Issue 39 December
Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally
www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding villages
Welcome To the December issue of On Our Doorstep. We say it every year but where has the last 12 months gone? 2017 has flown by! Last month Baldock had a very impressive turnout for Remembrance Sunday with all local Beavers, Cubs, Rainbows and Brownies attending. November also saw Baldock longest running restaurant, The Golden Rickshaw, closed its doors after almost 50 years in business. We have spent many evenings there with friends and family for various doo’s with a few (too many) takeaways in between. We would personally like to wish Cheryl and Walli a long and happy retirement! As we count down to the big day there is still plenty to keep us busy! Baldock High Street will transform over the following weekend as the Christmas market sets up once again. As always there will be lots to see, do, eat and drink with something for everyone. There will also be live music performed by local acts and a guest appearance from Santa's reindeers! St Mary's church tower will be open on the day offering a chance to see Baldock from above. Love it or loath it a few days later on Wednesday 6th December the infamous Coca Cola Christmas truck will be returning for the second year on the trot. Baldock Tesco Extra car park will become a winter wonderland that must be seen (this will be a rather busy one so avoid driving down London Road if you can)! Amongst all this excitement don't forget to send your letters to Santa. Make sure they're popped in the post by
Friday 8th December (mail to Santa/ Father Christmas, Santa's Grotto, Reindeerland, XM4 5HQ). Don't forget to include your name and home address so that he can reply to your letter. Santa will be making a special early appearance at Baldock's annual sleigh tour on various dates throughout the month. (Dates and addresses in November's issue and on our Facebook page) Santa will be needing a few extra helpers so if you have a couple of hours to spare one evening let us know. We would like to thank all of this years advertisers and our incredible delivery team for their help and support during 2017. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk
Jacqui Calver 07973 788418
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Happy December from the Hartseld team! As this goes to press we are 'relaxing' a er our Christmas Fair and looking forward to our planned fes ve ac vi es. We have Christmas performances planned by the Recep on classes and Years 1 and 2 and years 3-5 are pu ng on Christmas celebra ons. The Friends have organised a 'Wrap-a-Present event where children can buy and then have wrapped a present for their loved ones and the school is a gli er filled zone….much to the frustra on of our hard-working site team! This term has been ac on-packed and a highlight was our Kindness Week in midNovember. The week of ac vi es included fundraising for Children in Need and our families supported the cause by buying
Pudsey merchandise, dressing in spots and a cake sale. Pudsey came to school and provided an addi onal boost to our fundraising. We hosted the Baldock Community Fireworks event and it was great to have over 1800 locals suppor ng the school and local causes. Thank you to Tapps and the numerous volunteers who made this event such a fun, safe and happy event. Our tours for prospec ve parents for those families wishing to join us in September 2018 con nue. Please look on our website then ring or email the office if you wish to look around the school. We have our new Year 6 Ambassadors wai ng to take you on a tour. I wish all our families and the local community a great Christmas and a Happy New Year. Philippa Smith - Headteacher
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15% OFF RNLI Xmas Cards, Souvenirs & Gifts will be on sale at Quenby's Garage, High street From 10th November until Christmas. All prot goes to RNLI. DECEMBER
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY Lots of Love Veronica
Cathy
Thompson
2 december nd
21 Today
4th December
Emma Whinray-Edwards With lots of Love from Mum, Dad & Robyn xxx Happy Birthday
Graham Tapp Lots of Love from all the Tapps
5th December
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
George Cocoran Christmas Boy 25th December 6
Lots of Love Mum, Dad & Evie
DECEMBER
2017
News from Sandon School Hello again from Sandon JMI School. We have, as ever been really busy. On November the 10th Years 3 & 4 led a beau ful service of remembrance at the church. They spoke and sang beau fully and explained why it is so important to remember those who lost their live to protect and save others. We are so lucky to be able to use the village church for school events and we would like to thank everyone who makes that possible. November also saw us hos ng a Robo cs workshop for all children. The classes took it in turns to design and build moving vehicles. This was great fun, but also very challenging as the children had to design their vehicles with very few instruc ons. This gave them an opportunity to refine their design and try a variety of different strategies un l they succeeded. Well done to everyone for their perseverance and resourcefulness. Once again our school community showed their kindness and generosity by dona ng hundreds of cakes for our Children in Need cake sale. At the me of wri ng we had raised £120 and we were having to hold another cake sale a er school due to the quan ty of kind dona ons! Mrs Reynolds and our many spor ng teams and squads have been really busy and as always have displayed excellent spor ng behaviours. While our children strive to win they also understand the concept of being gracious in defeat. Well done to all of those
who have competed in events and tournaments so far this academic year. We must make special men on of our Football squad. On 16th November they travelled to Wa ord to compete in the Her ordshire Small Schools Football compe on. We are very proud to tell you that they won the final and in the New Year will compete in the Eastern Region Small Schools Football Finals. Well done to all involved! Christmas is fast approaching and we have been prac cing our whole school play. We are slightly worried as many of the older children are portraying teachers and teaching assistants! We are hugely looking forward to Recep on performing the Na vity for us in church on the penul mate day of term and also we can't wait to sing carols for local villagers on the last morning of term. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Best wishes from all at Sandon JMI School
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Chiropodist
Karen Perry 'Custom Fit Supportive Orthotics’ Home Visits or Baldock Surgery
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We sell direct from the farm our own Free Range Bronze Turkeys and Barn Reared Chickens fresh for Christmas. Having arrived on the farm as day old chicks in July they are allowed to reach full maturity
Do You Suffer With Sciatic Pain? Scia c pain can be a right pain in the bum! It can hinder your lifestyle and can even be debilita ng when not addressed. Iden fying the issue is the first step to recovery, there is help out there! There is no need to live in pain! Sports therapists are highly trained in dealing with many issues, scia ca being one of the most common. What is sciatica and what does it feel like? Scia ca is the term given to describe the irrita on of the scia c nerve. It's the largest nerve in the human body and originates from the lower back. It runs through the bu ock into the back of the thigh and down to the leg and foot. Symptoms can vary from muscle weakness, dull aches, sharp shoo ng pains, pins and needles and numbness at the back of the leg, lower back, hip and bu ock.
