Issue 79 May 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
Summer is right around the corner and things are starting to look up. It's been great to see friends and spend time together, even if it has been a little chilly in the garden (thank goodness for patio heaters and fire pits). The town is buzzing again with people catching up with friends and family. The cafes, restaurants and pubs are busy with people again and when that sun starts shining the al fresco dining is all the more appealing. Lots of us have now had that long overdue hair cut now and nails are looking significantly more manicured. Hopefully that will be the end of the lockdown haircuts (even if some of them did put a smile on our faces). You may have noticed while driving or walking through the town that everyone's favourite boutique has had a spring makeover. Palma and Stone have added a splash of colour to Hitchin Street with a fresh pink door and window frames. Looking lovely and very instagramable as the kids say! The Car Boot Sale has reopened too, just in time for a good spring clear out before summer rolls around or to pick up a few new additions ready for hosting guests this Summer. Jacqui had her first dose of the Covid vaccine towards the end of April. A little apprehensive with the worry of side effects but after one day of feeling a little under the weather she was right as rain again. Certainly nothing compared to the 3 month Covid battle she faced last year.
There is so much hope and optimism for a amazing UK summer, lots have already planned their staycations and trips to the coast. We can't wait for some proper seaside fish and chips! We've also got a big birthday in the family to look forward to, Jacqui's dad is turning 80 in May. We're crossing our fingers for a spot of sunshine to have a celebratory BBQ in the garden together. Lastly we're very excited to share with you our new food review feature that we're hoping to make a consistent feature in the magazine. The aim is to highlight and share your favourite foodie spots in the local area. The first eatery featured is the one and only Chicken George in Hitchin. You can read all about it on page 27 and find out if it is worth the hype.
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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Neighbourhood Plan At the local council elec ons on 6th May, residents of Baldock, Bygrave and Clothall will also be asked to vote to accept the Neighbourhood Plan for the area. This is our opportunity to influence the planning of any future developments in the town, and to ensure that any future growth maintains the town's character and brings the facili es we need. The Neighbourhood plan has been put together, over the last 3 years, by local community groups. Its purpose is to improve upon North Her ordshire District Council's Local Plan, to get a be er outcome for the town and address specific issues that you have told us are important to you. Plans being finalised by the district and county councils for the substan al growth of Baldock over the next twenty years make this par cularly important.
The Neighbourhood Plan includes policies to: Prevent local services and infrastructure coming under pressure from any new development, and Ÿ secure be er community facili es for the area (such as improved cycleways and addi onal places to meet and play sport). Ÿ Require new buildings to be welldesigned and to minimise their environmental impact. Ÿ Protect and improve key areas of open space, including Walls Field next to Hartsfield School, and the informal recrea on area to the east of Clothall Common. Ÿ Maintain a physical and visual gap between Lower Bygrave and the edge of Baldock. Ÿ Protect the historic character of Baldock and the villages in the area.
On 6th May, all residents will be asked to vote Yes or No to suppor ng the Neighbourhood Plan. If the majority of voters agree to accept the Neighbourhood Plan then it will carry the same weight as North Her ordshire District Council's Local Plan in making decisions about any future development. If the plan is not accepted by the majority of voters then the opportunity to influence future planning decisions will be lost. Please take a look at the website, www.bbplan.co.uk, where you will find lots of informa on about what is in the plan and how we iden fied the issues that have been included. And, even more importantly, please vote to support the plan when you visit a polling sta on on 6 May!
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Happy B thday
Cath ine
23rd May
Lots of Love Mum, Dad & Wil iam Happy 7th Birthdays
Jimmy & Be 2nd & 4th May
Lots of love from all your family xx
Happy Birthday Michelle Jeffrey 26th May
4 Sun Street, Baldock. Sg7 6QA 2c St Francis Way, Shefford. Sg17 5DZ
Love from Mark, Alfie, Phoebe and Barney xxx Happy Birthday
5
Beau Tyrrell 3rd of May
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RETURN OF THE BIG LUNCH It seems really weird, but the last me Baldock had a major community event in the High Street was 7 December 2019! The Baldock Events Forum did manage to run the Baldock Beast in February 2020, but 2020 saw no big community events in the High Street, thanks to various spikes & Lockdowns. Thank goodness the vaccina on programme, along with the good sense of the vast majority has changed ma ers drama cally; we can now see a light at the end of the tunnel. As I write, all of the Covid data is improving to the extent that restric ons are relaxing and should be ending by 21 June (at the latest!). For those of you who are really missing community events in the High Street, we have news for you! As you may know, hospitality is waking up and meals, drinks etc can now be taken 'al fresco'. Baldock is already responding to this, and our pubs, coffee shops and restaurants are
