Dales Life June-July 2012

June/July 2012 £1.95

ANTIQUES | WILDLIFE | FOOD | INTERIORS | GARDENING | TRAVEL

GO WITH

The Flow

Your guide to RIVERSIDE WILDLIFE

LUSCIOUS LAVENDER Give your borders a lift

BBQ ON THE

BEACH

SCRUMPTIOUS SEASIDE RECIPES

Studio Spectacular The Art of the Dales

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| Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

From the editor June/July 2012

Welcome to Dales Life Late spring and early summer – when the weather is mild, but the hustle and bustle of the holiday season hasn’t yet begun – is a wonderful time of year to be out and about. With that in mind, this issue of Dales Life is firmly focused on enjoying the great outdoors.

Back to Nature For a relaxing encounter with nature, you can’t beat sitting on a riverbank and watching the wildlife. On p.14 Professor Chris Baines explains how to choose a spot, and what to look out for.

And did you know that we have a top-class local nature reserve, Foxglove Covert, right on our doorsteps? It’s tucked away in a corner of the army base at Catterick – so tucked away, in fact, that many locals don’t realise it’s there. You can read all about it on p.32.

A Great Place To Stay Page 68

Food for Thought Alternatively, you could head for one of Yorkshire’s splendid beaches, and maybe even rustle up a tasty meal while you’re there – turn to p.42 for Alice Hart’s inspiring beach barbecue menu. Or, for a family day out with a cultural slant, why not take a leisurely trip around the Dales to meet some of the artists in this year’s exciting North Yorkshire Open Studios event?

You can find all the details on p.128.

With all this, and our regular features besides, you’ll find plenty of ideas for making the most of the good weather. So, here’s hoping you enjoy the spring sunshine – and this special outdoor issue of Dales Life!

Sue Gillman Editor

Luscious Lavender Page 20 To advertise in Dales Life please contact Sue on 01904 629 295 or 07970 739 119 email: sue@daleslife.com web: www. daleslife.com JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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Bespoke doors • Cast iron radiators • Oak flooring Period fireplaces • Handmade kitchens • Wood stoves Wallpapers and paints by Little Green Paint Company Carpets and rugs by Crucial Trading

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| Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

Contents June/July 2012

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60

20 Subscribe to Dales Life

June/July 2012 £1.95

Go to www.daleslife.com for further details

ANTIQUES | WILDLIFE | FOOD | INTERIORS | GARDENING | TRAVEL

GO WITH

The Flow

Your guide to RIVERSIDE WILDLIFE

LUSCIOUS LAVENDER Give your borders a lift

BBQ ON THE

BEACH

SCRUMPTIOUS SEASIDE RECIPES

Studio Spectacular The Art of the Dales

Cover Picture © Danielle Nichol

Features…

9 Emporium

Inspiring ideas for your home and garden.

14 Go With The Flow

Spotting wildlife on the riverbank with Professor Chris Baines.

20 Luscious Lavender

Even if there’s a drought, lavender won’t let you down, says Ambra Edwards.

25 Dig It

Brassicas are back in favour, so time to get planting, says Adam Appleyard.

32 Reserve Forces

Foxglove Covert is one of the North’s best nature reserves, Brian Pike reports.

42 Seaside Spread

A beach barbecue menu from Alice Hart’s new book, Friends At My Table.

56 The Discerning Diner

Claudia Blake visits The Shoulder of Mutton at Kirby Hill.

60 Irresistible

Scrumptious supper dishes from Tamasin Day-Lewis.

JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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Contents June/July 2012

32

9

14

Features To advertise in Dales Life contact Sue on 01904 629295 or 07970 739119 sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com

Editor: Sue Gillman Deputy Editor: Brian Pike Production: Claudia Blake Advertising: Sue Gillman Art Editor: Stefan Suchomski Fashion Editor: Chloe Smith Proofreader: Elaine Pollard

88 Brilliant Berlin

Ian Henry on the charms of Europe’s liveliest capital.

74 To Dine For

Great places to eat in the Yorkshire Dales.

97 Dales Diary

A comprehensive guide to local events compiled by Elaine Pollard.

80 In Season

The asparagus season is here again, so make the most of it.

Contributors: Adam Appleyard, Ambra Edwards, Brian Pike, Chloe Smith, Chris Baines, Claudia Blake, Ian Henry, Laurie Campbell

82 The Big Cheese

The first of a new series celebrating Yorkshire cheese.

Proprietor: Sue Gillman T: 01904 629295 M: 07970 739119 E: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com

84 Prime Time

Adam Wasdell talks to Ian Henry about fascinating pocket watches.

Dales Life, Holgate Villas, Suite N, 22 Holgate Road, York, North Yorkshire YO24 4AB 6

68 A Great Place To Stay

The first of a new series, The Burgoyne Hotel, Reeth.

| Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

108 Calling The Shots

Is the digital point and shoot camera already dead in the water, Ian Henry investigates.

110 Bookmark

Brian Pike takes a critical look at the latest releases.

128 Home Is Where The Art Is

Brian Pike reports on this year’s best ever Open Studio’s event.

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 necessarily those of the publishers or their employees.

JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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| Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

Emporium

Inspiring ideas…

for your home

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1 A sophisticated collection of maritime prints, available from Bear Cottage Interiors, Hawes, www.bearcottageinteriors.co.uk, 01969 666077. 2 This fine bone china jam jar with butterfly design is from a collection by Sophie Allport. See it, and more, at Bear Cottage Interiors, Hawes, www.bearcottageinteriors. co.uk, 01969 666077. 3 Liven up your table with this set of six elegant and practical placemats and coasters, from Patchwork Rose, Bedale, www.patchworkrose.co.uk, 01677 427627. 4 A beautiful ceramic mug, hand made in England at the Burleigh Pottery, £12.95 from Dovetail Interiors, Bedale, www.dovetailinteriors.com, 01677 426464. 5 Add a little fun to your washday with this charming butterfly peg bag by Sophie Allport, £8.50 from Serendipity, Leyburn, 01969 622112. 6 CB furnishings are currently offering 20% off this fabulous range of fabrics celebrating the British countryside. CB Furnishings, Northallerton, www.cbfurnishings.co.uk, 01609 772916.

