Dales Life Spring 2012

Spring 2012 £1.95

Dales Life ANTIQUES | WINE | FOOD | INTERIORS | GARDENING | TRAVEL

Master Chef

mouthwatering recipes from Michel Roux

Back to Nature David Hockney’s love

affair with Yorkshire

Lost the plot?

Rethink your garden

James Martin has the last word

COUNTY KITCHENS

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from the editor

Spring 2012

Welcome to the new Dales Life Spring is well on its way; the nights are so much lighter now, and everything in the natural world is gearing up for a burst of growth.

You’ll probably already have noticed that Dales Life is prepared for a brand new year too – we’ve been busy over the winter giving the magazine a complete makeover, with a brighter, fresher look and some terrific new features.

Harrogate Flower Show 96

Winning words What do you think of the new Dales Life? We’re always delighted to hear from you, and it’s easy to get in touch – just email sue@daleslife.com. Our feature writers have their opinions, and you have yours. So whether you agree or disagree, write and tell us. Every issue we’ll be giving a £50 Marks & Spencer voucher to the lucky reader who writes our ‘star letter’.

“Welcome to the brighter, fresher new look Dales Life magazine for 2012”

Fountains Abbey 88

Don’t miss out!

There’s much more to Dales Life than just the printed page. Head for www.daleslife.com and you can enjoy lots of extras that we can’t fit into the magazine, including fabulous recipes from celebrity chefs, exclusive wine offers, clever gardening ideas, exciting competitions and a great selection of properties in the Dales. What’s more, the whole of the current magazine is always available online, so if you don’t manage to get hold of a printed copy you needn’t miss out. Don’t forget to write and tell us what you think of the website too!

Master Chef 34

Sue Gillman Editor

To advertise in Dales Life please contact Sue on 01904 629 295 or 07970 739 119 email: sue@daleslife.com web: www.daleslife.com spring 2012 | dales lifelife | |3 spring 2012 | dales

Bespoke doors

Cast iron radiators Handmade kitchens

Wood stoves

Wallpapers and paints by Little Green Paint Company Carpets and rugs by Crucial Trading

View our on-line brochure at www.periodhousestore.co.uk 4

| dales life | spring 2012

North Yorkshire DL10 4SX Tel: 01748 821500

contents

Spring 2012

Safari Like A Pro Wildlife photographer Chris Martin offers guided wildlife safaris and workshops for photographers looking for more than the standard safari.

Page 68

great places to eat out

Back To Nature 76

The Discerning Diner Claudia Blake visits The Friar’s Head at Akebar Page 54 To Dine For Great places to stay and eat in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales Page 127 The Last Word 130

on the cover 76 Back To Nature 20 Dig It Vibrant studies of the Boost your gardening to Yorkshire landscapes the next level by rethinking are at the heart of your vegetable plot, says David Hockney’s new Adam Appleyard. blockbuster show.

34 Master Chef 130 The Last Word Desserts have been a Five minutes with lifelong passion for celebrity chef Michel Roux. Three recipes James Martin. from his latest collection.

Master Chef 34 To advertise in Dales Life please contact Sue on 01904 629 295 or 07970 739 119 email: sue@daleslife.com web: www.daleslife.com spring 2012 | dales lifelife | |5 spring 2012 | dales

Spring 2012

features 9 Emporium Inspiring ideas for your home and garden.

14 Darkly Delicious Ambra Edwards on gardening for chocoholics.

28 Wake-Up Call Professor Chris Baines shares his favourite seasonal signs.

Making It Simple 40

On The Grapevine 64 Editor:

Sue Gillman

Deputy Editor: Brian Pike Production:

Claudia Blake

Advertising:

Sue Gillman

Art Editors:

Stef Suchomski Ian Garside

Fashion Editor: Chloe Smith Proofreader:

Elaine Pollard

Proprietor:

Sue Gillman T: 01904 629295 M: 07970 739119 Dales Life Holgate Villas Suite N 22 Holgate Road York North Yorkshire YO24 4AB

Address:

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40 Making It Simple Delicious recipes by writer and TV presenter, Lotte Duncan.

64 On The Grapevine The pick of the shelves from local independent retailers.

82 Winging It Insect collecting may not be popular, but insect collections still are, says Ian Henry.

88 Dales Diary A comprehensive guide to local events compiled

by Elaine Pollard.

46 Veg Out Think beetroot is boring?

It’s a delicious year round treat when used as a fresh vegetable.

110 The Kindle VS The Printed Page Does Amazon’s new, cheapest ever electronic book-reader spell the end for traditional print?

Ian Henry joins the debate.

58 Chef’s Table Dining in with chef Simon Crannage from Swinton Park.

112 On The Market A round up of some beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.

Beauty Spot Sue Gillman tries out the Rose Cocoon Rebalance Hammam at Rudding Park Hotel Spa Page 104

Contributors:

Adam Appleyard, Ambra Edwards, Brian Pike, Chloe Smith, Chris Baines, Claudia Blake, Ian Henry, Laurie Campbell, Elaine Pollard.

All rights reserved. Permission for reproduction must be sought from the publisher.

Freelance contributions welcomed. The views and opinions expressed in Dales Life are not necesssarily those of the publishers or their employees.

spring 2012 | dales life |

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Curtains & Blinds, Fabric, Furniture, Lamps Mirrors, Bespoke Joinery.

The Cattle Market, Market Place, Hawes, DL8 3RD Tel 01969 666077

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Reinvented Recycled and Revived We are a company who are passionate about our environment. Our ethos is to oer bespoke and individual pieces that have been recycled and revamped.

Antique upholstered pieces Bespoke service Hand finished furniture Home accessories Come and visit us at The Grange, Peppercorn House, 41 Hurworth Road, Hurworth Place, Darlington, Co. Durham DL2 2BN www.peppercornhouse.com email: enquiries@peppercornhouse.com Tel: 01325 401778 Mob: 07961967070 Open Monday to Friday 10am to 4.30pm and Saturday by appointment.Â

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Emporium inspiring ideas...

for your home

1 Take Notice Display your memos, letters and photos in style with this pretty fabric noticeboard, handmade in Yorkshire by Patchwork Rose. £18, Patchwork Rose, Bedale 01677 427627 www.patchworkrose.co.uk

2 & 4 Outside In Bring a touch of the countryside into your home with Voyage’s charming rurally themed fabrics. The designs include game birds, ducks, squirrels and even those vital Wellington boots. Available from CB Furnishings, Northallerton 01609 772916 www.cbfurnishings.co.uk

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3 Tea Rose Settle yourself down for a cosy cuppa with this elegant rose design mug by Susie Watson. £16, Patchwork Rose, Bedale 01677 427627 www.patchworkrose.co.uk

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5 Open Door Policy This loveable goose door stop is both cute and practical – who could possibly resist? £20, Askrigg Village Kitchen, 01969 650076 www.askriggvillagekitchen.co.uk

6 Clucky Find An ideal present for anyone who loves chickens, the country life or just classy napkins. Set of four, £10, Bear Cottage Interiors, 01969 666077 www.bearcottageinteriors.co.uk

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DOVETAIL INTERIORS Furniture Home Accessories Gifts

17 Market Place, Bedale, DL8 1ED 01677 426464 www.dovetailinteriors.com

Visit our beautiful shop in Bedale.

We stock a gorgeous range of designer yarns, from cashmere, silks, baby alpacas, Mulberry silk, mohair to British sheep breeds.

Exciting range of patterns, needles and accesssories.

Babies and Toddlers clothes by Powell Craft

New Jersey, for everyone who loves to knit. new jersey, 38 Market Place, Bedale, DL8 1EQ. 01677 427746 www.newjerseywools.co.uk

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Emporium inspiring ideas...

for your home

1 Good Times This beautiful freestanding mantel clock is simple and stylish, and would look equally good in a traditional or a contemporary home. £22.50, Dovetail Interiors, Bedale 01677 426464 www.dovetailinteriors.com

2 Paper View Bring a touch of 18th century elegance to your home with this stunning wallpaper from the ‘Broadwick Street c.1775’ collection by Little Greene. See it at The Period House Store, Richmond 01748 821500 www.periodhousestore.co.uk

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3 Blooming Marvellous Coffee time can be floral fun with this lovely ‘Scabious’ mug from Emma Bridgewater’s new wildflower collection. £19.95, Dovetail Interiors, Bedale 01677 426464 www.dovetailinteriors.com

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4 Scent First Class Relax with the intoxicating scent of ‘Happiness’, a luxurious new candle from Neom. A blend of white neroli, mimosa and lemon, it will burn for up to 55 hours. £37.50, The Forge Home Interiors, Bedale 01677 427383 www.forgeinteriors.co.uk

5 Dry Your Best This charming and colourful tea towel featuring geese and bunnies would make an ideal Easter gift – or why not just treat yourself? £6.40, Askrigg Village Kitchen, 01969 650076 www.askriggvillagekitchen.co.uk

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6 Chick It Out A delightful ‘Lay a Little Egg for Me’ fine china tea pot by Sophie Allport, perfect for any country-themed kitchen. £28, Bear Cottage Interiors, Hawes 01969 666077 www.bearcottageinteriors.co.uk

6 spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 11

LUXURY LINEN HIRE AND LAUNDRY SERVICE FOR THE YORKSHIRE DALES We are the premier rental service for luxury bed and bath linen in the Yorkshire Dales specialising in holiday cottages, guest houses, and hotels. Our laundry is based in Wensleydale from where we provide a spot on service 7 days a week. We can take responsibility for your stock levels and therefore there are no stock turnover penalties.

We are proud to introduce our new cleaning company

The Clean and Spotless Co. Ltd We’ve Moved!

Unit 4, Leyburn Business Park, Leyburn, North Yorks DL8 5QA T: 01969 662624 F: 07092 008049 julie@thewhitebeddingco.com www.thewhitebeddingco.com

Welcome to

ASKRIGG VILLAGE KITCHEN Deli, Bakery and Tea Room

Good, honest fresh food, prepared in our village kitchen for you to enjoy at home.

From the deli Fresh Hand Baked Bread Bistro Style Meals to Take Home Homemade Soup Filled Rolls Fresh Baked Pies and Pasties to Take Away.

Visit our new shop ‘NEXT DOOR’ We have greeting cards,postcards, an unusual range of gifts, old fashioned sweets and chocolates, Traditional Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream and Gifts from the Yorkshire Dales. Pop in for a browse.

Tea Room There is a small seating area at the back of the deli where you can enjoy coffee, tea, home baked cakes, scones, homemade soups and light lunches

Market Place, Askrigg • Please contact Jo Open daily 8.30 am - 5pm, closed Sunday 12

•

01969 650076 www.askriggvillagekitchen.co.uk

SANDERSON & CO

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We can help you!

We stock the Dulux Tailor Made Colour collection, offering over 1200 colours which can be mixed in any finish you want

Special purpose paints • Kitchen • Bathroom • Endurance •Light & Space •Weathershield Finishes available in Flat Matt, Matt, Soft Sheen, Silk, Eggshell, Satinwood and Gloss

High Street, Leyburn | Tel: 01969 623143 spring 2012 | dales life |

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Darkly

Delicious

Even if you’ve sworn off the calories, you can still experience the sensual delights of chocolate in your flower borders.

Ambra Edwards on gardening for chocoholics.

Iris 'Dutch Chocolate' 14 | dales life | spring 2012

As every serious chocolate lover knows, chocolate is a richly rewarding sensual experience. It beguiles you with its fragrance, texture and flavour, and it gives a massive chemical boost to your sense of wellbeing.

Helleborus Hybridus ‘Harvington Double Chocolate’

But, alas, even the finest confectionery is a pleasure that’s over all too soon, leaving only that extra inch on the hips to attest to its joys. One way for chocoholics to find consolation is to take to the garden, where they can indulge their passion for month after delicious month, expending calories rather than ingesting them.

“Chocoholics are rarely good at delayed gratification” There are many handsome foliage plants with chocolate-coloured leaves, from substantial shrubs like the Chocolate Tree, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’, to the many dark-leaved forms of Heuchera, such as ‘Chocolate Ruffles’.

These can be very useful in the garden, paired subtly with silvers or boldly with gold and lime green.

But we’re talking chocolate digestives here rather than Belgian truffles, and for sheer, mouthwatering self-indulgence you have to go for chocolate flowers.

First choice for any chocolate garden has to be the chocolate cosmos, Cosmos atrosanguineus, for its deep red, velvety flowers and gorgeous dark-chocolate scent. The new variety ‘Chocamocha’ is smaller (45cm), sturdier, and even more strongly chocolate-scented than the species, with silvery foliage that sets off the blooms to perfection. It gives a good long show from June to September but is only half-hardy, so you must either lift it and store it over winter like a dahlia, or protect the roots with a cloche or a thick layer of dry mulch. Like the species dahlias that it resembles, it comes from Mexico, and needs a hot, sunny spot and good drainage. spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 15

Chocoholics are rarely good at delayed gratification, but luckily, your chocolate-fest can begin as early as February, with the ravishing new hybrid hellebore ‘Harvington Double Chocolate’ (height 50cm, spread 90cm). Its many-petalled, chocolatecoloured blooms have a tuft of golden stamens at the centre, sweetly reminiscent of sugar sprinkles. The evergreen foliage has the discreet sheen of antique leather; to keep it at its best, cut off the old leaves in late January, and allow the flowers their moment of solo glory before new, glossy foliage appears.

Heaven for a hellebore is a semi-shaded position in a heavy, fertile, alkaline soil: if you can’t offer perfect conditions, help it along with a generous sprinkling of fish, blood and bone in spring, along with a thick layer of mulch.

“for sheer, mouth watering self-indulgence go for chocolate flowers” Your hellebores should last you through to April, by which time the Chocolate Vine, Akebia quinata, will be in full flower.

This invaluable semi-evergreen climber will grow in any soil, sun or shade, but to appreciate its gorgeous chocolate-vanilla scent to the full, drape it over an arch or trellis where the delicate burgundy flowers can dangle at nose height.

In my garden it romps through a hedgerow, and withstands attacks by clippers and flail without turning a hair.

You can expect it to attain 5m to10m in more orderly surroundings.

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Akebia Quinata

May ushers in a host of exotic, dark, bearded irises. The best have a silky sumptuousness akin to the most luxurious Leonidas truffle. Iris ‘Dutch Chocolate’ (90cm) has huge, fragrant, ruffled blooms that can last as long as four weeks if the weather is kind, and will often repeat in autumn after a hot, dry summer. Like all irises it needs a well-drained spot in full sun, and should be planted with the top part of the rhizome exposed.

Autumn also brings the last blooms of the dashing Rosa ‘Hot Chocolate’, which will have been flowering merrily since late spring. This sturdy small floribunda (75cm) won the Gold Standard Award in 2006 for excellence in roses, primarily for its novel colour - the buds emerge a rusty orange and open to a warm, smoky brown. Unlike the iris and foxglove, which blend easily with purples, maroons and tawny shades, the intensity of this rose’s colour makes it harder to place. It’s a natural candidate for the hot border, and it makes a dramatic foil to perennial grasses – a new and, to my mind, highly successful – way of growing roses.

Digitalis Parviflora

Rosa ‘Hot Chocolate’

Quite different in its appeal is Digitalis parviflora 'Milk Chocolate', a dainty perennial foxglove (60cm) with spires of tiny brown trumpets in the soft, smudgy brown of milk chocolate fudge. It appears to do well in both sun and shade, and looks wonderful planted in large drifts. The flower spikes hold their form well and will last well into the autumn.

“your chocolate-fest can begin as early as February”

spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 17

Cosmos atrosanguineus

“First choice for any chocolate garden has to be the chocolate cosmos”

Chocolate Tips • Grow chocolate cosmos in a pot and simply tuck it away in a frost-free shed to keep it safe over winter.

• Hellebores are happiest in dappled shade among deciduous trees and shrubs.

• Use a sprinkling of foxgloves to add vertical interest to the border, or grow them from seed for massing in naturalised drifts.

