On Our Doorstep Baldock January 2023

awareness

to find things locally

Raising

of what’s on & where

Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding villages

Happy New Ye!

We hope you enjoyed the festive season with friends and family and the waist line didn't suffer too much.

Traditionally the New Year brings new beginnings, a clean slate and the perfect opportunity to set some goals. What will your New Year resolutions be this year? For us the goal will be to get more active again, following Jacquis accident we're hoping she'll be back on her feet unaided soon and can get back to all the running, cycling and nonstop hoovering she seems to love so much.

On the subject of getting active, the Baldock Beast is back in February! Perfect timing to sign up and give yourself a little extra motivation at the start of the year. Set yourself the challenge to train up and have some fun with the legendary half marathon or if you're a bit of a seasoned pro you can run to beat your personal best.

Hopefully the weather will be a little more tame by then too! December's cold spell certainly took us by surprise with lots of us having frozen pipes and trouble with boilers. But for the little ones the sudden downfall of snow was a dream come true. Opening the curtains and seeing the bright white snow covering the ground is one of those childhood memories you never forget. We’ve enjoyed all the snowy photos that have been sent over for the gallery page, there were so many we ran out of space.

Please remember, if you would like to have one of your photos featured on the gallery page, they need to be emailed over to us before 16th January for the February issue.

On another note, the Farmers Christmas Lights Tour was a huge success again this year. More than 200 farmers came together to showcase their tractors covered in tinsel and lights collecting donations for the Garden House Hospice. A great cause and a tradition we hope to see for many years to come!

Until next month, take care

Paul & Jacqui

info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk or 07973 788418

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Baldock Rotary says “Thank You”

Baldock Rotary was extremely pleased to be able to connue its long standing tradion of taking Father Christmas on his sleigh together with the Elves around the streets of Baldock and surrounding villages.

We know how much this event is enjoyed by children and adults alike and the Club was extremely pleased with the recepon 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 contribuon.

The Rotary club collecon at Christmas is the major fundraising event of the year and the money received will enable the club to make valuable donaons to our supported local charitable causes as well as contribung to naonal and internaonal iniaves, such as the Rotary Internaonal worldwide programme for the eradicaon of polio,

which is close to having achieved its goal.

Baldock Rotary President Thomas Odd commented that “the Club recognises that people have made their Christmas donaons to Rotary at a parcularly difficult me and we are extremely grateful for the generosity that people have shown”.

The Rotary club also appreciates the kind words that have been said about the Christmas lights around Baldock town centre. This acvity takes a significant amount of me, effort and investment by the Rotary club. Thanks, again, go to those members of the community who have supported the club in this acvity. It is good to receive posive comments and appreciaon for this work.

If you or your community acvity has a project that would benefit from support from Baldock Rotary, please let us know by sending an e-mail to our Community Services Chairman, John Wright at jfw123@bnternet.com.

Baldock Rotary is also looking to aract 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 for your support, and Best Wishes from Baldock Rotary to everyone for a happier, healthier and more peaceful 2023……………...fingers crossed!!

- Paul Lucke

Rotarian

painting the town blue Christmas Spirit

St Mary's painted Baldock blue for Christmas as they were triumphant in an A and B match against the green half of Baldock; Hartsfield. Both were very compeve football matches with St Marys coming out on top with 4-1 and 3-1 victories respecvely.

Our Boys and Girls A teams also put 8 goals past The Grange in two dominant performances.

The rest of our St Marys squad travelled to Lordship to play in a tournament underneath the floodlights in -2 degrees! Both teams played some lovely football with plenty of goals and some really great goalkeeping. Special menon to all of the supporters who came to watch in freezing temperatures!

Elsewhere, our year 4's travelled to KTS for a Mul Sports event. They enjoyed a host of different acvies. Their favourite was Wheelchair Basketball. One of our children said it was the best day of his life!

Our children have also enjoyed events in Cricket and Dane over the last month, resulng in a whopping 97 children represenng the school this month!

In total, 175 of our 221 have now played for the school in a sporng acvity this term. The children have shown great teamwork and self belief in their adventures outside of school. We are all so proud of them and their honesty and respect epitomize what we are all about at St Marys. Sco Hagland

Christmas Spirit

Weston Way Nursery School caused a sr just before Christmas as they took to Christmas Pudding making. Each child was invited to bring a special adult to join them at nursery as each group of colour adventurers worked together to add all the ingredients needed for a tasty Christmas pud! They followed the recipe carefully and as the final ingredient was added, the children took the opportunity to make a Christmas wish with their final sr. This nursery tradion has been part of the 'Weston Way' way for many years, and it was a pleasure to hear how it has touched the lives of many generaons at Christmas me.