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Emporium

Inspiring ideas…

for your home 3

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1 1 This stylish Battersby wall clock would add a hint of elegance to any country kitchen, £85 from The Period House, Richmond, www.periodhousestore.co.uk, 01748 821500. 2 A cute and colourful red squirrel mug by Emma Bridgewater, £19.95 from Dovetail Interiors, Bedale, www.dovetailinteriors.com, 01677 426464. 3 Create a cosy corner in your garden with a lattice bench, available in a choice of colours and styles from County Kitchens, Leyburn, www.yorkshire-kitchens.co.uk, 01969 624274. 4 You can find this exciting new collection of vibrant fabrics and prints by Sanderson at Milners of Leyburn, www. milnersofleyburn.co.uk, 01969 622208. 5 These delightful ‘Busy Bee’ jugs’ are from a collection by Sophie Allport. See them, and plenty more besides, at Serendipity in Leyburn, 01969 622112. 6 You can’t help smiling at these loveable diving frogs – they’re from a range by Parlane, available at Serendipity, Leyburn, 01969 622112.

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Go With the Flow Spotting wildlife on the riverbank, with Professor Chris Baines.

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Images Laurie Campbell and FLPA Left: Water Vole; Below: Top Water Avens; Bottom: Otter

For a nature lover there’s nowhere quite like a riverbank in spring. And to see it at its best, all you need to do is sit quietly and let the wildlife come to you.

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deally I like to find a sheltered spot on a bend, with a good view in both directions and a variety of different habitats. A steep cliff on the inside of the bend will usually be matched by shingle on the outside. Look for a stretch with both deep and shallow water, and with a few overhanging trees but plenty of open sunlight.

Try to settle into your surroundings so that there’s no scary human silhouette to spook the shyer creatures.

At this time of year you can expect to see some of our most beautiful wildflowers in full display. Yellow flag iris, purple loosestrife, greater spearwort and flowering rush are among the tallest, but down in the marshy margins of the water you may also be lucky enough to find some more modest gems. My own favourite is ragged robin, but often there will be a whole tapestry of delightful pastel shades, including water forget-me-not, water mint, brooklime, lesser spearwort, marsh marigold, lady’s smock and water avens.

The birdlife of a stream or river is a good indicator of the wildlife living below the surface. It is hard to beat the spectacle of a kingfisher, and if you have chosen your spot well you may have a fishing perch in view, or even a nest hole in the riverbank. In flight, kingfishers are little more than a shrill whistle and a brilliant blur, but when they perch on an overhanging branch you get the full benefit of their glorious plumage.

Herons have a much more leisurely lifestyle, standing motionless in the shallows or JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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flapping slowly from one fishing point to the next. Goosanders are much less common, but worth looking out for. They fish in the fiercest of white water by diving beneath the surface and chasing their prey.

The insect-eaters among the water birds are an even better guide to water quality. In fasterflowing streams the dipper is an important indicator of a healthy water course, and a fascinating bird to watch. It will occupy a very definite territory, flying fast and low upstream, stopping on a favourite rock, bobbing up and down for a minute or two, then disappearing into the water in search of submerged insects.

This behaviour will be repeated several times as the dipper travels to the top end of its territory, then it will fly downstream and start again.

Where the water flows more slowly, look out for wagtails. They also feed on insects, but 16

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flutter up in to the air to catch them on the wing. Even more acrobatic are the swallows and martins that swoop back and forth through clouds of midges and mayflies, snapping them up in their hundreds. Sand martins are the least common species in this group of summer visitors, and they are definitely river birds.

Look out for groups of their nesting tunnels in the soft sand of river cliffs.

Some of the water insects themselves are well worth watching too. On warm, windless days you can expect to see the spectacular aeronautical performance of dragonflies.

‘Hawkers’ quarter their territory in pursuit of smaller insects, whilst ‘darters’ perch patiently on a favourite plant, swooping out from time to time to pick off passing prey.

Damsel flies are smaller and less spectacular, but still stunningly colourful. My favourite

Goosanders are much less common, but worth looking out for

is the banded agrion. Its large wings are decorated with a broad band of deep blue, and they flutter, fairy-like among the stems of waterside wildflowers.

Main picture: Goosander; Above: River Water-Crowfoot; Below: Yellow Iris

Fish are trickier to spot. If the flies are rising then you may see a trout leap obligingly out of the water, but if you have a good pair of polarising sun glasses to reduce the glare, try looking into the still shaded water beneath a tree or a bridge and you may well spot a pike on the prowl, or a shoal of cleverly camouflaged perch.

The riverbank is also home to one of our bestloved, but also most endangered mammals, the water vole. If you still have them in your area, you’ll find they are remarkably easy to spot. They are active by day, and surprisingly unconcerned by humans. Being plant eaters, they can cope with fairly polluted water, but JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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Above: Grey Wagtail; Right: Purple Loosestrife

The birdlife of a stream or river is a good indicator of the wildlife living below the surface they have been preyed on mercilessly by feral mink, and are now becoming very difficult to find.

Otters, by contrast, are on the up, and are currently present in every county for the first time in half a century. Unfortunately, because they are nocturnal and extremely shy, the best most of us can hope for is the sight of the oily black droppings that they use to mark their territory, along with an occasional paw print in the mud or the telltale whistle of a dog otter after dark.

This year drought is a serious concern, and streams are drying out across much of the country. This may be inconvenient for farmers and gardeners, but for some of our most attractive wildlife it can be lifethreatening. So enjoy the river bank while you can – and use water wisely.

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n Keen to try a little riverside wildlife watching?

You can see many of the plants, birds and animals mentioned here – including water voles – at Foxglove Covert nature reserve in Catterick Garrison. See the feature on p.32 for details.