The Chocolate Calendar Hellebore February to April Chocolate Vine March to May Iris May and June Rose Late spring to the first frosts Foxglove June to Sept

Where to Buy Your Local Chocoholic Nursery www.darkstarplants.co.uk Telephone: 01609 883204 Mobile: 07710 184189 Jenny Gaunt of Dark Star Plants specialises in plants with dark flowers and foliage, and grows an excellent range of chocolatethemed plants. She’s a great fan of chocolate foxgloves, and also recommends chocolate-scented columbines and dramatic dark-leaved Rodgersia and Eupatorium. Look out for her at the Farmers’ Markets at Stokesley on the first Saturday of each month and at Saltburn on the second Saturday, and at local plant fairs. You can see her full plant list on her website, and order plants for collection at the market.

Cosmos June to Sept

Online www.crocus.co.uk

“May ushers in a host of exotic, dark, bearded irises”

18 | dales life | spring 2012

Crocus work closely with garden designers and regularly supply plants for the Chelsea Flower Show, so it’s always a great place to look for the most striking and fashionable plants.

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DIG IT !

Boost your gardening to the next level by rethinking your vegetable plot, says Adam Appleyard.

‘Charlotte’ Potato

As a busy gardener it’s tempting to slap in a row of this and a row of that without asking yourself how your kitchen garden or allotment works as a whole. The danger with this is that you end up with plants in places that they’re not entirely

20 | dales life | spring 2012

happy with, and that don’t crop half as well as they might.

So spend a few minutes planning out your garden right now – before you start sowing and filling up your plot – and turn a good garden into a great one.

The North-South Divide

Here’s an issue that confuses a lot of folk: should I plant my crops in north-south rows or in east-west ones? It’s an important question, because getting it wrong can seriously compromise your chances of success.

If you’re growing low plants, or plants without bushy foliage – carrots or onions, for example – this factor isn’t so crucial, and you can plant them however you fancy.

If you’re growing on an incline you can safely chuck away your compass, because you absolutely must run your rows along the contours of the slope. If you don’t, your soil will gradually wash away downhill and you’ll (literally) lose the plot.

The Answer Is Blowing In The Wind

But let’s suppose you’re working a level plot out in the open, with plenty of sun throughout the day. In this case, if you grow tall, dense plants – broad beans, runner beans or mangetouts, for example – in east-west rows, then (because the sun is in the south) your southernmost row will shade out the rows behind it, stopping them getting the optimum dose of sunlight. Sow those same plants in north-south rows and they’ll be happier, because they’ll all get a splash of sun from the east in the morning, and from the west in the afternoon.

There is one crucial exception to the northsouth rule, though. If you’re sowing windpollinated crops – and sweetcorn is a prime example – then sowing in east-west rows will maximise your chances of good pollination, given that the prevailing wind hereabouts is a westerly.

Also bear in mind that although the wind may be vital for pollinating sweetcorn, it can knock down or damage tall crops if you’re gardening in an exposed site. In this case, plant fragile crops downwind of any existing windbreaks you can make use of – and if you can’t find any then think seriously about creating some.

“getting it wrong can seriously compromise your chances of success” spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 21

The Magic Roundabout

If you grow the same type of crop in one place year after year, you’re just asking for pests and diseases to move in – clubroot in brassicas, blight in potatoes and so on.

Common vegetable crops fall into a number of groups, the main ones of which are outlined below, so do your level best not to plant anything from any of these groups in the same place two years running.

PLANNING BY PLANT GROUP Brassicas Cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, turnips, swedes, radishes, kohlrabi, rocket Potato family Potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines Bean family Beans, peas, mangetouts

Squash ‘Turks Turban’

Alliums Onions, shallots, garlic, leeks Gourd family Cucumbers, courgettes, marrows, pumpkins, squash Carrot family Carrots, parsnips, parsley, celery, celeriac

“try a few things you’ve not grown before” 22 | dales life | spring 2012

Squash ‘Butternut’

Sow What?

Now’s the time you should be ordering seeds, and preferably taking the opportunity to try a few things you’ve not grown before. Here are some tempting goodies from the comprehensive selection on the Crocus website, www.crocus.co.uk.

Good Gourd

Courgettes and marrows are old garden staples, but don’t forget some of their less widely planted, but equally appealing, cousins. All are ideal for sheltered, sunny sites – or, failing that, consider investing in a modest polytunnel.

Squash ‘Butternut’ Marrow ‘Long Green Bush’

These orange-fleshed beauties make excellent soups, risottos, tarts and muffins – or simply roast them with herbs and garlic for a tasty side dish.

Squash ‘Turks Turban’ Vegetables don’t come much more visually striking than this red-splashed marvel. Use it for decoration, or in soups as a substitute for butternut squash.

Pumpkin ‘Jack O’Lantern’ Why not have a crack at growing your own Halloween pumpkins? You might not coax them up to the monster sizes of the ones in the shops, but growing your own is so much more fun for the kids.

Pumpkin ‘Jack O’Lantern’

spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 23

Back To Your Roots

Carrot ‘Paris Market Baron’

Jerusalem Artichoke

Kohlrabi ‘Purple Delicacy’

Carrot ‘Paris Market Baron’ These spherical carrots are ideal for heavy or stony soils where normal carrots get stunted. Protect your patch from carrot fly by surrounding it with a 60cm-high cordon of horticultural fleece.

Jerusalem Artichoke Easy to grow, as they don’t need much looking after. Just remember to stake them up so the 2-metre-high foliage doesn’t blow over in high winds.

Kohlrabi ‘Purple Delicacy’ You can eat kohlrabi raw or cooked – it tastes a bit like broccoli. These purple ones look amazing, and they grow to maturity remarkably quickly.

“spend a few minutes planning out your garden right now before you start sowing” 24 | dales life | spring 2012

Photographs used by kind permission of Crocus, www.crocus.co.uk

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27

Wake-Up Call

Has spring really sprung?

Professor Chris Baines shares his favourite seasonal signs.

These days the seasons seem to be all over the place. My first primroses were already flowering last November, blue tits were showing every sign of moving into their nest box in early December, and the hazel’s lamb’s-tail catkins were starting to dangle down and shed pollen in the first week of January. Despite all this confusion, there are still a few key wildlife events that help me feel confident that the worst of the winter is behind us and that spring really is about to burst into life.

T

he first serious flush of spring flowers is usually accompanied by the buzz of bumblebees. These are the queens that have hibernated through the winter and are now seeking out suitable old mouse-holes in which to start this season’s colony. On warm sunny days the first of the overwintering butterflies are also likely to appear.

28 | dales life | spring 2012

Peacocks are the most spectacular, with scary ‘eyes’ on their wings to discourage predators. Despite this defence, a surprising number carry the scars of nearmisses, with beak-shaped gaps around the edges of their wings. In my garden the scent and nectar of sky-blue grape hyacinth flowers seem to be irresistible to the first of these insect pollinators.

Last autumn was the best I can remember for ladybirds. They seemed to be everywhere, both inside and outside the house, and many of them will have gathered in great clusters as a survival strategy to get them through the winter.

Ladybirds are important members of the natural pesticide squad that works to protect my organic garden from plagues of aphids, and their re-emergence into the warm spring sunshine is always particularly welcome.

litter. Most are born in mid-March and they begin life blind, deaf and helpless.

They are suckled for a month and then weaned gradually onto a diet of earthworms and other small meaty morsels.

Tracks in the snow are the best way to discover which of a range of earths the vixen has chosen as her nursery, and once you track her down you can make plans to watch the cubs in early May, when they first emerge into the daylight.

“ladybirds are important members of the natural pesticide squad” If you were lucky enough to hear the bloodcurdling screams of courting foxes around the turn of the year then you can be fairly confident that there will be newborn cubs somewhere in the neighbourhood by early spring. The vixen usually retires alone to a safe, secluded earth to give birth, and there may be as many as eight cubs in a

“if I am lucky I catch that magical moment when the heron flaps across the park” spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 29

Some birds start singing well before Christmas, but most will only strike up in earnest once the winter is fading and spring signals an urgent need to attract a mate, challenge competitors and defend a territory. I love the winter song of my robins, but two songs of early spring give me special pleasure. One of them is the wren, a tiny bird with a very big voice. Wrens are particularly vulnerable to attacks from cats because they tend to scuttle around at ground level, and they are also very likely to die in prolonged periods of very cold weather, so when I hear their high pitched and prolonged song I am always relieved at this evidence of another winter survived.

“the wren, a tiny bird with a very big voice”

The song thrush is the other much-prized survivor. Its song is easy to recognise, with its great variety and musicality, and its very distinct repetition of each individual phrase.

Song thrush numbers have crashed quite dramatically in recent years, but there are still two pairs that sing out their musical duels in my leafy urban neighbourhood, and I am always delighted to hear them staking their territorial claims at the start of spring.

I live too far north and west for nightingales, but as long as my song thrushes survive I still have choristers of star quality to top off my dawn chorus.

“A bee manages more than

200 wing beats every second.

Herons’ wings flap at a much more leisurely pace, but then they do have a span of more than two metres to cope with.”

30 | dales life | spring 2012

I have one other bird that serves as a dramatic herald of each new spring. In the small park across the road the community has constructed a sizeable wildlife pond. Quite often it attracts a couple of mallards to dabble around for day or two, but there is always a moment in late February or early March when a much more spectacular bird flies in to feed.

The nearest heronry is about five miles away, and the pond must be hard to spot amongst the roofs and roads and gardens, but every spring, without fail, a heron arrives within an hour or two of the first frogs returning to spawn in the pond.

“there are a few key wildlife

events that help me feel confident the worst of the winter is over�

spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 31

If I am lucky I catch that magical moment when the heron flaps across the park, stalls in mid flight and then glides down to land a yard or two from the water’s edge.

After a few hours standing knee-deep in frogs and spawn the satisfied heron flies away, but he returns every morning for about a week, until the frogs have finished spawning and the survivors have hopped away to safety.

“A pair of blue tits need to catch

1,000 caterpillars each day to feed a clutch of ten chicks. In a good breeding season Britain’s blue tits consume an estimated 35 billion caterpillars, according to the charity Butterfly Conservation.”

32 | dales life | spring 2012

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spring 2012 | dales life |

33

Master

Chef

Desserts have been a lifelong passion for Michel Roux.

Here are three mouthwatering recipes from his latest collection, inspired by his travels and designed to suit today’s taste for fresher, lighter treats.

34 | dales life | spring 2012

The contrast of dark with white, and of the crisp meringue with the soft sorbet, makes this dessert particularly special. You can make the meringue nests the day before, or if you prefer, serve the sorbet just as it is.

chocolate sorbet Put 400ml water into a saucepan with the milk, sugar, glucose and cocoa powder. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, whisking with a balloon whisk. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate and stir with a whisk for 2 minutes until melted. Strain through a fine sieve or chinois into a bowl and set aside to cool, whisking from time to time. Cover and refrigerate.

Start the ice-cream machine churning, then immediately pour in the sorbet mixture. Churn for 15–20 minutes, until thick. Turn the machine off. If not serving straight away, transfer the sorbet to a suitable container and freeze.

When ready to serve, place a meringue nest, if serving, on each serving plate. Using an icecream scoop dipped in hot water between each scoop so that the sorbet slides out easily, scoop out a large ball for each meringue nest, placing it directly in the nest. Alternatively, serve scoops of sorbet in individual glass bowls.

Serves 6–8 • • • •

100ml milk 150g caster sugar 40g liquid glucose 30g good-quality dark, bitter cocoa powder

• 100g dark chocolate couverture or good-quality dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids (preferably Valrhona), chopped to serve (optional) • 6–8 meringue nests

spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 35

”Fondants vary enormously, but these are the best I’ve ever tasted.“ 36 | dales life | spring 2012

This is my adaptation of a recipe belonging to our skilful English pâtisserie mascot, Claire Clark, first female holder of the prestigious ‘Meilleur Ouvrier de la Grande-Bretagne’, a true artist and dear friend.

warm chocolate fondants Use a brush to lightly butter the insides of 12 metal rings, 5cm in diameter and 3.5cm high and line each with a band of greaseproof paper, 5cm high. Stand the rings on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan one-third filled with hot water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not in contact with the water. Place over a gentle heat until the chocolate has melted, then take off the heat and set aside in a warm place.

Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and icing sugar together until pale and aerated, then slowly incorporate the eggs, whisking constantly to keep the mixture smooth. Reduce the mixer speed and incorporate the melted chocolate a little at a time. Sift the flour and cocoa together over the mixture and fold in carefully, using a large metal spoon.

Fill the prepared moulds with the fondant mixture to the top of the rings.

Bake in the oven for 8–10 minutes. To check to see if they are done, insert a small skewer into the centre of one; if the centre feels liquid, it is not yet cooked. If it feels soft, and the skewer meets with no resistance, they are done – the centre should still be very slightly runny. Remove from the oven and leave to rest on the baking tray for 30 seconds.

Lift the rings off all the fondants, slide a small palette knife under one, transfer it to a serving plate and remove the band of greaseproof paper. Repeat with the rest of the fondants. Dust the tops with icing sugar, pour coffee crème anglaise around each fondant and serve immediately.

Note: Ramekins can be used in place of metal rings. Simply unmould directly onto the plates

Serves 10 –12 • 200g butter, softened, plus 20g to grease • 200g good-quality dark, bitter or Manjari chocolate, preferably Valrhona, finely chopped

• 200g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra to dust • • • •

4 eggs, mixed with an extra 4 egg yolks 55g plain flour 35g dark, bitter cocoa powder 500ml warm coffee crème anglaise to serve

spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 37

A lovely party dessert. It isn’t practicable to make a smaller quantity, but you can always freeze parfaits you do not need to serve straight away.

chilled limoncello parfait with raspberries Mix the egg, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice in a heatproof bowl, then set over a pan of simmering water (the bowl must not touch the water). Whisk until the mixture reaches 80–85°C. Take the bowl off the pan and continue to whisk until the mixture cools to 20–25°C, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine in cold water to cover.

Heat one-third of the limoncello in a small pan, then remove from the heat. Drain the gelatine, squeeze out excess water and add to the hot limoncello, stirring to dissolve. Let cool slightly, then mix in the remaining limoncello. Lightly whisk this into the cooled lemon mixture. In a separate bowl, whip the creams together to a ribbon consistency, then fold into the lemon mixture, using a rubber spatula.

Place 12 metal 5cm rings, 3.5cm high, on a tray and fill with the parfait mixture. Place in the freezer for at least 2–3 hours. Meanwhile, for the topping, select 150g of the most perfect raspberries, halve them and set aside. Purée the remaining berries with the sugar in a blender or food processor for 1 minute, then pass through a fine sieve or chinois into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Recipes and photos are from Michel Roux Desserts, published in hardback by Quadrille and available from all good booksellers, RRP £14.99.

Serves 6–8 • • • • •

1 large egg, plus 5 egg yolks 100g caster sugar finely grated zest of 2 lemons 25ml lemon juice (2–3 lemons) ½ sheet leaf gelatine

38 | dales life | spring 2012

To unmould the parfaits, one at a time, briefly warm the outside of the ring using a cook’s blowtorch or hot tea towel and release the parfait onto a serving plate. Using a teaspoon dipped in hot water, scoop out a little from the middle of each one, making a hollow. Fill with the raspberries, spoon on some coulis, add a mint sprig and serve.

• • • • • •

60ml limoncello liqueur 150ml whipping cream 150ml double cream raspberry topping – 500g raspberries 100g caster sugar 12–14 mint sprigs

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39

Simple making it

These delicious, practical recipes by writer and TV presenter Lotte Duncan are from her new book Lotte’s Country Kitchen.

Although Lotte cooks with an Aga, these recipes will work just as well in conventional ovens.

40 | dales life | spring 2012

Hot cross bun, chocolate and rum pudding Let’s think fluffy bunnies, chocolate eggs, baby chicks and Easter.

If a pudding could draw a naughty line, this one would triple jump it!

• • • • • •

Serves 6–8 butter, for greasing 6 hot cross buns, halved 5 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread 12 ready-to-eat pitted prunes, halved 275ml/10fl oz double cream 275ml/10fl oz semi-skimmed milk

• • • • •

150g/5oz 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate 4 eggs 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons dark rum single cream, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C/fan oven 160˚C/gas mark 4.

