this year with a Europewide concert tour, having formed his first band in 1949, aged 19. In the 1950s, he acquired a taste for playing with top American musicians, but the British and US musicians’ unions insisted on an ‘exchange of equals’ when top players came across the Atlantic, which could have got in the way. “But they didn’t care about singers, even if they played instruments, because there was a rule that they could come into the country and work if they ‘self accompanied.’ So we were able to bring in people like Sonny Terry, Big Bill Broonzy and even Muddy Waters, to play with us.” One favourite import was Louis Jordan, the highly popular sax player. “At the time, he was in his 50s and though I was just 27, I revelled in playing with people with such fantastic experience. He also spent a great deal of time as a teenager in Cambridge, where he recalls buying his first jazz record. “In my early teens I lived in Royston, and my dad wanted me to have violin lessons in Cambridge. The bus fare was about the same price as a record, so I’d get on my bike with the violin under one arm and grab hold of the tailgate of a passing lorry without the driver seeing, and that way I managed to build up quite a record collection!” • The Chris Barber Band, Key Theatre, Thursday April 17, 7.30pm. Tickets, £20.

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UB40 featuring...

ALI CAMPBELL, ASTRO & MICKEY VIRTUE Over 50 UK hits including:- Red Red Wine, Kingston Town and Cherry Oh Baby

Lamport Hall Lamport Northampton NN6 9HD

Tel: 01604 686272 admin@lamporthall.co.uk Full details on our website: www.lamporthall.co.uk

BURGHLEY

SATURDAY 7TH JUNE Tickets £38.00 (£42 from 1st June) online at www.livepromotionsconcerts.com

BURGHLEY TEL: 01780 752451

STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE TEL: 01780 763203 CONCERT PRESENTED BY LIVE PROMOTIONS EVENTS LTD TEL: 01775 768661

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D IA RY DAT E S

APRIL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

Friday 25 April Shakedown Blues: Doug Macleod 7:30pm - 10:30pm Long time favourite of Shakedown Blues’ punters, American singer, songwriter and grand master of the guitar, Doug Macleod is flying to play! £16.00 in advance/£17.00 Paypal/£18.00 on the door. The Village Hall, Castor, Peterborough PE5 7AX. www. shakedownblues. co.uk. 01733 380249

What’s On Great dates for April. Compiled by Yasmin Bradley

Tuesday 1 April The Church of Ideas. Michal Reid: ‘The Noble History of the Philosophic Fool.’ 1.00pm – 1.45pm The Church of Ideas continues its eclectic series of talks. Free. St John the Baptist, Church Street, Peterborough PE1 1XB. 01733 266381. www.peterborough-stjohns.org.uk Wednesday 2 April, Writers in Peterborough: Nick Warburton 7.30pm Award-winning scriptwriter of over eighty radio plays, Nick Warburton talks about his work. £7 (£5). The Quality Hotel, Thorpe Meadows, Peterborough, PE3 6GA. 01778 342766. www.wip.btik.com Saturday 5 – Sunday 27 April Big Bunny Hunt at Sacrewell Farm Hunt for eggs in the Enchanted Wood to claim your surprise prize from the Easter Bunny! See above for details. Saturday 5 April Loose Lead Dog Workshop 1.30 – 4.00pm Prevent your over enthusiastic canine companion choking himself and learn how to enjoy walkies together. £10.00. Booking essential. 01733 234193 or visitor. services@neneparktrust.org.uk. Discovery Den, Ferry Meadows Country Park, Nene Park Trust, Ham Lane, Peterborough, PE2 5UU. www.neneparktrust.org.uk/ferry-meadowsÐ Thursday 10 April Scarecrow Building 10.00am – 12.00 Build a traditional scarecrow with a prize for the best dressed one. See above for details Saturday 12 April BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing Pasha & Katya 2014 Tour A real treat as the stars take to the stage for an evening of world-class dance - with an appearance by a local dance school, Wildcats and your chance to join in! £26.00. The Cresset, Rightwell, Bretton, PE3 8DX. 01733 265705. www.cresset.co.uk Thursday 17 April Oundle Cinema presents: Philomena 7.45pm Funny yet deeply moving, Philomena (Judi Dench) enlists the help of an investigative journalist (Steve Coogan) to search for her illegitimate son. Certificate: 12A £5 (£3). Oundle Box Office, 4 New St, Oundle PE8 4ED. information@oundlefestival.org.uk. www.oundlefestival.org.uk/

Until Sunday 27 April Lambing at Sacrewell Farm Feed the new lambs and learn how to care for the orphans. Various prices. Sacrewell Farm & Country Centre, Thornhaugh, Peterborough, PE8 6HJ. 01780 782254 or info@sacrewell.org.uk. www.sacrewell.org.uk.

