May 2017 On Our Doorstep

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

Issue 33 May

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

Welcome To the May issue of On Our Doorstep.

April was a busy month for us; we managed to grab a short break away with the youngest over Easter, before she started preparing for her SATs. Middle child flew out to Hong Kong and China on her first proper business trip, we’ve had constant daily updates throughout her journey and I almost feel like I have been there now.

April also saw the opening of ‘Piato’, Baldocks newest restaurant, serving a variety of Mediterranean dishes. It is already becoming a firm favourite with the locals. We haven’t managed to find the time to try it yet but it is at the top of my list. It’s located at the top of Mansfield Road just opposite Sewing B's.

May looks to be a busy month for the town. The Baldock Festival kicks off this weekend (28th April) with the Baldock Beer Festival, at Brandles School. And then continues right through to the 14th May with a huge number of events taking place across Town.

Exam season will kick off in May for many students studying for SATs, GCSEs or A Levels. Good luck to everyone who's sitting their exams this year, just a few weeks of keeping your head down and giving it your best and it will be over before you know it.

For those that enjoy gardening (or being a bit nosey in other people's gardens) Baldock Open Gardens is happening on Sunday 14th May between 1.00pm & 6pm.

You can buy your tickets from Baldock Community Centre or at Templars on the day.

On the subject of gardens, this months ‘5 Minutes’ piece is with Jim Caddy (no stranger to a lot of local gardens), it makes for an interesting read so check it out on page 27.

Following on, the next big event in town will be Baldocks Big Lunch, which falls on Fathers Day (June 18th)this year. As always the event will be held in the High Street and provisions have been made for the weather. If you have never been before, it’s a great family afternoon, you can find all the details and information on page 13.

Finally we would like to say a massive thank you to all the featured businesses who have helped to support us in publishing this issue.

Best Wishes

Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

Jacqui Calver 07973 788418

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Monica’s Milk Bottle Top Mission Year 13 KTS student Monica Yianni writes about her charity mission using milk bo le tops.

Working in a coffee shop, I have to use a lot of milk. I would es mate that I have probably made well over a thousand coffees over the two years. About six weeks ago, a customer asked me if I saved the milk bo le tops. I was a bit confused… but she went on to tell me that you could do this for charity. I decided to research online. There were many bogus schemes, so I searched further to find a legi mate scheme.

I contacted the company to find out more about the scheme.

This one works by trading bo le tops to companies that make them into products such as children’s toys, wheelie bins and buckets. Instead of paying their suppliers, they donate the equivalent cost of the plas c to your chosen charity. My chosen charity was the Bri sh Heart Founda on - my granddad suffered with heart problems and I cannot express how important the research is.

I started to collect at work, and asked other shops near where I work to join in. I also told my friends and family. Luckily my mum works in a school, my brother plays for a local football team and I am a unit helper at Brownies, so between us we managed to tell a lot of people. It then started to get a li le crazy, posts were shared on community groups on Facebook, and we got large number of response. I started ge ng random people try to contact me through my personal Facebook, so instead of adding strangers to my Facebook profile, I created as specific milk top page to traffic inquiries.

Many local businesses have started to collect and there have even been some points set up for local people to drop them off.

These are Tapps Garden Centre, Lee’s barbers and the Duck Lane Café. There are also collec on points in Sandy and Ha ield. My school also got involved, so hopefully all the students will start collec ng.

So far we have collected 2kg of tops, which doesn’t sound like many but think how light each one is If you would like to start collec ng, please do so! You can drop them to any of the local points, bring them to school if you are a student at KTS, or if you know me I will happily take them from you!

Monica Yianni

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St Marys Infant School Here at St Mary's Infant school we are looking forward to a busy Summer Term.

We have many things to look forward to including welcome visits by all the new children star ng our school in September. We can't wait to meet them!

We will also be having a School Grounds Week where we will be outside as much as possible.

In previous years this has included environmental art, nature trails, science ac vi es, den building and sports day.

We have spent this week helping our teaching assistant, Mrs Fox, raise money as she heads towards running the London Marathon on Sunday.

We all came to school in our sporty clothes, for a dona on, and Mrs Fox has joined in with the children doing their Daily Mile. We also held a cake sale a er school and can't wait to see how much we have raised for her chosen charity; The Mul ple Sclerosis Centre in Letchworth.

The families of the children at the school have been so suppor ve and generous and I know Mrs Fox has been blown away by it all.

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Sandon JMI School News I hope everyone had a peaceful and relaxing Easter. We are now back at school and ready for the challenges of the new term. I am very excited about star ng my new role of Head teacher at our very special school. A Sandon school is always a busy place, full of enthusiasm and learning and the Summer Term in par cular is packed with events and ac vi es.

Our Year Six pupils will be making ďŹ nal prepara ons for their SATs over the next couple of weeks. They have been studying a broad and balanced curriculum all year to prepare for papers in English and Maths. While these Statutory Assessment Tests are important and do have a baring on their Secondary educa on we at Sandon always pride ourselves on educa ng the whole child. Life is challenging for everyone and we know that children must be equipped with many skills to help them become responsible adults who make a posi ve contribu on to our community. We all want the children to do their very best during SATs week. All we ask is that they try each task and face challenges as well as they can.

We will be providing breakfast all week for our Year Six children, in a relaxed atmosphere, as we know that a good breakfast is a great start to the day. We wish all Year Six pupils na onally a great week.

The week a er SATs our Year Six pupils and their Year Five classmates will be enjoying a week of team building and physical challenge at Belchamps Scout Ac vity Centre in Essex. They will have many opportuni es that are not available to them during the normal school week.

More news of this next month!

Emma McGill - Headteacher

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Looking after your Mental Wellbeing With 1 in 4 of us dealing with a mental health problem in any given year, it is good to know that you are not alone and that there are steps you can take to improve your mental health.

