Stamford Living February 2012

H e l pin g y o u t o g et the m o st o ut o f l ivin g LOC A LL Y

STAMFORD LIVING food/fashion/health & beauty lifestyle/home & garden

VA L E N T I N E ’ S D AY Gift Ideas HOME IMPROVEMENT Conservatory Choices TOM BUTCHER Actor

£1.50 FEBRUARY 2012

@LocalLivingUK

www.bestlocalliving.co.uk

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£395,000

Colsterworth

£339,950 South Luffenham £1,150 pcm

Stamford

£695 pcm

Beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath three storey period town house in the heart of Stamford. A few steps from the River Welland and a short walk to the town.

Character property. Kitchen/Diner, Utility Room, Lounge, Study/Playroom, Downstairs Cloak, 3 double bedrooms, 2 Baths, Courtyard, Cellar and Garage.

Well presented four bedroom family home which has been much improved and extended to offer good sized accommodation. Ample parking and sunny rear garden.

Delightful house located in a small and select development in the centre of town. Two double bedrooms. Decking/seating area and allocated parking.

Gunby

Little Bytham

Barnack

Stamford

£235,000

Situated in this attractive rural village. Charming 3 bed grade II listed stone cottage with deceptively spacious accom and many original features.

£95,000

Delightful 2 bedroom cottage situated close to the viaduct in need of some renovation.

Good sized accommodation and garden.

No upward chain.

Residential Sales

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£675 pcm

Pretty stone cottage set in the grounds of the Walcot Estate on the outskirts of Barnack.

Three bedrooms. Courtyard area and shared lawned gardens.

Lettings

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£560 pcm

Refurbished two bedroom home situated in this sought after area of Stamford with easy access to the A1 and town centre. Garden and allocated parking.

Mortgages

01780 750000 2-3 St John’s Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 2DA

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STAMFORD LIVING

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There’s lots to celebrate this year

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he Queen’s Diamond Jubilee at the start of June (June 2-5) means two Bank Holidays, and we have already heard of preparations for street parties, including in St George’s Square. The Queen has been such a rock of stability for this country, and this is especially valued in these more uncertain times.

Then of course the Olympic Games is next after that (July 27-Aug 12). We would like to hear from anyone local who has family competing in the games or perhaps is helping out in some way as a volunteer or medical support.

Finally it’s the 10th anniversary of Stamford Living. Yes, we started back in June 2001 and I have been the editor for every issue!! The magazine would never be possible without our writers, photographers and designers so many, many thanks to them.

If you have a dream for this year, make it happen! Then you’ll be able to celebrate it in years to come too.

Nicholas Rudd-Jones Editor

@LocalLivingUK Editor Nicholas Rudd-Jones 01780 765571 nicholas@bestlocalliving.co.uk Write to Stamford Living, PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY www.bestlocallivingliving.co.uk Advertisement Manager Claudia Bayley 01780 480409 claudia.bayley@btinternet.com Advertisement Director Helen Walton 01780 754801 helen.stamford@btopenworld.com Advertising Copy 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 Published by Local Living Ltd, PO Box 208, Stamford, Lincs. PE9 9FY nicholas@bestlocalliving.co.uk Printed by Warner’s of Bourne

Subscribe to Stamford Living

UPFRONT, SHOPPING 4 Editor’s selection: what caught the eye this month?

6 Upfront: Star in a film; Rutland Youth Fly Fishing

Day; Fairtrade Fortnight 14 Shopping: Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas FASHION, HEALTH & BEAUTY 10 Health & Beauty: Equilibrium Pamper Day winner 19 Fashion: The Essential Weddings Show at Burghley HOME, GARDEN & MOTORING 22 Interior Design trends with Mark Elliot Furniture 24 Conservatory Feature: Key trends and suppliers 35 Motoring: 2012 models

24 CONSERVATORY CHOICES

FOOD & DRINK 21 Weddings: A vintage wedding package 29 Food & Drink: Turning a culinary hobby into a

business 30 Eating Out: L’Olivetto Tré ACTIVITIES, LEARNING & BUSINESS 17 The Good Life: Nicki McLean, local artist and willow

sculptor 30 Local Business: Heritage Window Company 33 Local Business: Stephenson Smart, Oundle Travel,

Silver Lanes Foods 39 What’s On PERSPECTIVES 8 Perspectives: Local authors 36 Perspectives: The history of ice houses locally 43 Ask Leo Special: Rutland Terrace 44 Where are they now? Tom Butcher, actor

44 PROFILE OF ACTOR TOM BUTCHER

43 RUTLAND TERRACE

Front cover image: Snowdrops courtesy of Dreamstime

For only £20 (UK only) you can subscribe to Stamford Living for a year (12 issues).

Please send your name, address and a cheque made out to Local Living Ltd to: SL Subscriptions, PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY Or you can subscribe via the website at www.bestlocalliving.co.uk

STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012

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Editor’s selection Stuff that caught the eye for February

J&L Ball A Stamford canvas with a difference – put together as a mosaic.

North St, Stamford jandlball.co.uk

Opus Dai

Enjoy a free bottle on wine at opus dai, on purchasing two selected main meals from the bar menu throughout February.

Opus Dai, Broad St, Stamford

Pike Fishing Local angler David Phillips has drawn on more than 40 years as a keen pike fisherman for his new book, which has been released in Amazon’s ebook Kindle format.

Amazon £3.65.

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Two Little Birds Personalised hearts for Valentine’s (£9.95).

Cushions (£29.95) www.two-little-birds.co.uk (local business)

Steffan’s the Jewellers

New in especially for Valentine’s Day this Tresor Paris Limited Edition Valentines bracelet is exclusive to Steffans. Priced at £44.95.

Steffan’s the Jewellers, Tel: 01858 432633 or www.steffans.co.uk

STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012

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Lunch for less menu 2 Courses for £12.50 3rd Course for only £4 Enjoy lunch at The Orangery at Burghley overlooking the beautiful rose garden Wednesday – Saturday 11.30-3.00 Valid until Saturday 17th March

For further information please call The Orangery 01780 761989 or email orangery@burghley.co.uk 5

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LOCAL NEWS

Upfront What’s new this month

Rutland Youth Fly Fishing Day – SunDAY July 22

A fun day for 10 to 17 year-olds, where you can learn about fly fishing, and fly fish from a boat for trout on the famous Rutland Water with an experienced boat handler.

The day is based at the Fishing Lodge at Normanton and includes activities such as casting tuition, tying knots and leaders, tackle advice, fly tying and fishing advice.

You will be taken out after lunch by an experienced adult boat handler either individually or in pairs of matched ability and age. Boats will return to the lodge for a barbeque at 6pm.

The entry fee of £15 includes tackle hire, fishing permit, boat hire, boat handler and the BBQ. All participants will be covered by public liability insurance and will be given free junior membership of Rutland Water Fly Fishers Club worth £6, for the remainder of the year. www.rutlandwaterflyfishers.co.uk

Precision Sports

We all pass it by car, usually several times a week, but not all of us appreciate that it’s a retail outlet with a huge range of stock, and ample parking If your bag is rugby, hockey, cricket, running or racket games then Precision Sports will almost certainly have the footwear, apparel and equipment that you are looking for. And you will be served by people who are sports enthusiasts, led by Bob Green who also supplies kits, equipment, goalposts etc. to clubs around the region.

They are also experts in embroidery, so if your run a team that needs a kit with numbers, logos, sponsorship messages etc. this is the place to come. Laura Bailey, who runs that side of the business, has excellent equipment and a track record of quality and service. And with a 10-day turnaround you have everything you need.

As a sign of their reputation, they were asked to embroider the town’s crest for use on celebratory banners for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee this summer (see above).

Precision Sports, 8 North Street, Stamford, PE9 1AD Tel: 01780 757818

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Lights, Camera, Action!

A local film maker is seeking volunteers to take part in his next project. Rutlander Victor Streatfield scored a You Tube hit with his first short film ‘All That Glitters’ – a rags to riches tale of the fortunes of a humble street sweeper; and now he plans to follow his debut with another cinematic venture.

“There are several areas for local people to get involved – I am looking for volunteers to assist with lighting, sound, set design, hair and makeup, as well as actors.

Particularly welcome are those who might have technical knowledge – an interest in film or audio and those who would like to help organise props or continuity. I know there will be people who would love to get involved and I would be only too happy to hear from them. No experience is necessary but a ‘can do’ attitude and bags of enthusiasm are essential.”

Victor has penned the screenplay himself entitled “First Day at Work” which is planned to be a ten minute short piece with filming taking place in Rutland locations mainly at weekends during the spring.

Anyone wanting to find out more can contact Victor on 01572 723219 or 07712 534473

Stamford: a Fairtrade town Fairtrade Fortnight: 27 February 11 March

The Stamford Fairtrade Group will be celebrating Stamford’s five years as a Fairtrade Town (FT) at the Arts Centre Gallery from Sun Feb 19-Sat Mar 3 Since achieving FT status the number of FT outlets in Stamford has grown steadily and the group plans to continue efforts to promote these businesses and to encourage more to stock or use FT items.

With an anticipated footfall of 5,000 over the two weeks the group will continue to raise awareness of the importance of FT to many of the poorest producers in the world. Local businesses benefit from steady sales and the goodwill created by stocking FT products, a trade now worth over a £1billion in this country.

‘Fairtrade is good for Business’.

There will be an interactive exhibition to include; stunning photographs showing FT cotton clothing, ‘Dress a FT Banana’ competition, FT in Stamford, FT producers, Quiz, ‘Find the non FT products’, Speakers and sales of FT products available in Stamford. A FT chocolate fountain will delight the taste buds (courtesy of the Divine Chocolate Company).

For more information call George Hetherington, Event Co-ordinator, on 01780 757439 or email him at georgehetherington@btinternet.com

STAMFORD LIVING FEBRUARY 2012

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MITCHELL & HUDSON LTD LOCAL BUILDING COMPANY OFFERING BUILDING/BESPOKE JOINERY WORK

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PERSPECTIVES

The write stuff Our villages and market towns are home to several successful authors.

Alysia Anderson meets the local talent

Profile

Rob Scotton

strator, Rob Scotton created the bestselling character ‘Russell the lso be found on greetings cards, ceramics, textiles, prints, stationery nd glassware. Amander Meade finds out more

be he rawings on ys ollect f at ouraged

fully or a ollege. art, g his for his on of nic, a travel three hen you m like sed en years

had developed one of his characters whilst cycling in the beautiful Rutland countryside. “I started to see the landscape and rolling fields surrounding Rutland Water as an environment for a curious flock of sheep but was struggling with the key character’s basic expression.”

After an accident sent him flying from his bike, Rob landed face to face with a real sheep. “The look on its face at that moment was exactly what I needed and I recreated that expression for Russell.”

A chance opportunity to exhibit his work at a trade show took Rob to New York. A publisher spotted Russell and within ten days of returning home he had signed a three-book contract with the top publishing house, Harper Collins. Rob admits that what happened in the months that followed remains a bit of a blur. “It turned out that a highly respected children’s literature expert had come across the book and liked it so I was invited to do a tour of schools and bookstores along America’s East coast. It was both terrifying and hugely rewarding and I had the most amazing time,” grins Rob. “The response to Russell was overwhelming.”

A follow up tour of the West Coast secured Russell an eleven week stint on the New York Times Best Sellers List – an unprecedented achievement for a first time children’s author.

“It was completely surreal,” Rob recalls. “I was interviewed live on national US television,

I

ferried about in limousines, wined and dined.”

Two major children’s literary awards followed and by the time ‘Russell the Sheep’ was short listed for the Kate Greenaway award, the three book deal had developed into an eight book series.

Despite all the fruits of his hard work Rob is very modest and unaffected by his success, denying he is tempted to move to London to join the throngs of the children’s ‘literati’ – “Far from it, when I have spent any time in big cities away from Rutland, I am reminded of why we moved here in the first place – I do like Stamford though.”

This year will see the launch of some new characters from the Scotton stable as well as further adventures of some old favourites including Splatt the Cat – the character Rob developed on behalf of Portmeirion potteries.

Next time you are walking around Rutland Water, remember to look carefully at those sheep – one of them is an international star.