taking full advantage, thanks to a dry April, weatherwise... We have also nego ated a return to Baldock from 'Street Food Heroes' who will be back in the High Street on both of the May Bank Holidays (3rd & 31st) from midday to around 6pm. They will be bringing a mul tude of stalls providing street food from around the world. Come and try out the tastes of the far east, the Americas and elsewhere. You know you want to… The Big Lunch is also back! We are planning to bring The Big Lunch back to Baldock on Sunday 4 July. As with all our events, we are organising this to be Covid friendly, so some things will be different to ensure the event is appropriately socially distanced. Tickets can be purchased from Pixie's Café and the Community Centre from 1 May and this year we will also be taking table bookings. As before, music will be
organised by 'that man about Baldock, G' and food will be provided by Mal ngs Fish Shop, Chapman's Butchers, Dine Bangla, Café Luna, The White Lion and Pixie's, giving plenty of choice for everyone. Other events proposed within the Baldock Events Forum programme are the Baldock Cycle Challenge on Sunday 5 September and of course, the Christmas Fayre and Light switch on, which will be taking place on Saturday 4 December. The team at the Baldock Events Forum hope that our wonderful residents will support us and other event suppliers as the town's community events programme resumes a er over a year's enforced slumber. The Events Forum remains commi ed to helping any groups wishing to hold community events in the town and finally, we would like to thank all our helpers, from the individual Event Directors, sponsors, musicians, to all those who readily give up their me to make events happen. The vast majority of these people are volunteers who simply want to do what they can to make Baldock a great place to live! See you at The Big Lunch and Street Food Heroes. Jim McNally - Chair
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Digitalised, Connected & Intelligent
New Volkswagen Golf By Tim Barnes-Clay - Follow on Instagram @tbarnsclay
Volkswagen's eighth-genera on Golf con nues a range of hatchbacks first ushered in back in 1974. The model's been a best-seller for ages, so I've no doubt the Golf 8, as it's known, will be as successful. There are loads of engines in the new Golf. All you need to know is that if you want it, VW will provide it - apart from a pure electric version. Why's that? Well, the VW ID.3 model takes care of that side of things. For this review, I tested the new Golf R-Line 1.5-litre eTSI, fi ed with a seven-speed DSG 'box. Like the related Audi A3, the mild-hybrid car's turbocharged petrol engine uses a 48 V lithium-ion ba ery and 48 V belt starter generator instead of an alternator and starter. The generator also serves as an electric motor that improves pulling power. VW's Golf has always had excellent trac on and a comfortable ride. But now we're in a tech-obsessed era, a "driving dynamics manager" system keeps an even closer eye on the way the car handles. In layman's terms, the gadgetry makes the trac on system communicate with the suspension. This ensures the Volkswagen will be more
on the ball at one end of the spectrum, and comfier at the other. I've only driven the Golf in mild hybrid R-Line form so far on Bri sh roads, and I can vouch for its ride comfort and precision in corners. It also copes well on damp or frosty roads – and on irregular tarmac. So, the fact that this car behaves with composure across a range of environments, makes it a rac ve as a daily driver. Inside the hatch, an a rac ve interior finish compliments excep onal insula on. There's far more tech than before, and the seats in this new eighth-genera on car are suppor ve and comfortable. There is also a massaging func on on some versions of the vehicle. Along with adaptable mood ligh ng, the new Golf makes every journey a joy rather than a bore. This isn't a big car, but there's s ll space for five-up – just. To be blunt, though, four adults are more like it in the real world. I took my kids and wife with me on a two-hundred-mile trip, and they were happy enough. So, take from that what you will. At the end of the day, like its Audi A3 rela ve, the VW Golf is a compact family hatchback. As for the boot, the cargo capacity is
380 litres with the seats in posi on and 1,237 litres with them folded down. What's more, the rear bench splits 60:40 and folds almost flat, while there's a convenient longer loads hatch in the centre.
Fast Facts VW Golf R-Line 1.5-litre 150PS eTSI as tested: Ÿ Max speed: 139mph Ÿ 0-62 mph: 8.5 secs Ÿ Combined mpg: 49.6 Ÿ Engine Layout: 1498cc four-cylinder turbo petrol Ÿ Max. power (PS): 150 Ÿ CO2: 130 g/km Ÿ Price: £28,695
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ROGERSONS REMOVALS Happy 1st Birthday Hudson! 1st May Lots of love always, Mummy, Daddy & Primrose xxx
Amelia Gar rad Lots of love, Mummy, Lewbear, Harry and Ava x Alexander Tapp
LAWN CUTTING HEDGE CUTTING LANDSCAPING PATIOS
31-05-2021
Lots of Love Mum & Dad Happy 70th Birthday
26th May
to a wonderful Mum Love Clare & Sarah xxx
Happy Birthday ‘Star Baker’
Louise Tapp 23rd May
Lots of Love Wil iam & Alex 10
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ASHWELL
WESTON
Now that it's all over, well nearly, sort of, possibly. I find myself reflec ng on the past year and how it has affected me. I don't normally think about things like this, life happens. I deal with what it offers, and I move along. I don't suppose that there have been many other years like the past one that make you look back on them with such scru ny. In fairness, overall, this Covid malarky has been good to me. I've saved money on traveling to work and other such unnecessary costs. This has allowed me to redecorate the house, most of it anyway. The Kitchen was the first to see a paint brush, followed by half the stairs. Yes, you read that right, half the stairs. As you will know, I'm a big DIYer, mainly because I actually enjoy the sense of achievement it gives me. I'm no perfec onist, but I think I do a pre y good job of it and if I do cock it up (we won't revisit the Dog Door Travesty of a few years ago now) the Gods always seem to smile upon my efforts and find me a decent bodge. But more importantly, it saves me bucket loads of money. Any how, back to the stairs. My stairs
