June 2021

Issue 80 June 2021

Local celebs and best friends Mary & Piper by David MacDonald

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

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

Welcome

June is shaping up to be a month of celebrations! Tapps are celebrating the 9 year anniversary of their coffee shop and we're celebrating the 7 year anniversary of On Our Doorstep magazine! Our Jacqui is turning 50 this month, she hasn't quite got around to completing her 50 before 50 list given the last year's events so we're extending the deadline slightly! And to round off the month nicely we've all got our fingers crossed for 21st June and hopefully another easing of restrictions if all goes to plan.

We enjoyed our first meal out in 2021 last night and it felt great to be back in a restaurant (and get away from another night of cooking at home). Now we just need the weather to warm up a little so we can kick off barbecue season and actually enjoy the pub gardens!

A little bit of sunshine would also be extra nice for the Big Lunch. It's back in Baldock on Sunday 4th July and promises to be an awesome day with great food and entertainment for all. If you haven't got your ticket yet you can use the online order form or head the Pixie's or the Baldock Community Centre. This is also the first year that you'll be able to pre-book a table and chairs for 50p per person.

Unfortunately everyone favourite feature writer, Nicky, is feel a little under the weather so we don't have her usual mumblings for you this month. We're wishing her a speedy recovery, and hope to have her back very soon. We do however have another awesome car review for you this

month, from the brilliant Tim Barne-Clay.

This months car of choice is Audi’s new RS6, the family mans supercar.

There are a couple of fantastic charitable events taking place in the near future. The Garden House Hospice Sunset Starlight Walk is taking place to raise funds for the amazing care and support they provide.

Most of us know someone who has received some form of care from them so know just how important this is. We also have a piece about a group of local lads tackling the National Three Peaks challenge to raise money for a really special cause. Head over to page 34 find out more about their challenge and how you can show your support.

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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Baldock's 1st Community Garden The Nigh ngale Park Wildlife Garden started out in 2015 as a small project to clean up a run-down, unloved and overgrown sec on of Nigh ngale Park.

Since then, our volunteers have worked wonders and, though s ll very much a work in progress, we are proud to have created a healthy and welcoming public garden for both nature and our community, and we want to share it with you.

Whether it's a pre y place to walk your dog to, somewhere to bring a cuppa and a friend, or just a peaceful space to sit and enjoy the birdsong, the Nigh ngale Park Wildlife Garden is here for you.

Li le ones love our 'hopping logs', winding bark paths and bug hun ng opportuni es. Our recent Captain Tom 100 challenge brought us an evergrowing collec on of wildlife-themed painted pebbles and, in recent years, the children of Weston Way Nursery have

sown, grown and planted some beau ful flowering plants to add to our beds and borders.

We also work with DofE students to learn basic skills and discover the pleasure and value in caring for our community and environment.

But we are not done yet! It has been wonderful, par cularly during the pandemic, to see more visitors apprecia ng and enjoying the garden, and we now want to reach out to all of Baldock and it's surrounding area to invite you in. We might be one of Baldock's best-kept secrets, but we would rather be a known and celebrated asset to our town so please spread the word and give us a visit. With our seasonal plan ng there's always something new to see and with our growing range of fruits, nuts and herbs you might even find a tasty treat to take home!

Our li le volunteer team is a friendly group who always welcome a new face and extra pair of hands. We aren't experts and don't expect you to be. All ages and abili es are welcomed and you

can come along for any session you like for however long it suits you.

For more informa on or to find out when the next session is on, please email Annie at nigh ngalebaldock@hotmail.co.uk or call/text 07542 707947.

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JUNE

2021

Baldock Royal British Legion The 15th May 2021 marked the Centenary of the Royal Bri sh Legion.

Baldock Branch marked the occasion with a small wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial.

Branch President Councillor Michael Muir read the Exhorta on and Kohima Epitaph and the wreath was laid by Branch Chairman Peter Cherry.

The standard was dipped and a two minute silence observed, thankfully the rain held off!

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We Will Remember Them.

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2021

BALDOCK TOWN CRICKET CLUB

IT’S BACK The Baldock Big Lunch returns to the High Street this year on Sunday 4th July, and the Baldock Events Forum team have been very busy ge ng everything ready for the ‘Big’ day.

If you’ve haven’t a ended the event before, it’s one of the best social events on the Baldock calendar and a great opportunity for friends and neighbours to get together and enjoy themselves over some good food (especially a er the year we have all just had).

We have many local businesses and people involved including some of our fabulous food and drink outlets. Plus, there will be live music provided by G La Roche and friends and a variety of stalls and games on the day.

This year we will be providing a table booking system as part of our measures to make our event Covid secure.