What causes sciatica? Most commonly scia ca is caused by excessive overuse of one side of the body, resul ng in increased tension of the muscles surrounding the scia c nerve. This heightens muscle tension and compresses on the nerve resul ng in radia ng discomfort. It can present in any area along the nerve path from the lower back and bu ock, through to the leg and foot. Less common causes are narrowing of the spinal canal, spinal injury, disc hernia on and pregnancy. How do we treat it and how can sports therapy help? A Sports Therapist will perform a series of tests to help determine the cause of the scia c pain. When the cause has been iden fied a clear treatment and rehabilita on plan will follow. Treatment ranges from manual therapy techniques such as sports massage, mobilisa ons performed on the spine and neural flossing. Rehabilita on programs consist of exercises to correct imbalances contribu ng to the cause of scia ca, and mobility work to mobilise the spine and ease off irrita on of the scia c nerve. All the different causes of scia ca require different manual therapy techniques and rehabilita on programs for treatment. What are you waiting for? Ignoring your scia c pain will not make it any be er. Quite o en the body will learn to cope with the irrita on using the 'fight or flight' response. This is only temporary and will result in over compensa on from other structures to get you through everyday life. Structures which are not designed to do that job. This is when pa ents can feel Christmas raffle (money off vouchers and free sessions to be won) lethargic, loose their 'get up and go' and generally feel at a loss. Recommend a friend and receive £5 off your next So don't live in pain! Enjoy your appointment and their first! Christmas the way you deserve to…pain free! Visit us today to see how we can help you! Book an appointment before 1st January to By Elay Kucuk Bsc (Hons) Sports receive 5 off your next one! Therapy 4U
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR
From all of us here at Sports Therapy 4U!
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Developing the Mud Kitchen We have had a Mud Kitchen in our garden at Weston Way Nursery School for a few years now. Over this me the ground has become very worn and ironically has a tendency to get very 'muddy'. Last weekend we were very fortunate to have a couple of willing parent volunteers to lay some wooden edging and ďŹ ll in the area with small stones. It is now much less 'muddy' underfoot so the children can enjoy making their mud pies, measuring quan es, sharing and using their imagina on. I was given a bowl of carefully tended mud and informed it was a chocolate pudding. The child very quickly said, 'It is only pretend you know, you can't really eat it'! Jane Mille - Headteacher
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DECEMBER
2017
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Baldock Community Fireworks Event Went Off With A Bang!
Hartsfield School in Baldock hosted The Baldock Community Fireworks event went off with a Bang last month! The event was kindly sponsored by TAPPs Garden Centre & Firework Shop who put on all of the fireworks free of charge in order to bring the local community together to raise funds for local causes. It was also supported by The Independent Baldock Beer Fes val, DB Sharp & Sons & North Herts District Council. There were numerous volunteers who helped marshal on the night and we really can't thank them enough. The event simply wouldn't happen without their support. Local Cubs, Brownies and sold glow s cks, hot & cold drinks & snacks to raise funds for their clubs. Apple Tree Co age provided a wonderful Cider Bar and the school PTA ran that to great success. The spectacle was enjoyed under clear dry skies by just over 1800 people! Last year, the profits from the cket sales were put towards buying new Xmas lights for the High Street which you will already be seeing in the town, this year the profits will be distributed amongst the 6 schools in Baldock: Brandles, St Mary's Infants, St. Mary's Juniors, St. Johns, KTS & Hartsfield School . They will all benefit from a cheque of £500 which will help towards valuable purchases for the benefit of the children. 12
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Keeping Your Pets Active In The Winter Joint problems are very common in dogs and cats and can even affect young animals to. If you pet does get joint problems it can significantly affect his or her day to day life. As pets age there is wear and tear in the joints which 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. Another condi on your pets can get is Osteoarthri s which is a progressive disease which affect bone and car lage usually in mid to old aged animals. But also young and growing animals can also suffer from the condi on. Different breeds and sizes of dogs and cats can be affected in different ways. Some mes joints can become swollen or warm and your pet may bite at irrita ng, painful joints. Cats may groom themselves less because they are sore. Fluid pressure within the joint can also increase pain. That's why both people and animals 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.
Help your pets joints this winter
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There are many different ways to help aid joint mobility in your pets. Exercise management - Dietary manipula on Physiotherapy/hydrotherapy - Pharmaceu cals - Joint supplement Let's keep our pets more comfortable this winter and put a smile on their faces. If you have any worries then please contact us on 01763 242221 (Royston Vet Centre) or 01462 895579 (Baldock Vet Centre)
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Mascot For The Day
Baldock boy Tom Hammonds was up for the cup when he proved a lucky mascot for Luton Town in their FA Cup ďŹ rst round game against Portsmouth last month! Tom went into the Ha ers' dressing room to meet all the Luton squad and a er a pre-match kickabout with his fellow mascots, the nine-year-old got to walk it with his favourite player Danny Hylton and be part of the captains' handshake. It proved a perfect day for St Mary's Junior pupil Tom and Hylton as the striker set up James Collins to score the Luton winner and send them into round two - which one young fan was delighted about!
