April 2017 issuu

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Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally

Issue 32 April

www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding villages



Welcome How on earth is it April already? Whilst the town has been a little quieter throughout March we have certainly had a busy month. England won the rugby Six Nations, we had a short ski break with the whole family in tow, Middle Child turned 20, got a promotion and our youngest was allocated her place at secondary school. Of course topping it all off was Mothers Day, Jacqui was treated to breakfast in bed made by our youngest which consisted of American pancakes, bacon, fruit and numerous cups of tea. I hope she realises how high she's set the standard for Father's Day. The Baldock Events Forum was officially launched at a public meeting at the old Town Hall, it has been set up to take over from the Town Partnership. I have been asked to be involved regarding publicity and social media side of things. Personally I am looking forward to getting involved and seeing what we can make of the year to come. Hopefully lots of exciting events in the town over the next few months. The first two being the ‘Big Lunch’ and the ‘Baldock Cycle Challenge’, as soon as I have have any further details I will keep you all updated via the magazine and Facebook . I don't know about anyone else but in our house we are taking full advantage of Mini Egg and Creme Egg season. Easter falls a little later this year on the 16th April with local schools beginning their two week break from the 31st March. Bring on the Easter egg hunts and the classic "hot or cold" game to help locate them! Fingers crossed

the weather continues to perk up, especially now we have longer evenings back for the Spring/Summer season. Right at the end of the month the 10th Baldock Beer Festival kicks off! Beer, music, food and family fun all in aid of charity sounds like a plan. As always we expect to see local crowds turning out as well of those who travel in for the occasion. It has only grown bigger and better over the last few years and 2017 should not disappoint! Two much loved local Headmistresses are retiring during this month. Patricia Jenkins from St Marys JMI and Margaret Gillbert from Sandon JMi we would like to wish them both well and a Happy Retirement. Until next month, look after yourselves

Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

Jacqui Calver 07973 788418

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Hartseld JMI School We have now passed the half way mark in the academic year and we have begun to use our amazing school field again. Seeing over 400 children playing, running, rolling or just cha ng on the grass is an amazing sight and one that really makes me smile. The days are lengthening and those hardy boys who have insisted on wearing shorts all year, even on the bleakest days, will finally be warm! Our recent Book Week was a success and, as promised, the range of ac vi es did provide numerous memorable moments. Mark Grist, a poet and 'rap ba ler' lived up to all expecta ons and his assembly and workshops have inspired some amazing wri ng. Rachel Chalkley, a local storyteller, shared stories, supported by a range of puppets, with the infants and then equally enthralled the older children with a 'bonus' story- you could hear a pin drop. The 'bed me story' day was great fun and provided surreal moments throughout the day- si ng ea ng lunch in dressing gowns, sharing a classroom with teddies and a range of well-loved so toys and stories under 'dens' made from blanket covered tables. As an aside, I wanted to share an update on our fundraising auc on completed just before Christmas which involved so many in our local community. The auc on was a great success and we now have colourful display boards in our new hall (see

the photo of Mark Grist), foldable chairs and equipment needed to support assemblies and performances. Thank you to those who donated auc on items so generously and those who bid and then paid for those items. We really appreciate and value your support. Easter is now almost upon us and we are looking forward to a well-earned rest while our Hartsfield parents/carers take over for a couple of weeks. Our school team are busy planning a range of exci ng ac vi es for the summer term while some year groups are looking forward to life a er SATs (year 2 and year 6 assessments). Before breaking up for the holidays, and as this goes to press, we will have drawn our Easter Egg Raffle- a Hartsfield ins tu on- and helped provide the essen al chocolate sustenance required for fuelling the two week break! Philippa Smith - Headteacher

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Spring is Actually Here at Last Last year Councillor Michael Muir bought a huge box of 5,000 crocus bulbs to Weston Way Nursery School. The Baldock Rotary were working in partnership with the Royal Hor cultural Society in Bloom Groups to support Bill Gates in his aim to raise the profile of End Polio Now and increase the fundraising.

Staff from the nursery invited families in the Baldock community who had links with the Weston Way to join them a er school on Wednesday 2nd November 2016 to help plant the bulbs. They were told to dress appropriately as it would be cold and advised to bring along trowels and dippers to help them cope with the hard ground. We had a very good response and everyone worked hard to plant as many bulbs as possible. It was good to see some familiar faces of children who had previously a ended the nursery accompanied by their parents/grandparents. Now in March 2017 we can see the results of all the hard work. The purple flowers are emerging all over the nursery garden and are a welcome reminder that Spring is actually here at last! Jane Mille - Headteacher

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ANNOUNCEMENTS Linda King “Time to have some fun!”

lots of love Gary, James, Tom, Zoe, Nat, Sophie, Charlie, Darren, all 12 grandchildren & Milo th