Aga 4/3-door Middle of baking oven. Aga 2-door Grid shelf on floor of roasting oven with cold plain shelf on second runners.

2 Grease a 1.7 litre/3 pint ovenproof dish with the butter.

3 Spread each side of the hot cross buns with the hazelnut and chocolate

spread and then place 4 prune halves inside each bun. Sandwich the buns back together and then cut each bun into four and place in the bottom of the ovenproof dish.

4 Heat the cream, milk and the chocolate together in a small non-stick

saucepan over a gentle heat, stirring all the time. Take care not to bring the mixture to the boil. Cool slightly.

5 Beat the eggs and sugar together in a large mixing bowl and add the rum.

Pour the chocolate cream over the egg mixture and stir well.

6 Now pour the chocolate mixture over the buns and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

7 Bake for 30–40 minutes or until the pudding is firm in the middle.

If it starts to catch on top, cover with a little foil.

8 Serve with single cream – heaven!

spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 41

“For years my daughter Daisy has informed me that her version of this totally delicious cake is the best...�

42

Daisy’s Banana Cake ...for many years I have considered this and tried my very best to make a better one. Unfortunately for my ego, I’ve failed and I can now declare in front of you all and to my intense irritation, that Daisy’s is indeed the very best banana cake in the whole wide world if not the universe....and beyond.

• • • • • •

Makes one 900g/2lb loaf

2 over-ripe bananas juice of ½ lemon 110g/4oz butter, softened 110g/4oz soft brown sugar 2 large eggs, beaten 225g/8oz self-raising flour, sieved

• • • • • •

50g/2oz sultanas 1 piece preserved stem ginger in syrup, drained and finely chopped ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon baking powder softened butter, to serve (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C/fan oven 160˚C/gas mark 4. Aga 4/3-door

Middle of the baking oven. Aga 2-door Grid shelf on floor of roasting oven with cold plain shelf on second runners.

2 Grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

3 Place the bananas and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl, mash them together using a fork and set aside.

4 Cream the butter and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl, using a

wooden spoon or electric whisk, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the mashed banana and beat well.

5 Now, using a metal spoon, gently fold in the flour, sultanas, ginger, spices and baking powder and turn the mixture into the loaf tin. Spread it out evenly and give the mixture a little tap to settle it down in the tin.

6 Bake for 35–45 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.

If you test with a knife in the middle, it will come out a little wetter than a normal cake, so don’t worry, that’s just the banana. As long as the cake is firm and not wobbly, it’s cooked.

7 Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.

8 Serve sliced and spread with some softened creamy butter for an indulgent tea-time treat.

spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 43

Potted salmon with sorrel Salmon is quite a rich fish, strong in flavour and the sorrel cuts through it beautifully. This recipe is a fabulous way to use up leftover salmon and it has a lovely, light, gentle and mellow flavour to it. I often serve it up as a nice and easy starter, but it’s just as delicious spread on fresh bread for lunch or supper.

• • • •

Recipes and photos are from Lotte’s Country Kitchen by Lotte Duncan with photographs by Lara Holmes, published in hardback by Absolute Press and available from all good booksellers, RRP £20 44 | dales life | spring 2012

Serves 2 as a main meal or 4 as a starter 225g/8oz cooked, skinned salmon • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 75g/3oz butter, softened • grated zest and juice of 25g/1oz fresh sorrel or spinach, ½ lemon central stalks removed and 225g/8oz unsalted butter • roughly chopped salt and freshly ground • 1 tablespoon dry sherry black pepper

1

Remove any bones from the salmon. Pound it in a medium mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until the salmon is smooth and then work in the butter.

2

Mix in the sorrel or spinach and then add the sherry.

Add the nutmeg, lemon zest and juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3

Divide the mixture equally among 4 small pots or ramekins. Flatten it firmly with the back of a teaspoon so no bits will poke out through the clarified butter. Alternatively, you can serve it from one larger serving dish if you prefer.

4

To make the clarified butter to seal the potted salmon, very slowly melt the unsalted butter in a small pan over a gentle heat. The fats and solids in the butter will sink to the bottom of the pan and the clear clarified butter will come to the top.

5

Pour some clarified butter over each pot or ramekin and cover each one with cling film. Leave the potted salmon to chill in the fridge for a few hours or for up to 2 days before serving.

6

To serve, remove the potted salmon from the fridge about 10 minutes before serving to bring it back up to room temperature.

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45

We’re so used to seeing beetroot sliced and steeped in vinegar that it’s easy to forget it’s a delicious year-round treat when used as a fresh vegetable.

Store beetroots, unwashed, in a cool vegetable rack, where they will keep for several weeks. If you’re not going to use the tops, twist them off to stop the beets going soft. Roasted or boiled, beetroot takes on a sweet, earthy flavour, and its vibrant colour enlivens any dinner plate. To boil, wash gently without trimming the root and cook for 46 | dales life | spring 2012

20 – 40 minutes. When tender, slip off the skins under a running cold tap. To roast beetroot, place in a baking dish with half a centimetre of water, cover with foil and put in the oven for about 45 minutes. If you have healthy-looking beet tops, try stir-frying them with olive oil and garlic for a few minutes – they make a useful ‘bonus’ green.

Beetroot Hater’s Soup Think beetroot is boring?

Try this luscious cold-weather treat!

• • • • •

Serves 4 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 potato, peeled and diced 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped grated zest of 1 orange, plus extra to serve (optional)

• • • • •

juice of 2 oranges 3 medium beetroots, cooked and cut into small dice 1.2 litres water sea salt and freshly ground black pepper a little cream or yoghurt, to serve (optional)

1 Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and fry until soft but not coloured.

2 Add the potato and ginger and fry for 3 minutes.

3 Add the orange zest and juice, plus the beetroot and water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potato is tender.

4 Blend until smooth.

5 Reheat gently and season to taste.

6 Serve garnished, if you like, with a swirl of cream or yoghurt and a little grated orange zest.

Recipe by Jane Baxter, taken from The Riverford Farm Cook Book.

You can find more beetroot recipes and tips on the Riverford website, www.riverford.co.uk/homefarm

spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 47

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49

Contemporary dining in the Yorkshire Dales

Stone House Hotel

The Country House Hotel overlooking magnificent Wensleydale Open daily for: Coffee & Fresh Baking New A La Carte Lunch Menu 12-2pm Delicious Table D'Hote Dinner Menu 6.30-8.30pm Stone House - Health & Beauty Suite

Tel : (01969) 667571 Sedbusk. near Hawes. Wensleydale www.stonehousehotel.co.uk

Our Head Chef Andy Brooks uses only locally sourced ingredients for our range of menus. Our stunning restaurant set deep in the rolling countryside offers you the perfect place to relax and enjoy some of the finest food in the Yorkshire Dales.

Open 7 days a week, lunch time and evening. We can offer private dining for parties and have facilities for corporate events and meetings.

Please visit our new web site to see our latest events Chef has just launched our new menu offering a new range of exciting dishes for spring.

Our new restaurant HAVE A FREE GLASS OF BUBBLY TO CELEBRATE OUR NEW RESTAURANT with reservations on Wednesday’s or Thursday's until May 31st (you must mention this ad on booking)

For bookings and enquiries please telephone (01969) 663268 Hendersons Bar and Restaurant, Westholme Estate, Aysgarth, North Yorkshire DL8 3SP www.westholme-estate.co.uk 50

7 Silver Street, Masham, N Yorks, HG4 4DX Telephone: 01765 689000 www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk

The Countryman’s Inn H U N T O N

The Countryman’s is a charming traditional Inn, offering friendly service and a warm welcome.

Our AA award winning restaurant offers a tempting menu, using a variety of fresh local produce, much of which is home grown.

Our 3 Star Inn recently “Highly Commended” for 2012, now has four modern en suite rooms, all refurbished which make an ideal base to explore the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

The Countryman’s Inn, Hunton, Near Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1PY T: 01677 450554 W: www.countrymansinn.co.uk

Enjoy Roux Scholar Jonathan Harrison’s unique cuisine in the traditional surroundings of the Sandpiper Inn Modern British food using only the finest local ingredients, beautifully prepared and presented.

Fine wines, real ales and friendly service Accommodation available

Market Place, Leyburn, North Yorkshire Tel 01969 622206 www.sandpiperinn.co.uk spring 2012 | dales life |

51

Unique and atmospheric 16th Century family-run country dining pub. Fabulous food at affordable prices.

Recommended by all major good food guides.

10 minutes from Ripon, Harrogate ­­and Knaresborough.

Open for lunch Tues – Sat 12.00 noon – 2.30 p.m.

Sunday lunch 12.00 – 4.00 p.m. and dinner Tues – Sat 5.30 – 9.30 p.m.

The Malt Shovel, Brearton HG3 3BX Tel. 01423 862929 email: bleikers@themaltshovelbrearton.co.uk

Hand-pulled real ale. Extensive wine list.

Occasional Opera evenings with dinner.

Jazz pianist most Sundays.

or book through our website www.themaltshovelbrearton.co.uk

THE BLUE LION

Morning coffee, afternoon teas and food served all day.

EAST WITTON

The White Swan Hotel and Restaurant.

Middleham, North Yorkshire DL8 4PE www.whiteswanhotel.co.uk

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Tel: 01969 624273

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Welcome to the new Greyhound Inn Following an extensive refurbishment The Greyhound is offering a new spring menu, with some of the best locally sourced produce available.

The bar offers an extensive range of local hand pulled ales, lagers and spirits, complemented with an extensive choice of wines from around the world.

Relax and enjoy a stay in one of our charming en-suite guest rooms, and let Mike and his staff look after you.

The Greyhound Inn, Hackforth, Bedale DL8 1PB Telephone 01748 813360 spring 2012 | dales life |

53

The Discerning

Diner

01765 689 319 • thewhitebearhotel.co.uk

Claudia Blake visits The Friar’s Head at Akebar 01765 689 319 • thewhitebearhotel.co.uk

54 | dales life | spring 2012

“its welcoming bar is a pleasant and cosy spot to sit out a chilly night”

T

he Friar’s Head fronts the Akebar Caravan Park on the A684, midway between Bedale and Leyburn. At first sight it looks like something cobbled together with bits and bobs from an ecclesiastical architectural salvage yard – an intricate late-20th-century confection of Norman-style arches and chunks of vaguely monastic medieval masonry. It is kitted out inside with wood beams, dark panelling, high-backed settles and the obligatory blazing open fire.

Luckily it’s just the right side of being a

The garlic mushrooms proved to be

frightful mishmash, despite harbouring

unashamed comfort food, with masses

the occasional sentimental painting of

of tasty cheese and bacon, and a creamy

merry monks enjoying a tipple. In fact it’s

sauce to boot. The soufflé, set in a

a refreshing contrast to some of those

creamy sauce of its own, was equally rich

identikit ‘Dales pubs’ with their standard-

and self-indulgent. It’s nice when a dish

issue horse brasses and sporting prints, and its welcoming bar is a pleasant and cosy spot to sit out a chilly night.

Best of all, though, is The Friar’s Head’s splendid dining-room, a stone-flagged, perspex-roofed conservatory with a water feature at one end and a multitude of burgeoning plant life pretty much everywhere else. With its huge pots of

advertised as containing Gruyère really does emphatically taste of it, as did this one. The spinach was less to the fore, a scattering of green flecks rather than a commanding presence.

For anyone looking to plump themselves up, our mains were just the ticket. Mine was a massive lamb shank with minted redcurrant and port sauce. Piers was in receipt of an equally generous venison

ferns, snaking vines, trailing Physalis,

steak with caramelised onions and

and spider plants tumbling dizzily out

a rosemary and sloe gin sauce. Side

of hanging baskets, this is the closest

vegetables consisted of crisp cauliflower,

you’ll get hereabouts to dining out in a

broccoli and carrots, along with a slightly

botanical garden.

sullen potato and onion gratin.

spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 55

What to expect Generous portions of high-end pub grub.

Ambience Medieval monastery collides with Dales hostelry, plus a dash of 1970s roadhouse.

The bottom line Three courses for two people, excluding drinks, cost us £54 (£27 per head).

Value for money  7/10 The best bit Atmospheric conservatory dining-room bristling with exuberant plant life.

Less impressive The ladies loo.

Ideal for Family get-togethers.

Works nights out.

Nostalgic monks.

Not so good for Slimmers.

My lamb was hearty and tender, and the sauce packed a perky, minty-sharp punch. In an era when sauces so often appear on the plate in miserly quantities, Chef’s liberality with the ladle was most welcome. Piers’ venison was gamily succulent, and cooked as rare as one could decently manage. The sweet, fruity sauce (another bounteous helping) and the stickily luscious caramelised onions helped it slip down very nicely.

We were already bulging at the seams, but for the sake of making a comprehensive report we feigned interest in desserts. Piers’ sticky toffee pudding was a corker, light and spicy, with lashings of butterscotch sauce and creamy vanilla ice cream. I chose a meringue topped with cream and a compote of berries. Crisp meringue, mountains of cream, sharp-sweet fruit... all present and correct, and what’s not to like? I daren‘t speculate how many calories were heaped on the plate, but somehow I managed to down the lot.

Service was friendly and efficient, and everything we ordered arrived promptly. There was a reasonable selection of wines by the glass, and vegetarian options were clearly flagged up on the menu, as were dishes that could be cooked to order without wheat flour – why don’t more places do this?

If you have a strong aversion to groan-worthy puns (“The Friar’s Head could easily become a habit!”) then you might want to boycott the place. But if you’re prepared to forgive one or two minor lapses in taste, The Friar’s Head is undeniably one of the more distinctive and enticing dining pubs in the Dales.

For further information about The Friar‘s Head call 01677 450201 or visit www.akebarpark.com

56 | dales life | spring 2012

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57

chef’s table

Simon Crannage, Swinton Park, Masham Swinton Park, the ancestral home of the Cunliffe-Lister family, is a sumptuously appointed luxury hotel set amidst beautiful rolling parkland, lakes and gardens near Masham – and with three AA Rosettes it is one of the most prestigious and highly rated hotels in the North.

Executive Chef Simon Crannage was born in Yorkshire, and moved back here five years ago after two decades working for some of the country’s finest chefs in and around London and the Cotswolds.

Simon has prepared a menu for Dales Life readers that reflects the winning mixture of simplicity and sophistication that characterise his menus at Swinton Park.

Warm Salad of Pink Fir Potatoes, Char-Grilled Artichokes and Baby Leeks with a Hazelnut Vinaigrette Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a small baking tray with tin foil and put in the potatoes, garlic and olive oil. Season with rock salt. Bake in the oven for one hour or until soft.

Cut the potatoes into wedges and keep warm in the olive oil until needed. Cut the artichokes into quarters. Drizzle the baby leeks and artichoke quarters in a little olive oil and char-grill until well coloured and tender; this should take around 4 minutes on a hot grill.

Put the leeks, artichokes and potatoes in a mixing bowl. Mix the hazelnut oil, vegetable oil and vinegar together and drizzle over the vegetables. Serve rustically on a slate, using the leaves to decorate.

Serves 4 • • • • •

100g pink fir potatoes 100ml olive oil 1 clove of garlic 1 sprig of thyme 4 large Jerusalem artichokes

58 | dales life | spring 2012

• 8 baby leeks • • • •

90ml vegetable oil 90ml hazelnut oil 60ml white wine vinegar a selection of wild leaves (or any salad leaves of your choice)

Fillet of Halibut, Pine Nut Bulgur Wheat, Spinach, Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Watercress Sauce For the bulgur wheat Put the stock in a suitable pan and bring to the boil. Add the bulgur wheat and simmer until there is no stock left. Allow to cool to room temperature and add the pine nuts, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Taste for seasoning, adjust to taste, and reserve until needed.

For the watercress sauce Sweat the shallots and garlic in a little oil in a small saucepan until soft and translucent. Add the white wine and boil for one minute to cook out the alcohol. Pour in the cream and reduce by half. Add the watercress and cook for a further minute, then blend in a bar blender and pass though a sieve. Keep warm until needed.

For the halibut Put a little oil in a hot non-stick pan and fry the fish in it, skin-side down, until golden brown.