If you have a child born between 01.09.2019 and 31.08.2020 then please get in touch with us as our admissions are now open for September 2023 and you may be joining us for our next Christmas Pudding making special session.

Templars Update

the decision in order to compile the true number of reported crimes in Baldock since change of use.

For those in Baldock who have been following the extension and proposed change of use for 20 High Street, the news that both applicaons were approved on the 1st December has provoked anger and frustraon.

The Local Residents Group who spoke against the applicaon at the meeng, together with a large group of objectors, feel let down by the planning process; the lack of consideraon to the objecons and the Councillors who pledged to support us. Those who aended were appalled by the weak debate of the panel who disregarded the safeguarding concerns of three head teachers from local schools, and who chose not to defer

The Council's decision is final and cannot be appealed however a complaint is being lodged on grounds of procedural impropriety and the Local Residents Group have requested an open forum with the Baldock Councillors for clarificaon since the December Town Talk was cancelled and the next is not scheduled unl March. They are also pushing for a meeng with Haven First and the local Constabulary to establish how best to manage the expanded facility and what can be done to meet the concerns of local residents and businesses.

In the meanme it is important that crimes and ansocial behaviour connue to be reported. If you have a crime number you can submit it via the www.baldocktemplars.info website where stats are being compiled.

On Sunday 26th February 2023 we will be hosng the very popular and iconic Baldock Beast half marathon. Set on quiet country roads to the East of Baldock, the Beast has a great reputaon for not only being wonderful to take part in and say you have completed but a race with a great atmosphere.

All runners who complete the race will get one of the sought aer medals and all funds will go to helping support community projects in Baldock. To take part, please go to:

The Baldock Beast (www.baldockeventsforum.org.uk/baldo ckbeast)

Can you tame The Beast? Baldock's annual mul-terrain 1/2 marathon:

The Budget Seven Seater

All new Dacia Jogger

Mazda is oen a brand regarded as being in the same bracket as the alsorans.

But, in many cases, that's oen a harsh assessment.

Some of its cars are top-notch, like the MX-5 two-seater, one of the most dependable and best-handling sports cars for years.

The CX-5 SUV is a different kele of fish but equally adept at cking the right boxes.

I tested the top-of-the-range GT Sport trim. It comes with 19-inch alloys, a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, DAB radio, SatNav and a 10-speaker Bose sound system. It also features a seven-inch digital instrument display, a head-up display, sunroof and a 360-degree camera.

You get brown Nappa leather with heated and venlated front seats, heated outer rear seats and steering wheel, too.

The two petrol engines are a 2.0-litre producing 165PS and a 2.5-litre supplying 194PS. But it's the diesel that was driven for this arcle: a 2.2-litre with 184PS and all-wheel drive, available with a six-speed manual or automac. It isn't massively powerful - 0-62mph

takes just under ten seconds, but there's a fing amount of low-end grunt, which is beneficial in a larger car, helped by its turbocharger.

The Mazda is quiet and reasonably refined – you only noce the tradional diesel 'rale' when you floor it, although it's responsive when you do.

My car had a six-speed automac, which is reasonably smooth but doesn't help it to really make progress.

Fuel consumpon averages 42.2mpg, releasing 173g/km of CO2 in the process.

The suspension is quite firm, so although it's not uncomfortable, some rivals offer a more absorbing ride, especially given the 19-inch wheels. The sffness aids the handling, though, meaning it's nimble for a vehicle of its size.

The body roll in the bends is well controlled, and the steering is nicely weighted, giving you confidence-inspiring feedback.

The driving posion is high up, and the seats are comfortable, helped by adjustable lumbar support. Meanwhile, the interior is pleasant and feels robust and well-built, but it's nothing to get you excited in terms of its looks.

The infotainment system is clear and quick to respond, controlled via a rotary

dial on the centre console, which is convenient.

There is a load of space in the front and rear, while the CX-5 offers lots of storage in the cabin.

You will be disappointed if you're aer a seven-seater, though, as Mazda only offers space for five, and the rear bench doesn't slide, but it does recline.

The model has a 522-litre boot, smaller than most of its adversaries, expanding to 1,638 litres with the rear seats down, which fold in a versale 40:20:40 split.

Mazda is known as a reliable marque, but the automaker only offers a threeyear, 60,000-mile warranty. It is extendable if you pay extra, though.

