Rutland Living November 2015

Rutland From Above

Children’s Activities

RUTLAND LIVING

Sport’s Books

Get ready to party!

Fashion Special

COVERING RUTLAND, MARKET HARBOROUGH & SURROUNDING VILLAGES

Christmas Gift Guide W E B S I T E w w w. r u t l a n d l i v i n g . c o . u k RL NOV COVER.indd 1

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RU T L AN D & M A R K E T H A R BO R O U G H L IV ING

November Contents www.rutlandliving.co.uk www.marketharboroughliving.co.uk

I

HAVE a lot to report to report this month: First of all are you aware of the ‘BOOKS ARE MY BAG’ campaign to celebrate bookshops? It is collaboration between publishers, bookshops and authors promoting the values of the local bookshop. As an avid reader myself I agree that we must continue to celebrate - and shop in our high street bookshops so they do not become under threat. And with our very own Tim Walker as the President of the Booksellers’ Association we are obliged to take heed. We will hear from Tim next month.

Thanks to The Bookshop, Kibworth for alerting me.

I would also like to thank Peter Simpkins for his email. Peter had been intrigued by our recent article on the Oakham signal box and took the trouble to explain further its importance as well as providing me with a copy of the 1960 August edition of the Railway Modeller: “I was born in 1948, and like most boys of that time had a 00 gauge model railway there was a choice of Hornby-Doublo, Triang or Trix. Model railways are based on imagination, but the trains running on a track round the carpet or table look very stark, so enter Airfix, the plastic model firm. They had a large range of aircraft, ships and figures, but my interest grew when they launched a series of model buildings to fit with the 00 gauge railways. Most of them were generic but this didn’t matter as they were very convincing when painted and a small town could be built with them. The other advantage was that the plastic could be cut with a sharp knife or razor blade, so custom buildings could be made. However, when they launched a signal box, it was modelled on Oakham! The result of this was thousands of schoolboys and young men knew where Oakham was, and the signal box (became) famous.”

Apology: We would like to rephrase a sentence in last month’s interior design feature where Nicky advised about lighting choices. So rather than warning you against wall lights per se, we would like to suggest caution when fitting them as one has to think about the possibility of hanging paintings.

I think that’s it….oh no one more thing - huge congratulations to Officer Scott Burton, the organiser for Rutland’s Got Talent and family day 2015 for a great event and to the winner Kitty Richardson who sang her own song ‘In Wonderland’ – an extended metaphor inspired by Alice in Wonderland and a warning against drug taking – find it and more at www.compsiumltd.com LATE IN • In celebration of Outstanding British Artist ‘Gary Benfield’ visiting, Trent Galleries are holding an exciting prize draw with the chance to win one of Gary’s Stunning Equestrian limited edition pieces - Chestnut Elegance. To enter call Tel: 01572 722790.

Abigail @RutlandLiving INCORPORATING

Village Lifestyle

sojohome.co.uk

Sojo Homee

Creating beautiful spaces

7 Editor’s Selection

Remember Remember….

8 Christmas Gift Guide From Rutland and Market Harborough

19 Out and About

Aerial Photography with Matt Musgrave

20 Out and About

10 Things to do with Kids in Rutland

23 Health and Beauty

Christmas Party Preparations

27 Fashion

Autumn/Winter Fashion Spectacular from Market Harborough

49 Out and About

Christmas shows and pantomimes across the region

51 Sports and Leisure Sporty Books

53 Local People Local Artists

55 Shops and Services Rutland Updates

58 Shops and Services Harborough Happenings

61 Shops and Services

Healthy Hearing’s incredible new Vista N product

62 Shops and Services

Springfields’ Shopping Centre

30 Fashion

65 Local History

35 Eating Out

66 Local People

We Will Remember Them

Winter Coats The Country Lounge Review and The Olive Branch scoop more accolades

Transatlantic Row

70 Local People

Touch Line Heroes

36 Food and Drink

74 Shops and Services

40 Food and Drink

76 Clubs and Societies

42 Food and Drink

78 Profile

45 Diary Dates

Editor Abigail Richardson 01572 756733 Local Living Ltd, PO Box 208, Stamford PE9 9FY rutlandliving@gmail.com Advertisement Manager, Rutland Tracy Watkinson 01572 813187 rutlandliving@btinternet.com Advertisement Manager, Market Harborough Sosennah Every 07884 124316 sos.every@gmail.com Advertising Copy & Subscriptions Rachel Beecroft 01780 765320 rachel@locallivingdesign.co.uk Head of Design Steven Handley steve@locallivingdesign.co.uk Senior Designer Nik Ellis nik@locallivingdesign.co.uk Publisher Nicholas Rudd-Jones 01780 765571 nicholas@bestlocalliving.co.uk Printed by Warners of Bourne

Christmas Party Planning Duncan Murray Suggests some Festive Tipples The Great Food Club visits the Pheasantry Brewery & Restaurant What’s on in our region this month

Upp Estate Agents

Stamford’s Chamber Orchestra

Victoria Buckman, New Head of Stamford High School

ESTATE AGENTS

Rutland Living cover courtesy of Bigstock.

Market Harborough Living cover photographed

by Dorte Kjaerulff, www.dorte.co.uk on location at The Woodlands, Hothorpe Hall, Theddingworth, www.woodlandbreaks.co.uk

SUBSCRIBE TO RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING

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Please write to The Editor, enclosing cheque made payable to Local Living Ltd. Or subscribe online at www.bestlocalliving.co.uk

Porter &May

porterandmay.com

ESTATE AGENTS

RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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OLD HOUSE GALLERY

TAKE COMFORT IN EXCELLENCE

Market Place Oakham

IRISH PAINTINGS EXHIBITION Marie Carroll • Des Murrie • Deborah Donnelly

My cushions are handmade in Britain by skilled artisans, using top quality designer fabrics.

Beautiful hand-made cushions in fabrics I love

Only a few are made in each design, so you can own something exclusive (special orders can be considered) They are filled with the highest quality China duck (hypo-allergenic filling on request) Sizes available from 14 inches up to 28 inches

WWW.FABNIKI.COM Stock is usually dispatched by courier the same day

Traditional Restoration Timber Renovation Specialists Old sash & casement windows, exterior doors & joinery

Off The Coast by Marie Carroll Husband and Wife Artists, Marie Carroll and Des Murrie are big names on the Dublin Art Scene and Deborah Donnelly is a rising star with the passion and bold painterly qualities that are associated with Irish Art. Here is a great opportunity to acquire highly original works by truly exciting artists.

Sat 31st October – Sat 28th November tel. 01572 755538. Closed Mondays & Sundays.

See our Web site for more exciting Artists: rutlandgallery.com

Window Repair

Why replace your timber windows when you can restore? Traditional Restoration offers a cost-saving alternative to window replacement.

• Repairs and renovations • Overhaul and draught proofing • Reglazing and reputtying • Converting single glazing to double glazing Call James on:

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Christmas Gifts Galore

1 Crown Walk, Oakham LE15 6BZ - helen@albarsden.co.uk 6

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ED I T OR’S SE LE CTI O N

Remember Remember…

Bonfire and Firework Fun • Firework Display at Oakham Rugby Club, 7th November. Gates 6pm, show 7pm at the Rutland Agricultural Society Showground. Tickets £5 for over 5s on the gate or £3.50, family of 4 £12, family of 5 £15 purchased in advance from Fords of Oakham or Uppingham Sports and Books. (See page 46 for more info.)

• Fireworks at Cottesmore community centre.

Thursday 5th November gates open 6 pm £3 adults £1 over 5s. Always a great night.

• Whissendine School ‘s annual bonfire event is taking place on Saturday 7th November and this year will be sponsored by Stapleford Park. Tickets will be available at £4 per adult and £3 per child under the age of 16 years.

• Rainbows Festival of Fireworks on 7th November from 5.30pm at Leicester Racecourse for an incredibly exciting evening packed full of fireworks, with a funfair, a huge bonfire and firework displays. www.rainbows.co.uk Pre sales: £5 individual / £20 family (under 5’s free) On the day: £7 individual / £25 family (under 5’s free)

Farewell!

• I feel I can’t let the last flight of the Vulcan go unmentioned and thanks to Keith Simpson for this amazing photo. He tells us that, ‘Thousands of Rutlanders turned out to watch the flight. Cars lined the roads around the reservoir as spectators sought the best vantage point. The Vulcan swept in across the Water from the Whitwell side, banked gracefully and flew over Norton church to cheers and clapping from the crowd.’

Wine Tasting

Friday 27 November, 6.30pm - 8.30pm • This year Bat and Bottle Wine Merchants will hold their annual Christmas wine tasting at Rutland County Museum due to the restorations being made to Oakham Castle. Guest producers include Ian Hart of Sacred Gin and Fabio Zanzucchi of Trio Negotiants. £5 on the door. Please book in advance at Tel: 01572 759735 or www.batwine.uk

B is for Brownies

• Every so often I receive a perk or two as editor and recently I was sent the most incredible box of brownies from a new Rutland company: www.bisforbrownie.co.uk Maker of fresh brownies, baked to order with the very best single origin chocolate. Each half kilo slab of brownies is hand wrapped in pretty ‘B is for Brownie’ bespoke gift wrap and ribbon and includes a personal hand written gift card.

Choose from The Sea Salted Butterscotch, The Peppermint, The Raspberry and The Madagascan, starting from £18, and a really different gift idea for Christmas.

RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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CHRI ST M AS G I FT G U I D E

Gorgeous Gift Ideas for Girls and Boys… of any age Amander Meade chooses some of the best around, all available in Rutland Ladies and Gentleman’s handmade sheepskin mule, £49.95 and £54.95 respectively at Marcia May Shoes

OPI Gift Box £29 from Ellique Beauty; Gift Vouchers to any value

Clanger Cuddly Toy, £19.99 at Fords of Oakham

Pom Pom Scarf £29 and Umbrella £22 at Baubles & Bangles

Shed Tidy £18.99 at Gates Garden Centre & Nurseries

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RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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Lili & Zoe Lingerie Set, £6 from Avendita at Ashwell Retail Village

Modalu Leather Bag £199 at Vanilla

Reichenbach Gentleman’s Watch, £108; from Avendita at Ashwell Retail Village

Range of Kennel & Schmenger Knee Length Boots £225 at Coco

Tanzanite and Diamond Pendant £210, matching Earrings £170 at Stephen Diggle Jewellery

Wool Gloves £19.99 and Scarf £21.99 both by Powder and come exquisitely wrapped; Olgaberg Bag £49 at Duo

Washbag £14.99, Body Wash £9.99 and Face Wash £11.99 all at Gates Garden Centre & Nurseries Gift Voucher for Fly Fishing Tuition on Rutland Water with Rob Waddington from £75

Lamy Fountain Pen £24.99, Moleskine Notebook £13.99 at Coleman’s of Oakham RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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CH RI ST M AS G I FT G U I D E Sewing Box, £35.95, and full range of sewing and knitting supplies at Rutland Sewing, Ashwell Retail Park

Frances Stunt sterling silver ring £78 and matching bangle £114 from Made Gallery

Converse Bootee set £4 from Avendita at Ashwell Retail Village

Socks £8.00, 100% Merino Wool Scarf £35 and Red Cashmere Scarf £80.00 all from www.win-or-lose.com

Pink Leather Purse £24, at Baubles & Bangles

Simon Drew Drying Up Game Tea Towel, £9.99 at Troy

Gorgeous belts with detachable buckles from £50 at Peachy Belts

‘Astrid’ pendant and earrings in 9ct or 18ct yellow and white gold, from £1,000. Ring is a private commission by HK Design – individually priced at Heidi Kjeldsen.

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RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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HIGHLY ACCLAIMED BRITISH ARTIST

GARY BENFIELD

SOLO EVENT

SATURDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 9.30 - 5PM Join us at Trent Galleries, Mill St for an Exquisite Celebration of Fine Art Trent Galleries are celebrating their 1st Birthday, so welcome you all to join us for drinks & nibbles on 14th November 9.30-5pm.

ENJOY OUR GIFT VOUCHER TO SPEND ON THE DAY!

£50 GIFT VOUCHER FOR YOU

To redeem on any purchases above £300 To use on 14th November 2015

11 Mill Street, Oakham LE15 6EA - 01572 722790 oakham@trentgalleries.co.uk - www.trentgalleries.co.uk

INDEPENDENT FUNERAL DIRECTORS (Established 1877)

Live Beautifully

• Family run business • Dedicated team of experienced personnel • Private chapel of rest.

• Interment service & scattering of ashes if requested.

• Golden Charter pre-paid funeral plans

24 HOUR FUNERAL SERVICE

Any time of the day or night, weekends and Bank Holidays

27 Mill Street Oakham Rutland LE15 6EA 01572 722 345 showroom@elizabethstanhope.co.uk www.elizabethstanhope.co.uk

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NEW

RUTLAND GIFTS NOW IN STOCK FREE DELIVERY with coupon RutLiv at online checkout

CON

, E L IV E R Y E D A Y DL D A P P L IA N C E S M A S R UT OU L OF O A S K A B OA N D R E M O V A N IO T C E N

AL

C YOUR LO

DENT INDEPEN

ER

TAIL E R L A C I ELECTR

THE DESIGN MOU LD

Exhibition

www.thedesignmould.co.uk

New Artists showcasing at Made Gallery November 5th 2015 - February 4th 2016

contemporary handmade jewellery and gifts

Fiona Hutchinson

Emma Williams

w w w .k n ig h t so f o a k h a m . co m 33-37 High Street, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6AH • Tel: (01572) 722240 •

Ria Poynton

Essemge

Sara Bukumunche

Made, 14a Orange Street, Uppingham, Rutland, LE15 9SQ Tel 01572 822002 www.madegallery.co.uk

Workshops and Classes; Sewing Machines and Servicing Dress Fabrics and Patterns Patchwork and Quilting; Books and Gifts

The finest selection of hand knotted rugs in the area.

Modern & traditional OPEN TUESDAY TO SATURDAY 10.00AM TO 5.00PM 6 The Maltings, off Mill St, Oakham, Rutland. LE15 NN6 0PB 6EA www.oakhamrugs.co.uk

01572 724441

mail@oakhamrugs.co.uk

Oakham Oriental Rugs Ltd t/as Oakham Rugs

www.r utla ndsew ing.c o.u k

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Baubles and Bangles

Stephen Diggle Jewellers Ltd Designers & Manufacturers of Diamond, Platinum & Gold Jewellery

Beautiful fashion, jewellery and accessories 2 New Street Oakham 01572 724177 5 High Street, Melton Mowbray 01664 561092 10 St Mary’s Hill Stamford 01780 763633

Stephen Diggle Jewellers Ltd

17 High Street, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6AH 01572 722737

Stephen Diggle Goldsmiths

8 Westgate Arcade, Peterborough, PE1 1PY 01733 345757

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CH RI ST M AS G I FT G U I D E

For youn r kids

COT ‘N’ TOGS Small Noah’s Ark, Price in the region of ÂŁ70, Comes with pairs of animals and Mr & Mrs Noah, 3+ yrs

KEALS Satchel ÂŁ48, hat ÂŁ15, Doll ÂŁ35, wooden polar bear ÂŁ9, crochet owl bags ÂŁ10

Elephant jigsaw 1-10 ÂŁ11 Suitable for 3+ Deluxe Farm. All natural wood ÂŁ115 3+ yrs

GEORGE HALL CYCLES New limited edition Raleigh Chopper & Raleigh Molli 16

Star Wars coasters ÂŁ5 each, wooden gun ÂŁ5

Christmas comes but once a year‌ So here are some gorgeous gift ideas in Market Harborough to make it extra special!

d older kids d teens

MH MUSIC Gretsch guitars - start from ÂŁ250. If you are looking for a stocking filler then MH Music stock a good range of musical gifts, T shirts and music books

ADA Written X O 18ct goldplated silver studs by Laura Gravestock ÂŁ25 Camouflage Scarf in Red Navy Grey by Hikaru Noguchi ÂŁ103

IN HEAVEN AT HOME Deliverance Country Pottery Mugs Large red heart mug ÂŁ11.95 Large blue star mug ÂŁ11.95

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RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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For the parents d g ndparents FARNDON FIELDS FARMSHOP A selection of Christmas Hampers & other foodie treats, prices vary, can be made to order

IN HEAVEN AT HOME Black 302 Series Phone £50.00

JEFFREY & DAY Old French enamel jug £35 Vintage 1950’s tin Globe £45 French Madeline trays £15 Enamel soap dish £16 Vintage cake tins from £6 Old bottles from £3

Vintage school exercise books £1.50 Cork screw £8 Mid century Capt Field’s Improved Parrallel Ruler £28

KITCHEN RANGE COOKSHOP Le Creuset Salt & Pepper Mills, £35 for the set

IN HEAVEN AT HOME Olivia Earl mantel clock with Swarovski Element crystals £25.99

Marmalade Diffuser £19.95 Marmalade Luxury Candle with silver lid £17.95

IN HEAVEN AT HOME Single gold plate taupe enamel frame 4” x 6” £22.95 Double taupe enamel 5” x 7” frame £59.95 Ornate 4” x 6” Antique Cream Diamante frame £24.95 Ornate round Pearl and Diamante frame £12.95 WISTOW BISTRO A range of personalised goodies available for Christmas including cakes, mince pies, cookies and curds, all can carry messages to make them extra special. Vouchers also available.

