On Our Doorstep January 2022

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

Issue 87 January 2022

Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding villages

Welcome Happy New Year!

As we write this we are one week away from Christmas, wondering where this year has gone and what 2022 will brings us! We hope that despite all the madness, you manage to have a great Christmas and spend some time celebrating with friends and family.

The Baldock Christmas fair was a huge success at the start of December with lots of stalls inside & out and a whole host of musicians taking to the stage including local legend G La Roche. A big thank you and a massive well done to Katy and Stuart Mathews, Alistair Willoughby, Tara Geere and the other volunteers who helped to organise and arrange this years event along with the Christmas tree and lights. The town looked great all lit up and complimented the Christmas tractor parade beautifully.

In case you missed it, yes, you did read that right.

Baldock's High Street was treated to the very first Farmers on Christmas Light Tour. 60+ farmers decorated their tractors with tinsel, lights and music ready to parade through Baldock, Letchworth and Hitchin town centres. It was quite the sight to see and all for a very worthwhile cause, all donations and sponsorship is directed to the Garden House Hospice. You can text TRACTOR to 70460 to donate £5. Here's hoping this becomes an annual tradition!

This year will be our first Christmas as grandparents - how old do we sound - and our first Christmas with the kids helping with the cooking.

Middle child has mastered the perfect crispy roast potatoes and our youngest is on dessert duty.

Fingers crossed I don't burn the turkey!

We were hoping for a couple of days away in January however that's looking like a no go so we're looking forward to making some more plans for 2022 to make up for it!

Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk or 07973 788418

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.

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2021

More Than Music I grew up as the middle child of five with an older brother and sister and a younger brother and sister on a large council estate in High Wycombe living in a three bedroom end of terrace with my parents. Aged around 8 years old I sustained a couple of head injuries, firstly falling off a bicycle and then falling off a garage roof. I then spent the next couple of years in a children's hospital in Marlborough. This was in the early 1960s, my parents didn't have a car and relied on a neighbour for a li to come and visit occasionally.

Returning to home and school, my head injuries had caused a loss of previous learning and I found reading, wri ng and maths a challenge.

However, aged 11, my parents gave me a cornet and I found that I could read the musical nota on where le ers and numbers foxed me. The very first piece I learned was Edelweiss with Mr Tiedemann, the peripate c brass teacher who came to our school.

There weren't many job opportuni es for me as I was coming up for school

leaving age, so aged 14 I took my BARB test with the army and joined The Royal Green Jackets as a musician, leaving for The Penninsula Barracks in Winchester on my 15th birthday. There were a plethora of cornet players, so for the next six years I played the French Horn. Aged 17, I spent a year at The Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall in London. I believe that having the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and play as a professional in the army changed where my life went next and opened up doors for me.

The last 16 years of my working life were spent working with children aged 5 to 16 years old who had a range of special educa onal needs including behavioural and emo onal needs.

Through my own experiences I was able to empathise and support them effec vely and also use my musical skills, to show the children I worked with that they could achieve anything no ma er what their abili es were.

In February 2021 a er an interview

for a volunteer role to mentor teenagers, I applied to The Repair Shop and a er a series of submissions and discussions, I took my very ba ered, dented and unplayable cornet down to Sussex to The Weald and Downland Living Museum where The Repair Shop is based. A er two visits and around 5 hours of filming my episode was shown on Friday 26th November and I was able to see how Pete Woods had repaired my 55 year old cornet. It was an emo onal experience playing Edelweiss again and one that I will remember forever. I have lived and worked in Baldock and the local area for the last 16 years and play the cornet with Hitchin Community Band and also provide the music for the carols around the tree in Baldock High Street.

with over 35 years experience

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LETS LOSE WEIGHT TOGETHER As we enter into the New Year many of us will make resolu ons to get fi er, but this shouldn't just stop at us!

Weight management is important for our pets as it not only adds more years to their life, but also will make those extra years more enjoyable. The extra weight our pets carry can lead to secondary health condi ons such as diabetes or heart condi ons, so it is important to begin weight loss as soon as possible.

We currently offer weight clinics in prac ce, where we can help you begin the weight loss journey. However, weight gain is not always due to diet.

Weight gain can be a sign of some health condi ons, so it is important to rule these out if your pet has gained weight.

To book a weight clinic or for more informa on, then please contact Royston on 01763 242221, or Baldock on 01462 895579

EUROPEAN CUP Quarter FinalIsTS The town of Baldock can look to the sport of Pétanque where success is connected. An unlikely match for sure but in Pétanque, Baldock has a club it can really be proud of. And get behind.

