Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally
Issue 37 October
www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding villages
Welcome To the October issue of On Our Doorstep. Well Summer seemed to end a little too early for many of us this year, a few less barbecues and sun-filled days than we might have liked. As we start to turn the heating back on, the kids are settling back at school. Our youngest has just started at Knights Templar School among 200 other fresh-faced year 7s. It's a big change and a lot to get used to (including the entertaining saga of learning to put on a tie) but she seems to be loving it so far! Another big change will be for all of the not so little kids who are heading off for university this year, getting a start in the world of work or embarking on a gap year full of adventures (are we too old to take a gap year travelling the world?). While the weather may not have been on side for September there were some fantastic achievements to lift our spirits. Balstock rounded off the summer nicely with the whole town buzzing and showing their support for the local acts playing at this year's festival. Another year, another beaming success! Another Huge achievement has been Baldock Town FC’s run in the FA Cup this season. Even the likes of Ex Engand Captain Steven Gerrard sent messages to the team wishing them luck. The next big event is the annual fun fair that will take over the town from 2nd - 5th October. For three days the town will be full of rides, games and all the usual sugary snacks. Don't forget the High Street will be shut down to
a one-way system with a good chance of traffic backing up, so plan around when possible. At the back end of the month is the annual Baldock Community Firework Display, which is held at Hartsfield school again this year. Tickets are available from Tapps Garden Centre(who are donating the fireworks again for the event), Baldock Community Center and Hartsfield School. Firework season can be particularly distressing for our four-legged friends so Baldock Veterinary Centre have shared some key info on how to look out for your pets during this time. We hope you like his month's 5 minutes piece with Sports Therapy, who are celebrating 9years in business this month! Find out more about who they are and what they do on page 25. Until next month
Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk
Jacqui Calver 07973 788418
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News from Sandon School The children and staff came back to school refreshed and excited about their holiday adventures. We were all so pleased to see the children return to school with confidence and enthusiasm at the beginning of term. All the staff would like to say a huge welcome and well done to our Recep on children, who are se ling in well and adap ng to their new learning environment. We have had some really happy news to start off the term. Miss Anstey and Mr Musk have become parents. Baby Rueben arrived safely on Wednesday 23rd August, he weighed 8lb 3oz. The whole family would like to say a huge thank you for all of the well wishes they have received. Many congratula ons to the former Mrs Jus ne Congrave, who got married in August. She is now Mrs Brierley. Congratula ons to all of the children and Mrs Reynolds who have been working excep onally hard in P.E. lessons and spor ng fixtures. Our school has been awarded the Gold School Games Mark award for our commitment, engagement and delivery of compe ve school sport. Our recent village market was well a ended; we had a selec on of food and cra stalls, a raffle, a prize draw for children and Roald Dahl themed cra table to e in to the village fete. Thank you so much to all of you who a end our village market. This is an
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important fund raising event for our school and a great opportunity to strengthen links between our school and the local community. Some children from the school sang at the opening of the village fete on 26th September and pupils also brought along their fourlegged friends to take part in the dog show. Mr Allcorn and Mr Musk are looking forward to star ng their Forest School Leader training shortly and they have ordered 30 saplings from the Woodland Trust to complement our current wooded area. Emma McGill - Headteacher
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Pets & Fireworks Don’t Mix
Stay with your pets, close the curtains, have the radio on (as background noise) and behave normally – if you comfort your dog, the message he picks is that he is right to be frightened – you are! Our rabbits, guinea pigs and small pets also need to be protected from the noise and bright flashes. The firework season can be a difficult me of year for many adult dogs and cats. The good news is that there is a wide range of op ons and tools available and, by working with them we can make a real difference to the welfare of sensi ve dogs. Please go to the advice page on website – roystonvets.com for more ps and contact the prac ce on 01763 242221 or our Baldock Branch on 01462 895579 to discuss medica ons.
Spectacular and dazzling firework displays always make bonfire night an exci ng event for friends and family. But our pets don't look forward to it, they are frightened by the sudden bangs and flashes in the sky. A recent study has found that 49% of dogs have a sound sensi vity. We can help our pets by preparing for the firework season now. Changes made at home can make anxious dogs and cats more relaxed. Provide a safe haven or den to allow the animal to retreat to - an area in which they feel secure. adap ng a cardboard box and adding bedding and toys will make them happy to se le there. Plan to walk the dog early in the a ernoon and make sure that cats are also inside before dark and that all windows, doors and cat flaps are closed.
