August 2016 issuu

Picture taken by Ryan Sharp whilst out harvesting locally

Issue 25 August

Prices Mens haircut £10.90 Student haircut £9.40 O.A.P haircut £8.60 Boys haircut £7.40 Buzz Cutz from £5.75 Wet shaves £10.90

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Welcome As July comes to an end, the sun has finally got his hat on! The 'mini-heatwave' arrived just in time for the schools to break up for the Summer holidays. Before that could happen the local schools have had an array of exciting activities taking place. Hartsfield School said goodbye to their Headmistress Mrs Summerhayes with a whole school party (families too) that had everything from bouncy castles and obstacle courses to baked treats for the whole family. Knights Templar School kept up their tradition of Enrichment Week that was crammed full of events and activities including a whole school walk of the 13.5 mile long Letchworth Greenway. You can read all about their week on page 41.

As the kids take off for the Summer a few familiar faces are returning... The long horned cows of Weston Woods are back for their annual stay and have already had a number of visitors to their field. Another field / woodland area that has had a few visitors recently is Bygrave Woods, home of the ever-growing Farr Festival that took place in July. It was no surprise that this year's sold out event was bigger, better and brighter than ever before with crowds and performers pouring in from across the continent.

Over the next couple of months Baldock has lots to keep us busy including the Classic Bike Show that'll be touching down in the High Street on 4th September. And who could forget the return of Balstock? Baldock's very own music festival will be returning again in September .

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ourdoorstepba ldock.co.uk Knebworth House has a packed Summer schedule of events this year including an Open Air Cinema weekend and live production of the family favourite Peter Pan. If all that doesn't keep you busy enough I suggest the first thing you try out our famous satay chicken recipe that you can find on page 33. Surprisingly easy and unbelievably tasty it's definitely worth a go! We've even served it up as a side dish when barbecuing with friends and family.

If you do find yourself stumped for things to do we'll be posting ideas and activities to keep you and the kids happy and active during the school break every single day on our Facebook page. There'll be something for everyone from simple recipes and craft activities to walking routes and gardening tips so make sure you're following us to avoid that boredom spell.

Enjoy the summer

Paul & Jacqui

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Jacqui Calver 07973 788418

AUGUST

2016

3

ASHWELL SHOW

Roll-up, Roll-up for the Ashwell Show Family Favourite Ashwell Show Full to the Brim with New Acts, and New A rac ons for 2016 This year's Ashwell Show, Bank Holiday Monday August 29th, is set to be bigger and be er than ever before say its organisers. The team behind the show has sourced new acts and a rac ons and re-designed the show to fit in even more entertainment for the whole family.

Visitors to this year's Ashwell Show are in for a treat, as Stannage Interna onal Stunt Team take centre stage with their spectacular and awe-inspiring stunt show. Also new for 2016 is Li le Nippers Terrier Racing, which is sure to be a fun spectacle for all the family, and the Li le Rovers Kids Mini Land Rover Driving experience.

These new a rac ons will appear alongside old favourites, including: horse events, dog agility display and dog compe ons, hunt display, birds of prey, chainsaw carver, vintage cars, tractors, cra tent, food and drink and shopping stands.

For families there's hours of fun with a children's entertainer, Punch & Judy Show, free messy play tent, toddlers so play, mini farm, and the chance to see scaly creatures at the Amazing Rep les stand, and try a pony ride.

Gates open 8.30am to 5pm, main ring a rac ons start from 1pm, and horse events from 9am. Tickets cost £8 for adults, £4 for concessions and children aged 5-15, under 5s are free. Tickets available at a 20% discount from www.ashwellshow.co.uk or Facebook/ashwellshow.

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News from Sandon JMI School The last school year is over and the Leavers' Assembly a distant memory there is much to reflect on a er this academic year. It has been another fun filled year from canoeing with the Bri sh Team in September to our truly successful Summer Concert with every child in school performing. A new event for us was hos ng a ernoon tea for all Sandon residents which our Year 5 children organised with the help of Mrs Abdul-Karim. They made scones and cakes and served up tea.

This was a good opportunity to be able to thank the people who live around us. The year has had many challenges with a new curriculum and changes to the assessment procedures; a lot for the teaching staff to adopt. As we finish one year we evaluate all that we have done and learn from what went well and what we would do differently. Although the school holidays have started work in school never seems to end.

We are taking delivery of our new interac ve boards so that every classroom will be fi ed with state of the art technology. Staff are in preparing rooms ready for their new classes in September. We are pleased to be welcoming 3 new teachers for September, Mr Jinkerson, Mr Musk and Mr Allcorn and we hope their me with us will be long and happy.

We operate a Community Café during the summer holidays which is open to all from 10am un l 12 on a Monday morning weather permi ng. This gives the whole community a chance to meet up and then September doesn't seem so far away.

Margaret Gilbert - Head teacher

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AUGUST

2016

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BIRTHDAYS

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Bridal Jewellery Retailer of the Year 2016 On Wednesday 29th June, Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery was awarded 'Bridal Jewellery Retailer of the Year 2016' at the Retail Jeweller UK Jewellery Awards, celebrated as the Oscars of jewellery retailing. Leading names in the UK Jewellery industry gathered at the London Hilton on Park Lane where presenter Gethin Jones announced the winners.

Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery was dis nguished as 'amazing' by the judges of a rigorous mystery shop, who were unanimous in their vote that the jeweller was “head and shoulders above the rest”. The judges commended the vision of the company, driven by founder Harriet Kelsall and in par cular its truly bespoke design service, remarking “She is dedicated to giving that customer experience, with a focus on quality, tailored service that showcases real product knowledge and professionalism”. The company's ethical and sustainable business prac ces were also highly praised by the esteemed panel, made up of some of the industry's most respected figures.

Harriet Kelsall commented, “We are absolutely thrilled to have won this pres gious award which is a wonderful recogni on of how hard the whole team works. To be named Bridal Jewellery Retailer of the Year is an amazing accolade, and it was wonderful that lots of the team were there to receive the award together on stage! It's great to be recognised not only for the beau ful jewellery we design and create but also the fact that we care about every single customer and strive to create a wonderful experience for each and every person who walks through our door to commission a unique piece of bespoke jewellery”.

Bridal Jewellery Retailer of the Year is a tle awarded to an independent or mul ple retailer in the UK and Ireland where the bridal part of its business represents more than 50% of total

Harriet Kelsall (centre-holding award) and team collec ng their coveted UK Jewellery Award.

turnover in 2015. Largely based on mystery shoppers, the judges look for outstanding shopper reports from companies that show dedica on, passion, product knowledge, market knowledge, and excellent customer service.