Are things a little slow? Its easy to advertise in On Our Doorstep Call Jacqui 07973 788 418 or
info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk
M. 07884 430741 E. claire@goodridgeaccountants.co.uk W. www.goodridgeaccountants.co.uk
Book your leaf clearance and Autumn lawn work in today
DECEMBER
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News From Baldock Town FC
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Remembrance wreaths were laid on the centre spot by 3 of the Baldock Warriors with myself on November 11th before the game against Hillingdon. James O'Connor with Georget and Euan Kingham represented the BTYFC and stood alongside the senior teams for the tradi onal minute silence. On the Sunday it was such an honour this year for myself and Lexie to represent the adult and youth teams at the remembrance service. We laid wreaths to remember the servicemen and women who have passed in the conflicts over the years. Which has made me wonder who, if any, of those young men, may have played football for the town all those years ago. With most of the youth teams playing on the Sunday, it was le to Lexie McAdam, the sister of Kian, who is one of our resident mascots. The U10's have done so well that they have actually moved to an older league and have already been doing very well and con nuing their winning ways! I will hopefully have a full report in the January issue with a roundup of all the youth teams! So our U10's are now called Baldock Warriors and now play against Under 11's and have won 2 games from 2! Back to the senior teams and it has been a mixed bag of results. We lost to the league leaders Southall by one goal on the 18th November. This was disappoin ng as we were clearly the be er team on the day. Having been the only team in the league to have taken a point off them it was quite frustra ng not to have won or even draw with them. It was very wet, and very muddy, the whole kit had to be washed 3 mes to make sure the mud came out! We went away to Peterborough Northern Stars in the FA Vase, we lost the game 1-0 but put up a very respec ul ba le! We had a tally of 20 goals in 7 games at one point! In the league we now sit at 5th place. We are s ll in 2 cups, the Division One Cup and the Herts Senior Centenary Trophy, both of the next games in these cups are at home. We s ll have our eyes on the league and winning that, and it is s ll possible. We just really have to pull out all the stops now. Fixtures up to Christmas and New Year 2nd December HOME to Wormley Rovers (Cup) KO 3.00pm 6th December HOME to Risborough Rangers KO 7.45pm 9th December Away to Bedford KO 3.00pm (League) 16th December Away to Ampthill KO 3.00pm (League) 23rd December HOME to FC Broxbourne KO 3.00pm (League) 30th December Home to Ha ield Town KO 3.00pm (League) It has been great to welcome Charlie Bowge from KTS who came along one Saturday and did a match report for us. He also did a great job on the tannoy and called out the team names. We also had Will Tomlin from KTS at another game who came and took some great photo's. You can see all of these on the Baldock Town FC website. If you would like to come and do some match repor ng or maybe you are a budding film maker or photographer, please get in touch with us and come along to a game. Entrance to the game is £5 for adults, £3 for concessions, Under 16's are free. We all hope you have a great Christmas and hope to see you at a game soon!
n O s ’ t a h W Baldock Christmas Fair
DEPARTING FROM BALDOCK
Saturday 2nd December 10am - 4pm the High Street, Baldock. Christmas music, Craft Stalls, Mulled wine& cider, food stalls, Wreath & gingerbread decorating, meet Santas Reindeer.
ASHWELL AT CHRISTMAS. Saturday 2nd December. The Christmas Fair in St. Mary's Church from 9.30 – 2.30pm. Unique and Handmade Gifts, Cards, Cakes, Art and more. Refreshments available and Carol Singing by the Church Choir. Winter Wonderland will be in the U.R.C., the Museum will be open. Guides will be gift-wrapping and providing refreshments in the Church Room.
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Festive Fundraiser Wednesday 6th December - Tapps Garden Centre
Letchworth Garden City Band Concert Friday 8th December, 7;30pm - Knights Templar School
'Winterlude' a Festive Concert Friday 8 December - Baldock Arts and Heritage Centre, High Street at 7.30pm, presented by Baldock Community Orchestra together with Hatfield Welwyn Community Choir. Tickets at the door or call Roy: 01462 730348 Adults £10; Under 18's £5; Under 11's free
Christmas Gift Day At Wool n Things Saturday 9th December Gift Ideas, Craft Stall With Lots Of Hand Made Gifts
Carols by Candlelight 9th December 2017 - two services: (1) 3.30 - 4.30 pm; (2) 6.00 - 7.00 pm. Mince pies and mulled wine. Ticketed event only. To apply, please visit our website www.caldecotechurchfriends.org.uk,
Memorial Day Saturday 9th December 10-2pm at the Shires, where anyone can come in to chat over a mince pie, mulled wine and can hang a bauble on our memory tree.
Weston Hills Conservation Day - Friends Of Baldock Green Space Sunday 10th December 10am Weston Hills
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.
Sandon School Christmas Market Saturday 16th December 9:30am-12:30am. Meet Santa & his elves at his grotto. Christmas gifts & hampers, homemade cakes, hot drinks and bacon rolls.
The Baldock Community Big Band Aka 'The Mobb' Thursday 16th December Baldock Community Centre Featuring An Array Of Music From The 1940's There Will Be A Licensed Bar
St Mary's Church Baldock 25th December 8am Traditional Communion - 9.30am Family Traditional Communion
Christmas Day Lunch 25th December Baldock Community Centre £15 Per Ticket Visit The Community Centre & Choose Your Menu If you would like to have your event included FREE in the next issue please email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk by 13th Dec 2017.
www.fabulousglampervan.co.uk email: enquiries@fabulousglampervan.co.uk
Tel: 01462 491035 / 07985315632 DECEMBER
2017
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a p p s Our pick of this month’s must have downloads Planes Live - IOS Planes Live Free is a simple yet powerful flight tracking tool that lets you watch the planes online all over the world and get up-to-date informa on on flights instantly!