I

first met Peter Hamilton (www.peterfhamilton.co.uk) a couple of years ago when our children were at the same nursery. A local boy, he was born in Rutland and attended Witham Hall school, now a family tradition. I visited him at his Exton home and Peter showed me the barn-end office where he devises his globally popular sci fi stories. The English country garden outside his window is a far cry from the alien worlds he so skilfully creates. I asked why he began writing, expecting a story of creative impulses that simply had to be unleashed, but the answer was much more pragmatic. “My mother was unwell and I needed a job I could do from home, so I starting writing.” That humble start was back in 1987 and since then Peter has produced numerous short stories and more than a dozen epic novels; the first, Mindstar Rising, published in 1993. His fanbase is as vast as his books, stretching from Italy to Fiji, and will no doubt be delighted with Peter’s latest announcement. “I’ve just completed Great North Road which will be out this autumn, and I’m now going to start writing three children’s books (age 8-12), beginning with Queen of Dreams.

t was the view of Rutland sheep near his Oakham home that inspired Rob Scotton’s (www.robscotton.com) first picture book, f you were shopping in White Stuff before Christmas you may have find out more Russell the Sheep; an● To instant hit about withRob Scotton visit encountered Jae de Wylde (www.jaedewylde.com) signing copies of www.robscotton.com his youngsters everywhere. I recently bought it her novel The Thinking Tank, set partly in Rutland. “It’s just reached 48 Athena’ Walkers Bookshops. look for my four-year-old,Available alongatwith Rob’s other on Amazon’s Women’s fiction list!” Jae told me with delight. Currently in Books by Rob Scotton and published by t Harper Collins include: gan famous creation, Splat the Cat, both of which Bourne, Jae has lived locally since 1989 when she came to teach French Russell the Sheep hat have entranced her. The of Splat, a and German at Oakham School, where she later became Registrar. Events Russell exploits and the Lost Treasure of Russell’s illustrator, Christmas Magic cyclist, Local author and Rob Scotton created thetook bestselling character ‘Russell theblows of bereavement hairy inksplot of a moggie, have been a roaring a grave turn when she experienced the twin success on both sides of the Atlantic.

Two tales and illness, but she took what she describes as ‘life’s crappy stuff’ and LIVING January 2008 Sheep’. His work can also be found on greetings cards, ceramics, textiles, prints, stationery made the New York Times bestseller list and channelled it into a writing career. Her novel is a compelling analysis of an Amander Meade fiillnds outlifemore the original was voted one ofand Timeglassware. magazine’s woman’s and her relationship with her daughter, each contemplated 12/12/07 16:50:33 top five picture books. Although the stories during hours spent in an oxygen chamber, the ‘thinking tank’ of the title. themselves is Rob’s andeveloped one of his characters whilst Jae also finds timeabout to teach belly dancing, ferried in limousines, winedsometimes and dined.” at Stamford Arts had ob’s interest inare art, charming, he tells me,itcan be skill as Two major children’s literary cycling in the beautiful Rutland countryside.

“I a skill traced back to thedelivers day he realised he formula. illustrator that the winning Centre, she acquired when livingawards in the followed Middle East. Her thoughts and by the ‘Russellwriting the Sheep’ was started landscape rollingEurope. fields “The received more attention creating This streak runs infor the family:drawings Rob’s wife Liz is to see arethe now turning and towards novel I’mtime currently is set in short Paris and I’m also working for Thinking the Kate Greenaway surroundingon Rutland Water an same environment with aalso pencil using it as a weapon on anthan artist. another withasthe characterslisted as The Tank,” saysaward, Jae. the three

Rob Scotton I

R

book deal had developed into an eight book for a curious flock of sheep but was struggling his brother. “As a youngster I was always series. with the key character’s basic expression.” interested in art and my Mum would collect Despite all the fruits of his hard work Rob After an accident sent him flying from his bike, my pictures and proudly show them off at ver in Uppingham, another award-winning author is busy penning books for children. Michaela is very modest and unaffected by his success, Rob landed face to face with a real sheep. “The work, which I thought was great.” Encouraged Morgan (www.michaelamorgan.com) started out as a teacher then became writerdenying in residence he is tempted to move to London look on its face at that moment was exactly further by a nurturing art teacher at in prisons, as well as speaking at conferences worldwide. often that visitsexpression schools at home and to join the throngs of the children’s ‘literati’ what I needed and IShe recreated secondary school, Rob’s ambition was fully abroad, delighting fans by replying to their questions in rhyme. Her inventive works range – “Farfrom from it, when I have spent any time in for Russell.” fledged by the time he was accepted for a picture books like Never Shake a Rattlesnake! to retellings of Robin Hood forcities KS2away from Rutland, I am reminded of A chance opportunity to exhibit hisand workHerculesbig foundation course at Loughborough College. readers.

The story tackles bullying andRob refugeeism while tellswe themoved true here in the first place – I do like a trade show took to New York.

A Respect!why Far from starving in moving a garret for hisNight art, Flight at of orphan Walterduring Tull, who the firstspotted professional British a Stamfordand though.” publisher Russellblack and within tenoutfield days footballer Rob wasstory busy with commissions his became ThisWalter year will see the launch of some new of returning home he had signed a three-book teens and was much in demand locally for his unabated, war hero.

Her creativity continues with several projects on the go. These include characters contract withbook the top publishing house, Harper portraitsTull’s of pets and cars. On Scrapbook, forcompletion nine-to-13 of year olds; a picture to help toddlers cope with a new sibling;from the Scotton stable as well Collins.aRob that what“Sometimes happened in Ithe his art degree Leicester Polytechnic, a involving and afrom hip hop version of Cinderella lostadmits baseball boot. feel likeasafurther ratheradventures of some old favourites including Splatt the Cat – the character Rob months that followed remains a bit of a blur.

“It hugely successful fi nal year show put travel wobbly juggler, on a unicycle, with a desk,” says Michaela. developed on behalf of Portmeirion potteries. turned out that a highly respected children’s plans on hold when Rob was offered a three Next time you are walking around Rutland literature expert had come across the book year contract with Kingsley Cards. “When you Water, remember to look carefully at those and liked it so I was invited to do a tour of are barely twenty-one, three years seem 8 STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012 like sheep – one of them is an international star. schools and bookstores along America’s an eternity so no-one was more surprised East coast. It was both terrifying and hugely than me when I was still there seventeen years ● To find out more about Rob Scotton visit rewarding and I had the most amazing time,” later.”

8 LOCAL AUTHORS.indd 1 www.robscotton.com grins Rob. “The response to Russell was Throughout the eighties Rob honed his overwhelming.” craft designing greetings cards in the ‘Athena’

O

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Health & BEAUTY

Equilibrium Pamper day winner Genevieve Potter gets the inside story on the fabulous day enjoyed by the winner of our December health and beauty competition, kindly provided by Equilibrium of Stamford

B

arbara Wolfe was nominated by her husband and she was certainly a deserving winner of the luxury pamper day. Barbara’s father fell and broke his hip last summer and she now visits him every day in a care home, as well as working full time managing a business in Stamford.

Barbara’s husband Rikki also has severe spinal problems which mean that he is currently unable to stand or drive and can’t help around the house. Rikki wrote, “Barbara is well and truly carrying everyone and doing everything. Winning this prize would be a wonderful late Christmas present to say thank you.”

Barbara arrived at Equilibrium on a cold January morning to spend the day having some much-needed time out just for her.

Equilibrium really is a little haven in the centre of Stamford and the salon has a reputation for making their clients feel welcome and completely relaxed.

On arriving at 9.30, Barbara was treated to an indulgent glass of champagne whilst she completed a health questionnaire with her therapist, Eloise, to ensure that all of the planned treatments were suitable for her.

The pamper day started in luxurious style with the new lava shells full body massage.

Lava shells generate heat and are perfect for stress busting and promoting deep relaxation, which Barbara certainly needed! It uses recycled, naturally self-heating tiger clam shells from the sun-kissed shores of the Philippines.

These polished shells glide smoothly over the body and help to release muscle tension and unblock energy flow, providing a feeling of rejuvenation.

The massage was soon followed by a new Thalgo Anti-ageing facial; the silicium superlift facial with its three stages. Firstly with Thalgo’s exclusive resurfacing cream, wrinkles are erased one by one and the entire face looks refreshed and lifted. Next with precise stimulation, anti-wrinkle and lifting massage fills wrinkles and lifts the features. Finally the double hyaluronic sculpting mask fills deeper wrinkles and re-shapes the face. The facial is one of the most advanced available today and leaves a firmer, glowing complexion and less noticeable lines and wrinkles.

Barbara was then treated to a delicious lunch platter. After a short break it was on to the eyebrows with Abi, who is an HD (high definition) brow expert (Barbara had already

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had a patch test prior to the treatment). Abi took Barbara’s eyebrow and face shape into account before creating beautifully groomed, precise brows following the famous HD sevenstep technique.

Once Abi had completed her brow artistry, Barbara was back with Eloise for her last round of treatments, resulting in beautifully groomed and glamorous fingers and toes. This process started with a relaxing fish pedicure to gently eradicate any dry skin and was completed with the expert application of OPI coloured gels in a deep shade of wintry red.

I caught up with Barbara to find out more about her day at Equilibrium and she commented:“I can’t thank Samantha, Eloise and the team at Equilibrium enough, because I can honestly say I have never felt so relaxed. Everything was perfect, from the delicious little lunch to the amazing treatments that I experienced. After

the pamper day, I walked through the door at home feeling like a new woman; I particularly loved the HD brows which really seem to have opened up my eyes (and that’s coming from someone who was too much of a wimp to even pluck their own eyebrows before!) I am also going to try and keep up the OPI gel nails as I feel so glamorous now I’ve got them.

“The icing on the cake was that after my pamper day, I was so chilled out that I had the most blissful sleep, for the first time in many months. I am already planning to spend another day at Equilibrium for my forthcoming birthday.”

Equilibrium 7 St Paul’s Street, Stamford Tel: 01780 757579 www.equilibriumstamford.co.uk www.facebook.com/equilibriumstamford Pictures kindly taken by Simone from Miss Pickering

STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012

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25% off all treatments Sat 4th Feb – Fri 10th Feb 8 High Street, St Martins, Stamford PE9 2LF (opposite The George Hotel). Tel: 01780 753443 Open Monday to Saturday 9am - 6pm

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SHOPPING

Be My Valentine Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to make an extra effort to show your love and appreciation for that one special person in your life. Don’t leave it to the last moment. Distress purchases are the least successful and usually cost the most. Charlotte Newby seeks out the perfect Valentine’s gift For Him

Ladies, instead of buying your man power-tools or socks again, treat him to something more personal. Many men aren’t inclined to buy themselves luxuries. How about getting him some gorgeous Calvin Kleins? These threepack boxes of cotton stretch trunks (in all-black, or a mix of white, grey and black) are from Energy. And you never know, you might get some pleasure out of them yourself!

On the more traditional side, you could give him a handsome shaving set from Allure to use and enjoy. The smart razor and badgerhair brush come in a stylish black leather case.

Traditional shaving cream from Taylors of Old Bond Street is available in a range of scents.

The shop also sells some stylish leather valet trays, which would make a useful gift and help him to keep all his bits and bobs tidy.

And if your partner wants to look delectable and smell irresistible, then I highly recommend the Acqua di Parma gift set from Aromatica.

This sturdy and attractive gift box contains divine-smelling ‘Colognia’ eau de cologne, body cream (yes, men can have soft skin too), and bath and shower gel. It’s a bit of an indulgence, but it’ll show that you care!

For Her

I don’t wish to generalise here, but I get the impression that many men would not include ‘shopping for the perfect Valentine’s gift’ amongst their favourite past-times. So, I’ve taken the pain out of it and done the footwork on your behalf.

Gorgeous lingerie always makes an exciting and thoughtful gift that will last well beyond Valentine’s Day. Chameleon stocks exquisite well-made, well-fitting lingerie in a stunning range of styles and colours. Labels such as Lise Charmel, Elle Macpherson, Simone Perele, Marie Jo, Prima Donna and so many more.

