OnOurDoorstep Baldock October 2022

We couldn't start this month's magazine off without addressing the terribly sad passing of Her Majesty The Queen. The TV coverage of the funeral itself was incredible, a moment none of us will forget. She truly did serve her country to the very end.

What a busy month for Baldock! September was jam packed with the famous Rat Race followed by the Baldock Cycle Challenge and, of course, Balstock. Well done to everyone who took part in the active challenges and a huge congratulations to the Balstock commitee for pulling another incredible festival weekend out of the bag! 3 days, 12 stages and more than 200 bands and artists - it was as epic as it sounds. The commitee and all the performers give their time for free with the aim of raising money for charity. Thank you to everyone who came along, sung their hearts out and had a great time, lots of happy faces is what we like to see!

As we look forward to October we have the Baldock Charter Fair back in the High Street from 2nd-4th October. Charter Fairs have been running for hundreds of years, some say they date back as far as 1199! Things have come a long way since those days. Before World War II all the rides would have been steam powered, with far more roundabouts, helter skelter slides and coconut shies than you'll find these days!

With Halloween approaching at the end of the month why not pick your own pumpkin at The Patch in Weston as it reopens for spooky season.

Knights Templar gym is hosting a Wicked Witches Night dance workshop! Think 'Thriller' with a glass of bubbly - what's not to love? Find out more on page 24.

Who else has spotted the Christmas cards creeping into the supermarket aisles already? Summer has barely said it's goodbyes but it's seems Santa is already on his way. Some of you will be loving this and getting organised nice and early - the Baldock Rotary club included! They are already on the lookout for volunteers to help with this year's Christmas Sleigh tour. If you can spare a few evenings in December get in touch with them.

Until next month

Paul & Jacqui

info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

or 07973 788418

Aer a 3-year break since our last producon, we are so excited to be back with a show that promises to be the best one yet!!! Believe – The Musical that Rocks is everything you know and love about Variety Express with added rock, atude, and a love story to boot. If you are new to our producons, then you are in for a treat. You can expect a compilaon of amazing songs performed by our fabulous cast, several professional dance rounes to thrill and comedy sketches to have you laughing in your seats, there will even be a lile bit of magic!!

This year's musical producon tells the story of Cassie, a small-town girl, and Logan, a city boy, trying to make their way in the fickle world of the music industry. The seng; the infamous, yet struggling, Liquor Room bar on the Sunset Strip in Letchworth Garden City.

There will be bills to pay, demonstrators trying to close the bar, an unscrupulous agent trying to make as much money as they can and an aging Rockstar with a reputaon as a ladies' man!!! But who will save the day?

We are offering songs such as Don't Stop Believing, It's My Life, I Wanna Know What Love Is and I Love Rock n Roll all performed by our very own talented cast and a group of musicians, led by our wonderfully accomplished Musical Director, Mr Geoff Page.

In addion, the show will feature guest stars and dancers young and a lile bit older from Style Dance School. Our Producers, Lee & Dawn Perro, have again worked so hard to produce a foot tapping, air grabbing, sing out loud show which we believe will have you rocking out in your seats.

Variety Express is a volunteer charity amateur dramacs society based in Herordshire. We are unique in the fact we donate all proceeds, once the show

has been paid for, to local charies.

Our charies for 2022 are: Safer Places – they provide holisc support to adult and child survivors of domesc abuse. Website: www.safeplaces.co.uk Heathlands Animal Sanctuary – are dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitaon, and rehoming of unwanted domesc pets. Website: www.heathlands.org.uk.

Since its concepon back in 1980, Variety Express has donated over £120,000 to local good causes and charies. We are sll going strong despite the difficules of the past 3 years and a team of over 30 members with each person providing an essenal role, from back-stage 'hands on deck' to sound and lighng technicians are involved, and of course there's the cast!

Variety Express has come a long way in its forty two-year history and our aim is to provide a fabulous evening's entertainment, at a reasonable price, and more importantly to provide our chosen charies with the biggest donaon we can! Only you can help us achieve this goal, so what are you waing for, book now!!