8-14th May is Mental Health Awareness week. To coincide with this, throughout May The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living will be running a campaign to encourage people to explore some of the many ways in which they themselves can enhance their mental wellbeing. In a series of free talks, it will bring together experts in their fields to discuss how a more holis c approach to wellbeing (one that includes food, exercise, and even posture) can support people who are experiencing stress, depression, anxiety and other mental health problems.

The series will begin on Tuesday, 9th May from 1-2 pm with a discussion en tled “Dealing with Stress and Anxiety” led by renowned Energy Psychologist Dr Phil Mollon. On the following Tuesday, 16th May from 1-2pm, the session “Relaxa on and Breathing for Mental Wellbeing” will include prac cal techniques on breathing and mindfulness to help in everyday life. And finally, on Tuesday 23rd May, from 1-2pm, a panel of speakers will discuss “How the Letchworth Centre can Help with Posi ve Mental Wellbeing”.

Roberta Meldrum, Centre Director, has said “The Centre offers a rich choice of approaches which build on the common sense, research-based Five Ways to Be er Mental Health recommended by the Mental Health Founda on: 1. Talk about your feelings 2.

Keep ac ve 3. Eat well 4. Ask for help 5. Take a break. Our May series will present a holis c approach to posi ve mental health not o en found elsewhere.”

For more details and to book a place go to the website www.the letchworthcentre.org or call 01462-678804.

May

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ANNOUNCEMENTS HAPPY BIRTHDAY

ELLEN

10 8th May

Love from Mum, Dad and Matthew

LOUISE TAPP

Lots of Love Doodl23rd e & May Will HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE JEFFREY 37 ON THE 26TH MAY.

Lots of Love Mark, Alfie and Phoebe Happy Birthday

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34th Baldock Festival 28 April to 14 May 2017

If you want to start the Sunday 30th off with Champagne, head to the Champagne breakfast at the Community hall (a few ckets are s ll available at the community centre for this cket only event), before local choir Singing aloud will start the Sunday main stage for the Beer fes val at 12:30pm. Followed by Daniel Nestlerode at 2pm, Indi and the Vegas at 3:30pm, New Device at 5pm and the last band will be Fi h Wheel at 6:30pm. In between Izzy Rowland and Brodi will debut in the acous c tent followed by Eddie La Roche 3-3:30pm, High Wire Brigade 4:30 – 5pm and a work in progress 6 – 6:30pm. If 3 days at the beer fes val is too much don't forget the two-hour 1.5-mile walk around Baldock to check out the back lanes and footpaths and discover their history ( ckets must be purchased prior to walk from the community centre).

Monday 1st will see the 8th Baldock Fleadh (Irish Fes val) around various public houses in Baldock. Followed by deciding whom to cheer on when Baldock Cricket team take on The Orange Tree at Avenue Park from 1pm.

Tickets are s ll available for the WW2 talk at the Old White Horse on Weds 3rd May and in fine tradi on with Baldock's brewing history, there are ckets available to visit The Garden City Brewery with a coach laid on from the community centre ( ckets in advance from the community centre, repeated on 8th May).

Saturday 6th will start with the St Mary's bells being rung by a team from St. Albans Abbey, and then why not wander to the community centre for the book fair in aid of the Garden House hospice and the allotment open days as well as selling unwanted

items via the jumble sale trail around Baldock. In the evening ckets are s ll available for Gin tas ng at the Town Hall, or a race night in aid of the community minibus at the community centre.

Monday 8th why not try Bingo at St. Mary's school (entry on door) or listen to NHDC archaeologist talk about the dead of Ancient Baldock ( ckets from the community centre.)If you fancy taking some photo's from the church tower there is an open evening at St. Mary's with a church tower tour ( ckets from community centre, appropriate footwear required).

A few ckets remain for the community lunch at the Community centre, or why not have a flu er on some horses at the fes val race night at the Town Hall with proceeds going to Baldock Town Town Youth Football and the Baldock Arts and Heritage Centre ( ckets all from the community centre).

Sat 13th is the main event with the street fair and Morris day of dance, with Baldock's very own Big Baldock Bake off at the community centre, with a Jazz concert at KTDS school in the evening. Tickets are also available for the Fes val Fun barn dance at Brandles School. On Sunday 14th you will be able to walk round some of Baldock's hidden gems with the open gardens and Baldock Classic Car show on the high street.

You then have me to recover from all the events before the Sounds of Baldock, which has moved to the second May Day Bank Holiday to showcase more local ar sts and bands around the public houses in Baldock. This is another free event, with fund raising for Balstock, which will be held on 8th – 10th, September this year so please give generously. Let's support our wonderful community and have some fun at the events!!

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No longer just an annual fortnight fes val, the 34th Baldock fes val starts on Friday 28 April with the Independent Beer fes val at Brandles School, Weston way. The 10th Beer fes val promises to be bigger and be er with 100 real ales, 15 Foreign beers, 40 ciders, a range of wines and so drinks galore. The free admission fes val has a good line up of music over the weekend with star ng with Friday 28th April on the main stage with Rock stock n basil at 7pm, Rapid City at 8:30 pm and Gone Shoo ng at 10pm. In between check out local talent being showcased in the acous c tent with Becky Bennet 6:30 – 7pm, Lee Russel 8pm – 8:30 and the one and only G 'Balstock' LaRoche 9:30pm – 10pm.

On the Saturday, why not try out a muddy family obstacle event (see website for more details ww.fit4ocr) or spot in at the fire sta on for the open day 11am – 3pm before heading back to the beer fes val where some of G's music students will start the main stage at 12:30pm. Followed by Rickshaw at 2pm, Roxy at 3:30pm, Back River blues at 5pm, 4th Labyrinth at 6:30pm, the SG's at 8pm and Corrup on at 9:30pm. In the acous c tent Charlie McNaught and Toby Anderson will be debu ng at 1:30pm-2pm, followed by Emily Mile 3pm – 3:30pm, Cara Beard of Eurovision fame 4:30 – 5pm, The Keebles 6-6:30pm, Dan Bond 7:30 – 8pm and Schrodinger's Strings 9 – 9:30pm.