These will not be the cheapest products you can find, but as is usually the case, you will be getting much better quality if you are prepared to pay a bit more. You’ll also find Serge Lutens perfume (only otherwise found in Harrods) and unusual, handmade silver jewellery.

If you’re feeling extravagant, how about treating your lady to some luxury perfume? At Aromatica you’ll find a range of unusual and sensuous perfumes. ‘Geranium Bourbon’ by

14

Calvin Klein gift sets for men, £35 from Energy

Shaving kit, Allure £59.75

Acqua di Parma gift set from Aromatica, £72

Lise Charmel lingerie, ‘Jardin Fashion’ and ‘Recital Bleu’, from £65.00, Chameleon

Miller Harris has the scent of wild and fresh rosy geranium with the mysterious, exotic quality of palmarosa (a southeast Asian grass) and cassis berry. It’s a rich and passionate blend, perfect for the occasion. Or choose L’Agent by Agent Provocateur, a provocative potion to capture your senses in a flight of florals, intoxicating amber and erotic musk!

If you’re both over-worked and in need of some pampering together, then plan for a cosy night in and gather some luxury organics from Essence of Beauty. Select from the ranges of Neom and Darphin: aromatic candles, organic bath oil, body lotion, body wash and many more. Lauren and Tracy will package up a beautiful gift box for you, which will look gorgeous and that you can both enjoy. The salon also offers gift vouchers for treatments, which include Indian Head Massages, Full Body Massages and Darphin-customised facials amongst others.

To show how much you care for her wellbeing, give her the gift of beautiful skin

L’Agent by Agent Provocateur, 100ml, £70, ‘Geranium Bourbon’

by Miller Harris 100ml, £85, from Aromatica

with a voucher for a luxury Dermalogica face treatment. This particular treatment lasts an hour and a half and costs £44, but there are many others to choose from too.

Leading Dermalogica salon owner Sarah at Stamford Beauty recommends the Age Smart Multivitamin Power Recovery Mask, the Daily Microfoliant and Dynamic Skin Recovery as her top three must haves for radiant, kissable skin!

If you’d like to find an unusual gift, then it’s worth taking a look in I Should Coco in The George Hotel Mews. Katharine is always on hand with helpful and creative advice. Take these colourful Ostrich leather phone covers (pictured), you’ll never find these on the high street. She also has a selection of silk scarves, unusual jewellery and some very sexy red, high heel Lola Cruz shoes – your woman will love you for it!

What could be more romantic than a little piece of sparkly treasure on Valentine’s Day? Hot Diamonds jewellery from You and Beyond is an affordable luxury that can be worn every

STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012

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Rachael Straw red leather handmade handbag from Lulu, £85.00

Flower necklace and bracelet, £40 & £19 from I Should Coco

Silver Options keyrings from £9.95, Sinclairs

Gift set made up

by Essence of Beauty. Individual items from £13 Dermalogica skin essentials from Stamford Beauty, from £25.99. Others from £18.99

Lola Cruz shoes from I Should Coco, £85 Hot Diamonds heart necklace, £45 and earrings, £40 from You and Beyond

Estella Bartlett necklace, Lulu £20.

Others from £9

Colourful Ostrich leather phone cases, £95 from I Should Coco day. Each Hot Diamonds piece is crafted from sterling silver and adorned with a signature diamond. This simple heart pendant and matching earrings (pictured) would make a lovely gift. Or you could slip a delicate little Estella Bartlett necklace from Lulu under her pillow as a thoughtful little surprise!

On my search around Stamford, I also found a cute little heart pendant from Allure gifts.

The Sphere of Love necklace is made of sterling silver with cubic zirconia stones and comes in a silver sphere gift box. There are lots of other gift ideas at the shop too.

And what woman wouldn’t be absolutely thrilled to receive a fabulous handbag for Valentine’s Day?! Lulu on St Paul’s Street stocks beautiful leather handbags made by Lincolnshire accessory designer Rachael Straw.

Her luxury handmade products are exclusive to Lulu so you will not find them anywhere else.

For some other Valentine gift ideas, to suit all pockets, pop into Sinclairs. They have lots of beauty products by Crabtree and Evelyn

Heart pendant from Allure Gifts, £54.99 and La Source, available individually or in attractive gift sets. Plus Silver Options keyrings with Swarovski crystals (pictured) and some fantastically priced Antica Murrina glass heart pendants in a whole spectrum of colours.

Finally, if you want to spend some quality time together but don’t want to join the masses dining out on Valentine’s night, take some time during the day and enjoy a leisurely lunch instead while others toil at work! Throughout spring, there are some very generous Lunch for Less offers on at some of the best restaurants in the region: The Olive Branch in Clipsham, The Marquess of Exeter in Lyddington, The Berkeley Arms in Wymondham among others (see page 39 of the January issue of Stamford Living). You’ll find that these special lunchtime offers don’t apply on Valentine’s Day itself, so choose your own special day together; be individual and save some money!

Directory Allure Gifts, 14 St Mary’s Hill, Stamford PE9 2DP, 01780 757084, www.alluregifts.co.uk Aromatica, 8 High Street, Stamford PE9 2LF, 01780 753443 Chameleon, 5 St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DP, 01780 755405, www.chameleonboutique.co.uk Energy, 9 Ironmonger Street, Stamford PE9 1PL, 01780 765633, www.energy-clothing.com Essence of Beauty, 15 St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DF, 01780 763564, www.essenceofbeauty.co.uk I Should Coco, 2-4 The George Hotel Mews, Stamford PE9 2LB, 01780 754413 Lulu, 43 St Paul’s Street, Stamford PE9 2BH, 01780 766675, www.luvlulu.co.uk Sinclairs, 11-12 St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DE, 01780 765421, www.sinclairsonline.co.uk Stamford Beauty, 1 Silver Lane, Stamford PE9 2BT, 01780 757108, www.stamfordbeauty.com You and Beyond, 14 St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DF, 01780 755996, www.youstamford.co.uk STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012

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A L I S O N H U T C H IN S O N

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE

Local interior and garden designer Alison Hutchinson meets Nicki McLean, local artist and willow sculptor, in the latest of our ‘Living the Good Life’ articles

Nicki McLean N

icki came to my attention through the willow she sculpts, but that isn’t her only talent. She is a talented fine artist and a trained designer too. She originally trained as an interior designer and worked in a London architect’s office as a drafts person for many years before the pull to do her own fine art work took over. ‘Painting was always in me,’ she explained, ‘but I never did anything with it, I just never followed it through until six years ago when I undertook a fine arts degree,’ she said. As a mature student Nicki went back to Stamford College. After her degree she got a fabulous break and put on her first exhibition at the Sam Scorer gallery in Lincoln. This generated some interest in her work and commissions. Then in 2009 she applied to be an artist in residence with Lincoln County Council who were looking for artists to work within the environment around Lincoln with a view to increasing visitor numbers. Nicki’s work of a willow man was adventurous for a first commissioned project but it was a huge success and has spurred her on to other work. I love her unique willow spheres which are a solid ball of inter-layered willow which can be hung in or placed around the garden. “The idea for the spheres came to me when I constructed the willow head of the man, it was such an organic shape that I felt I could use it again and again in other areas,” Nicki explained.

Nicki has gone on to accept commissions for her paintings too and is in the process of creating a series of deer paintings which she is hoping to exhibit when she opens the studio for the ’Art of the Map’ scheme in May. She is particularly inspired by nature and the environment and her work often has a link to the natural world. “I’m looking forward to using the garden as part of my exhibition space this year and will be showing work in my tipi as well as around the garden.

For me, the natural world is a real inspiration – just pottering about outside makes you feel so alive,” Nicki explained.

From March onwards the studio will also be open every Wednesday 10am – 4pm, as well as by appointment at other times. Lincolnshire Art On The Map open weekends 5th,6th, 12th and 13th May 10am – 4pm.

Nicki can be contacted at 4 Mill Drove, Bourne, Lincs, PE10 9BX, Tel: 01778 422865, Mob: 07952 947955. Web: www. nickimclean.co.uk

“The idea for the spheres came to me when I constructed the willow head of the man, it was such an organic shape that I felt I could use it again and again in other areas,” Nicki McLean 8

NENE VALLEY LIVING July 2008

16 GOOD LIFE.indd 1

STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2011

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19/1/12 16:16:00

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WEDDINGS

Essential Weddings at Burghley

the best so far Over 1,000 visitors enjoyed the hotly anticipated Essential Wedding Show, which took place on November 6th at Burghley House. Review by Genevieve Potter. Pictures by Elli Dean www.ellideanphotography.co.uk

Prize Draw winners We were lucky on the day to be able to run a fabulous prize draw with a range of prizes kindly donated by our advertisers

T

he Essential Wedding Show at Burghley is recognised as one of the best regional wedding shows in the UK and attracts TV coverage including wedding TV and Sky TV. Once again the Essential Wedding Show offered its visitors the very best in wedding fashion, including an exclusive preview of eight wedding dresses from British Designer Kate Sherford, which had never been seen before on a UK consumer catwalk.

The boutique-style event featured everything for the discerning bride and groom to be, including vintage cars – and a double decker bus - spectacular delicious cakes and catering, dresses, shoes, music, travel and hair and make-up from the region’s leading hair salons and make-up artists.

This year there was also an exciting bridal shoe area, much to the delight of many show visitors, featuring Rainbow Club & Couture Shoes.

The four catwalk shows throughout the day proved as popular as ever, with the region’s leading bridal retailers showcasing a breath-taking array of designer gowns. Highlights were a dramatic black Ronald Joyce dress with cape from Matchmaker of Stamford, some innovative vintageinspired eco-friendly dresses from Sanyuka Strestha at Vow Bridal of Wansford, and Suzanne Neville’s ultra-flattering and timeless corsetry from The Stamford Bridal Rooms.

Also on show were some stunning mother of the bride and guest outfits by Cavells, Private Kollection and Dressini of Market Bosworth and exceptionally dapper groom’s wear from Colin Bell.

New to the show this year were some editorial catwalk features, including a Q&A session with leading UK photographer Annie Welton and a closer look at the new 2012 Kate Sherford collection, combined with some useful tips on choosing your perfect wedding dress from Aimee Kirton of Stamford Bridal Rooms.

Guests were treated to vintage Cava from Amps Fine Wines of Oundle and canapés from All Saints Cakes of Stamford and The Falcon Inn at Fotheringhay, which added a luxurious touch to proceedings. To finish the day in spectacular style, fireworks lit up the late autumn evening sky, courtesy of Komodo fireworks.

Event director Sonja Allen commented:“We are delighted by the audience response to the show, and we know it’s also proving to be a great success for our many exhibitors – we’ve received many lovely emails congratulating us on such a wonderful event. We had features, products and services that you would simply not find at any other wedding show, and everything we do is designed to meet the highest standards, as you’d expect on your wedding day itself. Burghley is a spectacular yet welcoming venue and I’d like to thank Philip Gompertz, Holly Cammarata-Hall and the team at Burghley for helping us to ensure that this really was our best show to date.”

To see the Essential Wedding Show for yourself, including video highlights, visit www. essentialmediaevents.co.uk . To advertise or secure a stand for this year’s event, which is on Sun Nov 4th, call Sonja Allen on 07799 792201 or 01789 782265

1. Rushton Hall Hotel - Dinner bed & breakfast for 2 people - winner Lucy Rogers from Rutland 2. Barnsdale Hall Hotel - Spa Day for two people, including lunch and treatments Winner Louise Tree from Boston 3. Debenhams of Lincoln - Gift card of £100 with a personal shopping experience, beauty make-over and a glass of wine - Winner Sheena Beau from Northampton 4. Noel Arms in Rutland - Three course Sunday lunch for two people - Winner Sarah May from Spalding 5. Ambience Venue Styling - Up to 100 chair covers from your wedding - Winner Louisa Russell from Huntingdon 6. Suzi Smith Studios - A Full bridal makeover on your special day - Winner Helen Blackwell from Rutland 7. Aesthetics to the value of £250 - Winner Marilyn Bell from Stamford 8. Unique Finish by Thea - Beauty Treatments to the value of £250 - Winner Emily Annis from Thurlby, Cambridgeshire 9. Andy Fountain Photography - A portrait session - Winner Carrie Tiney from Milton Keynes 10. Tahlia’s Closet - £40 voucher for Italian designer dress jewellery - Winner Debbie Priestly from Peterborough 11. You and Beyond Stamford - A Thomas Sabo or Pandora Charm - Winner Jo Prentice from Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire 12. Mimosa Bakery of Stamford - Wedding cake voucher for £250 - Winner Rebecca Lewin from London 13. Bride-All Boutique and Rainbow Couture Shoes - Win your wedding shoes - Winner is Laura Easton from Hampton Hargate, Peterborough.