Tickets are on sale now and must be purchased in advance from Pixie's Cafe,

The Community Centre or online at www.baldockeventsforum.org.uk/biglunc h. The deadline for purchasing meal ckets is June 18th. Don't miss out!

Come along, everyone's invited….

Opportunities for Young People One of Rotary's leading commitments, which is not as well known as other aspects of Rotary, is to offer young people opportuni es to unlock their poten al, build their skills, broaden their horizons and to recognise their achievements.

Rotary offers several compe ons for young people to get involved with and as a result twenty-two students from Knights Templar School entered this year's Rotary Young Writer Compe on; with two winners of our Baldock Club round compe ng in the Rotary District round of the Na onal Compe on and being awarded Finalists' Cer ficates.

Well done to them.

A new round of compe ons will be announced in July for the next Rotary Year 2021-22, so there will be opportuni es for budding writers, ar sts, photographers, filmmakers, technologists and environmentalists to demonstrate their skills. Other compe ons are for young chefs and musicians and there is also a public speaking compe on.

These will be announced in July on our Facebook page “Rotary in Baldock.”

Baldock also led the Rotary District sponsorship of our Global Scholar, Rosie Boxall from Bygrave, who is now in New Zealand studying for a postgraduate qualifica on on a project related to Peace and Conflict Resolu on, which is a recognised Rotary Interna onal Area of Focus.

Rosie has kept in touch by Zoom giving regular presenta ons to Rotary in our District.

Young Ci zen is an important award where a Rotary Club nominates a young person who is worthy of an award for their service to their community, overcoming difficulty and se ng an

example to others. President Paul Redwood and Club Youth Team Leader John Hammond recently had the pleasure of presen ng not one, but two cer ficates to Ranbir Dhillon who has been recognised by Rotary Interna onal in Great Britain and Ireland as both a Young Ci zen and a Young Ci zen Peacemaker.

Ranbir (now 7) was diagnosed with a brain tumour at age 4 and, even a er surgery and on regular medica on he remains enthusias c and is a posi ve role model. He is an ambassador for The Sick Children's Trust for whom he has raised funding (with a cake sale). At school he has encouraged everyone to act in a kindly way towards each other (Peacemaker) and his other fund-raising ideas have included a “wear a hat to school day”. Recently, Ranbir came to the Baldock Rotary Community Wood and planted a tree!

Ranbir's future plans are to host a picnic for other children who also have brain tumours which will hopefully become an annual event. If you get the chance to support this young man, it would be most appreciated.

Rotarian - Paul Lucke

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JUNE

2021

'Lets get you ready for Summer'

Return of the Titan

Audi RS 6 Avant

By Tim Barnes-Clay - Follow on Instagram @tbarnsclay

It's mad; it's bad, and it's freakin' terrifying. But terrifying in a good way – know what I mean? Actually, no, maybe you don't. You see, you need to have bo omless pockets to afford this Audi. Buying a car this expensive and this close to all-electric vehicles taking over the world would be madness. Or would it? I mean, maybe the latest RS 6 will become a collector's item – a rare V8 gem le in the cold, clinical world of automo ve electrifica on.

Ok, so I'm being a tad drama c, but you do need to view big performance lumps like this as the last of a dying breed. So, you'll either make a return on the newest RS 6 when it becomes a sought a er "classic", or you'll lose a wad of your money. Yep, I like to point out the obvious. Seriously, though – will you care either way? I'm not sure I would because I wouldn't want to let my RS 6 go – ever.

Heck, I didn't even want to let my press demo go. It's an addic ve estate car that just works. You get all your family in – and you can s ll burn all the pimply boy-racers off at the lights without trying. Yes, you can drive this Audi Sport infused motor like a

complete nu er, but the truth is, you won't. Why? Well, why would you need to? What have you got to prove?

Absolutely nothing. Because anyone with ears that work will fathom that the growling sound emana ng from this estate car means something special lurks under the bonnet.

I never got more than early 20s mpg out of the RS 6 during the week I drove it. I even stuck some of my own money into the tank. I don't do that o en with press cars – but the RS 6 is worth it. It's not a car you want to leave outside your house unused – it's a proper, spacious family motor with all the prac cality of the regular Audi A6 – so it begs to be driven. Ok, it's not that prac cal fuelwise, but I've touched on that, and I'm not going to bang on about it. If you buy a V8, you know you're not going down the bean-soup sipping “green” road.

Perhaps half the fun of running a gasguzzling V8 these days is the fact you're going against the grain. You're a rebel – or something like that.

So, the RS 6 is a five-seater, five-door estate – or "Avant", as the Germans call it – and this fourth version is perhaps the best yet. Prickling with the

technological achievements already supplied by the A6 Avant, the ho est addi on to the Audi Sport stable combines daun ng twin-turbo TFSI clout with features that make running this car slightly less painful. These include cylinder-on-demand technology and a mild hybrid drive, which help to deliver blockbus ng performance as "responsibly" as possible. Sorry, I said I wouldn't bang on about the efficiency side of things.