Ruth Faulkner, Editor of Retail Jeweller, said: “A huge congratula ons to all of our finalists and winners.

Compe on this year was extremely tough and to be crowned a winner shows you really are the best at what you do. Another fantas c night was had by all at what is the premier event in the jewellery industry's calendar”.

Over the last five years Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery has won numerous awards for its ground-breaking approach to bespoke jewellery design, including nomina ons in 2015 for 'Retailer of the Year' at The Na onal Associa on of Jewellers Awards, Business in the Community's 'Responsible Small Business Award', and 'Ethical Business of the Year' finalist at the UK Jewellery Awards. www.hkjewellery.co.uk

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All cats and dogs are likely to be infected with worms at some point in their life, cats acquire them from the environment and hun ng but did you know all puppies are born infected?

We love our pets and the thought of wiggly invaders crawling through our pets is horrid to everyone but did you know the main reason we should worm our pets is to prevent us from ge ng them? Did you know humans area ta risk of picking up worms from our beloved pets? We love them hug them and invite them into our homes and even beds. Humans and par cularly children or immunocompromised adults can pick up worms in a variety of ways.

The most at risk are children under 5 years of age, who just love to roam around their environment touching, licking and sucking everything they can get their hands on! Our cats and dogs deposit eggs in the home/garden environment as they poo. Over me these eggs become infec ve for our li le ones to ingest. They can lay dormant for years so even if you always pick up a er your dog or cat these s cky li le eggs can be present.

Types of worms Ÿ Roundworms look like strands of spaghe and can reach up to 20cm in length. They live on par ally digested food in the pet's bowel, and adults release microscopic eggs that are passed out into the environment in the faeces. If a dog sniffs, licks, or plays in an area containing contaminated faeces the eggs can be picked up on his muzzle and paws and then ingested. Ÿ Tapeworms have dis nc ve, flat segments and are found in the dog's intes nes. Tapeworm eggs need to be eaten by an intermediate host, such as a flea, and when a dog swallows the host he becomes infected. Ÿ Lungworm or Angiostrongylus vasorum (dogs only) has become more prevalent and widespread in the UK over the past few years. This worm is different to others affec ng our dogs because it can actually make them seriously ill and even kill them.

All worms pose health risks, not only to your pets, but other pets and people too. It is really important to understand the risks and worm your dog with a veterinary strength wormer that covers Roundworm, Tapeworm and Lungworm regularly. To prevent infec on with Lungworm and stop egg shedding from roundworm Monthly De-Worming is recommended.

Surprise someone special with a FREE Birthday message in the August issue Email us the details at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk and we will do the rest.

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2016

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News From St Mary’s Junior School As we move towards the end of the school year, we review the events and ac vi es in order to plan for the next year. This year, as every other, we have tried to offer lots of enrichment opportuni es for our children so that learning feels relevant and exci ng.

Year Three have been studying The Romans this term. They visited the Verulamium Museum and the Abbey in St Albans. In this last week of term, they are having a Roman Day when they will spend part of the day dressed as Romans having an authen c Roman feast and part of the day as Legionnaires figh ng a Roman ba le using their splendid life size shields made with their families. They will try the different ba le forma ons used by the Romans and will no doubt enjoy firing their opponents using water bombs!

Year Four spent three days at Cuffley Camp at the beginning of July. They slept under canvas (well, one or two slept – a bit!) were taught how to build a fire safely, had a go at orienteering, an assault course, problem solving and one of the most favourite ac vi es; climbed some trees.

Year Five have been studying the Vikings. They too, went to St Albans for the day to find out more about this period of history. In school, we had an impressive display of Viking Longboats set as a half term homework project. Some of them were cra ed in wood, accurate in detail with moving parts. Our families are truly wonderful!

Year Six worked really hard for their SATs in their last term at primary school before they go on to their secondary schools in September. As a jus fied reward, they were able to go to Wales for a week of outdoor adventurous ac vity. They tried sailing and

canoeing, ra building, abseiling, rock climbing, gorge-walking and archery to name a few ac vi es.

One day this term, we turned the hall into a recording studio and recorded our own St Mary's School Music CD with all our favourite songs and hymns. A highlight of our year is always the school summer produc on. We all enjoyed Years 5 and 6 performing 'Going for Gold', a musical based on the Greek origins of the Olympic Games. They gave us a bit of history, a lesson on sportsmanship and some great singing and ac ng!

Our PTA ran a successful Summer Fair and we managed to have Sports Day despite the persistent rain. We all hope the children have enjoyed another year of learning – and that perhaps the summer sunshine will now show itself for August!

Patricia Jenkins - Headteacher

August & September

AUGUST

2016

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AUGUST

2016

What’s On Tea At Radwell - Village Hall Every Sunday Afternoon Running To The 25th September Typical Price Tea & Piece Of Cake - £2.00

DAY TRIPS DEPARTING FROM BALDOCK

Icknield Quilters - Baldock Community Centre 8th August - 7.30pm £4 - for more info contact www.icknieldquilters.co.uk

Weston Music Festival - Weston Parish Church 11th August - 7.30pm - Rachel Podger ( baroque violin) Tickets From David's Music Or Call 01462 790573

Mini Music Festival BBQ - The Cock Pub 20th August - 2pm - Mini Music Event To Help To Raise Money To Replace Balstocks Stolen Equipment

Balstock Charity Quiz - The Cock 21st August - 7.45pm Usual Quiz With An extended Music around To Help Raise Money To Replace Balstocks Stolen Equipment

Ashwell Show -August Bank Holiday 29th August - 8.30 - 5pm - Adults £8 , Children 5-15 Years £4 Under 5's Free For More Info www.ashwellshow.co.uk

Weston Fayre - Weston Manor 3rd September - 8.30am - 20.30pm Family Walk & Fun Run Garden Fete & Dog Show, Bands, Beer.& BBQ

Classic Motorcycle Show - Baldock High Street 4th September - 10am

Slimming World New Class Opening 5th September 7.30pmUnited Reformed Church Baldock With New Representative Sandra Phelan

Icknield Quilters - Baldock Community Centre 12th September - 7.30pm -£4 for more info www.icknieldquilters.co.uk

Ashwell Annual Book Weekend - St Mary's Church 1st October 9am - 5pm & 2nd October 2pm - 5pm

Regular events: Body And Soul - For Retired People, Gentle NHS exercise, Baldock Community Centre 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 Baldock Community Orchestra, KTS School Thursdays Baldock Country Market - 10am, The Cock Fridays 2nd Monday Alzheimer's Society Carers Support Group every month 10am-12pm Tapps Garden Centre 1st Weds every month White Lion Quiz Night, Baldock High Street 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 September 2016 AUGUST

2016

15

Tesco Community Champion My name is Elaine Hewe and I am the community champion at Tesco Baldock. I have been in this role for 12 months and it is totally different to anything I have done before. I work with local community groups, chari es and organisa ons to see if there is any way we can support their cause. Some mes it will be providing raffle prizes for fundraisers, other mes it may be more hands on.