• If you are a winner and have not claimed your prize yet, then call Sonja Allen on 01780 782265. We reserve the right to redraw the prize.

STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012

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T he W illiam C eC il

at Stamford

Valentine’s at The William Cecil only £40.00 Per Person with a glass of bubbly on arrival.

Valentine’s at The Bull & Swan only £35.00 Per Person with a glass of bubbly on arrival.

The Bull & Swan Valentine’s Menu

Cecil The William nu e Valentine’s M with a rson £40.00 per pe ly on arrival glass of bubb

at Burghley

£35.00 per person with a glass of bubbly on arrival

Antipasto slate to share (Cured meats, sun drie d tomatoes, olives, Godminster chedda r and warm homem ade bread) Roasted swe 10th - Sunday 12th for et potFeb ato sou p, pistachio cream Salm on vadlax, beetroot sor on Tues 14th Feb forGra dinner. bet, pickled cucumber

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The William Cecil at Stamford St Martins, Stamford. PE9 2LJ T: 01780 750070 E: enquiries@thewilliamcecil.co.uk

Image of Local installation by QKS

Showroom Cherryholt Road, Stamford, PE9 2EQ

Wild duck breast, fon dant potato, season al green vegetables with a ora nge and red wine sau ce Pan fried fillet of sea bass, sauté potatoes, char grilled asparagus Crotin goat’s cheese and red onion tart , wild rocket The Bull & Swan at Burghley St Martins, Stamford. PE9 2LJ Melting dar k cho colate fondant, bra ndy snap tuille, T: 01780 766412 espresso ice cream E: enquiries@thebullandswan.co.uk Vanilla and bay leaf burnt cream, blac kberry sorbet Selection of cheese s, beetroot and app le chutney, oat cakes and grapes (Lincolnshire poache r, Cote hill blue, org anic Godminster, Lincoln shire soft cheese)

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WEDDINGS

TIFFINKITCHEN with VINTAGE TEAS & RSVPS Event Caterers Tiffin Kitchen and vintage event stylist Vintage Teas & RSVPs offer a complete vintage wedding package that is playful, elegant and bespoke. Expect delicious, locally sourced, seasonal fare, beautiful presentation, stunning vintage crockery and gorgeous styling to make your day unique and memorable. Pick and mix the following services to create your perfect event.

E

vent Caterers Tiffin Kitchen and vintage event stylist Vintage Teas & RSVPs offer a complete vintage wedding package that is playful, elegant and bespoke. Expect delicious, locally sourced, seasonal fare, beautiful presentation, stunning vintage crockery and gorgeous styling to make your day unique and memorable. Pick and mix the following services to create your perfect event.

THE BUILD UP – VINTAGE PICNIC HAMPERS The ideal hen party, pre-wedding lunch, rehearsal day refreshments or informal wedding breakfast Hampers contain anything from light and elegant finger sandwiches served on artisan breads to savoury tarts, pies and salads, English cheeses and charcuterie, luscious cakes and dreamy desserts.

THE BIG DAY Welcome drinks and arrival canapés Buck’s Fizz, pink champagne and non-alcoholic elderflower champagne served in vintage champagne saucers with an extensive choice of beautifully crafted hot and cold canapés Bespoke to you Afternoon Tea Packages Elegant savouries, divine sweet bites and loose leaf tea all served on glass cake stands, vintage bone china table ware and accessories

Wedding breakfasts and evening meals Gourmet BBQ with our gourmet burgers, hand stretched pizza platters, delicious locally-sourced hot or cold buffet, right through to a full three to seven course sit down meal with vintage crockery and tableware THE MORNING AFTER – BREAKFASTS Perfect if you’re having a marquee or tepee in the garden or guests sleeping in the house Full English with local meats, free range eggs and artisan breads, local pastries, muffins and breads, pancakes with seasonal fruit compotes and artisan granolas with Lubcloud Dairy yoghurts, Seasonal smoothies, juices and fair-trade tea and coffee EVENT STYLING In addition Tiffin Kitchen and Vintage Teas & RSVPs are able to offer complete event styling from wedding favours to table and chair covers, vintage floral bunting, country vintage floral posies, traditional pick’ n’ mix table and even a working horn gramophone Catering: Call Tasha on 07795 007792, email: tasha@tiffinkitchen.com, www.tiffinkitchen.com Event styling: Call Rebecca on 07999 351514, email: Rebecca@vintageteasandrsvps.co.uk, www.vintageteasandrsvps.co.uk

STAMFORD LIVING FEBRUARY 2012

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Design Interiors

The latest Home Furnishing Trends Harjit Gammon lounges amidst the fine cabinetry and sofas at Mark Elliot Furniture

M

ark Elliot, Stamford is well established in its deceptively spacious premises next to the river at the east end of Bath Row and the Town Bridge.

Arranged over two floors, with a warren of nooks, crannies and snugs in addition to a large ground floor showroom, the building is perfect for displaying the wide variety of furniture (dining, coffee and side tables,

dressers and beds) and of course the sofas for which they are well known. Looking around the showroom it is evident that this small, personal company is well attuned to trends in the way which we live now and people’s values.

• Mark Elliot Furniture, Bath Row, Stamford, PE9 2HG Tel: 01780 764370 www.markelliot.co.uk

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LASTING HANDMADE QUALITY In tune with a desire for things which last and are environmentally friendly, all of the sofas and much of the furniture are handmade, to order, in the company’s own workshops in England, at Long Eaton in Nottingham and Beccles, Suffolk. The structure of the sofas consist of beech or birch (not MDF) frames, complemented by quality foams and fibres. The company offer good, solid furnishings, which are sustainable, to meet most budgets. These are items of good furniture worth saving for, that will last, and that can be individually tailored.

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KNOWLEDGABLE STAFF Stamford store manager, Kathleen Wilkinson is on hand to offer seasoned advice and guidance, gained from a long career in the furnishings business, with well known names such as Laura Ashley and Fired Earth. She is keen to emphasise that it is important to assess customers’ individual needs in arriving at “practical solutions for practical people”.

To this end she is able to offer a variety of products, after assessing client’s preferences for, for example, textures, colours, style (modern or traditional), budget and the requirements from the space and lifestyle of the individual concerned.

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CHANGING ROOM LAYOUTS AND LIFESTYLES Open, informal layouts are as we all know a key change in the way we now use our living space. Kathleen confirms that increasingly what she sees in the shop is the replacement of a matching three piece suite with one, and often two sofas together with a different style armchair. The new look is all about using a variety of styles and pieces, and mixing the old with the new to make a room look more interesting and eclectic than about co-ordination.

In addition to the trend for multiple sofas in a room, is the growing desirability of corner sofa units.

The use of cabinet furniture in new, unexpected settings is also a factor in these new, looser, multi-functional layouts.

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TEXTURE, TEXTURE, TEXTURE No review of trends in the furnishings market would of course be complete without mentioning the massive impact of texture on choice. As vital a consideration these days as colour or pattern, velvets continue to be a big story alongside linens and, leathers and hides.

Mark Elliot has an array of different colours of leathers and hides; rich colours, natural authentic hides with animal markings and crackled leather, in a thick, robust quality finish, and of velvets and linens.

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EMBRACING COLOUR AND PATTERN Alongside the traditional and enduring popularity of classic designs by the likes of William Morris and heritage prints, there is a move to tribal/ Aztec inspired prints, and bold geometrics.

Experience in the shop also suggests that where once neutrals and beiges reigned supreme, customers are now being more adventurous in embracing colour. Kathleen reports a move on from deep, shocking pinks to a softer palette of blues and greys.

“People are happier to use colour. They don’t want a boring, neutral sofa. They are more willing to experiment,” she tells me.

Naturally the many fabric ranges the shop carries, including Sanderson, Warwick, Anthology and Designers Guild, amongst others, cover the spectrum of colours and patterns. Indeed there is a wonderfully vibrant, bang up-to-date purple sofa in the showroom.

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SCATTER THE CUSHIONS Little known perhaps, but the shop also carries a good range of scatter cushions for adorning the furniture. Sold in pairs, the cushions can be made up in any of the fabrics sold by the metre at the showroom, in a variety of sizes ranging from 16” to 24”. Fabric is also available by the metre for your own projects.

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DESIGN INTERIORS

Bring the Outside In The last few years has seen a transformation in people’s thinking about their houses, with an increasing preference for staying put and improving rather than moving home. And one of the key areas of home improvement has been about ‘bringing the outside in’. Nicholas Rudd-Jones looks at key trends in conservatories and extensions

5 key trends

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Folding Doors With rapid improvements in folding door technology, you can now really have confidence in the workability and insulation properties of folding doors. They can transform a space, linking it directly to the outside thereby doubling the size of the usable area in good weather and letting in loads more light throughout the year.

W

e are lucky in this region to have a range of specialists who can help you realise your vision.

CONSERVATORY COMPANIES Orchard Conservatories Mark Atkinson at Orchard sees a continuing trend towards conservatories as a natural extension of the home - double glazed, heated and used all year round.

The experienced team at Orchard guarantees a first-rate and personal service. They are expert at coming up with solutions that work within your budget, be that a top of the range orangery or a cost-effective extension that can quickly make a difference to your living space. The Orchard team links seamlessly with architects or chartered surveyors to ensure that your project runs as smoothly as possible from start to finish; and their three experienced fitting teams and a building team make sure that the job is done right first time.

Orchard Conservatories celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and as part of their continuing expansion they are opening a Kitchen, Bathroom & Bedroom Showroom at 22-23 Scotgate in the early spring.

Best for: full service, including associated building projects Orchard Conservatories, 1 Meadow View Business Units, Uffington Road, Stamford Tel: 01780 753343 www.orchardwindows.co.uk

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Glass Roofs Most people are opting for glass over plastic solutions nowadays as it gives better insulation and better visibility. Glass can be tinted, self-cleaning and offer solar control.

3

Underfloor heating Underfloor heating is a key ingredient to being able to use your outdoor living space all year round and it also means you don’t need large areas of wall for radiators.

With the latest techniques in underfloor heating, you can now lay it under any floor, including wood. And the heat produced is more all-embracing than a radiator, giving a more luxurious feel.

4

Making it part of the house In the past, people went for exposed bricks/stone and outdoor-style furniture.

Now people are going for plastered walls in the same shade as the rest of the house, and leather and contemporary sofas rather than bamboo settees.

5

Orangeries Big, impressive outdoor spaces with more brickwork and a lantern roof. This is really a statement room in your house and for many becomes the main house in the home.

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QKS Home Ashley Woodman, Sales Director at QKS Hone, has noticed a couple of powerful trends that he believes will continue to play out in the market in the coming year.

“More and more people want a large wall of uninterrupted glass between them and the garden.

Whilst bi-folding doors are one solution, increasingly we are supplying sliding glass doors that can give you an uninterrupted view and no area taken up by folding doors when fully open. This offers the best of all worlds.

“The second thing that we continue to notice is the trend for Orangeries – a space that can give you all the advantages of a conventional room – fixtures and fitting, down lighting etc. – with the benefits of a conservatory i.e. glass sides and a lantern in the roof that lets the light flood in. It gets round the problem of otherwise having a room leading to a conservatory which tends to be that bit darker and passage-like.”

The showroom has some new conservatories being installed, notably an aluminium one, and is well worth taking a look at.

Best for: full turnkey projects, orangeries QKS Home, The Conservatory Showroom, Cherryholt Lane, Stamford, PE9 2EQ Tel: 01780 756666 www.qks-ltd.co.uk

STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012

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TGUK Simon Twiddy started this very successful business more than a decade ago. He told us: “The big trends that I have noticed this last year have been threefold. First, people’s wish to link the conservatory to the garden directly with bi-folding doors.