Keep your pets safe from reworks
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Daisy Thomas #BFF
From Summer & Amelia xx Happy Birthday
Trudy Dungey Lots of Love Mick xxx st
1 October
Happy 1st Birthday
William
2nd October
Lots of Love Auntie Gemma, Uncle Kieran & Lorelai xx
Happy Birthday
Nanna Hotpies 24th October Lots of love Emma & Edward 8
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News from Weston Way We have been very busy through the summer break using and sharing our nursery garden and facili es with the wider community. We hosted a 'Transi ons' session for the Children's Centre. Parents and children were able to a end to learn more about moving from pre-school to nursery and from nursery to recep on. It was very well a ended and hopefully reassured everyone ready for September. Also during the break we held 6 holiday playscheme sessions and two stay and play sessions. The weather was kind to us on all occasions and it gave many families in the community the opportunity to see first-hand the outstanding facili es available at the nursery school. Our new September intake are se ling in very well at the beginning of the new term. We have had to adapt our provision to accommodate those families en tled to the new government funded 30 hour scheme. The nursery presently offers 52 places for those children eligible for 30 hours free funding and 40 places for the universal 15 hours available to all 3 and 4 year old children. We are introducing yoga based ac vi es throughout the session and staff are receiving training from a specialist to ensure we deliver the programme correctly and consistently. We hope it will enhance the well-being of the children and be er prepare them for all the learning opportuni es available throughout the nursery. A er school ac vi es this term are 'YogiMe' Dinky Dancers and Crea ve Chef. Plans are in place to extend the nursery building to accommodate more children as Baldock con nues to grow and accommodate more children as Baldock con nues to grow and more children
are staying for longer days. We are presently open from 8.00am un l 5.00pm. Plans are available to look at on the North Herts online applica ons: reference, 17/01512/1 We have a few 30 places available for January 2018 for any eligible children. If you would like to visit the nursery or have any ques ons please contact us on: 01462 892172 Jane Millet - Headteacher
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National Walk to School Day 4th October 2017 Na onal Walk to School Day is observed annually on the first Wednesday in October. This is a day to get out and get some exercise while enjoying the weather. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise. It isn't hard on our joints and feet like running and jogging but s ll gives us all the advantages. The goal of this day is to raise awareness and support for the health, community and environmental benefits of regularly walking or biking to school. O en as the dark nights start to draw in we lose the mo va on to walk and meet the 10,000 recommended steps per day to stay fit and healthy. Hypnotherapy can help you to work out and stay mo vated as Hypnosis compels you to regulate and take charge of yourself. It will ins l in you posi ve energy through sugges ve reitera on by your hypnotherapist. You will start believing that your set goals are actually achievable and this will make you even more resolute in pursuing them. Basically, it is all about trus ng your innate abili es to work out and improve your health. Our conscious mind uses logic and ra onaliza on to make excuses for us to not work out. Hypnotherapy quietness this part of your mind, by leading you into a relaxed state. It then focuses on your more reac ve subconscious mind, mo va ng it to follow what is best for you.
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a p p s Our pick of this month’s must have downloads PlantNet - IOS & Android Invaluable to gardeners, the Shazam of gardening lets you take a photo of a plant and it tells you what it is. Connect with other gardeners for ps. It is organize in different databases. Metapho - IOS Your photos and videos contain "metadata" – the piece of the file, which tells you where the media has been captured, type of camera used, and the se ngs. This app lets you edit or delete this informa on. Daily Blends - IOS & Android This is the ul mate plant-based recipe app for smoothies. This app will help you take control of your health, gain energy, lose weight, eat more veggies, and finally get that glowing skin that we call natural beauty. EnlightQuickShot - IOS This app will convince you that the camera in your pocket is the only one you’ll ever need, with a unique strobe mode, filters, HDR+, and onboard edi ng, it's an awesome app for sure. ThrowbackStories - IOS This app is s ll early in its development, but basically allows you to auto create stories from your pictures / videos taken on a specific day or over a specific period. Then, have it trimmed and set to share over your socials
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30th Anniversary This is always an exci ng me of year at Merry Go Round. The staff have been working hard over the summer to dy and update our resources ready for the children. It has been a pleasure to welcome back a large number of children to Nursery and meet all the new children in Pre-School. They have all se led in very well and con nue to amaze us with how they have grown over the summer holidays We have also carried out some much needed work to our roof. We would like to Horne Scaffolding for dona ng their excellent services to us. Without all their help we would not have been able to carry out this project. We have previously men oned that October marks our 30th Anniversary. To celebrate we are holding a Pirate & Princess party on 7th October from 2pm – 5pm at the United Reform Church in Whitehorse Street. There will be lots of fun ac vi es: Bouncy Castle Disco Face Pain ng Gli er Ta oos Special Appearances from a Pirate and Princess Ÿ Art & Cra s Ÿ Raffle Ÿ Princess Hair and Nail Pain ng Ÿ Hook a Duck Ÿ Treasure Maps Ÿ Chocolate Tombola Ÿ Refreshments We hope you can come and celebrate with us. It would be wonderful to see families new and old joining us on this special day. D o yo u h ave a ny s p e c i a l memories from your child's or your own me at Merry Go Round? We would love to hear from you. We would love to create a memory book that we can treasure for the future. Please email us on info@merrygoroundunder5s.co. uk. Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
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Never Lose Your Keys Again...