Baldock Town Pétanque Club have been crowned English Club Champions for 6 successive years, a feat unrivalled by it's peers.

Becoming English Champions brings with it a shot at the best of Europe.

Similar to football's Champions League, Baldock Town faced 25 other countries' club champions at the European Cup for Clubs in France.

At the 2021 event, Baldock Town faced an uphill task before they even got to France.

Due to the Coronavirus, a number of players couldn't make the finals and so a depleted Baldock Town went into the championships with li le expecta on.

However, the team of Steve Zimmerman, Phil Winston, David Plumhoff, Samuel Blakey, Sarah Huntley and Jack Blows made an incredible impression on the tournament.

Drawn in Group 5 with Lithuania, Poland and Sweden – it was a tough

group. Yet the team rallied and beat all 3 na ons, thus meaning the team topped the group and booked a place straight into the Quarter Finals due to being a seed alongside Luxembourg who also won their group well.

There they faced who England always face: Germany! It proved a step too far and by the thinnest of margins the Town were defeated, and bowed out of the compe on.

The club con nue to put English Pétanque on the European map and their ranking of 6th in Europe means they are making huge waves for English Pétanque and a reputa on amongst the elite.

The next challenge for Baldock is to win a medal – something they are closing in on.

Baldock Town full squad

e ‘Let's los weight r' togethe

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MAKING CHANGES FOR 2022 As we enter into a new year, we o en think about the year ahead making new year resolu ons and se ng goals we would like to achieve, to do this effec vely we have to be in the right mindset otherwise we may be se ng ourselves up for failure.

There are a few ways you can put yourself into the right mindset for success.

Have some quite me to help you decide exactly what it Is you want to achieve in the next 12 months, you have to listen to your inner voice, try to take some me to be quite lay or sit in your favourite posi on, making yourself comfortable and with closed eyes take some nice deep breathes to relax your body and ask

yourself what it is you really want and visualise or listen for the answer, this can be very empowering. A good walk on your own with your own thoughts taking in the environment around you can also be inspiring.

Star ng a mind-body prac ce like medita on, yoga or pilates to help us connect to ourselves on a deeper level, the more in tune with yourself you are more likely to come up with the right goals for you. Yoga will also help with increased flexibility, muscle strength, improving energy and vitality to help with selfawareness.

Going into the New Year with resentment and anger will weigh down your efforts to change, instead try to take this opportunity to let go of your anger and move on, put a thought between your feelings of resentment and indulging in rumina ng about them, by choosing to forgive the person who's offended you, move away from your role as vic m and release the control and power the offending person and situa on have had in your life. You may find it helpful to speak to a therapist, hypnotherapy is beneficial, forgiveness will benefit you far more than holding a grudge.

Being thankful for what you already have tends to open the door for more, try keeping a gra tude journal. Carry a diary with you to record whatever behaviour it is you want to change.

Look out for the cue, rou ne and note them down. Keeping a record of how you are doing you can see at a glance how much progress you have made and you'll be a lot more inclined to carry on.

When you set out to achieve your goals in 2022, chances are you'll have good and bad days, bea ng yourself up on those bad days will only make you feel worse and increase your chances of not carrying on with the good inten ons, by saying to yourself ok today has not been a good day but tomorrow will be ok you are giving yourself a posi ve inten on to carry on.

Try prac sing the affirma on I have in my treatment room, 'Every Day in Every Way my Life is Ge ng Be er and Be er' Wishing everyone a happy 2022 Kim Holloway www.total-therapy.co.uk JANUARY

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Screen this months new releases

OPERATION MINCEMEAT

THE 355 Out 7th January

Out 14th January

When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild card CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown will need to join forces with rival badass German agent Marie, former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah, and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela on a lethal, breakneck mission to retrieve it, while also staying one-step ahead of a mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng, who is tracking their every move.

The story of Operation Mincemeat is unique a bizarre and seductive cinematic blend of high-level espionage and ingenious fiction, where the stakes could hardly be higher. It tells a richly human story of the soldiers we seldom see, who fight a different kind of war in shadows and deception, haunted by the knowledge that certainty and guarantee of success are nowhere to be found.

Certificate PG

Certificate PG

Running Time 136 mins

Running Time 128 mins

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‘From

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THE BLACK PHONE

SING 2

Out 28th January

Out 28th January

Finney Shaw is a shy but clever 13year-old boy who is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of no use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer's previous victims. And they are deadset on making sure that what happened to them doesn't happen to Finney.

Can-do koala Buster Moon and his allstar cast of animal performers prepare to launch a dazzling stage extravaganza in the glittering entertainment capital of the world.