The CX-5 earned a five-star Euro NCAP safety grade and includes a host of systems. These include lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring, as standard, with the GT Sport trim also geng rear automac emergency braking and a driver aenon monitor.

verall, it's a very underrated car that's very capable. While it doesn't offer quite as much praccality as its challengers, the diesel gives it decent performance, added to good handling and a generous level of standard equipment.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

This is the me of year when we start to reflect on our lives over the past year and wish to make changes for 2023.

Tiny changes make huge results so why is it so tricky to change a habit? We all know deep down there's no easy route –it's hard. And it isn't fast: New research suggests that on average it takes about 66 days to turn even a small change into a roune habit. But it is possible. And even ny changes can have a ripple effect that eventually creates big results.

It is reported that 71% of us currently want to make a change in our lives, we would like to eat more healthily and exercise more, to control our finances beer, to give up smoking or to drink

less, to waste less me and get down to that creave project.

The key to change is the nature of habit forming which is defined as something we do repeatedly, persistently and oen find difficult not to do. Hypnosis has been used with great success for years to help people Change habits, lose weight, quit smoking...along with all sorts of other things, hypnosis is an exercise in geng your mind to work with your instead of your subconscious mind sabotaging your efforts to help you change.

To help you sck to your New Year Resoluons try the following: Carry a diary with you to chart whateve

r behaviour it is you want to change. Look out for the cue, roune 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 – making habit changes in future easier.

Ask for support, but only if you believe it will work for you.

Whatever you're hoping to change, do it daily, however imperfectly you do it.

Think of how you could replace a bad habit with a good one.

Think about changes to your environment that will steer you towards your goal e.g. have fruit or nuts to hand as a healthy opon if you are working towards a healthily lifestyle. Book that gym class you are more likely to go or find a work out/walking buddy keep each other movated.

Wishing you a Happy and Movated New Year from Kim Holloway at www.totaltherapy.co.uk

Otto is a sixty-year-old, grumpy widower with a very short fuse who seems to spend most of his time visiting his wife’s grave and making everyone around him miserable with his criticisms and judgmental behavior.Ayoung family moves next to him, and through the mother’s kind and plucky nature and the daughters’ cute, childish antics, their initial friction turns into a friendship that will bring an immense change in his life.

M3GAN is a marvel ofAI, a lifelike doll that's programmed to be a child's greatest companion and a parent's greatest ally. Designed by Gemma, a brilliant roboticist, M3GAN can listen, watch and learn as it plays the role of friend and teacher, playmate and protector. Gemma she decides to givea M3GAN prototype, to her 8 year old niece, which leads to unimaginable consequences.

Set in1920's LosAngeles during the transition from silent films to talkies and much like Once UponATime In Hollywood will be blending together fictional characters with real-life figures. Staring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, a tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

In the white-knuckle action movie Plane, pilot BrodieTorrance saves passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island, only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning. When dangerous rebels take most of the passengers hostage, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare, an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI.

The first morning of snow is such a wonderous thing to behold. You look out of your bedroom window and admire the whiteness of it all. If you are lucky enough to be out as it falls during the evening, there is the enhanced eeriness as everything seems to fall silent around you except for the crunch of your footsteps. I always find it a lile magical, especially around Christmas. I imagine that the fairy tale of a white Christmas has a lot to answer for on that note.

The kids are always excited, a lile over excited perhaps. They race to get out of the door in their PJ's and wellies, whilst we run aer them preparing to dress them as though they were embarking on an expedion to the Antarcc. They wiggle and squirm unl we have the bound in so much wool that the cant move. We then release them out on to virgin snowfall and we go and prepare warm clothes and bandages ready for their return with noses running and freezing cold hands. By the me they are done, the snow has all but gone, there is a strange looking pile of gathered snow which purports to be a Snowman but looks more like a giant ball with twigs scking out at odd angles with your best hat and scalf draped on the top. The garden looks like a bomb site with the various mud slides and scky up blades of grass.

I'm done with snow aer the first fall. By the me the day is over, most of it has turned to black sludge and is too slippy to walk on. Its just not fun anymore. Defrosty the Snowman is sll gently melng in the corner 3 weeks later with your brand-new hat and scalf drowning in a pool of brown sludge next to him.