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DJI Mavic Pro A drone so stable it appears frozen in time I have been flying drones for the last 18 months, specifically DJI drones. It's no secret that DJI have cornered the drone market from beginner to corporate use. From simply aerial photography to flying cell towers, DJI seem to have it all. As part of our recent Gadget Man Road Trip from Ness Point to Ardnamurchan, we took along a DJI Mavic Pro and Osmo+, in this review I'm going to be talking about the Mavic Pro. The first thing you no ce immediately upon taking the drone out of it's box is that it is absolutely ny! The rotor blades and arms all fold very neatly into themselves, giving it the appearance of a sleeping bat. Nature has almost always proved to be the most efficient designer and it seems that DJI has taken quite many queues when designing the folding mechanism. Having the Mavic fold so gracefully means that it doesn't take up a great deal of space and se ng up is very quick, there's no need to fixing rotor blades as they come fixed to the cra , so looking for that photographic moment is generally not lost as box to air me is very quick. The drone is flown using a very neat controller that connects to your mobile device using USB. Aside from using the phone, the controller also displays important informa on on a LED display which makes read informa on in bright sunlight very easy. Opera on of the drone is achieved via DJI's own DJI Go4 so ware or using 3rd par es such as Litchi. It was supremely simple to operate the drone and its incredible stability gives you a very confident edge when flying. DJI have placed the 4k camera and sensor at the front of the aircra , doing away with the underslung designs preceding it. By doing this means that even quick accelera on doesn't cause the rotors to obscure the display which is an all to common problem with most drones. The camera has a clear plas c dome which is easily removed to allow for clearer footage with less glare. The quality of the footage is jaw dropping! We weren't massively lucky with the weather especially in Scotland, but we were s ll able to produce some amazing footage all the same, even in grey skies. The Mavic can take s ll 12MP photos as well as video and can also be controlled by gestures and there is also a Wi-Fi mode with less features. Stability wise, the Mavic Pro is awesome. As well as GPS and Glonass stabilisa on, the drone also uses down facing stabilisa on using addi onal cameras. By referencing the ground, the drone can hover almost stock-s ll in the sky, it's quite unnerving to see. It also packs collision avoidance cameras too which is great when flying near to trees.
Flight mes are excellent being more than 25 minutes and the drone is no ceably quieter than other aircra I have used. Sport mode gives even greater performance and allows you to swoop around the sky with easer. DJI have included their Geofencing so ware or NFZ (No fly zone) features on the drone which avoid it being flown in areas that are either illegal or dangerous such as near to airports or stadiums. This is a great inclusion which hopefully will help drones to gain a be er reputa on in the UK press. Good drones don't come cheap and DJI have posi oned the Mavic Pro in the higher price bracket, however you are ge ng an exceedingly good aircra for the money. I tested the 'Combo Kit' which comes with drone, 2 ba eries, car charger, 3pin charger, controller, 16GB MicroSD and leather carry case, this comes in at around £1200, however there are deals without the added extras which bring the price under £950. Look out for Black Friday deals which bring the price down even further Ma Porter - The Gadget Man www.thegadgetman.org.uk
DECEMBER
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Jamie and Anders The men who grow your trees
Baldock Gardens By Graham Tapp
Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre
December 2017. We house holders and gardeners have a problem looming, well we quite a few problems but lets start with the most worrying, something that’s appearing across the country, it seems that many of the United Kingdoms local Councils are looking to charge extra for taking garden waste, I’m not going to get into the politics of it but rather try and advise on how we can reduce the amount of garden waste we produce or try to get taken away by the Council. There are different types of garden waste that are produced in the garden, we have grass clippings or mowing's, hard woody pruning's, soft tissue waste (annual weeds, soft wood pruning's, flower heads, veg waste) old posts, canes, tree roots, just about anything that will rot down. I would suggest that you do not try and compost perennial weeds as it is a very specialised process and has a very high risk of further propagation of the very thing you don’t want in your garden, I suggest that you do put that in the Council garden waste bin and give the problem to some one else. One way we can reduce waste from our lawns is to change to re composting our grass cuttings at the point of cutting , for those of us who can afford to change our mowers there are composting mowers available on the market, these are designed to cut the grass into very small pieces and blow it back into the lawn as a mulch this avoids any collection of the cuttings and effectively recycles nutrients for your grass to use. The mower does cut the grass a little bit higher than it normally would do but will save you time and money, also on the after sales market are composting blades for your existing mower , by swapping the blades over you can also mulch your grass cuttings, I have recently purchased a new mulching mower and wouldn't go back to collecting again. If you plan on continuing to use a normal cut and collect mower then you need to look at ways of composting your grass cuttings in a more efficient way, composting grass cuttings are always difficult they need to be mixed with something that will allow some oxygenation or other wise it goes anaerobic and slimy if you have a chipping machine then use it to chip your larger pruning's you can mix them in with the grass, you must remember to turn it every few days to stop the sour smell of it turning anaerobic, if you don’t have a chipper you can still mix your hard woody pruning's in but they may not break down in the first go so it may take two or three composting's, something else we could do is spread the cuttings directly and immediately onto the flower or fruit and veg beds but be careful to keep them thin so they can dry out 10 mm is more than thick enough, a word of warning if you have recently used weed killers , moss killers or feeds on your lawn be very careful to keep it away from any thing in the veg garden you intend to eat fairly soon, instructions on time intervals will vary so if in doubt a quick telephone call to the manufactures advice line will allay any fears. In my days of learning back in the late sixties early seventies I had to hand mix the lawn cuttings into several tons of Dads pig dung this when rotted down would go onto the rose garden and rose borders twice a year end of February and end of July. You can guess who was Billy no mates at lunch time. Wormeries are good devices for converting soft tissue and veg waste , don’t put kitchen waste in especially not meat products or you wont just have worms in your wormery, if you are considering using one use the specialist worms recommended, common earth worms will not work, never put any waste in that has had pesticides on it, worms will produce the most fantastic liquor for feeding your plants, it will need diluting and I was going to say to taste, that’s a joke that’s been played out in many a professional garden. Now what you have left over in the wormery will need to be de wormed so that you can start the next batch, a satisfying job if your not squeamish, the original recycling and they wont cost you anything. Something I learned from my Father in law is that if you collect up all the lovely free leaves that drop this time of year and put them into a bin about a metre round you can use a really cheap hover mower to chop them up this will do a fantastic job as long as you only put in 10 centre metres at a time, when you have as much as you want to do or a sizable batch scoop it out and stick it in black plastic bags, it will mould down to a really fine compost a proper leaf mould that is about the best soil conditioner you can get and its virtually free, he used to garden down in Kent on top of the North Downs a very tricky area of suffocating clay and flint that he mugged into submission with 60 years of digging in his leaf mould. Remember leaf mould contains virtually no nutrients so you will have to balance your cropping and feed requirements so your wormery may have to be bigger than you think.
