Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally
Issue 59 September 2019
www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding villages
Welcome August was a tough month in our house after Paul's dad very sadly passed away. We called on the services of the team at Shires in Baldock who made the funeral arrangements as stress free as possible. After years of advertising with us we got to experience their excellent service first hand. We'd like to give a special thanks to Donna and Kate for all their help and support. It's finally the end of the school holidays and the sun has put his hat on for one more heatwave to round off the summer. The exam results are in and it has been great to hear that the hard work paid off for so many of you and has secured you places for the next phase of your education. For everyone going back to school hopefully you're well on your way to finishing the back to school shopping. Shirt Monkeys have a new shop open in Letchworth for all your school uniform needs. If you're already missing pub gardens and festivals we have a whole load of good news for you. The countdown to Balstock is on. From 13th to 15th the town will be filled with music This month's 5 Minute piece very quickly turned into 10 Minutes with the team behind the Baldock Beer Festival. Head over to page 35 to hear all about how they stared and have blossomed over the years! . The Baldock 5K Rat Run is scheduled for 8th Sept and is open to all your friends and family. The event has been organised by Sam from Hollington Health with
all profits going to the incredible Garden House Hospice. For more info contact them at www.baldock5k@gmail.com The closed roads and traffic diversions certainly didn't go unnoticed during August but thankfully the work is now complete and Baldock has two new crossings on busy road that will hopefully help to make the school run and journeys to and from the train station that much easier! Enjoy your September
Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Jacqui Calver 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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Arts and Heritage Centre
Many of you will already be aware of the Baldock Arts and Heritage Centre, which is a volunteer run organisa on and registered charity. I wanted to provide you with an update as, earlier in 2019, we undertook substan al refurbishment works with windows repaired, a new kitchen, boiler and radiators installed, development of a new space, and refurbished toilets offering disabled facili es.
We are delighted to be up and running again with the launch of our new community cinema 'Film@BAHC'. Films are shown in a café style atmosphere with a licensed bar and an informal discussion at the end for those who'd like to stay and chat. We also have a fantas c line up of History in the A ernoon talks, which o en include poetry, pictures, and music. In September, we welcome four fabulous ar sts as part of Her ordshire Open Studios with an exhibi on on 'Sculpture, Weaving, and Pain ng.' They will be working at the Gallery with demonstra ons and ac vi es throughout. Our new 'Heritage space' is home to Baldock Museum's exhibi on 'Baldock in 1919: the town in the a ermath of the Great War,' and can be accessed via the old Museum entrance or through the Art Gallery. Join us for coffee while viewing both art and history. There's lots planned for 2020 too. We're thrilled about the return of the popular Fireside Fes val. We are also planning a concert for Mother's Day, a folk music evening, another BAHC Drama
produc on, and will have music and drama events specifically aimed at children. Our Gallery is booked to showcase local ar sts for the next two years and we will exhibit printmaking, photography and pain ng; among other art forms. The Gallery is open every Friday and Saturday 10am – 2pm. We also have our Arts and Heritage groups that meet at the Centre and always welcome new members. We have Watercolour Pain ng and Crea ve Wri ng, Dance Theatre for the Over 50s, Starlight Stars (theatre for children) and an Art Group. Check out the website for days and mes. Please visit www.bach.co.uk for further details and sign up to our events mailing list or contact Laura@bahc.co.uk.
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SEPTEMBER
2019
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Baldock 5k Rat Run 8th September 2019 Last year saw the first Baldock 5k Rat Run take place from Whitehorse Street. We raised over £1,220 for the Garden House Hospice Care. This year, we hope to raise even more! The Rat Run route itself takes us through North Baldock, a tunnel under the railway bridge and onto the beau ful Ivel Springs. This is a road and trail route with gates and stairs to contend with! Last year we received many great reviews from people who enjoyed the scenery and admired our fantas c 'Rat Run Team' of marshals and organisers, which can be seen on our Facebook page. Just search for Baldock 5k Rat Run. Each par cipant receives a medal and a goody bag (with treats!) and we have trophies for the first, second and third male and females. This year we have chip ming, we welcome all to join in the beau ful route including walkers, joggers and runners. We also have our mascot 'Timmy the Rat' running the route…can you beat him?? There will be: Ÿ Live music from the brilliant acous c duo 'Why Not' who always provide amazing performances.
We have the Baldock Scouts providing a BBQ Ÿ Bouncy Castle Ÿ Face Pain ng Ÿ Sweet Cart Ÿ Kids Games Ÿ Charity Raffle The whole family are welcome to come and enjoy the fun, even if you are not taking part in the run! This year we have teamed up with 'Baldock Beats Waste' and have decided to make this event as Green as possible. Therefore, rather than par cipants receiving the usual plas c bo le of water, we will be providing compostable cups and will have water dispensers! We will also have bins that will be for food waste and plas cs to ensure we are recycling everything we can and doing our bit for the environment. We are always looking for extra help on the day so why not contact us if you can sponsor or marshal? You can contact us at www.baldock5k@gmail.com By taking part or turning up, you will be able to help us raise as much money as possible for a local charity that assists the local community in their me of Ÿ
need. Garden House Hospice Care provides a wide range of services for pa ents, their carer's, and families facing a life limi ng illness. Free specialist pallia ve care is provided for over 500 adults a year living with advanced Cancer, Motor Neuron Disease and other life limi ng illness in our community. The Garden House Hospice need to raise £3,000,000 every year, so they can run their services. Many of us have experienced someone close to us or someone they know that has used or us using the services of this wonderful charity. Here's our chance to give something back to the community and have fun at the same me. This event is organised by Hollinton Health, Whitehorse Street, Baldock and supported by the Baldock Events Forum. “For those seeking a fun, community orientated experience with focus on enjoyment and smiles, you can't beat the Rat Run!” Join us: Sunday 8th September 2019 at 9am in Whitehorse Street, Baldock.