go all the way up, I don't mean up to the upstairs landing, of course they go all the way up there. I mean from the bo om of the house straight up to the top, its about twenty feet up to the ceiling. Now, I'm no longer as agile as I were, I remember decora ng my mum's stairs when I was 8 months pregnant, whipping hither and thither on the ladders like Nadia Comaneci on the A symmetric bars. Basically, I can't do ladders anymore. As a result, only half my stairs got done. I have enlisted the help of a very nice young man, who has forgo en my cries for help already, I am hoping he reads this and feels guilty enough to knock a good wad off his price. During Easter, my daughter decided that we would do the living room and her bedroom. What a dream team that turned out to be. Two large rooms in three days. Bank holiday Monday saw us prone on the sofa with wine and girly films whilst we recovered. I also seem to have had a bit of a house clearance; this morning four carloads of rubbish found its way to the dump, care of the Dream Team. I hope the boys of the family are hanging their heads in shame and contempla on for their lack of enthusiasm in helping their poor old mumma out, but I suspect that now the pubs are open, it was more to do with the hangover than anything else. I have had some proper down days too. Most of my lock down was spent in isola on, not because I needed to, it just worked out that way. Working from home is isola ng. But even though I don't live alone, some days I felt alone. I know I am not a social bu erfly and as I age, I'm
sure I get more moany, but having people around you li s you somehow. I guess you don't really know that un l you are forced into a situa on where you have no choice. Being alone is fine when you get all 'Greta Garbo' and it is your choice, but take that choice away and quite frankly, it sucks. I found that business phone calls were a li le longer, just so you could talk to another person. I had a lovely half hour phone call to one lady because both of us needed to talk to someone. If I were lucky to see a friend whilst out dog walking it would be hard to tear away from them because the feeling that you would never see anyone ever again was so strong. I felt more emo onal pain last year than any other, I think. Losing friends and my lovely Doug took its toll on me without a doubt. When crap happens, its normally a big bunch of crap that hits at the same me, last year seemed like a big muck spreader was trawling through my life, flicking its crap at me willy nilly. Covid is s ll with us, and will be for a very long me, but we have some freedom now. The pubs and restaurants are open, concerts and spor ng events will follow shortly. Grass routes rugby is on its way, just in me for the end of season. Life is about to get so much be er; Spring is truly here, and the weather is glorious (well, today anyway). Us 'homeworkers' are slowly returning to work, and it won't be too long before we are as back to normal as we can be. The sun will shine, scars will heal, and I won't have to decorate again for about five years, except the bathroom, because with all this fresh paint around, its looking so red. A Woman's work is never done.
Nicky
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5 minutes with... ... Emma Lovelock from *Tell us a bit about you I grew up just up the road in Stevenage and now live in Bun ngford. I'm a mum of a 12-year-old girl, I was a single mum for 6 years and I love the freedom running my own business has given me as a parent. I discovered Pilates in the year 2000, when I came across the technique during my professional dance training in London. At the me no-one had really heard of Pilates, these days every GP in the country recommends it! A er a ending classes throughout my pregnancy, I dreamed of becoming an instructor, but it wasn't un l 2010 when I was a diagnosed with Breast Cancer, that I decided it was something I needed to do. I trained as an instructor in 2013. *Tell us a bit about The Pilates Corner We ini ally opened as a small studio in Stevenage in 2016 and built up quite a following in the area. When the pandemic hit last year, we had to make the decision to close our doors for good when our lease was due for renewal. We are so excited to be able to open bigger and be er in our new loca on in Baldock Industrial Estate. *I've heard Pilates is good for back pain, is this true? Absolutely! If you have back pain, you should definitely give Pilates a try, as strengthening your core goes a long way to relieving back pain. We have many clients who say they have li le to no back pain since star ng classes with us. We run a Lowerback pain workshop at the studio every few months focusing solely on back safe exercises although all our Pilates classes are suitable if you have back pain.
*Who is Pilates Suitable for? The great thing about Pilates is its accessible to everyone (as long as you can get to the floor, and back up again!). It is rela vely slow paced but don't be fooled into thinking this means it's easy. Pilates is challenging if you do it properly, but at The Pilates Corner we always offer a variety of levels, so you can work to your own ability without any pressure. Pilates is par cularly good for during and post-pregnancy as there is a lot of focus on strengthening the pelvic floor and the deep abdominal muscles. *Do you offer any other classes other than Pilates? Yes, we have several class types that we offer on our metable: Trigger Point Pilates, Yoga, Barre, SOULfusion, and under 16s classes. We also do a variety of Saturday workshops which are open to non-members to a end. *Is The Pilates Corner a Gym? No, unlike gyms, our classes are small (max of 12 per class) and we make sure we know everything about our members that a end so we can adapt each exercise to each person. You are never just a face in the crowd and our studio is not in the slightest bit in mida ng. We also offer our en re metable on zoom if you're not ready to go to live classes just yet. *How can someone find out more about your classes? By visi ng our website www.thepilatescorner.co.uk or emailing us at info@thepilatescorner.co.uk. We are offering readers a free consulta on if they men on this interview when they get in touch.