Factfile.

American mink were introduced for fur farming in Britain in the 1920s. They escaped, and since then their spread has been a major reason for the 94% decline in water vole numbers.

Kingfishers can escape the harshest winter weather by migrating to the coast and fishing in the unfrozen salty pools and creeks. But will they survive the dried-out streams of summer droughts in the same way?

Purple loosestrife is one of our most beautiful waterside wildflowers, but it has become a massive alien weed problem in North America.

There are an estimated four million anglers in the UK, many of them now working with conservation groups to manage stream and river habitats.

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Luscious

Lavender

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Words: Ambra Edwards; Pictures: RHS Images

Even if there is a drought this summer, lavender won’t let you down, says Ambra Edwards.

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t’s hard to imagine an English summer garden without the scent of lavender, yet the plant is hardly ideally suited to our cold, wet island. Though lavender has been growing here since Roman times, all 39 species hail from sunnier climes, from the Canaries to southern India.

Our familiar ‘Old English’ lavender, L. angustifolia, with its long, slender spikes of blooms, is a native of the Mediterranean, which is why it’s a good choice for the drought-stricken garden. It is also the hardiest and longest-lived of the lavenders, reliable down to -15°C, and hence generally proof against Yorkshire winters. ‘Ashdown Forest’ and ‘Folgate’ are two excellent varieties –

pliant, chunky plants that stand up well to wind and rain, and are perfect for bunching and for lavender bags.

Narrow-leaved, compact and fragrant, angustifolia varieties make beautiful hedges.

Rather than the ubiquitous ‘Hidcote’, try ‘Imperial Gem’. Its dark purple flowers are similar in colour, but it has more silvery, less brittle foliage. To keep your hedge going all summer, alternate early, mid and lateflowering varieties of similar height, such as ‘Folgate’, ‘Imperial Gem’ and ‘Elizabeth’ (all 60cm). This also solves the problem of unexpected gaps; even the most carefully tended lavenders have a way of expiring suddenly, for no apparent reason.

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In a sheltered town garden, in a well-drained south-facing bed, you could risk planting the ‘Lavandins’ (L. x intermedia). They are less hardy and tend to flower later, often lasting into September. These are the lavenders you’ll see on the hillsides of Provence.

Mediterranean plants often grow surprisingly well in Yorkshire, for it is winter wet rather than low temperatures that tend to carry them off, and our winters are comparatively dry. Mix mid-purple ‘Abrialli’ with darker ‘Gros Bleu’ and pure white ‘Alba’ for striking multicoloured borders and pot pourri.

Quite different in appearance are the ‘French’ lavenders (also called ‘bee’ or ‘bract’ lavenders), L. stoechas and L. pendunculata. What they lack in fragrance they make up for with spectacular bracts, which resemble fat little 22

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Mediterranean plants often grow surprisingly well in Yorkshire bees or butterflies. ‘Fathead’ is especially chirpy – or try the gorgeous ‘Ballerina’, which has flouncy white ears that flush to pink as it ages.

Bee lavenders are short-lived and hate the wet, so they don’t make dependable border plants.

The answer is to grow them in large pots, in a loam-based compost to which you have added a few handfuls of grit. Deadhead regularly and they will flower from May to October. Don’t be tempted to mix them in with other plants – their cuckoo-like root systems will displace less vigorous neighbours.

Lavenders are notoriously picky, but the way to succeed is through a regime of tough love.

True Grit Lavenders do best in thin, stony, free-draining soils.

If yours is heavy, improve drainage by digging in a barrow load of grit per square metre. Never put grit in the bottom of the planting hole; it will act as a sump and kill your plant quicker than anything. Instead, plant on a slight mound – or a ridge, if you’re making a hedge. Avoid mulches of bark or anything than can turn soggy. Choose gravel or pebbles instead.

Ban the Can Lavenders hate dank air and soggy soil. Be careful not to waterlog them when planting, and in dry conditions water the soil rather than the foliage.

Once established, no further watering should be needed. When overwintering containers, wait till the plant begins to wilt before watering.

Some Like It Hot Plant lavenders where they will get the sun for most of the day, never in the shade of other plants.

Off With Their Heads Lavenders need rigorous pruning or they soon go leggy and woody. Chop right down to 20cm immediately after flowering. For bee lavenders, which go on from spring to autumn, do this after the first flowering. Even if you have to sacrifice some late flowers, your lavenders will reward you with new growth within six weeks.

With this brutal treatment, hardy lavenders should last for 20 years and bract lavenders for 5–10 years.

Keep Them Hungry Lavenders go floppy if overfed, so grow them lean and mean. A sprinkle of potash is all that’s needed for a border plant. For container plants, use a slow-release fertiliser.

The Acid Test Lavenders love light, chalky soil. If your soil is acid, add lime in early spring – about a handful per square metre – or choose acid-tolerant L. stoechas varieties.

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Good Companions The traditional pairing of lavender and roses is disastrous for lavenders.

Roses like heavy soil and lots of manure – just what lavenders hate! Take a tip from the beautiful garden at Yorkshire Lavender and partner lavenders with other drought-tolerant sun-lovers like lime-green euphorbias, metallic blue sea hollies, silvery lambs’ ears (Stachys byzantina) and Convolvulus cneorum, and a haze of Verbena bonariensis.

INSTANT INSPIRATION Whether its lavender or any other garden plant that you’re interested in, you’ll find masses of helpful information on the Royal Horticultural Society website, www.rhs.org.uk.

Use their Plant Selector to decide what to plant where, and their handy Plant Finder to discover which nurseries supply which plant.

Of course nothing beats seeing plants growing in context, and here in North Yorkshire we’re lucky to have the magnificent RHS garden at Harlow Carr in Harrogate on our doorsteps.

With environments ranging from formal borders to wildflower meadows and woodland it’s an unbeatable source of ideas — and it’s open every day of the year bar Christmas Day. For full details visit www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/ harlow-carr.