PAINT POTTLE Christmas platter £20, jug £18

HOUSEKEEPING Leather notebook cover £48, leather iphone case £28, leather card carrier £28 and laptop brush £9

Mango wood bowls £38 Hedgehog doorstop £19.95

RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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NEW SHOP OPEN IN STAMFORD 8 St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DE T: 01780 757131 18 Belvoir Street, Leicester LE1 6QH T: 0116 255 5372 2 The Square Market Harborough LE16 7PA T: 01858 410 395 www.denhams.co.uk 16

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Contemporary handcrafted jewellery & adornments

Visit Ada for a unique special gift & support British Craftsmanship. Showcasing the work of over 40 top & emerging UK designer makers

4 The Courtyard Bennett’s Place 30-31 High Sreet Market Harborough Leicestershire LE16 7NL 01858 461896 info@adagallery.co.uk

www.adagallery.co.uk Follow us on

AdaAdornments

Fantastic range of cycles for the whole family, top brands

• Accessories • Repair Service George Halls Cycle Centre, 10-12 Northampton Road Market Harborough 01858 465507

www.247cycleshop.com

adagallery

The Skinny Card Co creates a humorous range of ceramics, textiles and Greeting cards with a country feel.

Our collection is designed around our passion for chickens and other animals.

There is something really special about Robins, and this cheeky little chap is no exception, he also appears on other products in our range, why not take a peek by visiting the website

www.theskinnycardcompany.co.uk 17

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“ta fina ke it nce aw ava ay” ilab le

MH Music 7 St Mary’s Road, Market Harborough Tel: 01858 463144 - www.mhmusic.co.uk

Antique ANTIQUE & AND Modern y MODERN Jeweller JEWELLERY 3 COVENTRY ROAD, MARKET HARBOROUGH, LEICESTERSHIRE, LE16 9BX. TEL: 01858 468858 tim@tjthornton.com

Hallblue twinkle rings 18ctDower white&gold tourmaline from £120 and diamond £1995

Spi tfire silver & diamond enamel cufflinks 18ct white gold cluster £105 £1595

Amber&silver pendants 9ct antique modern pendants, from £50 silver vermeil pendants

Ruby ring rings, £1350 Gold signet 18ct gold and 9ct gold

Victorian silver locket 18ct gold diamond £340 cluster ring £2200

pewter photo frames Wedding rings in gold, platinum £15-55 and palladium

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OU T & AB OUT

Aerial Photography Matt Musgrave, a local photographer, had often wondered what local and iconic places might look like from above, and so he decided to find out…

“I

HAVE been flying drones for over 2 years now and it never ceases to amaze me the beautiful and unique images that can be captured. To get the most interesting images I believe that the golden hours of sunrise and sunset are truly the best. This does involve being up as early as 5am in the summer, but the results can be well worth it! Water also makes a superb subject choice, adding another dimension to the overall look of the final image.

I try and get out as much as possible, but as you can imagine it’s largely weather dependant, wind and rain being the biggest enemy! Another not so obvious enemy, is birds, swallows in particular. These brave little things don’t seem to have any fear of the rotating blades and will often try and dive at the drone, luckily none have gotten too close to cause any issues!!

The drone I fly doesn’t cost the earth and when you think about the fun that can be had and the technology that is crammed into such a small machine, it seems incredible. Flying the drone is largely based around GPS technology, meaning even amateur pilots can fly with ease. Once the drone has locked onto its satellites it will literally fly itself. It can be

programmed to fly certain paths based on pre-determined co-ordinates, it will lock onto and film any selected subject matter, and it will even follow you if told to do so. The best thing is the peace of mind, knowing that if the drone loses signal or gets into trouble, it will fly back and land exactly where it took off from (this does actually work).

With the wide variety of drones on the market, it means that anybody can take up this hobby with ease. I would recommend starting with the lower end models costing a few hundred pounds to hone your skills, and then work your way up to the more advanced models. It’s definitely worth knowing however, that the hobby is strictly governed by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) including rules dictating a maximum flying altitude of 400ft and minimum distances of 50M from buildings and crowded areas etc. Insurance is also very much recommended just in case.”

• If you are interested in venturing in to this hobby, Matt would be very happy to answer questions. Or if you know of any interesting locations and hidden gems that would benefit from being seen from above, please let Matt know. Email him at: matt_muz@hotmail.com RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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10 OU T & AB OUT

Things to do with kids in Rutland

As we fall deep into autumn, you might be missing those warm(er) days and the kids being in Crocs. But don’t worry, it need not mean you are housebound with small people and CBeebies. Stave off any boredom by exploring and experiencing what our little county has on offer for children this month. Our new contributor (and mum of two) Katie Mitchell takes a look at keeping our little ones amused (and parents happy too!).

From digital treasure hunts to tots yoga; you may well be surprised to find out what is on offer

Join a high tech treasure hunt - called Geocaching this fabulous little gem is an exciting outdoor adventure for all the family. All you need is a handheld GPS (i.e. a smartphone) and a sense of adventure. A geocache or ‘cache’ is a small waterproof treasure box hidden outdoors. Your aim is to seek out these hidden treasure boxes guided by ‘waypoints’ downloaded from www.geocaching.com – there are lots of treasures to be found in Rutland and thousands worldwide. You can also visit www. nationaltrust.org.uk who list Trust trails you can follow.

Get on your bike - The Breeze Mum and Tots bike rides take place every Wednesday morning at 10am at Rutland Cycles (Rutland Water, Whitwell) – join in with your little ones for a gentle pedal on quiet traffic-free tracks at Rutland Water or Fineshade Wood. With six miles covered you get to experience some great scenery, exercise and meet other local mums.

Free with your own bike or £5 to hire a bike, child seat and helmets, £10 to hire 2-child buggy and helmets. Visit www.rutlandcycling.com

of our world - bugs - and it’s definitely worth a visit to see this little zoo at Empingham (with a handy playground close by for afterwards). visit www.bugtopia.co.uk

Strike a yoga pose - Sam Richardson from Tatty Bumpkin which run yoga inspired classes for babies and children explains “Yoga is a great way to get children to learn to move freely and with awareness, how to be still and breath better. And with all forms of exercise, a good yoga practice can mean a good night’s sleep.” which is music to any parents ears. Contact rutland@tattybumpkin.com for local classes.

Remember, remember the fifth of November – Bonfire Night can be a fun night for all the family. The annual display by the Lions Club of Rutland at Oakham Rugby Club takes place on Saturday 7 November and includes a special children’s display at 7.00pm.

Rainy day saviours – for those days when your little ones need to let off steam you sometimes can’t do better than an indoor soft play centre – like Mini Monsters in Oakham, Mini Mischeifs in Market Harborough, Creepy Crawlies and Catmose Kickers at Catmose Sports Centre.

Check out some local wildlife – The Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre is fabulous for little ones. Open Tuesday to Sunday and set in stunning natural habitat, owls, hawks, falcons, eagles and even vultures are just some of the birds nesting here. And have you heard of Bugtopia? A fabulous new interactive experience introducing kids to the super heroes

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Experience theatre – with Christmas around the corner there are some great shows coming up that little ones will love. Kippers Snowy Day and Sorry Christmas is Cancelled – Katie Saves the Day are playing at The Curve in Leicester, Cinderella is this year’s pantomime at Stamford Corn Exchange, whilst DeMontfort Hall in Leicester has Snow White showing.

Wellie walks – grab your wellies and explore some of our ideal stomping territories. Rutland Water has 25 miles of coastline around this manmade lake and even a beach area for some splashing; Burghley House’s beautiful grounds are ideal for young explorers to run around in and The Garden of Surprises are full of just that (waterproofs a necessity here!). Or why not try out the Foxton Locks and Village Spy Mission Treasure Trail – at 2.5 miles it takes around 3 hours to complete (so pack a picnic) www. treasuretrails.co.uk.

Get all festive – and start planning your festive treats. Uppingham hosts its Christmas Market with ice rink, Santa’s Grotto, entertainment and food on 3rd December and the Christmas Lights will be switched on in Stamford on Sunday 29 November with real life reindeer, children’s fun fair and craft and food stalls.

Try something new - coming soon to Oakham, Stamford and Bourne ‘BilinguaSing’ is a new award winning music, singing and movement class for parents, babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers to learn Spanish or French together. Register interest by emailing info@bilinguasing.com or come along to one of their taster sessions.

RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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Is it time to re-discover your hearing?

Missing the odd word during the conversation?

Having to turn the TV up?

If these situations sound familiar you may benefit from a free hearing assessment.

Healthy Hearing are your local hearing experts. With many years of experience we are dedicated to providing a comprehensive hearing healthcare service and finding the best solutions for your needs.

Call us for: • Free expert hearing advice • Free lifestyle hearing assessments • Free trials of the latest digital hearing aid technology • Home visits available

Call us today for your FREE hearing assessment

01572 759555 Oakham Hearing Centre, 17b Gaol Street, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6AQ

With our help your hearing can only get better.

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HE AL T H & B E A U TY

Christmas Party Preparation No, I don’t mean checking that you’ve bought enough mince pies and mulled wine! Get ready for the festive season with our guide to the places that will get you looking party-ready in no time.

By Catherine Varney

NAOMI NAILS & BEAUTY:

N

o self-respecting girl would attend a Christmas party with less than perfectly groomed nails so your first port of call should be Naomi Nails & Beauty in Market Harborough – what the ladies here don’t know about nails isn’t worth knowing.

Salon owner Naomi told me: “We offer a huge selection of nail services and we tailor them to the client’s personal preferences and the condition of their nails. We offer everything from OPI manicures to hard gel nail extensions to ensure there is a service to suit everyone. Whilst some clients are happy to simply have a gel colour applied to their natural nails, others still want extensions to enhance what they have. We concentrate on enhancing the natural nail with minimal damage: our acrylics are MMA–free and we don’t use electric files either as they can cause a lot of damage to the nail bed. If you’re looking for a glam look for Christmas parties, we can add crystals and gems to fingernails and toenails for added bling and even mix nail colours to match a dress or outfit for a special occasion.” Naomi and her team don’t just focus on fabulous nails, they offer a whole host of beauty treatments including facials, laser treatments, inchloss treatments, eyelash extensions and spray tans too.

BEAUTY DEFINED:

S

ituated in the peaceful Union Wharf area of Market Harborough, Beauty Defined is more than just a beauty salon. Natalie Godefroy and her team specialise in advanced aesthetic treatments for face and body as well as permanent make-up solutions. I was invited along to try the Collagen Wave facial, which has been lauded in the press as a needle-free alternative to botox for its anti-ageing abilities. Admittedly, I knew little about it other than the fact that Amanda Holden and Mel B swear by it, claiming their skin has never looked better – what more could a girl want for Christmas?

My lovely and very knowledgeable therapist, Harriet started by explaining the treatment to me which works by using radio frequency to heat up deeper layers of the skin to tighten existing collagen and stimulate new collagen without damaging the surface of the skin. It’s worth saying that with advanced treatments like this, the effects are as much down to the skill of the therapist as the treatment itself – and Harriet really knows her stuff. She began by getting me to lie back on a metal plate to conduct the energy and used a probe with radiofrequency gel to heat up my skin, applying firm but even pressure across my face.

Now whilst not a traditional facial, it still felt very relaxing, and the heat from the probe was very pleasant without being uncomfortable or painful

in the slightest.

I looked in the mirror afterwards and was a bit red as expected; like I’d been in the sun for a bit too long - but my skin looked a lot plumper too. Harriet had assured me that the redness would diminish quickly and sure enough, by the time I reached the supermarket car park, my skin was back to its normal hue. Now it’s a bit of a cliché to say that my skin looked rejuvenated and firmer as there are many facials that claim that these days. So let’s just say that it felt like I had someone else’s skin – and that someone had much smoother, plumper, radiant and more youthful skin than me! In fact, I spent most of the day pressing various points on my face and marvelling at the way my skin bounced back with never-before-seen elasticity! The effects are cumulative so you’ll see improved results with subsequent sessions – but as a one-off treatment, the effects are very noticeable and impressive.

Now results like this don’t come cheap – Collagen Wave usually costs £150 a session but Natalie is offering a special package price of 3 for £300 until December, which represents a fabulous saving. And if you don’t want to end your transformation there, take advantage of the fantastic face-framing package Natalie has put together – HD Brows plus LVL eyelash extensions (which can last up to 6 weeks with maintenance) for just £75.

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HE AL T H & B E A U TY THE BEST OF THE REST: Ellique:

Visit this friendly Oakham salon for the newest addition to the Decleor family of products – ‘Aurabsolu Intense Glow Awakening Cream’ which promises an allday glow for radiant skin. The lightweight yet deeply moisturising day cream delivers the combined benefits of precious Jasmine Absolute with powerful active ingredients, to work on the signs of tired skin. While Orange Flavanoids protect skin from harmful free radicals, Samphire Extract reduces to improve skin tone and evenness of complexion; Tamarindus Extract offers intense hydration and optimum skin softening, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles to fully rejuvenate skin.

ESSENCE HAIR & BEAUTY: If you’re an Essence regular, you’re in for an even bigger treat than normal as they have relocated to a new, impressive location in Market Place. This swanky new salon was formerly HSBC bank so the high ceilings and impressive architecture remain – with a brand new look thanks to the luxurious flocked wallpaper, huge chandeliers and large mirrors, whilst huge windows flood the salon with natural light. Owner Kate told me: “I’d been hoping to expand for a while and when this opportunity came up, we just couldn’t resist. The building is perfect for what we wanted to achieve and now we’ve been joined by 10a Beauty, we really can offer a whole range of services under one roof.”

I went along for a hair consultation to see what they could achieve. Admittedly, my hair hadn’t received much attention of late. The colour was a bit nondescript and the ends had just been trimmed leaving in that no-man’s-land of being long but without any particular style. I was open to suggestions and was even willing to try a bob, but Essence’s newest recruit, Aiden advised me to keep the length: “it suits you; we just need to add in more shape to frame the face.” Colour-wise, I didn’t want anything too dramatically different to my natural colour (a grey/brown combo!) and I was nervous of going for a permanent colour as when I have visited salons in the past I usually ask for a mid-brown which almost always seems to turn out black. This was where I was going wrong it seems as Aiden pointed out: “In hairdressing terms, you’d be considered a dark blonde (seriously?!), so we’d be aiming to keep the warmth in your hair whilst evening it out and making it glossier with a richer tone. Bingo! 45 minutes later and the wishy-washy brunette had gone, replaced by a deeper, richer, chestnut brown that complemented my skin tone, rather than draining it. Aiden then chopped into the layers around my face to ensure my hair framed it, rather than hanging limply down. I love it – and the glossy condition of my hair a few weeks on really is a testament to how nourishing the Aveda colours really are.

Whilst I was there Kate showed me around the fantastic new facilities including a dedicated spray tan room in the old bank vault and two luxurious treatment rooms where the 10a beauty girls offer a whole range of treatments including facials using Katherine Daniels’ products, OPI nails, waxing and make-up application… you really must go along and visit Kate and her team so they can work their magic and create a whole new you in time for Christmas.

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Barnsdale Spa:

BEFORE

Now if the beautiful surroundings of this spa don’t leave you feeling refreshed and revitalised then the Visible Brilliance Facial by Elemis certainly will. Offering revolutionary results, this anti-ageing treatment instantly firms, rejuvenates and plumps skin, whilst helping to reduce dark circles.

Moisturisation levels of the skin are clinically proven to increase by up to 61% and elasticity by 40% after just one treatment.