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Older Generation are saying “Thank You” to Young People It's been over a year that young people have had to restrict their social life , poten al earnings or plans to travel. They have had to make this sacrifice mainly to protect their grandparents and the older genera on in the town. Baldock has the largest aging popula on in any town in Her ordshire and most of the older popula on have now had their vaccina ons and are protected. Younger people are s ll at risk and are taking protec ve ac on such as having to wear masks and being tested in school. I hope that you would agree that the young people who live in the town have set the bar high in how people should behave. They pass my house every day on their way to Knights Templar School and I am impressed. The Baldock Futures Fund has consulted with KTS and are offering grants to those leaving school using the schools eligibility criteria to ascertain hardship. We hope that this will in some small way help to launch young people into their chosen futures. As lockdown eases the Baldock
Futures Fund will be suppor ng fund raising events across the town and villages over the coming months. Most of the events are being held by the older genera on as a mark of respect for young people. We want to build this fund over the coming years so that we can always support those living in adverse circumstances to launch themselves successfully into society, whether that is star ng an appren ceship, going straight into work or a ending university. If you wish to hold a coffee morning or a ernoon tea to help us raise funds get in touch with me at the number below and we will make it happen for you. The Trustees would also be happy to discuss our aims and objec ves to any person who would like to donate to Baldock Futures Fund, you are the key to our success, again phone me on the number below. Vivienne Reed – Chair baldockfuturesfund@gmail.com www.baldockfuturesfund.co.uk Facebook – Baldock Futures Fund Telephone – 07815308124
IT’S BACK Back To Netball in Baldock is back!! Join Sarah King on Thursdays 6.30-7.30 at Avenue Park! All of our sessions provide a gentle reintroduc on to netball, the emphasis is very much on having fun whilst learning the basics and ge ng a bit of exercise at the same me! The session is aimed at beginners and some All of our sessions provide a gentle re-introduc on to netball, the emphasis is very much on having fun whilst learning the basics and ge ng a bit of exercise at the same me! The session is aimed at beginners and some people who come along haven't played for a number of years, usually since school. However, others have played a li le more recently so there is a range of experiences, abili es and ages but new players are always very welcome!
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COUE'S LAW OF REVERSED EFFORT Almost all of us experience fear at some point in our lives. It is very common to feel a li le anxious the evening before a long flight or feel a li le dizzy when looking down from a great height, for most of us, these feelings are temporary and manageable. But the more you imagine the fear the worse the situa on feels and your emo onal reac on to it. You have probably never heard of Emile Coue, he was studying 'the mind' around the same me as some of his well known contemporaries, such as Sigmund Freud and Joseph Breuer. One of Coue's main interests was 'sugges on' and 'self' or 'auto' sugges on. Coue's also formulated
something that we call Coue's Law. Coue's Law, or more fully Coue's Law of reversed effort, is a pre y significant psychological discovery, but also one of the least well-known. Coue's Law states, that 'When the imagina on and the will are in conflict, the imagina on invariably gains the day'. It relates to the mes where you want to achieve a par cular outcome, and are perhaps even pu ng lots of effort into making that outcome happen, but you addi onally fear that an alterna ve nega ve outcome might happen. You might for example be really determined to present a speech at a wedding in a confident and calm manner BUT you also keep worrying that it might go wrong, imagining that you might forget your words or stu er, visualising blushing or everyone laughing at you. Your 'inner voice' that li le devil always si ng on your shoulder, your fears, worries, doubts, your imagina on conflicts with what you would actually like to achieve. You could be sta ng determinedly what you WANT to happen – I'm going to on a diet and lose weight, then your inner voice replies with what you FEAR will happen – you wont s ck to it, you never s ck to a diet!