Transfer the fish onto a small baking tray and cook at 180°C for 4 – 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

To serve Spoon a generous portion of the bulgur wheat onto plates of your choice, then simply wilt the spinach and place it on top of the bulgur wheat. Cook the broccoli in boiling salted water for 2 minutes and place this on top of the spinach. Top it off with the halibut, and drizzle the watercress sauce around the plate.

Serves 4 • • • • •

4 x 200g fillets of halibut, skin on 200g spinach, de-stalked and washed 12 florets purple sprouting broccoli 250ml vegetable stock 25g roasted pine nuts

• 125g bulgur wheat

• 2 shallots sliced

• • • •

• • • •

chopped parsley 2 tbsp olive oil lemon juice to taste salt

1 clove of garlic, crushed 50g watercress 100ml white wine 250ml double cream

spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 59

Simon describes his cooking style as “a modern interpretation of classical methods”, and he insists, wherever possible, on seasonal, local produce. The majority of the fruit, vegetables and meat that he uses comes from the Swinton Estate, which includes a deer park and a splendid four-acre walled garden.

Warm Carrot and Walnut Cake, Orange Syrup and Orange Sorbet For the carrot cake Preheat oven to 180°C. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with parchment paper. Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, walnuts and orange zest. Mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl.

Lightly mix all the ingredients. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper, and cool on a wire rack.

For the syrup Place the orange juice and sugar in a saucepan and reduce until thick and syrup-like.

To serve Cut a slab of the warm cake and put it on a plate of your choice. Drizzle the orange syrup around and onto the cake. Serve with a scoop of orange sorbet.

Chef’s tip Finely chop some walnuts and sprinkle under the sorbet to stop it from sliding around on the plate.

For further information about Swinton Park call 01765 680900 or visit www.swintonpark.com.

Serves 6 – 8 • • • •

175g soft brown sugar 175ml vegetable oil 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 140g grated carrot (about 3 medium carrots)

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• 100g walnut halves

• ½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg

• • • •

• 500ml orange juice (from the carton) • 100g sugar • orange sorbet (to serve)

grated zest of 1 orange 175g self-raising flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon

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63

on the

GRAPEVINE

The pick of the shelves from local independent retailers Pongrácz Rosé, South Africa

Quinta da Raza Vinho Verde, Portugal

Very like a good rosé Champagne, Pongrácz Rosé is salmon pink with tiny bubbles. Made in small quantities, it is sold on an allocationonly basis. It has lovely flavours, with great length, superbly balanced acidity and a fine, concentrated mousse that lasts and lasts.

Brilliant with lobster, langoustines and suchlike. £12.99, Lewis & Cooper

Portugal makes some quite beautiful, delicate whites, and this is one of them. Forget the nasty sweetened stuff you find on the bottom shelves of supermarkets, this is something entirely different. A little fruitier than the classic bone-dry Vinho Verde, it takes easy summer drinking to another level. Fantastic as an aperitif and great with sushi. £8.49, Lewis & Cooper

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Seifried Aotea, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand

Rioja Blanco Diez Caballero, Rioja, Spain

The name Aotea comes from the Maori for New Zealand: Aotea Roa or ‘land of the long white cloud’. Carefully blended from fruit grown in Nelson on the South Island, this is romantic, minerally and, above all, fresh. It ticks all the boxes for Kiwi Sauvignon and then some. £11.99, Lewis & Cooper

The label may look simple, but this wine is very serious indeed. White Rioja can often be too oaky, but this one has great balance and fruit. The oak comes along right at the end, giving a touch of vanilla and great length. £9.54, Yorkshire Vintners

Gusbourne Pinot Noir, England Sometimes it’s good to have a delicate red on hand, and this one is terrific with partridge. Gusbourne Estate is one of England’s newest, most exciting vineyards, headed by Andrew Weeber, a former orthopaedic surgeon at Northallerton’s Friarage Hospital.

Gusbourne Pinot Noir is an Audrey Hepburn of a wine, elegant and refined. £15.90, Lewis & Cooper

Torres Celeste, Ribero del Duero, Spain

Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Casas del Bosque, Casablanca, Chile A great alternative to Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, with very similar characteristics. Chile produces great wines at a wide range of prices, but most of us wouldn’t imagine paying over £6. This one really is worth the extra premium though. It pairs with many foods, including fish and chips, but drinks equally well on its own. £9.54, Yorkshire Vintners

Malbec Coleccion 2010 Bodegas Trapiche, Mendoza, Argentina

Certain wines and foods were made for each other, and this opulent Torres Celeste makes an ideal partner for roast leg of spring lamb. Ripe, voluptuous and brimming with fruit, body and colour, it nonetheless manages to retain an impressive elegance. £13.99, Lewis & Cooper

If you like Australian Shiraz you really should give this a go. It has a beautiful, intense red colour with violet hues, and sweet aromas of blackberries and plums with an elegant touch of smoke and vanilla. And with its velvety texture and sweet, long aftertaste it is the perfect match for steak or cheese. £9.54, Yorkshire Vintners

Septima Malbec, Argentina

Vintners Cotes du Rhone 2009 Reserve D’Labbe, Rhone, France

Malbec, an inky, dark grape variety, has become synonymous with Argentina in recent years. This Septima Malbec has perfect acidity, with soft tannins and black cherry, plum and subtle cassis flavours on the palate. Works perfectly with chilli-con-carne. £7.99, Lewis & Cooper

2009 was a great vintage in the Rhone Valley, and this wine is excellent value. It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, and offers blackcurrant, cherry and blackberry flavours, plus a hint of spice.

A supple young fruity quaffing wine that will go well with chicken or cured meats. £6.60, Yorkshire Vintners

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This issue’s featured retailers Yorkshire Vintners Copt Hewick, Ripon www.yorkshirevintners.co.uk 01765 601 701 Lewis & Cooper Northallerton and Harrogate www.lewisandcooper.co.uk 01609 772880, 01423 224270

Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2004 West Sussex, England This Vintage Classic Cuvée is Grand Marque Champagne price, and every bit as good. Made the same way as Champagne, with the same grape varietals, it is hard to believe it is not Champagne. Although 8 years old, the wine is very fresh on the palate, with delicate apple hints and a touch of brioche. Stock up now ready for the Jubilee celebrations. £25.80, Yorkshire Vintners

Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port Although most often drunk after a meal with Stilton, this Port can be enjoyed with many different dishes.

Aged in barrels to get that tawny colour, the wine will last some time once opened so you don’t need to wait for guests before opening it.

Superb with soft cheeses, but also give it a go with a terrine starter or chocolate. £33.90, Yorkshire Vintners

This month’s reviewers Angela Metcalfe, Lewis & Cooper Simon Jackson, Yorkshire Vintners

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DEANSBURY KITCHENS MAKERS OF BESPOKE KITCHENS & BEDROOM FURNITURE

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67

Safari Like a Pro

Vervet mother and offspring

Wildlife photographer, qualified field guide and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Chris Martin divides his time between North Yorkshire and South Africa, where he works for Africa Nature Training and offers guided wildlife safaris and workshops for photographers looking for more than the standard ‘safari experience’.

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“They live in families, care for and protect their young, and they grieve and express joy and anger just like humans” What are your favourite safari locations?

For the last 15 years I’ve done most of my photographic work in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. We call it a ‘park’ but it is actually the same size as Wales, with a huge diversity of wildlife and some truly stunning landscapes. It has a great network of bush camps, fencedin to give you a modicum of safety whilst camping. It also offers visitors the opportunity to drive their own vehicles instead of relying on guided drives.

This is hugely important to a wildlife photographer, who often needs to stake out a waterhole or river for hours waiting for that elusive shot. As well as spending time in the Kruger, every year I travel through Botswana and visit the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers when they are in flood – I love to lie on a raft and float amongst swimming elephants.

Elephants at the water hole spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 69

When is the best time to go?

The great thing about Southern Africa is that you can safari at any time and have an incredible experience. Our seasons are the opposite of those in the UK, with summer at its height in December. The winter months are dry and the landscape is barren as it awaits the rains, which don’t arrive until November. The advantage of winter is that the animals are easier to spot because the trees are bare and the grass cover is diminished.

And water is scarce, so animals congregate at reliable waterholes and rivers, making photographic opportunities easier to find. The downside of winter is that the birds have mostly migrated north. With the November rains the greenery returns, along with the birds. Many mammals give birth to their young at this time, so there is an incredible vibrancy about the start of the summer season.

How easy is it to sleep in the wild? And cope with the heat and bugs?

A safari can be as rough or as luxurious as you want. South Africa has some beautiful lodges that surpass even the best five-star hotels. Having said that, camping is hugely popular. Not all parks fence their campsites, so I have a roof tent on top of my Land Rover that provides a safe vantage point from which to stargaze and look down on the visitors that come through my camp in the evenings.

I am perfectly safe perched ten feet above a pride of lions, and have even had the odd elephant stand eye-to-eye with me while I’m in my sleeping bag. Visit in winter and you’ll have the luxury of cooler evenings and no bugs. In summer a strategically placed campfire and gas light keep away most of the insects, although the nights can be a bit warm and humid.

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What should I pack?

Lightweight neutral-coloured clothing is sensible – you want to blend in to the environment and stay comfortable. A hat and water bottle are essential, whatever the season. Pack a lightweight fleece and a light rain jacket, just in case. A good pair of binoculars will enhance your experience hugely. Mammal and bird field guides are a good idea, along with a notebook to record what you’ve seen.

“A good pair of binoculars will enhance your experience hugely”

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Which animals do you most enjoy seeing?

I have always loved elephants. I studied them extensively when I trained as a field guide and now know many of the large bulls and matriarchs in the areas I work in.

They have become remarkably relaxed around me, and often fall asleep with their trunks draped across the Land Rover roof. The more you study them, the more you can see how their behaviour corresponds to our own. They live in families, care for and protect their young, and they grieve and express joy and anger just like humans.

“Take plenty of memory cards and a cleaning kit – things can get very dusty”

What camera equipment should I bring?

Whatever your standard of camera, you will come home with wonderful images.

Many of the animals have become accustomed to vehicles, and you will often get very close. However, a zoom lens is important, so if you have a compact point-and-shoot then make sure it has a good focal length. A DSLR (a digital camera that allows you to change lenses) is preferable, together with a zoom lens up to around 300mm.

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Take plenty of memory cards and a cleaning kit – things can get very dusty.

A tripod too, if you have one. And bring a bean bag to support your camera on the side of the vehicle while the window is open. Don’t buy a new camera for your trip at the duty-free shop on the way out. You need to understand all the functions of your camera and be able to operate it with your eyes closed.

“The orange sky was filled with dust and the tension was incredible”

Resting cheetah in the undergrowth

What are your top tips for getting terrific photos?

How do I stay healthy and out of trouble?

Most people arrive in Africa intent on capturing images of the ‘Big 5’ (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, Buffalo).

In my view that’s a mistake, because you will let so much else pass you by as you chase relentlessly around after these particular mammals.

Enjoy your morning and late afternoon game drives when the light is at its best, and use the middle of the day to relax and capture images of the birds, insects, reptiles and magnificent trees around your lodge or campsite. Most importantly, take multiple images, especially when there is action. Use that zoom and get in close; you can always delete the duds afterwards.

Frankly, being on safari is no more dangerous than being out and about in London. Your GP will advise on vaccinations. Malaria is a consideration, depending on where and when you are travelling. Food hygiene is excellent in lodges and restaurants, and water is safe to drink from the tap. Yes, there are some dangerous snakes, spiders and scorpions in Africa, but the chances are you will never see one. They avoid people and will usually be long gone by the time you arrive on the scene. Obviously many of Africa’s larger animals are potentially dangerous, but for the most part they are habituated to humans and will avoid confrontation at all costs – they will only harm people who threaten them or their young. spring 2012 life spring 2012| |dales dales life| | 73 73

“Enjoy your morning and late afternoon game drives when the light is at its best, and use the middle of the day to relax and capture images of the birds”

Online For more information about Chris Martin, and too see more of his extraordinary photographs, visit www.chrismartin.co.uk

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What’s your most memorable safari experience?

There have been so many! Sitting on the roof of my Land Rover with my daughter, watching the sun rise, surrounded by a herd of over 500 buffalo, when suddenly a group of lions appeared in front of us trying to make a kill. The orange sky was filled with dust and the tension was incredible. Sharing my life as a safari guide with my children, Will and Imogen, and taking them on their first safari, remains one of my most treasured memories. Aged only 5 and 11 years old, they are now experienced safari-goers. And, who knows, maybe one day they will even follow me into a career as a field guide or wildlife photographer.

robert.sturdy@speartravels.net www.speartravels.net/leyburn

spring 2012 | dales life |

75

Back to Nature

Vibrant studies of the Yorkshire landscape are at the heart of David Hockney’s latest blockbuster London show.

Brian Pike reports.

1

Bradford-born David Hockney is, without question, Yorkshire’s most famous artist, and in recent years we’ve been lucky enough to have one of the world’s best collections of his work on our doorsteps at the excellent – and free – 1853 Gallery at Salts Mill in Saltaire.

T

he 1853 Gallery is an admirably spacious venue, but even they might find it a struggle to accommodate the wealth of Hockney artworks currently on show at the Royal Academy. The RA exhibition, aptly entitled A Bigger Picture, includes several gigantic landscape studies of the East Yorkshire lanes that have been Hockney’s favourite subject matter in recent years. He has always been a tireless 76 | dales life | spring 2012

innovator, but despite his enthusiastic tinkering with the latest technology – including painting with his iPhone and iPad, and undertaking large-scale experiments with digital images – Hockney is, at heart, surprisingly traditional. He is an exceptionally talented draughtsman, unashamedly in love with the visual world, and he ranks alongside Constable and Turner as one of our finest artists.

So-called ‘Young British Artists’ like Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin may have had their flash of fame with their pickled sharks and unmade beds; in the perspective of history, though, it is Hockney who will stand the test of time.

Throughout the RA show – and especially in his recent work – it is Hockney’s passion for nature that makes the strongest impression. He revisits the same scene time and again, carefully observing and recording all the minute changes that take place as winter gives way to spring, and taking evident delight in the masses of cow parsley at the roadside and the hawthorn bushes as they become increasingly laden with blossom.

“pictures make us see things that we might not otherwise see”

3

2

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Rather than concentrating on the wild landscapes of upland Yorkshire (although the show does include one piece rather generically entitled North Yorkshire), Hockney is drawn instead to the softer, gentler scenery of the Yorkshire Wolds. Here, in quietly anonymous tracks and byways, he can give centre stage to all the tiny nuances of flower, foliage and bark that might go unnoticed against a grander, more dramatic backdrop.

4

David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture is showing at the Royal Academy until 9 April; for further information visit www.royalacademy.org.uk.

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5

It is clearly the sheer pleasure of looking that drives him, even after all these decades of painting. “Pictures make us see things that we might not otherwise see,” he says. And being confronted with his work – and his unquenched enthusiasm for the fine detail of the world around us – certainly made me, for one, resolve to make an effort to look at things that little bit more carefully this spring.

6 Image credits: 1. WINTER TUNNEL WITH SNOW © DAVID HOCKNEY PHOTO: RICHARD SCHMIDT 2. THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING IN WOLDGATE © DAVID HOCKNEY iPAD DRAWING 3. PAINTING FELLED TREES ON WOLDGATE © DAVID HOCKNEY PHOTO: JEAN-PIERRE GONCALVES DE LIMA 4. THREE TREES NEAR THIXENDALE © DAVID HOCKNEY PHOTO: RICHARD SCHMIDT 5. THE ROAD ACROSS THE WOLDS © DAVID HOCKNEY PHOTO: STEVE OLIVER 6. THE BIG HAWTHORNE © DAVID HOCKNEY PHOTO: RICHARD SCHMIDT 7. UNTITLED (LAMP) © DAVID HOCKNEY iPAD DRAWING

7

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Bookmark SPECIAL A Bigger Read David Hockney. A Bigger Picture Tim Barringer et al Thames & Hudson, hardback, £60 Possibly there’s an exhibition catalogue that does more justice to its subject matter than this one, but if there is I’ve not seen it.