The latest project for instance. Ashwell Primary School approached us, because they were looking for help to transform a garden area, and brighten up the play equipment in the playground for the children to enjoy. Baldock and Royston Tesco worked as a joint team to achieve this.

The project was finally completed on Tuesday 19th July. The teachers and children at the school are really pleased with what we have accomplished. This makes us at the store feel like part of the community.

If you know of any local groups, chari es or organisa ons that are close to your heart and we may be able to support them in some way. Please contact me by mobile 07549081635 or email baldock@communitya esco.co.uk

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2016

BALDOCK 1st BEAVERS It has been another ac onpacked summer term, as usual at First Baldock Beavers. We kicked off with an enriching experience about disability awareness, in which the beavers all learnt something about the topic. Hopefully……

Following that the Beavers got stuck into the world of arts and cra s and some very interes ng origami pieces were produced.

These range from some brilliant bunny rabbits to some peculiar pelicans. A er the half-term's break, the gung-ho beavers returned to make their father's day presents. These were glasses which the beavers decorated with some special glass pens. It is fair to say that there were some unique designs.

This year, the weather behaved itself and we enjoyed an idyllic evening for our annual 'Echo Walk' on Weston Hills. If you happened to be in the vicinity and wondered what all the noise was about….just 24 beavers tes ng out the echo.

Very loudly. Yes, it does work.

We also managed a visit to Ashwell Springs, despite the rain's very determined a empts to join us. And who would think that at Beaver Scouts you can earn a badge for catching a bus from Baldock to Letchworth, ea ng chips (with just a tad of ketchup) in Howard Gardens and ge ng to play on the play area? And, it wa FUN!!

Perhaps the highlight of the term was when we visited Wymondley Wood for the annual Bangers and Bash event.

This is where beavers from across the district pi ed their wits against each other at events such as football, welly-

wanging, face pain ng and ea ng sausages and choc ices!!!

In close compe on with Bangers and Bash was the fun rings event at the Welwyn dry ski slope. This involved the beavers sliding down the slope in giant rings which they sat in.

The thrill on their faces was enough evidence to show that they enjoyed it!!!!

The copy deadline for the October issue is 15th September

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'People Who Help Us’ The children have been enjoying a very exci ng term. The nursery children have taken part in their own sports day for their parents and families. All the children took part in egg and spoon, obstacle and dressing up races. The parents also took part in a Mums' and Dads' races which the children always love. The nursery children also visited the Hartsfield sports day to watch all the sports and races that the school children take part in.

We have had a number of exci ng visitors for our theme of 'People Who Help Us'. The Fire Officers from Baldock Fire Sta on visited first. The children had the chance to find out how the Fire Officers help us, sit inside a fire engine and even use the fire hose.

A Nurse also came to visit and the children spent a very enjoyable morning pu ng plasters and steri strips on their teddy bear pa ents. They also had the chance to ask lots of ques ons.

We round off our year with our end of term picnic. This is a great chance for the children and their families to enjoy our garden and lots of ac vi es that we provide.

We have also had to say goodbye to our bu erflies. All the children have really enjoyed watching them grow as caterpillars encase themselves in their chrysalis and finally got to see them as

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bu erflies before we released them in our garden.

As always we would like to thank all the volunteers on the Management Commi ee for dona ng their mes so generously.

To the Staff who work so relessly to make the pre-school and nursery such a success.

We would also like to wish all our nursery children the very best for the future as they move on to their new schools. We are also looking forward to seeing a large number of our pre-school children return for their nursery year. We hope you all have a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing our returning and new children in September.

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a p p s Our pick of this month’s must have downloads Splash - IOS 7+ Splash your reality - capture and share your world in 360° video with friends! • Hold down to paint the world around you in 360°. Stay s ll to take videos. It’s that easy!

Mo on S lls- IOS 7+ Have you been using the Live Photos feature on iOS? Strangely, this app from Google is the first to make it useful, through the way it turns your few-second clips into gifs that can be shared. Clever, simple and fun.

Box Island - IOS 7+, Android Box Island is the latest app aimed at encouraging children to learn to program, : a series of programming puzzles based around slo ng commands together in sequences to control the game’s boxy hero.

Live.ly - IOS 7+ Lip-synching app Musical.ly has become something of a craze on smartphones, but this new spinoff is different: a direct rival for other live-streaming services. You can use the app to broadcast live video while cha ng to viewers Never Alone - IOS 7+, Android Is an atmospheric puzzle pla ormer, drawn from a tradi onal Alaska Na ve story that has been shared across the genera ons. Experience the epic journey of Nuna and Fox as they search for the source of an eternal blizzard.

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Win a free BTFC Season ticket "To coincide with the release of the coming season's SSML fixtures, we are offering you the chance to get your hands on a FREE season cket!

HOW TO ENTER To be in with a chance of winning and being able to a end all 20 of the 1st Team's SSML Division One home fixtures in the 2016/17 season for FREE – all you need to do is “Like” our page on Facebook and “Follow” us on Instagram and Twi er. Once you have done this, send us a message or tweet with the #BTFCFreeSeasonTicket. To confirm your entry, we will send you a quick message thanking you for taking part.

This compe on is open to new and exis ng followers of our social media pages, but to be eligible you need to message or tweet us quo ng the above hashtag. The compe on will be open for entries un l Saturday 6th August when we travel to Flackwell Heath in the FA Cup. SEASON TICKETS – 2016/17 SEASON For those who wish to purchase one, BTFC Season Tickets are on sale now at £75 Adults and £35 Concessions/OAPs. The price includes entry to all SSML Division One fixtures ONLY. ADMISSION PRICES – 2016/17 SEASON Admission to 1st Team home matches will remain the same as last season. However, for the first me we will be pilo ng a “Parent with Child” concession for £3.