Other ways of reducing the load on your bin is to burn some of it, I am not a specialist on local bylaws but I believe we are allowed to burn anything that produces white smoke from organic materials certainly not black smoke and defiantly not from plastics etc, please do not have an excessive fire try and use an incinerator and be very careful not to cause a nuisance, if in doubt ring the council first, then ask your neighbours if they mind just to be sure. Just about everything I have described will produce a final product that can be dug into, spread on or used in some way in your garden front or back, will save room in your bin and give a bit more satisfaction in your garden, the best way to save room is to eat as much fruit and veg as you can, give it away to friends and family . Christmas is on its way and will soon be on us, Christmas trees , wreaths, Mistletoe and decorative branches can all be cut up and composted as described above, we do a special tree recycling service at the Garden Centre were you can bring your tree back and leave it in a pile by our gate and the council will come and compost it for you, a big word of warning Christmas trees when dry are explosively flammable and are dangerous so cut it up and burn it bit at a time , the new year is not the best time for a singed new look hair style or no eyebrows. Have a great Christmas , Cheers Graham. DECEMBER
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01462 892041 22
DECEMBER
2017
DECEMBER MOVIES DECEMBER 1st - WONDER Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to find their compassion and acceptance, Auggie's extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.
DECEMBER 8th - STRONGER Stronger is the inspiring real life story of Jeff Bauman, who loses both of his legs when two bombs explode during the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. After regaining consciousness in the hospital, Jeff is able to help law enforcement identify one of the suspects, but his own battle is just beginning. With unwavering support from his family and girlfriend, Bauman embarks on a long and heroic journey to physical and emotional rehabilitation.
Answer-phone on both numbers & will return all calls
DECEMBER 14th - THE LAST JEDI Having taken her first steps into the Jedi world, Rey soon develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. The Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past as the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.
DECEMBER 16th - FERCINAND From the makers of Ice Age and Rio comes Ferdinand, the story of a giant bull with a big heart. he is mistaken for a dangerous beast and is captured and torn from his home and family. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team for the ultimate adventure. Set in Spain, Ferdinand proves you can't judge a bull by its cover.
DECEMBER 2Oth - JUMANJI Four high school kids discover an old video game console and are drawn into the game's jungle setting, literally becoming the adult avatars they chose. What they discover is that you don't just play Jumanji - you must survive it. To beat the game and return to the real world, they'll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, discover what Alan Parrish left 20 years ago, and change the way they think about themselves - or they'll be stuck in the game forever.
DECEMBER 20th - PITCH PERFECT 3 After the highs of winning the world championships and graduating from college, the Bellas find themselves split apart and discovering there aren't job prospects for making music with your mouth. But when they get the chance to reunite for an overseas USO tour, this group of awesome nerds will come together to make some music, and some questionable decisions, one last time.
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MGR Celebrations Continue We have had a very busy and exci ng me celebra ng our 30th anniversary here at Merry Go Round. Celebra ons included a Princess and Pirate party which was a great success. It was lovely to see so many faces old and new. Thank you to everyone who a ended and supported this event which was held in the United Reformed Church. Stanbury's Limited were kind enough to pay for the hall hire along with The Shirt Monkeys who paid for a Pirate and Princess appearance by Imajica Theatre Group. Various companies generously donated some lovely raffle prizes. Many thanks to TGI Fridays, Bury Lane Fun Barn and our local businesses including amongst others, Tesco's, Days of Ashwell, Priory Picnics, Hair FX, Logan's Den, Bows, Chrissies Beau es, Belles Bee and Beauty and Knights Templar Gym. The children helped to draw the raffle and enjoyed blowing out the candles on our fantas c birthday cake, kindly made and donated by Yana's Fab Cakes. All children were excited to take home a piece of the cake with them. As part of the celebra ons, during a very windy day, the children gathered in our garden to release balloons for our great balloon race. We have recently heard that one of our balloons travelled as far as Great Yarmouth where it was found in a sheep's field by a couple taking an a ernoon walk! In our back garden we planted a commemora ve cherry blossom tree donated by Tapps Garden Centre, along with a me capsule full of things chosen by our children. We wonder if it will be discovered in years to come? As that magical me of year is fast approaching, the gli er has arrived!!! The children will be joining in with lots of fes ve
ac vi es and all things sparkly! The Nursery children will be prac cing for their Na vity which they will perform to their families and our Pre-school children will be learning lots of Christmas songs for a Christmas sing-along with their parents. This term will end with our Christmas Gathering whereby all children are invited to come along with their families for a fes ve celebra on with the opportunity to visit our gro o to see a very special someone. We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new Pre-school children who will be star ng with us in January during our Meet and Greet session on Friday 1 December. If you are looking for a Nursery place for your child for September 2018, please call 01462 896322 or email info@merrygoroundunder5s.co.uk to arrange a visit and collect an applica on pack.