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If you care about your smile - Call us - We will too!
Earlier in the summer Baldock Town Youth FC hosted their 5-a-side Summer Tournament 2019 in the glorious sunshine at Knights Templar School. The tournament weekend was a celebra on of all the talent, sportsmanship and respect that runs throughout local grassroots football, with each Baldock team manager from Under-7s to Under-13s invi ng clubs they have enjoyed playing against over the season.
Across the weekend 98 teams competed; over 700 players scoring in excess of 800 goals – and not one VAR referral! The hundreds of suppor ng spectators were treated to some excellent football and the crowds echoed the players' passion as they cheered on
their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, grandchildren and friends through the groups and into the knock-out stages as every team had the opportunity to compete for the coveted Trophy, Cup, Shield or Vase compe on. Every player le with a medal for their efforts. We hope that everyone who a ended also had a chance to enjoy the range of entertainment and refreshments on offer. The Club would like to take the opportunity to say special thanks to Knights Templar School for providing the venue for the tournament, to Macron Store Her ordshire and various local businesses for sponsoring the event and to our neighbours Letchworth Eagles for allowing us to borrow their goalposts. Huge thanks must also go to every
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volunteer who took the me to referee, run stalls, manage car parking and all others who helped to make the tournament run smoothly. The last and greatest thank you must of course go to the teams; their players and their managers. We hope you enjoyed the tournament and are proud of your achievement. There were tears of joy and tears of sadness, but that's football we suppose. And all of us here at Baldock Town Youth FC hope you'll be back in 2020 to do it all again! The BTYFC Tournament Commi ee
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ISEPTS11O B GEERE EL TH
15
Lots of Love Mum, Dad & Ollie
TODAY
Happy Birthday
Dyan Crowther
4 th SEPTEMBER
3 rd
TH
15
TH S
EP
T
Lorelai
Love Mummy & Daddy x x
DOREEN TRAVERS Lots of Love Charles & Daniel Eleanor, George, 19th September
DECEMBER
2016
HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY
Eliza Brown
Love From Mummy, Daddy, Isaac and Elliott xxx 10
SEPTEMBER
2019
Self confidence stems from the belief that we are valued for who we are. It does not depend on the good opinion of others and we can build it ourselves. Confidence is not fixed, it can desert us just when we seem to have everything going for us, and it can drive us when we've nothing le to lose. If we're lucky, our parents will have helped to lay a founda on for confidence, but building and sustaining it is a lifelong project. If you didn't learn an op mis c a tude from your parents, you can develop it. It's helpful to have goals and purpose in your life, and to set yourself challenges. No one, however successful, has not had to call on his or her courage and take a personal risk. A commitment to doing
something posi ve for ourselves is the key to crea ng confidence. Build self-belief - We are likely to internalise nega ve messages we have received, while dismissing the posi ve. We need to prac se building up the posi ve. A journal is a useful tool in this process you will find it valuable to re-read your notes. Stop wai ng for external valida on, which a er all, happens rarely, as most people are preoccupied mainly with themselves. Start loving and accep ng yourself as you are now. In this way, what you believe other people think about you becomes less relevant and what you believe about yourself takes precedence. What ma ers is the ability to develop affirming beliefs about yourself, realising this is the first step to improving your confidence. Write down in your journal all the things that you value about yourself for example:
The quali es I most care about in myself are... The a ributes that make me feel good about myself are.... People have o en said that I am good at... If I were to choose my top five favourite things about me, they would be... I might not be perfect, but I am proud of myself because... Include any quali es, feelings ac vi es or rela onships that ma er to you, for these are integral to your self-worth, if your mind wanders to the nega ve, remind yourself that this exercise is not about lis ng your faults, but defining your quali es otherwise known in posi ve psychology as signature strengths. Using Hypnosis combined with other techniques improves thought processing building confidence in a fast and effec ve way helping to create changes in your general a tude towards yourself and your current life situa on. Kim Holloway – www.totaltherapy.co.uk SEPTEMBER
2019
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The Team at A R K Las ng Powers & Wills are qualified to act as Will, Las ng Power of A orney and Funeral Plan consultants. They are regulated by the Society of Will Writers. You can have peace of mind knowing that your needs will be looked a er by a professional company with all the processes, systems and insurances in place that are necessary in order to ensure that you and your family will be protected from the worst. Commen ng on the team, Karen Greenall (pictured far right) said: "Our ethos is that want to focus on the local community and on helping local people.” “We are a professional but caring service. I have been in customer service all my life and have an NVQ in customer service, as well as Will industry related qualifica ons. Those who use A R K know that it is a very personal service – we get to know our clients and offer a friendly, jargon-free service. There is absolutely no pressure to buy when you are speaking to any of our consultants.” Amazingly around 66% of the popula on don't have a Will and while
there are some circumstances and scenarios where they not so important, people should always double check what would happen without a Will before deciding not to make one. Sadly, even when people do realise that they should make a Will to protect their family, it is always a backburner job. As Karen confirms, Wills can be essen al for many people in a number of circumstances saying: "When you have children, appoin ng guardians is vital and o en couples don't understand that the way their estate will go can be dependent on the order in which they die. If you have children from different rela onships things can easily go wrong. A Will is needed to try to protect property from third par es such as care costs and new partner scenarios.” A R K can also assist with Las ng Powers of A orney. Although associated with the older popula on and Alzheimer's or demen a; loss of mental capacity can be as a result of an accident or stroke at a younger age. When mental capacity is lost all accounts belonging to that person are frozen, and it takes a long and
expensive court process to get those accounts freed up. If you have a Las ng Power of A orney in place before you lose capacity all of that stress for your family will be avoided. The provisions of Probate services is offered in conjunc on with a firm of solicitors, but the team at A R K hold an ini al mee ng with the client to give advice, and to gather informa on and documents. They are authorised to act as consultants for both Dignity and Safe Hands Funeral plans and offer no obliga on home visits to explain the op ons that are available. www.arkpowers.com info@arkpowers.com
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New Community Hub Launches in Royston Garden House Hospice Care and the Compassionate Neighbours project have launched a new community hub in Royston following the success of the Stevenage Community Hub set up last Autumn. A drop in session that meets every Monday 2pm – 4pm, the Hub is an opportunity for local people to pop in for a cup of tea and a chat, meet some of the Hospice team members and find out more about the therapies and support services that are available through Garden House Hospice Care. Richard Julian, Community Development Manager, commented: “The Royston Hub brings our services and exper se closer to local residents. We are aware that there are people who may be interested in our services but can’t get to our Hawthorne Day Centre in Letchworth.