As is customary in Baldock the Rotary Club have started preparaons for the Fesve season. Planning and organising acvies are underway with both the Christmas lights, which Baldock Rotary has undertaken since 1978, and the Sleigh to ensure that everything is in good working order.

Christmas light panels are all being tested, inspected and repaired by a willing team of Rotarians and helpers under the watchful eye of Rob Hemmings. Similarly, the Sleigh is being fully inspected and checked to ensure that it is mechanically sound and lighng and audio systems are in full working order. This is being undertaken by Mike Williams and his team. The sleigh with Father Christmas aboard will be vising the streets of Baldock and surrounding villages and

“Giving Your Presence Might Be The Best Christmas Gift You Could Give”

making its tradional door to door collecon.

These commitments provide an annual challenge to Baldock Rotary. As with us all, Rotary members are not geng any younger. In recent years the support of local members of the community has provided invaluable support in enabling Baldock Rotary to connue to undertake these acvies, which bring so much fesve spirit to the people of the town and surrounding villages.

So, this year Baldock Rotary is again requesng support from people in the community.

If you are able to help with the installaon of Christmas lights, which takes place throughout November, please contact Rob Hemmings, tel 07711 320311. This does not necessarily mean having to climb ladders, help is also needed to take lights from the storage lock-up to their place of installaon.

Alternavely, if you can assist when

the sleigh goes around the streets, this takes place from late November for three weeks leading up to Christmas, please contact Mike Williams, tel 07940 048064.

Any assistance you are able to provide would be very much appreciated.

Rotarian - Paul Lucke

BALDOCK FIREWORKSTHANK YOU!

Over the last few weeks, local community members have organised a number of events in aid of the Hospice. From bike rides, walks and runs to a 'Man vs Food' challenge, golf days and a 15-hour bowlathon, their efforts have raised a combined total of more than £22,000 for Garden House Hospice Care.

This amount will fund our enre services for almost 60 hours - or 2½ days - from caring for paents on our Inpaent Unit and in the local community, to providing emoonal support for families and dealing with rising energy costs.

We cannot thank you all enough for your support and everyone who has donated - you are doing an incredible

thing by helping us raise money for the care of our paents and their loved ones.

Ÿ Letchworth Golf Club

Ÿ Baldock 5k Rat Run

Ÿ Fairfield Bowls Club

Ÿ Green Man Offley

Ÿ Whitehill Golf

Ÿ Kerry's Annual Bike Ride

Ÿ Kay Long - Inflatable 5k

If you would like to arrange your own fundraising event and need some guidance, or want to request materials such as collecon buckets, please get in touch with our Fundraising team on 01462 679540 (opon 3) or email

fundraising@ghhospicecare.org.ukwe can't wait to hear from you!

THE BALDOCK FIREWORKS ARE BACK FOR 2022. St Mary's Schools PTA are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the school playing fields for another evening of fabulous fireworks and musical magic! The London Show Choir are returning to Baldock with a superb set of West End hits, supported by a live band this year, and will be joined onstage by children from St Mary's School Choir – it is going to be incredible.

There will be fairground rides for the children, hot drinks and cake, and lots of flashing noveles. The bar will be open and there will be some delicious food opons available too: BBQ, Indian, Thai, Mediterranean and even Churros and Waffles.

Tickets are £7 each (U3s go free but need a cket) and are only available online: hps://bit.ly/BaldockFireworks2022

We'll see you there! Emma (PTA Chair)

Connectivity That Inspires

Kia Proceed

The Kia ProCeed is a pleasing-to-theeye shoong brake which takes notable inspiraon from the bulbous-ended variant of the Mercedes-Benz CLA.

That is not a bad starng place – and the Proceed looks the part.

If the term 'shoong brake' is unfamiliar, it's an estate with a big, round bu. However, unlike many beasts in the animal kingdom, this one is more pleasing to the eye.

It looks sporty and moderately aggressive, but this Kia isn't likely to be off-pung to those seeking a familyfriendly car with praccality at its heart.

I test drove the GT Line, which, despite being entry-level, comes with 17-inch alloys, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen, SatNav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, reversing camera, heated front seats and steering wheel, plus keyless entry/go.