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For the last few weeks, I have had a li le disc a ached to my car keys which has proved invaluable in helping me find them (which happens more frequently than I would care to admit!). The li le unassuming disc is the Trackr Pixel, a device that is smaller than a ten pence piece, making it the smallest Bluetooth tracking devices available. It builds on the func onality of the Cross Peerless Pen and the Trackr Bravo with my be er range, significantly louder speaker and LED light which makes loca ng it easier find under car seats, at the bo om of bags and more o en that not, in my pocket! The Pixel is available in nine bright colours, with a lower price point that the Bravo. It also comes with free keyring and adhesive. This means you can a ach it to your keys, wallet, bags, laptop, remote control or even pet collar! Once the device is paired with the free TrackR app, you can make your lost item light up and ring by selec ng it on your mobile device. As before with TrackR Crowd Locate Network, should you lose an item out of range of your smartphone, the network is ac vated and enables you to receive anonymous updates of the last-known loca on of your missing items whenever another TrackR user passes within range of it. If you own an Amazon Alexa-enabled devices like the Echo, you can also use this to help you find your missing keys or phone. Pressing a bu on on the TrackR pixel device can also ring a misplaced phone – even if it's on silent. As with all of these kinds of devices, the theory is great, but all too o en gadgets don't live up to their hype. In the case of the TrackR Pixel, I can honestly say I wasn't disappointed. I found it worked flawlessly within Bluetooth range and I was able to see it's last loca on. I didn't however get the opportunity to test the crowd locate func onality, however looking at Trackr loca on map, I can see that there has been a few Trackr registra ons on the map local to me and it is very apparent when I popup on the map when we arrived here on holiday. The Trackr Pixel feels durable and high enough quality to survive being a ached to a set of keys, it also has a surprisingly loud speaker which allowed me
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Lamb Naan Pizzas Ingredients 400 glamb leg steaks, thinly sliced 3 tspgaram masala 4 bought naan bread rounds 1/2 cupbought sweet mango chutney, plus 1/4 cup extra 1 1/2 cupsgrated pizza cheese 1 medium green capsicum, thinly sliced 2 lebanese cucumbers, cut into long, thin ribbons 1/2 cupthick natural yoghurt 1/2 cupmint leaves, torn mixed salad, to serve
Method 1. Preheat an oven grill to high. Toss lamb and garam masala in a medium bowl; season. 2.Divide naan onto 2 baking trays. Spread with mango chutney; top with cheese, capsicum and lamb mixture. 3.Grill each tray 4-5 minutes, or until golden and lamb is just cooked. 4.Top pizzas with cucumber, yoghurt, half the extra chutney and mint. Serve with salad and remaining chutney.
OCTOBER MOVIES
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OCTOBER 6th - BLADE RUNNER 2049 The sequel to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, one of the greatest science-fiction films of all time. Set thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
OCTOBER 6th - MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US Stranded on a mountain after a tragic plane crash, two strangers ( Idris Elba and Kate Winsle) must work together to endure the extreme elements of the remote, snowcovered terrain. When they realize help is not coming, they embark on a perilous journey across hundreds of miles of wilderness, pushing one another to endure and discovering strength they never knew possible. The film differs enormously from Charles Martin’s soppier source novel
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OCTOBER 25th - GEOSTORM After an unprecedented series of natural disasters threatened the planet, the world's leaders came together to create an intricate network of satellites to control the global climate and keep everyone safe. But now, something has gone wrong: the system built to protect Earth is attacking it, and it becomes a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything and everyone along with it.
OCTOBER 8th - MARSHALL As the nation teeters on the brink of WWII, a nearly bankrupt NAACP sends Thurgood Marshall to conservative Connecticut to defend a black chauffeur against his wealthy socialite employer in a sexual assault and attempted murder trial that quickly became tabloid fodder. In need of a high profile victory but muzzled by a segregationist court, Marshall is partnered with Samuel Friedman, a young Jewish lawyer who has never tried a case.
OCTOBER 15th - THOR RAGNAROK Marvel Studios’ latest release Thor Ragnarok. Imprisoned on the other side of the universe, the mighty Thor finds himself in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the Hulk, his former ally and fellow Avenger. Thor's quest for survival leads him in a race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela from destroying his home world and the Asgardian civilization.
OCTOBER 20th - Same Kind of Different as Me Same Kind of Different as Me is based on the inspiring true story of international art dealer Ron Hall, who befriends a homeless man in hopes of saving his struggling marriage to Debbie, a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the most remarkable journey of their lives. Jon Voight plays Hall's father, with whom he reconciles thanks to the revelations of his new life. Based on the New York Times bestseller.