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Use lavender oil to treat burns, stings and cuts Using Lavender • Harvest just before full bloom and hang upside down in bunches in the airing cupboard to dry.

• Store linen and clothes with sachets of dried lavender flowers to deter moths.

• Ward off midges with a few drops of lavender oil round the window frame.

• A sprinkle of lavender oil in a warm bath will calm overexcited children and soothe frazzled mums.

• Try lavender sprigs in the kitchen in place of rosemary in lamb or goat cheese recipes, or add a spoonful of dried lavender grains to a jar of caster sugar to give cakes, scones and biscuits a delicious floral flavour. ‘Little Lady’ is a good variety for cooking.

• Use lavender oil to treat burns, stings and cuts.

Massage a few drops into the temples to ease headaches and sprinkle a few drops on your pillow to get you off to sleep.

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JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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Dig It

From cabbage and cauliflower to broccoli and Brussels sprouts, brassicas are back in favour. And now’s the time to get planting, says Adam Appleyard.

Overcooked cabbage: it’s the very essence of old-fashioned, depressing British cooking, isn’t it? Along with its cousins in the brassica family which include kale, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, cabbage has been very much sidelined by flashier Mediterranean vegetables these last few decades.

But things are changing.

British cooks have finally grasped that brassicas don’t need to be boiled lifeless, and scientists have discovered that they are packed with selenium, vitamin C and a host of other beneficial compounds with lengthy names and proven antibacterial, antiviral and cancersuppressing properties.

Throw in the fact that they can also be strangely beautiful – ornamental cabbages have been popular in Japan since the 17th century – and it adds up to a strong case for growing your own.

COMMON KNOWLEDGE You can buy young brassica plants from garden centres, but they’re simplicity itself to grow from seed. Raise them in pots in a sheltered outdoors spot, eliminating weaker specimens along the way.

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When it comes to planting out, all the brassicas share similar requirements, starting with a good sunny spot. You’ll need plenty of space for traditional varieties, but the newer, compact strains can also be grown in containers.

Brassicas hate poor, acid soil, so they’ll appreciate a site that has been limed and enriched with manure or compost. They like lots of nitrogen too, so they are ideal for beds where you grew peas and beans last year.

Since they tend to be big, heavy plants they need firm soil to root in, otherwise they may keel over. Help them stay stable by stamping down the soil before and after planting. Water in well, and keep on watering generously. After a few weeks of growth, treat them to a nitrogen-rich feed.

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CHOICEST CABBAGES Cabbage Red Drumhead is a luscious maroon variety that looks terrific shredded into salads or stir-fries. Sow March to May for an autumn harvest. Aim to space your seedlings 45cm apart. And for a cabbage crop that takes you through winter into spring, sow January King until June. Its frilly, blue-green foliage, gently tinged with purple, is so gorgeous you might easily plant it just for show.

SAY IT WITH CAULIFLOWERS Cauliflower All Year Round is a traditional cauliflower with tight, creamy ‘curds’ (as the florets are called). Plant it in April or May for an autumn harvest. My favourite, though, is Romanesco, whose stunning flowerheads are a mass of bright green, pointy pyramids, as exotic as any eastern pagoda. It has a uniquely beguiling taste too.

“packed with beneficial compounds, they can also be strangely beautiful”

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Best the Pests We know brassicas are full of goodness – and so does the rest of the natural world. Rotate your crops to cut down on soil-borne diseases, and be prepared to fight off hungry visitors.

CATERPILLARS Cabbage white butterfly caterpillars will shred your brassicas in a trice given half a chance. Inspect undersides of leaves every couple of days and remove eggs and newly hatched caterpillars by hand.

SLUGS Clear away garden debris and use a biological slug defence like Nemaslug on the soil.

Traditional beer-filled traps work well too, if you’re not squeamish about the corpses.

CABBAGE ROOT FLY These little devils lay their eggs at the base of the plant’s stem, and the larvae burrow down and chew the roots. Stop them in their tracks by buying collars to fit around the stems – or, more cheaply, cut your own from heavy-duty felt or carpet underlay.

BIRDS Netting, held well clear of the plants on canes, will keep them off – and the butterflies too. If that’s not practical, try scaring them off with old CDs or strips of tinfoil suspended on strings.

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SPLENDID SPROUTS For a reliable, quick-cropping, well-flavoured Brussels sprout, sow Brussels sprout Maximus F1 until the end of May, spacing your plants 60cm apart and remembering to tamp down the soil firmly. For an interesting change, Rubine is a striking purplishred sprout, though it loses some of its colour if you cook it too hard. Get it in as soon as you can if you plan to enjoy it with your Christmas dinner.

BEAUTIFUL BROCCOLI Purple Sprouting is a reliable old favourite that will give you tasty flowerheads next spring. Sow through until June, spacing plants 60cm apart. Calabrese is a large-headed variety of broccoli. Plant Calabrese Chevalier F1 for a crop this autumn.

It’s a smaller plant than the Purple Sprouting, so you can keep your seedlings a touch closer together.

“simplicity itself to grow from seed”

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All the varieties mentioned here – and plenty more besides – can be bought online from Crocus, who also kindly provided the photographs. www.crocus.co.uk

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Reserve

Forces Foxglove Covert has emerged as one of the North’s best nature reserves, thanks to the combined efforts of the Army and enthusiastic locals. Brian Pike reports.

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Never Mind the Barracks

Species Galore

A visit to Foxglove Covert is an unforgettable experience before you’ve seen so much as a blade of grass. The nature reserve is set on 100 acres of Ministry of Defence land at Catterick Garrison, so security is understandably tight, and to gain admission you need to get past the razor wire and armed guards at Cambrai barracks first.

Once you’re inside, though, it’s difficult to believe you’re cheek-by-jowl with the largest military base in Europe – unless, of course, there happens to be a military exercise in progress on the surrounding moors. In the spring sunshine, Foxglove Covert is a tranquil, magical, self-contained place, bristling with flowers and alive with birdsong.