My bad.

The 4.0 TFSI engine delivers 600PS and will do 0-62mph quicker than you can say “self-isolate”. Well, it's 3.6 seconds, but you get my point. Be er s ll, and where condi ons allow (which is nowhere on a public road in the UK), you can see 124mph by the me 12 seconds have cked by. The Audi's top speed has had its “wings” electronically clipped to 155mph. But, come on, do you need it to go any faster? Actually, if you need to, then the Vorsprung variant will carry you to 174mph.

The RS 6 s cks to the bends like no estate car has the right to. The car's body is 20 millimetres lower than in the standard A6 Avant - and at speeds of

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74mph and beyond, it's lowered by a further 10 millimetres. At the other end of the spectrum, a li mode is on hand to raise the Audi by 20 millimetres for lowspeed motoring. The broad spread of the RS sport air suspension offers you a free choice between longdistance contentment and all-out performance.

Throughout the 25-year RS history, Audi's RS 6 Avant is one of the German firm's unadulterated icons and boasts a massive global fan base. You won't go far wrong if you buy one – and, let's face it if this

pandemic's shown us anything, shouldn't we realise our dreams when we have the opportunity? A er all, none of us knows what's around the corner.

Fast Facts Audi RS 6 Avant Qua ro Tiptronic as tested: Ÿ Max speed: 155mph Ÿ 0-62 mph: 3.6 secs Ÿ Combined mpg: 22.6 Ÿ Engine Layout: 3996cc eight-cylinder turbo petrol Ÿ Max. power (PS): 600 Ÿ CO2: 283 g/km Ÿ Price: £100,035

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JUNE

2021

Keep Your Rabbits Safe From Flystrike Flystrike is a most distressing condi on that can affect any animal, and unless it is caught quickly, it can be a very painful killer. Rabbits are very suscep ble, especially if they have a problem that makes it hard for them to keep their rearends clean and owners need to be vigilant.

Unfortunately, the fly's are a racted to the smells of blood, faeces and urine, and they will lay their eggs on an animal that is injured or dirty. When the maggots begin to feast on the flesh of an animal, the results can be catastrophic, and it can all happen surprisingly quickly.

Rabbits are par cularly suscep ble to flystrike especially if they are unable to keep themselves clean of urine and faeces. Urinary infec on or bladder stones can cause urine dribbling, which soaks the fur with urine and unfortunately a racts fly's. Obesity can make it impossible for a rabbit to clean urine or faeces from its fur, other

condi ons such as arthri s can make it very difficult for a rabbit to squat properly when it toilets and the fur can then become soiled. Also painful dental problems can also make a rabbit reluctant or unable to clean itself properly and can also result in a soiled bo om.

The onus is en rely on owners to keep a regular check on their rabbits. But even healthy, ac ve rabbits get dirty bo oms from me to me. So regular checks must be done and even more in the summer months, try ge ng in to the habit of checking them at least twice per day. It takes only a few hours from fly's laying eggs to maggots hatching and ea ng into a rabbit's flesh and once they are established, huge damage can be done, from which many rabbits don't recover.

Generally maggots will need to be removed surgically. So take your rabbit to your local Vets so they can start removing the maggots and trea ng your rabbit as

soon as possible.

Rou nes to help prevent flystrike Ÿ Check your rabbit 's bo om daily Ÿ Remove any faeces Ÿ Wash and dry bo om if required Ÿ Change dirty bedding Ÿ If your rabbit has medical problems take it to your Vet For any further advice then please contact Royston Veterinary Centre on 01763 242221 or Baldock Veterinary Centre on 01462 895579

Advertising from £20 per Issue info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally

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

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

of what’s on & where to find things locally

Issue 74 December 2020

www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co. uk

Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and

surrounding villages

LOOKING AFTER YOUR PETS

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2021

13

CONFLICT WITHIN RELATIONSHIPS There is a lot of publicity at the moment for 'Britain Get Talking' to help Mental Wellness which can be affected when there is conflict within rela onships, it is perfectly normal for there to be conflict in rela onships, we are not always going to agree with one another and it's healthy for us to challenge each other and learn to see things from other people's perspec ve.

When conflict becomes a constant presence in rela onships and the arguments taking place do so with malice, anger and li le sense of resolu on it may be me to step back and ques on things. Having an honest conversa on with the other person is a

great place to start. You may be able to uncover some hidden tensions or resentments that are driving the frequent conflict. Some mes when we argue with people, we're repea ng pa erns, if you've ever felt like you have had the same argument again and again, you will understand what I mean. These pa erns can come from our subconscious and may even be something our younger selves are ba ling with internally.