“This social group is a friendly space for local people to meet others and it provides an opportunity to get advice and support about improving health and overall wellbeing. Anyone is welcome to come along and find out more.” At the Community Hub, people can also get access to advice from a physiotherapist, join in a seated exercise group and take part in crea ve and fun ac vi es that promote health and wellbeing. David, Stevenage Hub a endee, said: “Hand on heart, the hub has my changed life. I was very down and depressed but coming here has given me a new lease of life and I really, really look forward to coming every week. It’s fantas c!” We are also looking for more compassionate neighbour volunteers. Compassionate neighbours are trained
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volunteers offering friendship and a listening ear to people in their local community who are lonely and socially isolated. They visit them once a week or get involved in one of our social hubs. We have fun and informal training sessions taking place in August, September and November so please get in touch to find out more. Royston Hub meets every Monday 2pm – 4pm at the Coombes Community Centre, Burns Road, Royston, SG8 5PT. The Stevenage Hub meets every Monday 10:30am – 12:30pm at the Community Arts Centre (next to Costa Coffee), Roaring Meg Retail Park, Stevenage, SG1 1XN. Contact Richard for more informa on on 07485 027596 or richard.julian@ghhospicecare.org.uk
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2019
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13th, 14th & 15th of September 2019 Balstock music fes val took its first 'fallow year' in 2018 in light of personal ma ers – Balstock's treasurer, mother of organiser G LaRoche and all out nicest person that ever lived; Elaine LaRoche passed away suddenly in April 2017 due to breast cancer at the young age of 62. G, his family, the Balstock family and Elaine's Western Way Family were devastated. There was, and s ll is, a huge void in the fes val, the Baldock community and our hearts. We mark her loss and achievements with a permanent memorial. The High Street stage will be known as the Elaine LaRoche (ELR) Stage,
overseen by London Road Studios, who are long term supporters of the fes val, based in Baldock. We are returning with a bang in 2019, with what looks to be the BIGGEST Balstock ever! This will be our 13th ferociously independent music fes val, introducing over 200 acts playing in 14 Baldock venues over 3 days. ALL acts are asked to play for the chari es rather than for fees (in other words, donate their me for your money), which means we need to give each and every band, solo ar st, DJ, burlesque dancer, poet and minstrel all our kudos and everloving respect.
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n O s ’ t a h W Letchworth Parkrun A free 5km run every Saturday at 9am, Grange Recreation Ground, SG6 4PN. Very welcoming for new runners - see www.parkrun.org.uk/letchworth for details
Baldock Country Market Every Friday morning until Christmas - The Victoria pub Sun Street Baldock 9.30am - 12pm
Monkey Music Classes Every Friday classes running from 9.30 at the Baldock Community Centre contact Katherine on 01462 -626735
The Royal British Legion Baldock Branch Third Monday of every month - The Orange Tree Norton Road -7:30pm
Baldock Rotary Club Meets every Wednesday 12.00 for 12.30 (except if 5th Wednesday in month) at Baldock Bowls Club West Ave, Baldock. Contact Paul Redwood 01462 835795
Baldock Boxing Fight Night 7th September doors open 4pm at the Arena Norton Road. Tickets £30
Weston Garden Tea Party Saturday 7th September - 3-5pm, The Manor Gardens, Weston. Entrance - Adults £1, Children 50p Delicious tea and cakes for everyone. Bring a teddy bear for a free activity ticket and enjoy tea with your teddy, Book stall, Activities include Treasure Hunt, Scavenger Hunt, Storytelling, Large Garden Games and Decorate a Cupcake.
I
Baldock 5K Rat Run Sunday 8th Sep at 09:00 - Whitehorse Street, Baldock
BALSTOCK 13th, 14th and 15th September, The ferociously independent music festival returns for it’s 13th year and looks to be the BIGGEST Balstock ever! Introducing over 200 acts playing in 14 Baldock venues over 3 days.