As you are aware, I have to write this thing at least 2 weeks before you get to read it, so as it stands this is the first day of snow and the first snow day of the year for me. When we have a snow day, we are told that we must work form home. Before the pandemic this amounted to turning on my laptop, seling down to watch a good film and wiggling my mouse on occasion (don't tell the boss). Not now, now I have all the bells and whistles of a home office and no excuses. The one good thing about working from home is that my office is set up so I can look out of the window and see the comings and goings of the neighbourhood. I've watched as the kids in the road have had snowball fights and built a Snowman, I've watched as several of the kids went on a mission to build the biggest snowball they could. They came down the cul-de-sac rolling this monstrous brown and white thing down the hill, I was waing for them to lose control of it, but they didn't, so that was disappoinng. They have deposited the

thing right in the middle of their driveway so dad will be please when he gets home from work in the dark. Because of the snow, I can see who has decent lo insulaon and I'm wondering if being a good neighbour includes telling them that they really should invest to cut their heang bills down and remind them that we are in a global warming crisis. Greta might thank me, but I don't think they will, so I will be the other type of good neighbour and keep my thoughts to myself. I will also refrain from looking at my own roof unl the snow has departed.

It's just started to snow again, so I have a choice, pop my boots on and wrap up like Sco of the Antarcc to take Eddie for a walk, or remove myself from this window, chuck on another blanket and watch Bad Santa. Its not really a choice is it… poor Eddie.

From my family to yours, I wish you all good things for the new year. Please stay as warm as your lekky bill allows and keep an eye on those pesky neighbours. “For last year's words belong to a different language and next year's words await another voice.”

TS Ellio

Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

Dig or not to dig, plough or not to plough? This is the question.

I am still sitting on the fence on this one. So why is this even a thing? Well, for the farming community, there are some very serious reasons for this discussion. As you may be and should be aware, the profit margin for farmers is minimal, if not nonexistent. Even before the Russian special operation in Ukraine, the rising costs on their inputs endangered their ability to make any profit.

How, then, can any farmer guarantee their bottom line? Through bitter experience, I can tell you that it won't be by Supermarkets offering to pay more money for the products purchased; it has then to be by reducing again a cost from the production of their crops. Tractors pulling ploughs and cultivators are amongst the highest input for many, so minimising the cultivations could save some from financial doom.

Not ploughing or cultivating would mean a whole new farming system; along with this, fertiliser and chemical input could also be reduced if the Farmer accepted that they might have a lower-quality crop and, consequently, a lower financial return, an unenviable financial balancing trick. And now, we are all suffering from high energy costs, meaning that drying, storage and fuel costs have gone through the roof, putting more pressure on profitability. If you think plate spinning is difficult, try farming.

So what are the benefits from no or minimal cultivation systems? It has been known for years that soil fertility can be increased without turning it; soil needs air within for plants to grow, traditionally incorporated by ploughing and cultivating, but this can be done naturally by allowing the inhabitants to do it. Worms are the best we have at aerating the soil and are great at working in nutrients as well.

Nutrients can be acquired from growing an alternative crop during a rotational break year or an undersown crop that will die down over winter; having died down and settled onto the soil surface, the worms, as mentioned earlier and other beneficial insects will incorporate it. Natural bacteria and fungi will break it down into valuable elements for any future crop.

Is low input low return the way to go? I don't know; as I say, I'm sitting on the fence at the moment. Would I go back into farming? As it stands at the moment, probably not, and that makes me very sad.

Now to talk about dig or no dig, you have to imagine you are the tractor and your feet are the wheels. Compaction of the soil is what we are trying to prevent. Compaction causes a reduction of air along with no ability to drain, so flooding will be a problem.

Many of the things we need to achieve are precisely the same as do Farmers, the maximum reward for minimal input, so we gardeners can also go down the no cultivation and low input route. We need to reduce the times we step onto our plot, so it is essential to mark out the growing areas from the pathways; however you decide to do it, you must keep off the growing areas.

I prefer to use wooden edges as these will also hold the soil in as it rises over the years as you load it with manure or compost. You could use raised beds; these are great if you have bending or mobility problems and also very good if your garden has poor soil, as you could import good quality loam to fill them.

Like Farmers, we can include a rotation for our crops, so we need to have enough beds to enable this to work correctly. Most experts suggest that four beds will be the minimum required for rotations to work, so start with bed one = legumes, two = potatoes, three = roots and onions, and four = brassicas.

Legumes will need lots of well-rotted manure. Potatoes will need lots of compost, manure and fertiliser. Roots and onions will need lots of fertiliser. Brassicas will need compost and fertiliser.

How the rotation works is that bed one will grow legumes in the first year, brassicas in the second year, roots and onions in the third year, and then potatoes in the fourth year. Use this formula on all beds.

Some things that don't need to be included in the rotation and can be grown in their own beds year after year are rhubarb, asparagus and runner beans.

You may not want to grow potatoes if your beds are relatively small, so you can grow courgettes or sweetcorn instead.

The beds, raised or not, should be built no wider than will allow you to reach the centre without standing on any part of the soil.

Leaving potatoes out of your rotation will also allow you to keep true to the no dig or cultivate ethos; lite hoeing to remove weeds is not classed as cultivation, so don't worry about the occasional weeding.