It is also the only trim you can get a manual gearbox with and comes with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, producing 159PS.

Acceleraon is reasonably brisk,

taking 8.6 seconds to reach 62mph, but the manual gearbox isn't the smoothest.

Nevertheless, cruising at motorway speeds finds the car's sweet spot and, around the bends, it's noceably sporer than the standard sibling, the Ceed. There is plenty of grip, too, while the steering is easy to place.

I would prefer it if it firmed up more when tackling twiser roads, but this can be achieved by acvang sports mode, which makes the wheel feel a touch heavier.

The Proceed is economical, hing close to 50mpg on a motorway. What's more, Kia is one of the most reliable brands in the business, and a substanal seven-year warranty backs it up.

The interior looks decent, while the infotainment screen is large and easy to use. It is not a class-leading unit, but it's undoubtedly one of the beer ones. Meanwhile, there's enough room in the ProCeed, so all but the tallest of rearseat passengers should be fine.

Boot space is also very accommodang, measuring in at 594 or

1545 litres, with the rear seats folded down.

Overall, the ProCeed's looks are fantasc. Okay, the interior doesn't quite match up to the exterior, but it's sll lovely.

The Ceed Sportswagon, though, is cheaper and is the same motor, just with a boxier rear-end.

Unless the shoong brake shape is especially dear to your heart, you're probably beer off with the Ceed.

Fast Facts

Kia Proceed 1.5 T-GDi 'GT-Line' trim as tested:

Max Speed: 130mph

0-62 mph: 8.6 seconds

Combined mpg: 48.7mpg (WLTP)

Engine layout: 1482cc turbocharged petrol

Max Power: (PS): 159

CO2: 131g/km

Price: £26,190

In 2012, having been lost for over 500 years, the remains of King Richard III were discovered beneath a car park in Leicester.The search had been orchestrated by an amateur historian, Philippa Langley.The movie is the life-affirming true story of a woman who refused to be ignored and took on the country's most eminent historians, forcing them to think again about one of the most controversial kings in England's history.

The Woman King is the story of theAgojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected theAfrican Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, the movie follows the epic journey of General Nanisca as she trains the next generation of recruits, for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.

The movie follows Lyle a reptile who lives in a house on East 88th Street in NewYork City. Lyle enjoys helping the Primm family with everyday chores and playing with the neighbourhood kids but one neighbour insists that Lyle belongs in a zoo. Mr. Grumps and his cat, Loretta, do not like crocodiles, and Lyle tries to prove that he is not as bad as others might think. Based on children's story by Bernard Waber

In Emily tells the imagined life of one of the world’s most famous authors, Emily Brontë.The film stars Emma Mackey as Emily, a rebel and misfit, as she finds her voice and writes the literary classic Wuthering Heights.The movie explores the relationships that inspired her, her raw, passionate sisterhood with Charlotte andAnne and her care for her maverick brother.

Answer-phone on both numbers & will return all calls

Pre-Loved Bridal Fair & Fashion Show

Taking place on Sunday 16th October, our Bridal Fair & PreLoved Fashion Show will see a diverse range of models parading second-hand wedding dresses, mother-of-the-bride ouits, menswear and childrenswear down the catwalk. The pre-loved wedding are comes from donaons made to our Bridal House shop in Hitchin.

Join our team and the Friends of Garden House Hospice Care at The Cloisters in Letchworth for this sustainable fashion show and wedding fair, where you can get tons of inspiraon and start the planning for your big day!

You'll also have the opportunity to enter a raffle and win vouchers for a fing and dress from Bridal House, as we visit an array of local exhibitors who will be displaying more wedding essenals.

The event runs from 11am to 3pm with fashion shows at 12pm and 2pm. Entry is Free!

Garden House Hospice Bridal Fair & Pre-Loved Fashion ShowSunday 16th October

Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

"False Autumn"

This summer has proven to be the earliest, longest, and hottest ever, causing havoc to our plants in the countryside and our gardens. Then in late July into August, Autumn turned up, a false Autumn. Trees and many hedgerows have been dropping their leaves since mid-July and displaying the strangest colourings. The further East of the country you go, the worst it is. The hedgerow berries have ripened at least a month early, and we've been picking blackberries here since the end of June, a full four weeks earlier than I can ever remember. We are still picking them at the end of August, and there are still loads of them coming ready to harvest.