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Baldock Gardens By Graham Tapp
Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre
September / October 2017. Autumn has arrived in the garden, not that you would be able to tell the difference, summer just arrived and then slipped away and hid somewhere. I wrote last month that as I was writing the weatherman was saying that the long overdue rain was arriving the next day, what he didn't say was that it wasn't going to stop for the next two months, the bad weather also inconveniently arrived the day the schools broke up for the summer, I wish I had kept quiet now, sorry. I expect your gardens, allotments and plots are doing what my growing area is doing, I went indoors one evening came out the next day to see weeds everywhere, next day it seemed like they were two feet high. It's a well used saying that nature catches up in the end, it certainly has this season. It appears that 2017 will be called the year of the courgette I only planted four plants this year and they have gone completely mad not only in numbers but in size they are huge, we have been eating them stuffed baked, turned into cakes, buns ,puddings and anything else the weird mind of a chef can invent. Fruit this year has been cropping in the low to poor levels so weight picked is not good. Eating quality of apples and pears seem to be good although cookers like Bramley seem to be showing signs of bitter pit, a calcium shortage, although the skins are not showing the typical dark depressions we are all familiar with if you cut some of the larger fruits into sections you will find the brown areas of cell discoloration starting to show, what we have of the early eaters are giving good flavour and texture so mine won’t keep for long as I am expecting to have eaten most of them by the end of September. It’s been a very bad year for stone fruit, my cherries had a poor set, looked good to start with but they run off and run off until they were mostly gone, what was left on the trees were very soon eaten by the thousands of starlings, blackbirds and crows we have around here, then what ever was dropped on the floor was cleaned up by hordes of pigeons, Plums were also very poor in set and the quality was equally as bad, very dry texture and a very sour flavour, Margery Seedlings had a very antiseptic taste and smell while the Victoria’s looked the part although small and had no sweetness and very dry, you would expect to have plum juice running down your cheeks with a good nosh of Victoria plums. Green gauges have had very bad bacterial canker which has killed four or five of our nursery stock trees, so no fruit on them and papery bark canker has attacked some of our apple trees, these have gone on the bonfire to destroy the spores that would otherwise blow around in the wind to infect others, we don’t have very much in the way of chemicals allowed for control of cankers the best and our favourite for that was a mix of grey abrex mixed with a strong dose of mercuric oxide, this would be painted onto the wounds left after we had cut the cankers away from the infected area, on some parts of the continent a mixture of antibiotics would be used to do the job, looking back on it I’m pleased that they have both been banned. Vegetable harvest has been reasonably good so far this year , at the time of writing this we are yet to get into potato blight time but it won’t be long, I have not planted any spuds this year so can’t speak from my own knowledge but looking about crops are looking good, the hulm is looking tall upright and dark green with no sign of the lighter patches indicating blight, perhaps if the rain stops and the sun comes back out we might get away with it. Carrots have been good this season although some people had to sow two or three times this year to get a start, I had a lot of pack grown carrots left in the garden centre this year so I thought I would give them a go, the written books say and it is common wisdom whispered about by professional growers that you will never get a good crop if any at all when transplanting carrots, well I have to say it is true, I do have the numbers and the weight of crop but they are gnarled up horrible looking things but the flavour is something else, they are wonderful to eat, but I won’t be entering them in any shows.
Now I think I should talk about what we should be doing this month, Lawn care as usual I would suggest raising your mower cutting height up a notch or two just to allow a thicker sword for the winter, give your grass a light dressing of low nitrogen fertiliser as soon as you can so the roots and crown can thicken and strengthen, fix the edges of the lawn and repair any patches either with turf or seed, again do it as early as you can to give it a chance against the cold weather to come. Start winter baskets and planters so they can get established and start flowering before the cold weather sets in, all of your over wintered tubs and planters will need to be raised off the ground five to ten millimetres to stop flooding, at the same time as you are doing your planters you can put in your spring bulbs and bedding, be sure and plant your bulbs deeper than normal this will ensure they don’t dry out and will flower strongly every year and will naturalise quickly, also remember to plant in blocks of five or more bulbs and make sure that you purchase the biggest bulbs you can afford, cheap bulbs are cheap for a reason usually they are small or second grade and will take a year probably two to get flowering these are usually found on sale in supermarkets, one of the most common questions I get refers to bulbs and why they haven’t flowered for the first couple of years so now you know, not big enough , not deep enough. If you’re looking to start a fruit garden or want to plant a few in an odd area now is the time to get planting, at the beginning of the month when everything is in full leaf and growing strongly I would recommend pot grown as they will get away instantly as we get to the end of October and into November you can use bare root plants as they don’t have to suffer the problems of excessive transpiration ( more water being given out than is taken up) anything planted bare root can be planted through until the end of February, we have in the past when pushed for time planted orchards with bare root trees into April but I wouldn’t recommend here in Baldock as its too dry. I’m starting to run out of writing space for this month but I wanted to just mention that last year had customers bringing in some very large caterpillars to identify and I thought it would good to see what we could find this year, so if you find any please bring them in for us to look at, you will be surprised how big these things can get, some as big as your thumb. Enjoy your gardening, cheers, Graham. OCTOBER