Your fears and anxie es can o en win against your desires and goals. A good way to illustrate this is to pretend that you are walking along a plank of wood about thirty cen metres wide, suspended about 3 metres off the ground, you know that you can do this, its easy. Just keep pu ng one foot in front of the other. Walking this plank requires no special skills, anyone could do it, if the plank was on the ground. So you are walking along this plank, feeling confident, feeling posi ve, all you have to do is walk to the end. Half way along the 16
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BALDOCK TOWN CRICKET CLUB plank though you glance down at the ground and suddenly your heart starts to beat faster as your startled inner voice says, OMG that's a long way down, I would really hurt myself if I fell now! Almost as you are thinking this your legs start to tremble and this trembling is fed back to your brain as 'I'm going to falal' The more you become fascinated with the idea idea of falling, the more you shake and tremble your body reacts on your mind, your mind reacts upon your body and then you fall. You fall because you imagine yourself falling. If you don't imagine falling you don't fall. If you are struggling to challenge your thinking and manage your fears try hypnotherapy as it deals with problems at the subconscious level to help solve a problem at the conscious level,which will help to achieve a posi ve a tude about yourself. Kim Holloway www.total-therapy.co.uk
Now the sunshine and slightly warmer weather is making an appearance, it is almost me for the start of the cricket season at Avenue Park. Our adult sec on is now comprised of four teams playing on Saturday a ernoons from early May to early September, playing in the Her ordshire Cricket League. We have a wide scope to cater for all abili es from the 1st XI who play in Division 5B and are looking for promo on to our newly formed 4th XI that will be playing games of a more gentle pace with home matches taking place at the relaxing surrounds of St Christopher School. We also run a 40 over a side team on Sunday that plays in the North Her ordshire League offering a fun but s ll compe ve level of play. While current guidelines do not allow,
we hope soon to be able to socialise back at the Avenue Park Sports and Social Club, for now any post-match analysis will take place outdoors by our recently renovated scorebox. Addi onally, we prac ce on Thursday nights at Avenue Park within our net facility. For children, we are running teams at Under 9, Under 10 and Under 12 levels in the Her ordshire Junior League playing other teams in the local area, as well as offering prac ce sessions to work on skills. A new ini a ve we are running is Dynamos Cricket, which is available to girls only aged 8 to 11 years. This is an eight-week course star ng on Sunday 6th June, aimed at building confidence and key skills through fun ac vi es leading up to playing games. Another eight-week course star ng on Sunday 6th June is All Stars Cricket, which is an estabished fun ac vity based course for children aged 5 to 8 years old. For all enquiries to get involved at Baldock Town Cricket Club, please email at baldocktowncc@gmail.com.
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Baldock Gardens By Graham Tapp May 2021 Last month I wrote about the massive mess of regulations involved with Brexit for importing plants. Nothing like that this month; I thought I might do something on weeds. You will undoubtedly have listened to all sorts of television personalities saying that a weed is any plant in the wrong place! That's all well and good, but most of us have no idea what should be where anyway. Many of the plants we want to keep look like the plants we don't, especially in their early growth stages. Confused? So was I when I first started in the horticultural business. When weeding a herbaceous or shrub border, it's obvious what are ornamentals and what are the weeds, as long as you are weeding early in the season and in established borders as the weeds will be smaller than the plants you want to keep. If you are weeding a seedling bed that has become overgrown with weeds, it does happen for various reasons beyond our control; look for lines or patterns as we usually sow or plant in straight lines or patterns. Nature doesn't usually work in straight lines, so stand back a bit and look from different angles and heights. Get down on your hands and knees, get up close and personal with the plants you may be able to see enough of a difference to spot the good ones from the bad ones. If you can't, then I was taught to leave the job for a few days and try again because the identical-looking plants will change shape or colour as their mature leaves develop. If, when sowing your seed and you think you may run into trouble identifying weeds from the plants you want to keep, try keeping a string line in place so you can find the row or drill, running a line of chalk powder or sand down the string line before removing it as you finish sowing will help. Set distances between the rows is always a good idea, be accurate in your sowing and planting; you can then find the rows. The horticultural industry works on very accurate spacings, especially when using
machinery. We are talking about centimetres, even millimetres in the precision driving required when driving within the growing beds. In the early 70's we used to have a cultivator called a steerage hoe; this would be fixed to the back of a tractor and would be used to weed multiple rows at a time. Tractors were challenging to keep in precise straight lines in those days, so the hoe had to have an operator. The operator sat on the back, steering the cultivator blades between the rows of plants making up for the tractor driver's inaccuracies. This job was mind-boggling in the concentration required. Even though the tractor was travelling at only a mile or two per hour, staring down to the ground, it would look more like 20 miles an hour, so they would change jobs every hour or so. Hoeing with the tractor would only remove the weeds between the rows, so some unlucky person or persons would have to hoe out the weeds between the plants manually behind the tractor. As usual, the foreman got the tractor driving job and his favourite worker on the steering hoe. Being the boy, I always had the hand hoeing job. I disliked weeding rows of spring onions most, sown by a tractor-drawn mechanical seed drill; they were just wide enough to get your working boots down. You had to straddle two rows and shuffle down the rows without damaging the plants; there was an option to hoe the weeds out from between the rows or the plants, but you couldn't do both at the same time. A choice could be made a hoe about four inches wide for between the rows and another about an inch wide to do between the plants. When I tell you that there could be anything up to 1.2 million spring onion plants per acre, you probably see why I was not too fond of the job; the stink of spring onions was challenging to get rid of, so a night in the pub was a lonely affair. The rules of weeds are simple, try to keep them away, don't let them take control, don't let them seed, don't under any circumstances compost the