The typical season in the UK would be August through to early October. Strangely the birds have not been eating them even though they are short of water sources, very odd as they stripped my cherries in days.

I wonder if the hedgerow berries will be too early for them and will get wasted, leaving nothing for them when the real Autumn arrives.

We had a super crop of Elderberry flowers from which we made lots of lovely cordial for the Tea room. We must have left lots of flowers as we now have a massive crop of Elderberries, we don't usually use them, but as we have so many, I can see us making Jam or, even better, Gin.

A warning to you all - REMOVE THE STALKS- I have read that they are mildly toxic; not sure about that as I'm still here, and I don't remember my Mum removing them; perhaps she did, and I wasn't watching properly.

I've just done a bit of research to be sure, and every recipe I've just read says to remove them, so best do it as they could cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. That's enough of that, as I'm not supposed to be writing a medical review.

The Damsons and Sloes, in the hedgerows, the fruit of the Black

Thorne tree, are looking good, so more Gin to make, be careful when picking them as the bushes have the nastiest dagger-like thorns that will stab you even through gardening gloves.

Through bitter experience, I can tell you that if you get stabbed, the tiny tips sometimes break off and get stuck in your hand, irritating for days.

Some people will think I'm trying to put you off picking hedgerow fruits, I am not at all, but I do want to guide you on how to do it properly and safely.

Many excellent books have been published on foraging, how to cook what you have collected and most importantly, how not to poison yourself. I suggest acquiring one just to be sure.

There are millions and millions of Hawthorn berries this year; they are bright red and gorgeous, hanging in large bunches; I am told that they could be used to make wine, and they taste a bit appley; I can't vouch for that as it's not something I have ever tried. Rosehips, remember them from school? The dreaded itching powder. If you carefully remove the inner seeds, the hips can be made into citrusy syrups.

Crab apples are the small trees with the miniature apples you see in the hedgerow not good to eat raw but excellent made into jellies or jams.

Cherry plums are small, fruited plums about the size of a large cherry, hence the name. Usually red or yellow with a large for their size stone, again suitable for Jam.

Damsons and Bullace, small to medium trees with deep purple medium size oval stone fruit great for Jam

Sloes, small round marble-sized purple stone fruit ( warning very sour ) very unpalatable when raw but excellent in Gins.

I have fond memories of sloes. My Grand Dad had a large allotment with

some sloe trees growing at one end next to his shed; an early Man cave is how I would describe it. With a paraffin cooker to boil water for our hot chocolate. While we were drinking, our coco Granddad would play all sorts of tricks on me, one being a sloe-eating competition where he would produce the fruits from his pocket, supposedly from the nearby trees; he would give me some keep the others for himself. The rules were that we would both eat as many as we could; I only ever managed one at best, and he always managed the lot. It wasn't until he died when I was twelve that I was let into his secret; he had been cheating; Granny told me that he always had jelly babies in his pocket.

Grandad had been having me over all the time at the allotment when eating green gooseberries. I had the berries he had a pocket of jelly babies. The horse radish joke was the cruellest; I ended up with the raw horse radish. He would dig two roots, scrape the skin off with his pen knife, and the usual rules applied to see who could eat the most without pulling faces or giving up; guess who won every time? It turns out he had a parsnip, and I had the Horseradish. Have you ever tried eating it raw? I can tell you it makes coco taste awful, but I never owned up to that.

We used to have Rhubarb eating competitions as well. Again, my dear Granddad cheated with that. Not the usual jelly babies, but a bag of sugar was hidden in his pocket.

Oh, the innocence of childhood. I've been waiting sixty years to get to try it out on a Grandson, and now is my chance. Now Alexander is eight years old; he's going to get the whole set of tricks. I hope he takes it as well as I did. Don't tell him.