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Over 50 Years Service At a recent Rotary lunch long standing member Bert Biggs, in the company of his wife Phyl, was made an Honorary member of Baldock Rotary Club. Bert was born in 1925 and brought up in Cambridge. A er his school educa on, he a ained a place at London University and became a qualiďŹ ed Pharmacist in 1945 which he carried through into his military service. A er being demobbed in 1950 Bert resumed his pharmacy career which eventually led to becoming company director. He re red in 1990. During his Rotary service, which began in 1966, he served as President of Baldock Club in 1974 and 1996 and has served on most, if not all, commi ees over the years, most notably as Chairman of Founda on, Rotary's own interna onal charity. Due to his work commitments he le Baldock Rotary Club in 1983 and became a Founder member of Hitchin Priory Club, returning to Baldock in 1990 and achieving a Paul Harris Fellowship award in 2003. Bert has been married to Phyllis since 1950 and they have two children, ďŹ ve grandchildren and three great grandchildren. The photograph shows Bert receiving his award from President Mike Williams. In his reply Bert said that being in Rotary always gave him great pleasure and provided long las ng fellowship. This award would con nue to ensure that he would be able to stay in touch with club ac vi es. Rotarian - Paul Lucke
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£3 Million Pledged to Cancer Research UK Royston based solicitors; The Walkers Partnership has recently been recognised by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) for genera ng more bequests for the charity than any other firm in the United Kingdom through their free Will-wri ng service. With over £3million pledged since 2013, senior partner Terry Donnellan, recently collected the cer ficate from CRUK's new research facility in London in recogni on of their performance. “it is a great pleasure to be a part of this scheme, and a fantas c surprise to find that The Walkers Partnership had done so well” – Terry Donnellan. The Walkers Partnership has par cipated in the CRUK free Wills scheme on several occasions da ng back to the late 1990's, early 2000's, and currently since 2013, providing a free Will-wri ng service for those aged 55 or over that are looking to write or update their Will. An es mated 59% of adults in the UK do not currently have a Will in place, with 1 in 4 people aged over 55 leaving their estate in the hands of statutory intestacy rules. If you are interested in upda ng an exis ng Will or wri ng a new one through the free Will-wri ng service you can find out more informa on at www.cancerresearchuk.org/Legacy or make an appointment with a firm par cipa ng in the scheme.
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A brief guide when choosing “Hardwood Flooring” Engineered or solid wood Engineered boards are more stable than solid wood boards d u e t o t h e i r c ro s s - g ra i n construc on. This construc on type means that engineered floors tolerate natural expansion and contrac on be er than a solid board. Engineered floors have a number of benefits linked to the performance of the floor. An engineered floor also uses less precious hardwood than a solid so is more environmentally friendly. Solid boards are the oldest and most tradi onal method of hardwood floors. Wear layer - Engineered wood flooring is made up of layers of wood that have been glued and then pressed together under high pressure. The top layer, is the decora ve layer you see and walk on. This is described as the 'wear layer'. This layer, dependent upon which flooring you choose, will be anything from 2.5mm to 6mm thick. The thickness required is dependent on the amount of traffic a floor will receive. A thicker wear layer can be sanded and sealed more frequently than a thinner wear layer. In a commercial area with heavier traffic a thicker wear layer would be the best solu on as it would last longer. Grade - The grade of the hardwood is selected from the logs which are as individual as you are. Grading is all about selec on of the mber produced from the logs which contain individually naturally occurring knots, splits, grain and colour. Grades range from “Prime grade” which is the cleanest board with small knots and li le varia on followed by “Select grade”. Select grade is followed by Natural grade which has most characteris cs included when grading during the manufacturing selec on process. Rus c grade will include all characteris cs in most boards.
One grade does not have a benefit over; rather choose a grade based upon how you want your floor to look. Finishes - Natural lacquered or oiled are clear finish's and serve to protect the wood. Stained boards offer a change to the colour of the wood and steel brushing techniques enhance the grain and add texture to the product. Also available are Worn-Look Planks, Aged Oak and Parquet. Tongue & Groove or Glueless click system - Tradi onally T&G was used for years however glueless, which were introduced around 20 years ago have the market share today. This is due to many benefits such as the speed and ease of fi ng, less mess, no dry me and no gapping. Edge style Flooring comes with square edges or micro bevelled edges. Pre-finished floors are generally supplied with a micro-bevelled edge as it adds a more tradi onal and individualis c look to each board. Square edge is used on all unfinished products as standard as these floors will be sanded on site and then have a finish applied. This gives a seamless appearance. A few things to consider when choosing Wood Flooring - What type of sub-floor do you have now – wood, concrete or ba ens, underfloor hea ng, volume of traffic, where to install, cleaning and maintenance. For more expert advice and help to source the right hardwood floor to suit your home please call into Finesse Interiors, 41 High Street, Baldock or give Gary a call on 01462 896046 to make an appointment.