The Beauty Manor:

If you’re planning on making a statement in a LBD this season, then don’t forget the delicate décolletage area. At The Beauty Manor, they offer a Signature Face & Décolletage Treatment for £49 which allows you to take time out and really give your face the treat it deserves, not to mention the forgotten neck and décolletage too: allimportant if you’re flashing the merest hint of flesh! Combine it with a 30 minute Cooling Eye treatment which uses small cold stones to massage pressure points and relieve puffiness and other signs of tired eyes.

AFTER DIRECTORY: Ellique, 55 South Street, Oakham Tel: 01572 723950 Barnsdale Spa, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 8AB, Tel: 01572 771313, www.barnsdalehotel.co.uk Beauty Defined, 3 Union Wharf, Leicester Road, Market Harborough, LE16 7UW, Tel: 01858 288242, www.beauty-defined.co.uk The Beauty Manor, Manor House, High Street, Market Harborough, LE16 7NL, Tel: 0844 9994365, www.thebeautymanor.co.uk Essence Hair and Beauty, 7 Market Place, Uppingham, LE15 9QH Tel: 01572 822715 Naomi Nails and Beauty, 14-16 Manor Walk, Market Harborough, LE16 9BP, Tel: 01858 657001

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Opening Hours Monday ............................................... Closed Tuesday .................................... 09:00 – 17:00 Wednesday .............................. 09:00 – 19:00 Thursday ................................... 09:30 – 20:00 Friday ...................................... 09:00 – 17:00 Saturday ................................... 09:00 – 15:00 Sunday................................................. Closed

The Bank, 7 Market Place, Uppingham, Rutland, LE15 9QH Essence Telephone: 01572 822715

10a Beauty Telephone: 01572 822286

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Tel: 01780 758556 www.psychologistuk.co.uk

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Mbl: 07986 585270 www.alexandradent.co.uk

Orion House, 14, Barn Hill, Stamford, PE9 2AE Church Street Practice, Melton Mowbray LE13 0PN

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F ASHI ON

Autumn/Winter Trends No sooner had we shaken the sand from our beach totes than the shop windows were brimming with chunky knits, luxurious coats and leather boots. Modelled by two of the area’s most gorgeous Mother and Daughter pairings, Isabella selects and styles some of the season’s big trends from our favourite local boutiques and fashion brands.

From left, Sarah wears By Timo Faux Fur Coat £299 over By Timo Blouse £35, Naomi wears Bebooted Grey Poncho £85, all from Bebooted.

Photographed by Dorte Kjaerulff on location at The Woodlands, Hothorpe Hall, Theddingworth. See www.woodlandbreaks.co.uk and www.hothorpe.co.uk/woodlands - a fantastic venue for celebrations, weddings, meetings and short breaks.

From left, Sarah wears Pink Pearl Tania Coat £395 and Navy Bloom Shirt £79; Isobel wears Purple Orchid Kimberley Jacket £275, Purple orchid Susan Waistcoat £195, Purple Orchid Clara Skirt £95 and Forest Black Shirt £79; Rebecca wears Ocean Blue Kimberley Jacket £275, Ocean Blue Antonia Skirt £110, Shadow Blue Shirt £79; Naomi wears Purple Orchid Coat £395 and Purple Orchid Clara Skirt £95; all from Butler Stewart RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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F ASH I ON From left, Naomi wears Second Female Plari Waistcoat £139 and Black Leather Trousers £159 both from Jacks, worn over Black Basic Tee from Boutique 34 for under £20. Sarah wears Knitted Black & Cream Jacket £39.99 with Black Waven Jeans £45, both from Boutique 34.

LEFT: Sarah wears Ted Baker Navy Fedora £49, from Limehouse.

RIGHT: Sarah wears Derhy Cameraman Dress £109 from Jacks.

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From left, Isobel wears Kapalua Cream Polo £45, Rino & Pelle Fake Fur Gilet £89 and Maison Scotch Jeans, £149, all from Limehouse, with Black Pom Pom Hat £27 from Boutique 34. Rebecca wears Cashmere Poncho £81, Cream Scarf £30 and Waven Jeans £45, all from Boutique 34.

Rebecca wears Ted Baker Cherry Blouse £99; Ottod’Ame Red Jacket £99 and Ted Baker Cherry Handbag £129; all available from Limehouse. See here with Dr Denim blue jeans £49 from Bebooted.

In the Woodlands Bar, from left, Sarah wears Ted Baker Technicolour Bloom Shift Dress £149, Rebecca wears Ted Baker Red Scallop Hem Lace Dress £189, both from Limehouse. Naomi wears Black Hoss Intropia Dress £209 underneath Hoss Fringed Jacket £229, both from Jacks.

• Effortlessly beautiful hair styling done by the most glamourous and fun hairstylist you will ever meet, the lovely Stacey Bailey.

• A huge thank you to our beautiful and ever smiling models Rebecca and Isobel Redfearn and Sarah Ellwood Leverett and Naomi Ellwood – you made the day a complete pleasure.

• All footwear is models own.

Bebooted, 7 Church Square, Market Harborough LE16 7NB, Tel: 01858 469200 Boutique 34, 34 High St, Market Harborough, LE16 7NL, Tel: 01858 431522 Butler Stewart, www.butlerstewart.co.uk Jacks, 16 Church St, Market Harborough LE16 7AA, Tel: 01858 431396 Limehouse, High St, Market Harborough LE16 7AF, Tel: 01858 432915 Wife, Mum and Professional Photographer: Fotograf Dorte Kjaerulff, 76B St Mary’s Road, Market Harborough, LE16 7DX, Tel: 07984 492246 Rebecca wears Nice Things Blue Stripe Blazer £144, Nice Things Blue Floral Blouse £58 and Dr Denim Blue Jeans £49, all from Bebooted.

Freelance hairstylist: Stacey Bailey Tel: 07711 383926, Stacey_hairstylist@hotmail.com

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Winter Warmers!

With winter just around the corner, we dispatched Vanessa Hollander into Oakham to find the best of this season’s new coats

A

COAT is probably one of the most expensive items of clothing in your wardrobe - it’s the piece you rarely buy on a whim but one that you can’t do without for the winter. So choosing wisely is a must!

This season, brightly coloured coats are big news – from pastels to neon brights there’s a colour to suit everyone! Shape-wise practically anything goes from over-sized cocoon coats to more fluid wrap shapes. However, whichever colour or style you choose there are a few things you should consider: • Will your coat go with most of your casual, work and evening looks?

• The longer the coat, the more formal. Shorter styles are more practical for the day but still work in the evening.

• If you wear dresses to work, try to find a coat that’s just a little longer than your standard dress length.

• Capes and ponchos are great if you like wearing lots of layers as they’re voluminous enough to go over the top.

• Are you in and out of the car all day? If so, choose a shorter, softer style of coat which is easy to drive in – a coatigan is ideal as it’s a cross between a cardigan and a coat, normally knitted.

• If you have a couple of daytime styles, consider a more glamorous ooat for evening, perhaps in a brighter colour or luxury fabric that you can also dress down with jeans at the weekend.

• If you buy a different style of coat every couple of seasons, soon you’ll have a great collection that will fit with everything in your wardrobe, pretty much forever!

Double breasted, over-sized coat in grenadine by Marc Cain, £495 from Cavells, Oakham

Cashmere waterfall coat in dark mauve by Joseph, £935 from Cavells, Oakham

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Lime boyfriend coat by Weekend by Max Mara, £360 from Cavells, Oakham

Powder blue long coat in a cashmere blend

by Oui, £209 from Cavells, Oakham

Black coat with fur trim by d.e.c.k., £186 from Vanilla, Oakham Grey and black knitted poncho by d.e.c.k., £52.50 from Vanilla, Oakham

STOCKISTS Cavells, Oakham, Tel: 01572 770372, www.cavells.co.uk Vanilla, Oakham, Tel: 01572 757577, www.vanillaboutique.co.uk WITH THANKS TO: Claire our beautiful model and our fab photographer, Elli Dean www.ellideanphotography. co.uk Tel: 07932 055548

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HAIR

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS IN HAIRDRESSING Simon Cawthorne has been providing beautifully crafted haircuts and creative colour services to clients for three decades.

We believe in better.

Complimentary consultations are always available.

23A Mill Street, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6EA

Telephone: 01572 722774 www.simoncawthorne.com

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BE INSPIRED… by the new collections for Autumn & Winter 2015 New Autumn/Winter stock now in.

Fabulous large selection of ladies footwear & accessories.

Superb quality brands including Paul Green, Peter Kaiser, and Kennel & Schmenger, also gorgeous new collection of handbags by Abro.

29 High Street . Oakham . Rutland . LE15 6AH Tel: 01572 757646 . www.cocooakham.co.uk

W I L L I A M W H E E LW R I G H T H A I R S O I R E E

Come join us on Thursday 3rd December from 6pm

A

n evening of autumn/winter inspiration to get you ready for the party season ahead, with lots of fizz and nibbles. We want to make sure the ladies of Rutland are looking and feeling as amazing as possible. So we will be offering hair demos and trials along with inside tips on the best hair colours and styles, as well as a makeup artist to have you looking and feeling your best for the festive season.

We can’t wait to see you

ROBELLTROUSERS • CREAM A POSTCARD FROM BRIGHTON • FRANSA •YEST NÜMPH • ICHI • OLGA BERG • NOUR TREATY • RUBY & ED Will and the team would love to meet you, please pop in to see us in the relaxed salon that we have created in Church Street.

16,Church Street,Oakham.LE15 6AA

TEL; 01572 757137

29A High Street, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6AH 01572 722116 www.duoboutique.co.uk 33

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at Braunston

Country try Pub t Kitchen Kitch hen COUNTRY PUB & Coun KITCHEN - & RUTLAND’S OLDEST INN The T h e W Warmest a r m e s t Welcome W e l c o m e & Freshest F r e s h e s t Food F o o d Open Tues – Sun, Bank Hols & Extended Festive Opening Rutland’s aatt R utland’s Oldest Oldest Inn I nn

CHRISTMAS

Christmas Menu for 2-40. Bookings for 1st – 24th Dec Now Being Taken See website for all Menus inc Christmas Menu & Open/Food Service Times The Blue Ball 6 Cedar Street Braunston Nr. Oakham Rutland LE15 8QS

T: 01572 722 135 E: blueballbraunston@gmail.com www.theblueballbraunston.co.uk To book your time & table theblueballrestaurantbraunstonrutland t: 01572 722 135

e: blueballbraunston@gmail.com .................................................................

theblueballrestaurantbraunstonrutland

www.theblueballbraunston.co.uk

Airport transfer specialists • • • •

Great rates Friendly drivers Prompt reliable service Quality vehicles

• •

24hr availability Corporate chauffeur service and all contract work welcome

Guaranteed price match

Opening Hours Monday to Saturday 8am - 6pm Sunday 10am - 4pm Bank Holidays 10am - 4pm

Farndon Fields Farm Farndon Road Market Harborough LE16 9NP

Complimentary refreshments and snacks in all vehicles

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EA T I NG O UT

A Worthwhile Pit Stop on the A47 in Morcott Sosennah Every

T

he Country Lounge Café Bar is located unassumingly off the A47 behind the Gulf petrol station and next to the Redwings Lodge hotel.

Don’t let this put you off though as the café itself is newly built in a wooden lodge style and is wonderfully light and airy.

We met here for a business meeting over lunch and the full menu ranging from salads to fish and meats, pizzas, as well as an interesting specials’ board, meant there was something here for everyone. Some choices on the specials’ board included Calves Liver, Loin of lamb with minted gravy and duck breast all demonstrating the chef here is capable of adventurous mains to keep you coming back for more!

We soon stopped talking shop when a quarter loaf of warm bread arrived which we could slice ourselves and enjoy with salted butter. Soon after my choice of King Prawn and spinach risotto came with a generous smattering of King Prawns and a mixed salad on the side. Tracy opted for the Caesar Salad which was filled with slices of grilled chicken breast, anchovies, boiled eggs and homemade croutons, all delicately mixed with Caesar dressing. Unfortunately there wasn’t time to try the desserts although the menu was tempting!

The Café Bar is open for breakfasts and also serves afternoon tea from 3pm. Look out for their programme of special events such as cabaret nights with live music and dancing on some Saturday nights.

Christmas menus will be available from the start of December at £14.95 for 2 courses. There is a special Christmas Day menu for £59 per person with under 10s at £25.

• Glaston Road, A47 Morcott, Rutland, LE15 9DL, Tel. 01572 748731

The Olive Branch

The Olive Branch is one of three UK venues to win a Sawday’s food award recently …

S

PHOTO: ROBIN STEWART WWW.REALFOODPHOTOGRAPHY.CO

awday’s, the UK guide to special places to stay, has presented The Olive Branch and its bedrooms in Beech House in Clipsham, Rutland, with a Fabulous Food award – one of just three British winners.

Tom Bell, editor of Sawday’s Guide, published on October 1, said: “Our award winners showcase the very best of British hotels with chic interiors, charming staff and delicious food.” The 17th edition of Sawday’s showcases more than 300 handpicked places and 40 new additions.

The Olive Branch entry reads: “A lovely pub in a sleepy Rutland village, where bridle paths lead out across peaceful fields. It dates to the 17th century and is built of Clipsham stone, as is York Minster. Inside, a warm, informal, rustic chic hits the spot perfectly with open fires, old beams, stone walls and choir stalls in the bar.

But there’s more here than cool design. This is a place to come and eat great food, the lovely, local seasonal stuff that’s cooked with passion by Sean and his brigade, perhaps potted pork and stilton with apple jelly, haunch of venison with a juniper fondant, then a boozy rhubarb trifle. Bedrooms in Beech House across the lane are gorgeous.”

And we at Rutland Living cannot agree more heart heartedly. Helen and I had a celebratory lunch there recently – the food was divine, the service incredible and the surroundings were sublime.

• Book now for Christmas online at www.theolivebranchpub.com or call Tel: 01780 410355.

Eat, drink and be merry throughout December with Rutland Water Golf Club.

Christmas lunches throughout December, booking is essential and menus available upon request. Private hire of the upstairs function room for parties of 10 or more.

Christmas party nights in the marquee venue £30.00 per person minimum of 8 persons, welcome glass of fizz, 3 course dinner, dancing and Photo Booth.

• For further information and available dates e-mail enquiries@rutlandwatergolfcourse.co.uk or call on Tel: 01572737149.

Reader Offer!

THE BLUE BALL at BRAUNSTON - COUNTRY PUB & KITCHEN - RUTLAND’S OLDEST INN 20% Off Your Table’s Food Bill TUES-FRI throughout NOVEMBER 2015 To Claim - Present your completed original voucher (not photocopy) on arrival.

First Name....................................................................................................

Last Name ....................................................................................................

Email: .............................................................................................................

Mobile: ...........................................................................................................

My Birthday .................................................................................................

My Anniversary ..........................................................................................

Tick here if you do NOT wish be contacted with future Offers & Events Info by The Blue Ball www.theblueballbraunston.co.uk T: 01572 722 135.

E:blueballbraunston@gmail.com F: theblueballrestaurantbraunstonrutland Ts & Cs - Rutland Living Reader Offer Tues - Fri, Lunch or Dinner, throughout November Single Use Voucher - Valid for Max of 8 People Per Table Cannot be combined with any other offer - Excludes Preplanned Parties

RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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F OOD & DRI N K

Get Your Party Started!

Nicola Hardy finds everything you need for the festive season from party food, the main meal to breakfast ideas EDIBLE16 www.edible16.org.uk Tel: 07534 780395 Shop and entertain with ease this Christmas by choosing Edible16. It’s a brand new click and collect shopping service allowing you to choose from their extensive online list of locally sourced food from the Market Harborough area. They then gather it all together, ready for you to collect from one place. This reduces the stress of rushing around all trying to find your Christmas goodies. Their website also supplies wonderful seasonal recipes for you to download and enjoy.

LET THE CULINARY EXPERTS CATER FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY. SARA MCALLISTER www.saramcallister.co.uk Tel: 07778 227734 Check out these delicious Christmas Day menu ideas from Sara Mcallister Professional Catering who can advise, organise and provide a first class tailored service guaranteed to take the stress out of your Christmas party!

• Veal and ham terrine with fig compote and homemade brioche • Roast turkey with all the trimmings • Mincemeat and almond tart Or • Winter salad of hot smoked salmon, roast beetroot with a horseradish dressing • Roast duck breast with cranberry and cinnamon sauce with duck fat roast potatoes and red cabbage • Clementine posset with vanilla and black pepper shortbread • Further information online.