Enjoy your foraging,

Many of us take me to focus on our diet, exercise, and mental health, but what do you do to take care of your back and other joints?

When you hear the phrase 'back care,' you probably think about trying not to tweak a muscle while gardening or focusing on bending your knees when carrying heavy objects. Joint and muscle pain, are not only caused by physical

October is Back Awareness Month

acvity. They can also be caused by a simple sneeze or cough sing, or standing for prolonged periods or poor working ergonomics.

The back is a complex structure which consists of:

Ÿ 24 vertebra (bones) which are separated by discs, which act as shock absorbers from the forces which the body encounters during movement. Ligaments which hold the vertebra together, stabilise the spine and protect the discs.

Ÿ 40 muscles which work together to allow us to bend, twist and turn, they also play an essenal role in supporng your spine and helping you breathe.

All these structures all work together to funcon as the body's central support structure, it keeps us upright and connects the different parts of our skeleton to each other: our head, chest, pelvis, shoulders, arms, and legs.

It is esmated that 8 million adults

in the UK live with chronic back pain, and it can affect many people of different ages for different reasons including, strained muscles or ligaments, a muscle spasm, muscle tension, damaged disks and underlying medical condions.

The good news is that you don't have to live with back pain! The body is a connually repairing itself and given me the right environment and by changing our habits we can reduce the strain on our back's. Maintaining good flexibility, a healthy weight, watching your posture when sing and standing, taking regular breaks from sing and being careful when liing objects and not liing and twisng at the same me you can help to prevent back pain. If you are one of the 8 million suffers of back pain, one of our Osteopaths could help you to find the underlying cause of your back pain and how to manage and prevent it.

The Amber Health Team 01462 490141

5 minutes with...

... Simon Holton from MARSHU-Boot

In 1992 when we started our car boot sales, a local farmer asked if we were mad; "Why on earth are you welcoming the public onto the best yielding field on the farm rather than growing wheat?" He was noceably quiet when he watched visitor numbers grow and we survived our first season! He even admied to 'quite' liking the odd verse I'd wrien for the adverts in the local paper (I lacked a pen name unl a bootsale visitor admied that his North London poetry group used to discuss my output and had named me the 'Baldock Bard!').

My wife and I started the Baldock car boot sales when the country was in recession. Having only a small farm of 450 acres, our future was looking uncertain (to put it into context Jeremy Clarkson has 2,200 acres and made just £144 profit in his first year!). The idea of a car boot sale seemed an ideal short-term soluon (that is sll going thirty years later!) The sales, while

providing an arena for selling and buying, are all about people. In thirty years we have welcomed just under 50,000 stall-holders and many hundreds of thousands of buyers. From a Portuguese man on his way to visit his elderly mother in Birmingham selling fresh lemons picked from his garden outside Lisbon, to a single mother who put her son through university on money raised from her stall. We have also had many who have moved house. Perhaps the most unusual relocaon was a couple emigrang to the South Pacific from Baldock, where they were going to advise islanders on water conservaon!

The sales have also served as a meeng point for many, including bargain hunters who stop for a coffee together before going their separate ways to meet again the following week.

One Saturday we even had a coachload of Chinese tourists on their way to Cambridge, one passenger taking away

a Chinese vase from a stall (makes a change from coals to Newcastle!)

We've had couples meet, marry and even bring along subsequent children! We've always welcomed families, on a Saturday morning you may well meet our family: Daughter, Son-in-law and Granddaughter!

Our 30th season comes to a close on 15th October, but never fear, we'll be back on 15th April 2023 for our 31st season. We look forward to welcoming you.

As I say: "If it wasn't for people, this would be just another field outside Baldock!"

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All

left is

Simons new Corgi,Bronwen

Peanuts Preschool turned 4 years old in September!

It has been a wonderful 4 years full of fun, games and learning, and we have been so fortunate to support many children as they begin their school journey. To celebrate we made a huge card with the children and played games with balloons.

We work in partnership with Weston Primary School to offer 30 hours childcare to all those families who are eligible for the scheme, and we take children into our care from the day they turn 2 years old.