Hockney’s vividly coloured work reproduces splendidly, and for those who can’t make it to the London show – or for those who do, and want a memento – the many luscious double-page spreads capture something of the awesome scale of Hockney’s originals.

With 300 colour illustrations, and introductory essays by a selection of luminaries including Margaret Drabble, this is the ultimate artlover’s coffee-table book.

A Bigger Message. Conversations with David Hockney Martin Gayford Thames & Hudson, hardback, £18.95 If you only read one art book this year, make it this one. In refreshing contrast to all those artists who make highfalutin, jargon-laden claims about their work, Hockney chats away amiably – without a trace of pomposity or selfabsorption – about what makes him tick. From his boyhood in Bradford to his admiration for Van Gogh, from sketching on the iPad to the future of 3D television (“it would be great for pornography... probably not for much else”), it’s a colourful whirlwind of ideas and insights.

Hockney may be well into his seventies, but he has lost none of his power to shock, intrigue and amuse.

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Winging iT insect collecting may not be popular nowadays, but insect collections still are – as ian Henry learns from Tennants valuer Adam Schoon

Times change, and insect collecting is no longer the common hobby it once was. Most of us would far rather see butterflies in the wild than pinned to a board.

That said, collections of insects – and butterflies in particular – still frequently come up at auction. And looking at rows of glass cases filled with iridescent colours and bold patterns, it is easy to understand why insect life captured the imagination of our forbears in an age before the importance of wildlife conservation was fully appreciated.

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By chance, several different collections of insects are coming up for auction in the Spring Catalogue Sale at Tennants at the end of March. Together they give an interesting insight into the minds of collectors past and present, as Adam Schoon, Tennants valuer and natural history specialist, explained

Victorian Values

The mania for insect collecting reached its height in late Victorian times, fuelled by the same fascination with the natural world that manifested itself in the opening of the Natural History Museum in Kensington – and, indeed, in the works of Charles Darwin.

The line between hobbyist and scientist was never an entirely clear one, with enthusiastic amateurs as likely as professionals to discover new species – and sometimes drive them to extinction.

Nonetheless there were obviously some collectors whose primary interest in insects was as decorative items, and others whose approach was more systematic and academic.

The Meticulous Moth Man Also included in the sale – but very much at the other end of the scale between decoration and scientific investigation – is the extensive collection of one of the last great British hobbyist collectors, the so-called ‘Moth Man of Chesterfield’.

The ‘Moth Man’ was Lawrence Knight, born in 1925, at a time when insect collecting was still a popular hobby. Over a period of 70 years, Mr Knight, a miner, amassed a collection of over 15,000 insects, mainly moths. Because he never learned to drive, he concentrated on trapping moths within a four-mile radius of his home. Many of the specimens that he collected are barely distinguishable to the untrained eye, but he taught himself to recognise and catalogue them all, and his collections now provide a valuable insight into the insect history of North Derbyshire over the course of the last century.

“Adam is expecting the piece to

make between £450 and £650” The decorative approach is evident in a collection of butterflies housed in an elegant mahogany Davenport that dates from the 1880s. A Davenport is a type of small desk that incorporates drawers, and this one – clearly specifically made to house a collection of curiosities – has a set of ten shallow glasstopped drawers. The way the butterflies are arranged in each drawer makes no pretence at scientific rigour; instead they have been used solely as design elements to create a series of colourful geometrical patterns. Adam is expecting the piece to make between £450 and £650 in the forthcoming sale.

What an insect collection is worth depends, of course, on its condition – but also, to a large extent, on whether it includes data.

If each specimen comes with information as to exactly where and when it was found, as does the Moth Man’s, then it is considerably more valuable, both in scientific terms and at auction. Without such data a collection has no context, and hence no real meaning, for the natural historian.

“Mr Knight, a miner, amassed a collection of over 15,000 insects” spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 83

Laws Of Nature

Nowadays complex regulations govern the sale of rare and endangered animal species, including specimens that may be included in collections of butterflies and other insects, so one of Adam’s priorities is to assiduously check the legal status of each and every one of the specimens in the forthcoming sale. As it happens, none of the UK’s protected moths occur in Derbyshire, so the Moth Man’s locally collected specimens don’t pose a problem.

Because the majority of the moths of Chesterfield are, to be honest, fairly drab, these local collections will almost certainly go to someone with a specialist interest in lepidoptery – the science of moths – rather than someone in search of something decorative to cheer up a corner of their office. But with each individual modestly proportioned glazed box full of specimens likely to fetch £70 to £100, the collection as a whole is still certain to raise a tidy sum.

For details of forthcoming auctions at Tennants visit www.tennants.co.uk.

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ANIMAL PORTRAITURE

House ad

By Artist Kim Burn www.kimburn.co.uk Email: kimburn@hotmail.co.uk Telephone: 07803 170077

WIN A TICKET

From Leeds to London for £12,500 Our Specialists are out and about around the County this month

to the

Harrogate Antique and Fine Art Fair!

We have 15 pairs of tickets (worth £12 a pair) for the first readers to contact sue@daleslife.com

Our specialists could be available to call and provide free auction valuations.

For further information please contact 0113 234 5755 alison.hayes@bonhams.com Sheila Fell R.A. (1931-1979) Coast at Allonby (detail) Consigned locally and sold in London for £12,500.

International Auctioneers and Valuers bonhams.com/leeds spring 2012 | dales life |

85

Come and visit our inspiring garden in 2012 • 20 acres of beautiful walks & plant nursery • Sculpture exhibition in the garden by

renowned artists • Open from Sat 28th April - Sun 17th June

inclusive, everyday 10am - 4pm (closed Mondays except Bank holidays) • Admission £6. Children under 12 FREE

• Light refreshments available from our tearoom • Mail order for plants available all year • Visit our website www.himalayangarden.com • With apologies, no wheelchair access is available and dogs must be kept on a lead at all times The Hutts | Grewelthorpe | Ripon | HG4 3DA Phone: 01765 658009 | E-mail: info@himalayangarden.com

86

NORTH OF ENGLAND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

A GREAT DAY OUT! •Inspirational show gardens

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R I P O N , N O R T H YO R K S H I R E

www.flowershow.org.uk SPRING PLANT FAIR 13th May 2012 Tickets available every day on the gate: GARDEN WORKSHOPS Thurs, Fri & Sat £16; Sun £14 30th May, 11th July, Opening times: 9.30am - 5.30pm 26th September and 1st November 2012 See website for details

All proceeds donated to the North of England Horticultural Society, supporting horticulture in the north. Charity No: 702017

Harrogate Flower Shows, Regional Agricultural Centre, Great Yorkshire Tel: 01423 322583 info@newbyhall.com www.newbyhall.com Showground, Harrogate HG2 8NZ. e-mail: info@flowershow.org.uk In purchasing pre-booked tickets for the Harrogate Flower Shows,

you agree that you receive information relating to future NEHS Shows.

Open daily except Mondays (but inc. Bank Holidays) April - June and A booking administration charge applies per order.

September, and every day throughout July and August from 11am.

Photograph by Nigel Harrison.

NORTH OF ENGLAND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

A GREAT DAY OUT! •Inspirational show gardens

NEHS

2012 APRIL 26-29

GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOWGROUND

•Over 100 leading plant nurseries •Growing advice from Kitchen Garden Live •Thousands of garden related products •Stunning floral art •Delicious cooking demonstrations •Unique crafts and gifts

SAVE £2.50 PER TICKET book before noon Tuesday 17 April

01423 546157 or visit

www.flowershow.org.uk Tickets available every day on the gate: Thurs, Fri & Sat £16; Sun £14 Opening times: 9.30am - 5.30pm All proceeds donated to the North of England Horticultural Society, supporting horticulture in the north. Charity No: 702017 Harrogate Flower Shows, Regional Agricultural Centre, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate HG2 8NZ. e-mail: info@flowershow.org.uk In purchasing pre-booked tickets for the Harrogate Flower Shows, you agree that you receive information relating to future NEHS Shows.

A booking administration charge applies per order.

Photograph by Nigel Harrison.

spring 2012 | dales life |

87

dales

DIARY

Events compiled by Elaine Pollard

Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal near Ripon

Telephone 01765 608888 www.fountainsabbey.org.uk School Holiday Fun: A Riot of Colour Saturday 31 March – Sunday 15 April 11am – 3pm Normal admission applies Follow the clues on our trail and join in with drop-in craft activities at Swanley Grange.

Mr Aislabie’s Garden Tour Sunday 1 April – Thursday 31 May 11.30am Normal admission applies Enjoy a guided tour taking in the grand design of the Georgian landscape including Deer Park and Water Garden. Meet at the Porter’s Lodge.

Easter Egg Eggsploits Monday 9 April From 2pm Normal admission applies Get out your coloured paints and glitter and bring your hardboiled eggs along for the bestdecorated egg and egg-rolling competitions.

Meet on the Abbey west green.

It’s A Monk’s Life Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 April Wednesday 11 – Friday 13 April 2pm Normal admission applies Join us for a family tour of the abbey. Dress in monks’ robes and learn about their daily life.

Suitable for 7s & over. Meet at the Visitor Centre.

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World Heritage Weekend Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 April 11am – 4pm Normal admission applies Come and celebrate International World Heritage Day with us.

One-day Map-reading Course Wednesday 25 April 9am – 5pm Booking essential, Tel: 01423 871750.

Learn how to understand an OS map, use a compass and stay safe on the hills. Course includes tea/coffee in the morning, OS map and compass for use during the course, notes and use of our gear if required.

Bank Holiday Fun: Food Glorious Food – Herbs Saturday 5 – Monday 7 May 11am – 4pm Normal admission applies Follow the clues on our trail and join in with craft activities at Swanley Grange.

Newby Hall & Gardens near Ripon Telephone: 0845 450 4068 www.newbyhallandgardens.com Easter Fun Days Sunday 8 & Monday 9 April This family event will involve a variety of activities to keep everyone entertained.

Duathlon Sunday 15 April To book see http://functionalfitnesscoaching.co.uk/events.htm Functional Fitness Coaching will be hosting this Duathlon. The majority of the run takes place in the beautiful grounds of Newby Hall following a looped route with excellent running surfaces, while the bike ride will take you onto the quiet roads surrounding the hall.

Head Gardener’s Workshop: Practical Propagation Wed 18 April Grantham Room Mark will be joined by Head Propagator Ian Forbes to show you how to use seeds and cuttings to fill your garden without spending a fortune. Find out which species our experts really rate and how these plants help to make Newby’s gardens so special.

Spring Plant Fair Sunday 13 May This year’s Spring Plant Fair will feature a popular Gardeners’ Question Time-style session bringing together top garden professionals in the north of England. Specialist nurseries will offer unusual plants for sale and you’ll be tempted by a fine selection of quality gardening accessories. Young gardeners can get their little fingers dirty with a ‘plant your own’ table and a sunflower-growing competition, and the day will be rounded off with tea and scones and music from a local jazz band.

Newby Hall Gardens Newby Hall & Gardens Events Spring 2012 Season opens – Sat 31 Mar 10K and Fun Run – Sun 20 May Yorkshire Vintage Association – Sat 9 & Sun 10 Jun Workshops Taste the Wild, Foraging with Rose Badger – Tue 15 May Gardening with Martin Fish, Success with Containers – Wed 30 May Floristry with Carl Banks – Thu 31 May Photographing the Garden with Steve Gosling – Wed 6 June

Lightwater Valley North Stainley near Ripon Telephone: 0871 720 0011 www.lightwatercountryshopping.co.uk Shopping & Charity Fashion Extravaganza Wednesday 14 March 2pm - admission £2 Come and see the latest fashions! Join us for an extravaganza with top spring collections on show – all proceeds go to charity.

Shopping, Magic & Music Monday 26 March 2pm - admission £5 Prepare yourself for an afternoon of cuttingedge magic with an award-winning magician and music from a local cabaret artist. An afternoon of pure entertainment!

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dales DIARY Events continued

Constable Burton Hall near Bedale Telephone 01677 450428 www.constableburton.com Gardens open 10 March – 23 September 9am – 6pm

Tulip Festival 5 – 7 May Each year Constable Burton plays host to a magnificent tulip festival. Sponsored by Chelsea award-winning nursery Bloms Bulbs, large collections of traditional and new variant tulips are grown in the informal areas of the garden. With over 6,500 bulbs planted annually, vast expanses of flowers grace the gardens in a glorious display of colour.

Constable Burton Hall

The Himalayan Garden

The Himalayan Garden Grewelthorpe near Ripon Telephone: 01765 658911 www.himalayangarden.com 28 April – 17 June Tues – Sun & Bank Holiday Mondays 10am – 4pm The award-winning Himalayan Garden at Grewelthorpe, near Ripon, opens for the season on 28 April.

With more than 1,000 different varieties of rhododendrons, and 170 different magnolias, this spectacular woodland garden shows off the plants to their best advantage in a natural setting at 850 feet above sea level. Some stunning sculptures will also be on display.

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Kiplin Hall near Scorton, Richmond Telephone: 01748 818178 www.kiplinhall.co.uk Kiplin Hall stands in one hundred acres of woodland, gardens and parkland with a spectacular lake which is home for many birds. These ‘lost’ gardens are being restored, recreating the glorious period of the Carpenter family’s residence.

Easter Fun for Families Friday 6 – Monday 9 April Gardens 10am – 5pm, Hall 2 – 5pm Usual admission prices apply Easter activities for children around the hall and gardens, including Easter trails, wooden garden games, a dipping pool and lots of places to explore. On Easter Sunday, North Yorkshire Vintage Machinery Society will show a variety of beautifully restored machines.

Art in an English Country House: The Male Portrait Tuesday 17 April What do paintings tell us about history, the artist and the subject? During the first in a fascinating series of talks, art historian Sandra Pollard reveals the story, imagery and symbolism of paintings that hang at Kiplin Hall.

Fired by Nature Sunday 6 May – Wednesday 4 July: every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 10am – 5pm An exhibition of ceramics in the gardens by local artists Annette Cole and Carol Metcalfe, inspired by their shared fascination with natural forms and textures. On Monday 7 May (1 – 4pm) the artists will talk informally about their work and answer questions about their ceramics, which are created using renewable solar and wind energy.

Kiplin Hall spring spring2012 2012| |dales daleslife life| | 91

dales DIARY Events continued

Swinton Park near Masham Telephone 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com Bivouac Swinton at Druid’s Temple is a new sustainable and ethical project with parking, café and accommodation for people who like being close to nature with the added touch of luxury! Activities on offer range from walking and mountain biking to climbing, riding and fishing. There is also a walking trail throughout the grounds, open all year to non-residents who are visiting the hotel for morning coffee/ lunch/afternoon tea. The new café is open for business from Tuesday 3 April, serving brunch, light snacks, lunch and evening meals, with play area and sun terrace. For more information, visit www.thebivouac.co.uk

Orchid Lunch Sunday 25 March £35 per person (includes a gift of an orchid for each guest) Join Ray Creek for a talk about orchids, the varieties that he grows and the conditions that they thrive in, followed by a two-course lunch and an opportunity to buy orchids from Ray’s display.

Easter-egg Trail Saturday 31 March – Saturday 14 April £3 per person (£5 on Easter Sunday) includes Easter gift for children Children 3 yr and under half price Enjoy a day out in the parkland with an Easteregg trail in the grounds. On Easter Sunday you can also meet the Easter Bunny, with extra activities that include egg-rolling and egg-andspoon races.

Rosemary Shrager One-day Masterclass: Sauces 11 May A sauce can transform a meal into a sensation – here you will learn how to turn the simplest of dishes into a real treat! Rosemary introduces basic techniques, building towards reduction and flavouring. You will adapt this to sweet and savoury sauces and finish by creating your own signature sauce.

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Dales Festival of Food and Drink Leyburn Telephone: 01748 828747 www.dalesfestivaloffood.org Twitter @DalesFoodFest 5 – 7 May. 10am – 5pm daily Adults: 1-day ticket £8, 3-day ticket £12 Children under 16 accompanied by an adult: FREE This three-day festival showcasing the produce of the Dales attracts several thousand visitors, drawn by the variety of food, farming and entertainment on offer.