RUTLAND GOURMET The Firs, 5 Barrowden Road, Morcott, Rutland LE15 9DQ www.rutlandgourmet.co.uk Tel: 01572 747909 From beautifully made and presented canapés and Christmas Eve food for small or large parties, Sarah Rivett has the lot!

WISTOW BISTRO Wistow Cafe Bistro, Wistow Rural Centre, Kibworth Road, Wistow LE8 0QF www.wistowcafebistro.co.uk Tel: 01162 593756 Christmas parties, Christmas lunch or a simply a get-together with family and friends, the team deliver and serve wherever you want, whenever you want it.

HAMBLETON BAKERY www.hambletonbakery.co.uk, Oakham Tel: 01572 757541, Stamford Tel: 01780 754327 Mkt.Harborough Tel: 01858 289412 Julian Carter suggests for Christmas breakfast: ‘A toasted slice of our Christmas crown, a Hamilton Bakery croissant warmed up with our marmalade spread on it, 2 of our delicious breakfast muffins toasted with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon….or for real decadence, why not have a Rutland pippin with our date and walnut bread and some nice local cheese’.

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FARNDON FIELDS FARM Farndon Road, Mkt.Harborough, LE16 9NP www.fardonfields.co.uk Tel: 01858 464838 Choose from their delectable deli counter: Artisan cured hams and salamis, English and specialty cheeses from around the world, delicious olives (fifteen flavours!), Artisan breads and a selection of rolls and flatbreads, locally baked cakes, flapjacks and of course pork pies, sausage rolls and scotch eggs.

OTTERS DELI 19 Mill Street, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6EA www.ottersfinefoods.co.uk Tel: 01572 756481 Let Otters plan your perfect Christmas cheese board!

Pictured here The English Cheseboard: • Lincolnshire Poacher - Cheddar style, distinctive fruity, nutty taste with a clean sweet finish.

• Colston Bassett Stilton - an intensely rich and creamy cheese with a deep lingering complex flavour.

• Thomas Hoe Aged Red Leicester - dense, waxy and smooth with a sweet, mellow nuttiness.

• Smoked Lincolnshire Poacher - traditional mature Lincolnshire cold smoked over oak to give a delicate smoked aroma and flavour.

• Other options in store.

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA ASHLEY HERB FARM 47 Main Street, Ashley, Mkt.Harborough LE16 8HG www.ashleyherbfarm.co.uk Tel: 01858 565722 The perfect Christmas gift - the Hamper. Lovingly made hampers made to order by the farm shop team. Pick your favourite products or let them choose some fantastic local food including: pork pies, sausage rolls, tasty scotch eggs, a selection of British cheeses, seasonal pickles and chutneys, chilli jam, mustard, a selection of locally produced beers and quality sparkling wines in the English style.

Illustrations: Nicola Hardy

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Christmas Parties at Hambleton Hall ‘The Study’ – one of Hambleton’s fabulous private dining rooms is perfect for parties of 8 – 16 guests. Special Limited Choice Menu on a Sunday to Thursday. £55.00 per person.

One of Britain’s finest country house hotels, overlooking Rutland Water, providing the most wonderful setting for a Christmas Party. Log fires, beautiful Christmas trees, sensational Christmas decorations and at the end of the evening lovely bedrooms to rest your weary head.

Why not stay the night?

If you would like to stay after your Christmas Party and book two or more bedrooms on a Sunday to Thursday, we are offering a special rate of £230.00 per night, based on 2 people sharing one of our Standard double bedrooms, including full Hambleton breakfast & vat.

Pan fried Red Mullet with citrus cous cous or Terrine of Beetroot with horseradish sorbet or Ballotine of Ham Hock & foie gras with piccalilli *** Roast Pheasant Breast with fondant vegetables & thyme jus or Fillet of Dorade with bouillabaisse sauce or Loin & Breast of Lamb with pepper stew & dumplings *** Dark Chocolate Tart with orange sorbet or Prune & Armagnac Soufflé or Taste of Apple & Blackberry Coffee & homemade Chocolates *** All menus are subject to a discretionary service charge of 12.5%

HAMBLETON OAKHAM RUTLAND LE15 8TH T: 01572 756991 E: hotel@hambletonhall.com W: www.hambletonhall.com

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FESTIVE PLANS

Two Course Set Lunch £16.50pp Monday to Saturday, 1st - 23rd December

PARTY TIME

Host your Christmas Party at The Marquess 2 x Courses £18.50pp • 3 x Courses £23.50pp Butternut Squash & Coconut Soup, Chilli Croutons Tart of Chicken Liver & Pancetta, Shallot & Redcurrant Jelly Inverawe Smoked Trout, Celery, Apple & Walnut Salad, Smoked Garlic Dressing Wild Mushroom Bruschetta, Truffle Oil Local Game & Pork Terrine, Fig Chutney Smoked Haddock Scotch Egg, Curried Potato & Pea Risotto *** Confit Duck Leg, Dauphinoise Potatoes, Braised Star Anise Shallots & Chicory Roast Fillet of Salmon, Warm Noodle Salad, Soya & Honey Dressing Breaded Cod Sticks, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Mushy Peas, Fat Chips Braised Rump of Beef, Fondant Potatoes, Chorizo, Spinach & Orange Gremolata Festive Mini Roast Turkey Parcel, Traditional Accompaniments Wild Mushroom & Pumpkin Kiev *** Coconut Panna Cotta, Tropical Fruit Salad Almond & Pear Tart, Caramel Ice Cream Chocolate Sorbet Meringue, Poached Cherries, Vanilla Crème Fraiche Vanilla & Nutmeg Rice Souffle, Warm Apple & Cinammon Compote Stilton Pate, Deep Fried Pickled Onions, Fresh Cranberries * Booking Required - all parties of 10 and above will be required to pre-order and pay a deposit on booking.

OPEN FOR LUNCH AND DINNER 7 DAYS A WEEK, INCLUDING SET MENUS For more information or to make a reservation please contact us at

52 Main Street, Lyddington, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9LT • Tel: 01572 822 477 email: info@marquessexeter.co.uk www.marquessexeter.co.uk 38

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O ur fe st ive men u is av a ila ble to a ll gues ts to pre- orde r at lu n ch or di n ner from 1s t De ce m be r 2015.

• Two C ou rs e £25 • • Th re e C ou rs es £3 0

•

The Berkeley Arms Festive Menu 2015 Roasted White Onion Soup - Roasted Hazelnuts & Truffle Oil Potted Confit Goose Leg - Cranberry Chutney & Toasted Sourdough Watercress, Endive, Crispy Long Clawson Stilton & Pumpkin Salad Crab Croquettes with Fennel Salad & Tartare Sauce Xxx Traditional Roast Free Range Turkey - with Chestnut Stuffing, Pigs in Blanket & Duck Fat Roast Potatoes Venison & Root Vegetable Stew - Mash Potato & Sprout Tops Fillet of Cornish Cod - Pink Fir Potatoes, Baby Leeks, Shrimp & Dill Sauce Potato Gnocchi - Butternut Squash, Chanterelle Mushrooms & Parmesan Cheese Xxx Traditional Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce Warm Chocolate & Orange Sponge with Clementine Sorbet Brandy Panna Cotta - Red Wine Spiced Poached Fruits Potted Long Clawson Stilton - Quince Chutney & Homemade Digestive Biscuits Tea & Coffee with Mince Pies £3.50 A non-refundable deposit of £10 per person is required on booking.

Please advise us of any diet restrictions when pre-ordering your meal. All dishes may contain traces of nuts & game dishes may contain shot.

Neil & Louise Hitchen look for ward to welcoming you to the Berkeley Arms over the festive period and throughout the forthcoming year. We are thrilled to have retained the Michelin Bib Gourmand for a 5th consecutive year and with great reviews in the Hardens Guide & Waitrose Good Food Guide, reser vations are suggested due to the local popularity of the Berkeley Arms.

The pub is open Tuesday – Saturday 12-3pm/6-11pm and Sundays 12-5pm.

59 Main Street, Wymondham, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE14 2AG 01572 787587 www.theberkeleyarms.co.uk 39

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F OOD & DRI N K

Christmas Drinking Duncan Murray Wines make some festive recommendations

I

T’S that time of year again! With the festive season fast approaching and ‘to-do’ lists getting longer by the day, we’ve fast tracked some seasonal drinking suggestions to help with your preparations. This is both a joy and a challenge for us as there’s so much to recommend. In particular, our fabulous local drinks producers go from strength to strength, so put your to-do list to one side for a mo’ and let us tickle your Yuletide taste buds with some great local tipples.

Great as... a Christmas day toast

Situated between East Farndon and Marston Trussell, Welland Valley Vineyard is a beautiful, bijou parcel of lovingly tended vines. We’ve been enjoying their awardwinning sparkling wine since the shop opened and reckon its crisp, light, citrus bubbles provide a refreshing festive toast. Great if you’re having smoked salmon and scrambled eggs as well.

Great as... a warming party piece with the wow factor

The accolades have been showering down on Harrington-based Warner Edwards Gin and quite rightly so. Their Dry, Sloe, Elderflower and Rhubarb gins are absolutely wonderful by themselves, but Sion Edwards has tipped us off to a great way to combine their Dry and Sloe Gin with a Christmas classic: mulled apple juice.

Add cloves, cinnamon, star anise and pieces of orange to apple juice (locally produced, of course). Heat the mixture and then combine the following quantities: 5 parts of mulled juice to 1 part of Sloe Gin and 1/2 part of Dry Gin. Do not heat the gin, just pour it in and then stand back and enjoy the smiles on your guests’ faces.

Great as... a sensational seasonal sipper

Based in Market Harborough, Two Birds Distillers isn’t shy of experimenting with flavour combinations to the extent that we’ve nicknamed head distiller Mark, ‘The Alchemist’.

Mark really is a wizard with flavours and at Christmas produces two Willy Wonka-esque tipples. Try Two Birds Christmas Spiced Vodka with its wonderful aromas of mince pies, mulled wine and Christmas pudding and be wowed by their After Dinner Mint Vodka. It does exactly what it says on the bottle!

Great as... a winter warmer

Alistair and David at the Langton Brewery have been honing their craft since 1999 and their Winter brew, Innkeeper, is a great testament to their skill. Malty and full-flavoured with a hint of festive spice it makes a welcome change from some cloying, over-blown seasonal ales you get at this time of year - and believe us, we’ve tried a few!

Great with hearty, winter dishes like casseroles and pies; enjoy with good friends on a cold evening.

Great as... a pudding and cheesefriendly sweetie

We might be milking the local connection a little when we say that Polys, the Greek importer of one of our favourite sweet wines studied at Brook House College in Market Harborough, but that’s the only weak link about Samos Grand Cru from Greece. This superb sweetie is bursting with flavours of honey, rich raisin and spice and is just great with cheeses like Camembert and goats’ cheese as well as the Christmas pud.

For further information logon to: www.duncanmurraywines.co.uk 40

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Black Bull Inn Restaurant & Steakhouse

Bookings now being taken for Christmas

Finest draught beer at home, direct from the brewery. Bag in Box, or a 72 pint cask of your favourite tipple.

2 Teigh Road, Market Overton 01572 767677 www.blackbullrutland.co.uk

10 Litre ( Approx 17½ Pnts ) from £34.00 20 Litre ( Approx 35 Pnts ) from £55.00 72 Pint Cask from £94.00

Also a great range of gift ideas 3 and 6 bottle gift packs Giant 2 litre bottles 5 litre mini kegs Bottles of ‘Fox’ premium lager Personalised bottle gift packs Brewery tour vouchers

Bespoke Catering...

For advice and further information please contact M 07778 227 734 E info@saramcallister.co.uk www.saramcallister.co.uk

saramcallister

PROFESSIONAL CATERING 41

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B RI N GI N G L O CA L FO O D TO LI FE

Pheasantry Brewery & Restaurant An award-winning microbrewery and restaurant on a 4,000-acre farm near Lincoln ticks all the boxes for Matt Wright…

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microbrewery that serves food and drink isn’t a new concept in these parts. All Saints’ Brewery in Stamford, where Samuel Smith’s fruit beers are made, offers food, as does the award-winning Grainstore Brew Pub in Oakham and Oakham Ales’ Brewery Tap in, confusingly, Peterborough. Also, there’s Nene Valley Brewery’s Tap & Kitchen at Oundle Wharf. And since 2012 another relatively new contender has been both cooking and brewing: Pheasantry Brewery Restaurant & Cafe in East Markham, just off the A57 between Newark and Lincoln.

In August, Pheasantry Brewery won a Gold Medal at CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival in London, meaning its Best Bitter is the finest in its category in the UK. That’s an impressive feat, and I’d heard good things about the food too, so I decided to visit.

Where Pheasantry Brewery differs to the places mentioned above is that it is completely rural, situated on a working family farm. It was purpose-built in 2012, so although it is in an old converted threshing barn, it feels modern and spacious inside, with the brewery on one side of the building and the restaurant/café/bar on the other. It works brilliantly and if anyone is planning a wedding, I would urge you to visit Pheasantry Brewery. The courtyard and sizeable, tranquil beer garden make it an ideal space for a party.

“Because we’re on a farm, we wanted to take a similar approach to that of a vineyard,” says founder Mark Easterbrook, who runs Pheasantry Brewery with his wife Mary. “Vineyards often have cafes and restaurants attached, so that provided a template. This is a 4,000 acre farm and we grow up to 944 acres of malting barley, so also like a vineyard we grow

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Pheasantry Brewery & Restaurant owners Mark and Mary Easterbrook the raw ingredient for the drink we produce.”

Never mind the beer, Pheasantry Brewery’s bright and airy restaurant/café would be worth a visit even if you had no interest in ale whatsoever. It is run by Lincoln-based caterer Black Peppermint (another reason why it’s perfect for a party) and the focus is on tasty, locally sourced British food. It’s got a decent wine list too.

The menu offers mains such as Pheasantry minced bacon and beef burger in a brioche bun with Lincolnshire Poacher cheese, triplecooked chips and homemade relish; or seared seabass with butter beans, baby spinach, chorizo, goat’s cheese and micro coriander; or roasted

Matt was impressed with his burger

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A jolly new arrival

chicken breast with prawn aranchini, stir-fried yellow peppers, peanut massaman and fondant potato. Pork from award-winning Redhill Farm in nearby Gainsborough is used extensively.

And there are also tapas-style options (three for around a tenner), which include blowtorched salmon; or ham hock with crispy hen’s egg and Pheasantry Brewery’s own piccalilli.

The quality of the cooking and ingredients is excellent. I chose the minced beef and bacon burger, which came with a wonderful homemade relish loaded with capers and gherkins. As well as being delicious, the bun was solid enough to hold everything together without disintegrating, which is fundamental to a good burger.

And with the great food, you can of course enjoy the wonderful beer, brewed just yards away. Of his recent CAMRA UK Best Bitter Gold Medal, Mark says: “Winning was a surreal moment. We were up against 18 brews including Timothy Taylor’s Boltmaker, last year’s overall Champion Beer of Britain.”

That’s a fantastic achievement, and to celebrate, Great Food Club members can get a free pint of Pheasantry Best Bitter with any main dish ordered in the restaurant (valid for up to six per membership card). You can join Great Food Club for free – and get access to over 200 other exclusive local offers at recommended venues – at www.greatfoodclub.co.uk.

Another local brewery that deserves a mention is Baker’s Dozen of Ketton, which was launched in July 2015 by Dean Baker, landlord of Stamford’s Jolly Brewer. I recently popped into the Jolly Brewer and tried his ‘Galactic Landlady’, described as a “remix” of his ‘Electric Landlady’ ale (great names, especially if you’re a Hendrix fan!).

Galactic Landlady is about as far removed from a pint of John Smith’s as you can get and is bursting with New World hop aromas and flavours. Dean is clearly influenced by the craft beer movement, which started in the US, and it’s great to see even more highly flavoured beers reaching our corner of the world. Actually, the Jolly Brewer, with its regularly rotating list of wellcared-for beers – which usually includes two personal favourites, Brewster’s and Hopshackle – make it my choice for best beer pub in Stamford.

About the writer Matt Wright founded and runs Greatfoodmag.co.uk and Greatfoodclub.co.uk, two Leicestershire-based websites that celebrate and promote local food and drink. His Great Food Club Handbook 2013/14 is out now.

Join Matt’s food club – Great Food Club – free of charge and discover the very best local food and drink.