Weston Music Concerts Saturday 21st September 7.30pm at Holy Trinity Church, Weston SG4 7DJ. Paul Galbraith – Internationally celebrated guitarist Bach, Scriabin, Albeniz and Haydn felictylowe@yahoo.co.uk 01462 790573 www.westonmusicsociety.org.uk
Baldock Rotary Club - Jazz Concert Saturday, 5th October 2019, 7.30 p.m at Knights Templar School. Fish and Chip Supper and Licensed bar Tickets: £16 each. (Buy 5 get the 6th free). Available from Keith Britter (01462 896189/07866 739248) or Baldock Community Centre Proceeds from this event will go to Mercy Ships UK
Clairvoyance Eveneing Friday 27th September - 7pm at Baldock Community Centre. Tickets available from the Community centre If you would like to have your event included FREE in the next issue please email us at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk by 15th Sept 2019 22
AUGUST
2019
SEPTEMBER
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Balstock Venues The Elaine LaRoche Stage; co-hosted by London Rd Studios Saturday, 1.00 ll 11pm & Sunday 1.00 ll 8pm The big stage on the High Street is dedicated to the mum of Balstock, Elaine LaRoche, (donated by our great mates from Buntsfest). The line-up includes 80s covers mega band 'Our Friends Electric', Fleetwood Mac tribute 'Wild Lies' and rhythmic barrel bashers 'Jesus Hooligan', alongside Balstock favourites such as Bubounce, Indi & The Vegas, NOVA and Waste. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL - the High Street also hosts family a rac ons, food stalls and please visit our merchandise stand so you can take a piece of Balstock home with you. The Engine - All 3 Days The birthplace, the matriarch, ground zero, The Engine is the spiritual home of Balstock. So we insist you take a look at some of the biggest acts Balstock has to offer like JoanOvArc (it wouldn't be Balstock without them) and Dutch mentalists Ritn Ditn. The high octane ska act Codename Colin, hard hi ng rock legends Duncan Reid & The Bigheads, as well as The Kut. Friday and Saturday from 10 onward include DJs playing inside – Deluxe Sounda and DJ Ska'd4life. Food available in the front car park. The Orange Tree - All 3 days Do me a favour once you're in this great pub, raise your glass to Elaine's bicycle hanging in the ra ers. Great beer, great food and more whisky then you shake a Scotsman at! Rip roaring covers from Transmission, Vacant, Missing Cat and No Sleep Til Bed me. Highly polished AC/DC tribute Gone Shoo n' and Balstock loyalists Owen Steph, Steph Sco and Cara Beard hos ng a whole Sunday of acts. The White Lion- Friday & Saturday Balstock is ecsta c to announce a brand new stage and host for our DJ stage…
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The Victoria - All 3 days You want hard rock and Punk – look no further. Blistering sets from must see bands like Powderhead, The Blisse s, Eastside Jimmy and punk legends The Bleach Boys and The Kramers amongst much more crash band and WALLOP! The Boot - All 3 days We're very happy to have the Boot back onboard with its spacious bar area for dancing and merriment. London Road promo ons showcase a wealth of talent including the simply awesome Points. Smoking Rope, Jennie & The Bets and Freak Barn Accident provide a versa le mix of melody and madness and Sunday sees the Boot's Big Session were musicians are encouraged to join and jam hosted by local ledge Brian Burke. The Hen & Chickens - All 3 days Quite probably Baldock's most pres gious music pub the H&C has an atmosphere and sing-a-long vibe that I wish all pubs had. The wonders in store range from Will Kitcheners Funky Friends to Gridlock's face-mel ng (in a good way!) rock to Escape Party's wild an cs and an Ian Dury tribute on Sunday known as The Blox. Templars Hotel & Restaurant - All 3 days A rela ve new-comer to Balstock, Templars have embraced the spirit of Balstock like no other. So we have spoilt them silly with local floor fillers The Fi h Wheel, the 'covers band you must see before you die' Allergy, punk-does-popcovers band The Real McCoys and don't miss the eastern European ska reggae rockers CZAPA. The Cock - All 3 days Real ale drinker's favourite and pub food paradise. The Cock is doubling up as Irish inspired Gor Jus Wrex stage on Friday and all out acous c apocalypse with the slender sexy sounds of Mark Sullivan, Blake Baker and “who knows what could happen” acts The Scallywags and A&R Guitars. The Old White Horse - Saturday A splendid array of trendy and tradi onal beers as well as pizzas and pots!
Baldock Arts & Heritage Centre - All 3 days It's simply not Balstock without the earbleeding, face-mel ng, gu ural insanity of Balstock's metal stage. Helmed by Metal-Behemoth Nick Plews, we have the absolute evil cream of the local metal scene like Countless Skies, Thir13n, Dorylus, Jackel's Backbone, Fearbound and for the love of God have a look at Skag Bunny for top entertainment value. NOTE – fully licensed bar inside so please don't stroll in with drinks, bo les or cans from outside. The George - Friday and Saturday evening Please welcome The George to the Balstock fold. A 15th century historic coaching Inn (full of ghosts, I'm told) next to St Marys church. It has a grand reputa on for fine food, beer and lodgings. So we thought we'd 'class it up' for our new-comers. The George will host a raunchy Burlesque stage (courtesy of Briar Rouge) on Friday night and a brand new Jazz Stage on Saturday with Frak ons, Swing47 and local prodigy Gabriel Taylor Band. Food unavailable for the Friday night, but there'll be a Prawns & Procecco BBQ on Saturday. The White Hart - Friday and Saturday evening This venue is known for its night-life and bop-' ll-you-drop, lets 'ave a knees up, can't stop ' ll you get enough atmosphere. So we're offering the more energe c acous c acts here. Our local acous c wonder-lad Connor Wells is alongside Shaun Clarke, Dan Bond & El Jay Rose as well as the un-topable Roxy Searle and the 'G' himself is gonna ruin any no on of calm on Friday night. Stylus - Saturday Yet another new Balstock venue for 2017. Stylus is Baldock's first Vinyl Café, showing that true music fana cs are s ll aplenty in Baldock. This stage will host a more in mate style of acous c with soulful singing form Rafael Monteiro, virtuoso flamenco from Eddie LaRoche and intricate folk from Paul Booth. Drinks and food available.