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2017
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5 minutes with... ... Laura Leonard from *Tell us a bit about yourself ? My name is Laura Leonard, I grew up in Welwyn Her ordshire with my amazing suppor ve family (who have helped me no end on the road to who I have become and what I have achieved.) I knew from a young age that hairdressing is what I wanted to do, I have always been very sociable and love mee ng new people; along with cu ng and styling my sisters Barbie collec on. It was inevitable that this was going to be my future career path. *Tell about your working life I started my hairdressing appren ceship in Knebworth, where I worked for 7 years star ng as a junior, then progressing to the salon manager and trainer. Then the travel bug hit me! So, I went off to Australia for 6 months where I carried on hairdressing overseas and gained some great knowledge in my me there. On my return I started working at The A c in Hitchin, where I worked alongside Kerry the salon owner, Fiona joined a few years a er I'd started and the 3 of us became a great team with a friendship that will last a life- me. Although I loved my me here my dream was to have my own salon and a er a long search I finally found the perfect shop, in the beau ful market town Baldock. *Why did you name the salon the red door? As a child I used to play post office and I would always called it 'the red door'. I worked in Melbourne for a short me and coincidently the salon was called the red door. It all just seemed to fit together. I've always said 'I'd do it' and now I have.
Welcome! Christina and Emma Emma our nail technician will be offering a £5 discount off nail services through out December. Christina our new senior hair stylist will be offering £5 off any non chemical service & £10 off any chemical service through out December.
*Tell us about your team Chrissie has worked with the previous owners as a self-employed stylist here for 3 years and I am lucky enough to keep her with me. Chrissie works Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays every 6 weeks to accommodate her expanding clientele. She really is a true gem to the shop. Chris na is our newest member of the team and has over 20 years' experience in the hairdressing industry. Not only has Chris na known me since I was 11, I worked as her junior where she gave me outstanding support and training to enable me to get to where I have today , she is a massive asset to the shop. Emma is our new nail technician and has great knowledge in the nail world a er working on cruise ships. Now in London, she is giving it all up to set up her own business under the umbrella of the red door, I'm so excited to have her here. *Why is hairdressing so important to you? I love that feeling of making someone feel good about themselves, we all need that boost some mes. To be able to use my crea vity to achieve this is such a great feeling. *Finally, Laura any big thankyous to make? There really are so many people to thank! My family to start because without my mum and sister, this really couldn't have happened. Huge thanks to James Reader, who has been on hand throughout the renova ons with expert advice and I'm extremely grateful! Marlee Dent for crea ng the perfect logo. I have some incredible friends that have given advice and encouragement all the way along and con nue to do so-so Thank you so much!
As a introductory offer we have some great discounts for Christmas and even some fab prizes to be had! check out the facebook to see all the offers and more @the.red.door.baldock.
Get Booking For Christmas To Avoid Disappointment
We hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a great new year love the girls at the red door!
16D Whitehorse St, Baldock SG7 6QN
***please bring this advert to redeem your discount only 1 per person not to be used in conjunc on with any other offer DECEMBER
2017
27
d e t a l e R t h Weig Health Issues? If you are suering with weight related health issues, or your weight is pu ng your physical or mental health at risk, you will be en tled to a 12 week course of support at Slimming World. The referral le er for this scheme is issued by your GP or Prac se Nurse. Book an appointment at your surgery in December and ask for a Slimming on Referral le er so that you can get started on a road to a Healthier you in January 2018 and it won't cost you a single bean! For more informa on and advice feel free to call Sandra Lloyd on 07716 761610.
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Slimming Sandra World Recipe Lloyd Supplied by
King Prawn Jalfrezi Jalfrezi is an Indian curry with a Chinese twist, we've added plump prawns to make it a 'fakeaway' to remember!
Ingredients Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
Low-calorie cooking spray 2 garlic cloves, crushed 4 green chillies – 2 deseeded and finely chopped, 2 split lengthways 5 medium tomatoes, 3 chopped, 2 cut into wedges 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp garam masala 1 tsp turmeric a pinch of sweetener 1 tsp sea salt 2 tbsp fat-free natural yogurt 1 onion, thickly sliced 500g raw peeled king or tiger prawns 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced 1 orange pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced 1 level tsp cornflour 1 large cucumber, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler, to serve
Method 1. Spray a deep non-stick frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a high heat. Add the garlic, chopped chillies, chopped tomatoes, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, sweetener and salt and stirfry for 3-4 minutes or until the tomatoes start to soften. 2. Add the split chillies and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the yogurt and 200ml water. Stir well, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by about one-third, stirring occasionally (the yogurt may separate at first but don't worry, it will disappear into the sauce). 3. While the sauce is cooking, spray another nonstick frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a high heat. Add the onion, prawns and peppers and cook for 5-6 minutes or unti the prawns turn pink. Add the tomato wedges and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. 4. Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp cold water to form a smooth paste, stir into the sauce and simmer for a few seconds or until it thickens, stirring constantly. Add the stir-fried prawns and vegetables to the sauce, stir well and bring to the boil. 5. Serve hot with the cucumber ribbons and your favourite rice.