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The Future of Baldock Events The Baldock Events Forum (BEF) was launched at a public mee ng held in the old town hall in Baldock on Monday 13 March. This is a 'not for profit' community interest company, that will fill the void le by the Baldock Town Partnership (BTP). BTP has decided that it will no longer run community events in Baldock, but will focus instead on the Wednesday Charter Market and the Business Breakfast Networking Group. The BEF is grateful that BTP has agreed to pass over the Baldock Town website and Facebook page, both of which are crucial for ensuring a smooth transi on period and effec ve public involvement in the new arrangements. BTP has also agreed to hand over equipment, including stalls etc, which were paid for out of funds provided by NHDC for the running of local community events. Jim McNally gave a presenta on, se ng out the structure of the new company at the mee ng, which was a ended by around 80 people represen ng businesses, community organisa ons and members of the public. The Leadership Team will consist of five Directors and a number of Advisors. Advisors will be able to a end quarterly mee ngs of the directors and their role is to assist and advise, as appropriate to their skill sets, experience and any local organisa on they may represent. Some of the directors had already been appointed, but a vacancy s ll existed for a director who would lead in the area of fundraising. The directors of the new company, along with their roles within the company were introduced: Jim McNally Chair Carrie Dunne Finance Paul Calver Marke ng Hayley Partridge Events Vacant Fundraising NB: Since this mee ng, Hayley Partridge has reconsidered her director role and due to increasing business commitments, has stepped down as the Events Director; a vacancy now exists for that post. Although Hayley has resigned as Events Director, her commitment to this ini a ve has not altered and she has indicated that she wishes to be considered for the role of Advisor, helping on a more 'ad hoc' basis. For some months, Baldock has not had a Town Centre Manager in post; the Baldock Events Forum will provide the vehicle by which we will employ a new Town Centre Manager. Richard Sell Town Centre Manager. Richard is experienced in the promo on and organisa on of sports and community events and he will work with the directors to manage the Baldock Events Programme and provide a single point of contact for community events. The Baldock Events Forum is designed to involve and engage our community, focusing on facilita ng a programme of vibrant and ongoing community events for all the people of our great town. In order to do that the company structure will make use of many people, so that everyone can feel that they have a say in what goes on in and around Baldock. Jim emphasised that the new company did not intend to 'take over' events, but hopes to work with current providers, such as the Fes val & Balstock Commi ees, if they so desire and how they so desire, to improve the delivery of local events. Richard Sell outlined the role of the Town Centre Manager and gave an example of what the Baldock Events Programme

currently looks like. The BEF has a policy of non-interference and if current providers do not need any help, the BEF will focus effort elsewhere, but organisa ons were asked to inform the Baldock Events Forum of their events, so that a comprehensive events programme can be compiled. The BEF will not compete with local organisa ons, but hopes that it will be able to enhance local provision of community events in Baldock. All the directors in the new company are voluntary and will receive no salary for the work they will do for the town. Advisors will be part of the Leadership Team, but will not have vo ng rights. They will reflect the diversity of the town and provide a dynamic element to the Leadership Team, ensuring the Team remains embedded within the local community. Almost 40 people signed up on the evening, indica ng interest in the role of Advisor for the BEF, including representa ves from many local organisa ons. Jim McNally ended by saying “The BEF aims to complement wh at o th er co mmu n ity gro u ps are d o in g , th ro u gh empowerment and co-ordina on of ac vity. We do not want to get involved in areas where we are not wanted, neither do we want to take over events that are being successfully run already.” Jim then exhorted people with a strong community spirit to get involved, even in a small way, to celebrate the community of Baldock. The BEF aims to be a forum for the community, run by the community and will be transparent in its ac vity, with full accounts being published annually.

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St Mary's Baldock – the scaffolding is down …. … in case you hadn't no ced! The second phase of our planned restora on work is now complete and we are delighted it is also all paid for. We have managed to renew the roofing on the south aisle (the side nearest Hitchin Street) and repair various bits of loose masonry. There is actually a substan al por on that was repaired that is out of sight and we believe we have preserved this part of the building effec vely for the next genera ons to enjoy. On the inside of the building we have created a wonderful space in front of the rood screen that enables us to host concerts and recitals and much larger choirs than we were formerly able to do. Many of you have already experienced the difference this makes to the ambience of the building, but if you have not, then I invite you to come in and see it soon. It really is magnificent and nearly everyone I have spoken to says how much it enhances their visit. It somehow seems to emphasise the Victorian pews even though we have taken a few out and channels the eye towards the glories of the high altar and the stained glass behind it. We have laid ling with some new pammet stone which match those already there. The pews we have removed are placed either at the back of the church or perpendicular to the others around the newly created space. And we have installed visitor ligh ng by each door. Our new system enables us to highlight different areas of the church simply to bring out the beauty of the architecture. Stay a moment, enjoy it and give thanks to God. In addi on we have installed some new display stands giving informa on about various parts of the church to visitors and we have commissioned a brand new guide to the church, which is full colour and totally free. Do take a copy and fill out a visitor response form so we can show to the Heritage Lo ery Fund that their money is well spent. We are extremely grateful to the Heritage Lo ery Fund and other grant making trusts for their generous support but also to the good people of Baldock who have been so generous in their giving in helping us to reach the £350 000 or so that we needed for this phase of the work. Thank you to each and every one of you and we hope you approve of what we have done. The one part of the work we have not been able to complete is a new carpet in the chancel. We have raised the money, approved the design and chosen a bible verse to be woven into the carpet on the sanctuary kneeler step. However the roof over the chancel keeps leaking and we are reluctant to install it, because it

seems likely that it would be damaged by rainwater in a storm. Several mes when the scaffolding was up, we came into church to discover large puddles in the area … …..which leads us to phase 3 of the restora on work! The nave and chancel roof. We also hope to renew the sound system and install data projec on facili es. And if you have sat in the north aisle recently you may have no ced the dodgy pew flooring. The list goes on. We es mate that phase 3 might cost £500 000 (gulp!). We have had our first project management mee ng the week before the scaffolding came down and aim to get the next bid into the Heritage Lo ery Fund this summer. We hear if we are successful around Christmas. If we are that leaves 2018 to develop the project and raise match funding and then 2019 to carry out the work. So thank you once again. We have raised over £1 100 000 in the last 8 years and you have been a vital part of that. Thank you, and look to the next phase with us in expecta on and hope! Andrew Holford

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Here at St Mary's we are about to embark on a new era as we say “Goodbye“ to our Headteacher, Pat Jenkins. Pat has been Headteacher here for about nine years and I have had the privilege of working with her as a Governor for eight of those years. Pat has been an inspira onal leader and has built up an amazing team of dedicated staff who have supported her in her convic on that every child deserves the very best educa on possible. Over the years I have seen children blossom as they moved through the school, and Pat has known every one of them as an individual. The school has thrived under her leadership and gone from strength to strength. All of us associated with St Mary's Junior School would like to thank Pat for all that she has done for the children who have come through our gates, and we wish her every happiness for a long and fulfilling re rement. At the start of the Summer Term we welcome our new Headteacher, Sam Bri on. Rosemary Charsley - Chair of Governors