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Baldock Events Forum Fireside Fes val 2017 came to a close in March, a fantas c event which in recent years has helped Baldock grow its reputa on as a wonderful place to experience the arts. The fes val provides the opportunity to enjoy 'spoken word' performance, including comedy, poetry and music. Its aim is to inspire, amuse or entertain, and so it proved again this year as the organisers managed to bring together performances from the Edinburgh Fes val, London Theatres, local talent plus well known names like Ruby Wax and Paul Foot. I'm sure the people of Baldock are already looking forward to Fireside Fes val 2018!

Many of the shows at the Fireside Fes val are hosted at the Baldock Arts & Heritage Centre (Old Town Hall) in Baldock High Street, and you can keep up to date with what's going on at the C e n t r e b y v i s i n g w w w. b a h c . c o . u k o r f o l l o w o n facebook/BaldockTownHallGroup.

And now on to probably the biggest event in the town's calendar, the Baldock Fes val, which runs from 28th April to 14th May. This is the 34th year of the Fes val, which means 34 fantas c years of bringing the Baldock community together to have fun and be entertained whilst also raising money for local causes.

The Fes val puts on a myriad of events throughout the two weeks (and several a erwards) and there is such a variety that you'd be hard pressed to find something that doesn't appeal to you! Look out for the Street Fair which will again be bringing the wonderful centre of Baldock to life on Saturday 13th May. You c a n ke e p u p t o d a t e w i t h a l l t h a t ' s g o i n g o n b y visi ngwww.baldockfes val.org

or follow on facebook/BaldockFes val. Tickets are now on sale from Baldock Community Centre. Sounds of Baldock, which is part of the Baldock Fes val, has moved to the second bank holiday weekend in May, the 26th to the 28th. This event showcases mainly local ar sts and bands – with a few guests from elsewhere thrown in for good measure – and as usual will be raising funds for this year's Balstock Fes val in September.

You can find out more at www. Balstock.com/sounds/. One other date for the diary is Sunday 18th June when The Baldock Big Lunch will take place in the High Street from mid-day. This is organised as part of the Eden Project's Big Lunch day, which aims to get as many people as possible across the UK having lunch in an act of community, friendship and fun. As people get together and talk it can also lead to ideas and projects that get more people involved within their community, tackling the issues that ma er to them most. Food and entertainment is to be provided at the event, and ckets will go on sale from the 8th May at the Community Centre, Taste, The White Lion and Chilli Lounge.

Events like those outlined above are essen al in helping make Baldock a vibrant and fun place for residents and visitors alike, and they simply wouldn't happen without the fantas c groups of volunteers we have in the town. If you'd like to get involved in some way please contact us by email at info@baldockevents.co.uk or come and have a chat with me from 10am on Fridays in Baldock Arts & Heritage Centre (Old Town Hall) in Baldock High Street.

Richard Sell - Town Centre Manager

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It allows you to register as a possible marke ng partner, no ma er how many followers you have. Brands get to see all the stats for post likes, engagement, etc.

Rantasty - IOS & Android Runtasty makes cooking simple and delicious. It’s your training plan’s best companion and your healthycooking solu on! This free app is packed full of quick, simple, die an-approved recipes.

Vampr - IOS Who you know or where you live are no longer barriers for ge ng on with playing and making music. Vampr is an app that helps you discover, connect and collaborate with musicians, industry and music lovers alike.

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Never Lose That Pen Again..

with Cross Peerless Trackr A few weeks back I was invited to London to a end the launch of the new Cross Peerless Trackr, the worlds first trackable pen.

Cross have been making wri ng instruments since 1846, so it was a pleasant surprise to see an established tradi onal brand embracing technology without losing what makes the company appealing.

The pen has Bluetooth technology carefully embedded inside it which works alongside what's called 'Crowd GPS'. This means that if you are unfortunate enough to misplace you pen or worse have it stolen, a league of other Trackr users immediately start helping your reunite your prized pen. When a person running the Trackr app comes within up to 30 metres of your pen, they detect it and immediately an anonymous message is sent to you informing your of it's current posi on.

Upon receiving the no fica on, you can then go to that loca on and using the app on your own phone, you cause the pen to light up and sound an alarm to give you an indica on of it's exact posi on, a er a li le bit of searching or discussion with it's new temporary owner, the pen can be returned to you.

Conversely, the pen itself can be used to locate your phone, so if you are hun ng around the house in the morning for your mobile, simply hold down the bu on on the side of the pen and your phone will start ringing!

The pen itself comes in a very nice presenta on box along with instruc ons for pairing and using the pen, spare ba eries, a nice suede case sleeve for the pen and your guarantee from Cross.

Once taken out of the box, the pen feels just weighty enough to feel comfortable and writes smoothly. As a pen on it's own, it was nice and of course the 'techie' addi on of the tracking appealed to me too. You should bear in mind that the crowd GPS func onality requires a 'crowd', so losing it in the middle of a deserted field isn't going to help. Saying that, most towns have a large number of Trackr users and Central London was packed Cleaners Carpet Shapooers withVacuum them.

You canstevenagespares@yahoo.com even see how many people use Trackr by Spare parts parts for for household household appliances appliances Spare visi ng their website.

Cookers, machines, Dryers, If you are looking for aWashing high end pen for mee ngs or a nice Dishwashers, Lighting, Vacuum Bags birthday or anniversary gi for someone, look no further than Refridgeration & Electrics Lighting the Cross Peerless Trackr 125sales Pen,& available from all good pen Vacuum repairs repairs shops for around £212.00.

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nice and of course the 'techie' addi on of the tracking appealed to me too. You should bear in mind that the crowd GPS func onality requires a 'crowd', so losing it in the middle of a deserted field isn't going to help. Saying that, most towns have a large number of Trackr users and Central London was packed with them. You can even see how many people use Trackr by visi ng their website.