Members can enjoy special offers at around 100 handpicked independent pubs, restaurants, producers and farm shops www.greatfooodclub.co.uk/join RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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Now taking bookings for Christmas Country Inn and Restaurant A warm welcome is assured at our quintessential old English county pub, bringing you the best of British home cooked meals and a choice of well kept Real Ales.

Why not join us for Sunday Lunch?

Choice of 3 roasts all served with the traditional trimmings £9.95 for one course up to £15.95 for three courses Set 3 course menu £15.95 a head Served Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 5.30pm.

Curry Night

1st Thursday of every month. Two course menu with selection of starters, followed by three homemade curries £10.95 a head

Friday Lunchtime Special

2 Portions of Cod, Chips and Mushy Peas for £10 Tue, Wed, Thur 12pm – 11pm (Food 12pm – 2.30pm/6.30pm – 9.30pm) Fri, Sat 12pm – 12am (Food 12pm – 2.30pm/6.30pm – 9.30pm) Sun 12pm – 6pm (Food 12.30pm – 3pm).Closed Mondays LAST ORDERS WILL BE TAKEN 30 MINUTES BEFORE FOOD IS STOPPED SERVING

14 Arnhill Road, Gretton | Northants, NN17 3DN

Tel: 01536 770268 www.thehattonarms.com MEMORABLE CUISINE FOR YOUR PERFECT DAY

DELICIOUS FOOD BEAUTIFULLY SERVED

“In control and totally flexible. Food was utterly delicious, staff charming, no hesitation in recommending you ” Ali Crossley

Magical Maths is looking for people to help run our 1 hour afterschool clubs in local primary schools. The clubs are orientated around making maths fun for primary school children.

Strong rate of pay.

Ways to apply: Email CV to: sarah@magicalmathsclub.com Apply through web: www.magicalmathsclub.com Or phone for further info on: 01858 414 224

NEW FOR 2016 A range of unique Meditation & Mindfulness retreats at Grimsthorpe Castle, Bourne,Lincs.

• Fully tailor-made and refined menu • Advance menu tasting • Fixed price quotation • Site visit included • Pay bar and Bar staff available • Supply your own wine – no corkage charges

Call Sarah on 01572 747909 or 07970 576882 The Firs, 5 Barrowden Road, Morcott, Rutland, LE15 9DQ e-mail sarah@rutlandgourmet.co.uk

Start as you mean to go on...

10th JANUARY 'MIND DETOX' DAY RETREAT £50 including Vegetarian lunch To book and for full details check out www.BmindfulRetreats.co.uk

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DI ARY DAT E S

WHAT’S ON Amander Meade selects some of the best entertainment in the region this month.

For lots more family entertainment ideas for the festive season, see our Christmas Show Roundup on page 49 Wednesday 4 to Thursday 5 November, 7.30pm PLAY: It’s A Wonderful Life The story of idealist George Bailey, whose dreams look set to be dashed by small-town scandal and big business. Alone on a bridge, he decides that everyone would be better off without him… or would they? It falls to hapless guardian angel, Clarence, to try and save him. In a new production that premièred to excellent reviews in London last year, the magical story of Frank Capra’s iconic film is retold as a radio play, complete with sound effects created live on stage. This loving tribute to the golden era of the wireless is a fresh take on a heart-warming and timely classic.

Curve, Leicester Tickets from £13 Tel: 0116 242 3595 www.curveonline.co.uk

a cunning plan to steal the farmer’s fine prize cow, but the tiniest, quietest creature of all has a plan of her own. With live music, plenty of audience participation, lots of laughs and one or two surprises, this exciting and charming show is ideal for ages three and above and has a running time of 55 minutes with no interval. Based on the award winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks.

The Core at Corby Cube Tickets £12.50 Tel: 01536 470470 or www.thecorecorby.com Saturday 7 November, 7pm till midnight EVENT: Twenty Twenty Autumn Dinner Dance A beautiful, autumnal four course meal, winter Pimms and dancing to the sounds of the Uppingham Jazz & Soul band, attended by the High Sheriff of Rutland.

The Falcon Hotel, Uppingham Tickets £40 Tel: 07975 843325 or www.twentytwenty.org.uk Sunday 8 November, 7pm CONCERT: Music for Remembrance Mezzo Soprano Catherine Griffiths, Eliza RossSmith on cello and Peter Clements on organ will perform Durufle Requiem.

Uppingham School Chapel Admission is free

Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November, various times CHILDREN’S THEATRE: What the Ladybird Heard Two crafty robbers, one tiny ladybird and a whole farmyard of fun. Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len have

Tuesday 10 November, 10am to 12 noon EVENT: Coffee and Art Great Easton Art Club are holding a coffee morning during which their work will be on display, some of which is also for sale.

Great Easton Village Hall Admission is free

Saturday 7 November, gates 6pm, show 7pm EVENT: Firework Display The annual fantastic family firework event organised by the Rutland Lions. As usual there will be two displays delivered by a professional firework company themed ‘Reach for the Stars’. The first display will be designed with smaller children in mind, and the second display more suited to the whole family, with all the big bangs, and bright sky fireworks you would expect, and all set to music. The Lions catering team will be serving burgers and hot-dogs, and the rugby club bar will be open. If anyone is considering becoming a member of Rutland Lions, or would just like to offer some help at the display, please contact Lions President Mike at mikecroppe@hotmail.co.uk Rutland Agricultural Society Showground Tickets £5 for over 5s on the gate or £3.50, family of 4 £12, family of 5 £15 purchased in advance from Fords of Oakham or Uppingham Sports and Books.

Wednesday 11 November, 1.20pm CONCERT: ‘Il Tre Tenorini’ Gus Bell, Terrence Chan and James Wells take on the mantle of the Three Tenors including favourites Nessun Dorma and Eduardo Di Capua’s O Sole Mio. Uppingham Parish Church Admission is free Wednesday 11 November, 6.45pm CONCERT FOR

REMEMBRANCE: We’ll Meet Again This is the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire’s Concert to mark seventy years since the end of World War II. BBC Radio Leicester and Curve combine again to tell the story of World War 2 and how it affected Leicester and Leicestershire told through the music popular at the time, the memories of those who lived through it and the stand out

images of Leicester at war.

Preceding the concert will be a separately ticketed reception with drinks and canapes in the company of the Lord Lieutenant and the Lady Gretton. To book for the reception, simply add the option at the time of booking for the concert.

Curve, Leicester Tickets £13.50 or £25 to include the reception Tel: 0116 242 3595 or www.curveonline.co.uk

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DI ARY DAT E S

WHAT’S ON Wednesday 11 November, 7pm for a 7.30pm start EVENT: Film Night The autumn series of Uppingham Film Night (second Wednesday of each month) continues with ‘Love & Mercy’ (15) – the Beach Boys’ story with John Cusack as Brian Wilson. Everyone welcome to come along with a bottle – nibbles supplied.

Uppingham Town Hall Admission £5 on the door.

Saturday 14 November, 7pm PLAY: September in the Rain John Godber’s heartwarming comedy which follows the lives of Yorkshire couple Liz and Jack through their annual trek across The Pennines to holiday in Blackpool.

From their honeymoon to a final pilgrimage some forty years later, it covers a golden era of kiss me quick hats, donkey rides, trips up Blackpool Tower, fun fair rides and fish and chips in the bus shelter on a wet and windy promenade evoking memories of the classic British seaside holiday.

Harborough Theatre Tickets £10/£8 Tel: 0333 666 3366 or www. harboroughtheatre.com

565294. Children under 16 years are admitted without charge.

November 20th EVENT: RACE NIGHT – a fundraiser for the Minis’ Tour Time -7.30pm Location – Oakham Rugby Club, New Rutland Show Ground.

Fun and frolics where everybody has an equal chance to win at the races.

It’s fun for the complete racing beginner and expert alike.

Refreshments, Bar, Raffle and more…

Wednesday 25 November, 7.30pm TALK: The Buildings of Caldecott Great Easton & District History Society welcome Nick Hill of English Heritage who will deliver this month’s talk. Great Easton Village Hall Entry is £2 which includes refreshments Saturday 28 November, 12 noon to 3pm EVENT: Christmas Fayre Traditional stalls, games, refreshments and Father Christmas.

Wilbarston Village Hall Admission is free.

Sunday 15 November, 6.15pm for 7pm EVENT: Classical Guitarist Steve Bean in Concert Local classical guitarist Steve Bean will perform an eclectic selection of music from Bach to the Beatles and Rodriguez to Queen.

Ashley church Tickets £15 to include a glass of wine or soft drink and canapes Tel: 01858

Wednesday 11 November, 7.30pm for 8pm screening EVENT: Film Night This month’s film is ‘The Theory of Everything’, the multiple award winning story of Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde, the art student he fell in love with whilst studying at Cambridge in the 1960s.

Ashley Village Hall Tickets can be purchased on the door or from any committee member. Season tickets are £25. Licensed bar and ice creams available.

Rutland Watch Guys UK The worlds most prestigious watches at unbelievable value Our collection includes Rolex, Cartier, Omega, Breitling, Patek Philippe and more If you have a watch to sell, we would be delighted to provide valuations.

Email: nickbettles@aol.co.uk • Tel: 07823886848 Rutland Watch Guys, Main Street, Barrowden, Rutland , LE15 8EQ 46

RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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www.

stamfordfineart 20th Century Art

.co.uk

SAMUEL ROBSON FINE ART

MIXED SUMMER MIXED WINTER EXHIBITION EXHIBITION

featuring Andrzej Kuhn and Peter Joyce

Please contact us to arrange a viewing. info@stamfordfineart.co.uk - 07949 861 753

Mock Exams Coming Up?

Look to get better grades in English, maths & science After school & weekend tuition Call: 01858 432395 www.astartutors.net

Kenneth Fernee, Porthleven, Cornwall, oil on board

Andrew Bird, Stand of Pines, acrylic on board

Champagne opening Saturday 5th December and Champagne opening2015 Sunday 6th December th th andto Sunday Saturday 12 July 12pm 4pm 13 July 2014 12pm to 4pm By appointment thereafter

By appointment thereafter 44a Main Street Empingham Rutland LE15 8PS 07894 086836

email: robson@srfagallery.com www.srfagallery.com 47

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Come see us at Irnham Winter Fair Near Grantham 16-18 November

Come see us at:

Country Living Christmas BDC Islington 11-15 November (Stand A33) Irnham Winter Fair Near Grantham 16-18 November Ideal Home Exhibition Olympia London 25-29 November (Stand L682)

Led by a trained restorer with 22 years experience as a specialist dealer in Antique and Contemporary Hand knotted Oriental & European Rugs, Carpets, Kilims, Textiles & Cushions.

THE RUG STUDIO, 2 High St East, Uppingham, Rutland, LE15 9PZ. Open: Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm or by appointment Tel: 01572 829927 or 07885 757 796 Email: info@therugstudio.co.uk Website: www.therugstudio.co.uk

Creating beautiful bespoke kitchens Mark Goodacre creates individually handcrafted kitchens for people who appreciate a higher standard of design and finish in their homes

Come and visit our show room for more examples of our work, or call to make an appointment to discuss your requirements

Telephone 01476 586 159 | email info@markgoodacre.com | www.markgoodacre.com

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OU T & AB OUT

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls…

Please Take Your Seats!

Amander Meade rounds up some of the best Christmas shows and pantomimes showing across the region this festive season

FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2015 TO SATURDAY 16 JANUARY 2016 OLIVER! Consider yourself in for a treat and book for the must see family favourite at Curve this year - Lionel Bart’s multi-award winning Oliver! Transport the family to Victorian London for this timeless tale about the boy who asks for more. Based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel, Oliver! has a sensational score including classics ‘Food Glorious Food’, ‘Where is Love’ and ‘I’d Do Anything.’

Curve, Leicester Tickets from £15 Tel: 0116 242 3595 www.curveonline.co.uk SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER TO WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER KIPPER’S SNOWY DAY Kipper and his friends go on an adventure in the snow – but can they find their way home? A magical world of puppets and mischief filled with original songs and music, this warm hearted Christmas show is perfect for children aged 3 plus and their families. Based on the award winning children’s books about Kipper the Dog by Mick Inkpen.

Tickets from £15 Tel: 0116 242 3595 www.curveonline.co.uk SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER 2015 TO MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2016 SNOW WHITE Panto doesn’t come any funnier than this production of Snow White, starring Benidorm and Loose Women’s Sherrie Hewson. The cast will also include Britain’s Got Talent finalist Jon Clegg as the Jester and BBC Radio Leicester’s Martin Ballard as the Dame.

A special pre-recorded guest appearance by CBeebies’ megastar Justin Fletcher as the Magic Mirror is an extra treat. The script was written by the creators of The Tweenies.

De Montfort Hall Tickets from £10 Tel: 0116 233 3111 www.demontforthall.co.uk WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER 2015 TO SUNDAY 10 JANUARY 2016 THE WITCHES This Christmas, Roald Dahl’s scariest book is brought to life in a tremendously terrifying treat for the whole family.

Witches absolutely detest children.

They find them revolting and are planning to wipe them out like weasels but one brave young boy and his grandmother have a plan to get rid of the witches for good… if only they can avoid being turned into mice. The show contains stupendously scary bits and is recommended for children aged 7 years plus and their brave grown-ups.

Curve, Leicester Tickets from £10 Tel: 0116 242 3595 www.curveonline.co.uk

ALADDIN In an attempt to obtain a mysterious ancient lamp, nasty magician Abanazar enlists the help of poor Chinese laundry boy, Aladdin. Will Abanazar succeed in ruling the universe with the powers of the magic lamp? Or will Aladdin outwit his evil companion and be allowed to marry the beautiful Princess? A show full of all the usual panto ingredients, a glitter-filled journey for all the family that’s not to be missed.

Little Theatre, Leicester Tickets from £12.50 Tel: 0116 255 1302 www.thelittletheatre.net SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER, 2.30PM THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER Delightful on the feet, no-one makes shoes like an elf. This well-known and well-loved tale has been re-heeled by Theatre of Widdershins in their own inimitable style. Beautifully crafted set and puppets, sublime music, a kaleidoscope of miniature shoes and lots of comedy make this show a magical must see. Running time approximately 55 minutes.

Stamford Arts Centre Tickets £7.50 or £26 for a family of four Tel: 01780 763203 www.stamfordartscentre.com MONDAY 28 DECEMBER TO SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 (SELECTION OF PERFORMANCE TIMES) CINDERELLA Join the Stamford Pantomime Players for this magical panto favourite, Cinderella. With a wicked stepmother and two jealous stepsisters keeping her enslaved, Cinderella stands no chance of attending the Royal Ball. Will her fairy godmother transform her reality into a dream come true?

Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre Tickets £9.50/£8.50/£7.50 Tel: 01780 766455 THURSDAY 7 TO SUNDAY 10 JANUARY 2016 (MORNING, AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING SHOWINGS) BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Polka Dot Pantomimes tell the ever popular story of Belle and the Beast in this classic production packed with high energy dance routines, glittering costumes, spectacular scenery and a great big dollop of audience participation.

Stamford Arts Centre Tickets £12, Family Ticket £40 Tel: 01780 763203 www. stamfordartscentre.com 14.50 (Children and Disabled: £ 12.50) RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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SP O RT S & L E I S U R E

All Things Sporty We asked Michael Cooke of Melton Sports to recommend some sporting inspired books from 2015 as Christmas gifts this year

• You can find Melton Sports ‘for beginners to winners’ at 6 King Street, Melton Mowbray, LE13 1XA. Tel 01664 668191

W

HEN it comes to sports books I am always drawn to the most thought provoking ones, those which challenge convention or my own preconceptions. In much the same way the sports’ people who attract my interest are those who transcend their own particular sport.

Here are some of the books which are on my Christmas wish list:

Proud by Gareth Thomas & Michael Calvin

Kings of the Road - A Journey into the Heart of British Cycling

by Robert Dineen

British cycling is thriving at elite and grassroots level today, but the road travelled to this point has been far from smooth.

Dineen charts the story alongside his own experiences preparing for the Etape du Tour, the sportive regarded as the ultimate challenge for the amateur cyclist, in a bid to see where the sport might be headed.

Rugby player Gareth Thomas was a national hero, captain of Wales and the British Lions. He seemingly had it all but he had a secret that was slowly killing him. The deceit ended when Gareth became perhaps the most prominent sportsman to come out as gay. He felt like an outsider but found himself by facing up to who he really was.