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FESTIVAL INFO

Ashwell Music Festival 2017

18th–28th May at St Mary's Church

The annual Ashwell Music Fes val begins on 18th May this year with a concert showcasing the talents of young people from Ashwell, Baldock and surrounding area with the Young Musicians' Concert. The Caius Men perform on Friday 19th May and comprise the male choral scholars of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. The group specialises in unique arrangements of pop, Jazz and close harmony tunes, as well as sacred music from the 13th to the 21st century. Topping the bill on Saturday, 20th May Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri. For more than two decades, Kiki and Carmelo have been touring their dynamic and spellbinding acous c live show across the UK and overseas Join them for an acous c journey of stories and song which include their own original music plus unique covers of songs by ar sts such as Kate Bush and Frank Sinatra and of course their versions of Kiki's own hits including, “I've Got The Music In Me”, the stunning “Amoureuse” and “Don't Go Breaking My Heart”. Spend a relaxing evening on Sunday, 21st May with our special Ashwell and Friends event. The event features local musicians on a varied selec on of instruments, plus some super solo voices, a sprinkling of piano and a few choice verses into the mix. You even get the opportunity or a sing- along too! As ever, the Fes val concludes with the Festal Evensong on Sunday, 28th May. For more informa on, and to book ckets, visit www.ashwellmusicfes val.org Booking office 01462 743289.

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Joint Pain in Dogs & Cats Signs that your pet is experiencing increased s ffness and joint pain include: Ÿ Reluctance to walk, jump, or play Ÿ Limping Ÿ Lagging behind on walks Ÿ Difficulty rising from a res ng posi on Ÿ Yelping in pain when touched Ÿ Resis ng touch As animals age, wear and tear in the joints can drama cally reduce mobility and cause increasing joint pain. Excessive wear and tear can also be caused by inherited condi ons such as hip dysplasia, and injuries such as cruciate ligament damage. The painful truth is that if your pet is 's ff', they are most probably in pain. What are the causes of joint pain? Like us, animals can experience joint pain for a number of reasons. As the protec ve car lage that covers the joint surfaces wears away, exposed bone can become damaged resul ng in pain, and in an a empt to repair the damaged bone, boney outgrowths develop which can increase damage further. Fluid pressure within the joint can also increase pain. That's why both people and dogs experience increased joint s ffness and pain in bad weather. It's not the cold or wet, but a drop in atmospheric pressure that allows the joint ssues to swell, causing s ffness and discomfort.

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As joint decay advances, the surrounding muscles, ligaments and tendons also become weaker and can be quite painful. The problem with joint pain in damaged joints is that it actually accelerates joint decay. Increased pain reduces mobility, which in turn leads to muscle wastage. Muscle tone is very important for joint support, so as muscle tone is lost, the joint becomes less stable resul ng in abnormal forces in the joint which create addi onal wear and tear. If le unchecked, this viscious cycle of pain and joint decay will worsen, drama cally reducing your pet's mobility. Please contact your vet if your pet is needing help to ease any of the above problems.


Update from Baldock, Bygrave and Clothall Planning Group It has been a while since our last newsle er, so we thought it was me to let you know what we have been doing and what the next steps are in the produc on of The Neighbourhood Plan. The Neighbourhood Plan will sit alongside the Local Plan, whatever that may contain, and it must be taken into considera on by developers and planners when new developments are put forward. As such it will provide a voice for local people, both residents and businesses, to air their wishes about the design of new development, local ameni es and the character of the town and surrounding villages. We have made a formal applica on to NHDC to register the Neighbourhood Plan area. This includes the Parishes of Bygrave and Clothall as well as Baldock town. The name of the group has been changed to reflect the recent inclusion of Clothall and is now “Baldock, Bygrave and Clothall Planning Group”. The website for the group is www.bbplan.co.uk. There you can find details of the cons tu on of the group, the commi ee members and a map of the Planning Area. We will be adding more to this site as we gather informa on from everyone in the community, and liaise with local businesses, organisa ons, landowners and councils. The Neighbourhood Plan will not be completed un l a er the Local Plan has been passed by the inspector. This is to ensure that the Neighbourhood Plan targets appropriate issues and contains policies that are workable alongside the final version of the Local Plan. In the mean me we need to be construc ng a list of . objec ves for the future development of the area and suppor ng

them with coherent evidence of how they can be achieved. So, we are looking forward to a busy summer. Firstly we will have a stall at the Baldock Fes val Street Fair on Saturday May 13th. Commi ee members will be on hand to explain what the plan is all about and to gather views and opinions from anyone and everyone who wants to take part. We really want to hear about your aspira ons for the area so that we can focus our a en on on features that ma er to local residents and businesses. If anyone would like to help on the stall, please get in touch with Chris ne (chrisa na@hotmail.com) or you can email info@bbplan.co.uk. We will collate all these ideas in me to share and discuss them with you on Thursday June 8th at St. Mary's Church Hall (7.00 for 7.30 start). Again if you could help either with colla on or the mee ng contact Chris ne or bbplan. This will be a fun, interac ve, public mee ng and we hope that as many people as possible can make me to come along. The more the merrier. We will be holding several more open mee ngs as the work progresses to ensure you are all involved and to get the public's response to our emerging plans. These will be held as and when they are needed but not necessarily every month and they will be publicised widely. Please spread the word about the group to friends and neighbours and encourage them to take part on May 13th. Whatever your views of the Local Plan itself, Baldock and its surroundings will change and this is an opportunity to help to shape our community for the future.