If you are looking for a high end pen for mee ngs or a nice birthday or anniversary gi for someone, look no further than the Cross Peerless Trackr 125 Pen, available from all good pen shops for around £212.00.

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News from The Fox in Willian It's been a busy few months at The Fox which has seen us open 8 new bedrooms; refurbish our bar & restaurant; add a beau ful new conservatory, post office and village store to boot!

Our 8 bespoke bedrooms opened in November - much to the excitement of the team!

They are bou que in their style and our “room at the top” with its triple aspect view (which can be enjoyed from its free-standing roll top bath) and garden rooms (with sea ng areas overlooking the church) have gone down par cularly well! December and January saw a refurbishment of our bar and restaurant including our beau ful new conservatory which now provides a light & bright space during the day and an atmospheric dining experience during the evening – perfect for mee ngs and private dining.

Just recently, we were truly thrilled to be nominated the Best Pub in Her ordshire in the Na onal Pub & Bar awards and now have the chance to compete against the best pubs in the country in May for the coveted regional and na onal awards. Fingers crossed we have some good news for you in May! In amongst all the new news, we con nue to offer fresh, seasonal food using local ingredients where possible (our flour is from Sto old Mill), a wide selec on of real ales, wines & gins.

And if the sun is out, you can enjoy all of those in one of our two beer gardens! Here's hoping….

We some great events to look forward to over the summer,

including a quiz to raise money for Macmillan Herts on Monday 15th May; breakfast (and lunch & dinner of course!) for Dad on Fathers' Day (Sunday 18th June) and our 4th Summer Beer Fes val on 7th/8th/9th July.

If you haven't been before, you can find us nestled between the village church & pond in the picturesque village of Willian. Pop in for coffee; a look round our rooms; have a pint with the sport or book a table for lunch or dinner. Just call us on 01462 480233 or book online at: . restaurant@foxatwillian.co.uk. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sco and Sara

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Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre

May 2017 Most of April was dry and warm, no April showers, at the end of the second week of the month we were getting on for a full fortnight ahead of where we would be growth wise in a normal season but it was almost back to normal by the third week as Easter although bright and sunny turned out to be a lot cooler, frosts or very near frost returned very soon after that, four degrees centigrade is all you need on a clear night to give a damaging ground frost, and we recorded a minus two on the night of the 18th April, we had very severe damage on some of our shrubs, they should have been under cover but storm Doris wrecked the tunnel they were in and we haven't had time to renew it, even fleecing the plants over didn't prevent damage, it was so cold that the next morning the horse chestnut trees had folded there leaves back, something you will see early in the season when it suddenly turns cold after a prolonged warm spell. The weather forecast for the last week of April is dire wintery showers and frosts, more minus two may be three so we will have to cover everything again. As of the 20th April we are desperate for rain, it has been so very dry for so long, our borehole is getting into record territory, we have records going back many decades and it is about to drop to levels I've not found going back even to the 1976 hot summer.

The early warm weather has encouraged the fruit blossom to open very early and is looking very good, hopefully the frosts haven't caused to much damage, big problem with early flowering is that the pollinating insects are not about to do their job and its far to early for the bees to bee about in numbers, (sorry about the joke). As I write this I can say that our cherries are not looking good and I would expect the crop to be poor again, you can never be sure of cherry pollination until they have uncapped, uncapping is when the petals fall away from the juvenile fruit, the fruit starts to swell and the browned and drying petals will hang on and then suddenly drop off, that is when you can start to think about crop percentages, with pears its even more tricky and you can only tell you have a sett when they turn over and hang upside down as in stalk at the top and the flower end down, Apples will appear to be set and will look good, the weak looking ones will be obvious to you and can be ignored as they will fall off, this is where it gets difficult to assess what is going to stay and what is not, you may have heard of the June drop which can start in mid May and continue until late July, this is when the apple tree is balancing its hormone levels and will drop fruitlets until the appropriate balance of fruit or rather the number of seeds on the tree can be sustained for the season through to harvest, treat plums and all stone fruit the same as cherries and wait for them to un cap. Now on a normal year when fruit trees flower late April into May you would expect or should I say like to see the flower petals drop very quickly after reaching the fully open stage indicating a good pollination, so as you can see this year the flowers are hanging around after opening a good ten days early indicating that some thing is not well as it looks.

We have some other strange things going on in the garden this year, some rhubarb varieties have gone from dormancy directly into flowering and consequently seed ruining the flavour and certainly the texture, young plum trees have dropped their buds on all but the tips of the new wood and have no flowers so look very strange.

Grass is growing fast and will need mowing regularly to keep it looking good, most people cut their grass to low and tend to scalp it with the idea that they wont have to mow it so often, you would be better off mowing a little bit off but more often and leaving it a bit higher, feeding it more often will also help thicken it up and give it a darker green, if you can get your lawn to stand a bit taller and thicker it will stop the moss getting in it will also withstand drought conditions better and will have a more pleasing feel when walking on it. A mulching mower will also help the lawn as they chop the grass cuttings into very small pieces and push it into the sword, this helps retain moisture and also returns nutrients to the roots, the biggest bonus is that you don’t have to compost or dispose of your grass cuttings, I have just purchased a new ride on mulching mower rather than the traditional collector and I am very impressed with the new blade technology, its always fun to have a new toy, my old one was fifteen years old and getting a bit tired, well that’s what I told my accountant. I will be feeding and weeding our two acres of grass in the next couple of weeks once the forecast cold spell has gone, I use a granular fertiliser at this time of year a grow - more type of balanced feed is ok but moving onto a low nitrogen higher phosphate and potash as we go into summer and through to autumn, for weed control I will use a water on type capable of controlling a wide spectrum of annual and perennial weeds, I will do this twice the first in the first week of May and again in the week after Wimbledon easy dates to remember.