pernicious weeds as the seeds won't break down. Composted seeds will pop up again wherever and whenever you use the compost, and the best idea is to put it into your brown bin, letting someone else have them. Now there is a more serious side to weeds; it's all very well having a lighthearted joke, but some weeds could get you into court and a large fine. Some hefty government legislation covers invasive non-native weeds and backed up by local government inspectors' with compulsory and costly removal regulations. The worst of these weeds are Japenese Knotweed, Giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam, Rhododendron ponticum and Newzealand pigmy weed. There are others, but these will get you the most trouble. There were also lists of weeds that we as farmers had to remove or take the risk of the inspector turning up with a compulsion order and subsequent fine as set out in the 1959 weeds act; there are five weeds in this list they are, common ragwort, spear thistle, creeping or field thistle, curled dock and broad-leaved dock. In the days of my agricultural apprenticeship, I and my fellow farmworkers had to spend many a day walking up and down fields of cereals, pulling up defined weeds and putting them in plastic bags, walking cow pastures looking for wild garlic. Fun in the sun, but not so good in the rain, this is the best farming practice and also required by the minister in charge of DEFRA, The department of food and rural affairs, who is the only person who can prosecute the individual concerned. It is not as is believed by the rural and farming community a notifiable offence; this, as it stands, has no requirement in British law to be notifiable to anyone. To finish, if your allotment is found covered in anything I have written about, you may get a severe talking to from the controlling committee. Enjoy your gardening cheers,
Graham
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BALDOCK TOWN YOUTH FC U12S UPDATE A er spending the best part of the last five months using their thumbs rather than feet to play the beau ful game, Baldock Town Youth Under-12s were quick to put their PlaySta ons away and get back out on the grass at the end of March. Having had to isolate for two weeks in mid-to-late October due to a posi ve Covid result in Year 7 at Knights Templar, then missing a month due to the November lockdown, the Under-12s managed two weeks of football in early December before the final whistle blew again. So, a er one training session on the Knights Templar 3G on Wednesday 31st March, the Under-12 Templars were back in match ac on on Easter Sunday, playing their first-ever 11-a-side match in
a friendly against Sto old Whites. The Avenue Park pitch seemed like the wide-open spaces of the old Wembley in comparison to the cramped 9-a-side pitch they are used to up the slope at KT, but an end-to-end game ensued with the Baldock boys ba ling back from 2-0 and 4-2 down to draw 4-4. The following Sunday the same two teams met, this me in a Royston Crow League match, and the crowd – by this date able to grow from one parent per child to socially distanced capacity – were entertained with another thriller, Sto old nicking this one 5-4 with a late winner! By a quirk of the RCL's fixture computer, Sunday 18th April presented them with another match against Sto old – this me the near-neighbours' Under-12 Greys, on the 3G surface at Etonbury
School's Pendleton Sports Centre. The hosts were quick out of the blocks, racing into a 3-0 half- me lead and eventually triumphing 5-1 as they lived up to their billing as the best team in the league's age group. The Under-12 Lancers had endured a tough season up to the most recent lockdown, having been placed in the wrong division by the league. At U11s in development football they had effec vely been in Division Four (Damson), but were double promoted to Division Two for the first season of compe ve football, despite the club con nuously asking to be included in Division Three. Despite suffering defeat in every game, the lads and coach Neil Jardine never let their heads drop and everyone across the age group was delighted to see them
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return to ac on with their first win of the season – 4-0 against Mid Beds Tigers up the A1 in Sandy. Confidence boosted, the lads did even be er last week, bea ng Royston Falcons 9-0. Not bad for their first two 11 v 11 matches, so well done to Neil and his squad. It's been great to see all of our boys back out in the fresh air, regaining fitness and developing their skills with a smile on their faces again, enjoying me with their mates a er so long being cooped up indoors during a huge transi onal year in their young lives. Long may it con nue as we make up for lost me by con nuing to train into the summer months – pandemic permi ng, of course! By Stuart Hammonds – Under-12 Templars Manager
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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’s on & where to find 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
It is important to stay up to date with your pet's annual vaccina ons for both their health and wellbeing. Now Covid-19 restric ons are beginning to ease in the UK we are able to start resuming normal prac ce whilst con nuing to abide to the current social distancing rules in place. This means we can also resume rou ne neutering for your pets. Neutering is a great way to prevent any unwanted pregnancies and complica ons in the future. Please call Royston on 01762 242221 or Baldock on 01462 895579 for bookings of rou ne vaccina ons or neutering, as well as more informa on on the health benefits of both vaccina ng and neutering your pet. We are also happy to give you any more informa on regarding our current social distancing rules set in place to protect both yourself and ourselves whilst you visit our prac ce.
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LOCAL HEROS Brian Noble and his team of hard work volunteers, have been our and about again this month, helping to make Baldock a cleaner and dier place to live. They managed to clear a sec on of Norton road, from the from the railway bridge , past the equestrian centre, over the motorway towards Norton. 7 large bin liners in total of li er on Norton Road (3 of which were bo les and cans). Brian said there’s more to be retrieved in this area and that they would be returning. The li er picking team was formed as part of Letchworth Arts and Leisure Group. If you would like to join Brian on his next li er clearing task, you can contact him at brian.noble80@gmail.com.