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a p p s Our pick of this month’s must have downloads Follow - IOS & Android Driving somewhere in two or more cars can o en be a pain as you try to s ck together through traffic. This app will let you sync up with fellow co-drivers , even if you don't have a direct line of sight to each other. Tinysteps - IOS & Android Everything you need to know about Paren ng and Pregnancy! Tinystep is with you every step of the way from ovula on calcula on for pregnancy to becoming a new parent. Hailo - IOS & Android A high-tech way to hail a taxi cab. It’s designed to put you in touch with taxi drivers, not Uber drivers. Just tap on your loca on and then tap on the big yellow bu on to call a cab. It allows you to pay from the app too. Translator - IOS If you want to translate a sign, point your camera at it. Want to have a conversa on in a language you don’t speak? The phone display splits with your words facing you and the transla on facing them. Clips - IOS A new Apple-exclusive video app that will allow users to edit photos and videos on the fly so that they can be shared straight to your social network of choice ie Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo and more...

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5 minutes with... ... David Summer from *What is your background? I spent 20 years in the business world before following a longheld ambi on to become a teacher. I a ended Middlesex University from 2006-2009, gradua ng with a 1st Class (Hons) degree in Primary Educa on. Between 2009 and 2015, I worked as a class teacher at Melbourn primary and then Hartsfield JMI school in Baldock. *Tell us about Kip McGrath Educa on Centres. Kip McGrath (yes, he is a real person!) set up his first tutoring Centre 41 years ago in New South Wales, Australia. It has since developed into a hugely successful mul -na onal franchise organisa on with over 500 Centres in 20 countries around the world. The Letchworth Centre is currently one of 236 in the UK. *When did you set up the Letchworth Centre? I started looking into the possibility of opening a Centre in April 2015. A er having researched every aspect of the venture and eventually finding suitable premises, the centre opened in January 2016. *Why did you decide on Kip McGrath? I looked into the tutoring market in great depth and found that Kip McGrath is the only organisa on of its type that requires all tutors to be qualified teachers. The materials used are all linked to the Na onal Curriculum so they are all relevant to what students learn in school. I also liked the way the curriculum materials are constantly being updated; Kip McGrath is driven by educa on and its students' needs so there is a great deal of central support.

*What age range do you cater for? We offer tui on for students from Year 1 up to Year 11. Some of our students a end because they are struggling to keep up in the school environment and some are seeking to extend their learning. Other students come for specific reasons such as SATs or GCSE prepara on. *Do other tutors work at the Letchworth Centre? Yes, we currently have two secondary teachers and a second primary teacher. We also have an experienced Teaching Assistant in a support role. With numbers growing, we will be recrui ng for September so if you are a qualified (QTS) secondary maths, English or primary teacher, please contact me! *What does a typical lesson look like? Our sessions are 80 minutes long and involve a mixture of computer and paper based ac vi es. The students are in small groups of up to five although each student has a personal learning plan based on their individual needs. A teacher will be close at hand to help with any problems or if a new concept is presented but cri cally, each student will have the me and space to work independently in order to secure their understanding. This combina on of supported and independent learning has been found to be very effec ve. *What is the process of enrolling a student? We offer a free assessment so that we can iden fy the areas of learning where support would be beneficial. If a parent then wishes to enrol their child, we find a session that is available and convenient for the child/parent and enrolment forms are completed.

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Baldock Gardens By Graham Tapp

Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre

April 2017. Here we are, Spring, I can confirm that it arrived in the middle of the first week of March and you will have observed the local farmers all out on mass, ploughing, cultivating and drilling, drilling for those who don’t know is the term used for the various techniques used to sow or plant seeds. As I have written many times before, its not advisable to start in the garden until you see the tractors out, the reason I say this is that all farmers want to make the growing season as long and productive as they can, it makes sense to get crops growing as soon as they can so the plants can then convert sunlight, food and water into the heaviest crop over the longest available season, this is a very basic description of what is going on but is generally what we as gardeners are trying to achieve. one of the problems we see at the Garden Centre at this time of the year is customers trying to beat the millennium old system by starting to grow their plants to early, what do I mean by to early? If a plant is sown far ahead of its natural growing season it will not have enough light, heat and day length (length of usable light and heat during the day) this will induce stretched growth, week poor plants that will never ever produce the prize winning or tasty crop you dream of. Wait until you at least, see the farmers out and about. Things that can be done to get a good crop would be digging and aerating your soil, avoiding compaction, checking soil nutrient levels are correct for the crop you intend to grow, ensuring water availability as lack of water will put a stop to any bumper harvest, raising seedlings in an organised and well controlled environment will go a very long way to getting results, a good sterile, warm and bright greenhouse would be the ideal but a south facing window sill or conservatory will do but remember to avoid chilling and to turn your seed trays or pots to give your plants a good even share of the available sunlight. When it is time to plant out and I hope I haven't scared you into not bothering, you need to avoid the other big mistake most beginners make and that is over cropping, don't try and cram in more plants than your soil can sustain, putting several extra plants in and then over feeding will not work, remember that as a general rule of thumb what you see above the ground is what will be below the ground so if the visible part of the plant is congested so will the roots, importantly a square metre of land will not catch any more sunlight no matter how many plants it carries and if you have to many they will shade each other from the valuable sun light needed for photosynthesis, equally the roots below ground will compete with each other for nutrition and water, so you see the sums don't add up, extra plants don't equal extra crop. Plant nutrition is something else that is very important, quite often we see customers purchasing quality plants that have been nurtured from seed or cutting to a beautiful plant ready to flower or crop till the first frost of winter so that could be six months or more then having paid good money for them, plant them in poor growing substrate for instance old compost in hanging baskets, years old and never changed soil in the greenhouse beds exhausted borders that have never been enriched or conditioned, the list goes on and on, now imagine how you would get on if you had to eat porridge made with water every day, three times a day for your middle and mature years, think about that for a while! You wouldn't thrive or be very productive would you? So why expect your plants to do exactly that?