There's just one hitch, he has to find and persuade the world's most reclusive rock star to join them. What begins as Buster's dream of big-time success soon becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.

Certificate 18

Certificate U

Running Time 102 mins

www.sewingbs.co.uk

Running Time 112 mins Answer-phone on both numbers & will return all calls

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Thank You Baldock Rotary says “Thank You” to Local Community Baldock Rotary was extremely pleased to be able to resume its normal street to street collec on with Father Christmas, the Elves and the sleigh, before Christmas.

We know how much this event is enjoyed by children and adults alike and the Club was extremely pleased with the recep on and comments received.

Thanks also go to everyone who supported Baldock Rotary Club during this period with their me and effort.

As well as Rotary members and their

wives and partners, a number of community groups and members of the public gave their me to assist. We thank you all for your valued contribu on.

The Rotary club collec on at Christmas is the major fundraising event of the year and the money received will enable the club to make valuable dona ons to our supported local charitable causes as well as contribu ng to na onal and interna onal ini a ves, such as the Rotary Interna onal worldwide programme for the eradica on of polio, which is close to having achieved its goal.

Baldock Rotary President Michael Muir commented “that the Club recognises that people have made their Christmas dona ons to Rotary at a difficult me and we are extremely grateful for the generosity shown”.

The Rotary club also appreciates the kind words that have been said about the Christmas lights around Baldock town centre. This ac vity takes a significant amount of me, effort and investment by the Rotary club.

If you or your community ac vity has a project that would benefit from support from Baldock Rotary, please let us know by sending an email to our Community Services Chairman, John Wright at jfw123@b nternet.com.

Baldock Rotary is also looking to a ract new members, so if you are the type of person who is able to “give something back” to the Community, we would love to hear from you. If you are interested in any aspect of what Rotary has to offer, please contact us on our website, address below, or contact our Membership Secretary, Paul Redwood, tel. no. 07999 350990, email paul49redwood@gmail.com.

Thank you again, and Best Wishes from Baldock Rotary to everyone for a happier, healthier and more peaceful 2022 fingers crossed!!

Rotarian - Paul Lucke

ADVERTISING FROM £20 info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally

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

www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk villages

Issue 74 December 2020

www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.u k

Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and

Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding

JANUARY

of what’s on & where to find things locally

2022

surrounding villages

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BRING IT ON

All-New Ineos Grenadier

By Tim Barnes-Clay - Follow on Instagram @tbarnsclay

If you've never heard of Ineos, well, you're not alone. It isn't a brand-new company, but it is new to making cars.

So, is this a fad, or should we take the Grenadier seriously?

Imagine a Mercedes G-Class and a (pre-redesign) Land Rover Defender had a baby. Voilà! The Grenadier is born.

That is about as complicated as it gets to understand where this fledgling car manufacturer is coming from.

People might be fearful of buying from a new automaker and, o en, with good reason. A er all, Ineos is a Bri sh-based interna onal chemicals firm owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has a net worth of around £20 billion.

So funding isn't an issue, then.

So why cars? Well, if you're a Formula One fan, you may recognise Ineos as the sponsor that provides that dash of red on the otherwise allblack World Championship-winning Mercedes F1 cars. What you may not know is that Ineos owns one-third of the team, too.

Whether that gives Ineos the pedigree needed to produce its own vehicles remains to be seen but, credit where credit's due, it's gone ahead and done it.

Oddly, given the firm's rela onship with Mercedes, it is BMW that it's teamed up with, along with Magna Steyr in Austria – who build some Mercs, BMWs and Jaguars – to create the Grenadier. Ineos has also bought Mercedes' former Smart car factory in France, so it's clear the business is deadly serious about this.

So far, so good. However, while you may think the name Grenadier was chosen for its military connota ons, as if reminiscing about the Land Rover Defender's heydays in the Bri sh army, it was named a er Sir Jim's favourite London pub. So just as well it isn't called the 'Pig In The Poke'. Or the 'Bag o'Nails'!

BMW provides the Grenadier's engines, which is never a bad start. There are two 3.0-litre six-cylinders offered – a petrol producing 285PS and a diesel producing 249PS. Both come with eight-speed automa c gearboxes.

There are no performance figures available yet, but they're unlikely to suggest tardiness when they are revealed. The Grenadier has permanent four-wheel drive. As a large 4x4, it naturally has some body roll in the corners. But, overall, an excellent job has been done with tweaking the chassis to offer maximum stability on the road.

In reality, though, Ineos wants you to drive the Grenadier off-road – and you get a sense that it's staking its reputa on on the vehicle's ability to do so.