With over 80 stalls featuring local food products, there is something for all to enjoy: the best meats, cheeses, preserves and traditional baking are on offer, with award-winning beers and wines served in the drinks marquee.

You can learn about traditional farming skills, and the army will set up a military field kitchen to show how food is prepared on the front line. Live cookery demonstrations by the region’s top chefs take place every day.

A range of rides and other attractions will keep the little ones happy, local brass and jazz bands entertain the crowds with six hours of live music each day, and there will be displays by traditional sword and morris dancers.

This year, the Sunday speaker is former policeman turned author, metal-detectorist and historian Martyn Johnson. Festival patron Gervaise Finn, always a firm favourite with visitors, also entertains with stories of life as a school inspector. Gervaise says, “There is no better way of spending the May Day Bank Holiday weekend than a visit to beautiful Wensleydale; there is something for everyone at this varied and colourful pageant and the hospitality is of the very best.”

West Tanfield Luxury Lodges West Tanfield Telephone 07803 853979 www.westtanfieldluxurylodges.com Launch Event Friday 6 – Monday 9 April 10am – 4pm This exclusive new development of luxury lodges built on a lakeside site offers an opportunity to buy an affordable second home in a highly desirable rural location at West Tanfield – a beautiful village with outstanding amenities. These superior ecolodges, which benefit from good insulation and bespoke design offering owners a choice of layout, are available for viewing at this Easter open weekend.

West Tanfield Luxury Lodges

Dales Countryside Museum

Drystone Walling

Hawes

A practical demonstration by a Dales volunteer in the amphitheatre at the museum.

Telephone: 01969 666210 www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/index Victorian Kitchen: Dairy 6 April 11am – 3pm Museum admission charges apply Friends of the museum will be dressed in costume, explaining and demonstrating the work that went on in the Victorian kitchen.

From Fleece to Yarn

10 April 2 – 4pm Museum admission charges apply

Make a Mini Meadow 11 April 1 – 3pm Children £3, under 7s to be accompanied by an adult Discover unusual and interesting facts about Dales hay meadows and why they are so good for wildlife. Have a go at making your very own mini meadow or wildflower garden to take away. A fun drop-in session for 5 to 14 year olds.

8 April 10.30am – 4pm Museum admission charges apply

What have querns ever done for us?

Drop-in event demonstrating breeds of sheep and types of wool for making textiles, preparing the wool by carding and blending fibres and colours, before spinning into yarn.

A talk by John Cruse organised by Friends of Dales Countryside Museum as part of their annual lecture programme. All welcome.

20 April 7.30pm – 9pm £2

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dales DIARY Events continued

The Harrogate Antique & Fine Art Fair Harrogate International Centre Telephone 01823 323363 www.harrogateantiquefair.com 3 – 7 May From 11am One of the finest fairs in the country with quality as its cornerstone, this event features a huge diversity of antiques and fine art.

With ample parking and excellent food, the International Centre provides a wonderful base for a day exploring the fabulous range of antique furniture, porcelain, silver and paintings on offer. Many of the exhibitors are well-known in their areas of expertise. There is something to interest everyone, and the dealers are more than happy to discuss the beautiful pieces on display at this friendly event.

The Durham White Ox 94 | dales life | spring 2012

Among the art exhibitors you will find Walker Galleries of Harrogate, Haynes Fine Art of Broadway and Rowles Fine Art, with specialist company ‘Art of the Imagination’ who are returning with their stunning illustrations.

The fair now also includes 20th-century and Art Nouveau specialist dealers. Fine jewellery will be represented by Howards of Stratford, St James Antiques of Manchester, Sheldon Shapiro and Licht & Morrison of Mayfair, while Jack Shaw & Co from Ilkley and Vine Antiques will tempt you with sparkling displays of silver.

Rounding off this snapshot are pottery and porcelain from Roger de Ville, John Newton and Philip Carrol; furniture from Millington Adams, S & S Timms and Church Street Antiques; and last but not least, Edward Burd who will be back with their fascinating range of clocks and barometers.

Special events at the fair, including a glittering Charity Gala Evening on Thursday 3 April, will be raising money for MNDA, the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Harrogate is a centre of excellence for antiques in the North of England and, enhanced by its elegant charm, it is a natural setting for one of the most prestigious events of antiques and fine art to be found outside London.

Black Sheep Visitor Centre

The White Bear,

Masham

Masham

Telephone 01765 680101 www.blacksheepbrewery.com

Telephone 01765 689319 www.thewhitebearhotel.co.uk

Film Festival 27 – 28 April Black Sheep Ale is the official festival beer for the Bradford International Film Festival (19 – 29 April) and we will be showing films at the brewery on 27 and 28 April.

See www.blacksheepbrewery.co.uk for more details of the event at the brewery.

The Black Sheep Firkin Challenge 2012 Saturday 19 May Black Sheep is delighted to offer two exhilarating bike rides in 2012 to raise valuable funds for Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity for rugby. Taking in the beautiful scenery of the Dales, two circular routes offer something for everyone, whether you are a seasoned cyclist or more of a weekend rider.

Visit www.blacksheepbrewery.co.uk for more details and entry forms.

www.facebook.com/events/282276921835346

The Gathering of Jackson, Donahue & Morter Thursday 29 March 8pm – 11pm £15 to include supper Come along for a fantastic concert featuring legends of the folk world drawn from the genre’s most influential bands – Fairport Convention, Lindisfarne, Magna Carta, Fotheringay and The Albion Band – celebrating their shared heritage of music. Doug Morter’s unique acoustic guitar style complements Jerry Donahue’s astounding electric string-bending technique and Ray Jackson’s haunting harmonica and silky mandolin to support a host of original songs spanning four decades. A show inspired by the roots of British music that will touch the heart of every listener.

Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Telephone 015242 51002 E-mail info@ydmt.org All money raised from these events will support the work of Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT), helping to care for the landscape, economy and people in the Yorkshire Dales

Murder Mystery Dinner Evening at The Devonshire Arms County House Hotel Thurs 15 March, 7pm £25 including a hot buffet of Beef Bourguignon or Potato & Aubergine Bake (v) Join us for a 1930s-style who-dunnit and unravel the deadly mystery. All we know is the butler definitely didn’t do it! The evening will end with a charity raffle, the killer being revealed, and trophies awarded to the top sleuths. 1930s fancy dress is optional.

Spring Meadows Walk Tues 17 April. Meet at 10am at The George Inn car park, Hubberholme Suggested donation £15 Five-mile guided walk from Hubberholme to Yockenthwaite. The route passes through wildflower hay meadows, including two that we’ve helped to restore, which although not quite at their summer peak should be full of early-flowering plants. Optional pub lunch afterwards (not included).

Please wear appropriate footwear.

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dales DIARY Events continued

Harrogate Spring Flower Show Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate Telephone 01423 546157 www.flowershow.org.uk 26 – 29 April, Thurs/Fri/Sat: £13.50 (if booked before noon on 17 April); £16 on the gate, Sun: £11.50 in advance; £14 on the gate, VIP day £99 The perfect place to find inspiration for your garden as well as all the plants, tools and tips to make the dream a reality.

Beautiful new show gardens and plant nursery displays, plus the Britain’s biggest floral art marquee. New for 2012 are hands-on demonstrations to encourage visitors to roll up their sleeves and ‘Have a Go’ at a range of gardening skills including laying turf, planting a garden border, building an area of block paving and creating a traditional Yorkshire drystone wall.

Thousands of garden-related products, nearly 70 craft and gift stands plus dozens of specialist food outlets provide an unrivalled opportunity for shopping. Make a great day out an unforgettable experience with the show’s new VIP service, including use of a private hospitality marquee and cloakroom, Bucks Fizz reception, three-course lunch with wine and preferential parking.

Thorp Perrow Arboretum Woodland Garden, Bird of Prey & Mammal Centre, near Bedale Telephone: 01677 425323 www.thorpperrow.com Spring Pruning Workshop Tuesday 27 March Workshop £50.00 Learn which plants to prune at this time of year and how to do it!

Easter Trail Easter Monday 9th April 11am - 4pm Lots of Easter fun, arts, crafts and games with EGGS! 96 00 | dales life | spring 2012

Spring Walk Tuesday 10th April and Wednesday 18th April 1pm Join the Curator for a tour through the acres of naturalised daffodils and blossom.

Propagation Workshop Tuesday 17 April Workshop £50.00 Learn how to sow seeds and take cuttings to add to your garden and take your new plants home!

The Harrogate Antique & Fine Art Fair 3rd – 7th May 2012 Hall M - bottom of Parliament Street Harrogate International Centre Open: Thursday 3rd May 11am - 9pm Friday 4th May 11am - 6pm Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th May 11am - 6pm Monday 7th May 11am - 5pm Raising money for

www.harrogateantiquefair.com Enquiries to 01823 323363 spring 2012 | dales life |

97

KIPLIN HALL

Jacobean House

Country Seat of Founder of Maryland, USA

Gardens and Tea Room

l

Oen 5 Feb – 31 Oct, Sun – Wed, 10am – 5pm (4pm Feb and March) Adult: £4.50, Conc: £3.50, Child: £1.50, Family: £10.

l

Hall Open 1 April – 31 Oct, Sun – Wed, 2pm – 5pm Adult: £7.50, Conc: £6.50, Child: £3.50, Family: £20 (includes gardens)

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Owned by the Calverts, Crowes, Carpenters and Talbots Now furnished as Admiral Carpenter’s comfortable Victorian home Crowded with centuries of family possessions Delightful gardens being restored Woodland and lakeside walks Home baking and lunches in the Tea Room

Kiplin Hall, nr. Scorton, Richmond, DL10 6AT. 01748 818178 www.kiplinhall.co.uk

HHA

Sharing the stories of the people and places of the Yorkshire Dales Station Yard, Hawes Open p daily y 10am-5pm ( (except p Christmas bank holidays and Januar y)

Free for children www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/DCM 01969 666210

2for1

~entry~

National Park and Tourist Information Centre

READER OFFER with this ad

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Tulip Festival 5th - 7th May 2012

Sponsored by "BLOMS BULBS" CHELSEA AWARD WINNING NURSERY Explore a festival of tulips amongst the romantic gardens.

6,500 tulips planted annually to give a dazzling display of colours and forms.

Opening

Refreshments

Saturday 24th March - Sunday 30th September 2012, 9am - 6pm (Closed for private event Friday 25th, Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May) Tulip Festival 5th - 7th May 2012 For further details telephone 01677 450428 www.constableburton.com

Admission charges Adults £4.00, Senior Citizens £3.00, Children free

Thorp Perrow Arboretum Bird of Prey & Mammal Centre

100 acres of woodland with tree, adventure and kids trails to follow or just explore!

Visit Meerkat Island, meet Marlon the Llama, Animal Encounters 11.30am, Flying Displays wallabies, rheas, all in our new Mammal Centre. 1.30pm & 3.30pm with birds of prey from around the world.

The Tearoom (open everyday) serves lots of

delicious local produce.

Children’s Play Area & Plant Centre.

Many events & courses throughout the year Visit www.thorpperrow.com or call 01677 425323 • Thorp Perrow, Bedale, North Yorkshire, DL8 2PR spring 2012 | dales life |

99

... iis one off England's l d' most recent ffollies. lli The brainchild of Mr C.R. Armtrong 0 B E, it was originally built as a private folly but due to public demand was subsequently opened.

A unique labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, follies and surprises created in a four-acre garden in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. The Temple of the Underworld, the Eye of the Needle, a huge pyramid made of translucent glass, paths and passages that lead nowhere, extraordinary statues at every turn. The Cat and Mouse Experience, a series of underground tunnels with life size sculptures, plus a rather large surprise at the end.

There are decisions to make and tricks to avoid, a day out with a difference which will challenge and delight children of all ages. Why not take a break in this enchanting environment? In one of our four self catering accommodations ideal for families & groups of visitors, they are situated in beautiful Coverdale with a free day pass with all stays.

Admissiookned

is by pre-bo ly. tickets on

Every day from 1st April - 31st October & then Sundays until Christmas

Mon - Sat 12 noon until 6pm Sundays & Bank Holidays 10am until 6pm

Self Catering Holiday Accommodation available

Visit th

Corner Ceafe

with its new me nu and freshly-mad e dwiches, soups, barista san coffees and delicious, award-winning pies and cakes

To reserve your ticket please telephone 01969 640638 - www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk Tupgill Park Estate, Coverham, Middleham, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4TJ

Dales Festival of Food and Drink The North’s Premier Food and Drink Event

including the Yorkshire Dales Real Ale Festival food.org At Leyburn, in the heart of Wensleydale, a great family day out! ivalof t s e f • Free cookery demonstrations • 70+ food stalls ales @d • Live music all day, and every day • Celebrity talks n i adm • A choice of caterers • Fairground attractions ct: a t • “Farming for Food” area on Parking free, Adults £8 - 3-day ticket £12 C 10.00 am to 5.00 pm each day – Accompanied under 16’s free

5th,6th,7th May

www.dalesfestivaloffood.org 100

Own your own luxury lakeside lodge set at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales • Open all year round • Luxury Eco lodges around an idyllic lake setting • A short distance from some of North Yorkshire’s main attractions • Sound investment and quality guaranteed • Within walking distance of the beautiful village of West Tanfield, renowned for its pubs, shops and other facilities • Open now for viewings

Open Easter Weekend Friday 6th to Monday 9th April 10am - 4pm Come and see what Luxury Lodge Living is all about.

Enquiries 01677 470 284 or visit www.westtanfieldluxurylodges.com

spring 2012 | dales life | 101

The new café, camping and walking destination at Druid’s Temple,Masham

To book space in the May/June issue contact Sue Gillman 01765 535 020 Knowle Lane, Ilton, HG4 G4 4JZ www.thebivouac.co.uk k

Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com

Middleham Key Centre The perfect venue for 2012 Business Meetings, Conferences, Seminars, Training/Networking Events, Private Functions.

IT Facilities, Catering, Free Parking We’ll be pleased to show you round before you book, just ask.

MIDDLEHAM KEY CENTRE PARK LANE, MIDDLEHAM NORTH YORKSHIRE DL8 4RA

Special rates available. Functions tailored to your needs.

T 01969 624002 F 01969 624502 E office@middlehamkey.co.uk www.middlehamkeycentre.co.uk 102

a great place toVisit, Relax and Unwind.

New Look, Seasonal Feel • Fantastic Quality, Unbeatable Prices.

Ope 7 daysn week a

With over 30,000 square feet of undercover retail space, consider us your relaxing retreat from the high street.

The rustic, country feel of our tranquil shopping village ensures your visit is an unhurried affair as you browse our new Spring fashion collections, peruse our extensive selection of home furnishings, re-stock with garden supplies for Summer or simply indulge your taste buds with deliciously nostalgic sweet treats & sumptuous locally-sourced meals.

FREE BUS SERVIcE

hop on board the Lightwater Shopper! with our Free return bus service running throughout March!

Call: 01765 635321 for details!

FREE LOyaLty SchEmE

Register online to join our new free loyalty scheme with exclusive offers & discounts!

www.lightwatercountryshopping.co.uk Lightwater Country Shopping Village, North Stainley, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 3HT. So easy to find, just off the A6108, North of Ripon. Telephone: 01765 635321

spring 2012 | dales life | 103

beauty SPOT

Sue Gillman tries out the Rose Cocoon Rebalance Hammam at Rudding Park Hotel Spa The Spa Rudding Park is a luxury hotel housed in an elegant Grade-1-listed mansion in a charming parkland setting three miles south of Harrogate. With a host of facilities, including a two-AA-rosette restaurant, comprehensive conference facilities and one of the best golf courses in the North, it’s a seriously impressive venue. In fact it was voted ‘Number 1 Best UK Hotel’ in TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards in both 2010 and 2011. It’s also a popular wedding venue – they even have their own 19th century private chapel.

And on top of that there’s the new spa – which is the reason I was there, of course.

Well, I can assure you that it certainly has the ‘wow’ factor. Sleek and stylish, with minimalist interiors and an oriental theme, it is decorated in muted tones: browns, taupes, creams and golds. Wooden floors and glass panels keep it pleasantly light, and it’s definitely a lovely environment to be pampered in.