Worms, as I mentioned earlier, are needed to aerate your soil. If you leave it for them to multiply naturally, you may be some years before the colony becomes large enough in numbers to do what you need them to do, and raised beds may never have any. The good news is that garden worms can be purchased online for little money. Do not try to use compost worms; they won't work. There are some very wellinformed companies to be found and lots of literature online or in some libraries. You will need to research the numbers per square/cubic metre you require, the variety and how much organic material you will need for them to flourish. Most suppliers will include instructions on how to seed the worms. I am informed that seeding is the correct term for spreading them within your beds, and you need to be accurate with your numbers and don't forget to keep them well supplied with water. They must not dry out. Don't just place them on the surface; ensure they are comfortably below the surface. Worms are fussy about where they live, and if you don't have enough organic material for them or you have just placed them on the soil surface, the chances are that they will just slither off somewhere else. The worst thing would be that the local songbirds or foxes eat them, a waste of your hard-earned cash.

I am just building a new raised bed system, as I have loads of good topsoil standing around, but I will still carry on digging other parts of the garden. As I said earlier, I'm still sitting on the fence

*TellusabitaboutHertsNaveTrees?

Wearenotatradionalgardencentre,weareasmallnursery specialising in growing and supplying UK nave trees, hedging & shrubs from UK seed source. We supply to the public,landscapers,gardendesigners&localauthories.

*Whereaboutsareyoubased?

OntheBaldocktoAshwellRoadjustoutsideBygravevillage. *How are nave trees and hedging plants different from others?

Nave species are defined as those that inhabited the landscape immediately aer the last Ice Age i.e., approx. 10,000 years ago. Well known examples include; Silver Birch, English Oak, Wild Cherry and Crab Apple. They should not to be confused with naturalised species, e.g. Horse and Sweet Chestnut which are nave to the Balkans and were introducedtoourislandsandwidelyplantedinthe16thc.

*People are much more aware now of the importance of planng trees but why should people plant nave trees/plants?

They are especially important because they co-evolved to support surrounding ecological systems, including buerflies, bees, beetles, birds, and other wildlife. If we do not provide the wildlife with the host plants they need, those species of animal, bird and insect will simply not be present anymore.

HERTSNATIVETREES

They are beer adapted to our soils, moisture, and weather than exoc plants that evolved in other parts of the world andthusneedlessmaintenance.

They need fewer ferlizers/pescides, use less water and arerelavelyeasyforpeopletomaintain.

Nave plants are beauful, oen giving just as much visual pleasureasexocones!

*WhatmakesHertsNaveTreesunique?

We grow from cerficated UK seed source (rather than from connental seed/ saplings/plugs etc) and we grow in 'Root Pouches' which are breathable, made from recycled material and which produce very strong root structures (than say plasc tubs/pots) thus healthy plants. This also means, that you can our plant our stock all year round provided you have given adequate thought to watering (see below!!). We also source the bulk of our growing mediums/non-peat composts from Cumberlows in Bunngford and enjoy working collaboravely with other localbusinessesinoursector.

*What should customers expect from a visit to look around?

I am always more than happy to discuss plans and or concernsandtogivegeneraladviceaboutthesuitabilityofa species in a specific seng e.g., trees for a small garden or hedging for privacy or trees for poorly drained soil etc. I am alsohappytodoafreesitevisitifitwouldbebeneficial.Iwill give advice regarding planng, watering and can recommend local designers/landscapers and horculturists whocanassistwithplanngandaercare.

*What'strending?

Wellaerthisyear'slong,hotSummer,Iamspendingalotof me talking to customers about watering and watering systems. We sell some kits and provide advice regarding alternavesindifferentsituaonsetc.

*Whatareyouropeningmes?

Although I am on site most days, we do not have regular opening mes like a Garden Centre. Viewing is by appt (just callortextmeon07703516914)Iamveryflexibleandlivein BaldocksoIusuallyonlyneedafewminutesnoce!

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Walk and Drink Your Way Into 2023!

Aer the Christmas period we oen all start to set new goals for the new year ahead, a common new year resoluon is oen to become healthier or to improve fitness.

The good news is we don't necessarily need to make huge changes to our daily roune, get a gym membership, or buy the latest exercise machine to feel that lile bit healthier. Oen the smallest of changes can make the biggest differences to our health, these could be drinking more water and or taking a daily walk outside.