When taking the me to talk about your conflicts bear these ps in mind. Ÿ Create a welcoming environment for open communica on Ÿ Maintain a calm and respec ul demeanour during heated conversa ons Ÿ Get to the root of the problem Ÿ Watch out for arguments that stem from a need for control Ÿ Find some middle-ground Ÿ Agree to disagree and choose your ba les Ÿ Don't get defensive, don't hammer your point, don't try to win. Why would you want your partner, the person you love to lose? When you accept that there are no losers in love, you can let go of pe y arguments and embrace healthy communica on.

Talking is one of the best ways we can look a er our mental wellbeing. But a lot of the me there are barriers which hold us back from having more deeper and meaningful chats. Whether that's not having the me, finding it uncomfortable or not knowing how to open up, hypnotherapy can help you get to the root of your conflict, it can help you determine if there are any pa erns of behaviour stored in your subconscious that are contribu ng to the conflict.

Hypnotherapy can also help you learn to cope with conflict and manage difficult emo ons more easily, it can help you build confidence and ask for what you need, something that is so important in rela onships.

Communica on is vital and hypnotherapy may well be able to you with this.

Kim Holloway www.total-therapy.co.uk JUNE

2021

15

5 minutes with...

E S T .2 0 1 7

... Jacqui from *Tell us a bit about yourselves.

We are a husband and wife team that have lived in Baldock for around 30 years. All three of our children grew up in the town and a ended the local schools. *Where did the inspira on come from to start Kerb2Coast?

Well, 6 years ago we’d been invited to visited friends who were camping in Cornwall and to be honest the thought of wet tents, dodgy weather and sleeping on the ground didn’t really appeal to us. We ended up borrowing a VW camper van from a friend and, to cut a long story short, we were hooked! We loved everything about it and came to the conclusion that most people probably would too.

On the drive home we discussed the idea of buying one of our own and start a camper van hire business. *What makes these vans so special?

Our camper vans are VW California Oceans, which are made in the Volkswagen factory, unlike the conversions that have been carried out by an independent companies or individuals. The Ocean edi on also includes an electric roof which rises at the touch of a bu on giving you a second story bed or full standing space. The camper vans themselves are based on a on short wheel base VW Transporter, so unlike the larger motorhomes, they are small enough to park in a standard car parking space and low enough to go under most height restric ons, which makes them the perfect size really. On the inside they have a fi ed fridge, dual ring gas hob, a sink with running water, a pull out table for dining inside. In addi on there’s also a wind-out awning and a portable table and chairs tucked away discreetly in the van for days you fancy dining al fresco.

KERB 2 COAST CAMPER VAN HIRE

Two adults and two children can sleep comfortably and don’t worry there’s a diesel auxiliary heater if it gets a li le chilly at night. *Does it feel like you’re driving a van?

No, to be honest it’s like driving a large modern high end car, the front cabin is very comfortable and the drive is incredibly smooth.

All the vehicles have the VW automa c braking system, automa c gearboxes, satnav with car play and bluetooth. *Do you only offer 7 night breaks?

During school holidays there is minimum 7 night booking policy, but throughout the rest of the year we also offer long weekends and mid-week hires but it’s always worth calling or emailing as some mes there’s last minute availability. *Are pets allowed in the campers?

Not at the moment, we made the decision to have a no pet policy due to customers’ allergies etc. Saying that we have had so many enquiries asking about pets, that we will soon be adding a new camper to the fleet which will be ‘pet friendly’. * What’s you favourite thing about the campervans?

Apart from making memories, we love the freedom and convenience of the campers, just pull up, park and you’re all set. If you’re moving on the following day, just lower the roof and you’re off... home is where you park it. *Do you have any availability for this year’s summer months?

Yes we do however bookings are filling up fast! For customers who aren’t restricted by school holidays September is another great op on with more availability, plus our off-peak prices kick in from 1st September. Give us a call and we’ll do our best to book you in.

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2021

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ROGERSONS REMOVALS

15

Happy Birthday

Gregor Lots of love Mum, Dad & Callum

June 16th

LAWN CUTTING HEDGE CUTTING LANDSCAPING PATIOS

15 ASHWELL

Richard

I hope you have the best day, you deserve it.