I have had lots of people asking how to get rid of the mushrooms and toadstools growing in their lawns, not normally a problem this time of year but the abnormally warm weather has encouraged them, they are usually seen in the autumn the best way is to just brush them with a stiff yard or besom broom you can then dispose of them in the recycle bin or your compost heap, you can also use a weak mix of jays fluid, make sure its weak or this time of year it will make your eyes water.

By now you should have got your plant plan sorted and most sown directly or into trays/pots ready to go out, don’t miss the boat, any thing you may have forgotten you can buy as ready grown seedlings, plugs or full grown plants, as I said last month don’t forget to feed your crops regularly and water if and when needed .

If after reading all this you are a bit confused or have some questions, call in at the Garden Centre and have a chat, we can usually answer most questions on the spot.

Enjoy your gardening, Cheers Graham.

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What’s On The 34th Baldock Festival Starts on the 28th April with the Beer Festival at Brandles School and then 2 weeks packed with other events, inc the street fair on Saturday 13th May, lots of stalls, street entertainers and re- enactors, oh and Morris Dancers!

Baldock Town FC - Charity Fund Raising Evening Thursday 4th May, 7-11pm at Knights Templar School.

Raffle and Auction prizes to be won !!

Baldock Floral Society's Monthly Meeting Thursday 4th May - 7.30 p.m. at The United Reform Church Baldock (next to the Post Office). The Demonstrator will be Pat Dibben with "Joys of Japan". Sales Table. Visitors £6.

The Baldock Jumble Sale Trail May 6th, 12-4. Stalls will be popping up outside people's houses all over town, just follow the trail to find a bargain.

Maps will be available from the Community Centre and online.

The Classic Car Show Sunday 14th May - High Street Baldock

Bridges of London Walk - Garden House Hospice A sponsored walk for all the family crossing the iconic Bridges of London. For all the details go to page

Stotfold Mill Steam Fair & Country Show 6th & 7th May gates open 10.30am - 5pm Sheep dog demonstrations , stunt riders, tog of war, medieval combat society and many more attractions.

Classique ABBA Concert Sunday 7th May 2.30-4.30pm - Community Centre As part of the 34th Baldock Festival the event is for the ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Poppy appeal. It will be a ticket event only, tickets must be bought in advance from the Community Centre and cost £5.

Ashwell At Home - Annual Village Open Day Sunday 14th May 11am - 5pm tickets £6 under 18's free music and performance, walks and talks, open gardens, craft activities and refreshments

Baldock Museum and Local History Society Thursday 25th May 8pm in the Community Centre Jane and John Tunesi will explain how you can discover your family history. Who do you think you are? £2 ( members free)

Weston Music Society Saturday 22nd May - 7.30pm at Weston Parish Church We are delighted to welcome back Rachel Podger and Jane Rogers Baroque violin and viola , this time to play duos with the wonderful violist Jane Rogers. Tickets £15 to include programme and interval drink, under 19s free To book please e-mail us at felicitylowe@yahoo.co.uk or call 01462 790573.

The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living 9th, 16th & 23rd May 1-2pm A series of free talks on looking after your mental wellbeing. www.letchworthcentre.org or call 01462 678804 If you would like to have your event included FREE in the next issue please email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk by 15th May 2017.

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DEPARTING FROM BALDOCK

Weston CC Weston CC have started the cricket season with a well a ended open day and a friendly intra-club T20.

We are s ll looking for more p l aye rs , b o t h a d u l t a n d youths. We run a Saturday team in division 7A of the Saracens Cricket league and U9 and U11 teams in North Her ordshire leagues. We are a friendly sociable club in a beau ful se ng on the edge o f We s t o n . F o r f u r t h e r informa on contact westoncc@icloud.com

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Bridges of London Walk GHHC Bridges of London walk takes place on Sunday May 14th 2017 This popular sponsored walk is a great way for friends and family to get together and have a great day out in London. Every step taken will help to raise money to con nue to provide specialist care for pa ents and families at Garden House Hospice. Walkers can either make their own way to London or take the coach which drops off in Ba ersea Park.

Walkers then set out to walk across the bridges to reach the finishing point near Tower Bridge.

Events Manager, Cathy White has worked for the hospice for six years and has walked the route many mes, she said 'This is a lovely event to be part of and one that has a special place in the hospice events calendar. Many walkers come back year a er year to support us and new walkers to the event are surprised at the parts of London they never knew existed! Every walker gets a medal as a reminder of the day'.

For more informa on, visit www.ghhospicecare.org.uk or call Cathy White on 01462 679540.

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Do you need to make a Will or revise your existing Will?

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Please note that reduced rate wills will be available every week day from 8.00am until 6.00pm, and on Tuesday evenings until 8.00pm,by appointment only.

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Tel: 01763 241121

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MAY MOVIES MAY 12th - ALIEN: CONVENANT Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, members (Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup) of the colony ship Covenant discover what they think to be an uncharted paradise. While there, they meet David (Michael Fassbender), the synthetic survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition. The mysterious world soon turns dark and dangerous when a hostile alien life-form forces the crew into a deadly fight for survival.

MAY 19th - KING ARTHUR: legend of the sword When young Arthur's father is murdered, Vortigern (Jude Law), Arthur's uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down, and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy whether he likes it or not.

Directed by Guy Ritchie

MAY 19th - SNATCHED After her boyfriend dumps her on the eve of their exotic vacation, impetuous dreamer Emily Middleton (Amy Schumer) persuades her cautious mom, Linda (Goldie Hawn),to travel with her to paradise. Polar opposites, Emily and Linda soon realize that working through their differences as mother and daughter is the only way to escape the wildly outrageous jungle adventure that they have fallen into.

MAY 26th - PIRATES of the CARIBBEAN Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Capt.

Jack Sparrow feels the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost sailors led by his old nemesis, the evil Capt. Salazar, escape from the Devil's Triangle. Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it, he must forge an uneasy alliance with a brilliant and beautiful astronomer and a headstrong young man in the British navy.