Baldock Ball 07845-971419
01462 - 896669
A new event is appearing on the Baldock calendar this year- a black e ball. Hosted by the Baldock Events Forum, the ball is set to bring some glitz and glamour to St Mary's Hall with a black and gold theme. Taking place on Saturday 16th November we hope that the event will mark the start of a fantas c fes ve season. Tickets for the Ball are ÂŁ50 with a welcome glass of ďŹ zz, a 3 course meal and live local band The Fi h Wheel. The meal will be catered for by the former Barley Club chef so if
you missed the chance to try out their great food this is a fantas c opportunity! On the night there will be a cash bar and charity auc on with proceeds to the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance.There is limited capacity with tables of 8 so don't miss out and purchase your ckets from the Community Centre or online at www.baldockeventsforum.org. uk/baldock-ball Sally Ma hews, Event Coordinator
SEPTEMBER
2019
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AUGUST
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Baldock Gardens By Graham Tapp
September 2019 I have over the last two months been writing about the types of vegetable production I have experienced in my career. I have worked in private gardens growing for the families privileged enough to own a large house with a private garden sufficient to support them their families and friends. On the other end of the spectrum, I have worked on commercial market gardens. Much more substantial and intensive in their production methods. What I have not described and many of you won't know is how once the crop was grown and harvested, how it got to your plate. As I explained last month, we produced the vegetables one metre in width beds anything up to three hundred metres long, when we harvested them we would have a tractor that would straddle the growing bed, sharing the existing wheel marks used for every operation since the planter first put them into the soil, the tractor would have attached to it various machines that would vary in their function to enable harvesting of the particular crop at the time. Alongside would be another tractor pulling a trailer loaded with suitable crates or boxes in which the pickers would place the harvest. Please remember that I am describing how it was 50 plus years ago so don't think I'm sexist in my comments it is just a reflection of how it was then, The pickers would all be Women classed as unskilled labour the Men who were skilled either holding certificates to prove their skill or years of experience would drive the tractors and work the equipment; us lads and some older Men also classed as unskilled labour would do all the lifting and manual work, so we would lift the filled crates onto the trailer, now the bit that's important, on it or just alongside would be the Foreman or tallyman who would allocate each box to a person and that would be the only way they would get paid as everything would be piece work so the more boxes they filled, the more they would get paid. When a certain number of boxes were loaded, the tractor would trundle off to the packing shed or packhouse. In the packhouse, there would be another gang of women whose job was to grade and repack. These places were never heated or very well illuminated, and as far as I can recall never
controlled of inspected by environmental health if any such organisation existed at the time, how times have changed, nowadays the packhouse would be pristine in its cleanliness. The vegetables would be hand graded into first grade, second grade and third class; they would repack first and second grade into their respective individual Identifying packages and reboxed into transport crates. It would be the job of the lads like me to help load the Market lorry, not the sort you would see today, much smaller with no cover or sides. We would pass the wooden crates up to the driver and his mate who would stack the load. It was our responsibility to inform them of any that were damaged as they had to be placed in the middle so that the pressure was taken off them when covered. When everything was in its correct place on the lorry according to the sales company consigned to, the driver and mate would cover it all with a tarp and secure with ropes, the bed of the truck would have hooks on the underneath of the bed at intervals of twenty for inches on both sides where they would tie off with a special knot called in the trade as a lorry drivers doofa, I think because it will doofa now. The lorry would set off for the London Markets at about five o'clock many times I would go along for the ride, it would take about two and a half hours driving to get up to the old Covent Garden Market a steady old plod up the old A2 main road the wound its way through all the old towns. The old market was nothing like it is today a beautiful social hub, it was to a young lad a slightly frightening dark and oppressive place full of big robust market porters who used language I had neither heard nor understood, although the swearing was commonplace as it was back on the farm. The market worked like clockwork but appeared much as all of the commission markets do even today organised chaos. On arriving, we would have to join a long queue to get in. As we moved up the line and eventually got in, we had to be very
St Johns
Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre
careful to go to the correct sales stand and do it in the order that the lorry was loaded, the clever bit was to untie the tarp stowing it, and the ropes then unload the consignment by hand I didn't help with that my job was usually to go and get food and tea for the men. When the crates were off the empty returns were loaded in their place, the lorry would move onto the next sales stand, and it all starts again. The markets are known as commission markets because the salesmen would attempt to sell the fruit or veg for as much as they could, then we the supplier would have to pay a commission percentage on that. The eventual buyer would also have to pay a commission on the paid price a win-win for the stand owner. I have also been on the other side as a buyer and belive me there like a bag of snakes; they may be your best mate when you're supplying but watch out when buying they will rinse your pockets dry. A word of warning never gamble with the porters, partake in coin toss or double or quits. When your product sells at the market, the buyer will want to get it to their shop as soon as possible; the porters will be moving it to their transport vehicle, and they will be trying to get out and back home to sell it, you cannot imagine such commotion unless you have seen it yourself. It's no wonder they moved the old market. If you want a look around the new market, it is quite possible to visit, any time after two am all you have to do is drive up to the entrance gate pay your entrance fee, park up wander through the sales halls and watch what's going on but don't get in the way.