Rudding Park Spa offers state-of-the-art treatment rooms, steam rooms, a sauna and indulgent sensory showers. The reason for my visit, though, was to try out one of the spa’s most popular treatments The Rose Cocoon Rebalance Hammam.

“Wooden floors and glass panels keep it pleasantly light, and it’s definitely a lovely environment to be pampered in” 104 | dales life | spring 2012

The Treatment The Hammam is a heated treatment table designed, according to the brochure, to “lure you into the deepest stages of relaxation”. The Rose Cocoon Rebalance is “a deeply hydrating treatment for thirsty skin” and (ahem) “a huge hug for the soul”.

After changing into a robe and slippers, I was led to the treatment room by my therapist Emma. If you are prone to hot flushes then this experience is probably not for you. The walls, the floors and the treatment table are all heated – it quite took my breath away.

The table is fairly high, so there is an enormous step to navigate to get up onto it. Once there, the sensation of lying on a hard stone slab is quite a strange one. Overhead is a fibre optic panel with lights like twinkling stars that continually change colour, which is all very soothing.

The treatment began with body brushing to rev up my circulation. Next came a mixture of damask rose and olive grain scrub to exfoliate my skin and prepare it for the massage. Then I had to jump in the shower to wash off the exfoliating mixture.

Once back on the table I was treated to a massage with a rose gel, followed by a rose oil. I was then bundled up in warm towels and had a heavenly foot massage. Despite the hardness of the stone table I did fall asleep, and could barely find the energy to haul myself off the bed when the treatment ended.

Emma took me into the relaxation room to recover and brought me a reviving cup of coffee. The oils and creams used are quite intoxicating, and I definitely needed a bit of waking up for the drive home.

“the oils and creams used are quite intoxicating, and I definitely needed a bit of waking up for the drive home.”

spring spring 2012 2012 || dales dales life life || 105

The Verdict

“the skincare products and the heat from the table left my skin beautifully soft and glowing, and I finished the treatment calm and blissfully relaxed.”

If you’ve ever tried the traditional Turkish Hammam, during which you are usually scrubbed to within an inch of your life, you’ll be relieved to hear that this is something altogether different.

At the end of the session I felt well-and-truly pampered. The layering-on of the skincare products and the heat from the table left my skin beautifully soft and glowing, and I finished the treatment calm and blissfully relaxed.

Although I certainly enjoyed the massage, lying on a hard slab of stone isn’t the most comfortable of experiences. I gather that if you request it in advance you can have the Hammam treatments performed on a treatment bed, and that is certainly what I would choose to do in future. But maybe I’m just a softie; hardier souls will probably disagree.

At £95 it’s not exactly cheap, but the spa is really special, and there is a huge range of other tempting treatments on offer, from Ayurvedic head and eye massage to body sculpting treatments, tanning, tinting and waxing.

The one enigma I didn’t manage to resolve was the presence of an enormous metallic apple in the relaxation room. I did enquire if it had any particular significance, but nobody could give me a satisfactory answer, and I left none the wiser.

For more information about Rudding Park Hotel and Spa visit www.ruddingpark.co.uk or call 01423 871350.

106 | dales life | spring 2012

Children’s outdoor equipment and clothes. Hiking and outdoor gear

Walking and outdoor gear for everyone

Outdoor clothing and accessories for children and adults for hiking, cycling, running, swimming, hunting, shooting and fishing.

Quality products from well known brands, including gadgets that make great gifts.

Joules and Zoggs spring and summer colections in stock.

Outdoor Life Masham 2 Silver Street, Masham, North Yorkshire HG4 4DX Tel; 01765 688144 www.outdoorlifemasham.co.uk

n p ope o h s New asham in M

With every tiny move they make, your eyebrows speak volumes for you. Don’t they deserve the bespoke HD Brows’ brow treatment?

Of course they do!

Gerards, Italian luxury skincare now available at Blink Beauty Pay for 2 facials and receive the third one free!

Available until the end of April.

Blink Beauty OPI Gel Polishes in! High shine and last for 2 weeks or more.

Blink Beauty, 30-32 Malpas Road, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8TB. 01609 779390 spring 2012 | dales life | 107

Boundless Beads

Subtle

Taylor Wood Hairdressing is your route to hair perfection.

A journey through consultation and care in an exclusive environment.

Offering you an impeccable service.

Tel: 01325 284 747

www.boundlessbeads.com

Workshops and jewellery using only the finest of Components

Open Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5.00pm Saturday 10.00am -5.00pm Unit 3, The Craft Yard,The BridgeAiskew, DL8 1BZ , UK Tel: 01677 425544

The Spa at Swinton Park Face, Body & Beauty Treatments Day Spa Packages

15 Northumberland Street Darlington

108

Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon HG4 4JH 01765 680967 www.swintonpark.com

A Vita Medi-Spa is an advanced Laser clinic that specialises in Laser and Aesthetic Treatments.

Our doctors and nurses have vast experience in the non-surgical and laser fields, and we have the benefit of medical staff that are permanently on site.

All consultations are free.

• Treatment for lines & wrinkles from £99 • Dermal fillers/lip enhancement £99 • Medical hair laser removal £25 • Laser thread vein removal £40 • Cellulite reduction £150 • Rosacea/pigmentation £40 • Acne scarring/skin tightening £99 • Mole/skin tag removal £25 • Tattoo removal from £50

NEW REVOLUTIONARY LASER TATTOO REMOVAL 25% off all courses booked in March.

Call 01642 782221

for your FREE CONSULTATION and to book any of our treatments.

Please check our website for monthly offers and to buy ELEMIS products on line at www.avitayarm.co.uk

RELAX • REFRESH • REJUVENATE INTEREST FREE CREDIT AVAILABLE An affordable way to pay for the treatment you want

22 High Street,Yarm TS15 9AE • 01642 782221 www.avitayarm.co.uk

Gatsby’s hairdressing now stocking Pleasure State Lingerie

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11 HIGH STREET, LEYBURN 01969 622102 Buy online from www. victoriaslingerie.co.uk Free post & packing

spring 2012 | dales life | 109

It’s wafer-thin, light as a feather and holds up to 1,400 books.

Does Amazon’s new, cheapest-ever electronic book-reader spell the end for traditional print-on-paper?

Ian Henry joins the debate.

The Kindle vs

The printed page Thousands of people found a Kindle in their stocking this last Christmas – and tens of thousands who didn’t are wondering if technology is leaving them behind. Is now the time to join the e-reader revolution?

Kindle Fact File Cost Just £89, although it would be wise to invest in a protective cover too.

Size 166mm x 114mm x 9mm. That’s the size of a small paperback, but a fraction of the thickness.

What it does Wirelessly downloads books, newspapers and magazines and lets you read them at your leisure. You don’t even need a computer or any other techie gear to use it. And, unlike your mobile, there’s no subscription to pay for using the UK-wide wireless network.

110 | dales life | spring 2012

Screen dream With its novel high-contrast ‘E Ink’ you can comfortably read the Kindle even on a dazzlingly sunny beach.

Which is something you’ll struggle to do with traditional backlit computer screens, including Apple’s swanky iPad. What makes it go? Charge it via your computer’s USB port. A charge takes a couple of hours and lasts up to a month. If you don’t have a computer you’ll need to buy an adaptor and charge it from the mains.

Who’s behind it? Online mega-retailer Amazon. When you buy books for your Kindle, it’s Amazon you’ll be paying.

Kindle Pros Easy does it It’s ultra-light, so you can read your e-books one-handed. And the Kindle automatically tracks where you have read to, so you don’t need to juggle heavy paperbacks that snap shut as soon as you put them down.

Pack to the future Perfect for holiday reading – no more stacks of paperbacks to fit into your suitcase. Ideal for commuting too; the Kindle easily slips into a handbag, briefcase or even a large pocket.

The price is right Kindle versions of books are usually (although not always) significantly cheaper than their hardback or paperback counterparts. Better still, you can download thousands of books from the Kindle store absolutely free.

Big it up It’s easy to change the text size and font of the e-books on your Kindle, which is helpful for anyone who finds small print a challenge. You can even highlight your favourite passages and add your own marginal notes.

Kindle Cons Handle with care If you’re in the habit of shoving your Dan Brown unceremoniously into a cluttered handbag or flicking through it in the bath, you’ll have to mend your ways.

The Kindle is too costly to risk scratching it with your keys or dropping it into the suds.

Hold black? The Kindle display is black and white, which takes the joy out of books with colour pictures. A colour Kindle – it’s called the Kindle Fire – is available in the USA, and will be arriving in the UK soon. Whether it’s worth waiting for is another question. The Kindle Fire has a backlit screen rather than the high-contrast ‘E Ink’ of the monochrome model. So if you want to read on holiday without getting a headache you might be better off sticking with the current model.

Buy buy books? Yes there are loads of free books for the Kindle, but mostly they’re dusty out-of-copyright classics. If you want the latest bestsellers you’ll have to shell out – assuming you can find them. Not all books are available for Kindle, because not all publishers and authors have signed up with Amazon.

Type cast Unless you’re prepared to hand over your Kindle, you can’t lend books to your pals. And although you can annotate your e-books – crucial if you’re a student – it’s a real faff typing with the on-screen keyboard. Of course you could always stump up for the 3G version, which is larger and has a push-button keyboard; but then you’re £60 poorer and you lose the convenience of the super-compact format.

The Verdict The Kindle’s killer advantage is that you can have a shedload of books on hand when you’re on the move. And considering all the technology crammed into it, it’s great value for money. But it isn’t for everyone, and traditional books will probably be with us for a good while yet. Not so much mass-market novels, maybe, but certainly anything that needs to look beautiful or to cope with rough handling – and that includes art books, style magazines, gardening books, DIY manuals and recipe books. spring spring 2012 2012 || dales dales life life || 111

On themarket market On the

Our beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.

Ourregular regularround-up round-upofof beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.

112

£395,000 Wynd House, Gayle Sympathetically restored, 5 bedrooms, 3 reception, 3 bathrooms, off-road parking, patio terrace, summer house, views across Wensleydale, planning permission to extend.

Contact GSC Grays on 01969 600120 www.gscgrays.co.uk

£485,000 Cover Cottage, Melmerby Traditional stone cottage, 3 double bedrooms, sun room, roof terrace, 360 degree views, off road parking, attached selfcontained two bedroom flat with separate access.

Contact GSC Grays on 01969 600120 www.gscgrays.co.uk

£350,000 The Briars, East Cowton Recently refurbished, detached, easy reach of A19 and A1, 4 bedrooms, (one en-suite), open plan dining & kitchen, large living room / conservatory, off-road parking, garage, rural views.

Contact GSC Grays on 01969 600120 www.gscgrays.co.uk

£695,000 Rigg House, Near Hawes Detached country house, Grade II listed facade, 4 bed with Integral 2 bed cottage, pine kitchen with AGA, putting green, utility, cellars, garage, spectacular views.

Contact JR Hopper on 01969 622936 www.jrhopper.com

£750,000 Archdene, East Witton Period family home, 4/5 bedrooms, large living kitchen/dining room orangery, shower room, cloakroom, utility, off-road parking for several vehicles, oil central heating.

Contact JR Hopper on 01969 622936 www.jrhopper.com

£659.000 Hill View, West Burton Substantial family home, wealth of character features, 5 bedrooms, lounge with multifuel stove, oil central heating, lawned garden with patio area, mostly double glazed.

Contact JR Hopper on 01969 622936 www.jrhopper.com

On the market

Our regular round-up of beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.

£425,000 Station Lodge, West Tanfield 4 bedroom, Excellent range of outbuildings with potential to convert into an annexe, holiday cottages etc. (subject to planning). Private location in a popular village.

Contact Joplings on 01765 694800 www.joplings.com

£485,950 Barton Way, North Stainley Beautifully presented 3 storeys, detached, 5 double bedrooms inc. master bedroom suite, high spec. kitchen. Cul-de-sac location, .attractive development. 3-5 minute drive of Ripon.

Contact Joplings on 01765 694800 www.joplings.com

£545,000 Park Street, Masham Tastefully presented, generously proportioned with 3 reception, 4 double bedrooms with en-suite. Close to town centre, parking for 2/3 cars, landscaped gardens. Currently a Bed & Breakfast.

Contact Joplings on 01765 694800 www.joplings.com

£595,000 Park Hill Fold, Constable Burton 3 double bedroom, Stone barn cconversion set in open farmland. Finished to a high standard. Oil fired central heating, hardwood double glazing. Well kept gardens.

Contact Joplings on 01765 694800 www.joplings.com

£395,000 Kirkby House, Kirkby Malzeard Stone property built pre 1865 and steeped in local history.

Previous home to the JP, police station and cells. Spacious, immaculate renovation retaining many original features.

Contact Joplings on 01765 694800 www.joplings.com

£395.000 Watermill Lane, North Stainley 4 bedroom detached property, overlooking the village ponds and green with watermill feature. Beautifully presented, generous accommodation,short driving from Ripon & A1.

Contact Joplings on 01765 694800 www.joplings.com spring 2012 | dales life | 113

On themarket market On the

Our beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.

Ourregular regularround-up round-upofof beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.

114

£330,000 - £350,000 Croft House, Newbiggin In Bishopdale, Leyburn Substantial, detached, 4 bedrooms. Spacious unusual design.

Mature gardens, garage. Village location with panoramic views.

Contact Robin Jessop on 01677 425950 www.robinjessop.co.uk

£275,000 Rose Cottage, Thornton Steward 2 double bedrooms. Beautiful south facing garden. Spectacular views over East Witton fell and Jervaulx abbey. Desirable village location. Ideal holiday cottage.

Contact Robin Jessop on 01677 425950 www.robinjessop.co.uk

£480,000 - £520,000 Plane Tree Barn, Station Road, Newton Le Willows, Bedale Detached 4 bedroom barn conversion, 3 acre paddock with woodland shelter belts. Overlooking open countryside.

Contact Robin Jessop on 01677 425950 www.robinjessop.co.uk

£200,000 - £250,000 Anvil Cottage, Thornton Steward, Ripon 3 bedroom country cottage. First class accommodation, gardens garage, rural views. Viewing by appointment.

Contact Robin Jessop on 01677 425950 www.robinjessop.co.uk

£290,000 - £310,000 Little Garth, Harmby Detached 4 bedroom family house. Spacious immaculate accommodation. Gardens and garaging. Superb village location on the edge of the Dales.

Contact Robin Jessop on 01677 425950 www.robinjessop.co.uk

£350,000 Mill Garth, Well, Bedale Architect designed detached 2/3 bedroom bungalow. Stunning location with panoramic views over the Hambleton Hills and the Vale of York. Garage, workshop and delightful gardens.

Contact Robin Jessop on 01677 425950 www.robinjessop.co.uk

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spring 2012 | dales life | 115

J.R. HOPPER

& Co. EST. 1886

“For Sales In The Dales” SALES • LETTINGS • COMMERCIAL LAND & PROPERTY SPECIALISTS • PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICE Residential Buying, Selling & Letting. Commercial Sales & Leases.

Holiday Property. Overseas Property. Business Transfers. Acquisitions.

Valuations. Surveys. Mortgage Advice. Inheritance Planning.

Property & Antique Auctions. Removals, Collections & Deliveries.

01729 825311 Bentham 015242 63739 Settle Hawes 01969 667744 London 02072 980305 0845 2802213 Leyburn 01969 622936 Fax

www.jrhopper.com

To book space in the May/June issue contact Sue Gillman Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com 116

AUCTIONEERS • VALUERS • ESTATE AGENTS • SURVEYORS

Residential Sales & Lettings

Commercial Sales & Lettings

Surveys, Planning & Design

If you are looking to buy, sell, or rent a property in Ripon and the surrounding villages then please contact us.

We can offer an excellent personal service from a friendly and reliable team.