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FROM SMALL TRIES TO BIG GAINS Letchworth rugby clubs fastest growing sec on that of the ladies was born out of the early days of the lockdown where staying fit in body and mind was a challenge. A small group of ladies decided they would like to do a li le fitness thing together. As they were friends and a couple of them had a connec on with the rugby club they thought it would be fun to get together at Letchworth once a week and add a bit of rugby style to their workouts. Nothing big, nothing exhaus ng, just fun exercise with no pressure. Their ac vi es did not go unno ced for long and soon they were joined by a couple of coaches who offered to instruct them on the basics of rugby. Nothing formal just a seed of an idea. However for once The explosion of social media pos ng was a real blessing and before the long the idea had blossomed into a full-scale ladies sec on .
As news spread more ladies with previous experience at other established clubs joined the fun and ages range from late teens to late for es. By the end of a summer a proper team was coming into shape and so the need for proper kit came into view Despite the pandemic and its financial constraints such was the enthusiasm that over £5000 has been raised by these spirited individuals over the past few months It all started with a sponsored car wash before the last lockdown which raised nearly £500 and then they used their various business contacts to pull in over £3000! The main sponsor is VOODOO a local technology services business with a strong diversity agenda . Others included Howdens, Angle and Squint , The Print Factory, ETAN, and Herts Domes c Abuse Helpline . The ladies found the balance from their own resources . The big day came on February 26th when the kit was delivered and rumour has it that several were so proud they slept in it !
Although relying on zoom for fitness sessions the enthusiasm has never wavered and now proper training has returned as of last Thursday the whole squad were present and ready to pick up where they le off last November. More good news is that England and Saracens star Sydney Gregson who started her career at Letchworth girls, will be helping at training over the next few months . This is a fine example of how an idea driven with verve has created a proper en ty and not only a new team for Letchworth rugby club but done so combining all that is good about rugby and inclusion. There is hope that a program of matches can be established once the pandemic eases which can only lead to greater things ahead. President Brian BURKE said “The ladies sec on has been an inspira on to the rest of the club and they have certainly led the way in showing how rugby can bring out the best in people in these trying mes. They also know how to down a pint ! Here's to their con nued success ! “ Training is on Wednesday evenings, anyone interested should contact Lisa 07796578032 Or Elisa 07880714400
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CHICKEN FOR THE PEOPLE I first heard about the Chicken George takeout in Luton about five years ago and to be honest it didn't really excite me, I just wasn’t much of a chicken guy. However, since then they've won numerous awards, bea ng off 35,000 entrants to win best UK takeaway and taking the tle at the pres gious ‘Wing Fest’. Consider me intrigued. When I heard the hype about the new branch opening in Hitchin, I thought it would be rude not to give it a try. All I can say is that the hype is real. The daily queues that flow out on to the pavement and halfway down the road speak for themselves. Plenty of thought has gone into the design of the interior, it has a real 'New York' vibe to it, bare brickwork walls, hand sprayed graffi street art and plenty of Instagramable photo opportuni es. The classic 90's hip hop anthems playing in the background, fit in perfectly with the chicken themed Run DMC artwork.
Onto the food. The menu consists of a tantalising selec on of wings, chicken on the bone, burgers/wraps and jumbo strips, with the odd special thrown in here and there. Now the real excitement begins, it’s me to pick your flavours. We ordered the Thai Me Up You Naughty Chick strips, Biggies Buffalow wings, You've Been Mangoed wings and the new Korma Sutra wings. As for sides, you’re spoilt for choice, we went for Potato Tots, Dirty Fries and Mac & Cheese. Everything was made fresh, cooked to order, and boy did it look good. Wow. Just wow. Every item we ordered was phenomenal. My favourite on the night had to be the Thai Me Up You Naughty Chick strips. Large, tender chicken strips with a spicy Thai chilli sauce, crushed peanuts, crispy garlic, chilli flakes, spring onion and lemon grass mayo. The famous You've Been Mangoed wings came in at a very close second place with a s cky sweet mango sauce, topped with spring onions, chilli flakes
and sesame seeds. The chicken itself was so and succulent, the coa ng had a perfect crispy texture with packed with flavour and not at all greasy. The Mac & Cheese was on another level. Pasta cooked to perfec on and a deep rich cheese sauce, easily as good as (if not be er than) anything I’ve had in the States. We’ll be heading back for the smoky bacon version ASAP. I could happily sit here all day raving to you about all the amazing flavour combina ons that had my taste buds ngling with delight, but it would be much faster for you to take a trip to Hitchin to sample them yourself. You won’t be disappointed. We're hoping to feature a new food review each month, helping to highlight the best local eateries in the area. If you have a favourite place to grab a bite locally and think we should pay them a visit, drop us an email at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk
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Slimming Wld Recipe Supplied by
Sandra Lloyd
Piri Piri Lamb with rice salad This lamb steak recipe uses a sprinkling of lipsmacking piri piri seasoning, adding just the right ratio of warmth and flavour
Ingredients 8 lean lamb steaks, visible fat removed 1 level tbsp piri piri seasoning Low-calorie cooking spray Lime wedges, to serve For the rice salad: Ÿ 350g dried long-grain rice Ÿ ½ cucumber, roughly chopped Ÿ 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Ÿ 1 red onion, finely chopped Ÿ 1 roasted pepper in brine, drained and roughly Ÿ chopped Ÿ small handful of roughly chopped fresh mint Ÿ salt and freshly ground black pepper Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
Method 1. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water and transfer to a salad bowl. Mix in the remaining salad ingredients and season to taste. 2. Meanwhile, season the lamb with the piri piri seasoning and spray with low-calorie cooking spray. Place a large non-stick griddle pan or frying pan over a high heat. When it's smoking hot, cook the steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side if thin or 4-5 minutes each side if thick, or until done to your liking. 3. Divide the rice salad between plates and serve with steaks and lime wedges.