Love you loads Linda, Angel and Amber Xxx 16th June Happy Birthday

Gordon Mead Love from Anita Victoria and Joshua XX

8th june

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JUNE

2021

WESTON

DID YOU KNOW THAT? Ÿ Stepchildren don't have the same rights as natural children

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– they'd only inherit if you'd made a Will specifying that you wanted them to. Ÿ While you are separated but not divorced, your estranged spouse is your next of kin and could inherit everything if you don't update or make a Will. Ÿ You can protect your home from third par es by including a simple Trust in your Will. Ÿ If something happened to you and you lost mental capacity, your spouse wouldn't be allowed to help with your finances unless you'd made a Las ng Power of A orney (LPA) while you were well, appoin ng them as your a orney. Without an LPA they'd have to go through a long, expensive court process before they'd be able to help you - in the mean me all your accounts (including joint ones) would be frozen! Ÿ There is an LPA for Health & Welfare – this would give people you trust the right to talk to medical professionals on your behalf, as if they were you, if you weren't well enough to do that.

If any of these issues have been worrying you, contact us so we can offer solu ons. A R K Las ng Powers & Wills is a family-run business offering expert, jargon-free advice without obliga on. We are a local company, helping local people.

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2021

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Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp June 2021 Allelopathy, most people can't say it let alone know what it is!

It is a plant phenomenon, a process where one plant inhibits the growth of another or interferes with it chemically to reduce the other plant's ability to germinate, grow or thrive.

The chemicals produced are called allelochemicals and are good or bad depending on whether they need to help or hinder the plants local to the plant making them.

The chemicals can be passed through the soil, through the air, or it is thought by contact a bit like us getting stung by nettles.

Plant allelopathy is something most gardeners may have become aware of but not known what it was; maybe it never occurred to them what was going on. We often get a batch of seed that we direct sow that does not germinate; I have had many, and I expect, like me, you have just rolled your eyes, re-cultivated the patch, and put something else in. It seems that it may not have been what we blamed for it; it may not have been over fertilising, manuring, watering, slugs, snails or bad seed.

It could be something we had grown there before or something we have dug in, like some green manures.

So here's a thing, green manures have been used for millennia, not just for their ability to contribute to soil fertility and texture but to reduce weeds. It would appear that we all thought it was the sheer mass of the green manure that swamped the weeds. It seems not; it may have been chemical warfare, the interaction of the roots poisoning the weeds, and then the mowing off of the green manure will have caused poison to leach from the composting foliage then when we had done with it. It was time to dig it in; it will have broken down, releasing more natural weed killer. Nobody told the green manure what was and what wasn't a weed, so our seed failed. Not all green manure is allelopathic, so us gardeners need to do some research.

This natural phenomenon has been used in agriculture since it began, and many farmers now understand its seriousness.

They are using it in crop rotations and intercropping systems, allowing lesser use

of weed killers and pesticides as allelopathic plant chemicals can be used as plant regulators, herbicides and insecticides. It is important to say that a complete understanding is required before converting your growing system, as keeping a balance is essential allelopathy will not control all of your weeds or pests. It could be that it would overbalance and suppress more of your plants than you would like.

Although well known when I was at agricultural college in the early seventies, the system was not given any importance and only briefly covered. Some farmers, primarily smallholders, did use it in the limited way we understood it; most of those who did use it were those in the Organic world.

In the early seventies, the organic movement was compared to today in its infancy and regarded as a fringe industry, not any more. A great deal of research has now been put into the balance of organics and allopathy as a means of growing agricultural and horticultural crops.

One of the most significant moves forward has been the realisation of how to balance the carbon to nitrogen ratio(C: N); this is the mass of carbon relative to the mass of nitrogen. The optimum is twentyfour to one as this is the ratio a microorganism requires to sustain health, sixteen parts of carbon for energy and eight parts for maintenance; this is how we get the twenty-four to one, enough of this technical stuff. I just included this to indicate the accuracy levels growers need to reach and how we can all overdo the manures and feeds, misunderstanding the consequences for soil fertility and, of course, financial cost, input cost, and return.

The European Union pays their farmers grants to farm, calculated on the size of their farm, The Common Agricultural Policy. Now we are out of the union due to Brexit; our present Government want to pay farmers for the amount of benefit they are producing for the environment and the United Kingdom residents. ELMS, " Environmental Land Management Scheme", is the most significant change in our agricultural policy in half a century.

New payments for local nature and

landscape recovery, all of these schemes have a common aim in that they all look to contribute to the national carbon net-zero targets.

You may wonder what I am talking about; basically, we as gardeners can learn enormously from the substantial changes coming in commercial agriculture and horticulture. If we put them to use in our gardens, we can also help nature recover, helping our environment locally and globally. If we can store a little bit of carbon in our gardens, it will help with the bigger scheme.

Using some of these newly re-discovered techniques will help us understand the delicate balance of nature and our gardens.

One big obstacle to overcome is that it has been recently announced that the UK Government want to bring forward the complete ban on the use of peat products; compost use is the first and largest use for peat to go. We at Tapps Garden Centre have been using and selling reduced peat and non-peat products for quite some time with varying results, some better than others, lots of our customers are now into peat-free in a big way.

