National Garden Scheme Leicestershire

Open Gardens May & June 2023

Article by Carol Bartlett

Late spring is a great time to our visit gardens and we have gardens opening all over Leicestershire.

The last garden to open in May is Westbrooke House on Sunday 28th from 10-4.30 at 52 Scotland Road, Little Bowden, Market Harborough, LE16 8AX. The gardens comprise 6 acres in total with a tree lined driveway of mature limes and giant redwoods. There is a walled flower garden, walled kitchen garden, fernery, lower garden, wildlife pond, spring garden, lawns, woodland paths and a meadow with a wildflower area, ha-ha and hornbeam avenue.

The first garden to open in June is Gladstone Street on Saturday 3rd June and Sunday 4th June from 11:00-5:00 at 28 Gladstone Street, Wigston Magna, Leicestershire, LE18 1AE. Our mature 70'x15' town garden is divided into rooms and bisected by a pond with a bridge. It is brimming with unusual hardy perennials, inc collections of ferns and hostas. David Austin roses chosen for their scent feature throughout, inc a 30' rose arch. A shade house with unusual hardy plants and a Hosta Theatre. Regular changes to planting.

On Saturday 3rd June from 11:00-4:00. The Old Rectory, Main Street, Newbold Verdon, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE9 9NN. The garden surrounds the Georgian Old Rectory. It contains many species of trees, ranging in age from centuries-old to very young saplings. In early June, the rose garden is about to flower, and so the garden's principal attractions are the rhododendrons, the wisteria, the hostas, and a sea of cow parsley in the woods around the gravel path. Recent additions are a greenhouse and a box parterre.

On Sunday 4th June from 11:00-4.30.

Dairy Cottage, 15 Sharnford Road, Sapcote, Leicestershire, LE9 4JN. From a walled garden with colourful mixed borders to a potager approached along a woodland path, this mature cottage garden combines extensive perennial planting with many unusual shrubs and specimen trees. With colourful herbaceous borders and unusual small trees and shrubs this quintessential cottage garden is divided into several rooms.

Enjoy visiting one of our gardens knowing that at the same time, you are also donating to nursing and cancer charities.

In 2022, thanks to the generosity of garden owners, our volunteers and garden visitors The National Garden Scheme donated over £3.11 million to our best-loved charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute. For further details of our open gardens, accessibility, directions and admission details visit www.ngs.org.uk

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Strawberry Yoghurt Ice Cream

A simple, healthy dessert with just a handful of ingredients. You can make this vegan by using soy or coconut yoghurt. For a brighter red colour stir in a little berry superfood powder.

Preparation time 10 minutes

Freezing time 4-5 hours

Serves 4

Ingredients

400g fresh strawberries

2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

100g full-fat plain Greek yoghurt

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp berry superfood powder (optional)

Method

• Wash the strawberries and remove the stems. Cut in half.

• Place the strawberries out on a parchment-lined tray.

• Freeze for 4-5 hours or overnight.

Swiss Strawberry & Walnut Cake

This light walnut sponge filled with strawberries and cream is often served on the Continent as a pudding, but it also makes the perfect afternoon teatime treat.

Preparation time 30 minutes

Cooking time 40-45 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients

3 large eggs

100g caster sugar

75g self-raising flour

50g walnuts, finely chopped

For the filling and topping

300ml pouring double cream, whipped

450g strawberries, roughly chopped, plus extra kept whole for decoration

Preheat the oven to 180°C / fan 160°C / gas mark 4. Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin, then line the base with non-stick baking paper.

Measure the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and beat until the mixture is thick and mousse-like, and leaves a trail when the whisk is lifted out of the mixture. Sift the flour onto the mixture and lightly fold in along with the chopped walnuts.

Turn into the prepared cake tin and level the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until well-risen and the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out, peel off the baking paper and finish cooling on a wire rack.

When cold, cut the cake into three horizontally using a serrated or bread knife, then sandwich the slices together with a good amount of whipped cream and strawberries. Spread the

• Place the frozen strawberries, honey or maple syrup, yoghurt, lemon juice and berry powder (if using) into a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. You many need to scrape down the sides and repeat the blending a few times.

• Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and return to the freezer.

Nutrition per serving: 260kcal, fat 8.6g (of which saturates 7.3g), carbohydrates 40.6g (of which sugars 39.8g), protein 4.2g remaining cream over the top and the sides of the cake, and decorate with the reserved strawberries heaped on top.

TIP For a lighter filling, you can use full-fat crème fraiche. Extracted from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible by Mary Berry (BBC Books, £28), a definitive baking collection, featuring 250 retested and updated foolproof classics plus 20 brand new recipes, along with Dame Mary’s tips.

Photography by Ant Duncan.

There’s no need to replace the window - we will replace the glass unit for you

Just cal our small, friendly firm - whether it’s one window or a full house - with approximate sizes, and we’ll give you a price OVER THE PHONE or a free call out if you prefer.

DIESEL POWER! Thousands Visit The Great Central Railway As Vintage Machines Shine

Article by Michael Stokes

Unusual, unique diesel loco visits line for first time.

Thousands of enthusiasts packed trains at the Great Central Railway as vintage diesel took centre stage for a gala. Steam power was side lined for the weekend as different locomotives dating from the 1950s and 60s wowed visitors.

“Diesel locos have their own generation of fans,” said Great Central Railway General Manager Malcolm Holmes. “These machines represent a time when lots of different ideas for modernising Britain’s Railways were being tried out. Some when on to have long careers, others were retired quickly!”

Among those which didn’t make the grade was the Class 17, which was star guest at the GCR gala. Built in the 1960s, they had a distinctive central driving cab, with low bonnets covering the engines. The idea was the driver could see in both directions clearly. However they were not a success and all but one was scrapped. Happily as guest of honour, on its first ever visit to the GCR, it turned heads and painted a picture of a ‘what might have been’ future!

“As diesels get older, they are just as important a part of our heritage railway story,” continued Malcolm. “When enthusiasts come to the line for our events, they boost the whole local visitor economy and we’re delighted to play our part bringing people from all the country to Leicestershire.”

Over the weekend of the 17th & 18th June 2023, the Great Central will celebrate fifty years of running heritage trains, hauled by steam and diesel traction, with another special once in a lifetime gala event, featuring a fifty wagon freight train, full details will be on the GCR website shortly www.gcrailway.co.uk

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