We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all our wonderful families who have supported us this far, and we look forward to many more years of fun and learning with the families and children we are yet to meet.

Gosh! What a month for being proud of being Brish. Aer seventy years on the Throne, our lovely Queen gave up her mortal life and followed the piper to what ever is next for her. Whether royalist or not, we came together in a wonderful show of Brishness to say our goodbyes and welcome our new King.

Some chose not to, and that is absolutely fine, but the majority of the country stood together to mourn.

I learned a lot this past fortnight, some I knew but had forgoen, but having never seen a state funeral before, I was fascinated by it all. from The Queue that seemed to take on senent form to the Piper at the end, it is steeped in history and tradion.

We knew we were a naon of queuers, but I think we might have won a world record for that one. It was given a name, The Queue. There were toilets, drink staons, Ushers. It had twenty-four-hour live feed, so we didn't miss a single moment. It was a people watchers paradise. Every single type of person was represented in The Queue. It curled around our capital city for four days, there was even a queue to join The Queue. Strangers became friends, laughed, and cried together, there are even reports of it becoming a bit of a

dang site. Celebries mixed with the common man all under the watchful eye of our amazing police force. When the people reached Westminster Abbey, they fell silent, ceased their banter and chit chat, and filed past in somber reflecon of their Queen. The old, young, disabled, rich, poor, babes in arms, it didn't maer who you were or what your story was, at that moment you were a part of something, all together, all equal. It was wonderful to see all of the pomp and ceremony, our armed forces really put on a show for our Queen. The Pallbearers should get a medal, a team of twelve young lads chosen from the 1st Baalion Grenadier Guards had to li a 550 1b lead lined coffin containing the worlds most famous person nine mes during the course of the day, with every eye in the country on them. They should be so proud of themselves, it was faultless.

Those lile touches, I fell in love with Emma the pony as she bowed when the coffin went passed, did you see, she was wearing The Queen's scarf on her saddle? It was so touching.

I read that The Queen's Beekeepers had to tell the bee's that she had passed, and that Charles would now be their Boss. I later found out that this is the custom of

all Beekeepers and not just a royal thing. Something I found to be sweetly Brish.

When Pipe Major Paul Burns played the final lament as he walked down the hallway and disappeared, I was in bits. It was said that it felt like he was leading The Queen's soul away. I'm told this is an age-old Scosh tradion. It's beauful.

So, in the tradion of our country, we welcome King Charles III to the Throne. Believe it or not, I'm a bit meh when it comes to monarchy, I can take it or leave it, they are good for a bit of gossip and scandal, but they are so far apart form my life that I'm not much effected by them. I'm not an abolionist, they have a place in this great country of ours. As ambassadors they do a decent job, when they aren't misbehaving. I certainly don't want to see an end to them. As a country, we tend to come together to celebrate certain things; The World Cup (rugby and football), The Eurovision Song Contest, Wimbledon and possibly Pancake Day, so if the legacy of the monarchy is to occasionally bring or country together and make us forget our problems for a minute, then I will take that.

Baldock Foodbank Distribuon Centre has been in operaon since 2013, and is part of the Trussel Trust organisaon.

We operate jointly with centres in Letchworth and Hitchin, and share a warehouse in Letchworth. Our Distribuon Centre is open from 10am to 12 noon on Tuesdays and Fridays in St Mary's Church Hall, behind the church. Anyone in need can come to us for help.

We provide food parcels for 3 days emergency raons, and our clients are asked to contact a referral agent to obtain a voucher. In Baldock, clients can contact the Pracse Manager at the Baldock Surgery or the Health Centre, or if they have children at school, they can approach the school. Other referral agents are the housing associaons, the Jobcentre, and Cizens Advice. In Ashwell referral agents are the School and the Surgery. We can also put clients in touch with other help agencies who can assist with ongoing problems. We take donaons from churches, schools, supermarkets and individuals. We receive many donaons at harvest

fesval me and in the run up to Christmas, but since our demand is throughout the year, we can only accept donaons with a reasonable shelf life, and cannot distribute out-ofdate items.