Burrough Hill Lad by Gavan Naden and Max Riddington

This is the story of quietly spoken Leicestershire farmer Stan Riley and the racehorse which, in one incredible year under the indomitable trainer Jenny Pitman, won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Hennessy Gold Cup and King George VI Chase.

Man and horse shared the same steely determination and will to win.

Driven by Toby Vintcent

There has been plenty of fiction set around the world of horse racing but here’s a thriller based on Formula One with wheel-to-wheel battles, money and scandals. F1 Racing magazine said: “Vintcent takes inspiration from F1’s on-track action and off-track paddock politics in weaving together a page-turning conspiracy thriller.”

Parkrun: A Celebration

by Paul Warrington, Rob Kemp, Paul Duke and Julian Ward

The parkrun revolution came to Melton in 2015 so this 120-page tribute to the first decade of parkrun is timely. What began with 13 runners in Bushy Park is now a global phenomenon. The story is brought to life with interviews and photos from all corners of the world, celebrating the very capacity of sport to change lives and build communities.

McCoy: The Complete Story edited

by Brough Scott Tony ‘AP’ McCoy is a sporting great who transcends his own sport. This book is a wonderful record of the 20-time champion jump jockey’s career in words and pictures from the Racing Post library. It paints a picture of a remarkable man capable of inspiring competitors in any sporting discipline.

Living on the Volcano: The Secrets of Surviving as a Football Manager by Michael Calvin Arsene Wenger, the longest serving manager in the English game, gives this book its title, likening the job to ‘living on a volcano: any day may be your last’. He has been at Arsenal for 17 years but the average lifespan of a professional football manager is just 17 months. Award-winning writer Michael Calvin charts the progress of more than 20 managers in search of answers to offer a unique insight.

Field of Shadows by Dan Waddell

I’m a sucker for history so this unlikely tale of a cricket tour of Nazi Germany in 1937 caught my eye. It tells the story of how an enterprising cricket fanatic somehow persuaded Nazi leaders to invite an English team, the Gentlemen of Worcestershire, to play Germany in two unofficial Test matches against a backdrop of repression and brutality.

The resultant story is one of civility, passion and hope.

RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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L OC AL AR T I S TS

Go With The Grain…

Making Wood Work Amander Meade meets two highly skilled local artisan craftsmen carving out successful businesses from wood based specialties

Hardwood with Heart Rutlander Nick Hammond originally trained as a software engineer but after some years working in the IT industry, he decided to leave his desk job behind and follow his heart. Setting out on a new career Nick’s priority was to use his hands and mind in a creative way so he began working as a wood turner and was soon creating beautiful one off pieces of furniture as well as home and kitchenware from native hardwoods. “I like to keep things simple and try to let the wood grain be the main focus in my work. I also feel strongly about preserving my craft in the UK so use native hardwoods from local sawmills. Not only does this support local business, but it helps secure the wellbeing of our native trees by funding local forestry projects and reducing imports.”

Currently focusing on beautiful, handmade lamp bases, Nick is working with local print makers and designers who create beautiful shades to complement his work. “I design lamps with simple profiles to allow the colours, textures and beautiful qualities of the wood to shine through,” he explains. “The simplicity of the bases means that they work well with contemporary or traditional shades to suit any interiors scheme.” Nick’s current range includes ‘Bottle’, ‘Cone’ and ‘Candlestick’ styles from as little as £55 in oak and elm as well as super stylish floor lamps and the ingenious ‘Coffee Table Floor Lamp’ (£275) which, as the name suggests, combines a table and lamp in a piece of furniture that looks as though it jumped straight out from a Sunday supplement interior design page. Nick’s website also features great gift ideas for hard to please people including handmade jewellery boxes or a gorgeous hand mirror in oak for £18.

• Talk to Nick about a special commission or shop for handmade items at www.nickhammond.co.uk.

Top of the Tree Leigh Smallwood runs his self-named Bespoke Project Development Company from Newark and is hoping to inspire more young people to become artisan entrepreneurs. On leaving school Leigh was unsure which direction to take but his Mum advised him to learn a trade while he was making up his mind. Taking that advice proved invaluable as Leigh signed up for an apprenticeship in joinery at Grantham College – a decision that would lead him down a career path he loves. “I loved the course and found I enjoyed learning how to design and create all kinds of things out of wood – it really opened up my creative imagination.

Upon qualifying, I began by contracting to local builders and eventually taking on more and more of my own projects. Looking for a different angle, I realised that there were only two or three companies building proper tree houses so I got in touch and now work for the two biggest in Europe as well as designing and creating my own tree houses and play arenas.”

Leigh’s tree and play houses are spectacular; beautifully designed with turrets, ropes, zip lines, climbing walls, slides and ‘loads of cool stuff’ according to the lucky recipients. As well as the exterior projects, Smallwood Joinery has established a UK wide reputation for bespoke wardrobes and kitchens requiring specialist design. “I hope I have positioned the company not only as the only place to turn for specialist tree house design or ‘one off’ projects but interesting domestic projects too.”

Leigh is thrilled, at only 29 years old himself, to have taken on his own apprentice and hopes that the trend towards valid, practical apprenticeships for gifted students continues across the country. “My apprenticeship was the best thing I ever did – practical skills will always stand you in good stead – it must be true, my mum told me!”

• See a gallery of Leigh’s work at www.leighsmallwood.com or contact him for more information at Tel: 01636 920783 RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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SHOP S & SE R V I C E S

UPDATES Burghley House Christmas Fair 26th - 29th November Christmas Gifts for Him S

T

he Burghley House Christmas Fair sources talented makers and designers from all over the UK and brings them together for four days of stylish shopping in The Brewhouse and The Chestnut Courtyard of Burghley House.

This unique opportunity finds special presents for special people, the perfect place to work your way enjoyably through your Christmas list.

Indulge yourself, your family and friends with stunning fashions and accessories, brilliant, vibrant cashmere from Lou Graham, the ultimate investment in cashmere wraps and ponchos, dazzling jewellery including Murano glass and Ashtique’s stunning diamonds. Handmade leather boots from The Boot Room: equestrian, cowboy and Chelsea, bespoke service to fit any calf measurement. Also on offer are illustrations of your home, family, pets or shout days by KC Illustrations - a wonderful, personal gift to treasure forever.

Mouth-watering Christmas puddings, make your Christmas dinner stand out this year with triple chocolate decadence or macadamia and brandy also a gluten free option available. Fabulous after-dinner pistachio, rose and sea salt chocolates or chocolate shoes and lollipops also make for fantastic presents.

A Man of a Certain Calibre A

Hegarty Solicitors Merger H

egarty Solicitors recently announced its merger with Paul Browne Solicitors in Oakham. The merger complements both firms.

Having an Oakham office strengthens Hegarty’s position in the Rutland and Leicestershire market place. From Paul Browne’s perspective it will enable a wider offering of legal services to its client base with the ability to call on the expertise of Hegarty’s other offices.

Senior Partner at Hegarty Solicitors, Richard Hegarty says, “We are delighted to merge with Paul’s very successful office, sharing the same values and goals have made this a straight forward project”. Paul Browne commented: “In addition to our already strong position in the property sector, we will extend the service offering in Oakham to include commercial and litigious work,

tuck for a gift for him? Check out this new company recently launched in Rutland by husband and wife team: Win or Loose, www. win-or-lose.com - the new men’s lifestyle brand.

With a selection of really fun socks including local colours – black and yellow for the Oakham Ruby Club members, red green and white for Leicester Tiger fans or yellow and black for ex Oakhamians. Also find gorgeous scarves, hats, knitwear and Polo shirts – there really is something for every discerning male this Christmas. See page 10.

• www.win-or-lose.com

which will make us the only law firm in the Oakham area offering specialised commercial services”.

• Hegarty LLP Solicitors registered office 48 Broadway Peterborough PE1 1YW, Tel: 01733 346333. Also at 10 Ironmonger Street, Stamford PE9 1PL, Tel: 01780 752066 and 20a Church Street, Oakham, LE15 6AA, Tel: 01572 757565.

little over 9 years ago (June 2006) Bob Rollett from Uppingham recorded his first book for Calibre Audio Library (www.calibre. org.uk). That’s a Charity dedicated to producing high quality unabridged books for adults and children. After a one-off administration fee members pay no subscription. Membership is open to anyone who cannot see well enough to read print or who has dyslexia or any other disability which prevents them from reading print. The voice actors for Calibre (though often working professionally for other organisations) are unpaid.

Bob reckons that such a service is worth any amount of effort and was delighted in early October 2015 to send Calibre his 200th book recording! Altogether he’s recorded a little fewer than 1600 hours……fiction, non-fiction, biography, poetry, travel, nature writing and (his particular joy) children’s books.

In 2011 he received Calibre’s Centurion Award for 100 books. In 2013 he was given Calibre’s Silver Award for 150 books. Next year he very much hopes to attend their Summer Party where he’ll be the proud recipient of Calibre’s Gold Award. Still enjoying the work (and he’s also recorded 58 books for RNIB) Bob hasn’t yet set his next target but he does expect to go on talking….on and on….and on…..and on….250 books? Who knows?

RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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S HOP S & SE R V I CE S

UPDATES Heidi Kjeldsen Fine Jewellery’s Recent Renovation R

ecently Heidi has completely refurbished her showroom at Mill Street, Oakham.

Heidi explains: “We closed the shop in Mill Street for a week at the end of August, which has allowed for the updating of the showroom for the benefit of my customers. We had previously struggled with low ceilings and black painted beams, together with spot lights which cast shadows, which meant I often suggested to customers that they might prefer to inspect an item of jewellery outside the shop in natural daylight! The beams have therefore been repainted in bright white, with true daylight lighting panels installed which cast no shadows at all and allow the natural, breathtaking beauty of my gemstones and pearls to

C

hristmas in Uppingham: Thursday 3rd December from 5.30pm to 9pm. There will be a craft and gift fair in both the town and church halls, market stalls, hot food, skate rink, lots of children’s activities in the church (Father Christmas, facepainting, balloon modelling) choirs, street entertainment, a free concert from Rutland Dance Academy in the Methodist Church, mummers play, magician, fireworks, buskers and lots more. For further details logon to: www.christmasinuppingham.co.uk

Uppingham Choral Society Autumn Concert U ppingham Choral Society are performing their annual autumn concert on Saturday November 21st in Uppingham Parish Church.

They are ringing the changes this year with a programme including Brahms ‘Song of Destiny’, Edward Elgar’s Choral Songs from the Bavarian Highlands, and more.

The concert will start at 8pm. During the interval the usual wine, soft drinks and refreshments will be served. Tickets are £8 on the door, children under 16 free admittance.

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leap out as never before.

The design of the refurbishment complemented my own ethos of classical but with a modern twist, to stand the test of time and be not just for a fleeting moment. My jewellery display cabinets were hand crafted in Cherry and Burr Walnut by IWM Designs.

They have been designed with an attention to detail that is simply wonderful. Each jewellery display cabinet sets a miniature magical scene of its very own: a Collection of Tahitian Pearls; the new Astrid Collection; increasingly rare Tanzanites; Royal Blue Ceylon Sapphires; glorious Rubies; exquisite Emeralds; sparkling Diamonds - to name just a few of the beautiful collections on show. This has been such a successful transformation, we now have an environment that is fresh, invigorating and inspiring.”

Heidi Kjeldsen held a launch day on the 3rd October to celebrate the refurbishment, which was an outstanding success; all of the Clients who visited were very enthused by the new

appearance of the showroom. Heidi would love you to visit and see the newly revamped showroom and her stunning array of jewellery at Mill Street, Oakham. Watch out for her new exciting range of jewellery packaging, which will soon become apparent.

Youth Football Coaching O

n Sunday the 1st of November, two football coaches with numerous qualifications are starting a coaching programme for boys and girls aged 4-6 years old. It will take place at Oakham United FC at 11am – 12pm and follow every Sunday up until the end of the school term.

Oakham United FC is a great club to be involved in, it’s a welcoming club and encourages everyone to come support your local team. The clubhouse has a bar that serves hot and cold drinks for parents to treat themselves while the kids are out enjoying their football.

The kids will have a fun time working on their ABCs (Agility, Balance, Co-ordination and Speed) while learning basic football skills. The environment will be friendly and perfect for kids to develop all with a smile on their face.

No registration fee needed, it’s a pay as you turn up deal only £2.50 per child per session which is a lot cheaper compared to others in the local area.

Both coaches have been CRB checked and completed first aid courses and safeguarding children workshops.

If you’re interested in getting your child involved or just want to know any more information please get in touch by

emailing either coaches – michael8nelson@hotmail.co.uk and harryharrison4@hotmail.co.uk.

RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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SH OP S & SE R V I CE S MA R K E T H A R B O R O U G H

HARBOROUGH HAPPENINGS What’s new in Market Harborough?

Afternoon Tea Delight at Totty Teas in Lubenham I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon with your mum than enjoying afternoon tea. On a dull and wintery day we choose to hide away in Totty Teas, a charming old English tea shop in Lubenham, only five minutes’ drive from Market Harborough.

Owner Joanna Parkin ushered us in from the cold with a big friendly smile and immediately we felt at ease and with that first sup of delicious English afternoon tea we were truly able to forget any ‘to do lists’ and enjoy the here and now! That also meant devouring the three-tiered cake stand that was brimming with freshly made sandwiches, slices of cake and shortbreads and of course scones.

The delightful Deborah and Isabel make all the cakes and biscuits and I couldn’t quiz them enough about how their millionaire’s shortbread was just so utterly ‘melt in the mouth’ delicious. Indeed we couldn’t fault anything, and my Mum particularly noted how moist the slice of fruit cake was, whilst my favourite was a light mini Victoria Sponge.

All the other customers were enjoying themselves and even little visitors were happily engaged in the toy box that was available for them.

For sunny days there is a hideaway table for two in the attractive walled

Your first stop for finding that special piece of jewellery this Christmas Gildings Auctioneers of Market Harborough will be holding their Christmas Jewellery auction on Tuesday 24th November.

A fine collection of Antique Jewels featuring Diamonds, Sapphires, Rubies, Emeralds and more unusual stones such as the Tanzanite as featured will be offered alongside more contemporary pieces of jewellery in Platinum, Gold and Silver such as a Cartier 18 carat gold Love Bangle.

Modern and Vintage Watches will also be included in this sale including the Chopard Mille Miglia Man’s Wrist Watch.

The Jewellery rivals anything that may be found in the High Street and includes some very fine examples of Georgian and Victorian Jewellery in pristine condition.

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patio garden at the back.

Totty Teas also serves light lunches of soups, quiches and jacket potatoes as well as slices of cake that can also be taken away. Whole cakes can be made to order from £8.

After our tea we took our time to browse the small gift shop that sells locally made soaps, cards, candles, jams, crafts and pictures.

Open Tuesday-Saturday 104pm.

• Totty Teas, 56 Main Street, Lubenham, LE16 9TF, Tel: 01858 465973 www.tottyteas.com

Whether you are looking for that special Christmas or anniversary gift or a little something to add sparkle to your party outfit this should be your first stop for finding that unique piece.

With estimates ranging from £50 - £10,000 their must surely be a little something for everyone!

The jewellery collection may be viewed at The Mill Auction Rooms, Great Bowden Road, Market Harborough LE16 7DE on Friday 20th November from 10am – 4pm, Saturday 21st November 9.00am – 1.00pm, Monday 23rd November 9am – 7pm, and on the morning of sale from 9.00am – 9.45am with the auction starting at 10.00am.

• For more information contact resident Gemmologist, Denise Cowling FGA on Tel: 01858 410414

Market Harborough Christmas Fair 4th December Lit by an avenue of sparkling Christmas trees and festive illuminations, there will be a range of entertainments throughout the town including musical groups, choirs, street-performers, carol singers and reindeer - all from the local area of Market Harborough. Father Christmas will have his winter wonderland grotto inside the Old Grammar School. And there will be an ice rink upon The Square!

There will also be a variety of refreshment vendors including a Victorian Food Quarter, traditional games and attractions, children’s entertainments and a host of street stalls guarantying that the evening will be lively and colourful.

• For further information logon to: www.marketharboroughchristmasfayre.com

RUTLAND & MARKET HARBOROUGH LIVING NOVEMBER 2015

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HE AL T H & B E A U TY

Healthy Hearing after a month’s trial you can re-visit Healthy Hearing and have your actual use analysed.

With a record of exactly what environments you have actually been in over the last month, finely calibrated adjustments can be made accordingly.