Drink your Way to Health Water makes up two thirds of the human body, and is needed for digeson, circulaon, temperature control, immune funcon, skin health, lubricaon of our joints and for brain funcon. As water is required for so many of our body funcons, staying

hydrated can improve our health in many ways including boosng mood, boosng physical performance, improving memory, improving energy, improving brain funcon, helping to prevent and treat headaches, and helping to aid weight loss.

So how much water should we drink? There is currently mixed advice on the specific amount of water we should drink a day as this will vary depending on our acvity levels, weight, and gender. However, the NHS recommend that an adult should aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, but more in hot weather or if you are exercising.

Although water is the healthiest form of fluid intake other drinks also count. Food is also a good source of fluid intake including leuce, celery and zucchini have a water content of 90%. Also, citrus fruits, strawberries,

watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach,

eggplants all have a high-water content.

Movement as Medicine

Exercise does not have to involve pung on lycra and going to the gym, taking a short walk outside each for just 10 minuets can help to improve mood, increase your producvity, increase vitamin D levels, reduce stress, manage anxiety, help you to sleep beer, increase energy levels and lowers blood pressure.

We hope these small changes will help you to have a healthier 2023!

info@amberhealth.co.uk

info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

and

The English – iPlayer Paence is the key with this sprawling 19th century American western froner drama. Hugo Blick has a strong reputaon for delivering noir thrillers (The Shadow Line from 2011 is a first-class conspiracy thriller) and he largely delivers here. Emily Blunt plays Cornelia Locke turning up in Oklahoma with a bag full of cash, quesons, and a determinaon to find out who murdered her son. The backdrop of the wild west is visually stunning and Blick's film making and storytelling turns the old spaghe western stereotypes on its head with women and nave Americans being the heroes. As I said, it's a slow burner, characters come and go, with Rafe Spall's villainous David Melmont, who will resort to anything to get what he wants, a parcular stand out. Watch if you can in Ultra High Definion – it's a real treat.

Too much choice out there?

Spend more time deciding what to watch than actually watching something?

LET BALDOCK'S RESiDENT TV GLUTTON HELP YOU ON YOUR MiSSiON!

The White Lotus – Series 2 - Sky/ NowTV

The Emmy award winning dark comedy returns with series 2. Set in the ficonal White Lotus chain of hotels, the acon this me turns to Sicily where another gaggle of rich and privileged guests check in for their luxurious holidays. The only character returning from Hawaii in series 1 is socialite Tanya McQuoid (played by the wonderful Jennifer Coolidge of American Pie 'Sfler's Mom!' fame) who is a master of people watching from a seated posion, oen with a cocktail in hand, and is determined to be seen in the best bars and restaurants. The first episode begins again with the murder of a guest and what follows are the days leading up to the murder following the ancs of the self-absorbed, narcissc and loathsome behaviours of the White Lotus VIPs. Tom Hollander, Aubrey Plaza and Theo James are just some of the stellar cast. The seng in Sicily is scinllang, the fashion is eclecc and the dialogue just as sharp. The White Lotus looks forward to you checking in!

How Severance – Apple TV

If you're red of hearing your boss say they are passionate about supporng your 'work/life balance', and then asking you to work a few more hours to cover someone then let's hope they never propose an idea to 'sever' your work and personal life through a microchip inserted into your brain - meaning you have zero knowledge in your personal life of the work you do, and vice versa! That's the premise in this Ben Sller produced sci-fi straight out of the Black Mirror dystopian fantasy playbook that feels like, actually, the plot is not that far away from being a reality. Christoper Walken, playing a seriously creepy employee of the sinister and nefarious Lumon Industries, is one of the standout actors in this corporate sci-fi drama with a sprinkle of darkly comic moments too. You'll be grateful your office manager is not like the wardens of the corridors of power at Lumon Industries – where you can clock off for the day, but never leave.

With

The Local Community

It has been a busy first year launching the new Philanthropy arm of Leysbrook Estate Agents and Simon, Andrew, Andrea, Donna and I are thrilled with the work so far: Easter Egg Hunts in Baldock, helping a dance school get to their World Cup, supporng the Jubilee Big Lunch in Baldock, installing Inflatable Assault Courses at Letchworth Splash Park raising money for a Letchworth School and another at Eagles football club, donang to fayres and Summer Fetes, all topped off with a branded Bauble on the Christmas Tree in Baldock High Street. So 2023 is looking bigger and brighter than ever and I wanted to share some dates in the diary that are confirmed (and there's more coming!) – keep an eye on our social media pages on Facebook & Instagram for more informaon

Ÿ Charity Casino Night, Friday 17th March – raising money for Letchworth Rugby Club and Al's Pals.

Ÿ Easter Egg Hunts planned in both Letchworth and Baldock over the school holidays.