One of the reserve’s great strengths is the number and diversity of different habitats included within its relatively modest 100 acres. This, of course, makes for a corresponding diversity of wildlife, with over 2,000 species of plants and animals already recorded there, and plenty more yet to be logged.

Otters have regularly been seen on Risedale Beck, which meanders through lush ancient woodland and tall stands of conifers.

Further north you’ll find a series of interconnected ponds teeming with aquatic life, and a large lake patrolled by herons and kingfishers.

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An area of willow carr near the centre of the reserve is a great place to see and hear chiffchaffs, willow warblers and bullfinches, whilst open moorland, grass and scrub to the east – some areas drier, others wetter – echo to the calls of curlews and lapwings, and support all sorts of interesting and unusual plant life, including the elegant grass of Parnassus, the striking maroon marsh cinquefoil and butterwort, a tiny and deceptively delicate insectivorous plant.

Foxglove Covert’s extensive range of habitats, and the large number of bird species that are either resident or passing through, have made it an important centre for bird ringing. Only one other site in the British Isles surpasses it for length and consistency of data collection.

Covert Operations Foxglove Covert’s origins lie in the vision and determination of Major Tony Crease of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards – a 34

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keen ornithologist – who kick-started the whole project in 1992 by persuading the authorities to set aside a 28-acre patch of overgrown land.

“I spent 25 years in Germany,” he says, “and saw some outstanding nature reserves there. When I came back from the First Gulf War, I wondered if we could do something to emulate them here.”

Ten years on, and day-to-day operations are in the hands of two full-time civilian reserve managers, Sophie Rainer and Adam Edmond. Sophie and Adam are key points of contact for the 17,000 visitors who come to Foxglove Covert every year, many of them children from local schools on study visits.

None of this would have been possible, though, without the skills and hard work of local volunteers, who do everything from coppicing trees and clearing watercourses to helping raise the £100,000 per year that the reserve costs to operate.

Some Highlights Plants

Even on a busy a weekend you can still find peace and quiet Seek the Hides Thanks to the dedication of its individual supporters – along with grants from charitable organisations – Foxglove Covert is one of the best-appointed (and friendliest) nature reserves I have visited.

Getting around the reserve is a real pleasure. Paths are immaculately clear, and there are extensive sections of brand new boardwalk. There are two magnificent hides with extensive views of the wetlands and the lake, along with an outdoor classroom for school visits and a very wellequipped field centre.

Even on a busy a weekend, the extensive

Northern marsh orchid, common spotted orchid, bogbean, ragged robin, marsh cinquefoil and butterwort should all be in flower.

Invertebrates You can expect to find damsel flies, tadpoles and newts in and around the ponds, and orange tip and speckled wood butterflies in dappled shade.

Birds Look out for kingfishers up and down the watercourses, and moorhens and their chicks on the lake. Snipe, curlew and lapwing should be on the wing in the moorland areas.

Mammals Water voles can frequently be seen from the hides in spring, and with a bit of luck and patience you might even spot roe deer.

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Photographs by Danielle Nichol

Foxglove Covert Factfile Website

What’s more, there’s literally no vandalism.

Nothing ever gets broken or misused

www.foxglovecovert.org.uk.

Telephone 01748 831113 or 07754 270980 (Reserve Manager).

Opening Times Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, weekends and Bank Holidays. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day. Plan Your Trip

network of trails means that you can still find peace and quiet. What’s more, Foxglove Covert’s unique location has some highly positive side effects.

“People, old and young alike, can come here and know they’re safe,” says Major Crease. “What’s more, there’s literally no vandalism. Nothing ever gets broken or misused. Being behind the wire is actually a huge advantage for us.”

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Via Cambrai Barracks, Catterick Garrison, DL9 3PZ. Drivers must bring ID (e.g. driving licence). Groups of more than eight must apply in advance. See the Reserve website’s FAQ for maps and further details.

Access Site includes an easy access trail suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, leading to a wheelchair-friendly lakeside hide.

Donate Donations of up to £10 can be made by texting ‘FOXG12’, followed by ‘£X’ to 70070.

(Example: To donate £5, text ‘FOXG12 £5’.)

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enjoy your 5 a day with a Riverford vegbox organic veg, meat, dairy + more fresh from Home Farm in Newby Wiske, Northallerton, with free delivery

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Experience the difference this summer with CAMPBELLS OF LEYBURN

We have some fantastic products available to make this summer one to remember.

During July and August we will be holding regular tasting sessions on a wide range of local and regional products.

See in store for details of tasting sessions.

We have also just extended our fresh and deli areas and created a superb salad and olive bar.

So to enjoy summer even more why not pop in and pick up a fabulous selection of products and create your own picnic which you can savour in the beautiful surroundings of the Dales.

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Open 7 days a week (Mon-Sat 9.30-5.30pm, Sun 10-4pm) More information contact Benita at info@berrysfarmshop.com Swinithwaite, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4UH www.berrysfarmshop.com JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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SEASIDE SPREAD A beach barbecue menu for six, from Alice Hart’s new recipe collection, Friends at My Table.

BROWN BUTTER DABS | A PICNIC

POTATO SALAD | Pickled red onion and cucumber salad | BLUEBERRY, ALMOND AND VANILLA CHOUX BUNS Here in North Yorkshire we’re blessed with some beautiful beaches – Staithes and Runswick Bay, to name but two – and May and June are often the best months of the year to pay a visit. The weather, with luck, can be glorious, and the holiday crowds haven’t yet have turned up in force.

And what better than rustling up an alfresco feast while you’re there? Most of the work can be done in advance, and with a bit of planning you can do some simple cooking on the spot – a real adventure, for young and old alike.

Different beaches are governed by different by-laws, and you certainly shouldn’t attempt any sort of seaside cooking without checking first. Building a fire may not be acceptable, but using a modest portable stove isn’t usually a problem.