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MAY 29th - BAYWATCH Set to the backdrop of 'Awesome Mixtape #2', Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team's adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fanfavorite characters will come to our heroes' aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand

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2017

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Celebrating 30th Anniversary We are all very excited at Merry Go Round at our upcoming anniversary. Merry Go Round started out as a Playgroup for parents and their children to attend together. There have been many changes throughout the 30 year history but we continue to provide young children in Baldock with exciting play and learning opportunities. We are very lucky that today one of the Founders of Merry Go Round is serving on the Management Committee bringing with them a wealth of knowledge.

As part of our celebrations we are planning a balloon release. We will be launching the sale of our balloons at the Baldock Festival Street Fair. The balloons will then be released at our end of term party and there will prizes for the balloons that have travelled the furthest. More details will be released closer to the time.

In line with our celebrations all our fund-raising efforts this year are focussed on buying some much needed larger items for our garden. In particular covering our rear garden with artificial grass to allow year round access for the children. Also a large covered gazebo to provide shade during the summer and cover during the wettest weather to allow more outdoor play opportunities.

The first of our fund-raising events has just taken place.

All the children have been enjoying the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. The children have been making the most of the sunshine and exploring the garden searching out eggs from the Easter Bunny.

If you are still looking for a Nursery or Pre-School place please don't hesitate to contact us.

Courtlands Riding Stables & Pony Club Centre Always fancied horse riding but don’t know where to start?

Why not come down and have a chat and see what we have to offer Our friendly staff and clients are always around Saturdays and Sundays 9am -12pm

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5 minutes with... ... James Caddy local tree surgeon *So how did you get into tree surgery?

I've always had a keen interest in nature and the environment and was lucky enough to gain an appren ceship a er leaving school with a long established firm in letchworth. This incorporated 2 years part me study at Capel Manor where I gained the theory and prac cal founda ons of Arboriculture. *So has tree surgery been your sole occupa on?

Mostly yes, although in my more adventurous youth I did have a couple of occupa onal diversions in to, working on pylons and Steeple jacking!

I also trained in industrial rope access which took me to work on the cliffs up on the west coast highlands in Scotland. All were fantas c experiences but I guess the trees were always my calling. *So much so you travelled to Australia to climb them?

Yes that was another great experience. It was pre y tough going ge ng used to working in constant heat and having saucer sized spiders occasionally running up my legs but I gained so much experience in rigging large trees and working with cranes to dismantle big trees. *Do you only do tree work?

No although tree surgery is a big part of my workload I also specialise in hedge trimming and more recently I have purchased a tractor mower so now I cover all aspects of grounds maintenance too. *What about landscaping?

Over the years I have worked alongside and built up a fantas c network of trades which enables me to deliver hard landscaping

such as pa os, fencing through to wildlife habitats, ponds and lawns all to the highest standards. *Do you get involved in community projects?

I grew up in Baldock and have se led here with my family. I think it's a great place to live so ge ng involved in community projects is something I am always interested in. This year I have helped to develop the outdoor learning space and wildlife garden at St marys junior school and am currently involved with developing the nigh ngale community garden by installing oak benches, disabled access pathways and assis ng with wildflower areas. *Any advice for tree owners out there?

I would say if you are thinking of plan ng trees in your garden, think about pu ng a suitable species in an appropriate place.

This way you can avoid too many issues/expense into the future.

For people with exis ng trees I would say avoid pruning if possible; Mother Nature never intended trees to be chopped and pruned, some trees respond be er to pruning than others but if they can be le alone all the be er for it. If there is a tree that causes issues it is o en be er to remove it and replace it with a be er species in a be er loca on. And most of all I would say appreciate trees, look at the habitat and life that they bring, trees are good! *Did I hear you turned down the MBE from Her Majesty the Queen last year?

Yes, I was very fla ered to be offered the knighthood but to be honest I'm not too bothered with all that hoo ha and it was all a bit too much having to get dressed up and have a shave so I said give it to someone more deserving hahahah.

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2017

Slimming World Recipe Supplied by Sandra Lloyd Beef Satay Skewers with Apple and Celery Salad These veggie burgers have a spicy kick and are great served with Slimming World's Syn Free chips.

Ingredients for the skewers: Ÿ 1 small onion Ÿ 6 tbsp dark soy sauce Ÿ Juice of 2 limes Ÿ 1 level tbsp smooth peanut butter Ÿ 1 level tbsp sweet chilli sauce Ÿ Salt and freshly ground black pepper Ÿ 800g lean beef steak, all visible fat removed, cut into thick strips (about 3 x 12cm) Ÿ Chopped coriander, to serve for the salad: Ÿ Juice of 1 lemon Ÿ 1 tsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce) Ÿ A pinch of sweetener Ÿ 2 apples, cored, sliced and cut into thin matchsticks Ÿ 4 celery sticks, cut into thin matchsticks Ÿ 4 tbsp roughly chopped coriander Ÿ 2 tbsp roughly chopped mint

Method 1. Preheat the barbecue.

2.Mix the soy sauce, lime juice, peanut butter and sweet chilli sauce together in a wide bowl and season well.

3. Add the beef strips to the mixture, toss to coat evenly and leave to marinate for 10-12 minutes.

4. Meanwhile make the salad. Mix the lemon juice, nam pla and sweetener in a bowl. Stir in the apple and celery so they are well coated in the dressing, then add the coriander and mint. Toss to mix well and set aside.

5.Thread the beef strips onto 12 metal skewers and place on the barbecue. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side, or until cooked to your liking.

6.Remove from the heat, sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve with the salad.

Tip: The beef can be prepared in advance and marinated for up to 48 hours in an airtight container before cooking. The skewers can also be cooked under a preheated hot grill for 3-4 minutes each side.