Ÿ Inflatable Assault Courses –Letchworth and Baldock – dates to be confirmed shortly – raising money for local schools and charies.

Ÿ Halloween Disco Saturday 28th October, in partnership with Baldock Events Forum, 7pm ll late!

Ÿ Sunday 5th November – Baldock Community Fireworks @ St Mary's Schools 3pm onwards.

Ÿ And more besides…

And I'm sll looking for more projects for 2023 and beyond! Are you a local group or charity that would like some event or project management help to raise money for your cause? Whether it's brainstorming and ideas creaon or event delivery – please do get in touch and we can talk about what might work for you in 2023 and beyond!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us here at Leysbrook Estate Agents.

Emma J Rowe emma@leysbrook.co.uk 07385601346

The Raspberry Pi 400

I've been checking out a great lile computer which is an ideal gi this year when shopping on a budget!

If you're in the market for a compact and powerful computer, the Raspberry Pi 400 is definitely worth considering. This innovave gadget is a Raspberry Pi 4 built into a keyboard, making it a convenient and portable soluon for all your compung needs.

One of the standout features of the Raspberry Pi 400 is its quad-core 64-bit processor, which delivers impressive performance for a variety of tasks. Coupled with 4GB of RAM, this computer can handle mulple applicaons at once, making it a great choice for producvity or entertainment.

In addion to its impressive processing power, the Raspberry Pi 400 also offers wireless networking and dual-display output, making it easy to connect to your

home network or connect to an external monitor. And with 4K video playback capabilies, you can enjoy high-quality streaming and media playback on this compact device.

But the Raspberry Pi 400 isn't just a computer - it also has a 40-pin GPIO header, which allows you to connect components and prototype your own projects. Whether you're a seasoned maker or just starng out, the Raspberry Pi 400 is a great tool for exploring the world of electronics and programming.

If you're new to the Raspberry Pi ecosystem, the computer kit comes with a mouse, power supply, micro HDMI to HDMI cable, and an SD card preloaded with Raspberry Pi OS. There's also an official beginner's guide to help you get started and get the most out of your new computer. And if you already have the accessories you need, the Raspberry

Pi 400 is also available as a standalone unit.

Overall, the Raspberry Pi 400 is a versale and powerful computer that's perfect for a wide range of applicaons. Whether you're looking for a personal computer for everyday use or a plaorm for prototyping and experimentaon, the Raspberry Pi 400 is a great choice.

I've really enjoyed using the RPI400 as a grab-and-go computer and its amazing value.

You can purchase the device at this address bit.ly/3W9k6IT or the QR code. Merry Christmas and see you next year!

The cra groups of Baldock and Clothall WI have been using their kning needles and crochet hooks to make hats and scarves for the homeless. Unfortunately, a local homeless charity didn't return our calls and the local branch of a naonal charity said they don't deal with the homeless (when their naonal tv adversements indicate that they do). So, these items are being sent to Ukraine where they will hopefully keep some warmer. If you know of any organisaons that we may be able to help please let us know.

Not all of our members are cray, so if you are or if you don't have a cray bone in your body and you'd like to join us we meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7.30 pm at the URC in Whitehorse Street. You can find us on Facebook, Baldock and Clothall Women's Instute or if you aren't on Facebook you can contact the County Office on 01582 834010 for more details.

You'll make friends even if you can't make anything else!

ROGERSONS REMOVALS

Turkey Bacon & Chestnut Stew

Feeds a family of 4. Ready in 20 minutes.

Method

Gently melt the butter in a cast iron pan or large saucepan. Once melted gently fry off the bacon lardons on a low to medium heat. You just want to render the fat out of the bacon and give it a little colour. Should take around 5 minutes.

Once rendered, remove the lardons with a slotted spoon, leaving all the remaining butter & bacon goodness in the pan. Return the pan to a low heat and add the plain flour. Use a whisk to mix into a smooth paste with no lumps.

After cooking the flour out which will take 6 to 8 minutes, slowly start to add the chicken stock.You can buy ready-made stock or use a stock cube to make the stock. Use any leftover veg trimmings and stalks of herbs to make the stock to enhance the flavour.

Add the stock a bit at a time whilst whisking to keep the paste nice & smooth. The paste should start to look & feel like a smooth, velvety sauce. Now add the mustard & cream. If you're on a diet you can leave out the cream and just add a bit more stock. Whisk until fully incorporated. Taste the sauce now and season with sea salt (or table salt if that's all you have) and ground white pepper. You can add more mustard if you wish. Add your cooked turkey. Be sure to shred it into bite-size pieces. Add the cooked chestnuts. Break them up a little in your hands before putting them in. Pick the soft herbs off of their stalks and finely chop them with a sharp knife. Chop the herbs just once and try not to go over them with your knife too much as this will bruise the herbs and they'll lose their aroma. Take the stew off of the heat & mix in a handful of chopped herbs.