These can make a great feature for entertaining, but of course they have to be very carefully designed and installed. Secondly, glass roofs, now that costs have come down slightly, offer superior properties in terms of cleaning and climate control. Thirdly, a shift towards aluminium from PVC, enabling larger spans and thinner frames in pretty much any colour you want.”

“A conservatory is more than just an extra space, it opens your home up to a whole new way of living, it’s the place where your house meets the garden and you can bring the outdoors in, whatever the season. From relaxing afternoons to stylish parties, romantic dining to entertaining, a conservatory really is the most versatile room in your home.”

Best for: dedicated design team, value TGUK, 62-63 Scotgate, Stamford, PE9 2YB Tel: 01780 765151 www.tgukwindows.com

Vale Garden Houses I had the pleasure of looking round the Vale conservatory workshop recently and observed the meticulousness with which they created conservatories, using a dedicated and highly experienced team. They truly operate at the top end of the market and this is reflected in their working practices.

Vale Garden Houses is a well established family run business based in Grantham. They have been producing beautiful bespoke conservatories and orangeries for over 29 years. Their solid engineering and design background, coupled with the use of the finest materials and modern technology, allow them to make unique rooms unrivalled in attention to detail with outstanding performance.

Vale specialises in designing traditional conservatories and their wealth of knowledge of all periods of architecture ensures their designs compliment the houses they are added to and will have a timeless appeal.

The National Trust recognised Vale’s qualities and selected them to design and build The National Trust Conservatory Collection which is a partnership that is now into its seventh year.

Best for: top end of the market, listed/complex building spec.

Vale Garden Houses, Belton Park, Londonthorpe Road, Grantham, NG31 9SJ Tel: 01476 564433 www.valegardenhouses.com

Breckenridge Breckenridge, a Peterborough-based company, is an architecturally led design and build company. Through considered and continued research, they select and source leading construction materials and systems, providing you with one of the most comprehensive range of products available from conservatories, to verandas, to orangeries and for something more modern, they also have a range of contemporary buildings.

Their MD commented about their style as a business: “We prefer to consult rather than dictate; we listen, observe and reflect on the content of our meetings when working with you to develop all thoughts and ideas into a unique building that meets your every requirement.

Best for: value, range of choices, national coverage Breckenridge, Tel: 0845 070 1973, www.breckenridgeconservatories.co.uk

BLIND AND SOFT FURNISHING COMPANIES

J&L Ball Interiors Lorraine and Jeremy at J&L Ball in North St have built up a strong reputation for value and style. They have an impressive range of blinds for conservatories.

They supply lightweight vinyl shutters from Hunter Douglas, with a 25-year guarantee, which are very stylish.

They also offer pleated shutters for conservatory roofs that can be shaped perfectly to the angles; and woven wood blinds that add authenticity to a period style conservatory.

A range that is proving very popular is the Architella range of ‘pleated’ blinds that offer excellent insulation properties and a more contemporary feel.

They are also experts in awnings, which can give shade and character in the summer without the expense of a conservatory. Until the end of March they are offering a free electic remote-controlled motorised opener.

J&L Ball, 16 North Street, Stamford, PE9 1EH Tel: 01780 481416 www. jandlball.co.uk

(Llo furn broc

Finishing Touch Finishing Touch has been in the blinds business for many years and are experts at helping you choose the right blind and making sure that it is installed to the highest standards.

They have some beautiful Venetian shades in elegantly small 15ml or 25 ml sizes.

They also offer an incredible service in conjunction with Blind Fashion, whereby you can specify any fabric that you want and they will make it up to the exact blind sizes required and bonded. This gives much greater choice of patterns as you are no longer linked to one blind manufacturer’s catalogue. It also means you can harmonise the design with the internal living area if you wish.

Finally, Finishing Touch are stockists of the ever timeless Lloyd Loom of Spalding furniture, offering both indoor and outdoor ranges.

Finishing Touch, 8 All Saints’ Street, Stamford, PE9 2PA Tel: 01780 763005 www.blindsbyfinishingtouch.com STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012

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“ simply stunning ”

Orangeries | Conservatories | Contemporary Extensions | Verandas

0845 070 1967 | www.breckenridgeconservatories.co.uk 26

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C ye ele ar b tra s su rati di cc ng ng e ss fu l

Specialising in: • Conservatories • Windows • Kitchens • Bi Folding Doors • Orangeries • Lantern Roofs Opening times: Monday to Friday: 8am – 5pm Saturday: 10am – 2pm

T: 01780 753343 - F: 01780 482926 E: orchardwindows@live.co.uk www.orchardwindows.co.uk

Showroom: 1 Meadow View, Uffington Road, Stamford, PE9 2EX

Fabrics by

Drapery Design Specialists

for beautifully crafted Curtains & Pelmets • Soft Furnishings Bespoke Headboards • Loose Covers & Upholstery • Alterations Made to measure Blinds plus a huge range of designer fabrics, wallpapers & paints 8 All Saints St, Stamford PE9 2PA Tel: 01780 763005 enquiries @blindsbyfinishingtouch.com - www.blindsbyfinishingtouch.com

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News from Oundle Mill

Valentine’s celebrations at Oundle Mill

VALENTINE’S MENU 2012 AVAILABLE SAT 11TH, SUN 12TH AND TUES 14TH OF FEBRUARY - £95 PER COUPLE Sweet corn and basil velouté Terrine of Aylesbury duck, fig jam Slow-cooked cod, chorizo, roasted peppers, crispy hen’s egg Aged rib eye of English beef, young garden carrots, potato gratin, red wine sauce (for two) Pink grapefruit and champagne granita White chocolate cheesecake, raspberry sorbet Or Selection of British cheeses, celery, grape chutney, oatcakes Coffee and handmade sweets

A Vegetarian Valentine’s Menu is also available

Make Wednesdays ‘Pie Days’ at Oundle Mill For lunch or supper, during February, we are offering our fabulous homemade pies with a complimentary drink for a special price of £14.00.

Call 01832 272621 to book a table

OUNDLE MILL. A PERFECT PLACE TO EAT, MEET OR SIMPLY RETREAT

Oundle Mill, Barnwell Road, Oundle, Northamptonshire, PE8 5PB Tel: (01832) 272621 www.oundlemill.co.uk 28

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FOOD & DRINK

TURNING A FOOD PASSION INTO A BUSINESS

Consider turning your homespun talents into a kitchen table top business. As Sarah Lyon finds out, you just never know where it can take you FROM THE COUNTRY LARDER, A SUCCESSFUL, DELICIOUS JAMMY BUSINESS Rosemary’s love of jam-making had its humble beginnings in childhood when she would help her mum. I met Rosemary in the spring of 2009 when she was producing jam from her kitchen counter top to sell at the Country Market. Seville Orange Marmalade is made in the colder months of Jan/ February; with spring comes Gooseberry and Elderflower jam before it is time to harvest the soft berries for summer berry jams. Come the autumn there is a wealth of hedgerow harvest and plums for conserves and autumn fruit chutneys before moving on to the mincemeat and more for December and the winter months ahead. Rosemary now teaches others to make all these wonderful jams and preserves at Jam on The Hill, The Smithy, Burghley on the Hill, Rutland. “I love that I can help others to start up their own artisan jam making businesses,” says Rosemary.

Rosemary and husband Trevor have developed the business further, taking it from the kitchen table to larger premises at 25 Pillings Road, Oakham. The Jam Jar Shop brings all the choice of glass jam jars and jam-making equipment at affordable prices and in manageable quantities that one would otherwise have to source from larger commercial stockists. Even better, the range of equipment comes from Rosemary’s practical experience, products that she has found useful, economic and easy to clean from her own jam making. Go to www.jamjarshop.com for all the inspiration. Great for beginners as the website offers a ‘one stop shop’ for first timers. In fact the couple have just shipped their first container of goods out to Australia where they have started a similar business there.

Find Rosemary’s jams and cordials at the Cheese Cellar, Stamford.

THE ROYAL WEDDING CAKE BAKER, IS THE ICING ON THE CAKE Fiona Cairns, “As I recall, age 11/12, I baked/ cooked from a Hamlyn book, which I won in a school competition. I found a hard copy of that same book recently – it looked so dated, although now many of those ideas have come back as “retro”!” Fiona adds, “My mother used to bake a lot – although I remember the delight of going to friends’ houses for tea and having ‘bought’ eclairs or Mr Kipling fondant fancies. I thought these much more exotic!”

Following a cookery course in 1982 Fiona went to work as a pastry chef in the kitchens of Hambleton Hall in Rutland for three years. It was during this time she began baking and decorating miniature cakes for friends from the kitchen table at home. They were so popular with her friends that she started her own business selling her cakes to the Conran Shop; and within a short space of time, Harrods and Selfridges were also stocking her cakes.

Fiona would say that she is the creative force behind the business but this is now a shared role – she admits that it is her husband and business partner Kishore who move the cake business away from the kitchen table and into a position to be considered as bakers for the royal wedding cake.

Fiona says, “Have a good idea, get the

costing right and be prepared for extremely hard work and long hours. If it works out it will be incredibly rewarding.”

The bakery continues to grow, now employing over 80 skilled staff. Most of the handmade decorations are made using natural colours and flavourings, and attention to detail is still very much at the heart of the company’s ethos. Fiona’s three tier traditional iced fruit cake is a favourite choice; a blank canvas for people to decorate how they like. Fiona Cairns Wedding Cakes and Cupcakes are available from Waitrose, www.waitrose.com/ entertaining.

SERVICE WITH A SMILE Adelaide of Tiffins Vintage, “As a child, I would collect old bits of china treasure and place them in an old box for safe keeping. I was fascinated by the patterns and designs.” A love for things beautiful and delicate has become the inspiration in the start-up of her vintage crockery hire business. Adelaide was born in Brazil and says, “I come from a culture where we enjoy serving people.” As a professional waitress Adelaide has had many years of serving others in establishments like The George Hotel in Stamford. She can provide crockery hire only or with service.

Adelaide Bradbury, tiffins.vintage@gmail. com, Tel: 07767 888341 STAMFORD LIVING FEBRUARY 2012

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NEWS

EATING OUT L’OLIVETO TRÉ, STAMFORD

Amanda Wheeler is delighted to discover Classic Italian cooking

I

’ve been to L’Oliveto in Oakham once. My friend’s 50th and there was quite a crowd of us and to be honest, I can’t really remember the food. But I do remember having a merry old time. So when L’Oliveto Stamford opened its doors the day my sister turned 40, we were up for more merriness and so gave it a go.

There were five of us: the birthday girl, our sister-in-law, mother, step-mother and I – enough to create a party. The manager gave us a very warm welcome and when he discovered the special occasion went all-out to impress, even joining in with the singing (but Roberto, please don’t give up the day job).

We started with a bottle of prosecco and some olives. Jo ordered the chicken with white wine & mushrooms, while the rest of us opted for their trio di pasta: “the chef will surprise you with a choice of three different pasta dishes”. What we ended up with was an excellent rigatoni alla norma (aubergine and tomatoes), a delicious linguine con vongole e gamberoni (clams and tiger prawns) and a classic carbonara. While we were waiting (and you do wait, because the food is freshly cooked to order), Roberto brought us some very tasty garlic pizza bread to share.

A generous slice of cherry cheesecake was presented to the birthday girl and to keep her company I ordered a crème brulée, which I thought I couldn’t possibly find room for but I licked the bowl clean. A round of coffees to finish and then, maybe because he liked us, or maybe because he just couldn’t get rid of us, Roberto brought out the Limoncello to send us merrily on our way.

PS: My husband took our eldest there for a last-day-of-the-holidays-father-and-son lunch and both declared the spaghetti bolognese the finest they had ever tasted. And the waiter chased them down the street afterwards – not because of the lousy tip, they’d just forgotten their shopping. That’s service for you.

L’Oliveto Tré, Old Barn Passage, St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2HG Tel: 01780 489169 www.l-oliveto.co.uk (L’Oliveto Tré is following in the footsteps of L’Oliveto Uno in Oakham and L’Oliveto Duo, Edith Weston) House wine £15.95, Prosecco £26.50, Pasta from £7.95, Pizza from £7.30, Trio Di Pasta £9.95 per perso

LOCAL BUSINESS HERITAGE WINDOWS OPENING IN STAMFORD

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re your old steel windows draughty, corroded and in need of some serious attention? Maybe you’ve considered doing something about them in the past but been put off by the high cost of replacement steel windows? Well help is at hand from The Heritage Window Company which has recently opened for business in Stamford.