Try it. Wear it. Love it

M

IKE Stanley, the Managing Director of Healthy Hearing, has a passion for getting the right solution for his customers, based on many years in the industry during which he has never ceased from searching out the best possible solutions in the market and also feeding his expertise back to the companies and technicians that develop hearing aids in order to be make them better still.

This year a new product has come on the market, unique to Healthy Hearing, called Vista N, which is again transforming Healthy Hearing’s ability to satisfy their customers’ needs more precisely.

The Consultative approach All the skilled audiologists at Healthy Hearing adopt a highly consultative approach, recognising that one size definitely doesn’t fit all. “Our approach in a consultation,” Philip Barker, senior audiologist, explained, “is to allow all the time necessary to understand a customer’s needs, situation and what the best possible solution is for them. We never confine ourselves to a 15-minute appointment time, as others sometimes do. Above all, we want to identify what is right for each customer.

And throughout the process we keep you fully informed.

“Once we know a person’s particular needs

– for example, they want to hear better in noisy environments, or they want to hear peripheral devices more clearly - then we can advise on the optimal product. And specification level.”

What is Vista N? Vista is a new type of hearing aid that can be completely tailored to your unique individual needs, but can also be upgraded over time if your hearing needs change, as it is controlled by a highly sophisticated piece of software – but you can retain the hearing aid itself which you will have already grown accustomed to.

A 6-monthly check-up will always ensure that your maximum hearing potential is realised.

Vista N is produced by a leading Swiss hearing aid laboratory; but is absolutely unique to Healthy Hearing, one of the country’s leading independent audiologists - you will not find it anywhere else. It was developed in partnership with Healthy Hearing, using Mike Stanley’s expertise in the sector to produce a truly stateof-the-art and customisable product.

The Vista is offered at five levels of specification, your choice depending on what exact hearing needs you have, from basic conversation right through to complex aural environments such as restaurants and cafés.

As you move up the specifications, one especially nifty feature you can have is the self learning feature - called ‘Capture It All’ -

Try it: If a simple hearing test determines you’re a candidate for the Vista Flex:trial program, you’ll leave your appointment with trial hearing aids tailored to your exact hearing needs, which you can trial free for up to four weeks.

Wear it: wear the hearing aids at work, while out playing or at home relaxing and discover the difference they can make. No matter where your life takes you, you can get a true sense of how hearing aids feel and work and how they will affect your everyday activities.

Love it: At the end of the trial, you decide if you love them. If so, they’re yours to purchase.

If not, you can walk away and owe absolutely nothing. The decision is yours.

The days of picking the wrong hearing aid are well and truly over!

The Healthy Hearing expertise difference What makes Healthy Hearing so distinctive is the many years of experience of the audiologists; Mike Stanley and Suzanne Stevenson in Stamford, Philip Barker in Oakham - between them, they have more than 50 years of audiology experience to draw upon, putting them in another league from the high street chains.

And once you have got the optimal hearing aid, you can rest assured with the lifetime support that Healthy Hearing offers. They will be with you on every step of your journey to better hearing, including home visits if required.

• Healthy Hearing Ltd, Stamford Hearing Centre, No. 1 the Old Police House, Cliff Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1AB Tel: 01780 759133 Oakham Hearing Centre, 17b Gaol Street, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6AQ Tel: 01572 759555 www.healthyhearing.co.uk

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SHOP P I N G

Springfields Christmas 2015 If you’re looking for a unique and exciting Christmas shopping day out that’s not all about shopping, Springfields is the perfect destination

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HE outlet shopping centre in Spalding has come a long way over the past 10 years and is now the East of England’s premier value retail and leisure destination. There are more than 50 big name outlet stores to browse, offering up to 75 per cent off normal retail prices; but Springfields offers so much more – including the stunning Free Winter Wonderland walk, fantastic food, free wi-fi, plenty of car parking and endless opportunities for family fun. There are major new additions coming this winter in the form of a new NEXT Outlet store, a new plush Blue Diamond Garden Centre with stunning restaurant, and Outdoor wear from Craghoppers and Dare 2B. There is also a new look huge Grotto and Craft Café.

If shopping’s your thing, there’s plenty to keep you occupied with outlet stores from massive names such as M&S, Gap, Radley, Clarks, Hallmark, Red 5, Game and Bench. And Springfields is constantly evolving - with more big names coming on board all the time like the stunning new Avendita store, selling designer brands like Ugg, Tommy Hilfiger, Paul Smith and Hunter.

Great cafés and restaurants

Take time to explore the relaxing environment by stopping off at a mouth-watering choice of cafés and restaurants. Call into the opulent surroundings of the new Noshery restaurant in the newly refurbished Home and Garden Centre

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for a traditional cream tea or your choice of fresh and tasty home cooked seasonal dishes.

While you’re recharging, be sure to take a look at the exclusive range of Christmas decorations, luxury gifts and homeware – perfect for that country house look. The Home and Garden Centre also stocks a vast range of garden furniture, houseplants, seeds, bulbs, garden equipment and outdoor clothing. For a quick pit stop head to Costa or Love Coffee or make a night of it with supper and drinks at The Kitchen or Frankie and Benny’s.

clogging roads from “tulip tourists”; and now Springfields include celebrity designed gardens; A Lifetime Ahead by Kim Wilde, Jungle Island

by Charlie Dimmock, as well as formal gardens, woodland areas, wetland areas; the Senses Garden; the Memorial Garden; the Sun Dial Garden and the Founders’ Garden.

Why not try a combined trip into the picturesque market town of Spalding with its stunning Ascoughfee Hall and markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays (on the unique Water Taxi between Easter and October).

The Festival Gardens

Become a Springfields VIP

Springfield’s famous Festival Gardens are not to be missed. Wander around 25 acres of beautifully landscaped lawns with exciting sculptures, dazzling water features and of course tulips (in Spring!) They’re the perfect spot to sit and watch the world go by.

The Springfields Display Fountains combine music and water for wonderful shows too. They are undergoing a full refurbishment and will run constantly, so plan a shopping break around it and be prepared to be amazed.

There’s plenty of outdoor space for visitors young and old to enjoy, including a new miniature track train, a land train, an outdoor adventure play area and seasonal Adventure Golf. More exciting leisure attractions are planned for 2016.

The Festival Gardens opened in 1966 as the shop window for the flower bulb industry, de-

Join 32,000 people and become a Springfields VIP and save even more with an extra 10% off at over 40 stores while keeping up to date with all the latest news. Simply register at www. springfieldsshopping.com Extend your stay at Springfields with ease at the 43 bed Spalding Travelodge at the centre.

To book please visit www.travelodge.co.uk • For further enquiries please contact 01775 760909, email enquiries@ springfieldsshopping.com or visit www. springfieldsshopping.com Christmas opening hours from Nov 12th are Monday-Friday 10am-9pm, late-night with FREE parking after 6pm, Saturday 9am6pm, Sundays 11am-5pm. Xmas eve ‘til 4pm, Boxing Day 9am-6pm, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 10am-4pm.

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L O C A L HIST O R Y

We Will Remember Them S Caroline Aston

CATTERED across our counties, like stone exclamation marks, are a multitude of war memorials. Ranging in style from grandiose to humble and with many variations in between, every one is an achingly sad register of lives lost in conflict. In the main they are young lives, lives lost almost before they were truly begun, taking with them talents and future promise never to be realised. Immaculately maintained, the Commonwealth War Grave cemeteries demonstrate the sheer magnitude of this loss, with row on row of simple stones marking the final resting place of husbands, sons, brothers and sweethearts. But for many of the fallen there was no such final recognition: they disappeared forever into the muddy wasteland of Flanders fields, their wreath the wild red poppies, now the universal symbol of remembrance. For this reason, the host of memorials built across the country post-1915 had an immense and very personal significance for bereaved families and their communities.

Think of Market Harborough’s Clipsham stone cross, set above the roll of the dead, the monument inscribed with a set of timeless values- ‘Faith, Obedience, Justice, Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, Hope and Charity’.

Oakham has an elegant, stepped example carved with an alphabetical set of names.....and there was much debate after the War as to whether names should be recorded in this way or by rank. Surely, went the argument, all lives are equal and there are no colonels in heaven!

Stone memorials began to appear as early as 1915, some of them state-funded as a reward for districts meeting recruitment targets. In the poorer districts of some cities Anglican clergy helped to set up street shrines to the dead. Built of wood and paper they provided a gathering place for short services to be held and flowers placed, rather like the roadside shrines we see today following a fatal traffic accident. After Queen Mary made a highly publicised visit to one these sites pressure grew to make them into permanent stone monuments. Once hostilities mercifully ceased and the cost of conflict was counted local committees, great and small, sprang up nationwide to ensure that sacrifice on such a

scale was suitably commemorated.

The British War Memorials Committee, founded in February 1915, had already commissioned art works from outstanding and avant-garde young artists, canvases that were depictions reflecting a nation’s loss and grief rather than propaganda. The novelist Arnold Bennett was a driving force behind this and there were plans to build a Hall of Remembrance where the paintings could hang in perpetuity. This idea was ultimately abandoned, the collection finding a home in the Imperial War Museum in London. John Singer Sargent’s ‘Gassed’ and Paul Nash’s ‘The Menin Road’ among others bear powerful witness to the horrors of total war.

Austerely beautiful the Cenotaph, designed by Edwin Lutyens, provides the focus of our annual Act of Remembrance each November. Originally intended as a temporary structure made of plaster and wood it was the centrepiece of 1919’s Peace Day ceremonies. However, it evoked such a strong public reaction that it was made permanent on its site in Whitehall.

Crafted from creamy Portland stone and bearing the simple inscription ‘The Glorious Dead’ it was unveiled by George V on November 11th, 1920.

An exact replica stands in London, Canada.

As I write this short piece for the month of remembrance, I am looking at a small memorial in my own home. I’m pretty certain that some of our readers will have an exact copy of it. Every family who sustained a loss in the 1914-18 War received a round bronze plaque engraved with the lost soldier’s name. Sometimes these are called ‘First World War pennies’ and on mine is the name of ‘Bob Wagstaff’, an uncle I never knew because I was born nearly 40 years after he was killed. He has no known grave but his name is carved on the great wall of the dead at the Arras monument in France. Some years ago I travelled there and laid a small bunch of red poppies from the niece he had never met. Standing nearby in the warm spring sunshine was a mother and her young son. He asked her why she’d brought him there. Her reply? ‘So that you may learn what a terrible thing a war is and hopefully never let it happen like this again.....’

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L OC AL P EOPLE

Ocean Reunion – Transatlantic Row

Antonia Scott speaks to Jack Mayhew and his fellow former Uppingham school mates to discover why they are tackling the Atlantic Ocean in a 4 man rowing boat at the beginning of December “More people have been into space, or climbed Mt Everest than rowed the Atlantic”

‘O

cean Reunion’ was the brain child of Jack Mayhew and fellow ex Uppinghamian Angus Collins, both of whom had sailing backgrounds and had grown up rowing on the river, so wanted to take on a ‘wild challenge’ that would test both their physical and mental endurance. They wanted to do it as a four man team, so after some careful thought, they picked 2 more school buddies, Angus Barton (Gus) and Joe Barnett. The dynamic between the four is unique in the sense that everyone has a different strength – Jack and Angus have strong rowing backgrounds, Gus as a professional Personal Trainer has been great at getting them all in shape and ensuring they will be in peak physical fitness before they set off and Joe’s laid back attitude will ensure the group remain cohesive under pressure.

Ocean Reunion will row 3,000 nautical miles across the world’s second largest ocean, heading west from the Canary Islands to Antigua. They will leave from La Gomera at midnight on 14th December and are aiming to be in Antigua around 60 days later.

“Much of the preparation has been mental as well as physical – getting used to living, cooking, eating and sleeping together in a confined 8 metre space, along with the mental toughness of constantly being wet, cold and tired which will have a huge impact on us too. We will be rowing for 2 hours and resting for 2 hours – non-stop in unpredictable weather; but no matter what hell we feel we are going through at the time, it’s nothing compared to what young people suffering from cystic fibrosis or cancer are going through, which is why they are our chosen charities. We are hoping to raise £100,000 each for the Teenage Cancer Trust and Cystic Fibrosis Trust.”

WHAT TO EXPECT It has often been called, ‘The world’s toughest race’ – with the team spending the last 18 months preparing to face 50ft waves, gale force winds which may lead to the capsizing of the boat, 40 degrees heat, sickness which can lead to dehydration and diarrhoea, bruised bodies, blistered bottoms and hands, strained muscles, fatigue and sleep deprivation! Not to mention the unknown and unseen creatures below – whales and sharks! These endless knocks will certainly be a serious test of their strength of will and determination.

“Not finishing is our biggest fear.”

• For more information on sponsorship and to follow the team’s progress: www. oceanreunion.co.uk

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MIND BLOWING STATISTICS! The team have estimated they will consume around: • 1,680,000 calories – which is approximately 7,336 Big Macs!

• 50kgs of peanut butter!

• Drink 2,880 litres of water • Each team member will potentially only have 240 hours of sleep • In order to pull the oars 1 million times!

QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS: What luxuries are you going to pack?

• “Headphones and an ipod with lots of audio books on, plus a very comfy seat for rowing!”

Are you packing anything to open on Christmas Day? • “Hopefully our mums will take care of the secret santas!”

What are you going to miss?

• “Sleep, being clean and dry - the hardest part is always being wet.”

Dare I ask - what the next challenge is going to be?!

• “Angus is keen to do something down the Ganges!”

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F O OD & DRI N K

Touchline Heroes

With the Rugby World Cup just complete, Deborah Pennell meets up with a different genre of touchline hero. Those who provide some warmth and sustenance, for all of us whom have to endure a winter supporting children, friends and relatives on the edge of our local sports fields...

The Little Soup Kitchen

OWNER: RACHAEL KELLEY What make is your van and when was it converted to a catering/coffee van?

It’s a 1976 Citroen Hvan, which I had converted in 2013.

Does your van have a name and who is he/ she named after?

The van is called Hugo. Where we bought him from there was a sign on the wall saying Honk for Hugo and the name just stuck.

Tell me a little bit of history about you and why you decided to start running a van?

I worked for Thomas Cook as a Product Manager for 25 years part of which involved travelling quite a bit to the USA. Whilst I was there, I visited Pier 39 in San Francisco where lots of restaurants were selling chowder from soup bowls made of sourdough bread. I loved this idea and thought it would be fun to start serving soup at outdoor events in the UK. So I took redundancy and started researching the business. The Little Soup Kitchen was founded.

Everything I sell on the van is made by myself the soup, chillies, cakes, chutneys, coleslaw etc and I buy my ingredients from local suppliers What blend of coffee do you serve?

Ue Coffee – it’s an Artisan coffee, wood roasted to order, bought in from Oxfordshire. I also use Jeeves and Jericho tea.

If you had to choose a cake or biscuit to go with your coffee or tea, what do you think is the perfect combination?

Chocolate brownie with white chocolate chunks with a strong coffee; or Lemon Drizzle with breakfast tea.

What is your best seller?

Difficult question …..

The Veggie Chilli is always really popular.

Butternut Squash Sweet Potato & Chilli Soup goes down well everywhere. Sandwich-wise, I make a Turkey Special with a choice of fresh breads from King’s Cliffe Bakery, homemade guacamole, turkey, bacon, tomato and rocket.

And cake, probably Millionaire Shortbread or Lemon Drizzle.

Have you ever served anyone famous from your van?

Sir Mark Todd and William Fox Pitt at Rockingham Horse Trails and Stuart Pearce at BST Hyde Park.

What’s the weirdest request you have ever had from a client?

A sandwich with just coleslaw.

Where is the favourite place to go with your van?

The places I go are so varied and I love that variety but if I had to pick one it would be the markets. I love the banter with the other traders.

Tell me about some of the events you cover… sporting, farmers’ markets, shows, weddings etc.

I regularly attend the Thrapston and Oundle

Farmers’ Markets and the Thursday market in Oundle. I have worked at a few weddings; one involved serving tea, coffee and cakes outside the church whilst photographs were being taken. Last season we were serving bacon sandwiches, soup, teas and coffees at the local rugby club. I provide lunches for local classes and events such as the Thursday Oundle school recitals in St Peter’s Church, as well as various parties, Christmas markets and music festivals, Rockingham Horse Trials and The British Summertime Festival in Hyde Park.

What is the biggest event you have ever worked at?

The British Summertime Festival in Hyde Park.

For the past 2 years we have provided cakes, teas and coffees in the VIP Summer Garden.

On cold wet, windy days in the middle of winter do you sometimes wonder why you decided to run a quirky van and where in the world would you dream of being?