Serve the stew with some lightly crushed & buttered baby potatoes, some steamed sprout tops & a spoonful of cranberry sauce.

You can use the stew as a pie filling as well if you fancy something different. This is a great recipe to use up any leftover turkey and enjoy the flavours of Christmas dinner one last time but have it a little differently. The best bit is you only use 2 pans and it takes just 20 mins.

Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

200g of smoked bacon lardon

150g butter

100g plain flour

800ml chicken stock

200ml double cream (optional)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

500g of cooked shredded turkey

150g of cooked chestnuts

Chopped soft herbs (parsley, chives & tarragon)

1KG baby potatoes

500g sprout tops

Cranberry sauce

Supplied by Chef Krish from Eight.

Happy New year everye

We know it's only January but we thought we would keep you up to date with our planning for the 38th Baldock Fesval. This year the three week event will run from Friday 28th April to Sunday 21st May 2023. As always there will be a vast range of events across a number of locaons in Baldock.

individuals who would like to help set up a new event please let the fesval commiee know, maybe you could match the beer fesval commiee's success.

The 38th Fesval will have lots of your favourite events to suit different tastes, whether that's alcohol, food, walks around with peeks in other people's gardens whilst admiring the numerous scarecrows, seeing the view from the top of the church tower, bell ringing, talks on a range of subjects, a number of quizzes, music or the street Fair on the Saturday 13th May.

You will have read in an earlier edion of On Our doorstep that the Beer fesval that has been held at Brandles School, will be having a fallow year in 2023 whilst they look for a new venue. The Independent Baldock Beer Fesval started as a challenge to a number of friends to run an event as part of the fesval and they achieved that and more, raising and distribung over £100,000 to local good causes. We are sll looking for new events, so if there are any groups or

The Baldock Fesval is now a non-profit community interest company run enrely by volunteers, we are a small friendly bunch who meet regularly throughout the year. We are always looking for friendly, like-minded people to come and join us in organising this amazing three weeks of brilliant events. If you want to join us then please get in touch via our Facebook page '@BaldockFesval' or via our email info@baldockfesval.org.uk

Hopefully see you all in May

Ali Willoughby Chair of the Baldock Fesval Commiee

Christmas Tractors

The weekend before Christmas saw the return of the Farmers Christmas Lights tour, 200 highly decorated tractors and farm vehicles all lit up like Christmas trees, cheerfully made their way through our town.

The procession started in Baldock and then made it’s way through Letchworth town centre before finishing the tour in the centre of Hitchin.

This event is held in aid of the Garden House Hospice , to help them connue providing their free specialist palliave care for paents, carers and families in our community.

You can sll donate: By text: Text TRACTOR to 70460 to donate £5. Texts will cost the donaon amount plus one standard network rate message or www.justgiving.com/campaign/xmastra ctors

Janury Gallery

" The Walkaholics" take a break on our annual Christmas walk today - Stuart Hopewell

Basket of Puppies Louis, G, Ed and Hamish Snow day!

Barr Family

Postbox topper outside the old Post Ofce in Ashwell - Allen Churchyard

It’s the Christmas Fayre Team

This years beautiful tree

Picture perfect Baldock -Charlotte Masters

Flossie keeping warm Coco loving the snow

Famous Black Squirrel

Buddy enjoying the white stuff

Georgia Sadler

Anita Martin, Paws Dog Groomer

Useful numbers

Advice

Citizen’s Advice Bureau

Trading Standards Advice Samaritans Councils

North Hertfordshire District Doctors

Baldock Surgery Dentist

Victoria Place Dental Surgery Emergency Utilities Gas Emergency Electric power cut Hospitals

Lister Hospital Queen Elizabeth 2 EMERGENCY HEALTH Library

Baldock Library Police Police Schools Knights Templar Hartseld St Johns St Marys Infants St Marys Juniors Brandles Travel Arriva Buses

National Rail Enquires National Bus line Vets

Baldock Veterinary Centre Nurseries

Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round

Peanuts Preschool Play Groups Magic Moments Merry Go Round Plumbers

Maben

PE James Window & Door repairs

JML Windows Repairs

Warrens Windows

Campervan Hire

Kerb2Coast

Locksmith Lock and Glaze

Mobile Hair Dresser

Hair By Jacqui

Funeral Directors

Shires - CPJ Field Baldock

0300 123 4049

01707 354000

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