For 17 years the company has installed its own Benenden™ brand of slimline aluminium windows all over the South of England. Character home owners the Heritage Windowtheir Company wanting to maintain property’s original appearance find the Benenden’s unique low-profile frames make ideal replacements for traditional steel or Crittall™ windows. They are designed to fit into existing timber sub-frames or tHe benenDen range direct to brick or stone mullions, and available in a range of colours and styles

THE BENENDEN WINDOW

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Feature moulding

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Tough aluminium frame with a choice of powdercoated finishes

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Thermal break barrier

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Secure locking bead

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Optional hardwood perimeter with microporous protective finish

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Sealed unit with inner pane of low-e glass and argon gas filling

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STAMFORD LIVING FEBRUARY 2012

The slim lines of the Benenden 30 EAT LOCAL BUSINESS.indd range and the

Benenden SeRieS 1

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Originally designed to replace ageing steel windows, the Benenden Series 1 has a similar outer leg, enabling it to be inserted into the original timber frames and obviating the need for redecoration.

so they can be customised to almost any requirement. Moreover, aluminium has several practical benefits over steel – not least the significant cost savings.

As newly appointed Area Sales Manager for Stamford, Mark Martin says “I’m really excited about this opportunity.

Heritage’s success has been built on great quality products and a personal service which is second to none. We have an excellent reputation and the fact that 60% of our business comes from repeat customers or recommendations speaks for itself.”

For more information call 0800 732 4294 of visit the website at www.thwc.co.uk

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Oakham’s Newest Pub The Lord Nelson offers a casual pub dining experience for all occasions

Our Offers

1 Not So L arge pizza with 2 toppings and a pint of selected be er for just £9.95 2 Not So L arge pizzas, 2 toppings and a bottle of white, re d or rosé house wine just £19.95 Mon-Sat 6p m-7pm Jug Night every Wedn esday from 5pm 4 pint jug of real ale for only £10

Our food menu has a choice of antipasto and mains.

Not forgetting our speciality stone baked pizzas which come with a wide range of toppings, anything from the traditional to the slightly quirky!

If that’s not enough we have 5 real ales (including White Hart and Rupert’s Wardog), a selection of continental lagers and an expansive wine list that we import ourselves from around the world.

Come and see the place everyone is talking about!

11 Market Place, Oakham Rutland, LE15 6DT t. 01572 868340 info@thelordnelsonoakham.com www.thelordnelsonoakham.com

L’Oliveto Restaurante Italiano

Authentic Italian & Mediterranean Cuisine Visit us for: Morning Coffee, Lunch & Dinner All Restaurants Available for Weddings, Christenings & Parties

VALENTINES MENU FUNGHI PORTOBELLO - V. Baked Portobello mushrooms with goat’s cheese

CARRE DI AGNELLO Rack of lamb in breadcrumbs with fresh parsley and mixed herbs

GRAVALAX Finest marinated salmon served with dill sauce and caviar

MELANZANE ALLA PARMIGIANA - V Layers of finely sliced aubergines with fresh tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella cheese with fresh basil served on a bed of rocket salad topped with parmesan cheese

MARINTS DI LEGUMI ALLA GRIGLIA - V Chargrilled aubergines with buffalo mozzarella, courgettes and peppers with rocket salad marinated in olive oil, fresh mint, chilli and garlic TAGLIOLINI CON ARAGOSTA Special egg pasta from Venice cooked with half lobster, brandy, cream and with a hint of tomato GAMBERONI L’OLIVETO Large king prawns sauté in lemon juice, paprika, garlic and fresh parsley

SCALOPPINE DI VITELLO AL FUNGHI PORCINI Escalope of veal served with white wine, mushrooms and cream sauce PESE SPADA Sword fish lightly grilled with pesto sauce and served with Italian pickled fruit Chef’s selection of fresh vegetables or salad CHOICE OF ITALIAN DESSERTS

CHAMPAGNE SORBET FILLETTO AL PEPE Fillet of steak with creamy green peppercorn sauce

COFFEE & PETIT FOURS -

£39

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L’Oliveto Uno 14 Church Street Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6AA Tel: 01572 759656

L’Oliveto Due Fisher Lodge, Normanton Road, South Shore, Rutland Water, LE15 8HD Tel: 01780 721599

L’Oliveto Tré

Old Barn Passage, St Mary’s Street Stamford, PE9 2HG Tel: 01780 489169 Mob: 07818 417610 31

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S

ituated in the picturesque village of Bulwick, a short distance from Oundle and Stamford, the Queens Head is a traditional village pub offering a warm welcome to everyone

W

hether you’re looking for a quick pint or a tasty bite to sustain you on your way, The Queens Head is immediately welcoming and is rooted firmly in the country pub tradition. A happy mix of locals and visitors can relax by a roaring open fire whilst enjoying real ales from a well-chosen and ever-changing CAMRA Award-winning selection of brews, while the bar meal menu features classic pub fayre with a personal touch. A fine selection of wines is also available.

For a slightly more formal lunch or dinner, the A la Carte menu offers a selection of thoughtfully planned dishes, using the finest seasonal and local produce, all designed to make your meal just that bit special. The intimate restaurant spreads across three very different rooms: the Shaker style main area at the front adjoins a secluded dining room for large parties or special occasions, which in turn leads on to a cosy, traditionally styled area.

Early Doors Jan & fEb offEr TuEs - Thurs 6pm – 7.30pm spEcially sElEcTED mEnu

2 courses £12, 3 courses Visit our website

Treat the special one in your life to a 5 course Valentines Dinn er at the Queens He ad, champagne on ar rival. see website for £15 details of menu

www.thequeensheadbulwick.co.uk for details of our special offers, menus and opening times.

The Queens Head Main Street Bulwick Northamptonshire NN17 3DY Tel: 01780 450272

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NEWS

LOCAL BUSINESS

Spotlight on Australia Five top tips With the size and diversity of this wonderful country, planning your perfect holiday to Australia may seem daunting. Oundle Travel is a designated Aussie Specialist for 2012 as recommended by the Australian Tourist Board and has extensive personal knowledge of tailor made itineraries to both Australia & New Zealand.

Australia is vast, stretching nearly 2,000 miles from north to south; this stunning country features three climates, the Tropic of Capricorn at its centre, three time zones, and many native plants and wildlife found nowhere else in the world.

For indulgence and luxury, try the coastal resorts on the eastern seaboard. Both Sydney and Melbourne are two vibrant state capitals and both make perfect bases for exploration: from Sydney you can explore the historic rocks and Circular Harbour, join concert-goers in the iconic Opera House, explore the Blue Mountains and taste wine in the stunning Hunter Valley; from Melbourne you could start your day floating gently

over the Yarra Valley in a hot air balloon with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, and end your day by choosing to eat in one of Melbourne’s many restaurants.

Queensland stretches up to the tropics, where hydrofoils from Cairns and Port Douglas take you to snorkel or dive amongst the marine life on the Great Barrier Reef, The must see northern rainforests – Mossman Gorge in the World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park and the area around Kuranda are easily reached from Cairns and Port Douglas.

Itineraries can include smaller hotels if preferred, rail journeys, car hire and prebookable excursions, from a Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, to a Frazer Island Whale watching - anything can be arranged. Oundle Travel is also able to arrange flight only, if you wish to visit friends and family.

• For more information and advice please contact Oundle Travel on 01832 273600. www.oundletravel.co.uk

Post Christmas Spring Cleanse

for starting in business

By Kerry Hilliard, partner at

Peterborough accountancy firm Stephenson Smart & Co 1. Write a business plan. It’s the key to success and can be invaluable for setting long term objectives and financial goals.

2. Understand your chosen business sector.

A successful business will understand its market. If your product or service is not unique then you will need to identify what will make it stand out from your competitors. There may also be sector specific regulations that you will need to comply with.

3. Seek advice. There might be tax and legal issues that require consideration before you start. You’ll need to decide what sort of business structure to use, where you will work from and whether you’ll need to employ staff.

Seek professional advice to assist you with making the right choices for you and your business 4. Set up your accounting books and records.

You have three months to notify HMRC that you have started in business and you must ensure that accounting records are kept. If you have good records in place from day one, then you will readily be able to monitor the performance of your business.

5. Be realistic. Expanding or diversifying too quickly can increase your risk of business failure. Ensure that any forecasts that you prepare are realistic and be prepared to change and adapt.

For start up accountancy advice, contact Stephenson Smart on 01733 343275 • The Government’s Business Link is a helpful online advice resource, with support for would- be entrepreneurs and business start ups. Visit www.businesslink.gov.uk

Sally Stillingfleet tries out a new aid to dieting called 30 Days

Before Christmas I commented to a friend I felt fat and that increasingly I seem to have lost the ability to shift excess weight around the middle (where had that 18 inch waist I used to have gone?) leaving me feeling sluggish and podgy. She recommended a new natural non-scary diet pill called 30 Days, combined with Colon Cleanser - it sounded scary but what had I to lose?

Colon Cleansers can be aggressive but this was not. Containing natural purifiers designed to flush, cleanse and detoxify not only the colon but the liver and kidneys as well. This gentle yet highly effective colon cleanser contains a unique combination of magnesium hydroxide, vitamin C, Korean mint and bioflavonoids, developed in Norway. A magnesium colon detox has been resurrected in the natural health community as a safe yet very effective means to rid the body of toxins. I also noted that my energy levels increased and after a few weeks I noticed that my skin improved and that my hair looked shinier. 30 Days and Colon Cleanser can jump start your weight loss programme when used with 30 Days Waistline can help achieve a significant reduction of the dangerous fat around the waist, leading to a new, slimmer, you!

I lost 5 lbs easily with the only concession to a ‘diet’ being that I cut out bread. Regular use has helped dieters to lose as much as 5lbs to 10lbs over a month. Directions for use: 30 Days and Colon Cleanser - 2-4 tablets daily depending on need.

• From Silver Lane Foods, Silver Lane, Stamford Tel: 01780 755710 STAMFORD LIVING february 2012

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THIS IS MARSHALL JAGUAR

Situated in Peterborough, our dealership is equipped to deal with all your Jaguar needs.

From the exciting new Jaguar range featuring groundbreaking technology and industry firsts, to Approved used vehicles maintained to the standards set by the engineers who built them.

Enjoy all the expertise and knowledge of our Jaguar Academy trained technicians and with a range of exhilarating accessories to enhance the feeling of owning a Jaguar, make sure that you visit Marshall Jaguar Peterborough.

MARSHALL JAGUAR PETERBOROUGH 7 Mallory Road, Boongate, Peterborough PE1 5AU 0844 334 0635 www.marshall.peterborough.jaguar.co.uk

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WHY TRUST YOUR VOLVO TO ANYBODY ELSE? From the new Volvo range, to Approved used vehicles right through to service and repairs, visit Marshall Volvo and expect nothing less than a first class service as standard.

Marshall Volvo Of Peterborough 7 Mallory Road, Boongate, Peterborough PE1 5AU 0844 411 9751 34

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18/1/12 15:56:23

MOTORING

2012 New Models

More than 100 new cars will enter UK showrooms during 2012 which, according to Ashley Martin, promises to be the year for breakthrough technology to become available to the motoring masses

D

emand for electric cars - even with the help of a £5,000 Government Plug-In-Car Grant - got off to a slow start as they arrived from a number of manufacturers last year.

Cost and range anxiety among drivers were among issues which failed to charge up the electric car revolution, but the 2012 arrival of plug-in hybrid and extended range cars are likely to prove more attractive to the ‘average motorist’.

Meanwhile, more pure electric cars will arrive in showrooms and there will be the traditional avalanche of new internal combustion engine models petrol and diesel vehicles to you and me.