Everything you need for your plants to give great results are available, you can make your own composts and mulches some thing I will discuss later in the year, most people don’t have the time or large enough garden to make their own but all Garden Centres have the products and the skills to advise you on what you need and how to use it to give your plants all the nutrients they need to reward you with the best flowers and crops you will ever have had, advice should be free and all encompassing as it is from us when asked, the products will cost only fractions of pennies per plant per week so it is really only your time that is going to stop you having prize winning plants and that should only amount to a couple of hours a week, think of all the lovely fruit veg and flowers you have been missing for the sake of a few pence. Have you ever thought of putting your fruit veg and flowers into a local Garden Society show? Entry is again only pence but enormous fun, we can help if you fancy a go, how about growing giant veg? If you saw Ruth's giant pumpkin on show in our entrance last autumn, 29 stone, wow. If you fancy a go come and have a chat, I am having a go at a giant pumpkin and some world class sun flowers from Australia that are supposed to have four foot wide flowers. Last year about this time I started a new fruit and veg area for vulnerable students to use as a learning project, we have just started re planting the raised beds and will very soon be cultivating a new much larger piece of land for growing just about everything, it wont be open to the public this year but next year we plan to use it to teach any one who expresses an interest, if you want to grow fruit veg or flowers and don’t have your own patch, we are looking for volunteers to help the students look after the site and grow everything, the produce will be for sale at a minimal cost so that they can fund the project, we have won two prestigious awards this year as you may have seen and we are looking to start winning some Garden Show prizes, ideas and suggestions are always welcome, so come and see us ask about the Green Shoots project. You will all have lots of jobs to do in your plots and gardens this month so good luck in your ventures but do watch out for the dreaded frosts and remember that our last recorded damaging frost here is 12th of June so be careful, if you have anything you are proud of but don’t want to enter it in a show bring it along to show us we are always keen to see what others can grow and always keen to learn techniques from other growers and Gardeners, what ever the size of your dreams and ambitions remember to enjoy what you are doing. Cheers Graham. APRIL

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What’s On Radwell Mill Daffodil Day Sunday 2nd April, 2.00pm - 4.30pm - Entry to garden £3 adults, under 16s free. Tractor rides, face painting, live music, duck race, tea and cakes available to purchase. All money goes to repair of Radwell Church roof.

The Baldock Floral Society's Monthly Meeting 6th April at 7.30 p.m. - Community Centre.The Demonstrator will be Rekha Naidoo with Life Begins with Flowers. Sales Table. Membership £38 due. Visitors £6.

FABULOUS GLAMPERVAN Just pick up and go – The motorhome is fully equipped ready for you to start your holiday. Available for short breaks and longer holidays all year round.

ICKNIELD QUILTERS April 10th at the Community Centre at 7.30 pm for 7.45 pm start. Our speaker is Chris Yates who is giving a talk entitled 'The Artful Teabag'. . Cost £4.00. For more information check out our website: www.icknieldquilters.co.uk

Weston Music Society Saturday 22nd April 7.30pm at Weston Parish Church An Octet of Alumni of the Choir of Clare College. Tickets £15 to include programme and interval drink, under 19s free. To book please e-mail us at felicitylowe@yahoo.co.uk or call 01462 790573

Baldock 10th Beer Festival 28th- 30th April - Brandles School - Beer, food, music & family fun, full details on page 21.

Herts Variety are in Baldock

www.fabulousglampervan.co.uk

Friday 12th and Saturday 13th May starting at 7.30pmCommunity Centre . A great family show for all to enjoy and all money raised goes to local charities. Tickets are £5 for adults and £3.50 for concessions Available from the Baldock Community Centre from April 9th or call from Dorrie Randall telephone number 01462 628219.

email: enquiries@fabulousglampervan.co.uk

Regular events: Body And Soul - For Retired People, Gentle NHS exercise, Baldock Community Centre Tiny Tots drop in at Baldock Methodist Church 9.15 to 12.15 Wednesdays Baldock Rotary Club 12.15 – 14.00, Bowls Club West Avenue Senior Club, 2-4pm Community Centre Baldock and Letchworth 8.30-11pm Folk Club, Orange Tree Pub Kingfisher Dementia Club, Community Centre Thursdays Baldock Community Orchestra, KTS School Baldock Country Market - 10am, The Cock Fridays 2nd Monday Alzheimer's Society Carers Support Group every month 10am-12pm Tapps Garden Centre 2nd Thursday Baldock & Clothall WI - 7.30pm- United every Month Reform Church White Horse Street White Lion Quiz Night, Baldock High Street 1st Weds every month Letchworth District Gardening Association Tapps Tea Room Tuesdays

3rd Monday Baldock Branch Royal British Legion every month monthly meeting 7.30pm Orange Tree Pub, Norton Road. Non-members welcome. If you would like to have your event included FREE in the next issue please email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk by 15th April 2017. 20

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Tel: 01462 491035 / 07985315632

DEPARTING FROM BALDOCK


The Independent Baldock Beer Festival Celebrates 10 Years Did you know that the event filled two-week Baldock fes val is always kick started on the first bank holiday weekend in May (this year Friday 28th April) by the Independent Baldock Beer Fes val at Brandles School, Weston Way ? The 'beer fes val', which is now so much more than just a beer fes val is celebra ng its 10th year anniversary this year, its second year as a recognised charity (Charity no. 1163540); not bad for group of friends who were challenged to see if they could run an event as part of the Baldock fes val!

The food offering has also developed and expanded over the years. Our ever-popular BBQ is now complemented by a wide range of interes ng local food providers who cater for a range of tastes providing cuisine from around the World. Year on year we have grown, but we think we have retained our ethos of having great beer and good entertainment at a local community event. Everyone gives up their me voluntarily so that we can run this event and raise money to provide grants and dona ons for public benefit in Baldock and the surrounding villages. To date we have been able to donate in excess of £34,000 (details are available on our website www.baldockbeerfes val.org). We hope to con nue running the event for many years to come and look forward to seeing you at Brandles school on the 28th, 29th and 30th April to start the 34th Baldock Fes val.