This could go badly. Given the links to BMW, the German marque might be famed for its excellent X5, but it has had some shockers in the past with so-called 4x4s that didn't work on the rough stuff (the original X3 being a good example).

So, can the Grenadier go off-road? The answer: empha cally, yes.

What I've reviewed is not the finished ar cle, so some tweaks are likely. I don't know pricing yet, but £50,000+ is expected, although you'll probably want some op onal extras to make the most of its off-roading capability.

It is rare that a new automo ve manufacturer comes along. When it does, it's usually four blokes on an industrial estate who don't last long. Or it's a new brand that's an off-shoot of an exis ng established manufacturer. Ineos isn't either of these, so this is an even rarer occurrence.

The Grenadier goes on sale in 2022.

Fast Facts – Ineos Grenadier 3.0 D as tested

Fast Facts Ineos Grenadier 3.0 D as tested: Ÿ Max speed: N/A Ÿ 0-62 mph: N/A Ÿ Combined mpg: N/A Ÿ Engine layout: 2,998cc sixcylinder turbo diesel Ÿ Max. power (PS): 249 Ÿ CO2: N/A Ÿ Price: £50,000 (est)

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ROGERSONS REMOVALS Happy Birthday

Barnaby Mullan

January 30th

4

Love from all your family x

Phoebe Jeffrey

14

21st January

Happy Birthday

Paul Tyson

LAWN CUTTING HEDGE CUTTING LANDSCAPING PATIOS

14th January

9th January

To Judy, Wishing you a very Happy Birthday Lots of Love from Matt xx Happy Birthday Update!

For my amazing husband Pierre, Love you to the moon and back always!! Love your Wifey Donna

Restart Now

16

Restart Later

JANUARY

2022

ASHWELL

WESTON

5 minutes with... ... Ben Marsh from *Tell us a bit about Marsh Detailing: We are a family run professional vale ng and detailing service, with a life me of experience.

From deep cleaning, to paint protec on & correc on, we do it all. *When did you start the business: The new studio side of the business opened February 2021.

Ben was previously a mobile detailer and decided the me was right to become studio based. We are excited to see what the new year brings and have big ambi ons for the business!

Watch this space. *Where is the company based?

Marsh detailing is based in Baldock, Her ordshire. Our studio is located on the industrial estate behind Tesco's. *Why are we different from the rest?

We have a wealth of professional knowledge in the industry and with some detailing services being so expensive, we decided to bridge that gap and make it more available for everyone.

We always go the extra mile and deliver a professional service every me. *Why not use a car wash?

When you take your car to the car wash, this immediately damages your vehicles paint work (swirl marks). This is caused

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We can safely wash your vehicle by using techniques we've gained over the years that minimises the risk of causing swirl marks, chemical staining and much more. *What packages do you offer?

A few of our most popular packages: Deep cleans - an intense clean of the vehicle in and out. Full exterior decontamina on from tree sap, tar, glue etc.

Inside gets steam cleaned, plas cs cleaned and treated, seats cleaned including leather and everything else we can get our hands on.

Paint enhancement and ceramic coa ng - removing 70-90% of swirl marks caused by bad washing techniques. This package gives your cars paint work a fresh look. Once completed, we seal that work in with a ceramic coa ng that lasts from 2-3 years depending on which one you choose.

Monthly maintenance washes - keep your car looking fresh and have it cleaned by us once a month safely and professionally.

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Email: info@marshdetailing.com Web: www.marshdetailingltd.com Socials: marsh detailing

UNIT 36 LONDON ROAD BALDOCK, SG7 6NG JANUARY

2022

17

Baldock Gardens Once upon a time, in a place far away, well, Canterbury in Kent. Two young lads were queuing for an interview, myself and Martin, who has been one of my most incredible friends ever since. The interview was to become part of the thennew "new entrant" apprentice scheme.

This scheme was the re-start of the Agricultural / Horticultural industries apprenticeships; without passing this interview, there was very little chance of rapid progression in our chosen pathways within the industry. Martin had arrived just before me and so went in first, and he passed his interview with the result given there, and then, so he was number 1, he came out, and I nervously went in. I can't remember much about the interview apart from there was lots of questions with nothing to do with Farming or Horticulture; anyway, I evidently impressed the panel as well, as I passed coming out as a New entrant apprentice, annoyingly as number two to Martins number one, something he reminds me of most times when we meet up for a beer. I have from that day been very competitive and always get wherever I need to be, early just in case there's a number to be earned.

Martin and I were also interviewed to attend Hadlow College of Agriculture and Horticulture. Again we both passed and were given boarding places, a position of great value not easily given nor gained.