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Baldock Town Fc Fundraiser Baldock Town FC and Baldock Town Youth FC are looking forward to their latest joint fundraiser – An Evening hosted by West Ham Legends Tony Gale and Tony Co ee on Thursday 4th May. Those in a endance can look forward to the following at Knights Templar School in Baldock: Ÿ An Evening hosted by West Ham Legends and Sky Sports Presenters Tony Gale & Tony Co ee Ÿ A welcome drink Ÿ 4-course meal Ÿ Entertainment by Comedian Willy Miller Ÿ Magic from Samuel Prior Ÿ Appearances from further spor ng & TV celebrity guests Ÿ A live charity auc on There are now only a handful of ckets le , so for more details please contact: Pinky Parker - Mob: 07527 788688 or Email: nannypink64@gmail.com Whilst holding the live charity auc on on the night, you can bid online for our fantas c Auc on prizes by visi ng: the on-line auc on at www.baldocktownfootballauc on.co.uk Online Auc on Closes at 6pm, Thursday 4th May. Winning bids at this point will then switch to the live auc on due to take place at 9.30pm on 4th.

Prizes include Skiing in Switzerland for 12 people, Club Wembley packages for the FA Cup Final and England v Slovakia, signed Lionel Messi football boot plus much more.

Get your hands on some cracking packages and memorabilia whilst suppor ng your local football club!

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Fire & Its Consequences If a fire causes the facility to be temporarily unusable, what would you do next? Would your business be able to pay u li es, wages or any other standing charges without any income? It could take months before the damaged property is rebuilt and stock, machinery and equipment are repaired or replaced.

Ideally, you would move to a temporary loca on while your permanent place of business is being repaired. Yet, tradi onal Property Insurance does not cover this move or a loss of income when a business must temporarily close. With Business Interrup on Insurance, this setback can be minimized by simply adding this cover to your Property Insurance policy.

What can be included in a Business Interrup on Policy? Ÿ Compensa on for lost income if has to vacate its premises as a result of disaster-related damage covered under a Property Insurance policy Ÿ Compensa on for the gross profits that would have been earned based on previous financial records, had the major loss/peril not occurred Ÿ Covers opera ng expenses, such as u li es, that must be paid even though business temporarily ceased Ÿ Covers the increased cost of working, including expenses of opera ng in a temporary loca on while repairs to the permanent loca on are completed Considera ons for Business Interrup on Insurance Ÿ Business interrup on insurance cannot be purchased on its own—it must be added to an exis ng insurance policy, such as property or office insurance Ÿ Purchasers must also determine that the policy's maximum

indemnity period is sufficient to cover the amount of me it will take for the business to recover following a major loss. Ÿ Price of cover depends on the risk of disaster to the premises.

Insurance experts es mate that Business Interrup on Insurance is one of the most, if not the most, valuable cover available, yet it is o en overlooked by business owners. Since Property Insurance only covers the cost of physical loss or damage and contents of a business in the event of a disaster, Business Interrup on cover is invaluable in covering the loss of income while the permanent business loca on is being repaired.

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NHDC Councillors Vote As a Councillor for Baldock, I have been approached by a number of people in the town, asking me about the Housing Plan and why all but one of the Baldock & Arbury Councillors voted for the mo on before the Council, when we have all campaigned for a plan that was propor onate and that did not dump so many new dwellings in the Baldock area. On 11 April, NHDC Councillors effec vely had two choices; either vote against the mo on, which would send the plan back to NHDC to start again, or vote for the mo on, which would send the plan, along with the more than 2,500 representa ons made during the second consulta on, to the Planning Inspectorate, for considera on.

This was the third me this plan had been before Council, having been first put forward in November 2014. As a new Councillor, prior to the 2014 mee ng, I ini ated the se ng up of a public mee ng in Baldock to ascertain what opinion was in the town.

The community expressed strong opposi on to the plan and I and other town councillors worked with our cons tuents to protest at the unfair nature of the plan, which at that me proposed building almost 4,500 houses in Baldock, with 3,650 dwellings north of Baldock in one massive development. At the mee ng in November, I did not support the plan. In July 2016, the plan came again to Council; all the Baldock & Arbury Councillors voted against it, feeling that there was s ll me for NHDC to get it right, if the will was there to do so. By this me, we had managed to reduce the numbers for Baldock & Arbury by 910 dwellings, to 3,590; a small but important victory in the scheme of things.

The consulta on period before the vote in July had led to 8,500 representa ons from members of the public and organisa ons, the vast majority of whom agreed that this plan was significantly flawed. Unfortunately, the plan was approved and a second consulta on period took place between October and November, which resulted in around 2,550 representa ons, of whom 98% objected to the plan as it stood.

When it came before Council the third me, on 11 April, the plan was an improvement from its original, but remained significantly flawed, par cularly in rela on to the provision of infrastructure around transport and educa on. The plan also nkered with the Green Belt, allowing 60% of development on such land, while designa ng other areas as Green Belt to apparently compensate for this. Such ac on gave rise to the impression that the Green Belt was being used as a ma er of expediency, rather than for its original purpose.

So how should we vote? The obvious thing to do would be to vote against the mo on, but that would mean sending the plan back to NHDC to start again. But the thing is that NHDC had taken 20 years to get to the current plan, which remained significantly flawed. Did we have any confidence that they would be able to produce a plan that was 'fit for purpose' within a me frame that prevented the government stepping in and appoin ng someone from outside the area taking over and producing a plan that took no account of local communi es etc, but looked good on paper? I asked many of my cons tuents whether they had faith in NHDC to be able to ever produce a good plan for the District and everyone stated that they had no confidence in NHDC to deliver such a plan.

Another big issue to consider was that if the mo on was defeated, North Herts would be without a five year housing plan; this would mean that every planning applica on made by developers would carry with it a presump on that planning permission would be granted – not the best situa on for 32

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properly co-ordinated and propor onate development, to the benefit of communi es.

Now I considered vo ng to send the plan to the Planning Inspectorate; this would result in the plan being objec vely and impar ally considered and the se ng up of an examina on in public. The inspector would take note of all the 2,500 representa ons made during the second consulta on, by individuals and organisa ons. Of par cular note was the fact that, as stated at the Council Mee ng, Herts County Council itself objected to the plan, considering it to not be 'fit for purpose'. A powerful voice against, for the inspector to consider.