Mmmmm? …..The Piazza San Marco in Venice drinking Espresso and eating pistachio biscotti What are your plans for the future?

I want to divide the business and hope to start selling soup into local shops and farm shops and also wholesale to cafés, etc. I also want to concentrate on using Hugo for more events such as weddings, private parties, music festivals and classic car rallies.

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What is the biggest event you have ever worked at?

Rockingham Horse Trials On cold wet, windy days in the middle of winter do you sometimes wonder why you decided to run a quirky van and where in the world would you dream of being?

Of course I do…… I dream of lying on a beach overlooked by the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, drinking a cup of its finest!

What are your plans for the future?

Lots of exciting ideas – Cuckoo Coffee, Cuckoo Cocktails and anything in between.

Kitschen The Cuckoo Coffee Company

OWNER: KATE THAIN What make is your van and when was it converted to a catering/coffee van?

It started life last year in Italy as a Fiat Piaggio lorry which was imported and converted in the UK Does your van have a name and who is he/ she named after?

Yes, but it’s a bit rude!

Tell me a little bit of history about you and why you decided to start running a van?

I was spending a lot of time watching matches in a field far from a good coffee supply so I decided to do something about it.

What blend of coffee do you serve?

I have experimented with various coffees from well-known makes to small independent roasters in King’s Cross. At the moment I’m using a full-bodied blend with a chocolaty flavour.

If you had to choose a cake or biscuit to go with your coffee or tea, what do you think is the perfect combination?

Oooo – difficult but I think it’s hard to beat a really well chilled Mars Bar! What is your best seller?

Real hot chocolate – I melt Belgian chocolates to make a ganache and then top it up with whipped steamed milk.

Have you ever served anyone famous from your van?

Do Brotherhood of Man count as famous?

What’s the weirdest request you have ever had from a client?

Seven sugars!

Where is the favourite place to go with your van?

Home after a big event!

Tell me about some of the events you cover… sporting, farmers markets, shows, weddings etc Stamford Rugby Club, Food markets, Music Festivals, Equestrian events but basically anywhere there is a demand for a decent cup of coffee.

OWNER: SHARON TAIT What make is your van and when was it converted to a catering/coffee van?

Citroen HY Van 1971.

It was lovingly converted to a catering van in 2012 by Bingham Trailers, who installed the coffee machine and cooking equipment. They also very kindly put up the vintage wallpaper.

Does your van have a name and who is he/ she named after?

No, it doesn't have a name - I might have to do something about that!

Tell me a little bit of history about you and why you decided to start running a van?

I had been a carer for 20 years, looking after my daughter who has autism. I was keen to start work again and knew that I could fit the coffee van around school holidays and appointments.

I am interested in food; how it is produced, creating recipes and menus, and eating it too, so the van allows me to indulge in that sense. I am also a bit of a coffee addict!

What blend of coffee do you serve?

The coffee is Espresso Blend No. 1, made of 97% Arabica Dominican, Brazilian and Guatemalan beans. It is a medium roast with an excellent crema and receives lots of compliments from our customers.

Tell me about some of the events you cover… sporting, farmers markets, shows, weddings etc I have catered at large agricultural shows, village fetes, music festivals, corporate events, sporting events, weddings, birthday parties and concerts.

What is the biggest event you have ever worked at?

In June 2014 Kitschen took part in Mobilisation Day at Kendrew Barracks. It was a huge event commemorating the centenary of the beginning of World War I, and attracted thousands of people. Kitschen looked great decked out in Union Jack bunting. We served complimentary Anzac biscuits and had a poster of Kitchener on the van asking "Do YOU need a coffee?"

On cold wet, windy days in the middle of winter do you sometimes wonder why you decided to run a quirky van and where in the world would you dream of being?

On a white sandy beach sipping Aperol Spritz, watching the sun go down.

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to use the van for collaborations with "guest chefs" and local food providers, to present workshops/cookery sessions to people who are interested in learning about food and cooking techniques. I would also like to expand my menu range; to include more street food, and to showcase the fantastic range of locally produced foods. And, of course, to keep on serving great coffee to Rutland.

• If you are interested in hiring out any of the quirky little vans featured in this article then they can be contacted on: • The Little Soup Kitchen – Rachael Kelley 07807 119906 & Facebook • The Cuckoo Coffee Company – Kate Thain - 07713 622039 • Kitschen – Sharon Tait 07745 491121 - www.kitschenvan.co.uk

If you had to choose a cake or biscuit to go with your coffee or tea, what do you think is the perfect combination?

My current favourite is blackberry and polenta cake, perfect for autumn.

What is your best seller?

A Cappuccino. My homemade flapjack is also very popular.

Have you ever served anyone famous from your van?

Lloyd Grossman had a coffee and a piece of my cardamom and rosewater cake - he was very complimentary.

What’s the weirdest request you have ever had from a client?

Butter in their Coffee!

Where is the favourite place to go with your van?

Anywhere in Rutland, especially if I have a view of the lake.

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P R OP E RT Y

Moving on UPP Antonia Scott catches up with David Crooke of UPP Property Agents

D

AVID Crooke, Managing Director of UPP Property Agents, has recently introduced a monthly Rutland and Stamford property newsletter which is being delivered to the local area to keep residents updated on the current state of the market. It will become a significant resource for existing landlords, potential investors looking to purchase a property or homeowners considering selling their own home.

Having been in the industry for over 10 years, David’s depth of knowledge of the property market is extensive and UPP is fast becoming the local authority when it comes to market trends in both rental and sales information.

There is also an online blog (www.rutlandandstamford propertyblog.co.uk) which is chatty and easy to read. Some of the articles posted on the blog so far have been inspired by questions David has been approached for his opinion on recently by existing clients, potential landlords and homeowners.

Clicking through the blog’s article archive, David’s topics are varied; he regularly discusses which of the latest buy-to-let deals in the area he has his eye on and why - giving examples of who the property would suit and an achievable rental valuation, whether to extend an existing home and by how much it will affect the asked rental price, advice on how much (or how little!) renovation should be done to best prepare a new property for a tenancy, which villages are most sought after, and most interestingly by how much a well performing village school affects house prices. Did you know that homeowners near to Langham Primary School, for example, get a little property value windfall of approximately £6,400 – just for it being in the ‘right location’?

Even if you’re not in the market place for selling your home just yet (and even if you feel like everyone else around you is selling up and moving on, then don’t worry you’re not alone, here’s another of David’s local property facts: Stamford homeowners move every 11.9 years), the Rutland and Stamford Property Blog would be a great place for keeping your finger on the property pulse. Plus, we all love talking about “bricks and mortar!”

Moving onwards and UPPwards Adrian McCarthy joined UPP as Sales Director earlier this year and has many years experience within Stamford, Rutland and Leicestershire.

He was excited to be involved in setting up the first local estate agency to offer such a unique three-tiered approach that cuts out the rigid, old-fashioned fee structure that most agents still work with.

Reflecting on the prominence of internet led sales, UPP has adopted a new approach to enable a more personalised and effective sales option to a far wider range of customers.

Appreciating that a ‘one size fits all’ fee structure is no longer desirable as not every customer’s needs are identical has enabled UPP to put every client first.

The 3 simple sales options are: 1. Sell for £399 upfront and no VAT 2. Sell for £199 upfront and 0.5% on completion and no VAT 3. No fee upfront and 1.2% of the sale price on completion and no VAT

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Adrian has had a positive uptake on all three options, proving that Stamford and Rutland have a wide customer demographic with varying individual needs, of which UPP are able to provide a great service for.

Adrian reflected on this strong demand by saying, “The encouraging feedback we’ve already received is proof that the need was there for homeowners wanting to ‘tailor make’ the sale of their property, depending on the level of involvement in the sales process they wanted, with a realistic fee to match. We’ve had new

instructions across all types of property, in all areas of the market and by homeowners with very different personal circumstances.

Recent examples include a timber built holiday lodge at Tallington Lakes, a Victorian terraced home on Vine Street in Stamford that sold in just 24 hours for over the asking price, and an immaculately presented 5 bedroom detached modern family home. We firmly believe in putting our customers first by offering a bespoke service that matches their individual needs.”

The new three tiered sales package service, the blog and the property market newsletters are all further examples of UPP’s trail blazing and proactive market leading approach. David and Adrian are determined to provide what homeowners in Stamford and Rutland have long been asking for.

It seems the only way is UPP.

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MU SI C

Strictly Ballroom Alastair McLachlan meets Stamford’s very own Orchestra

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T’S almost 8.00pm on a dreary cold Thursday night in Stamford, and you’re standing outside the ballroom of the Stamford Arts Centre wondering why you came out and what on earth that dreadful noise is: squeals and squawks, the sound of animals in pain. Suddenly it goes quiet, and just as you decide on the pub instead of the show in the theatre that you’re already late for, you hear wonderful sounds.

It’s an orchestra; they were tuning up, you realise. Now they’re playing what sounds like a minuet; bouncy, tuneful, even graceful. Perhaps there really is a ball on, and you’ve timetravelled to 18th century Stamford? You tip-toe through the foyer, squeeze the door open and peer in …

The chandeliers are burning, but no Jane Austen costumes, no dancers, no ball. There is an orchestra, and apparently a conductor peering over his shoulder at you rather suspiciously. You shrink into a seat and listen. It’s the Stamford Chamber Orchestra rehearsing, a lady at the back tells you. They’re playing Haydn. ‘They often do. There’s a concert on Saturday. Isn’t it lovely?’

Why have forty or fifty musicians from Stamford and the neighbourhood gathered on a dreary winter night after work for a tough three hour rehearsal? And why has a successful young conductor from London who has worked with some of Europe’s top orchestras and conductors - legendary Bernard Haitink and Sir Roger Norrington among them braved the London evening rush-hour to knock them into shape and then drive the three hours home?

‘It's worth it,’ says Ben Palmer. ‘SCO is a wonderfully friendly and hardworking orchestra, and it just gets better and better.

The players always rise to the challenge. I really enjoy working with them, particularly when we're playing Haydn.’ He has one unusual ambition: to conduct all of Joseph Haydn's 107 symphonies. ‘When I started to work my way through them I was astonished to realise how brilliant every single one is, whether or not it's a famous one with a nickname. At first it seemed it really would take my entire life to get

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Freya Goldmark

BenPalmer. Photo: Andy Staples Photography

through them, but by our November concert I shall be past half way! We've done a fair few together, and I'm happy to say that the players seem to enjoy them (almost) as much as I do.’

And audiences do as well: it’s not often you hear chuckles in a concert, but SCO concerts are informal, friendly events where laughter is allowed, children welcome, and you might get to chat to some of the orchestra or the conductor in the interval. And when there was a sudden unexpected (deliberate) hiccup in the middle of that minuet, they laughed.

The orchestra plays music by the composers you would probably expect: the great classics, plus a few you might not. Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’ this season, with Schumann, Beethoven, Mozart and, of course, Haydn.

Concertos by Brahms, Haydn and Mozart, string music by Elgar, Janacek, Dowland and Vaughan Williams’ haunting Thomas Tallis Variations.

And Ben’s arrangement for string orchestra of Schubert’s String Quintet. He’s also a composer, of striking and very approachable music.

There are local star soloists like harpist Eleanor Turner, and this year brilliant Uppingham violinist Freya Goldmark plays Mozart’s 3rd Concerto. Twin soloists from London play Brahms’ passionate Double Concerto.

What marks the SCO out from other ensembles? Its conductors, who frequently go on to great things, Adrian Brown and Andrew Constantine among them. Ben Palmer has been in post since 2010, and currently also directs the Orchestra of St Paul's, and has worked with the London Mozart Players and the Hallé orchestra

among others, and with Sir Roger Norrington, a leader of the ‘authentic’ approach to classical music - playing it as it probably would have been played when it was written.

The SCO plays most of its repertoire without vibrato. ‘No orchestras anywhere played with continuous vibrato until 100 years ago,’ says Ben. ‘And I think pure tone sounds ravishingly beautiful, so I encourage all my orchestras to play in this way.’ It certainly sounds good in rehearsal.

The orchestra gathers in the Ballroom from all points of the compass. About 80% of the orchestra is local, like rehearsal cake-maker Sara Morris and treasurer Helen Amos: fixer Terry Noble is from Market Deeping (he ensures there are players for each concert). Everyone plays because they love doing it. ‘The concerts are thrilling,’ says leader Anja Smith, who teaches at several local schools. ‘It's wonderful to see the audience enjoying listening to the music as much as we do playing it!’ Terry finds Ben Palmer ‘inspiring’, others enjoy the imaginative programming, and also the fact that twelve hours of rehearsals per concert keep standards high. ‘Lots of private practice goes on too,’ said one.

• Stamford Chamber Orchestra plays Schubert, Brahms and Schumann on Saturday November 14th in the Ballroom, Stamford Arts Centre. Tickets from £12.50 to £5.00 for U16s. Call Stamford Arts on 01780 763203 or visit www. stamfordartscentre.com To become a Friend of the SCO visit their website at stamfordchamberorchestra.org

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P E OP L E

Vicky Buckman Stamford High School, the girls’ senior school of the trio of Stamford Endowed Schools, welcomed its new Head at the start of this academic year. Alysia Anderson met Vicky Buckman to talk about education, scuba diving and Doctor Who Which schools did you work at before and which subject did you teach?

Prior to taking up the post at Stamford, I spent nine years as the senior Deputy Head at City of London Freemen’s School in Ashtead, Surrey. Before that I was at Christ’s Hospital in Horsham where, amongst other things, I ran a girls’ boarding house for a number of years. I am a biologist by training and still enjoy enthusing young people about the living world.

Do you have children yourself?

I am married to Stephen, who is a priest, and we have two children but they could hardly be described as children! James is 22 and working on a part-time MA at Kingston University; Lucy is 21 and is living and working in Worthing. We also have a large ginger cat called Borodin.

What attracted you to the role of Head of Stamford High School?

Quite simply, I was longing to lead my own school - but not just any school! I wanted to go where I could use my experience and enthusiasms most effectively. When I came to Stamford, I was struck by how vibrant and happy the School was (and is!). Also, having had a lot of experience of looking after girls within a co-educational setting, I felt very much in sympathy with the ‘diamond structure’ at the Endowed Schools (co-educational at the Junior School and again in the Sixth Form).

What do you think are the strengths/ challenges of single sex teaching?

I think the ‘diamond structure’ provides a very elegant solution to the conundrum of single sex versus co-education. The world is undeniably co-educational but research shows that girls, and boys, do better at school when they are taught separately. I think the SES model allows that but with a nod to the real world. Many of

our activities are co-educational so there is no ‘mystery’ about the opposite sex, yet lessons are tailored to meet the needs of the respective sexes and their rather different approaches to learning. In the Sixth Form, we can start to teach them in co-educational groups in readiness for life beyond school.

What do you hope to bring to the High School?

The School has a fine reputation and I am looking to take it forward and make it even better. My previous experience, in two very different schools, means I have plenty of ideas on which to draw. Equally, I am surrounded by a talented and hard-working group of colleagues who have lots of ideas that they would like to see realised. I am passionate about getting the best outcomes for the girls, not only academically but in terms of the skills and attitudes necessary to take the world on!

The School’s Houses are named after strong women from history such as Edith Cavell.

Is there a particular female role model you admire?

I have been very lucky in my career to work with two female deputies, both of whom now run their own schools, who acted not only as great role models but also encouraged me and gave me lots of advice and opportunities to hone my leadership skills. They have very

different styles but I learned a great deal from them. I hope I have taken the best bits of both!

Do you have any secret talents that might surprise us?

I confess to being a great Dr Who fan – not really a secret! Having two older brothers meant that I have followed the series from almost its earliest episodes. I am also a keen gardener, cook and musician. Two years ago, I was talked into a scuba diving trip, so learned to dive. It must be the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done but seeing aquatic life that I had taught about and only seen in books or on TV was absolutely amazing.

What do you enjoy about Stamford and do you live in the town or beyond?

At present I am living in Stamford but will soon be moving to a more permanent residence in Corby Glen when my husband takes up the post of Priest-in-charge of the Corby Glen benefice.

Stamford itself is beautiful and I love the fact that everything is close enough to walk. I am also delighted by how friendly everyone is; folk you don’t know will stop you in the street for a chat! When I got the job, I was stunned how many people had heard of Stamford/ been to Stamford/knew someone who was at the Endowed Schools. Even our cat’s vet in Sussex had played against SHS when she was at school!

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