Cheers Graham
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An Inspector Calls It seems that my house is collapsing around me. A few weeks ago, the council came by for the yearly boiler inspec on. Now, I don't know about you, but my Airing cupboard is chock full of sheets and towels and as it only had one fixed shelf when I moved in, I have added some more shelving in there to carry the load. Consequently, every me they come to inspect the boiler; I have to remove everything from the cupboard so they can see what they are doing. The evening before they were due, I emp ed the cupboard. Ten minutes into the inspec on the guy says; “I'm sorry to inform to you madam, but I'm going to have to condemn your boiler, its belching out toxic gases and if I leave it, you will die”. Ok, I thought, a bit drama c but fair enough. A few weeks before that, I was po ering about in the kitchen and discovered that part of my ceiling was falling down. The inspector popped round to have a look and declared that a new ceiling was needed. Ok, I thought, that's going to be a fun day. The evening before the new boiler chap
was due, I emp ed the cupboard. During the course of fi ng the new boiler, some pipework outside had to be redone. Of course, this pipework was directly behind my lovely new 'fi ed' garden furniture. When the guy brought a bloody Kango through my living room I nearly died! A er a day of banging and drilling and some swearing (on my part) I had a lovely new boiler, the council must put everything back as they found it and dy up a er themselves. So, when I went upstairs to pop everything back in the cupboard, I found a very unwelcome extra; He had cleaned a 2-foot-wide strip of carpet from the door to the airing cupboard. It was gleaming, looked brand new, it was a real work of beauty. Unfortunately, the rest of the carpet now looked like it had been pulled from a ca le barn. I flew down to the shops and spent Twenty squid on carpet cleaner, pulled the old Vax out of the cupboard of no return and set to work. Ten minutes later a realized that the thing wasn't sucking, just soaking. Crap! I know, I'll use the sofa nozzle I thought. Off I go again. Water was spi ng out all over me, all over everywhere. Crap! The bu on was stuck, I unstuck the bu on and off I go again. Yay! Err No, a few minutes later the bu on gets stuck
again, proper stuck. Upshot of this li le escapade was a soaking wet carpet half cleaned carpet, a soaking, sweaty Nicky, and a s ll shimmering shiny runway of carpet that's almost luminous in its cleanliness. The electric man s ll had to come out to do his bit so the water temperature was off the chart so cleaning myself up a er this debacle was a li le hazardous to ensure I didn't burn my bum ge ng into the bath. Four days later the lekky man was due, so the evening before, I emp ed the cupboard. I'm happy to report all went well. Phew! Today, as I write this, the ceiling man is here. Last night, I emp ed all the cupboards in the kitchen so they could remove them (at least it made a nice change) Two hours ago, he told me that there was mold behind the cupboards and that the plaster had blown and needed replacing. The les will have to come off, I led this kitchen, so they are not the standard nasty council Kitchen les, which means that when they do this, they won't replace my les, but they will have to use the standard nasty council les. To be honest, I'm ge ng fed up with emptying cupboards. I guess the upside is that I finally get to do that deep clean I've been promising myself for so long. But I am resen ng it because I feel like I've been forced into it. Carpets and cupboards. I guess I've just got to hope that a hole in the roof doesn't suddenly appear because then I'd have to sort the lo out. I might be gone a while. Oh well, first world problems and all that.
Nicky
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SEPTEMBER MOVIES SEPTEMBER 12th - HUSTLERS Constance Wu and J-Lo star in Hustlers, a film which tells the real-life story of a group of strippers who exploited wealthy Wall Street. Based on Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine article for The Cut titled Hustlers at Scores, Hustlers follows a group of strippers who decided to rob wealthy Wall Street bankers in what Pressler describes as a “modern Robin Hood story”. Together the women clear out their victims’ credit cards and savings.
SEPTEMBER 9th - DOWNTON ABBEY Downton Abbey ran for six series between 2010 and 2015, and even though it ended on a perfect note, its popularity meant creator Julian Fellowes had much leeway to bring everyone back for another story. The film will be set two years after the TV show’s finale, and it’s now 1927, with a story set around the impending visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Downton. As you can imagine, much fuss ensues.
SEPTEMBER 18th - AD ASTRA In “Ad Astra” Brad Pitt plays Roy McBride, an Army Corps engineer who embarks on an ambitious space mission to find out the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of his father. Clifford McBride, played by Tommy Lee Jones, was an astronaut who set out on a journey to Neptune looking for signs of extra-terrestrial intelligence but never returned. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence.
SEPTEMBER 19th - RAMBO LAST BLOOD Almost four decades after they drew first blood, Sylvester Stallone is back as one of the greatest action heroes of all time, John Rambo. Now, Rambo must confront his past when a friend's daughter is kidnapped, Rambo crosses the U.S.- Mexico border to bring her home but finds himself up against one of Mexico's most ruthless cartels. and unearth his ruthless combat skills to exact revenge in a final mission.
SEPTEMBER 20th - THE KITCHEN A gritty, female-driven mob drama "The Kitchen," Between 8th Ave. and the Hudson River, the Irish mafia runs 20 blocks of a tough New York City neighbourhood known as Hell's Kitchen. But for mob wives Kathy, Ruby and Claire, things are about to take a dramatic and radical turn. When the FBI sends their husbands to prison, the three women take business into their own hands by running the rackets and taking out the competition.
SEPTEMBER 27th - THE GOLDFINCH Theodore Decker was 13 years old when his mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The tragedy changes the course of his life, sending him on a stirring odyssey of grief and guilt, reinvention and redemption, and even love. Through it all, he holds on to one tangible piece of hope from that terrible day - a painting of a tiny bird chained to its perch. based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Donna Tartt.
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Award-Winning Mkey Music in Baldock! Make great friends and introduce your child to a life me of music with Monkey Music – at the forefront of pre-school educa on since 1993. At Monkey Music, we understand how music is fundamental to early development. Our weekly music classes for babies and pre-school children are hosted by specially trained teachers who love music because of the joy it brings to the children that they teach. Katherine, owner of the local franchise and professional violinist with The BBC Symphony Orchestra teaches the Baldock
classes every Friday morning. She thrives on a passion for introducing music into the lives of children and loves watching music enhance their natural development. Local parents love how she brings so much energy and professional experience to the classes. Monkey Music stands out with the progressive nature of the four-stage Curricula that meets the developmental needs of the babies and children at each stage. The Curricula provides an engaging, exci ng and structured introduc on to music and singing, whatever stage children join Monkey Music. There are over 500 original and tradi onal songs, a huge variety of interes ng props, colourful puppets and real instruments. Language and numerical skills flourish through ac on songs and rhymes, fine motor skills are refined through playing hand-held percussion instruments, while an awareness of space and one another is developed through movement.
Children's confidence and self-esteem grow rapidly as their involvement in the group increases. Monkey Music aims to introduce music to very young children in a fun way they can easily understand and enjoy. Expect plenty of giggles on the way! “These classes keep my daughter s mulated from start to end through explora on of music, movement and instruments.” Monkey Music Parent. To book a FREE class or for more informa on please contact us: Baldock.hitchin@monkeymusic.co.uk Or visit: h ps://bit.ly/2KaaXhF Tel: 01462 626735 Local classes are in Baldock, Biggleswade, Hitchin, Knebworth, Letchworth, Stevenage, Sto old, and Welwyn.