Martin had the ambition to be the country's best Dairy Herd Manager; I had the dream to be the country's biggest fruit farmer manager.

On leaving our respective schools, we both went to our first full-time jobs.

I wanted to do a horticultural course, Martin Dairy. We were told that to do our specialist subjects, we were required to do a general agricultural course first, including day and block release. We worked our first jobs for three years before moving to Hadlow, taking just about every exam it was possible to take. We spent our block release weeks at Maidstone Tech doing Agricultural engineering, general machinery with the lads from the biggest machinery suppliers in the country Ford, Massey Ferguson, Class, and my

favourite County. Lunchtimes were spent across the road in our favourite public house, the "Admiral Gordon" listening to Rod Stuart and Elton John on the Juke Box, Ham egg and chips and a beer or two, then back to College for the afternoon. We spent many of our day release doing animal husbandry and veterinary sciences; not my bag, but Martin loved it.

Having completed our conditional three years in general Agriculture, we went off to Agricultural School with a collection of awards. One or the other of us came first in everything we did, me winning out with the prize for the best all-around student for the three years.

We discovered that we were in the same class and boarding in the same block. We would be doing everything together apart from when we went off to do our specialist subjects.

Hadlow village is situated near Tonbridge in Kent and was renowned for a large number of Public houses, which we frequented. The College, its self, had a great social club, rugby club, football club and cricket club. They were providing lots of guest ales which we had to try in the cause of research. The taste of the malted barley and hops is recorded in mental notes—something we have carried on to this day on our holidays together around the world.

The full year in agricultural school was hard work, but everyone succeeded and left qualified. Martin and I also with our apprenticeship papers.

Martin and I parted ways for the next year, him going to a specialist animal husbandry college, where he again got outstanding results; I returned to Hadlow for a second year to do Horticulture with a speciality of fruit production. My course turned out to be the very thing I wanted to do; we went on trips to visit the best fruit growers in Europe and had some of the top teachers who had worked for years in the industry.

I duly turned up for the interview to find it was for a job with probably the best up and coming fruit grower in the country. I was given the job being told that it was

mine at the end of the interview.

This was an eye-opener; just about every one of the latest techniques discussed in lectures was actually being used, with the most modern equipment.

About eighteen months later, I was headhunted by a grower who owned a horticultural market garden and fruit farm, an excellent chance to study vegetable production.

A year passed, and a position at The Royal Dutch Shell research station came up, and I applied and got the position. A valuable five years in a research environment opened my eyes to what could be possible.

One morning I received a letter from a young businessman who had purchased the fruit farm that surrounded his house.

The job of manager was mine if I wanted it?

Five years later, a manager's job on a farm twice the size came up, and I moved to do that. My dream job then became available only six months into this job. I cheekily applied, not expecting to get an interview, let alone the job. The manager of the biggest fruit farm in the country was mine.

My dream job.

Just under a year on the job, a family disaster, a massive car accident involving my cousin made me re-consider my life, and I quit to help look after his newly started business and help prevent it from going bust. I spent eighteen months driving a delivery van for him while he recovered. This was a chance for me to think seriously about my career.

Over breakfast one morning, I spotted an advert for a smallholding here in Baldock; the rest is history, as they say, and I've been here thirty-five years, just thirtytwo when I arrived.

As for Martin, he has had a very successful career moving around the country and now manages one of the country's best dairy herds with yields most would love to achieve.

If you have a dream, chase it.

Graham JANUARY

2022

19

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JANUARY

2022

Here we go again...

Two months of incessant Christmas songs in shops and the on radio is now all behind us for another ten months. I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

I don't listen to local radio in December in case I'm unfortunate enough to hear the opening lines of Sleeps to Santa. I've been caught out like that before, driving along merrily listening to the latest hits, then wham! on it comes, twenty-eight sleeps to go…Have you ever tried diving for the radio to turn it off whilst slurping coffee, drawing on a fag and indica ng le at the same me? It did not go well.

Avoidance is my only op on. Shopping has never been my thing. I'm the rare woman that any man would be happy to go shopping with. He's hardly has me to step over the threshold before I've whizzed round found what I want, paid for it and departed. If there was a Grande Prix in speed shopping, I'm your girl. When the Christmas tapes are being played I up my game, I'm like Sonic the Hedgehog on speed around the aisles.