Chairperson Tara Geere told us, during the first couple of years we had to beg and borrow all of the kit we needed and we were all surprised at the amazing support we received especially from Brandles school, CAMRA, local breweries and cider makers such as our friends at Apple Co age Cider here in Baldock. Our evergrowing 70 page, event management plan shows how far we have come in ten years! There is s ll an original group of 6 people that started the event, but like minded people who have brought their passions such as music, wine, street food and children's entertainment have joined us over the years, helping us grow into the great community event that we now have. Our extensive and highly regarded range of real ales, con nental beers (including lagers) and ciders is now complemented by wide ranging entertainment and musical offerings across the weekend. On our main stage, we have a number of local bands playing and further local talent is showcased through the acous c tent, supported by 'G' LaRoche who many people know through his work with Balstock, another great Baldock event.

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APRIL MOVIES APRIL 7th - BOSS BABY DreamWorks Animation invite you to meet a most unusual baby, he wears a suit, speaks with the voice and wit of Alec Baldwin. The Boss Baby is a hilariously universal story about how a new baby's arrival impacts a family, told from the point of view of a delightfully unreliable narrator, a wildly imaginative 7 year old named Tim. With a sly, heart-filled message about the importance of family, this an authentic and broadly appealing original comedy for all ages.

APRIL 7th - GOING IN STYLE Oscar winners Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin team up as lifelong buddies Willie, Joe and Al, who decide to buck retirement and step off the straight-andnarrow for the first time in their lives when their pension fund becomes a corporate casualty. Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the three risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.

APRIL 14th - FAST & FURIOUS 8 Now that Dom and Letty are on their honeymoon and Brian and Mia have retired from the game-and the rest of the crew has been exonerated-the team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime he can't seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him. Our elite force will crisscross the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing chaos on the world's stage...

APRIL 21tst - UNFORGETTABLE Tessa Connover is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband, David, becomes happily engaged to Julia. Trying to settle into her new role as a wife and a stepmother, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her put her own troubled past behind her. Tessa's jealousy takes a pathological turn, and she will stop at nothing to turn Julia's dream into the ultimate nightmare. Answer-phone on both numbers & will return all calls

APRIL 28th - Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Set to the backdrop of 'Awesome Mixtape #2', Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team's adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fanfavorite characters will come to our heroes' aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand

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The ASUS Transformer Mini T102H.. ...Is it a Laptop or a Tablet?

For the last few weeks, I have been tes ng the ASUS Transformer Mini, a device which can be a laptop and tablet depending on your mood. The idea of a tablets with keyboards is not a new one, these were generally add-on keyboards for iPads or Android tablets which worked well, but seemed out of place on a device that was designed to be operated without one. There have also been laptops with detachable keyboards which in turn felt out of place running so ware which was designed for one. The key change is the introduc on of Windows 10 which can seamlessly transform itself from a keyboard and mouse centric opera ng system into a touch and swipe based tablet and back again, simply by detaching and rea aching a keyboard, ASUS have been in the 'transforming' tablet market for some me and the Transformer Mini T102H brings a very useful addi on to the table with a 10.1" LED backlit HD screen which uses ASUS's 'Splendid' and 'Wideview' Technology to give great viewing angles. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ x5 Processor and

4 GB of RAM. The hard disk is in fact Solid State memory and gives your 64GB of silent running. Everything on board is low power and there didn't appear to be any internal fans to cool the device. The graphics are fast and snappy helped by the integrated Intel HD Graphics processor and there's also an inbuilt 2 megapixel webcam for Skype or other video chat applica ons. The great thing about Windows tablets is the number of connectors, the Transformer has a 3.5 mm combo audio jack, USB 3.0 and Micro USB ports, a micro HDMI socket, Fingerprint reader for login, volume controls and micro SD card slot. The detachable keyboard was really easy to use and a aches using a powerful magnet and always seemed to line up properly and was responsive to use with the inbuilt trackpad. My Transformer also came with a stylus which is ba ery powered and looks and feels like a real pen, it was great for drawing and pain ng using the bundled apps and can also be used to write on-screen s cky note. I really enjoyed using the Transformer and it makes a great device for people who are comfortable with tablets, but also need a real keyboard for their work, possibly an idea for students? At £449 it is reasonably price too. For more informa on on other gadgets and reviews, go to www.thegadgetman.org.uk

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Planting Encourages Community Spirit to Grow! Plan ng trees for the future and wildflowers for this year – 2 sites where people have come together and are making a difference for all to enjoy. Firstly 105 trees were planted by around 40 volunteers young and old(ish) in order to find out which species will grow best on Weston Hills – eg silver birch, h a ze l , h aw t h o r n - to fi n d m e l y replacements if ash dieback (which unfortunately has been found here) takes a very big hold in the future, causing massive gaps in the woodland. People could “adopt” a sapling and the conserva on group Friends of Baldock Green Spaces hopes these “owners” will then keep an eye on their trees and give them extra tender loving care such as a bo le of water now and then! Another area which would love volunteer help is the ever expanding bee and bu erfly friendly garden in St Mary's churchyard next to the Church Hall. This area is doubling in size from the successful safe food haven (no pes cides)started last year for our hard pressed but vital pollinators, which also brought much joy to passers-by looking at the vibrant colours of the sunflowers, poppies, cornflowers and many more. 1st Baldock Brownies have sown an area of wildflowers which they are helping the Eco Group at church to maintain. Again, any extra water or spot of weeding won't go amiss! If you wish to get more involved in either project please contact Katrina 07708 064294