The Club are commi ed to en cing the younger genera on to our matches and we hope that this reduced rate for any adult accompanying an under 16 will help bring more of you along.

Standard admission prices: Adults - £5 Adult accompanying an u16 - £3 Concession/OAPs £2.50 U16s – FREE Matchday programmes - £1 FIRST TIME FAN INITIATIVE As part of our driving to find new supporters and followers, we are also introducing a “First Time Fan Ini a ve”. We are offering FREE TICKETS to families who have not a ended a Baldock Town FC match before. As part of the experience, we would like to promote your a endance in your chosen match's matchday programme and following your visit, we would like to get your feedback on your whole experience and use it towards our con nuous improvement. Naturally we also hope that by offering you a great FREE day out, that you will consider joining us again.

Should you have any ques ons or queries in rela on to anything above, please email the club –baldocktownfc@gmail.com

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Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre

August 2016.

Every year I start by saying that August is holiday time, generally we get enough time between fruit harvesting to get a quick break.

This year I am away early seeing what is going on in the south of France so I am writing this sitting on a canal boat on the Canal du Midi, at Castelnaudary in the large lagoon, every one else has gone ashore to have a look around inspecting the local gardens making notes, while I am sitting alone on deck writing this.

Its a hot 37 degrees today unlike what July, had given us at home, low teens maybe low 20's on some days, wet and windy. The cool and wet has caused no end of disease to show up, I have watched the potato's over in the allotments turn yellow with potato blight and the fruit trees turn silver with powdery mildew, just about everything is being eaten by slugs, snails and just about anything with wings and a mouth, I we have so few chemicals left to sell you to control any of this stuff that I wonder how we will manage to grow anything of substance in a few years time. The European regulations and licencing has caused us to loose very many of the chemicals we gardeners could use in the war against those things that are sent to try us in our vegetable and flower plots.

This year has seen a bumper crop of UK cherries, those places that had shelter to the early cold were very lucky and have seen good pollenation and then excellent leaf cover the weather then has been ideal for them to grow on, soft fruit will also be up for a good crop if the botrytis can be kept under control, I would have loved to have been Stewarding the fruit marquees at the Kent County Show as I did in the 80's, it must have been a spectacular site, I started growing cherries in the hot summer year 1976 it was the biggest cherry and soft fruit crop any one living could remember, I'm expecting it to be as good this year if not better, with new varieties and methods it should be.

Top fruit i,e. Apples and Pears look to be about how they were last year, as I mentioned last month at pollenation time it was too cold for the insects and bees to be out working, having said that I have odd trees that were showing a reasonable crop, it will be interesting to see if the trees have managed to hold the crop without running off in the dreaded June drop which will be done with when I get back, Grapes are stunning this year, I have a Black Hamburg under cover that was showing about 300 bunches, my white grape will not crop this year as it was suffering from an unidentifiable grey mould causing the fruit to wither early and mummify and I have had to cut it back almost to the rootstock, its the third time its been cut back that far in the 25 years I've been growing it and it will come back as good as new, when at its best it will give me a minimum of 1000 bunches every year, its a monster cropper.

I have had lots of people asking questions about hydrangeas this spring, mostly about why they won't or don't flower the reason is usually because of incorrect pruning, its the same old thing that we see in gardens, if you have a pair of clippers in your hand we all have to clip away at anything within reach, not good for Hydrangeas they need to be left alone – or the heads taken off to the first sett of buds just below the flower head and nothing else. I rather like to leave the heads on over winter as they look very nice when covered in frost, they can be cut and used as dry indoor decorations as they can be coloured as you wish.

Wisteria is another mystery to most gardeners, again do not clip away at them all summer, the rule of thumb is to cut the wispy growth in half and then tie it up out of the way, you should do this no later than the third week in August, this allows the buds to mature into flower buds in the late summer and autumn sun, in late February and into early March you should untie and then cut the wispy growth left to mature back to four buds maybe three if you have a regular and reliable flowering plant. Both the Wisteria and the Hydrangea will benefit from high potash and phosphate feed, I would feed twice, once at the end of February and again at the end of July, Hydrangeas will benefit with special colourant included with the feed if you want them to be or stay blue, ericaceous feed will also help around here as would watering with harvested rain water.

Fruit trees will benefit from some summer pruning ( NOT STONE FRUIT ) it is now recommended not to prune Cherries, Plumbs Peaches etc, after they have flowered, Apples and Pears can be carefully pruned by taking out all of the water shoots ( New vertical rising twiggy branches ) and all damaged or diseased branches, all extension growth can be cut back by half or two thirds depending on what shape tree you are trying to achieve, the idea is to get sun light onto the fruit and ripen new buds into fruit buds not leave them as normal leaf buds.

Hope that's helped a bit, remember this sort of advice is always freely available at the garden Centre, and you can always bring a sample or photo in for us to give an opinion and suggestion.

Good luck with your gardening, enjoy.

Cheers, Graham.

AUGUST

2016

23

Letchworth's Best Kept Secret O en described as Letchworth's best kept secret, The Se lement is one of the few surviving independent adult educa on centres le open in the country.

Having just launched its new brochure for 2016/2017, The Se lement operates on a charitable basis and offers a wide selec on of courses as well as one off lectures and prac cal demonstra on sessions.

In a new venture, a series of crea ve workshops are being run during August covering a wide range of disciplines include floral design, crea ve wri ng, outdoor drawing and pain ng, sculpture and soapstone carving to name just a few.

Se lement Manager Sonia Weston said: “A great deal of thought and planning has been devoted to ge ng these sessions right and we are hoping to a ract both old friends and new faces during the summer months.” Full details and dates of the workshops can be found on our website www.letchworthse lement.org.uk Based in Nevells Road, Letchworth, just down from the Spirella Building, The Se lement is supported by an army of volunteers and provides courses for around 800 students or members - but there is always room for more!

Several months in development the new brochure features a number of new courses for 2016/2017 including pastels for beginners, silver jewellery making, biology for beginners and sculpture. Popular classes on patchwork and quil ng, upholstery, modern languages and literature will also con nue.

The new brochure is available from the office or on line via our website. Enrolments are now open and will con nue into the summer. For more informa on visit find us on LetchworthSe lement TSe lement

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2016

Kikka Digga...

...Taking the Pain out of Digging I'm o en asked what defines a 'gadget'. Well if you look up the word in a dic onary, the defini on might surprise you. Type 'define: gadget' in Google and you are presented with “a small mechanical device or tool, especially an ingenious or novel one'.