We are now entering a period of New Year's Resolu ons. This is where we promise ourselves 'A New Me', healthier, happier, wiser. We promise that we will go back to school, we join a gym, a

slimming club, start a new hobby or project. By the end of the month, we look sadly at the half-kni ed scarf that we put down two weeks ago and sigh, knowing that we will never pick it up again. We've tried so hard to get to the gym, but life has just got in the way. We valiantly stood on the scales at our slimming club, but now we just can't stand to see another 'gain'. Why do we do it to ourselves. Why do we torture ourselves each year with promises we know we can't/won't keep? You may have guessed that I'm not a resolu on maker. Long ago I gave up any no on that I would be able to keep these promises to myself. I'm not saying I don't aim to improve myself; I think we all should have something to strive for, if we didn't, I'm not sure where the human race would be. S ll in caves, us girls being dragged by the hair by some fit caveman for a quicky before being eaten by some hairy beas e. Actually, that doesn't sound too bad does it, well the quicky part anyway, I'm sure no one would enjoy being eaten by beas es.

But I just don't enjoy pu ng that amount of pressure on myself, its doomed to failure in my eyes. This year, the same as many passed years, I will

raise a toast to the new year and say, ‘bring it on, what will be will be'. I will save my self-improvement for a me that suits my mood.

January is also a me to ba en down the hatches, snuggle up, hunker down and wait for it all to pass over. Muddy walks and jumping in puddles are all very well, but when you get to a certain age, ge ng warm again is nigh on impossible.

Saying that, a long winter walk followed by a few pints in a pub with a real fire is simply bliss, and something I mean to do more of. (This is not a resolu on).

Fortunately, although it may seem like an age, we will get to the end of this long month. Thirty-one days and coun ng. It may be dark when we go to work and dark when we come home, but we will see the light again. Can you imagine living in a country with six months of dark, followed by six of light, I seriously don't know how they cope.

On a personal note (who am I kidding, everything I write is on a personal note) I would like to say a big thank you to all of you who read this. I've had some really great feed back over the years, Paul and Jacqui keep the bad stuff to themselves, which I am eternally grateful for. I'm glad that I give you a li le giggle now and then and pleased that I appear to be on the same wavelength as you.

I wish you all a fantas c, pain free, happy year. If you've made those pesky resolu ons, I wish you well in your endeavours to keep them. But if you don't, don't panic, don't worry, there is always next year.

Happy New Year

Nicky

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2022

LEGENDS ON FORM THIS YEAR

Joe Allison climbing high Credit Adam Winwood

Letchworth rugby club first team can look back with some pride on their performances in the first half of this 2021/2 season in the tough London 2 league At the half way stage the first team or Legends lie third in the table with eight wins and three defeats . They have scored 404 points against 207 conceded and it is in fact the style of their play that has excited the Baldock road faithful this year .

The interlinking between forwards and backs has led to some spectacular scores o en going nearly the length of the pitch and though he has only had a rela vely small squad to pick from head coach Baz Basra late of Bedford and Northampton has deployed his forces well .

Having started with a surprise reversal at Priorians in September, the only game where they picked up no points Letchworth then

thrashed local rivals Datchworth and had impressive wins at Grasshoppers and then leading Her ordshire scalps Hemel Hempstead and Fullerians .

Although November saw two defeats on the road against leaders HAC and near rivals Streetonians these were probably two of the best performances. HAC who have conquered all before them usually by a clear margin of thirty points or more were held to 31:26 on their home turf a er Legends were behind by 21 points . Another five minutes and it could have been a surprise win for the North Herts side.

The Streetonians game was most entertaining for the neutral with no less than thirteen scores in the game ( imagine that in the soccer premiership! ) . Streets won narrowly 42/39 having converted all their tries to Legends two !

Ma ers were then restored with he y wins over Ruislip , Hampstead and Enfield all by 35 point margins and with some glorious scores .

It is invidious to pick out individuals but this season has seen the introduc on of “ colours “ es for consistent individual performances and to date these have been awarded to Oscar Robinson , Chris Gibbs , Alex Lennon , Hem Johal , Harvey Howman , Luke Mongston and several others in the squad .

With all leading teams at home in the second half of the season it can be hoped that a top three or even two finish is possible The following are the games at home in 2022.

Jan 8 Grasshoppers KO 2:15 Jan 22 Hackney.

KO 2:15 Feb 12 HAC KO 2:15 Feb 19 Streetonians KO 2:30 Admission is FREE and if it's entertainment you want you will not be disappointed !!

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Because Every Life Is Unique…

Gone are the days when funerals were a quiet and simple affair, a send-off to mark the ending of a life with family, friends and the community in a endance, coffins being selected by the Funeral Director and families being told what would happen on the day.

Nowadays the ability in which you can personalise a funeral is endless. It can be a celebra on of life, including elements to make it truly unique. Because that's what we all are, unique. The final journey could be a double decker bus, a Land Rover, a horse and carriage, motorcycle hearse or a VW van. The music chosen can really

show what your loved one enjoyed listening to, what made them dance and what brings memories back to those le behind.