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KTS STAR IN CUP CLASSIC On a glorious spring a ernoon, Mr Ma hews and Mr Smith travelled to Bishops Stor ord with a young and enthusias c KTS Senior Rugby XV ready to take on Birchwood School in the County Cup semi-final a er two weeks of intense prepara on KTS had a tough start as they were trapped inside their own 22 and under severe pressure at the set piece, thanks to three powerful Stor ord front rowers. The KTS front row of Tom Baxter, Adam Orton and Joss King were not in midated and stood firm under the onslaught, knowing that with me their opponents would begin to re. This proved to be the case. Following a magnificent goal line stand, KTS cleared their lines and started to threaten the Birchwood 22. Josh Parkhouse at 10 was thriving from some quick ball and sharp delivery from scrum half Ma hew Inman. However, KTS were s ll struggling to come to terms with the power and pace of the Birchwood players. In the end, the pressure told and Birchwood scored two good tries before half me, although they failed to convert both efforts. In the huddle Mr Ma hews and Mr Smith refocused the team and with the slope and breeze in the favour of KTS, the boys were confident of ge ng back on terms in the 2nd half - this proved the case. The forwards began to make progress, a acking wider from the ruck and Josh Parkhouse began to carve open the defence at will. Our first try was a blistering a ack up the middle of the pitch with forwards and backs combining well. The move was rounded off by the team captain and talisman, Danny Burns. With the kick this made the score 10-7, game on!

The KTS boys con nued to press and search for another score. However the Birchwood 10 and 12 showed their class and experience to cut us open for a well taken try down the le wing. Bill Bowke bravely a empted to stop the play but came up short. However, with the conversion again going wide, all was not lost. The KTS lads went back on the a ack and threw everything they had at Birchwood. Arandeep Bisla was everywhere on the pitch having come off the bench to great effect, akin to one of Eddie Jones’ England finishers. With the clock running down, Man of the Match Josh Parkhouse took the ball to the line, showed it to Anil Sidhu and swept through the defence to score at the posts. He added the extras taking the score to 17-14. With me running out Birchwood regained possession and kicked the ball dead to deservedly win the game. All the KTS squad can be proud of their efforts and when considering that many of this team are only Year 11, the future looks bright. There is no reason this group of players should not go on to win the county cup over the next two seasons. Congratula ons to those year 13 boys playing their final game for KTS, namely; James Cook, Joe Croker, Danny Burns, Adam Orton, Bill Bowke and Tom Baxter. Ian Ma hews - KTS Rugby Coach APRIL

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News from Sandon School I am really proud and excited to have been appointed as the new Headteacher of Sandon JMI School. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Gilbert for almost ten years of dedicated service to our school and community. She has relessly worked to ensure the best academic and emo onal outcomes for our pupils. We wish her well in her re rement and would love her to keep in touch to let us know about all of her exci ng adventures. Our objec ve at Sandon has always been to give the children as many learning opportuni es as possible. We nurture responsible, independent learners who are able to take advantage of a variety of learning experiences. We recently held our annual Science Week focusing on change and habitats. This linked in with our term-long topic 'Homes'. We have a whole school thema c approach to planning and work collabora vely as a sta, with input from the children, to plan exci ng, meaningful learning. Our local community is important to us. Last year we had an excellent a ernoon tea for members of the community, which was very well a ended. We have decided to make this an annual event and it will take place on July 18th. We would love to organise further community events and sugges ons for these will be gratefully received. Emma McGill - Headteacher

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All Set to Clean Up in Baldock Local sports enthusiast is all set to clean up in Letchworth, Baldock and surrounding areas. Rob Radford is launching his own Oven Cleaning Business as part of the Oven Wizards Franchise. Rob has grown up in Her ordshire and s ll lives in the local area, so, as he knows the area really well, he believes there will be a strong demand for his services. Rob says “I was looking for a business idea that would be something I would enjoy doing and that would provide a great service to local people. I came across the idea of an oven cleaning business and then started to research the market. I soon realised that becoming an Oven Wizard offered me a great opportunity, par cularly with the support of a successful Na onal Franchise Brand. Mark Abbo , owner of the Oven Wizards business said “From the first me we met Rob we knew he would make a great success of running an Oven Wizards Franchise, par cularly because of his great passion for friendly customer service.” Mark went on to explain “There is a growing demand from people who want to have their ovens professionally

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cleaned because it is probably the hardest and most hated job in most households “. Oven Wizards have provided Rob with comprehensive training which will enable him to professionally clean all sorts of makes and models of ovens. You can contact Rob on 01767 640594 and 07960 467805 or visit his website, www.ovenwizards.com/bedfordshirecambridgeshire-her ordshire-borders


Slimming World Recipe Supplied by Sandra Lloyd Curried Veggie Burger & Chips These veggie burgers have a spicy kick and are great served with Slimming World's Syn Free chips.

Ingredients Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

1 small onion 1 carrot ½ red pepper 1-2 tsp mild curry powder 110g sweetcorn kernels, drained 60g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs 1 medium egg, beaten Salt and freshly ground black pepper 900g Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes Frylight 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander.

8

9 3

4 5

3 7 1

5 7 1 5 6

4

Method

2 5

1. Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C Fan/Gas Mark 9. Peel and finely chop the onion, peel and coarsely grate the carrot, deseed and finely chop the pepper, place in a pan with the curry powder and 150ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain well. 2. Mash the beans with a fork or blend in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the sweetcorn, vegetables, breadcrumbs, egg and seasoning. Shape into 8 burgers, cover and chill until required. 3. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1cm thick chips. Place in a pan of lightly salted boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside for 10 minutes to dry. 4. Return the chips to the pan, cover and shake to ''rough up'' the edges - this helps make them crisp. Spray a baking tray with Frylight, add the chips, spray again and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden. 5. Arrange the burgers on a foil lined grill rack, spray with low calorie cooking spray and place under a medium/hot grill for approximately 5 minutes on each side until golden. Share the chips and burgers between 4 plates. Sprinkle with coriander to serve.