For a FREE market appraisal call Heather Armstrong on

01765 694800

10 North Street, Ripon HG4 1JY www.joplings.com 01765 694800

spring 2012 | dales life | 117

Residential & Rural Property Sales, Lettings & Acquisitions Estate & Sporting Management Rural/Agricultural Consultancy & Advice (including):

Farm Stewardship & Subsidy Schemes Landlord & Tenant Matters Compulsory Purchase & Compensation Valuation of Agricultural, Residential & Commercial Property RICS Property Surveys Planning & Development Advice Renewable Energy Schemes

Any queries, please contact David Cooper or Phil ScottScott-Priestley at the Leyburn Office

 Leyburn Office tel: 01969 600120

Email: leyburn@gscgrays.co.uk

Barnard Castle tel: 01833 637000 Hamsterley tel: 01388 487000 Richmond tel: 01748 829210 Stokesley tel: 01642 710742 118

CHARTERED SURVEYORS • ESTATE AGENTS • PROPERTY AUCTIONEERS • VALUERS • LAND AGENTS

Briar House | Redmire, Leyburn

Kilton Lodge | Aldbrough St John, Richmond

An outstanding village residence. Desirable detached period house with five bedrooms. Attractive secluded partly walled gardens. 3.17 Acres grass paddock. Excellent village location with good local amenities. Viewing by appointment

Country property with land. Outstanding first class 3/4 bedroom accommodation. Immaculately presented throughout. Stable block and paddocks, 3.5 acres in all. Delightful gardens and garage. Attractive rural location with panoramic views.

£625,000 - £650,000

£550,000 - £585,000

Moor Linch | Thornton Steward, Ripon

Cote Bottom | Thoralby, Leyburn

A magnificent family house with 1.75 acres approx with stunning panoramic views. Delightful stone built property. Immaculately presented five bedroom property. Spectacular views over surrounding countryside. Extensive gardens and grounds.

Charming three bedroom detached traditional dales long house. Spacious accommodation with a wealth of traditional features. Gardens and grounds. Stunning panoramic views over surrounding countryside.

£625,000 - £650,000

Offers In Excess Of £375,000

If you are thinking of selling your property please contact Tim Gower MRICS for a FREE Market Appraisal Bedale 01677 425950 robinjessop.co.uk

Leyburn 01969 622800

spring 2012 | dales life | 119

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Love Yorkshire

LOVE DALES LIFE A year’s subscription for just £13 • Keep informed of rural events • Enjoy irresistible dishes using seasonal produce • Try recipes from the top chefs • Learn about your local environment • Subscribe to ensure you never miss an issue, or give someone the perfect gift

Send a cheque for £13 payable to Dales Life Holgate Villas, Suite Q, 22 Holgate Road, York YO24 4AB

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spring 2012 | dales life | 121

Hillcrest

Care Home

Dedicated to quality care • Handpicked staff • New management • New experienced owners • Totally refurbished • Value for money • Home cooked quality meals

At Hillcrest we believe in giving all our residents the quality, care and respect that they deserve. We deliver this with our team of dedicated staff that all have empathy and passion for the care they give.

Hillcrest has undergone a major refurbishment by the new owners, giving the home a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The only way to really appreciate the high level of care offered at Hillcrest is to arrange a visit for yourself.

Call Hillcrest’s manager Nicola Cooper to arrange a visit at a time to suit you on 01748 834444 or email hillcrest@sirtin.com 122

Hillcrest, Byng Road, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, DL9 4DW

Clifton St Annes P.C.S.

The Millings “There is always something going on and we have lots of laughs.

I am very settled here and can’t imagine being anywhere else.

This is my home.”

RESIDENTIAL & DAY CARE HOME FOR OLDER PEOPLE North End, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1AF

Tel: 01677 423635 www.residential-homes.net

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Our experienced team supports the various needs of vunerable people to remain as independent as possible in their home.

We provide hourly, day/night and live-in-care.

Premiere Care has been awarded by the CQC the highest possible rating on their last inspection in 2009 which confirms the quality of service that we supply.

For an information pack please contact: Premiere Care (NE) Ltd Thornborough Hall, Leyburn DL8 5AB PREMIERE CARE

01969 622 499 www.premiere-care.co.uk

spring 2012 | dales life | 123

MICHAEL WATKINSON Building & fine restoration

Building Contractors Renovations, New Build, Extensions Specialists in Stonework, Roofing and Plastering

Tel. 01969 667921 or 07980 105722 www.watkinsonrenovations.com

The Wensleydale House Doctor Home Improvement Specialist • Interior & Exterior Painting • Interior Decorating • Tiling • Plumbing • Plastering • Flooring (including laminate) • Kitchens and bathrooms fitted

To book space in the May/June issue contact Sue Gillman Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com

A.J.Hicks Domestic Plumbing Services For all your domestic plumbing needs Fast, friendly, reliable service.

24hr service NO CALL OUT CHARGE Are you having difficulty finding a plumber?

Are they always too busy to deal with the little jobs?

Bathrooms fitted Tiling work

No job too small BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR SPRING EXTERIOR PAINTING

Tel: 01677 450810

Hunton, Bedale, North Yorkshire www.wensleydalehousedoctor.co.uk 124

Call Andy Hicks Tel: 01677 450309 Mob: 07845 936064 Email: andrew.hicks93@virgin.net

No job too small!!!

spring 2012 | dales life | 125

O U R A L L N E W S U N D AY L U N C H M E N U C E L E B R AT I N G T H E TA S T E S O F Y O R K S H I R E Sample Starters Whitby Crab & Brown Shrimp Cocktail with Basil Mayonnaise Parfait of Chicken Livers with Orange Chutney Vol-Au-Vent of English Poached Duck Egg with Leek and Wild Mushrooms Soused Yorkshire Coast Mackerel with Saffron Aioli

Sample Mains Roast Sirloin of Mill Close Farm Beef with Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Potatoes and Yorkshire Salad Wilsons Farm Gloucester Old Spot Pork, Honey Roast Apple and Herb Stuffing Wild Mushroom Risotto with Parmesan Crisp Roast Leg of Malton Farm Lamb with Mint Gravy, Roast Potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding

Sample Desserts Warm Chocolate Brownie, Vanilla Ice Cream Ginger Pannacotta with Blackberry & Apple Sorbet Warm Pistachio Cake with Plum Sorbet Classic Glazed Lemon Tart, Raspberry Sorbet

1 Course £11.95 • 2 Courses £15.95 • 3 Courses £17.95 includes a glass of red or white wine with your main course

Jazz Night

Due to popu larity, we ar e delighted to w elcome back Dougie Pugh and his ban d on 22nd M arch 2012, starting from 7.30 pm T

t Nigh c i n a t pr i A il T Saturday 14th ce the

e day sin 100 years to th to are delighted we , nk sa c ni ta e Ti rience the sam pe ex to u yo invite mpanied by co ac u, en m 12 course the s consumed at wine, that wa l fu te fa e th on Captain’s table April 1912. night of 14th Tie event with This is a Black entertainment. ed em Titanic th ore details. m r Please call fo ent Ticket only ev

he bar m enu will be offer Rooms ar ed from e also a 7.00 pm vailable

Yorebridge House • Bainbridge • Leyburn • Wensleydale • North Yorkshire • DL8 3EE T: 01969 652060 • F: 01969 650258 • E: enquiries@yorebridgehouse.com wwwyorebridgehouse.com 126

2012

to DINE FOR Great places to eat and stay in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales The Blue Lion Regarded as one of the North’s leading country inns. The ‘candlelit restaurant’ provides a stunning setting in which to enjoy a gourmet meal. All food is freshly prepared using a variety of Yorkshire produce. There is an extensive wine list to choose from. The bar, with its open fire and flagstone floor, offers a tantalising range of bar meals, as well as a fine selection of traditional hand-pulled beers.

Tel: 01969 624273 www.thebluelion.co.uk

The White Bear

The Queens’s Head

The White Bear is situated in the beautiful market town of Masham. A team of talented chefs use locally sourced ingredients to create delicious, seasonal dishes. Enjoy your meal in the charming dining room or the traditional bar; open fires create a cosy atmosphere throughout.

An extensive wine list complements the menu. Accommodation is available in fourteen individually designed rooms all en suite.

The Queen’s Head is a charming, characteristic country inn dating from the 1700s, set in the attractive village of Finghall. near Leyburn. It offers comfortable modern accommodation and a traditional, cosy bar. Manager and head chef Ian Vipond has devised a fresh, new menu for the restaurant, based around tasty local and seasonal produce. Traditional bar snacks are also available. With original oak beams and a dining room that looks out over the woods, The Queen’s Head combines great food with a genuinely warm welcome.

Tel: 01765 689319 www.thewhitebearhotel.co.uk

The Malt Shovel The Malt Shovel in Brearton, ten minutes north of Harrogate, is a lovely old country pub with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Jürg and Jane Bleiker, founders of Bleiker’s Smokehouse and formerly of the Old Deanery in Ripon, specialise in fresh fish and home-smoked foods.

The Malt Shovel holds occasional Opera with Dinner Evenings, With a comprehensive list of interesting wines and well-cared-for hand-pulled ales, The Malt Shovel is definitely worth a visit.

Tel: 01423 862929 www.themaltshovelbrearton.co.uk

Tel: 01677 450259 www.queensfinghall.co.uk

Swinton Park Hotel An elegant, 30 bedroom luxury castle hotel.

With four Red Stars (Inspector’s Choice) and three Rosettes awarded by the AA for excellent facilities, this is one of the most highly rated hotels in Yorkshire. Award-winning cuisine is served in the sumptuously furnished dining room, using seasonal produce sourced from the hotel’s four-acre walled garden and surrounding estate.

Tel: 01423 862929 www.swintonpark.com spring spring 2012 2012 || dales dales life life || 127

The George at Wath

Stone House Hotel

Just over three miles from the city of Ripon, you will find The George at Wath, a traditional country inn serving a mouthwatering menu using locally sourced, fresh, seasonal produce. We also offer an excellent choice of fine wines, many by the glass and a selection of local cask ales. Luxury en-suite accommodation, private dining, beer garden and function room available.

Stone House Hotel is an elegant, country residence dating from 1908. It is just a short drive from the bustling market town of Hawes. With its cosy bar, library-cumbilliard room and panelled Oak Room, Stone House makes a great place to relax. Enjoy delicious, locally sourced traditional food from breakfast through to dinner, and choose from an extensive list of fine wines. There are three spacious and romantic four-poster suites, and five ground-floor conservatory bedrooms that open directly onto the lawns, popular with dog owners and guests who aren’t keen on stairs.

Tel: 01765 641324 www.thegeorgeatwath.co.uk

The White Swan Overlooking Middleham’s picturesque market square and boasting lovely rural views, the White Swan is now a premier town-house hotel with superb facilities. Originally a coaching inn retaining many original features, the hotel has been extended and refurbished offering 17 excellent bedrooms. The brasserie offers a range of mouth-watering meals, all freshly prepared.

Tel: 01969 622093 www.whiteswanhotel.co.uk

The Countryman’s Inn A traditional country pub, with four wellequipped, comfortable en-suite bedrooms.

You are assured of a warm welcome, with good beer, good food and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The restaurant offers a wide selection of locally sourced and freshly prepared food to suit all tastes and budgets.

The bar offers a selection of four caskconditioned ales, three of which are brewed within 10 miles of the pub.

Tel: 01677 450554 www.countrymansinn.co.uk

Tel: 01969 667571 www.stonehousehotel.co.uk

The Sandpiper Inn Enjoy Jonathan Harrison’s unique cuisine in the traditional surroundings of the Sandpiper Inn, Leyburn. Modern British food prepared using only the finest ingredients.

Fine wines, real ales and friendly service.

Accommodation is available.

Tel: 01969 622206 www.sandpiperinn.co.uk

Hendersons Bar & Restaurant Set in the idyllic riverside surroundings of Westholme Estate in Bishopdale near Aysgarth, Hendersons is a bright, stylish, relaxed bar and bistro-style restaurant with a contemporary feel. Using local and home-grown produce, talented head chef Andy Brooks creates Modern British cuisine, drawing on his wealth of experience from restaurants throughout London and the Midlands.

Tel: 01969 663268

The Black Sheep Brewery

Yorebridge House

The Black Sheep Brewery Visitor Centre – situated in Masham, is the ideal place for a great day or evening out. You can take a tour of the Brewery, have a meal in the Bistro, and taste their award-winning beers at the ‘Baa…r’. You can also buy lots of goodies from the well-stocked Sheepy Shop. It offers a ‘ewe-nique’ venue for corporate entertaining, product launches, parties and weddings.

Just outside the unspoilt village of Bainbridge in Upper Wensleydale, AA fivestar hotel Yorebridge House offers sumptuous rooms and a relaxing atmosphere in an attractive riverside setting. The stylish 2 AA Rosette bar and restaurant feature an exciting Modern British menu created by Head Chef Aaron Craig and his team, using the very best of local fresh produce.

Tel: 01765 680101 www.blacksheepbrewery.com

Tel: 01969 652060 www.yorebridgehouse.co.uk

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spring 2012 | dales life | 129

The Last Word with celebrity chef James Martin, star of Saturday Kitchen Who has been your greatest inspiration?

What is your favourite Yorkshire food?

Apart from my mum and gran, the people who have had the biggest influence on my career – and those who have inspired me most – are the Roux brothers, and in particular Michel Roux Senior. I still get nervous when I am cooking around him, but he is always very encouraging.

I love good, proper food, and Yorkshire has so much to offer, from fresh seafood on the coast to wonderful meats and fresh vegetables – everything you need to make fantastic meals and great desserts and cakes. I do love a good piece of parkin, and a well-made Yorkshire pud.

How has being born and bred in Yorkshire affected you as a chef? Growing up in

Yorkshire, where there are so many fantastic local growers, butchers and suppliers producing exceptional products, can spoil a chef for life! My Yorkshire roots have made me committed to getting hold of the best possible locally sourced ingredients for my cooking.

I would also say that being a Yorkshireman has made me more aware of what things cost and the importance of keeping an eye on this while planning your menu.

What are your top tips for home cooks who want to up their game? Apart from sourcing

great local British ingredients, my number one tip is to prepare well in advance. Know what you want to make and make sure you can get hold of everything you need from a quality supplier. Talk to your butcher or grocer and get tips from them. See if they have any new ingredients you can try, or products they can recommend. Practise your dish – this can help you figure out how much time you will need to make it, and might highlight missing ingredients or trickier parts of the process.

Try to keep things simple. Simple is good, and simplicity often leads to the best results.

What is your favourite Yorkshire restaurant?

I love Trenchers fish-and-chips restaurant in Whitby. They serve the best chips money can buy!

Who would be your ideal dining companions? My family, because I don’t get

to see them as often as I’d like. They do pop in to the restaurant when I’m behind the stove though.

Tell us about your latest venture

Life Fork & Spoon is a new online homedelivery service bringing delicious, restaurant-quality dishes to your door.

Along with our team of experienced chefs, I created all the recipes in the 60-strong range especially for this venture. The idea was to provide a service that allows you to treat yourself to top-quality food at home without having to spend hours preparing everything from scratch. Many of our dishes are cooked using the ‘sous-vide’ method, which means that all the flavour and texture of the food gets locked in. The dish is then snap-frozen, ensuring it arrives in optimum condition. All the customer needs to do is gently thaw it and, where appropriate, reheat.

It really couldn’t be simpler.

For more information about James Martin and Life, Fork & Spoon, visit www.jamesmartinchef.co.uk and www.lifeforkspoon.co.uk.

130 | dales life | spring 2012

For your legal ease For help and legal advice call Bedale 01677 422422 Ripon 01765 601717 Thirsk 01845 522324 www.eccles-heddon.co.uk

Family Law (Divorce, Family & Children) Property Law (Residential & Commercial) Business Advice Employment Law Wills, Probate and Family Trusts Estate Planning Lasting Powers of Attorney Advising the Elderly Farming & Agriculture

FAMILY LAW CLINIC

Dispute Resolution

We run a family law clinic once a week at our Bedale and Ripon offices.

Please telephone Jane Midgley at Bedale or Liz Kidd or Sandra Windross at Ripon to book a FREE 30-minute consultation. spring 2012 | dales life | 131

HolmeDesign THE DESIGN SPECIALISTS

Inspired designs created for you

Kitchens  Bathrooms  Bedrooms  Home offices Visit our showroom: Unit 1 The Craft Yard The Station Bedale DL8 1AW Telephone us on 01677 424668 or visit our website www.holmedesign.com

132 132 | dales life | spring 2012