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2017
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Rugby For Boys & Girls Are you at primary or secondary school and want to find out what playing rugby at a great club like Letchworth is like? Perhaps you play at school or have friends who play and want to join in. We are hos ng two rugby fes vals in October for local club teams which you are more than welcome to come and watch and find out more. On Sunday 1st October we have a fes val for the U10, U11 & U12 age groups (School Years 5, 6 & 7), and on Sunday 8th October for the U7, U8 & U9 age groups (School Years 2, 3 & 4). At Letchworth we believe that playing rugby could make a really posi ve contribu on to your wellbeing, not only through the physical ac vity of playing sport on a regular basis, but also the social interac on, comradery and friendships that it will bring you too. To find out more about giving rugby a try at Letchworth please contact Richard Sell e: richardsell@b nternet.com
Are things a little slow?
SAME PHONE NUMBER SAME GREAT SERVICE JUST A DIFFERENT ADDRESS Please call....
01767 317429 acorngaragedoors@btconnect.com www.acorn-garagedoors.co.uk
Its easy to advertise in On Our Doorstep Call Jacqui 07973 788 418 or
info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk
D E V O M E V A WE H cated to t July we relo From the 31s se built offices located o our new purp Baldock. in t us please contac s ie ir u q n e ll a For ffice number on our new o
01462 411823
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bsite or visit our we
.co.uk
ildshop at www.thebu
5 minutes with... ... Samantha Holland from *What made you become a sports therapist? I have always had a caring nature and felt it was me to push myself to the limits and do something I would love to do, i was unsure what that was although I knew it was something in healthcare! Whilst studying at college, I found Sports Therapy! As it turned out, every aspect of Sports Therapy was something I felt passionate about! When I was at University, I was overwhelmed to have found myself so suited to my role; and so, the story began. *What made you decide to set up the business? I was a very young single mother at 17, it was a struggle but I was determined do the best I could to provide a good life for my son. I figured the best way to do that would be to build a business for him. Something he could take over and shape for himself. As it was the height of the recession, it wasn't easy but with help from my employer at the me and a great bunch of friends, 6th October 2008, the first Sports Therapy 4U clinic was born! *How has your business progressed since opening? We have since expanded to a larger premises in Baldock, and now have 5 fully qualified sports therapists: Ma , Alex, Elay, Andrew and myself. Mell is our clinic manager and takes good care of us all! We have 3 treatment rooms and a recep on. We are a very close team and provide a wide range of treatments not only including injury rehab but: injury preven on, sports and deep ssue massage, postural analysis, restora on of musculoskeletal imbalances, so ssue healing, kinesiology
taping, Chinese cupping, dry needling and more! We try to keep a strong social media presence, sponsor as many local spor ng events as we can to support the local community as well as various chari es. All this along with a wedding and 2 more babies, I have been very busy! *What makes you different from other sports injury clinics? As well as having an extremely high injury recovery rate, it has to be the rela onship we have with our pa ents. Since the clinic first opened 9 years ago, I am happy to say we s ll treat many of the same people now! I consider all my pa ent's good friends. I feel it is so important to get to know the pa ent on a personal level. Not only does it make it easier to iden fy aspects of their lifestyle that may contribute or result in injury – it also allows the session to be enjoyable (anyone who knows me knows I am not afraid to crack the odd joke or two, o en laughing hysterically!). *But isn't sports therapy just for athletes? Absolutely not! As Sports therapists, we may be trained to rehabilitate athletes to specific sports but this can reflect on the wider community. A housewife with a herniated disk would require completely different rehabilita on protocol in comparison to a plumber! Therefore, every 'body' needs to be treated differently. Here at Sports therapy 4u, you not only get a tailor-made programme to suit your individual needs but a personal touch and a life me of friendship and enlightenment (with a few laughs along the way!) Samantha Holland BSc (Hons) MIPTI
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LAWN CUTTING HEDGE CUTTING LANDSCAPING PATIOS
ASHWELL 26
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WESTON
The Vintage Corner The Vintage Corner 7 Hitchin Street, Baldock SG7 6AL
'The Vintage Corner is new to Baldock, but not new to the business. I have lots of years experience in pain ng furniture and sourcing vintage items for the home. Previously I worked from The Vintage Barn in Knebworth then relocated to Farrowby Farm, and more recently a small premises in Stevenage on my own. This li le shop became available, and it is the perfect se ng for the items I sell. Painted furniture is the main business, with smaller items for the home such as pictures, mirrors, ornaments etc.. I also take commissions so if you have any items you would like updated in any way just call me. I am the oďŹƒcial stockist of Annabell Duke chalk paint, and am looking at se ng up workshops in the near future. Pop in soon for a browse, Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5.30pm’ you won't be disappointed! or give us a call 07985 409400
@B.HughesInteriors
M. 07884 430741 E. claire@goodridgeaccountants.co.uk W. www.goodridgeaccountants.co.uk
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SlimmingSandra World Recipe Lloyd Supplied by
Burger in a Bowl Who says you need bread to enjoy the burger experience? This recipe has everything but the roll: juicy beef mince, a tasty sauce and plenty of fresh salad vegetables too.