So when I received the Kikka Digga to review, I was surprised to find it fi ed exactly into this defini on!

The Kikka Digga is a digging a achment tool for garden forks & spade spades, it works by adding a lever to the fork or spade which in turn improves your posture whilst working away in the garden. It also assists with downforce when breaking the soil and leverage when turning it.

The soil where I live has a really high level of clay, so digging is excru a ng! You end up with sore feet due to the pressure you have to apply on the spade and fork and back-breaking when li ing the dug soil to turn it over.

with digging. It's a simple device made from strong material and makes digging a compacted soil much easier than a tradi onal spade or fork. There is a greatly reduced need to bend as you are using the leverage of the device to life soil.

I spent an a ernoon digging heavily compacted clay soil in my garden and compared tradi onal digging with the Kikka Digga. I can honestly say the device really did help and inspired by to do the rest of the area over the coming Summer.

Kikka Digga is available from eBay, Amazon or directly from kikkadigga.com for around £19.99.

For more gadget reviews, come and visit Ma at www.thegadgetman.org.uk

The people at Kikka Digga have come up with a device which adds a footplate lever which fits in seconds to any fork or spade which reduces the physical strain which many of us experience

See our website for up & coming Workshop dates Gift Bouquets DIY Flower Buckets Wedding Flowers

AUGUST

2016

25

‘If only for a while’ A representa ve from the 'Just be a Child' charity gave a talk to the Baldock Rotary Club which demonstrated that from one person's vision, drive and humanity so much could be achieved from such modest beginnings.

It started with a visit to an under privileged village in Africa where children had very li le in terms of child-like ac vi es and opportuni es. From that visit a charity was established, a container purchased and filled with child-like equipment, the container was shipped and having been delivered to the village was then converted into a library for the local children to enjoy.

From that small beginning the chari es vision, purpose and aims for children were established. They have a web-site if you are interested in the details.

Baldock Rotary Club were so impressed by this charity, based in Stevenage, that it made a dona on and recently got involved in helping to load a second container, des ned for Mombasa.

In the container was; Ÿ 600 tools Ÿ 1,400 uniforms and other tex les Ÿ 840 toys Ÿ 2,384 items of sta onary Ÿ 12,000 books Ÿ 2,000 reading glasses Ÿ 10 bikes Ÿ 60 pieces of furniture Ÿ 14 wheelie bins Below is an extract from the 'Just be a Child' newsle er; “Have you ever wondered how many boxes 12,000 books fit into?

423 or there about. But let's start our story from the beginning.

We needed a 40 container that is in a good enough condi on to survive the 20-something days on the sea and can be converted into a library, but it needed to be cheap too. We can't afford the best-of-the-best. Not yet anyway.

Last year we paid £1,200 and we were aiming for the same this year. We got a good deal - £1,200 + VAT. Over our budget a bit, but a kind donor paid the VAT on our behalf. What a result!

Li le did we know that ge ng the container was the easiest thing of what was yet to come. Kenya introduced a compulsory Cer ficate of Conformity in January this year for all imports. Oh joy. A bit of googling brought up a company that seemed efficient and professional. And we were on the way, or were we?

Long story short – our mixed 'bag of goodies' confused them all.

The inspec on company didn't really have inspectors that ever dealt with second-hand glasses or books, the health cer ficate issuer was a li le concerned about 'contamina ng' the uniforms with whatever else we are shipping and it was just the fumigator that had no problem with anything at all as his task was simple fumigate the container.

It took three weeks to overcome the paperwork jungle on both sides of the pond and we were to be inspected on Monday (this week). The inspector arrives (late) and is, to put it mildly, overwhelmed by the mountains of stuff we've collected. But he valiantly sets about his businesses. It was all going so good, un l he asks for a box of books that is in the furthest, darkest corner right near the roof of the container. So, I proceeded to climb our own Kilimanjaro and wrestled the box out for him to inspect.

Seemingly sa sfied with our 'filing and labelling system' (although he did have a problem with the label 'Adult' books) he inspected further 12 boxes, bikes and tools and of course, clothing and gave us the stamp of approval.

Happy beyond words but exhausted beyond limits we awaited the arrival of our container the following day. Tuesday came way too soon and we made our way to the storage units. The container arrived on me. What a joy. But (why is there always a but????)

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AUGUST

2016

the driver says – 'I only passed my licence in November and all these corners are a bit ght for my liking'. I bit my lip and tried not to panic. Luckily James and Jason, the ever-calm guys who helped us in every step of the very difficult and long way, navigated professionally and we were set to load. A er the fumiga on of course.”

If you are interested, as Baldock Rotary Club was, about suppor ng this locally based charity the web-site is there to help www.justbeachild.com

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AUGUST 10th - MIKE & DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES Mike and Dave Stangle are young, adventurous, fun-loving brothers who tend to get out of control at family gatherings.

When their sister reveals her wedding plans, the rest of the clan insists that they both bring respectable dates. After placing an online ad, they decide to pick Tatiana and Alice, two charming and seemingly normal waitresses. Once they arrive on the island, however, Mike and Dave realize that their companions are ready to get wild and party hard.

7

U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller assembles a team of the world’s most dangerous Super Villains, with nothing to loose, provides them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal and sends them off on a mission to defeat a insuperable entity. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?

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AUGUST 5th - SUICIDE SQUAD

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AUGUST MOVIES

9 3 865 3 + 0+39 8 3 +30 + 6 MATHS TUTOR

BEd Hons (with Mathematics) 07954292077 katehall1@btinternet.com I work with students to build confidence, expand knowledge and exam preparations.

AUGUST 12th - PETES DRAGON Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford), a woodcarver, delights local children with stories of a mysterious dragon that lives deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. His daughter Grace believes these are just tall tales, until she meets Pete, a 10-year-old orphan who says he lives in the woods with a giant, friendly dragon. With help from a young girl named Natalie, Grace sets out to investigate if this fantastic claim can be true.

2a Mansfield Road, Baldock

AUGUST 26TH - WAR DOGS Two friends in their early 20s living in Miami Beach during the Iraq War exploit a little-known initiative that allows small businesses to bid on U.S. Military contracts. Starting small, they begin raking in big money and are living the high life.

But the pair gets in over their heads when they land a 300 million dollar deal to arm the Afghan Military - a deal that puts them in business with some very shady people. Based on true events.