2024 is now the target year for the complete removal of the use of peat; our range of peat-free composts covers a comprehensive range and can be used for all amateur projects. For those who have the particular requirement, we have vegan approved compost. Peat bogs, the places our compost comes from, are valuable for wildlife the world over; the bogs are essential for flood control and hold more carbon than all forests in Britain, France, and Germany combined.

So to finish, it appears that stringent controls and changes will be seen in our industry affecting commercial growers, the retail side, and gardeners. It seems that we will be looking at all chemical controls and feeds changing to plant-based products, and we will all have to re-learn some old skills.

Some people say it's a worrying time, but I think it's pretty exciting.

That's it for this month; enjoy your gardening, cheers

Graham

JUNE

2021

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2021

Creality Ender 3 - Exceptional 3D Printing on a Budget For the past couple of weeks, I have jumped feet-first into the world of 3D Prin ng. I've been interested in it for a number of years and even designed a replacement knob for our cooker a few years back and then had it printed by a company in Holland.

The price and quality of 3d Printers always made me hesitate in buying one though, even the hobbyists version were expensive and I felt I couldn't jus fy spending the money.

Over the past couple of years, the price of personal 3d printers has dropped significantly and at the same me, quality has improved, so a er seeing a few friends had purchased one and the results looked great, I decided to take the plunge.

Being someone that doesn't really like spending money, I spent quite a bit of me checking out the different models.

I se led on the Creality Ender 3.

The Ender 3 uses a technology called FDM (fused deposi on modelling) to produce models. FDM uses a reel of filament and squeezes it through an extruder controlled by 3 stepper motors to accurately lay down a 0.2mm (or less) layer of PLA (a vegetable-based plas c material) to gradually build those layers into a full-sized 3d model.

The printer arrived semi-assembled with very quality parts. I spent about 2 hours assembling the Ender 3, but because the instruc ons weren't great, I instead played, paused, rewound and played again a detailed video on YouTube which explained how to assemble the printer and make adjustments.

When everything was assembled, I plugged it in and switched it on. The whole process of prin ng is quite complicated, so I will leave that for now.

You design your own 3d models or download premade models from the internet, the files are then prepared in so ware called Ul maker Cura (which you download and install), Cura makes amendments to the 3d model which adds supports to the model (which can be removed a er prin ng) as you can't print into thin air! You can also change the resolu on of the print down to 10 micrometres or 0.01 mm which gives really smooth results.

A er running a few test prints and generally playing around with li le fidget gadgets, I decided to print some more complex items, this is when you realise that 3d prin ng takes a lot of me, even simple objects can take hours to print, my longest so far is a Lawn Care & Landscaping small bust of Oliver Specialists Hardy which took 11 hours to print in marble effect material, but it does look awesome, Stan Laurel took 7 hours!

So, you can print some pre y amazing things with

an Ender 3, in fact you can print stuff that could never be manufactured using tradi onal methods, but you have to be pa ent, REALLY pa ent as some mes the prints fail halfway through a job and the prepara on to print can be tedious.

That said, you can produce some pre y awesome stuff using a 3d Printer and for around £200 for the printer and around £20 for 300 metres of filament, it's a reasonably affordable hobby or even business if you want to go that way.

You can purchase the Creality Ender 3 from Amazon using the following QR Code See you next me!

Stay safe

Matt WWW.THEGADGETMAN.ORG.UK

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North Herts Healthy Hub Healthy Hub distributes ac vity packs and treats for children this May half-term North Herts District Council's (NHDC) Healthy Hub will be distribu ng 300 school holiday ac vity packs to food banks and food rescue groups throughout North Herts later this month.

The Healthy Hub Family Ac vity Packs, which were first distributed at Easter and proved to be a great success, are to recognise the challenging mes children have faced during the pandemic and to provide some fun and enjoyment for children and their families during the May half-term school holiday.

Each pack will include outdoor ac vi es, baking kits, cra packs, an art compe on, bubbles, recipes and other items designed to encourage families to spend me together.

Regular visitors to the Hitchin Food Rescue Hub, or food banks in Letchworth, Hitchin, Baldock and Royston, will be able collect an ac vity pack from week commencing 24 May. Pack numbers are limited, so visitors to the Food Hub and

STARLIGHT WALK

food banks are urged to collect packs as near to that date as possible to avoid disappointment. The Best Before Cafe in Letchworth will also be delivering packs to families, along with their food parcels.

Jeane e Thompson, Service Director – Legal & Community said: “We are pleased the Healthy Hub is able to distribute these packs again, as they proved to be very popular last Easter. The ac vi es included in each pack are not only great fun but offer the opportunity for all the family to get involved and spend some quality me together. We hope the packs will bring many smiles to the faces of the children and families that receive them.”