Donaons can be brought to our distribuon centre when we are open. Clients come from many different backgrounds. Emergencies can occur to anyone at any me and for many different reasons. We are here to help people during those difficult mes and hopefully enable them to get their lives back onto a more seled path. For this reason, we normally limit the number of vouchers to three for each emergency.

All of our staff are volunteers, and we are always looking for more. We operate a rota, and aim to have 2 volunteers for each session. Most volunteers do 2 sessions per month, but we clearly fit in with personal availability. If you would like to volunteer, or would like more informaon, please email me at phil@charsley.org.uk or go to www.letchworth.foodbank.org.uk where there is an applicaon form.

HHCamps is A Roaring Success

Over the summer, St Marys PE Teacher Sco Hagland opened up a new adventure for children with the arrival of his Hagland Holiday Camps. Aer a funfilled few days with only St Marys children aending, word spread and children from all over were aending the Camp.

The aim is to keep all the children engaged at all mes in a fun environment, but also a structured environment. We have an abundance of games the children love, and they get to choose what they play each day. Every game is very inclusive for all ages and abilies.

HHCamps will connue in the October half term and hopefully over a few days at Christmas. If you would like to know more, please contact haglandholidaycamps@gmail.com .

HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR

Leysbrook Estate Agents are delighted to be partnering with The Baldock Events Forum to bring you a Dinner Dance on Saturday 19th November – An Evening of Hollywood Glamour. Get ready for the paparazzi as we give St John's Primary School the red carpet treatment! There will be live music, a three-course dinner, a licensed bar and dancing unl late.

Doors open at 7pm, with drinks on arrival and dinner will be served at 8pm. Tickets are £55 each (or a table of 10 for £500). Please book here: hp:bit.ly/BEF-DinnerDance2022

Leysbrook and BEF are donang all the profits from the evening to Red Kite. Please see their website for more informaon on the services and support they provide: hps://redkitesupport.org.uk

Exciting news!!

3rd baldock guides is restarng this coming Tuesday 6.30 - 8 Baldock guiding HQ 5 meeng house lane. Meeng every Tuesday. If your daughter or you know anyone who might be interested in becoming a guide please get in touch. Pm on here or email 3rdbaldockguides@mail.com for more informaon.

Balstock 2022 was, quite possibly, the most successful Balstock on record! Definitely the most stressful for myself and the Balstock commiee, but well worth it for the crowds that flocked to the 9 pubs, 2 cafes and High Street stage (Elaine LaRoche stage). We sll haven’t finished gathering the funds to announce a total raised for the 5 local charies yet, but that will follow shortly. Have to say a massive thanks to all the bands, volunteers, Balstock Reps, sponsors and commiee for their exhausve efforts.

Photo Laurence Browne

Challenge

Ideal cycling condions welcomed nearly 200 riders at this year's Baldock Cycle Challenge. Aer a minute's silence to remember Queen Elizabeth the second, the riders of all ages and backgrounds took on the ride through beauful countryside to the east of Baldock.

Many riders come back year aer year to ride with all the money raised going to the Baldock Events Forum to support community events in Baldock. Notable riders this year included Keith Glanville who rode the 54-mile course with his 2 friends and in the process raised over £2000 for MacMillan aer being so well treated by them in recent years. Also, riding was Ray Parry who rode aer celebrang his 89th birthday the day before.

Thanks go to Pauls Bikes, Brown and Gammon, the Cycle Agent and Hollington Health for their huge support. We could not put this on without their help.

Other events to look out for in Baldock include the Fireworks Night on 6th November and the Charity Ball on 19th November.

2 8 2022OCTOBER Baldock Cycle

ROGERSONS REMOVALS

October Gallery

Arthur & Bella the dog helping out with the harvesting at Oakleys Farm

Graham Hopkins

Graham Hopkins

Baldock 5K RatRun

Young Lukas enjoying the vibe - Russ Barnett

Gee sharing the Elaine La Roche Stage with his new friend - Danny Robertson

Jane Evans Photography

Bianca l’ego -Jane Evans Photography

Jane Evans Photography

Two of the young RatRun winners

View from the stage

James Oakley & Shannon with 2 day old Poppy