Bun ng Making, Children’s Sewing Par es, Sewing for beginners Cushion Making, Dress making and One to One tui on.

Call Christine or Kat Tel: 01462 337730 Mob: 07938509672

AUGUST 26th - BAD MOMS In this new comedy, Amy has a seemingly perfect life - a great marriage, beautiful home and a career. However she's over-worked, over-committed and exhausted to breaking point. Fed up, she joins forces with two other over-stressed moms on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities – going on a wild, fun and self-indulgence – putting them on a collision course with PTA Queen Bee & her clique of devoted perfect moms.

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2016

27

“MEET OUR MEMBERS”

AT SLIMMING WORLD BALDOCK CHE AMAZIN AUGUSTG Deals out oCuKr

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Facial & Body Treatments offering brand new treatments: Holistic Treatments Treading Waxing Eye Care Facial Massage Lash Perfect Eyelash Indian & Mauritius Extensions foot massage Teen Treatments Check our web site for new products and reduced prices Thai Foot massage on certain treatments *New opening times Monday & Thursday 9.30-9pm, Tuesdays 9.30-2.30pm

Pleacske our website Tel: 01462 491820 che more info www.aromaticsbaldock.com of r Rio 2016 Olympic deals available

Lucy O'Hare from Gentle Court in Baldock, joined Slimming World in Baldock on 8th July last year. As a young mum to a 2 year old Lucy was determined to be fit and healthy for her son as he was growing up.

The week she joined Lucy took part in the Race for Life, she found it extremely difficult and this spurred her further into ac on.

Lucy has now lost 4st 13.5lbs and is just half a stone from achieving her target weight, she is the first to admit that she is a very different person and joining a year ago was the best thing she ever did for her own health and for her son's.

Lucy says “Last year when I joined slimming world I did the 5km race for life, it took me 48 minutes and killed me! This year it took me 30 minutes and i felt good! I am so so grateful to Sandra and to, slimming world, and of course all the members who have given me so much support. Here's to next year I'm gonna do the 10km!”

Lucy puts a lot of her success down to the support she receives weekly in the friendly 5.30pm session of the groups. “I did try to lose weight before but this me it was different and I was determined to stay to group and get the support to go all the way to target. You get great hints and ps and now I find myself being the one with ps to offer. You always leave group feeling really determined and it's so friendly, I've made loads of friends with members of all ages but lots of other younger members with li le ones just like me.”

Slimming World Baldock, every Wednesday at the United Reformed Church, Whitehorse Street at 9.30am, 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

Deb’s Dirty Cookers We clean cookers, extractor fans, microwaves.

Spring cleaning & cooker repairs also undertaken Friendly Reliable Service Treat your cooker today

Please contact Debbie 01438 215172 07983 577803

DELIVERY TEAM MEMBERS REQUIRED Full time rounds & holiday cover Available Please call Jacqui for details 07973 788 418 28

AUGUST

2016

Slimming World Recipe Supplied by Sandra Lloyd Passion Fruit Frozen Delight Ripe passion fruit lend their wonderful fragrance and depth of avour to this refreshing iced dessert... the perfect tonic for a hot summer's day.

Ingredients * * * * * *

10 passion fruit 200ml freshly squeezed orange juice 6 tbsp sweetener 250g fat free natural yogurt 3 large oranges, peeled and segmented Pulp and seeds of 1 passion fruit, to decorate

Method 1. Halve the passion fruit and scoop out the pulp and seeds into a bowl, using a teaspoon.

2. Put the orange juice in a food processor with the sweetener and yogurt. Blend until smooth.

Transfer to a shallow freezerproof container and fold in the passion fruit pulp and seeds. Cover and freeze for 2 hours until slushy.

3. Remove the semi-frozen mixture from the freezer and beat well with a fork to break up the ice crystals. Return to the freezer for 30 minutes,then beat again. Repeat this process once more, then freeze for about 2 hours or until ďŹ rm enough to scoop.

4. Remove the frozen yogurt from the freezer about 20 minutes before serving to allow it to soften. Line four serving glasses/bowls with the orange segments and scoop the frozen yogurt on top.

Drizzle with passion fruit pulp and seeds and serve straight away.

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AUGUST

2016

29

Total Therapy Other services include:: Stop Smoking

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30

AUGUST

2016

Appliance Spares

5 minutes with... ...Harriet Kelsal from *Tell us a bit about Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery We specialize in bespoke jewellery and our studio is staffed by a team of expert designers who are on hand to chat to customers about individual design commissions. Bespoke design gives the team the privilege of capturing the unique story of every customer, with many one-off designs reflec ng the diversity of the people who commission them. *Where is the company based?

Our Her ordshire Jewellery Centre is in Weston. Retaining all the original features from the historic barn, the space is a wonderful combina on of the modern with the tradi onal. Our awardwinning space incorporates a design studio, workshop, showroom and coffee shop, so visitors can enjoy a delicious slice of homemade cake while watching our goldsmiths execu ng their ancient cra . Our Cambridge Studio and Shop is located in the heart of the independent quarter of the city and has grown from strength to strength since its opening in 2005. *What inspired you to start Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery?

Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery began life in a spare room in my home in 1998 and has grown ever since! When I first started my business there was no such thing as accessible and affordable “bespoke jewellery”. I coined this term and saw it as a way of revitalising the jewellery industry. I'm a firm believer in hand sketching and UK based cra smanship and through Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery I wanted to re-invigorate these features within the jewellery industry.

*What drives you as a leading bespoke jewellery designer?

I'm a campaigner for ethics, the environment and educa on within the jewellery sector. The jewellery industry doesn't have a par cularly good reputa on when it comes to ethics but we're proud to have played our part in launching Fairtrade gold and helping it to become established in the UK jewellery industry.

Choosing Fairtrade gold over 'standard' gold offers a lifeline to ar sanal miners and their communi es and the Fairtrade premium added to a bespoke commission is as li le as a meal out! *What do you enjoy about working in Her ordshire?

It's wonderful to be surrounded by the rolling Her ordshire countryside. It's unspoilt, quiet, yet s ll accessible and the beau ful views are inspiring for our jewellery designers. We o en encourage our customers to make a day of their design consulta on and we recommended lovely local restaurants and hotels nearby- it's great to be part of such a strong network of local businesses. We also love working with chari es in the local community and making a posi ve difference through our work. *What is the best way to get in touch to commission a bespoke piece of jewellery?