Coffins choices have changed from wood to woollen, bamboo, banana leaf or even covered in a favourite image or family photos.

Sadly, for so many, these past couple of years have shown how different funerals have become, with limited numbers and many a ending via Zoom. Families op ng to speak of their loved one at the funeral without an officiant or simply music played throughout. But what hasn't changed is the care shown when a funeral cortège passes, streets being lined by work colleagues and the community, hats removed and heads lowered as a mark of respect.

If you know someone has lost a loved one, go out of your way to ask them for a coffee, call them for a chat, go for a walk or just simply a shoulder to cry on.

When sending a sympathy card share your favourite memory of their loved one or perhaps something they did for you, it may be something they weren't aware of. Kindness shows in many forms and when people need it most, show yours.

Donna Kenne - Shires

COPY DEADLINE for the February issue is 16th January

JANUARY

2022

25

Your Local Home Improvement Specialists

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Descript with Overdub - Creating a podcast using Machine Learning.

Since the beginning of lockdown, I've been playing around with an extremely neat suite of so ware from San Francisco based tech company Descript.

Descript offers an enormous amount of func onality for media crea ves, bloggers, vloggers and training companies by providing an all-in-one solu on to solve problems in the crea on and edi ng of audio and video material.

These tasks are performed by the provision of screen recording, audio and video edi ng and audio and video transcrip on, but the single most amazing feature is called Overdub, and it completely steals the show!

Overdub is a system that can change wri en language into spoken words, it allows for the selec on of a number of different voices and 'mood', such as 'stern', 'happy', 'sad' or even more.

However, it sets itself way above exis ng systems by allowing the digi sa on of your own voice. It does this by running you through a series of training lessons where you dictate a pre-wri en script. This is then uploaded and processed to create your own individual digital voice which benefits from a strict signup process to ensure your voice remains yours and yours only.

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In order to record a good copy of your voice, you will need to make sure you spend a bit of me se ng up your computer in advance, preferably in a place that isn't going to cause too much echo. I found piling up a few cushions around you works well. The resul ng Overdub version of your voice is only going to be as good as the recording, so it really is worthwhile taking some me to prepare in advance.

Once you have completed the training and uploaded your voice, there is a short wait to allow Descript to process everything. If this completes successfully, you will be able to select your own voice from the drop-down Overdub voice menu.

At this point, you might be wondering why we would even want to digi se our voices?

In my case, I record a large amount of audio for my podcast. I can then import this audio into Descript, which it

converts to text, linking each word to a chunk of an audio file. I can then edit the text by removing unwanted audio, such as 'fillers' or 'ums', 'errs' and 'ahs' from the recording. This gives a nice professional result.

But, what if I want to change words within my recording? For instance, if I have made a mistake and mispronounced a guests name or got a date wrong? Or, I might want to add a completely new sec on to the audio? This is where your digi sed voice comes in. I can edit words within the transcript and a er a few seconds, my transcript is changed, placing the new words or phrases into my recording. This is not simply a ma er of splicing a word I may have recorded in my training, it is in fact crea ng en rely new sounds using my voice as its fingerprint!

I have spent many hours crea ng content using Descript and found it incredibly useful and fun for my day to day edi ng, even without using Overdub.

You can try out Descript and Overdub for free by using this QR code.

Happy New Year and see you next month!

Matt WWW.THEGADGETMAN.ORG.UK

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2022

New Year – New You? Isn't that a phrase you hear a lot at this me of year!

Many people's first reac on when they hear it is guilt. Oh dear, I must make an effort to…lose weight, get fi er, spend less me on social media etc etc.

Is there always a li le guilty feeling at the back of your mind about being be er organised and having your affairs in order? If something was to happen to you, would your family know enough about your affairs to deal with ma ers that need to be sorted out? We all have so many things to think about these days – u li es/insurance/mortgage/mobile phone contracts/broadband/TV subscrip ons etc etc and that's without even men oning bank accounts, loans and credit cards.

Do you love a list? Some people definitely do; but even those people

maybe haven't made a list that would help family members if they were in a situa on where they couldn't ask you about all the companies you have accounts with.

If you'd like a document you can print and use for that purpose, please go to arkpowers.com/resources/ and you'll find our 'Useful informa on about me' sheet listed. Maybe print it off and start filling it in so that your family would at least have a star ng point…

That could of course just be the start of ge ng your affairs in order; what about your Will – have you got one, do you know where it is? Do your executors know where it is? Is it up to date?