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Lebanese Tabboulet Salad Authentic Lebanese tabbouleh is a healthy and super-green traditional salad that's bursting with bulgar wheat. It has a nice lemony kick and is delicious enjoyed on its own or as a side dish.
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60g bulgar wheat 2 spring onions, chopped ½ red onion, chopped 1 ripe tomato, chopped ¼ cucumber, diced Fresh parsley, chopped Fresh mint, chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded Juice of 1 lemon 1-2 tbsps fat free vinaigrette dressing Salt and pepper
Method 1. Soak the bulgar wheat (in enough cold water to cover it) for 15 minutes. 2. Drain and mix with the spring onions, red onion, tomato, cucumber, parsley, mint and chopped red chilli (optional). 3. Add the juice of 1 lemon, 1-2 tbsps fat free vinaigrette dressing and some salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently together
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News From Sandon Junior School Arts Week We started off the week with all of the children in school taking part in samba workshops. Our instructor Marcos was very impressed with the way the children par cipated and –listened respec ully to his instruc ons.
The children took part in a variety of art ac vi es during the week including Clarice Cliff inspired plate and bowl designs, a study and reproduc on of pop art, sunflower collages and a whole school art project to paint rock 'fish'. The fish will all go on display outside the school entrance. They are inspired by a book called only Only one you. The main character in the book is encouraged by his parents to go out into the world and
make it a be er place. That is what we want our pupils to do and we hope this art project will encourage them to do that. Wednesday of arts week saw our annual summer concert. All of our musicians; who have lessons in or out of school; performed solo pieces to an audience of parents. Class 2 played the ukulele and sang and then the whole school came into the hall to sing four songs with different parts for each house team and some very complicated harmonies. On Thursday morning a local ukulele group came to perform for us and challenged Class 2 to a ukulele compe on. On Thursday a ernoon we invited parents in to hear our singing again and to look at all of the art work we have been busy doing. Dance club performed as did the children studying for LAMDA exams. A huge well done to everyone involved! Class 1 Trip Class 1 had a wonderful day at Cambridge Botanic Gardens in July. They inves gated different types of seeds and held the biggest seed in the world from a
coco de mer plant. Each child created their own paper pot and planted a nastur um seed. On their return to school, we planted these in the school garden and are looking forward to seeing them grow. A er a picnic lunch in the sunshine, the children also had the opportunity to explore the gardens, discovering different growing environments and habitats. The children behaved brilliantly all day and were a real credit to the school. Produce stall The new raised beds are proving most produc ve and children help to water, weed and harvest at lunch mes. We now have a produce stall outside school and try to put something from our garden on it every day. Some local residents have very kindly donated their own produce too!
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Baldock Town Twinning Association Honours Member Baldock Town Twinning Associa on recently made its second Honoured Member award to long-standing member Shirley Smith. Chairman Paul Lucke presented the award at a recent Twinning fundraising event to recognise the considerable contribu on, support and interest that Shirley had shown to the Twinning Associa on over the past twenty years, most notably with her pain ngs which she made available to the Associa on for the produc on of calendars and auc on lots which contributed to the fundraising programme and also as gi s to our twin towns in Eisenberg and Sanvignes. Shirley was ini ally involved with the Baldock Twinning partnership with Eisenberg and then was one of the early members of the partnership with Sanvignes which started in 1996 and led to the signing of the charter in 1997. Her ability to speak French and German (and also Italian) made her a valued member of the group. A er the ini al shock of receiving the award, Shirley said how pleased she was to receive it and how she enjoys being part of Baldock Twinning and now although unable to travel she looks
forward to seeing her friends from Sanvignes who will again be visi ng Baldock at the end of August.
Commen ng about today's partnerships with Eisenberg and Sanvignes, Chairman Paul said, “that over the past 31 years many long standing friendships had been created and mee ng our friends from the two towns is always something to look forward to”. Members from Baldock will be visi ng Eisenberg in July to con nue the tradi on and although smaller in number the group is no less enthusias c. Baldock Town Twinning Associa on, comprises 40 members, has an ac ve programme of fundraising events
throughout the year which generally involve food in some form!! The Associa on is con nually looking to a ract new (and younger) members, so if you are interested in our ac vi es or in finding out more about Baldock Town Twinning Associa on please call secretary Viv on 01462-625849 or 07815-308124, alterna vely h p://baldocktwinning.wix.com Paul Lucke - Hon Chairman
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5 minutes with... ...The Baldock Beer Festival Team *Tell us a bit about yourselves The Baldock Beer fes val commi ee has been around since 2007. The original commi ee (friends and neighbours) were in the pub when they got into a conversa on with the Baldock Fes val organisers. Several drinks later and the challenge of you lot couldn't organise a “drink up” in a brewery and the idea was hatched. The Independent Baldock Beer fes val charitable Trust became a registered charity in 2015. Tara Geere is the chair / chief social media publicist – An original member, she is a qualified social worker and when not planning for and running the May Beer fes val and Oktoberfest works full- me as one of Her Majesty's Inspectors, inspec ng children's social services all over the country. Brent Copsey is treasurer / chief pencil boy. An original member, he used to be a Director at KPMG specialising in corporate governance and now restores and sells an ques in Baldock. When the first beer fes val was being conceptualised Brent, and Rob Scahill (Orange Tree landlord) who was then working as a Director for Diageo and Dave Quickfall another Trustee would plan on the train commute. Kathryn Stacey is secretary / chief planner and organiser. Kathryn works full me as a global