It's really simple. Either pop in to see us to chat to a designer or call the studio to book a consulta on. If you are in need of some ideas for your bespoke commission then we suggest taking a look at our website www.hkjewellery.co.uk and browse our galleries of unique jewellery.

AUGUST

2016

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Chinese Style Chicken Satay Ingredients 1 tbs vegetable oil 1/2 small onion finely chopped 1 tsp mild curry powder 3 tbs peanut butter 2 tsp soy sauce 200ml coconut milk 75 ml water 1 tbs brown sugar pinch dried chilli flakes 6 wooden skewers 2 boneless chicken breasts 1 tsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp ginger powder 1 tbs vegetable oil 1 tsp corn flour

Soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes, to prevent them from burning.

Cut each chicken breast into 6-8 long thin strips, add the soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger powder and vegetable oil, mix well and marinade for 5 minutes.

Add 1 teaspoon of corn flour and mix well again.

Heat the vegetable oil in a small frying pan over a low medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry for 1 2 mins until it begins to soften. Add the curry powder and continue to fry for a further minute. Add the peanut butter and stir fry for another minute until it starts to melt, then add the soy sauce, coconut milk, water, brown sugar and dried chilli flakes.

Bring to the boil then simmer on a low heat until the sauce is combined and the desired consistency is reached. remove from the heat and set aside, the sauce will thicken upon cooling and it can be reheated when needed.

Ribbon the chicken strips onto the skewers, piercing each piece several times.

Grill the skewered chicken on a high heat for around 2 minutes per side until the chicken is cooked through. Arrange the skewers on a serving plate and drizzle with the prepared satay sauce.

ENJOY!

N tak OW A bo utu ing ok mn ing s

AUGUST

2016

33

Wool-n-Things Workshops We will be running the following workshops during August 2016 Saturday 13th August: Beginners Crochet 2-4pm Here you will learn the basics of crochet to make a Granny square materials and refreshments are provided.

Price £25.00 Saturday 20th August: Tunisian Crochet 2-4pm Come along and learn some of the stitches used for this form of crochet from the simple stitch to knit and purl which produces a thick piece of work.

Materials and refreshments are provided.

Price £25.00 Clubs Tuesdays 10am-12pm, 1pm-3pm, 6pm-8pm Thursday 1pm-3pm Thursday evenings 6pm-8pm £3.70 - refreshments included If you would like to attend one of our workshops please register at the shop. A non-refundable deposit of £10.00 will be required to secure your place.

Find us on

www.facebook.com/WoolnThings @Wool_n_Things

www.wool-n-things.co.uk 3-5 Hitchin Street, Baldock, Herts Sg7 6AL

01462 612889

Painting interior & exterior Wall coverings Plastering Renders Dry lining All aspects of finishing trades Ÿ Tape & jointing Ÿ Coving etc Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

JUSTIN COLOURS LTD. Building Finishers

The perfect finish every time Phone 07947 396 341

Office 01462 734 509

66 Astwick Road, Stotfold, SG5 4BQ 34

AUGUST

2016

Double clergy celebration at Baldock's parish church!

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

A safe and relaxing environment for the whole family

Pony club rallies and activities Indoor & outdoor riding facilities

Within a week at the beginning of July, both St Mary's rector and curate celebrated milestones in their priestly ministry. On 2 July Rev'd James Sawyer, curate, was priested at St Albans Abbey and is now able to lead services of Holy Communion and take weddings (amongst many other du es!). 5 days later Rev'd Andrew Holford, rector of Baldock and Bygrave, celebrated 25 years as a parish priest with a service at St Mary's followed by refreshments , the highlight of which was a huge cake in the shape of a cross complete with sparklers ! Many of Andrew's parishioners from the churches in which he has served celebrated with him, and the address was given by his ini al training incumbent the Rev'd Canon Mar n Banister.

We wish both Andrew and James many frui ul years in ministry in the Church of England, especially in Baldock, as the restora on work on St Mary's con nues to raise the profile of our parish church within our community.

Katrina Nice, St Mary's church

Full livery and schooling

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01438 355121

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Meet the Sigma team Sigma Office Ltd is a local company based in Ashwell.

We are the end of the phone to help you through all the issues of the high technology world.

SIGMA (∑) might be from the Greek, but we mean to cover the 'SUM OF' all your compu ng needs.

Established in 1995 we are now five strong. Our remit is to supply and support home users of technology together with our business customers. Home customers can benefit from the broad experience we gain from working in the business world to provide an efficient service.

There are a lot of new products and services being developed, but are they all good to use? The opportuni es are many and exci ng, but so are the pi alls for the unwary, don't get caught by scams; beware of the phone calls offering to clean your computer on line but in fact making it unusable. They seem to be on the increase again.

WE are here to help and guide you, our customer.

The team has experience which covers both hardware and so ware exper se with staff qualified to Microso Specialist standard.

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LAWN CUTTING HEDGE CUTTING LANDSCAPING PATIOS

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AUGUST

2016

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01462 491 221 peter@adobing.co.uk www.adobing.co.uk

The Dra Strategic Policies and Communi es sec ons of the North Her ordshire Local Plan 2011-2031 were passed at a council mee ng on 20th July.

Councillor David Leve , responsible for planning said “This is an opportunity for new homes to be provided for the future genera on” and, throughout the mee ng, there was a general acknowledgement that some new housing is needed in the area.

However, the vote of 32 councillors in favour, 7 against and 5 absten ons does not truly reflect the amount of concern that remains about the content of the latest version of the plan.

During Wednesday's Council mee ng, SRB was one of 7 representa ons from the public urging councillors to reconsider the plan. There were also 3 councillors who proposed amendments to the plan. The first was to stop so much of the development taking place on Green Belt but this was rejected on a technicality. The remaining two amendments were not applied but will be considered later. These were to protect the percentage of affordable housing in the developments and to ensure good numbers of rental proper es would be included.

All 5 of the Baldock and Bygrave councillors (McNally, Weeks, Paterson, Muir and Shanley) explained why they would be vo ng against the mo on to approve the plan. They felt that Baldock and Bygrave were being given an unfairly large propor on of the total number of dwellings in North Herts. Several councillors spoke to say they also felt unhappy with the plan ci ng aspects such as dreadful conges on on par cular roads in the county, lack of infrastructure, inappropriate numbers in certain areas and announced that they would be abstaining. Even some of the councillors who spoke in favour of the plan, expressed some misgivings and said they would be helping to work to improve the plan before it goes to Cabinet in September.