For more informa on on the Healthy Hub North Herts go to: www.healthyhubnorthherts.co.uk

On Saturday 7th August, The Garden House Hospice Care are hos ng their annual Sunset Starlight Walk. The walk starts at 8pm from Mercure Letchworth Hall Hotel in Letchworth.

The route is just under 8 miles long and takes in rural and urban areas of Letchworth and Hitchin. Along the way you will find vibrant sta ons, such as the Sunset Sta on that you can find refreshment and watch the sunset on the horizon, then the Path of lights, where you can light a candle in memory of a loved one, and then walk along the sec on of greenway lit up by light. Be greeted by our snack stop, situated by the Fountain of lights on Broadway, lit up in mul colours.

Finally we have the Amphitheatre sta on, where you are greeted by festoon lights and our musician. The route concludes back at the hotel at 11pm. For more informa on please contact jake.amos@ghhospicecare.org.uk

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HAIR at HOME

H-Town Classic and Dub Club are gearing up for their FIRST post-lockdown cruise meet from St Mary's car park in Hitchin to The Cricketers, Weston.

Over an acre of space to park up your classics, outdoor bar, and The Cricketers famously excellent pizzas.

Based on previous meets they are expec ng up to 300 classic and custom cars and bikes to join the convoy.

Meet at St Mary's car park in Hitchin at 1800h for departure to Weston at 1830h.

H-Town Classic and Dub Club have now been running for just over 3 years and are a rac ng classic cars and their fans from far and wide. They were even shortlisted for the Prac cal Classics Magazine club of the year award 2 years ago.

To keep up to date with HTown club news and future events, they can be found on Facebook and Instagram.

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Walk your Way to Good Health the Finnish Way In the last year many of us took advantage of our “allowed” hour of exercise to walk. Walking is greatly beneficial, and we can all do it. It exercises many of the main muscle groups and gets us outside in the fresh air. But, you could get more benefit from your walking by learning to Nordic walk – more than 10 million people worldwide do.

Nordic walking is a gentle form of cardiovascular exercise and burns a lot of calories. It is non-compe ve so great if you have not exercised for a while or need to improve your fitness and confidence.

Using specially designed poles the technique gives support by using the upper body which helps take the strain off your lower body making it good for people with ankle, knee, hip, and lower back issues.

If ge ng out in the fresh air and improving fitness is not an incen ve, Nordic Walking combines the simplicity

and accessibility of walking with simultaneous core and upper body condi oning similar to Nordic skiing.

The result is a full body workout, which means that you: Ÿ burn up to 46% more calories compared to walking without poles. Ÿ use 90% of your muscle groups. Ÿ release tension in the neck and shoulders Ÿ improve your posture and gait. Ÿ strengthen your core muscles - back and abdominal muscles. Ÿ reduce the impact on the joints by 28% due to the technique.

Nordic Walking does not feel like hard work so you can happily go further. It is an ideal ac vity for people who have not exercised for a while or who dislike tradi onal sports or gym ac vi es.

Whatever your current fitness level, you will enjoy discovering the benefits of Nordic Walking that will improve your quality of life and increase your fitness too.

Amber Health offers Nordic Walking courses to help our pa ents live more ac ve lives. For informa on see our website www.amberhealth.co.uk or call the clinic on 01462 490141 Mandy Ferguson Bri sh Nordic Walking Instructor at Amber Health.

Advertising from £20 per Issue info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally

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JUNE

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

of what’s on & where to find things locally

Issue 74 December 2020

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Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and

2021

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Slimming Wld Recipe Supplied by

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Prawn Tabbouleh Juicy prawns have been added to this superfresh Middle Eastern-inspired salad.

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150g dried bulgar wheat 4 tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped 8 spring onions, thinly sliced 1 cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded and finely chopped Small pack fresh parsley, finely chopped Small pack fresh mint, finely chopped Small pack fresh dill, finely chopped Juice of 1 lemon 400g cooked and peeled prawns 2 red grapefruits, peeled and segmented

Method 1. Put the bulgar wheat in a large heatproof bowl and pour over 300ml boiling water. Cover and set aside for 10-12 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

2. Stir the tomatoes, spring onions, cucumber, fresh herbs and lemon juice into the bulgar wheat and season lightly. Add the prawns and grapefruit, lightly toss everything together and serve chilled or at room temperature.

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BALDOCK FOLK

RUN TALK RUN Baldock Run Talk Run Group is a weekly 5km gentle jog.

The Baldock group was set up in August 2020, regularly has up to 14 runners and is looking to grow in 2021 and beyond.

Before every run (Tuesdays 9.15am meet for a 9.30 am start outside Pixies cafe ), there is a window of me to meet the other par cipants and say hello to the Leader.

The run is at a conversa onal pace and allows you to talk as much/li le as you want.