studies leader for Roche. Tara approached Kathryn to join the commi ee a few years in, given her project management skills and love of beer! Alongside that there is Duncan Stacey (chief laminator), Paul Edwards (cider expert), Kate Copsey (wine lover), Ma Geere (spreadsheet guru), Dave Quickfall (Belgian Beer connoisseur), Don McKenzie (music and Fire Risk assessments), Stuart Johnston (music and sound system), Robin Brough (Gin connoisseur), Alistair Willoughby (beer expert and general sorter of kit) and James Willoughby (new boy!). A er great support over the years, Rob Scahill, Gayle Edwards, Tanya Wallace, Clive Wallace, Jen Wiltshire and Sam Caylor have all had to step down because of other commitments. *What did you have to do to get it started? Most people won't know but the original commi ee put in a £1000 pounds each to underwrite the event and we all begged and borrowed kit and made friends with people who could help us out, dragging friends and family in to help out. Tara was a governor at Brandles school and asked the then headteacher if he would allow a community event and the rest is history. The first year we had no music and borrowed a few marquees for outside the Brandles gym. *What have you raised and who benefits? We decided very early on that we wanted to give all the excess profit we raised away, for the benefit of the community. To date we have donated just under £80,000 within Baldock and surrounding villages to a wide range of good causes, groups and individuals. All local schools and nurseries have received dona ons and have access to our hardship fund. We have supported the Town Hall reopening, financing the new community minibus, suppor ng local spor ng groups (football, rugby, hockey etc), children's groups including scouts and guides and a er school clubs, local music groups, adult groups including suppor ng the Baldock senior ci zens group with venue hire costs, raising money for local faith groups for building maintenance. Because of the loss of some of our original group to cancer we have always tried to support local cancer groups such as the Lister Macmillan, Keech and the Garden House Hospice. We have supported and worked with other groups such as the Baldock events forum and Baldock
Rotary on projects such as paying for upgrades to the Christmas lights and suppor ng the Baldock in Bloom project this year with Tapps Garden centre for venues that would not have had a budget. *What commitment does it take to run the two events? A lot! We meet once a month throughout the year and then more frequently as we get closer to events. In Sept. we will have a couple of mee ngs to sort logis cs but also choose wine for the Oktoberfest so it's not all work! Tara is o en away and with people working full me we use WhatsApp, and emails to make decisions on the run up to the events. In the beginning it was all hands-on deck at the event as we didn't have the loyal group volunteers we now have. As we have grown the commitment has increased. Tara, Brent and Don a end the N. Herts special advisory group with police, ambulance, fire, environmental health, licencing, etc. to discuss event plans and risk assessments which grow each year alongside our costs. But the posi ve feedback on the changes makes it worthwhile. *What's been the worse bits? Definitely the weather. This year when it rained we had to use loud hailers to get everyone in from the rain safely. One of the low points was 'Boggate' !! - let's just say we have all learnt lessons re carrying plas c gloves with you throughout the fes val. One year a Kilderkin of beer (about 144 pints) was knocked over. There were some strong words and a few tears, but we are all s ll friends! *What have been the best bits? Walking through the tents and site and being able to watch the community having a great me including children's faces (normally painted) as they run around the children's field or dance to the bands. It's nice to have a couple of hundred people salu ng you with their glasses both alcohol and non-alcoholic! Brent dressing up for one of the bands and his own daughter not recognising him un l his finger poin ng, dad dancing kicked in! At our first Oktoberfest watching people sing and dance to the Oompah bands. We are hoping we can do even be er for our second one in October this year. *Best pieces of advice given to you? Talk to CAMRA they might help you - they did! – Always have spare plas c gloves in your pocket! Tell people you are a charity they might give you some stuff! - They have!
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Please send your local snaps new or old to our facebook page or email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk
September Gallery
How high can you jump - Graham Tomlinson
Bath time at Ivel Springs - Debs Knight
Post card perfect - Paul Hoenes
Summer fun at Ashwell Springs - Kayley Macer
Ivel springs today, I do love a bee photo!! Cara Richardson
Heron on Radwell Lake. - Matthew Bartlett
Late night Skinny Dipping - Lucy Ramsden
Busiest time of the year for some Paul Hoenes
Judy Bartlett Hare stopped long enough for a photo in Hinxworth. -Kay Stutley
Chilling on Weston Hills- Neil Cherry
Gray Wagtail taken near Arlesey station - Linda Parcell
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2019
Harvest time at Weston Hills - Stuart Knock
Another local resident Emily Herbert
Little hedgehog in the garden of the Catholic church - Angela Dowsett
AUGUST
2019
37
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 Brandles
01462 620700 01462 895267 01462 892478 01462 892347 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
01462 892172 01462 896322
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
Barbers Micks of Baldock
01462 895002
Locksmith Lock and Glaze
07737885528
Airport Taxi Greenacre Transfers
07555 707848
Funeral Directors Shires - CPJ Field Balodck
Do you need to make a Will or update your existing Will? We offer a FREE initial appointment to discuss your circumstances, offering advice on Wills including ring-fencing your home from care and guidance regarding inheritance Tax Nill Rate Bands. HOME VISITS ARE AVAILABLE AT NO EXTRA CHARGE WITHIN A 5 MILE RADIUS OF BALDOCK. SATURDAY MORNING appointments available on the following date* 31st AUGUST, 14th SEPTEMBER and 28th SEPTEMBER 2019 FREE WILL SERVICE for the over 55's through the Cancer Research Free Will Scheme For more information please contact:FISH HILL CHAMBERS, 2-3 FISH HILL, ROYSTON, HERTS, SG8 9JY Tel: 01763 241 121 t.pilcher@walkerspartnership.co.uk
01462 491149
SEPTEMBER
2019
39
AND VIEW THE FULL RANGE OF OUR PRODUCTS
Come along and view our full range of products on display in our new show room. Kindlelight’s friendly staff will be on hand to assist with any queries. Everyone is welcome. Ample parking and refreshments available.