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Edier D12
Desktop Stereo Speakers with Bluetooth 5.0 This month, I have been tes ng out another fabulous piece of audio equipment from Edifier, this me is was in the shape of the D12, a fabulous stereo speaker with design that harks back to the me when audio equipment was also furniture. First things first, se ng up the D12 was possibly the lease complicated process I have yet to experience, it really was a ma er of plug-in and switch on! The tradi onal wood design fits on living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms or student room. The unit is constructed using a very high-quality wooden enclosure which reduces the issues of distor on found with plas c or metal construc on and it looks very smart. The unit is made up of 2 x 4-inch woofers and 2 x 19mm silk dome tweeters, this gives a surprisingly rich sound, but the higher frequencies are not lost in the solid build.
Lawn Care & Landscaping Specialists
Bluetooth 5.0, RCA, Aux are included for inputs and there is an addi onal line-out port if you decide to install and addi onal subwoofer or ac ve speaker. Included in the box is a smart remote control with top-mounted controls. I was par cularly impressed with the connec vity which allows you to connect to a TV, turntable, DVD or other audio. Bluetooth was excellent and very low latency which means you don't get annoying lip-sync issues when watching videos. If you decide to operate the speakers without the remote, you can do this using the top-mounted knobs which control Bass, Treble, Volume and Input Selector, the whole packages really does look great! If you do decide to use the remote, you can adjust volume, switch modes from movie or music. Currently the speaker sits in my home-
office on a shelf, it's great to have a nice rich speaker to play music when I'm working from home and it works nicely at all volumes without the sound being lost at low volumes or distorted when the sound is cranked right up. So, If you are looking for a speaker that gives you be er sound quality than your personal assistant, but doesn't dominate the room, then this might well be the choice for you. At £99, the Edifier D12 is excellent value for money for a solid, high quality speaker which should ck most boxes. You can order the Edifier on Amazon scanning the following QR Code See you next month, stay safe!
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Shop Safe, Shop Local
North Herts District Council asks residents to Shop Safe, Shop Local North Herts District Council is encouraging residents to make a pledge to support local businesses by suppor ng the local High Street. The pandemic has had a huge impact on shops, pubs and restaurants, but NHDC is hi ng back with its Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign. Steve Crowley, NHDC's Service Director – Commercial, explains, “By buying your meat from a local butcher, or ordering a takeaway from a local café or restaurant, you will provide much-needed support to your local community. “The latest research* reveals that for every £1 spent with a local, independent business, between 50p-70p circulates back into that local economy. That's why this Shop Safe, Shop Local
campaign is encouraging residents to shop safe and buy local wherever they can. “We all love our High Streets, but we all need to do our bit to support local businesses.” The Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign is part of the North Herts Reopening the High Streets Safely Programme. How to shop safely: Ÿ Make a pledge to support local businesses throughout 2021. Ÿ Take a lateral flow test before shopping in town. Ÿ Give yourself a treat and dine outside in a local pub, café or restaurant. Ÿ When shopping for essen al goods and services abide by the physical distancing signage – remember to keep two metres. Ÿ In-store wear a face covering at all mes. Ÿ Wash your hands and use hand sani sers if shopping for essen al goods. Ÿ Handle as few things as possible, only pick-up what you want to buy.
Ÿ When you're making a purchase use a
card and don't forget to bring your own bag. Ÿ Avoid crowds and if there's a queue, call back later. Ÿ Remember if you have any Covid-19 symptoms you must self-isolate. To find out more about the latest Covid-19 news in your region, www.northherts.gov.uk/shopsafe
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 Baldock Surgery
01462 892458
Dentist Victoria Place Dental Surgery
01763 313869
Emergency Utilities Gas Emergency Electric power cut
0800 111 999 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
Schools Knights Templar Hartseld 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
01462 491149
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M
May Gallery
Please send your local snaps new or old to our facebook page or email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk
Letchworth Lionesses
Fun at Ashwell Springs Harrison and Gracie enjoying Radwell Meadows
Minnie showing off her lockdown hair -Paul Davey
A Ladybird meeting Darren Armes
St Mary's Easter garden - Emma Wilkinson
Blackbird nest Margaret Hughes
Feeding time - Margaret Dellar
Sun setting at North Road allotment -BALGA (Baldock Allotment and Leisure Gardeners' Association) Closed on Mondays. Typical! - Crumps Butchers Ashwell
A tired bee enjoying some sugar water - Leanne Frankland
Black Squirrels playing in the garden - Mick Williams
Baldock Run Talk Run, every Tuesday 9;15 outside Pixies 34
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