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BROWN BUTTER DABS SERVES 6 PREPARATION TIME VERY LITTLE COOKING TIME AROUND 6 MINUTES PER PAIR OF DABS one dab per person (more if the fish are less than 400g each) 3 small pots (about 60g each) of brown potted shrimps lemon juice and lemon wedges to serve a little chopped parsley (optional) salt and pepper

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THE UNDERUSED DAB – A NATIVE FLATFISH SIMILAR TO PLAICE, BUT MUCH SMALLER – is impressively good value, and delicious. Give me a delicate dab or two rather than a slab of imported tuna any day.

Make a neat slit on the white belly side of the dabs – you’re looking for the soft spot just below the head – and remove the guts. Rinse well.

You’ll need a heavy-based pan to cook the fish, preferably one that will hold a couple of dabs at a time. Balance the pan safely over a hot flame, and add the butter from the top of a shrimp pot. It should sizzle briskly.

Add two fish, brown-sides down, and fry until golden and crisp. Add all the potted shrimps from the pot, and their remaining butter, and turn the fish over. Again, cook until the fish is turning golden. Remove from the heat, shower with lemon juice, salt and pepper and, should you have it, a little chopped parsley. Serve sharpish, and get on with cooking the remaining fish in the same way.

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A PICNIC POTATO SALAD SERVES 6 PREPARATION TIME 15 MINUTES COOKING TIME AROUND 20 MINUTES PLUS COOLING 1kg new potatoes, a waxy variety halved if large 75ml extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp good red wine vinegar 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard pinch of caster sugar 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced small bunch of chives, snipped handful of tarragon leaves, chopped handful of snipped mustard cress

I FAVOUR PINK FIR APPLE HERE AS THE SPUD OF CHOICE; it’s nutty, waxy and soaks up a dressing quite beautifully when warm. The trick is to get everything chopped and prepped while the potatoes simmer away. As soon as the spuds are drained, douse them in the dressing.

There will be a generous amount, allowing for a fair bit to soak in. Serve just-warm or cool.

Simmer the potatoes in salted boiling water for 18-20 minutes, or until tender, as this will depend greatly on size.

While they are cooking, whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar together. Season generously with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as you like; the dressing should be feisty.

Drain the potatoes well, tip into a bowl and add the dressing.

Mix well, then fold in the spring onions and herbs, reserving the cress. Leave until warm or completely cool, turning the potatoes over occasionally. Tumble the mustard cress through just before serving.

salt & pepper

PICKLED RED ONION AND CUCUMBER SALAD SERVES 6 PREPARATION TIME 20 MINUTES PLUS STEEPING 2½ tbsp unrefined caster sugar large pinch of salt 75ml red wine vinegar 2 small red onions, halved and very finely sliced ½ large cucumber, peeled, halved, deseeded and sliced a few radishes, trimmed, scrubbed and finely sliced small handful of mint leaves, torn a handful of radish sprouts black pepper 46

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QUICK PICKLING FOR BEGINNERS. Granted, it becomes more of a piquant salad, but the onion makes a mild introduction to the addictive world of pickles.

Warm the sugar, salt and vinegar with a splash of water over a very low heat, stirring until just dissolved. Leave to cool, then add the onion, mix well and set aside for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour or more if you like. The onions will mellow and lighten in colour prettily, turning their pickling liquid to a blushing pink.

Add the remaining ingredients and a grind of pepper; it shouldn’t need any salt, but taste and adjust as you like.

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BLUEBERRY, ALMOND AND VANILLA CHOUX BUNS TO MAKE THE BUNS, fold a large piece of paper in half and open back out again. The fold will be your flour chute.

Sift the flour a couple of times, add the salt, and pour onto the paper.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Put the butter and 200ml water in a saucepan and set over a low heat to melt the butter. As soon as the butter has melted, increase the heat to high so the liquid reaches a fierce boil as quickly as possible.

MAKES ABOUT 20 PREPARATION TIME 20-30 MINUTES COOKING TIME 20-30 MINUTES FOR THE CHOUX PASTRY 105g plain flour pinch of fine salt 85g unsalted butter, diced 3 eggs, lightly beaten 75g flaked almonds

Immediately tip the flour down its paper chute into the boiling liquid. Remove from the heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon. As soon as the mixture looks smooth and comes away from the sides of the pan, stop beating, otherwise it will become greasy. Spread out on a plate to cool quickly.

When cool enough to touch comfortably, transfer to a mixing bowl and, using a handheld whisk, beat in the egg, a little at a time. You may not need it all, so only keep adding until a scoop of the choux drops reluctantly from its spoon when jerked sharply.

Line one large, or two smaller, baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment and scatter with half the flaked almonds.

Pipe (or spoon, if you don’t have a piping bag) large walnutsized balls onto the baking sheet(s) in rows, allowing space for the buns-to-be to rise. Sprinkle with the remaining almonds and bake for about 30 minutes until puffed, crisp and deeply golden. Check after 20 minutes and reduce the oven temperature slightly if the almonds are browning too much. After 30 minutes, turn the oven off, prop the door open slightly and leave the buns inside for a further 15 minutes to dry out. continued

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Cool on wire racks. It’s best to use them immediately for ultimate crispness, but the empty buns can be stored for a day or two in an airtight tin.

Once cooked and cooled, the buns can be frozen if it makes life easier. Open-freeze, spaced out on trays.

Once hard, transfer to freezer bags, seal well and keep for up to two months. Defrost and re-crisp in a low oven before halving and filling as below.

FOR THE VANILLA CREAM 1 plump vanilla pod, split lengthways 200ml double cream 200ml crème fraîche 100g icing sugar, sifted, plus more to dust a small dash of vanilla extract (optional)

To make the vanilla cream filling, scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod with a small knife. In a large bowl, whisk the cream, crème fraîche, vanilla seeds, icing sugar and vanilla extract (if using) together until firm enough to hold its shape.

With a serrated knife, slice each choux bun in half horizontally. Heap a generous spoonful of vanilla cream onto each lower half and top with a few blueberries.