I note the comments made by Cllr Steve Jarvis in the media, who voted to send the plan back to NHDC and feels that if you think something is wrong, you should vote against it. That is living in La La Land. It is my job, as a local councillor to get the best possible result for my cons tuents and the people of North Herts that I can. When faced with a woeful situa on, created by Cllr Jarvis and other long serving councillors, who were unable to pull together a viable, fair and propor onate plan in 20 years, some mes it is necessary to compromise. Stop playing poli cs and focus ac vity on what is achievable. The people of North Herts deserve be er!

All of the Baldock & Arbury Councillors agreed with the above analysis, but on the night, one chose to vote to send the plan back to NHDC; the rest of us decided to put our faith in the integrity and professionalism of the Planning Inspector and the examina on in public. This seems to be the best way of taking into account the public outcry, the objec ons of Herts County Council and recognise the plan for what it is: a flawed plan that is not fit for purpose!

Fleas,Treatment and Control Fleas are the most common external parasite of cats and dogs and can also infest other pets such as rabbits. Most fleas prefer to feed from animals and require their blood to reproduce, but some will bite humans, particularly around the ankles. Fleas lay eggs in batches of twenty that easily fall off into the house. These eggs will hatch into larvae that live in the carpet pile or between floor and skirting boards.

The next stage is a pupa that can stay dormant for up to a year. Warmth, vibrations and the presence of a mammal will activate the pupae to hatch into fleas.

Many animals, including humans, react to flea saliva causing irritation at the bite site. A hypersensitive reaction causes redness, swelling, pain and itch leading to chewing and scratching in dogs, and over-grooming and scratching in cats. If the fleas are left untreated the animal can then get hair loss and skin infection, and small puppies and kittens can have significant blood loss causing anaemia. Fleas also transmit tapeworms eggs so can cause tapeworm infection in your dog or cat.

Most cats and dogs will pick up fleas from another pet or animal outside at least once in their lifetime. Although many may cope well with one or two bites, many will suffer much irritation. Common treatments that can be bought at the pet shops and supermarkets work in different ways and are often not fully efficacious. They can repel the fleas or kill them, usually a while after contact or feeding unfortunately these products do not stop them from laying eggs ,

even after they’ve contacted the product, but before they die.

A flea can lay hundreds of eggs in its three months life span, in your house. These eggs, lava and pupa will represent 95% of the flea problem for your itchy pets, with only 5% of the problem being the fleas on your pets. As you can imagine the flea numbers can very quickly increased to large levels. Therefore management of any flea problem requires flea treatment as well as an environmental control of the developmental stages.

All veterinarian prescription products have been thoroughly tested for animal safety as well as proving they are fully efficacious. There are no non-prescription for the treatment that will kill adult fleas as well as stop their lifecycle therefore veterinarian treatments are needed.

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Baldock Allotment & Leisure Gardeners’ Association

GARDEN CONSTRUCTION & FENCING Complete Patio Design Landscaping Decking Gazebo’s Fencing & Gates Turfing & Seeding Walls Hedging Driveways Ponds Block Paving Rockeries Gardening Lawn Mowing Tree Pruning

BALGA celebrates a year of self management!

1 April 2017 saw the end of the first year of self management by BALGA, the Baldock Allotment and Leisure Gardeners’ Associa on. BALGA now manages two allotment sites in Baldock on behalf of North Herts District Council. We are delighted to report that we will soon be opera ng a wai ng list on the site on the Clothall Road site and the North Road site will inevitably fill up as a result shortly a er.

If any residents of Baldock and the surrounding area are interested in ren ng a plot before a wai ng list comes into opera on, they can leave a message on our Plot Request Hotline on 07523 185106, email gensec@balga-online.co.uk or visit o u r n e w we b s i te w w w. b a l ga online.co.uk, where they can also find out more informa on on both sites as well as complete an allotment request form online.

MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS WELCOME FRIENDLY FAMILY BUSINESS FREE ESTIMATES AND ADVICE DISTANCE NO OBJECT ALL WORK FULLY GUARANTEED

Contact Philip for further details on

Tel: 01438 214809 Mob: 07814 266060 20 Angle Ways, Shephall,Stevenage

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IAN SIMPSON Carpentry and Joinery All aspects of carpentry work undertaken Kitchen, Bedrooms, Doors, Windows 25 years experience Free estimates Please call 01462 851695 or 07967162448 E-mail ij_simpson@hotmail.com

Useful numbers Advice Citizen’s Advice Bureau Trading Standards Advice

03444 111444 0300 300 8136

Churches St Marys the Virgin Baptist church Roman Catholic Methodist Christchurch United Reformed Church

01462 892838 01462 893203 01462 893127 01462 895052 01462 232005 01462 619350

Councils North Hertfordshire District

Doctors Baldock Surgery

01462 474000 01462 892458

Dentist Victoria Place Dental Surgery

01763 313869

Emergency Utilities Gas Emergency Electric power cut

0800 111999 0800 7838838

Hospitals Lister Hospital Queen Elizabeth 2 EMERGENCY HEALTH

01438 314333 01707 328111 111

Library Baldock Library

0300 123 4049

Police Police

01707 354000

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

01462 896111 01462 892366 01462 893168 01462 892341 01462 893153 01462 893134

Schools Knights Templar Hartsď€ eld St Johns St Marys Brandles

01462 620700 01462 895267 01462 892478 01462 892347 01462 892189

Travel Taxi - A2B Taxis Arriva Buses National Rail Enquires National Bus line

01462 228765 08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608

Vets Baldock Veterinary Centre

01462 895579

Nurseries Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round

01462 892172 01462 896322

Play Groups Magic Moments Merry Go Round

07980 400690 01462 896322

Plumbers A.P Hughes

07949 120911

Window & Door repairs JML Windows Reapairs Warrens Windows

01438 906300 01462 261401

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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2017

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