4 8

1 7 9 8

1 3 1

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LAWN CUTTING HEDGE CUTTING LANDSCAPING PATIOS

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Exciting Climax to the Season "It promises to be a very exci ng climax to the season as Baldock Town fight for silverware on two fronts in April. Luke Gregson's men have finally caught up their games in hand on their rivals and they are now in a good posi on to fight for the two promo on places from Spartan South Midlands League Division One.

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01767 317429 acorngaragedoors@btconnect.com www.acorn-garagedoors.co.uk

MARTIN BALL PLASTERING

They kick off a difficult final month of the season with a trip to Wodson Park. The Ware-based club have been in the top 10 all season and ended our interest in the League Cup earlier in the campaign, so will once again prove tough opposi on. The following Tuesday they make the long trip to Risborough. Rangers have been in the top six for much of the campaign. In both league and cup mee ngs so far this term, the Reds have won by the odd goal in five. Another one would do very nicely here. Town then travel to Brimsdown on the 8th April. Brimsdown was where Baldock's promo on challenge finally faltered last season, so Gregson will be hoping lightning doesn't strike twice this me around. The following Tuesday the Reds take on Biggleswade United in the North Beds Charity Cup Semi-Final. United are a division above the Reds and won a ght FA Vase encounter back in October. The winners of that e will meet either Sto old or Ampthill Town in the final - date to be confirmed. On Saturday 15th April, the Reds play their final home game of the season with a local derby against Codicote. A late Anthony James goal stole the points in the reverse fixture over Christmas. Then on Tuesday 18th April Baldock travel to Harpenden, which could prove to be a real "Promo on Shootout" with both sides s ll very much vying for the top two posi ons. The Reds' final league game of the season is at Ampthill Town on Saturday 22nd April. Their rivals finish a week later due to the odd number of teams in the division. Will it be a nervous wait to see how things unfold or can Town get the job done before then get behind them home and away to find out!! APRIL FIXTURES: Sat 1st: Wodson Park v Baldock Town - 3pm KO Tue 4th: Risborough Rangers v Baldock Town - 7.45pm KO Sat 8th: Brimsdown v Baldock Town - 3pm KO Tue 11th: Biggleswade United v Baldock Town - 7.45pm KO (North Beds Charity Cup Semi-Final) Sat 15th: Baldock Town v Codicote - 3pm KO Tue 18th: Harpenden Town v Baldock Town - 7.45pm KO Sat 22nd: Ampthill Town v Baldock Town - 3pm KO All home games are at Sto old FC's Roker Park. Admission £5 Adults, £3 Adult accompanying an u16, £2.50 Concessions, u16 FREE. Stay up to date with the latest from Baldock Town FC by visi ng www.baldocktownfc.co.uk. APRIL

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Diversity Week at St Marys St Mary's Infant School has been having a very busy me. We held a Diversity Week to highlight how we are all different and all special. Our focus was to raise enough money for The Guide Dog charity to enable us to sponsor our own dog. To help with this we had a visit from a Guide Dog and his owner and the children took part in ac vi es to experience the difficul es that occur for people who are par ally sighted and blind. We all dressed in neon/ hi-visibility clothing the next day, to help raise awareness, and paid a £1 dona on. We had a cake sale and a raffle with all proceeds going towards the Guide Dogs. We are only a few pounds short now so nearly there! We were visited by a Para Olympian and the children took part in a range of spor ng ac vi es that are accessible and played by people with a range of disabili es. As part of World Book Day we all dressed up as adjec ves to help expand our vocabulary – it was an amazing sight and parents and children had been very crea ve indeed! Year 1 children are currently studying the topic 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' and have experience visit France and China. This involved a plane journey, passport control and dressing in typical clothing for that country. The children also learnt about the culture, climate and food.

Years 2 children have been down to visit the local fire sta on as part of their 'Great Fire of London' topic. They got to hold the hose and listen to the Firemen talk about their job. The whole school are aiming for super fitness levels by taking part in the Daily Mile. This is to improve not only our physical fitness but also our mental fitness. Mrs Fox, a teaching assistant at the school, is taking part in the London Marathon this year so we are helping her to raise money for Mul ple Sclerosis. We have a Mother's Day tea party coming up where mums and children can enjoy a cake, a drink and a li le bit of me together before finishing off with a song. Please visit our website to see pictures of all the events going on at: www.stmarysinfantschool.herts.sch.uk Claire Gunn - Headteacher

Courtlands Riding Stables & Pony Club Centre Always fancied horse riding but don’t know where to start? Why not come down and have a chat and see what we have to offer Our friendly staff and clients are always around Saturdays and Sundays 9am -12pm

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Huge Thank You The smile says it all! A big thank you to the children, parents and staff of St Mary's Junior school for Henry's new Radio Aid (Roger Pen).

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Henry has a severe hearing loss in both ears. The Infant and Junior school have just been fantas c with his care and always gone above and b eyo n d to h e l p h i m w i t h h i s educa on. The Roger Pen has the latest technology to help him hear in difficult situa ons, but it's not available from the NHS . So when the Junior school found out we were looking to buy Henry a Roger Pen they insisted that they raise money to buy this for him. The money raised at the Christmas produc on has enabled us to buy this very clever piece of equipment, it will make such a difference to his day to day life. It will really help him to have the same chances at school as a hearing child would and we can't thank everyone enough. We were really amazed and touched that the children, school and parents were wan ng to raise money to do this for Henry. Such a lovely, caring community and we are very glad to be part of it Many Thanks Joanne Seaton

Copy deadline

for the May issue is 15th April

info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk


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Disclaimer All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however On Our Doorstep Baldock cannot take any responsibility for the content of adverts or services provided by the advertisers. Reproduction on whole or in part of this publication without prior permission from the publishers is strictly prohibited. APRIL

2017

35



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