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Coping With A Healthy Christmas If the idea of Christmas food leaves you panicking about weight gain and ruining all the hard work you have put in so far to keep the pounds off, help is here to enjoy healthy Christmas food without the worry of piling on the pounds! It's hard to stay on track this me of year, lots of par es, so much food and alcohol on offer how do you let your hair down without winding up a lardy ball of regret by New Year? Write a list of your favourite fes ve foods, be honest and think about what really makes your tastebuds sing, homemade Christmas cake totally worth it cheap chocolate shared at work not worth the calories! Being aware of choices will help prevent mindless grazing of food that you don't really fancy or ea ng for the sake of it being Christmas, take your me eat slowly and savour every mouthful of the treats you are allowing yourself, alternate alcohol drinks with water. No ma er how many par es or func ons that are on make sure to exercise regularly, as well as a great hangover cure it helps to counter any extra calories, it is also a reminder of how great it feels to be fit, so healthy goals stay bubbling in the back of your mind when faced with a Christmas buffet. Start a new tradi on of a brisk hour's walk on Christmas Day, then drinking champagne and ea ng that wonderful Christmas Dinner will not be so guilt ridden. It's all about balance. Don't buy extra food at Christmas "just in case somebody pops around” –when you buy too much food you feel compelled to polish it off, "so it doesn't go to waste". The supermarkets only close for one day - there's no need to fill the trolley like the world is about to end. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year from Kim Holloway at Total Therapy.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 30
DECEMBER
2017
Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity Hedgehog Hospital The hospital admits over 650 sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs each year and we currently have 200 hedgehogs in our care, many of these are juveniles who would not have made it to a safe hiberna on weight of 650g. They will stay in our care un l the spring when they will be released back into the wild. We are in need of the following items: - Newspaper - Meat based cat/ki en biscuits - Meat based, in jelly cat/dog food These items can be brought to the hospital from 10am daily and we have a food dona on bin at Sainsbury's in Letchworth. Alterna vely, we have an Amazon wishlist (www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/wishlist/1X9P26OY6V20K/ref= nav_wishlist_lists_1) where items can be purchased for delivery to the hospital and a justgiving page (www.justgiving.com/SWC C) for dona ons towards staďŹƒng costs, vets bill and consumables.
LAWN CUTTING HEDGE CUTTING LANDSCAPING PATIOS
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2017
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Remembrance Sunday Parade Sunday 12th November dawned damp and cold, but stayed dry and even brightened up in me for the annual Remembrance Sunday Parade at the town's War Memorial on the High Street. Over 600 people turned out including many veterans of all ages proudly wearing their medals, from young men in their thir es up to Bill Mintram, WW2 tank commander aged 99. The youth organisa ons were lead into place by the Royal Bri sh Legion standard bearer Al Hayhurst in readiness for the two minute silence at 11.00 am. The service was lead by the Rev'd Tony Ruffell, Father Andrew Holford and the Rev'd Chris Jenkins. Our regular soloist Richard played the Last post and Reveille, and was joined by musicians from the Knights Templar School for the hymn and Na onal Anthem. Represen ng the Queen was Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr. Helen Hanbury who laid the first wreath, followed by representa ves of the military, civic leaders and town organisa ons. As is our custom, the names of the fallen from the two World Wars were read out, many names s ll common around Baldock, with people thinking back to the young men from previous genera ons who gave their lives for us. We were pleased to welcome the Troopers Motorcycle Club who lined up their magnificent bikes for all to see. Councillor Val Shanley came up with the novel idea of decora ng a butchers delivery bike with poppies to make them available for the par cipants. One vast improvement for this year was the P.A. system kindly supplied and operated by Mr. Paul Culpin. Following the service, everybody was invited to the Youth Wing of the Community Centre, which was kindly opened up for us by Tracy Chapman, and hot drinks and biscuits (courtesy of Tescos) made available by 'the crew'. To find out more about the Royal Bri sh Legion Baldock branch, and to see more photos, visit h ps://www.facebook.com/rblbaldock/.
Details on Page 37 32
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2017
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Sweet Peas in November
Sweet Peas flourishing in mid November in the Bee and Bu erfly garden – other flowers too: zinnia, poppy, marigold, sunflower – I'm not sure how many bees are taking advantage of this extended food season but it li s our spirits and reminds us of the amazing resilience of nature :as long as we don't bombard it with pes cides it will con nue to surprise and delight us. Why not plant some seeds in the spring and see what happens in your garden/window box? Or drop by St Mary's churchyard and see what flowers are out any me of the year. Katrina Nice 22.11.17
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Baldock Rotary Goes International
A small party of members and their wives from Baldock Rotary club recently made a visit to the Rotary Club of To lund in South Jutland, Denmark to join in with their 50th Charter celebra ons.