Replace the top halves and, if you feel inclined, dust with icing sugar. Eat soon, before they have a chance to soften too much, with the extra blueberries.

400g blueberries

Recipes and photos are from Friends at My Table: A year of Eating, Drinking and Making Merry by Alice Hart, published in hardback by Quadrille and available from all good booksellers, RRP £18.99.

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The White Bear Masham, North Yorkshire PUB

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The White Bear is a five star inn situated in the pretty market town of Masham, in the foothills of the Yorkshire Dales.

Relax in our beautiful rooms and dine on the finest Yorkshire produce.

Experience a real taste of the Dales.

01765 689 319 • thewhitebearhotel.co.uk

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 Tuesday – Saturday 12.00 noon – 2.30 p.m.

Sunday lunch 12.00 – 4.00 p.m. and dinner Tuesday – Saturday 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 Trio with Sunday Lunch every month.

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

THE BLUE LION

EAST WITTON

Tel: 01969 624273

LOBSTER FESTIVAL JULY 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th & 14th

Morning coffee, afternoon teas and food served all day.

Tomato Consommé Club Sandwich Terrine 1 Shell-less Lobster Thermidor Dessert or Cheese 4 Course dinner £45

The White Swan Hotel and Restaurant.

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

01969 622093

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

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We are now a Free House A traditional ambience, excellent food and an extensive wine list, make The Queen's Head a perfect place to relax and unwind.

New and exciting menu Lunches from £5.75 and a Two course Early Diner offer from £13.50

For the very best in fresh local food, breathtaking views and great service.

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 54

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The Queens Head Finghall North Yorkshire 01677 450259 enquiries@queensfinghall.co.uk www.queensfinghall.co.uk

Fryton

Catering

Wedding Catering Specialists Family celebrations Corporate entertaining Christenings • Funerals Parties • Informal suppers Rare Breed Hog Roasts a speciality Telephone: 01653 628774 frytoncatering@hotmail.co.uk www.frytoncatering.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

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

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the

discerning diner

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Claudia Blake visits The Shoulder of Mutton at Kirby Hill

K

irby Hill is a tiny village perched on the southern edge of the Holmedale valley, five miles or so north of Richmond.

The views are magnificent – nowhere more so than from the car park of The Shoulder of Mutton. By day you can take in a panoramic patchwork of fields, and by night the distant twinkling lights of Teesside and beyond.

The downside is that on a windy day you might struggle to stand upright. The Shoulder of Mutton sensibly forgoes the option of facing into the view and, instead, hunches its back against the westerlies that come blustering down the valley.

Yorkshire pubs don’t come much more traditional than this, and The Shoulder, which started life in the 18th century, ticks all the boxes: massive stone walls, hefty oak beams, cheery log fires, busy carpet, horse tack. There’s more space inside than you might imagine from the modest frontage, and behind the front bar lies a big barn of a restaurant area that could easily accommodate several large parties. And – surprisingly, for a place that feels well off the beaten track – it’s full to bursting by mid-evening.

The secret of The Shoulder’s success seems to be that they have managed a clever balancing act, keeping the locals on side whilst drawing in diners from further afield. Plenty of places purport to offer a warm welcome, but The Shoulder makes

good on that promise. The bar staff were genuinely friendly, and so were the folk from the village who had popped in for a pint and a bar snack. They were clearly very proud of their pub, and delighted to share it with visitors.

Nestled at our neat little table, we tucked into our generously proportioned starters. Mine was a squat tower of smoked haddock and crushed new potatoes topped with a perfectly poached egg. With a sprinkling of chopped spring onions giving a satisfying crunch to the fish and potato mix – and a rich, creamy sauce studded with flat-leaf parsley introducing a measure of luxury – this one earned an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

What to expect.

Generous plates of hearty, high-end pub grub.

Ambience A traditional Dales pub so solid even a hurricane wouldn’t shift it.

The bottom line Three courses for two people, excluding drinks, cost us £58 (£29 per head).

Value for money 8/10

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More sauce wouldn’t have gone amiss,… but possibly that was sheer greed speaking.

The best bit A genuinely friendly welcome from one and all.

Our only regret Not within walking distance — unless you happen to be one of the lucky villagers.

Ideal for A cosy evening with friends.

You can either take them with you, or make new ones when you’re there.

Not so good for Curmudgeons, misanthropes, recluses.

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Piers had chosen a warm salad of kidneys, bacon and mushrooms. Plenty of beguiling flavours here, given a kick up the backside by lashings of black pepper. There was a substantial handful of grapes too – an unexpected and unadvertised addition – but anything that helps you clock up your five-a-day can’t be bad.

On to mains, which in my case consisted of breast of Gressingham duck with pear and apple chutney – and, just in case we were feeling short-changed on the fruit front, an artistically sliced plum. The vibrant tang of apple is certainly a plausible pairing for a rich meat like duck, but in this case I wondered if all the fruit was a bit overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, it was a decent plateful – but the duck itself needed a bit of a boost.

Piers’ venison, though, was bang on the money. Melting, gamey meat, nicely seasoned and judiciously cooked. Plenty of it, too. It came with a good wad of black pudding mash and an uncontroversial mushroom and shallot sauce. Good, hearty, satisfying grub, and perfect for an unseasonably chilly night.

Our side vegetables, a selection of four or five different elements, arrived on individual side plates – another nice touch.

Since fruit seemed to be the keynote of the evening, I decided not to fight against it and ordered a ‘tropical fruit salad’. It seems that – and this may come as a surprise to Scottish growers – raspberries and strawberries are tropical fruit. Plums too, for that matter. But hey, who cares, it was a pleasant enough bowlful, bumped up to a whole new level by a delicious mango sorbet. And frankly, after starters and mains of such gargantuan proportions, fruit and sorbet were the only things I could have fitted in.

My new husband, enterprising to the last, opted for sticky toffee pudding. A splendid one it was too, soft and aromatic, with a plump dollop of double cream and a luscious toffee sauce. More sauce wouldn’t have gone amiss, said Piers, but possibly that was sheer greed speaking.