Ingredients Low calorie cooking spray 500g lean beef mince (5% fat or less) 1 onion, finely chopped 2 tsp Very Lazy Chopped Garlic Salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ iceberg lettuce, roughly shredded 8 gherkins, sliced 1 small red onion, finely chopped 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped For the SW super sauce Ÿ 3 level tbsp extra-light mayonnaise Ÿ 5 tbsp fat free fromage frais Ÿ 1 level tbsp American-style mustard Ÿ 2 tbsp tomato purée Ÿ 2 tsp white wine vinegar Ÿ ½ tsp garlic salt Ÿ ¼ tsp onion granules Ÿ ¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
Method 1. Spray a large, heavy-based non-stick frying pan with Frylight and place over a high heat. Add the beef, onion and garlic and stir-fry for 6-7 minutes or until the beef is cooked through and the onions have softened. Season well. 2. Meanwhile, put all the SW super sauce ingredients in a bowl with 4 tablespoons of water and whisk until well combined. 3. Mix together the lettuce, gherkins, onions and tomatoes and divide between four wide bowls. Spoon the beef mixture on top, drizzle over the SW super sauce and serve hot.
Bouncy Castle Hire
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"The Clock Is Ticking” Bri sh shoppers have less than one month le to spend their old round £1 coins. From October 16, the coins will no longer be accepted in shops, restaurants and other retailers. The new 12-sided £1 coins were released at the end of march and are currently in a period of “co-circula on” with the old ones. The Treasury and Royal Mint es mate that about 500 million round pounds are s ll out there. A er October 16, any unspent old £1 coins can be traded in at banks but this is only a temporary op on. The Royal Mint said: “We would encourage you to spend, bank or donate your round £1 coins before October 15. “We have urged businesses and their frontline staff to, where possible, priori se the new coin when giving customers their change. “Customers are en tled to ask for their change in any way they wish, but un l October 15, businesses can con nue to give out the old coin.” Vending machines, shopping trolleys, lockers, self-service checkouts and cket machines should now have been upgraded so that they accept the new 12-sided £1 coins. But check which version they are before you hand them over as rare £1 coin designs including the Edinburgh City 2011 and the 2011 Cardiff City £1 have previously sold on eBay for up to £35.
knock!
KNOCK!
Furniture Restoration
Brent@Yorestuff.com
Under new management a newly refurbished salon with a growing clientele seeks a stylist and nail technician to join our friendly team.
WHO’S , THERE? its an opportunity
TO JOIN OUR TEAM 30
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2017
16D Whitehorse St, Baldock SG7 6QN
n O s ’ t a h W
DEPARTING FROM BALDOCK
Baldock Charter Street Fair Monday 2nd October through to Wednesday 4th October - open daily 3pm- 10pm - High Street Baldock
Baldock & Letchworth Blues, Folk and Roots Wednesday 4th October- The Orange Tree Baldock starts 8.30pm
Baldock Floral Society's Monthly Meeting Thursday 5th October at The Baldock Community Centre at 7.30 p.m. This month Mrs Doggett will demonstrate Seasonal Splendours. There will be a sales table and refreshments. Visitors £6.