We run mainly on familiar and some unfamiliar trails, around Baldock.

A er each run some of the group stay for a well deserved hot or cold drink at Pixies café.

At the forefront of our meetups is support... this really is a safe space to talk about how you're really doing. Run Talk Run is a global mental health running group( see Run Talk Run website). You can run and talk, free from judgement or compe on.

We are FREE to a end, for ALL abili es. We run as slow as the slowest runner.

Join our Run Talk Run by downloading the MyCrew app and registering . This is free to download.

Or come and talk to us before or a er our run.

We look forward to mee ng you.

John Harris Baldock Run Talk Run Leader

A er a year of producing virtual sessions over Facebook for lovers of folk blues and country music and reaching an audience from across not just the local area but fans as far as America and Australia ... Baldock folk club reopened on the 19th of May at the Orange Tree with a full house for local band Skimmington Ride to produce a great night of music along with Dave Stacey and Brian Burke in support The club will now be open un l the end of July play on every second Wednesday so the 2nd 16th 30th of June and 14th and 28th of July with some great acts listed below.

Apart from the legendary Brooks Williams ( July 14 ) entry and membership is free and you are all welcome to come on down and have a

01462 892041 JUNE

2021

31

CLUB RETURNS There is some great local and not so local talent and you are also welcome to give a song , poem or recita on if you like , just let us know in advance ... ring Brian on 07768274037 for a floor spot !

These are the places that fostered many an emerging singer / songwriter ...

We hope you will come down , leave the telly and see some real talent !

Thank you to On Our Doorstep for finding our new Bob Dylan or Eliza Carty!

Brian Greg Shelagh and Tony ... and the musicians landlord !

BB

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2021

Thank You! Thank you to everyone who voted in favour of the Neighbourhood Plan.

With 88% of voters responding posi vely, the NHDC will have to adopt the Plan formally and take it into considera on alongside their own Local Plan when any development applica ons are made.

The first example of this has been in the recent applica on for building on the BA4 site, to the East of Clothall Common. Policies from the Neighbourhood plan have been observed to ensure a good mix of housing, connec ons to the exis ng green infrastructure, management of construc on traffic and good building design.

The commi ee has been able to meet with Smith Jenkins Ltd, who have prepared the applica on, and we have also submi ed addi onal comments during the consulta on itself, rela ng to the Royston Road

Frontage, the visual impact of the edge of the site, further design points and the impact on Aleyn Way and Constan ne Place as the planned access roads. The full response can be found on our website www.bbplan.co.uk

Through Coloured Renders

JUNE

2021

33

A group of local lads, headed up by Charlie McClure, have taken on the Na onal Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for an important charity very close to their hearts.

The challenge itself sees the par cipants a empt to climb the highest peaks of England (Scafell Pike), Scotland (Ben Nevis) and Wales (Snowdon) in just 24 hours.

Anyone that has climbed to the summit of any one of these peaks, knows just how hard this challenge will be. To achieve their ambi ous goal, the lads will have to quite literally run to the summit of each peak and back down

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again before travelling to the next loca on.

They are comple ng the challenge in aid of 4Louis, a non-profit charity who’s aim is to provide hospitals with free memory boxes to be given to bereaved parents who suffer the trauma of s llbirth or neonatal death. Each box contains a clay impression kit for hand and feet imprints, teddy bears and an Angel, which signifies a born sleeping baby, and more. In Charlie’s own words this is a ‘really meaningful gesture that on the worst day of my life brought a bit of peace to it aswell’.

On the 21st of May the group travelled to North Wales for their first mountain experience, Snowdon.

It’s safe to say the

weather was not on their side. The rain didn’t let up all day, but that wasn’t going to stop them. The group powered on and completed their climb to the summit and the descent in an incredible me of 1 hour 51 minutes.

With two peaks s ll to go their fundraising total keeps rising. If you would like to donate and show your support you can scan the QR code on this page to be taken to their JustGiving landing page.

In memory of Mabel McClure.

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June Gallery

Please send your local snaps new or old to our facebook page or email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

Radwell Lake- Matthew Bartlett

Box Wood Cara Richardson

A regular visitor to our garden -Al Hayhurst

The brilliant Kev Maher and Jordan at the Old White Horse

Not sure who’s more excited -Janet MacDonald

Gardening time the owers donated by the team at Tesco - Magic Moments

Bruno chilling in the owers

Bianca Valentine

Stuart Leader

Brian Noble and volunteers cleaning Baldock up 34

M AY

2021

Local sunset - Felix from H-Town Classics and Dubs

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 Arriva Buses National Rail Enquires National Bus line

08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608

Vets Baldock Veterinary Centre

01462 895579

Nurseries Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round Peanuts Preschool

01462 892172 01462 896322 07736 124327

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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2021

01462 491149