Baldock Rotary Club has been twinned with the club in To lund for forty-eight years and over that me a number of close rela onships have been established. During the visit members from both clubs visited and made a charitable dona on to the Agerskov Friplejehjem in Mollevangen, a private nursing home. With one of Rotary's purposes to contribute support for sustainable, long-term projects in the community around the globe the chairman of the nursing home, Anne Egsgaard and manager Ruth Norgaard were extremely pleased when they were presented with a gi of £1,250 (10,000 Dk) by Egon Petz from the To lund club and John Hammond from Baldock. The charter dinner held in a local hotel, saw 78 Rotary members, wives and guests from To lund, the local club, Baldock and the Rotary club from the island of Sylt in Westerland, Germany begin the evening with tapas and sparkling wine. This was followed by an excellent meal and a er the customary speeches and three Paul Harris award presenta ons, the evening con nued with musical entertainment and finished with a late buffet. Overall, an excellent visit, where new friendships were formed and exis ng friendships extended. Rotarian - Paul Lucke
Annabelle Howe Bear got you a dancing cupcake
Happy 14th Birthday!
1st December
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
GLENN FIDOCK
BIG BOY 29 DECEMBER th
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2017
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Baldock Events Forum News Christmas is fast approaching and as I write this, the Christmas tree is already up in Baldock High Street and plans are well under way to commence pu ng up the town's Christmas Lights, courtesy of Baldock Rotary. We have been liaising with Rob Cusworth of Baldock Rotary and hope that this year's lights will be a significant improvement on previous years, in terms of both the area that is covered and the effect they bring to the town. Addi onal money has been provided by NHDC through the Area Commi ee and more businesses are signing up to allow lights to be hung on their premises. Rob s ll needs help to install the lights and if you can spare some me, even if it's just to foot a ladder, or carry lights, please contact Rob through us (events@baldockeventsforum.org.uk, such offers will be greatly received. The beginning of December is marked by the Baldock Christmas Fair; our Event Co-ordinator, Sally Ma hews, has been extremely busy and is planning a full day for everyone, including funfair rides, cra stalls and a fes ve bar. Father Christmas will be parking his reindeer and sleigh in the High Street while he says hello to children at St Mary's Church Hall and there will be live music throughout the day from local bands and music groups. We are also planning to switch on the town Christmas lights at the end of the Fair, so come along and enjoy the fes ve fun! Our next Forum event, the Baldock Beast Half Marathon, is already in the planning stage and we already have over 50 entries. Apply online at www.baldockeventsforum.org.uk/baldockbeast; we will have to guillo ne entries when we get to 650, so get yours in early! Richard Harbon, our Baldock Beast Event Co-ordinator has masses of experience in running events like this, so put 25 February 2018 in your diary and get training! The Baldock Events Forum con nues to evolve and strive to serve the community of Baldock through the promo on of a vibrant community events programme. We have considered a number of ways to manage this, but at this me, are unable to afford the cost of a full me Town Centre Manager. Instead, we are appoin ng Event Co-ordinators to run specific events, overseen by the Events Director (Caroline Lewis). The first event to be run this way is the Christmas Fair, which is being managed by Sally Ma hews; the Baldock Beast, on 25 February 2018, will be run by Richard Harbon and we are currently looking for people to act as Event Co-ordinators for the Big Lunch (3 June 2018) and the Baldock Cycle Challenge (15 July 2018). If you think you would like to step up and help your community, please let me know (jim.mcnally@sky.com); I will be happy to have a chat and explain how you can help. The Baldock Events Forum has also appointed a Market Manager for the Wednesday Market – we would like to thank Terry Cox for taking on the role as he begins to develop and grow our Market. If you have any ideas on how to improve ma ers in Baldock, please contact us at events@baldockeventsforum.org.uk, we would love to hear from you with feedback and offers to help us as we endeavour to keep this town's community spirit flourishing. Baldock remains a wonderful place to live, let's be proud of our town and its people!
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DECEMBER
2017
Cut 2 circles from brown felt and one of white felt.
Tree Decoration
Fold the white one in half and draw and cut a wavy line.
Hand stitch the white felt onto one of the brown pieces. Cut the other brown felt circle in half
Materials needed: Red felt or red buttons Brown, white and green felt Red ribbon
Cut two holly leaves from the green felt and 3 small round circles of red felt or use 3 red buttons. Attach each leaf on behind the red berries (felt or buttons) sewing both on at the same time. While attaching the third berry fold over the ribbon and sew both on at the same time with the ribbon on the inside of the brown felt while the berry is on the front. Finally sew the two halves of brown felt to the back of the other brown circle using blanket stitch to complete your Christmas pudding tree decoration – ideal for popping some chocolate coins in!!
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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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Councils North Hertfordshire District
Doctors Baldock Surgery
01462 474000 01462 892458
Dentist Victoria Place Dental Surgery
01763 313869
Emergency Utilities Gas Emergency Electric power cut
0800 111999 0800 7838838
Hospitals Lister Hospital Queen Elizabeth 2 EMERGENCY HEALTH
01438 314333 01707 328111 111
Library Baldock Library
0300 123 4049
Police Police
01707 354000
Public Houses Engine The Cock The Old White Horse The Orange Tree The Victoria The White Lion
01462 896111 01462 892366 01462 893168 01462 892341 01462 893153 01462 893134
Schools Knights Templar Hartseld St Johns St Marys Brandles
01462 620700 01462 895267 01462 892478 01462 892347 01462 892189
Travel Taxi - A2B Taxis Arriva Buses National Rail Enquires National Bus line
01462 228765 08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608
Vets Baldock Veterinary Centre
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01462 895579
Nurseries Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round
07980 400690 01462 896322
Plumbers A.P Hughes
07949 120911
Window & Door repairs JML Windows Reapairs Warrens Windows
Ÿ Ÿ
01462 892172 01462 896322
Play Groups Magic Moments Merry Go Round
Baldock Car Sales
01438 906300 01462 261401
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Quality Used Car Sales Finance Available Part Exchange Welcome We buy cars for cash
01462 757 344 www.baldockcarsales.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. DECEMBER
2017
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