Monday 21 April Shuckburgh Arms Southwick Acoustic Bluegrass Music Bring your banjo or come to listen to vibrant, live music in a lovely location. Free. Shuckburgh Arms, Main Street, Southwick, PE8 5BL. 01832 272044. ww.shuckburghpub.co.uk/ Saturday 26 April Music for St George’s Day 7.30pm The Gildenburgh Choir and the City of Peterborough Concert Band perform English music across the centuries in celebration of our Patron Saint to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK (Peterborough). £10 (concessions). Eye Community Centre, 70 High St, Eye, Peterborough, PE6 7UY. 01778 343158 or choir@ gildenburgh.freeserve.co.uk Sunday 27 April Sunflower Sunday at Sacrewell Your chance to plant a sunflower in our garden and watch it grow! See above for details. Tuesday 29 April Wild Food Forage at Ferry Meadows 6.15 – 7.30pm Learn tips on foraging and identifying wild food. Free. See details above.

NENE VALLEY LIVING APRIL 2014

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Local Living2014 This year our annual publication is undergoing a complete revolution. Join us in the revolution!!

• A name change from Essential Living to Local Living • A huge focus on ‘Buying Local’ – we have so much in this region • A town by town focus – a guide to help us all get the most out of our glorious towns • Still higher production values – ultra-glossy • Vastly increased distribution – 15,000 copies

Who will read it?

• People who already live in the region, who want to explore more – helping them get to the ‘real finds’ – the hidden places, the great buys and the amazing service providers • Visitors to the region and people who are thinking of re-locating - a celebration of ‘Britain’s Best Place to Live’

To advertise eam please call the t

or: Helen Walton rld.com Advertising Direct amford@btopenwo 01 Email: helen.st 48 75 0 78 01 l: Te Bayley Stamford: Claudia m yley@btinternet.co Email: claudia.ba 09 04 48 0 78 Tel: 01 et Steele Nene Valley: Bridg com neliving@ntlworld. .ne et idg br : ail Em 38 75 Tel: 01733 70 atkinson Rutland: Tracy W g@btinternet.com nd Email: rutla livin 87 31 81 2 57 01 l: Te y gh: Sosennah Ever Market Harborou 16 Tel: 07884 1243 gmail.com Email: sos.every@ 46

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HEALTH

AGA ENGINEER MARTIN WELSH Independent Aga Engineer

• Professional Aga specialist • Legitimate Aga spare parts for regular servicing and maintenance • Over 12 years experience Call: 07735 304452 or 0116 2813219

Established 1969

Email: martinsagaservice@hotmail.co.uk www.aga-servicing-leicestershire.co.uk

Offering a holistic approach to your healthcare:

DECORATING

Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Acupuncture, Yoga, Pilates & Mindfulness

Nigel Paul Cook

Clinics in Peterborough & Oundle

Painter & Decorator

01733 565911 or visit www.prestonshealth.co.uk

• Reliable and friendly • Free quotes

VAN SERVICE

WEIGHT LOSS

MAN AND VAN

Loose weight now!

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SERVICE

Large items collected and delivered. (D.I.Y Stores and Furniture) Appliance delivery. (White goods) Student moves • Pallet deliveries. Local and national service. Domestic and commercial customers welcome. All vehicle sizes available and tailored to your requirements. Competitive prices. Goods in transit insurance of up to £50,000.

For a quote: Email nickg@rndlimited.com Alternatively phone Nick on 07860520470 or Richard on 07711133842.

Ask me how? Whether it is losing weight, balancing your nutrition, or minimising your snacking cravings. I am an independent distributor for HERBALIFE. For you free health assessment E-mail Simon on wellnessstore247@gmail.com or call me on 07939 439415. www.herbalife.co.uk

RND MAN & VAN “Delivery made simple!”

01733 719622 07543796971

Chris Ireson

Painter & Decorator Interior and exterior work undertaken Landlord contracts welcome City & Guilds qualified Call now for free quote Telephone 07751 995413/01733 245359

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

Design - Supply - Install

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

ELECTRICIAN

Fusion Installations

Dave Wigginton Kitchen Fitter fusioninstallations@yahoo.co.uk

07739098982

Please contact me for a competitive, free, no obligation quote. Extra Sockets • Lights • Full re-wires • Fault finding New Fuse Board • Kitchen and Bathroom Specialist Heating • TV • Satelite

07739 011577

YOGA

swbelectrical@yahoo.co.uk www.swbelectrical.co.uk

NINA HEATON

HEALTH

Creating opportunities for change * Holistic Therapies * Matrix Energetics * Reiki Courses * Yoga & Well-being Days * Art/prints/T-shirts * Gift Vouchers

HOME VISITS FOR:* Removal of Corns and Calluses * Ingrowning Toenails * Toenails clipped * Fungal Nail Treatments * Specialising in the Diabetic and Neurovascular patient * competitive rates Telephone 07931 624325 email: hollywright18@yahoo.co.uk

Holly Wright MCFHP MAFHP FOOT HEALTH PRACTITIONER

01733 236476

www.ninaheaton.co.uk ITEC IA IIHHT IHBC FHT Member

TO PLACE AN ADVERT IN NEXT MONTHS MAGAZINE PLEASE CALL BRIDGET ON 01733 707538

THE LAMPSHADE WAREHOUSE LIGHTING OUTLET Est.1986

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

0 1 7 3 3 2 6 4 3 9 1 - w w w. t h e l a m p s h a d e w a r e h o u s e . c o . u k

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