But, it is the vehicles powered by new technology that are the most eagerly awaited and those models include: • The extended range Vauxhall Ampera and Chevrolet Volt. The sister models are due for spring launch with the Ampera costing £28,995 (including Plug-In Grant) - the price of the Volt is £450 less. Both are powered by a battery with an internal combustion engine generator on board. Cars have a battery range of about 50 miles. Range is extended by the generator powering a 1.4-litre petrol engine, for up to 310 miles of motoring.

• The first of the plug-in hybrid models to arrive will be the sub-£31,000 (excluding PlugIn Grant) Toyota Prius in the summer. It will have a pure electric range of about 14 miles.

After that is utilised, the vehicle reverts to full hybrid capability using both battery power and 1.8-litre petrol engine. Due to its electric vehicle technology, the Prius Plug-in is expected to achieve fuel efficiency of 134.5 mpg and a CO2 figure of 49 g/km. It will be followed in late 2012 by the Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid - the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid - expected to cost £45,000-£50,000. The front wheels of

the cars are powered by a 2.4-litre turbo diesel producing 215 bhp with the rear axle powered by a 70 bhp electric motor. Pure electric range is 32 miles with hybrid mode delivering a range of more than 600 miles and an emissions figure of 49 g/km.

• The tranche of electric vehicles due for arrival in 2012 include three cars from electric revolution-leading Renault, and an electric version of Britain’s best-selling car, the Ford Focus. Renault’s Twizy runabout will launch in March costing from £6,690; the four-door, five-seat Fluence will be available mid year priced from £17,850 (including Plug-In Car Grant); and the Zoe hatchback will launch in the autumn. Renault is pioneering battery leasing with its electric vehicles so to the cost of the car must be added the monthly hire of a battery based on a variety of mileage and duration permutations - from £69.60 per month including VAT based on 6,000 miles per year and a three-year agreement in the case of the Fluence. The electric Focus is destined for late year arrival and will have a range of around 100 miles from its 123 bhp electric motor, while an electric version of the two-door Smart will launch in the spring.

Continuing the hybrid theme are sister manufacturers Peugeot and Citroen. Arriving in Peugeot showrooms now is the 3008 Hybrid4, the world’s first diesel electric car, which will be followed in mid-year by the crossover 508 RXH and in the summer by the 508 saloon hybrid4.

All the cars use a 2.0-litre HDi 163 bhp diesel engine to propel the front wheels and a 37 bhp electric motor, the rear wheels delivering the option of zero emission all-electric travel and in hybrid mode the potential for 74 mpg and emissions of 99 g/km.

Citroen offers the similarly powered upper medium sector DS5 Hybrid4, which will be available from March and is the marque’s new flagship model.

Toyota/Lexus have more hybrid cars on sale than any manufacturer and the technology will be extended to the smallest Toyota in the summer with the arrival of the Yaris HSD powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor delivering around 80 mpg and emissions of about 85 g/km.

Finally, BMW gets in on the hybrid act with the March arrival of the 5 Series ActiveHybrid, which combines a 3.0-litre petrol engine with a 53 bhp electric motor and will cost around £47,000. It will be joined in the autumn by a hybrid version of the new 3 Series.

New technology aside, also look out for the imminent arrival of the new 3 Series (petrol and diesel models), which will go head-to-head with a facelifted Audi A4, a roadster version of the Mini in May, the Porsche Cayman-rivalling Alfa Romeo 4C in late 2012 and three cars from Jaguar - the fastest Jaguar Convertible ever, the 5.0 litre XKR-S (£103,000); an estate version of the XF (autumn) and in late year a new two-seater being billed as the new E-Type.

STAMFORD LIVING FEBRUARY 2012

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PERSPECTIVES

Richard Barry visits local icehouses and learns about the ice trade

Ufford Park

Blatherwycke Hall

“A

h, something warm at last” Oscar Wilde famously remarked as he was poured a glass of champagne at a garden party. Easy to smile now, but back in the 1890s it was far from easy to chill food and wine. Domestic fridges and freezers would not become common in Britain for another 60 years, so the host had to rely on ice stored in his icehouse – and if it wasn’t well designed there would not have been much left by the end of a long hot summer.

Most of the large country houses had them. The sketch shows the key features of a typical icehouse design: a large cylindrical underground chamber with a domed roof. At the bottom of the chamber is a drain to take away the melt-water. Access is by a passage dug in from the side of the hill. The passage must have at least two doors – preferably three -- to provide an air-lock so that warm air cannot enter during loading and unloading. The sketch shows three doors, one of them angled to be self-shutting, and it shows bundles of straw for edge and layer insulation.

The two most common reasons for an icehouse to fail were either inadequate doors in the access passage, or inadequate drainage

36

– the ice blocks relied for insulation on the air spaces between them, kept open by straw or sawdust. Good drainage of melt-water was vital to maintain that air insulation.

Sketch by courtesy of Marjorie Quennell and Batsford Today, few if any icehouses are still in use for their original purpose. A disused icehouse provides a tempting place for kids to explore.

Force open the doors, walk down the pitch dark passage and… it might be difficult to get out of an ice chamber if you fell in. As the Age of Public Liability dawned, many owners of icehouses rushed to abandon them. Belton, Grimsthorpe, Boughton, Deene Park, and

Bulwick Laxton are among local icehouses that have been filled in.

SURVIVING ICEHOUSES NEAR STAMFORD Far from filling-in, Burghley has gone to the other extreme, and made its icehouse into a super-safe visitor attraction in the Sculpture Garden. Built in the late 18th century, the photograph shows that the dome, the upper part of the ice chamber and the short access passage are all above ground. By contrast, other local icehouses were either dug out below ground, or were fully earth-covered after completion.

Visits were made to three other icehouses close to Stamford. The Ufford Park icehouse is particularly pleasing. Unlike Burghley, it is wholly underground. Hidden away in the woods, a rather austere entrance (pictured with owner Ken Blacklock) leads via an elegantly curved access passage to a deep brick-lined cylindrical ice chamber. Unlike the short passage at Burghley, the Ufford passage shows evidence of there having been three air-lock doors.

Owner Ken believes that the icehouse dates from the mid 18th century, when the present Ufford House was constructed.

Blatherwycke Hall was demolished after the Second World War, but its icehouse remains in the church grounds. The picture shows its plain

STAMFORD LIVING FEBRUARY 2012

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Burghley Ice House entrance, with custodian Mick Kimber. The church, under repair, is seen in the background.

The icehouse is cruder than the Ufford one, but it too has a deep cylindrical ice chamber.

The wall of the nearby fruit and vegetable garden displays the date 1857 and – judging by the similarity of the brickwork -- this may also be the date of the icehouse. Bulwick icehouse is in the woods behind the Queen’s Head pub.

The icehouse has not been filled-in, although it’s clear from the picture that the entrance has been firmly sealed by breezeblocks. Next summer Rupert Conant, the owner, is planning to open it up and clean it out.

All of these icehouses are privately owned, but the Burghley one is open to the public.

WHAT ABOUT THE ICE? Until the 1840s icehouses relied entirely on ice from local ponds and lakes. Pulling ten or more tons of ice from a pond and then carrying it up to the icehouse was no easy task, and could require a dozen workers. That said, rural labour was plentiful until the First World War. Local pond ice was often contaminated with twigs, leaves and droppings. Inside the icehouse it could become even more contaminated by blood from hung game and other food remains. Ice required up at the house would be pick-axed from the chamber and sent to the kitchen. Even after rinsing, it must have been fairly rank -- not something for the fastidious “upstairs”.

Then came Yankee technology Starting in 1806 Frederick Tudor of Massachusetts began to cut ice from Wenham Lake near Boston (Mass. not Lincs.) and send it by sailing ship to the West Indies. By the 1830s he was sending ice to Calcutta. Properly loaded, with plenty of sawdust between the ice blocks, a 200 ton initial load would yield 100 tons of saleable ice after a 180 day journey through tropical waters. Very profitable.

In 1842 Tudor began to tackle the English market. To persuade the English to pay money for something they could get free from their own ponds was a real test of Yankee salesmanship – but it was achieved brilliantly.

The crystal purity of the ice was its unique selling point – the Wenham Lake ice showroom

in the Strand had a two foot thick block of ice through which the daily newspaper could be read. Wenham ice was so pure that you could even put cubes of it into drinks….the birth of the Dry Martini.

Soon everyone who was anybody would have Wenham ice displays at dinner parties and crystal ice in huge silver coolers like the magnificent one in Burghley House.

Fashionable Britain was hooked on New England ice.

During the 1850s the Norwegians captured the British market. The Americans couldn’t compete against the much shorter sea voyage.

In a marketing move that would raise a few eyebrows today, the Norwegians even renamed a lake near Oslo as ‘Wenham Lake’. From the late 1850s to the start of the First World War, the Norwegians dominated the UK ice market.

In the peak year of 1899 we imported 400,000 tons of Norwegian ice. Most of this was for commercial use (the fisheries, for example) but much was used domestically.

Hull, Grimsby and King’s Lynn were the main importing ports for the Midlands.

The first two towns had more than a dozen ice merchants who distributed it to the retail trade. The Eastern Counties Ice Co. based in King’s Lynn advertised “hundredweight blocks, dispatched in hemp sacking by passenger train all over the eastern counties”, listing fishmongers, hotels and country houses as customers.

SO WHERE DID NORWEGIAN ICE END UP IN STAMFORD? We just don’t know. The archivists working on the records of Exton, Boughton, Burghley and Grimsthorpe have been unable to find any papers relating to ice business. Did these four great families scorn fashion and stick exclusively with local pond ice? And what about the retail trade in Stamford? There doesn’t seem to have been a municipal icehouse in Stamford, and there doesn’t appear to have been an ice merchant in town.

• If any reader has family records of the ice trade or icehouse operations in Stamford do please get in touch with the editor at Nicholas@bestlocalliving.co.uk STAMFORD LIVING FEBRUARY 2012

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19/1/12 16:28:51

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DIARY DATES

What’s On Amander Meade selects the best entertainment in the region this month

Sunday 5 February, 3pm EVENT: Celebration of Accession and 1950s Tea Celebrate the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne with the Peterborough Diocese Branch of The Prayer Book Society. The service will include the reading of the 1952 Accession Proclamation by the High Sheriff of Rutland with the Bishop of Peterborough also in attendance. This celebratory service will be followed by a 1950s style tea in tribute to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Everyone is welcome to this unique event.

• Ketton Church. Further details from Mary Stewart Tel: 01664 474353

Sunday 5 February, 7.30pm MUSIC: A Feast of Gilbert & Sullivan Former stars of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company present a fun evening featuring the best music of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with funny short scenes of dialogue and witty anecdotes of times spent in the D’Oyly Carte.

• Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre Tickets £17/£15 Tel: 01780 766455 www.stamfordcornexchangetheatre.co.uk

Saturday 11 February, 8pm CLASSICAL MUSIC: The Wihan Quartet Formed in 1985, the quartet is heir to the great Czech musical tradition. Their outstanding reputation is for the interpretation of that native tradition and they have an impressive international career. Having won many international competitions and awards, they are now Quartet in Residence at Trinity College of Music in London.

• Stamford Arts Centre Tickets £16 Tel: 01780 763203 www.stamfordartscentre.co.uk

Tuesday 14 February WORKSHOPS: Music and Craft at Clare Cottage VALENTINE BISCUIT BONANZA The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts… but they weren’t as good as the ones that Janet will help you make in a jamtastic jamboree of biscuit making. Age range 7-12 years.

• £4 per person – please call for session times.

TWO GREAT FAMILY SHOWS FOR HALF TERM… Monday 13 February, 2pm THEATRE: Hullaba Lulu An eccentric couple travels their strange monochrome world in a quirky land-boat, until their lives are turned upside down by a new arrival - the adorable and colourful Lulu. As she makes her presence felt in a variety of changing forms the couple, along with the audience, explore love, play, adventure and, eventually, how to say goodbye.

• Running time: 50mins, suitable for ages 5+. Tickets £6 (£5.50) £21 family of 4

Monday 13 to Friday 17 February, daily from 9am to 4.30pm HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES: Wildcats Theatre School at Half Term Book in for the week or choose from themed days such as a Pineapple Dance Day, Happy Feet workshop, Harry Potter Special, Wicked, Disney Sparkle, a Bollywood Party or a three day Musical Theatre Workshop. Activities are suitable for children aged 5-16 and take place in Oakham or Stamford.