New Neighbours for Baldock Public Meeting Friday 6th October 3pm - 8pm - Saturday 7th October 11.30am - 2.30pm updated plans on view - Baldock Community Centre
Baldock Rotary Club Annual Jazz Concert in support of Multiple Sclerosis Saturday, 7th October 2017 – 7.30 p.m. - at The Knights Templar School, Park Street, Baldock. Featuring The Apex Jazz Band Table Buffet included in ticket price Bar and Raffle available Tickets at £15.00 each – Buy five and get sixth free available from Baldock Community Centre
Ickniekd Quilters 25th Anniversary Exhibition Saturday 7th October & Sunday 8th October - St Mary's Junior School Baldock
12th Annual Stotfold Watermill Working Steam Sat 7th October & Sun 8th October. Turn back time and come and see historic machines also street food, beer & cider festival, craft stalls and activities for the childrentickets available on the gate Adults £6 - Children (4-16) £4 and under 4's free
Hitchin Rock Choir Charity Concert Sat 14th Oct - St Mary's Church, Hitchin. An evening of musical entertainment whilst raising funds for the Good Samaritans - concert starts at 7.30pm Tickets £10
Heli Hounds Dog Walk 2017 Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Sun 15th Oct - Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage. Starts at 10.30 am you can either pre register or do it on the day for more details contact 0345 2417 690
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Baldock Community Fireworks 21st October - Hartsfield JMI SchoolTickets - £2.50 Under 4's Free - Available from Tapps Garden Centre- Hartsfield School- Baldock Community Centre - 01462 896302 ALL PROCEEDS TO BE DISTRIBUTED BY ‘THE 41 CLUB’
Weston Music Society - Ferio Saxophone Quartet Saturday 14th October 2017, at 7.30pm in Weston Church. There is a wonderfully varied repertoire of music for saxophones and the Ferio Quartet are among its greatest exponents. Expect everything from Bach through Jean Francaix to 'Hoe Down'! Tickets (£15.00, under 19s free) from 01462 790573 or felicitylowe@yahoo.co.uk If you would like to have your event included FREE in the next issue please email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk by 15th Oct 2017. OCTOBER
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Block Paving - Brickwork Natural Stone - Concrete Slab Fencing Creating something different adding value and appeal to your home
Driveways-PathsCourtyards-Patios-Repairs
The HERITAGE Paving Co. Call Brian Riley 01462 730682 - 07974 170487 (Stotfold)
MOT
£29.99 FREE RE-TEST
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Baldock MOT Centre 01462 895933
FABULOUS GLAMPERVAN
Great Emirates FA Cup Run
Just pick up and go – The motorhome is fully equipped ready for you to start your holiday. Available for short breaks and longer holidays all year round.
www.fabulousglampervan.co.uk email: enquiries@fabulousglampervan.co.uk
Tel: 01462 491035 / 07985315632
Baldock Town FC has had a great Emirates FA Cup run ge ng to the Second Qualifying Round which is currently the best in the clubs history since reforming in 2003. Under the management of Player Manager Luke Gregson, who is now into his third year of managing the team with his assistant Dean Gilbert, the Team started this season on 29th July. The run in the cup is the most successful in the clubs history since reforming in 2003. During the game against North Greenford Utd, Liam Kenna who had been doing a twi er commentary, was subbed onto the game. Who knew that the next morning a random tweet would go viral and get nearly 5 MILLION hits! The next round would be Thame United another team higher than Baldock by a couple of leagues, the Emirates FA Cup media sent two lovely lads who had offered to commentate on the match on twi er so that Liam could play! Baldock won another round and then faced Aylesbury Utd on 16th September. Stevie Gerard sent a video message, Ian Rush sent a voicemail, there were so many celebri es retwee ng about the upcoming match, even Pinky the Execu ve Gopher was in the Comet! Emirates FA Cup fever had arrived! The rain came down and the crowds came out - in fact 335 people came to watch the team - it was awesome! Our resident mascots, the BTYFC U10's team led the team out again but sadly it was just not to be. The team lost 1–2 but it was an awesome run, the team did the town proud. Baldock Town FC con nues to flourish and the club has taken on a new dynamic approach. The team and club have a new approach to every game. There is a new buzz, a posi ve vibe, not one ounce of nega vity is allowed, it certainly seems to be working! Everyone at Baldock Town FC have been so grateful for all the amazing support and lovely posi ve energy they have received from everyone and hope that it con nues. If anyone wants to go along to a game and lend a hand they will be welcome!
R.H GARDEN DESIGN The Garden Specialists Some of our many services offered include:
rich.humphreys@btinternet.com T: 01462 612033 M: 07738 246568
Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
Regular maintenance Garden Make-overs Jungles tamed Patios Fencing Turng Planting Articial grass Decking Driveways Pressure washing of patios and drives
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Answer-phone on both numbers & will return all calls
We are always on the look out for our next front cover. If you have a image that you would like to see featured on the front of the next issue, please email us at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk
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CALLING ALL BUDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Useful numbers Advice Citizen’s Advice Bureau Trading Standards Advice
03444 111444 0300 300 8136
Vacuum Cleaners
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
Vacuum Bags
stevenagespares@yahoo.com Spare parts for household appliances Spare parts for household appliances
Cookers, Washing machines, Dryers, Dishwashers, Lighting, Refridgeration & Electrics
Carpet Shapooers
Lighting
Vacuum sales & repairs repairs
Dyson, Henry, Hoover & much more Vacuum Spares
Appliance Spares
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 Hartseld 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
Ÿ
01462 895579
Nurseries Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round
07980 400690 01462 896322
Plumbers A.P Hughes
07949 120911
Window & Door repairs JML Windows Reapairs Warrens Windows
Ÿ Ÿ
01462 892172 01462 896322
Play Groups Magic Moments Merry Go Round
Baldock Car Sales
01438 906300 01462 261401
Ÿ
Quality Used Car Sales Finance Available Part Exchange Welcome We buy cars for cash
01462 757 344 www.baldockcarsales.co.uk
Find us behind Tescos
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. OCTOBER
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Baldock Community
Fireworks Display Saturday 21st October 2017 HartsďŹ eld School Gates open 6:30pm