Have you made your Las ng Powers of A orney yet? We should all make these while we are completely well – just in case they are needed in the future. If you're not sure what the documents are all about you should look into it so you understand how

useful they could be (to you and your family)! You can make one document to cover finance and property issues, and one to cover health related ma ers, but don't leave it un l it is too late as it would cause major problems for family members if you hadn't appointed them to help you while you were well enough to do so.

You will find informa on about these par cularly important issues on our website www.arkpowers.com If you need our help with anything please do get in touch – email info@arkpowers.com or call 01438 746977

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77 HAMPERS September & October Availability

2021 Campervan Weekly Hire Rates Well Baldock…. You have done yourselves proud again!!!

77 amazing hampers for the elderly and families in our community!!

It was a small idea that started some years ago and you have all made such a difference to many lives at Christmas!!

All I can say is a massive thank you!! Happy Christmas.

- Karen Stephens.

Spring

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Contact us for weekend rates and availability hello@kerb2coast.co.uk

YOUNG AT HEART CLUB We are a small social club run by volunteers, that meet from 2-4pm on the second Wednesday of each month, at Baldock Community Centre, Simpson Drive.

There is entertainment, ac vi es, local trips out and much more.

Many people feel lonely and isolated at some point in their lives for different reasons. If you are fed up with si ng at home looking at four walls why not come and join us?

There is a small charge - £10 per year and an addi onal £3 for each mee ng.

Transport is also available at £1.00 each way. This needs to be booked on the morning of each mee ng with the Baldock Community Centre on 01462 894109.

Please note our volunteers are not qualified carers therefore you will need to bring a carer with you if you are not self caring or independently mobile.

For further info please call Irene 07980063450 Susan 07999303185 Karen 07814516436 JANUARY

2022

31

Fighting Fuel & Food Poverty Help is available to those in need January can be a difficult month for some families and individuals. O en people worry about how to pay the bills as winter con nues to bite and homes need to be heated and families need to be fed.

The Baldock Futures Fund is a hardship fund which was borne out of the Baldock Coronavirus Support Group and we very much wish to work in partnership with other organisa ons who make small grants to those in need, so that we can reach as many people who are suffering hardship in our community as possible. We have the resources to do

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this and think collabora on is a good way forward.

If you are suffering hardship, please contact us directly, we will discuss your needs as a commi ee and give you feedback as to how we can help. You will get help within 48 hours.

If you are an organisa on who would like to work in partnership with us, please get in contact.

Apply online – www.baldockfuturesfund.co .uk or call 07815308124 Vivienne Reed – Chair of the Baldock Futures Fund

2022

Are You Ready For Your Extra Space

January Gallery

Please send your local snaps new or old to our facebook page or email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk G La Roche rocking Baldock

The Baldock Christmas Fayre team...

Take a bow Stuart, Katy, Alistair and Tara

Young Aurora, loving life -Chris Aldrin

Peacock visitors to brighten our day - Judy Bartlett Beautiful Baldock sunset - Louise Tapp

Young Beatrix enjoying a hot chocolate at the Christmas Fayre

Tractor boyz on tour -John Hyde

JANUARY

2022

33

Useful numbers Advice Citizen’s Advice Bureau Trading Standards Advice Samaritans

03444 111444 0300 300 8136 116 123

Councils North Hertfordshire District

01462 474000

Doctors 01462 892458

Baldock Surgery

Dentist Victoria Place Dental Surgery

01763 313869

Emergency Utilities 0800 111 999 0800 7838838

Gas Emergency Electric power cut

Hospitals Lister Hospital Queen Elizabeth 2 EMERGENCY HEALTH

01438 314333 01707 328111 111

Library Baldock Library

0300 123 4049

Police 01707 354000

Police

Schools Knights Templar Hartseld St Johns St Marys Infants St Marys Juniors Brandles

01462 620700 01462 895267 01462 892478 01462 892347 01462 892156 01462 892189

Travel 08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608

Arriva Buses National Rail Enquires National Bus line

Vets 01462 895579

Baldock Veterinary Centre

Nurseries 01462 892172 01462 896322 07736 124327

Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round Peanuts Preschool

Play Groups Magic Moments Merry Go Round

07709 618434 01462 896322

Plumbers Maben PE James

07949 120911 07816 586777

Window & Door repairs JML Windows Repairs Warrens Windows

01438 906300 01462 261401

Florist Blooms of Baldock

07747 195325

Locksmith Lock and Glaze

07737885528

Mobile Hair Dresser Hair By Jacqui

07973 788418

Funeral Directors Shires - CPJ Field Baldock

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01462 491149

2022