• Booking and further information at www.wildcatstheatreschool.co.uk

Wednesday 15 February, 10am to 2pm - Rhyming Beats Put some rhythm into your rhymes and make your poetry stand up and matter. Join Nicola for some 21st century beats.

• Age range 11+, £10 per person

Thurs 16 February 2pm – 3.30pm Perfect Puppets Art and craft with added personality. Make

some hand puppets using our range of supplies - no sewing involved. Then test them out in our pop-up theatre.

• Age range: 7 – 12, £4.00 per person.

All workshops take place at Clare Cottage, Helpston.

To book places on any of these sessions or for further information, please call Clare Cottage on Tel: 01733 253330 STAMFORD LIVING FEBRUARY 2012

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19/1/12 16:32:22

DIARY DATES

What’s On Amander Meade selects the best entertainment in the region this month

Sunday 5 February, 3pm EVENT: Celebration of Accession and 1950s Tea Celebrate the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne with the Peterborough Diocese Branch of The Prayer Book Society. The service will include the reading of the 1952 Accession Proclamation by the High Sheriff of Rutland with the Bishop of Peterborough also in attendance. This celebratory service will be followed by a 1950s style tea in tribute to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Everyone is welcome to this unique event.

• Ketton Church. Further details from Mary Stewart Tel: 01664 474353

Sunday 5 February, 7.30pm MUSIC: A Feast of Gilbert & Sullivan Former stars of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company present a fun evening featuring the best music of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with funny short scenes of dialogue and witty anecdotes of times spent in the D’Oyly Carte.

• Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre Tickets £17/£15 Tel: 01780 766455 www.stamfordcornexchangetheatre.co.uk

Saturday 11 February, 8pm CLASSICAL MUSIC: The Wihan Quartet Formed in 1985, the quartet is heir to the great Czech musical tradition. Their outstanding reputation is for the interpretation of that native tradition and they have an impressive international career. Having won many international competitions and awards, they are now Quartet in Residence at Trinity College of Music in London.

• Stamford Arts Centre Tickets £16 Tel: 01780 763203 www.stamfordartscentre.co.uk

Tuesday 14 February WORKSHOPS: Music and Craft at Clare Cottage VALENTINE BISCUIT BONANZA The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts… but they weren’t as good as the ones that Janet will help you make in a jamtastic jamboree of biscuit making. Age range 7-12 years.

• £4 per person – please call for session times.

TWO GREAT FAMILY SHOWS FOR HALF TERM… Monday 13 February, 2pm THEATRE: Hullaba Lulu An eccentric couple travels their strange monochrome world in a quirky land-boat, until their lives are turned upside down by a new arrival - the adorable and colourful Lulu. As she makes her presence felt in a variety of changing forms the couple, along with the audience, explore love, play, adventure and, eventually, how to say goodbye.

• Running time: 50mins, suitable for ages 5+. Tickets £6 (£5.50) £21 family of 4

Monday 13 to Friday 17 February, daily from 9am to 4.30pm HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES: Wildcats Theatre School at Half Term Book in for the week or choose from themed days such as a Pineapple Dance Day, Happy Feet workshop, Harry Potter Special, Wicked, Disney Sparkle, a Bollywood Party or a three day Musical Theatre Workshop. Activities are suitable for children aged 5-16 and take place in Oakham or Stamford.

• Booking and further information at www.wildcatstheatreschool.co.uk

Wednesday 15 February, 10am to 2pm - Rhyming Beats Put some rhythm into your rhymes and make your poetry stand up and matter. Join Nicola for some 21st century beats.

• Age range 11+, £10 per person

Thurs 16 February 2pm – 3.30pm Perfect Puppets Art and craft with added personality. Make

some hand puppets using our range of supplies - no sewing involved. Then test them out in our pop-up theatre.

• Age range: 7 – 12, £4.00 per person.

All workshops take place at Clare Cottage, Helpston.

To book places on any of these sessions or for further information, please call Clare Cottage on Tel: 01733 253330 STAMFORD LIVING FEBRUARY 2012

39 40 DIARY DATES.indd 1

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19/1/12 16:32:43

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• SL February ADS.indd 41

19/1/12 14:09:47

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• SL February ADS.indd 42

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ASK LEO SPECIAL

RUTLAND TERRACE “A long row of neat, new houses, separated from the paved sidewalk by little gardens and faced with a light fawn-coloured free-stone, almost fresh from the stone-cutter’s saw. Rutland Terrace!” (J Philpott 1837)

Rutland Terrace about 1910

R

utland Terrace was built on a Bowling Green west of St Peter’s Street. In December 1828 John Cooper Wallis a Veterinary Surgeon purchased it for £550 to fulfil his plan for a grand Regency Terrace. It was unusual for legitimate building to take place outside the town walls before the Enclosure Act of 1870. Townspeople would have watched it being built with interest as nothing like it had been built in the town before. To complete the terrace Wallis borrowed a huge amount of money.

The wealthier people would welcome the opportunity to move out of the town to have neighbours of the same social class. All other streets were like the nearby St Peter’s Street; a mixture of houses for the well off, slum courts and working class houses. Stamford had suffered from illness due to contaminated water and the new houses were advertised to let as being elegant, picturesque, healthy and delightful. The other attraction was the view over towards Wothorpe.

Like other Regency terraces it had a large imposing house in the centre but in this case surprisingly no notable architect. Numbers 1-7 and 9-12 were the same plan with stairs leading from the hallway.

Numbers 13-19 had narrower fronts but were deeper. The centre house had a first floor drawing room 40ft in length. No 20 at the end was a larger house with an entrance on the west side. Other typical Regency features were classical pilasters at each side of No 8 and at each end of the Terrace; arcaded fronts of arched recesses for windows and doors; cast iron balconies and long narrow windows at first floor level. It was fashionable to use the first floor as the principal reception room.

Residents One of the first residents was John Charles Philpot. He was ordained into the Church of England but objected to the low spiritual state of the church so dramatically left, publishing his letter of resignation which ran to 17 editions. He was a brilliant preacher and joined the non conformists. Between 1838 and 1864 he was minister at Providence Chapel Oakham and North Street Chapel, Stamford.

Orlando Edmonds was the first occupant of number 20. He was born

in 1794, the son of Robert Edmonds who was the Duke of Buccleuch’s agent at Boughton. He was one of the founders of the Stamford and Spalding Bank. By 1851 he had ten children, seven living at home, and it is likely that he extended the property at this time by adding another wing. His daughters lived there until 1933.

Two of the early residents met Queen Victoria and Prince Albert when they when they were invited to a Ball at Burghley House in 1844.

Henrietta Wingfield from No 4 received an invitation: her family were from Tickencote Hall in Rutland. Miss Sarah Belgrave who had lived in St Peter’s Street before she moved into No 2 was also invited: her family were from Preston Hall in Rutland.

A number of unmarried daughters and relatives of the clergy, the well to do and the aristocracy lived here. Mary Cutler, a cousin of Sarah Belgrave and daughter of Alderman Jeremiah Belgrave lived at No 11 for 30 years. Mary Etough and her husband Henry Saunderson Etough were living at No 6 in 1851. He was from an aristocratic family in Northamptonshire and a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He had witnessed the surrender of Madeira in 1807 and assisted in taking a large number of enemy vessels. She moved into number 8 after his death in 1854.

Some notable businessmen have lived in the terrace. Thomas Laxton lived at number 14 as a child - his father was the first owner of the property. Laxton was described in the Gardeners’ Chronicle in November 1930 as ‘one of the greatest horticulturalists of the Victorian era.’ Thomas Ashby, son of the founder of the firm (started nearby in St Peter’s St) which eventually became Blackstones, lived in No 2 in 1861.

John Hayes, whose coach building firm had an international reputation, lived at number 4 in the 1880s. In 1911 Andrew Pledger, an iron merchant whose company still flourishes making horse shoes for race horses, lived at No12. In the 1940s Herbert Twilley who founded a company specialising in yarns in Stamford lived at No 15 and Ernest Joyce Editor of the Mercury lived at No 20. .

Although J.C. Philpot’s son complained about the railway spoiling the view his father had seen, the Terrace still has one of the best views in Stamford and remains a very desirable place to live.

STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012

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PROFILE

Where Are They Now? Victoria Bullimore talks to Tom Butcher

H

e still cuts a dash does Tom, exStamfordian and actor, but he’s too modest to admit to being a teenage heart throb back in the late seventies and early eighties. I remember well though, all those swooning High School girls in the audience as he strutted his gorgeous stuff on the stage of Stamford School Hall. Was it perhaps the prospect of a lifetime of female adoration that persuaded him to go into acting I wonder?

“That wasn’t something that particularly interested me,” he says, “an hour or so of female adoration here and there was more than enough for a growing lad.”

I

I

n 1991 Tom joined the cast of the daytime soap Doctors in the role of Dr Marc Eliot, and here he met and later married his co-star, the lovely Corrinne Wicks.

Tom is a regular visitor to Stamford as he still has friends and family in the town. He has a special fondness he says, for Askers bakery on King’s Mill Lane because he worked there during the school holidays as a teenager.

“I was tin sprayer, dough kneader, bun roller, doughnut jammer, tin emptier, stacker, peeler, cleaner, painter and unofficially, the young Tarzan. As a youth with quirky vocal chords I was able to make the Tarzan yell and there is in my memory an image of the young me, swinging from an upstairs beam in the bakery

44

©CARL PHOTOS

t all started when he was about 15. He took on several lead roles for Stamford School productions, including the part of King Henry VIII in A Man for all Seasons, for which he had to appear in yellow hose.

“I got a laugh just for bringing my knees on stage,” he says.

He always received high praise back then for his talent, but I ask him if any particular member of staff inspired him to become an actor.

“The school plays I were in were directed by my English teacher, Mike Rice, and he was the one who put me on the road to becoming an actor. I owe him a debt of gratitude.”

Tom left Stamford to study drama at what was then Manchester Polytechnic. His first professional job was in Corrie.

“I played a policeman holding a folding notebook,” he recalls, “which acted as a shakyhand-nervous-ometer.” Then in 1989 he got his big break with The Bill playing PC Loxton, a role he continued for the next seven years. He was quite well known during this time; surely he has some good ‘crazy fan’ stories?

“Once a very scary looking man came up to me as I was buying milk in Brixton where I was living at the time, and said he remembered me as the copper who had arrested him three years previously. He congratulated me on having been quick enough to catch him. I didn’t put him right.”

calling out to my jungle friends. Happy days.

They were good to me; I enjoyed working there immensely. They still make the best bread and I always take some back to London with me.”

Tom also has fond memories of the Wine Bar, which is now Fratelli’s restaurant on St Mary’s Hill.

“It was there that I remember playing the drums in the vaulted cellar with the band Spede (taken from the Stamford School badge). On one occasion there was standing room only and the stairs were packed too. Aside from the fact that the cellar didn’t hold that many people anyway, a full house was still a full house and we were all rather chuffed that we had one.” I remember. I was there.

Over the years Tom has had parts in Holby, Casualty and The Bradley Mysteries to name just a few. More recently he has worked with Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent in the film When Did You Last See Your Father?, and taken the part of a man driven to kill in Paul Andrew Williams’ urban horror/thriller Cherry Tree Lane.

Currently Tom is rehearsing The Holly and the Ivy in Malvern for a five-week tour with the Middle Ground Theatre Company, which also stars his wife Corrinne.

And Finally...

Do you like Marmite?

Yes please. With lettuce, or marmalade and black pepper, with peanut butter or on its own with Askers bread.

Bath or shower?

Shower.

Tea or coffee?

Both. But not in the same cup.

Cats or dogs?

Cats.

What’s your star sign?

Cancer the crab.

What are you reading?

I’ve just finished ‘One Day’ by David Nicholls.

What’s your middle name?

Alfredo.

Where were you born?

Stamford Hospital.

What was the last film you saw?

The Untouchables.

Do you have a crush on anyone?

No crush today, thank you.

• Tom will be appearing with Robert Powell and Joe Pasquale in Doctor in the House at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, 10th-12th April.

STAMFORD Living FEBRUARY 2012

44 PROFILE.indd 1

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