Most councillors acknowledged that Councillor Leve and the NHDC planning team had worked hard to create this version of the plan. Although it was pointed out by one that “you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear”.

The overriding concern is that without a plan the county would be at the mercy of "hos le" planning applica ons which would result in developmental mayhem and no infrastructure.

Councillor Leve himself acknowledged that significant changes could s ll be made to the plan but that it would be ins gated by the Inspector of the plan, not NHDC. The local Plan will now be worked on further by the planning department to complete missing parts of the evidence base. It will be approved by the Council Cabinet in September and then circulated for a 6 week public consulta on. It is vital that all North Herts residents read the plan and submit their comments to the consulta on. Previous consulta on comments will only be submi ed in summary. Once views have been collected and sorted they will be sent to the inspector who will pass or fail the plan, returning it to the Planners to adjust if necessary. The plan may then be adopted. If the inspector fails the plan altogether then the planning department would have to start again or see the government step in and write one for the county which might be even less sympathe c.

During the discussions it became clear that Neighbourhood Planning groups can be very influen al. The Neighbourhood Plan is a legal document which planners have to observe alongside the Local Plan. Councillors urged their residents to join their local group. Younger people will be par cularly welcome as they are more likely to be looking for a home and may have different ideas to those of their parents.

Baldock and Bygrave residents can refer to saveruralbaldock.co.uk for further informa on and can register their support for the work of the Neighbourhood Planning Group by emailing info@BBPlan.co.uk AUGUST

2016

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Knebworth House retains the Sandford Award for Education The team at Knebworth were delighted to hear that once again, their Educa on Programmes have been recognised. The judge of the pres gious Sandford Award commented: “Knebworth House is an exci ng and interes ng place for school groups to visit. The Educa on team take care to offer visits that are tailored to the par cular interests and needs of a group, and which make the most of the House and the collec on. O en it is possible for school groups to be the only visitors in the House which gives a group the chance to take me in each room and really engage with the topic in hand.

This makes for memorable visits! “ The Sandford Award is an independently judged, quality assured assessment of educa on programmes at heritage sites, museums, archives and collec ons across the Bri sh Isles.

More than 350 sites - including historic houses, museums, galleries, places of worship, gardens, landscapes and collec ons – have received an Award since the scheme began in 1978. They include Hampton Court Palace, Brunel's SS Great Britain in Bristol, Edinburgh Castle, and Big Pit - the Na onal Mining Museum of Wales.

There is a wide range of educa onal programmes available at Knebworth House, including literacy, local history plus outdoor science and nature sessions in the lovely gardens. Full details can be found on the educa on sec on of the website www.knebworthhouse.com .

School visits organisers may like to know that there are s ll s p a c e s a v a i l a b l e fo r t h i s .

September. The Group Bookings team will be happy to advise, call 01438 810931 or email groupbookings@knebworthho use.com

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AUGUST

2016

KTS Enrichment Week 2016 The end of the year is always a busy me at The Knights Templar School. The beginning of the week saw all of Year 10 head out on Work Experience, 105 Year 7 students head for Bri any on the annual Bri any Trip, while 45 students from Yr8-13 headed to The Costsa Brava on our biennial Music Tour and 45 more Yr 9-12 students headed to Anglesey for our annual outdoor educa on experience. But that didn't mean that those who stayed in school this week lost out and had to sit behind desks wai ng for the final day of term. The final week of the school year has been a nonstop smorgasbord of special summer educa on and experience experiences which are addi onal to our students' everyday curriculum. We call this 'Enrichment Week' and it has been a terrific mix of fun and learning.

Sport has been at the forefront of the week, with Year 8s and 9s ba ling it out during summer House Matches and Quizzes ably assisted by our older students. Sixth Formers also took part in Silly Sports day on Wednesday which included fun challenges and ac vi es such as sack racing and Royal Rumble Zorbing!

The week also saw teachers treat students to various day trips.

Year 7 splashed out on the ho est day of the year at the Letchworth Open Air Swimming Pool, while the Sixth Form travelled to London where they were treated to a River Boat cruise along the River Thames and a trip on The London Eye. The week has also has a more serious side to it for students of all ages. Year 7 Geographers took to Weston Woods on Monday to improve their map reading skills and develop further depth into issues related to roadworks and wildlife. Environmental ac vist Phil Williams gave an interes ng lecture to Year 9s on Fundamental Bri sh Values and to Year 7s on our impact of the environment. Year 9s also worked on engineering skills alongside valued guests from Airbus UK. With Year 10 away on Work Experience this week, Year 8 also spent a day in the workplace shadowing parents and friends as part of our end of year program. Year 12 spent Monday taking on leadership ac vi es throughout the school, with a keen group heading out into Baldock to encourage businesses to purchase a brick in our successful Buy-a-Brick program.

But everyone agrees that the main event of the week was Thursday's KTS Sponsored Greenway Challenge. This event saw all students and staff complete all 13.6 miles of The Letchworth Greenway. The school undertook this challenge in order to support the work of a charity set up by a former student, Darren Clawson who set up Endurance Limits, an organisa on whose aim this Summer was to sail 3000 miles across the Pacific Ocean, from California to Hawaii.

The whole walk was a fantas c Knights Templar community event, which benefited from cooler weather than we had seen earlier this week. The students of The Knights Templar School were a credit to themselves and to their community. It was an amazing day. Yes, it was hard work a er mile 9, and some students (and staff) found it hard to complete the course, but they did! Some people thought we had bi en off far more than we could chew. Some people said it was too far. But they were wrong. All but a handful of students who were injured completed the course, and we were proud to receive phone calls complimen ng the behaviour and conduct of our students throughout the day. Once students returned to the field they showed amazing enthusiasm cheering their peers over the finish line. The Summer Fete stalls were very popular with all the students.

The whole week was incredibly successful, bringing out the best in the school and our students shown par cularly by our students' mature and enthusias c approach to everything.

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Especially welcome are those who may not have played rugby since leaving school or would like to give the game a go for the first me. Do not worry it will not be all grunt and groan - we have designed a program at the club so that returning players can indulge in a game of touch rugby, learn core skills and then enjoy a pint a erwards with new friends and teammates! It is never too late to start playing this great team game our eldest player was s ll playing at 67, although we had to be gentle when we tackled him!

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Useful numbers Advice Citizen’s Advice Bureau Trading Standards Advice

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Doctors Baldock Surgery

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Library Baldock Library

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Police Police

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Public Houses Engine The Cock The Old White Horse The Orange Tree The Victoria The White Lion

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