So where did that leave us? Very happy, actually. We had downed some jolly decent food, served with clockwork precision by a friendly team of black-clad ladies, in a relaxing, cosy environment. If you wanted to show a foreign guest what makes English pubs special, you would bring them here. This is the real thing – and a welcome antidote to all those identikit ‘dining pubs’. Check it out.

For further information about The Shoulder of Mutton call 01748 822772 or visit www.shoulderofmutton.net.

Thorp Perrow~ The secret to your fairytale wedding] MALINGS LTD Best known for its stunning Arboretum, Thorp Perrow is now also the ideal setting for your dream wedding. With its elegant rooms, spectacular grounds and ornamental lakes, this stunning stately home is no longer Yorkshire’s best kept secret.

With exquisite menus to choose from, whether it’s for an informal buffet or full silver service, we will work with you every step of the way to make sure your day is truly unforgettable.

01748 831100 § www.cwcevents.co.uk

Step into Swaledale Stay, Relax, Explore.

On The Green, Reeth North Yorkshire

www.theburgoyne.co.uk enquiries@theburgoyne.co.uk Tel 01748 884292

All special occasions catered for JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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Irresistible!

Looking for inspiration? Try these three simple but scrumptious supper dishes from Tamasin Day-Lewis’s new collection, Food You Can’t Say No To.

BAKED SARDINES WITH ORANGE GREMOLATA A dish to serve cooler than hot in the summer, once you have let the gremolata flavours permeate the fish. I think orange, rather than the classic lemon zest in a gremolata, works beautifully with any oily fish.

If you are lucky, your fishmonger will scuff the scales off the sardines for you; if you are not, it doesn’t take too long. And in the absence of spankingly fresh sardines, I am always happy with a box of frozen Portuguese sardines, which are frozen as soon as they are caught and are the next best thing. serves 4–8 24 sardines, descaled (3 or 4 each for a starter, 6 for a main course) a little olive oil sea salt and black pepper for the gremolata grated zest of 1 orange 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley 1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed

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Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Lay the sardines in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking tray and trickle a little more olive oil over them. Season with pepper and a little salt. Bake in the oven for 6–7 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the thickest part of the flesh passes softly right through.

Meanwhile, mix the gremolata ingredients together on a plate. Transfer the baked sardines to individual plates or a warm large platter and sprinkle with the gremolata. Let stand for 5 minutes or so, then serve. Simplicity itself.

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STICKY HONEYED CHICKEN WINGS WITH ROASTED GARLIC AÏOLI Stretching Sunday lunch, or any other meal, like a piece of elastic, is something I believe in firmly. Never say no to a last-minute guest, or two. It is not about apologising for the small amount of meat on the plate, it’s about thinking creatively. This dish came about when the six chicken wings I’d bought for two suddenly needed to feed four. I charred peppers to make a salad with fresh goat’s cheese and a heap of wild rocket, roasted new season’s garlic and pounded it into an ointment of brilliant yellow aïoli to spoon over everything with baby Jersey new potatoes. The spread on the garden table looked like bounty, not like a scrimped and carefully managed affair. serves 4 8–12 organic/free-range chicken wings or 4 large thighs grated zest and juice of 1 lime 1 tbsp strong-flavoured runny honey (such as chestnut) ½ tsp dried chilli flakes 1 tsp chopped thyme leaves 1 tbsp good fruity olive oil sea salt and black pepper for the roasted garlic aïoli a head of new season’s garlic (or 4–6 raw garlic cloves later in the year) olive oil, to dribble 2 egg yolks 150–250ml half groundnut/half mild olive oil

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Put the chicken wings or thighs into a baking dish that will hold them in a single layer and spoon over the rest of the ingredients, seasoning to taste and turning the chicken to coat. Cover and leave to marinate in a cool place for an hour. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.

Meanwhile, make the aïoli. Roast the garlic in a small roasting tin, with a little olive oil dribbled over, for 20 minutes. Turn and roast for another 20 minutes or until soft when pierced with a skewer. As soon as you can handle them, pop the garlic cloves out of their skins straight into a mortar and pound with the pestle. Add the egg yolks with some seasoning and pound to a smooth emulsion. Start adding the oil in a tiny but steady trickle as you stir and pound with the pestle, using your other hand.

Stop when the aïoli is thick enough. Adjust the seasoning and if it isn’t garlicky enough for you, add a crushed raw clove.

Spoon the marinade over the chicken again, then roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken, baste with the juices and roast for another 10 minutes, then baste again. The juices should now be dark and sticky. Cook wings for a final 5 minutes, thighs for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with the aïoli and salad.

PEPPER, GOAT’S CHEESE & WILD ROCKET SALAD

Grill 6 Romano or other peppers or scorch by turning on a fork over a gas flame, until charred on all sides. Put in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave until just cool enough to handle, then peel away the skins, deseed and cut the peppers into strips. For the dressing, shake 1 tbsp balsamic or sherry vinegar, 4 tbsp olive oil and some seasoning in a screw-topped jar. While still warm, toss the peppers with the dressing, a bunch of wild rocket or watercress, a crumbled ½ small fresh goat’s cheese and 1 tbsp each chopped flat-leaf parsley and coriander. The herbs will be softened and the flavours diffused by the warmth.

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Killer Black & White Chocolate & Raspberry Cake The truth always lies on the plate. Invite people to try a new cake, saying, ‘Be honest, what do you really think?’ and the plate will say it all. Not a crumb unpressed to the finger. My son Harry called it the Bruce Bogtrotter of cakes.

Why? ‘It is really rich and really good, but do you remember how, in the story, he was forced to eat the whole cake? He couldn’t do it with this one!’ I dare you. makes one deep 20cm cake 75g blanched Marcona almonds 75g skinned hazelnuts 225g dark chocolate (64–72% cocoa solids), broken up 4 eggs, separated 175g vanilla caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3. Butter two 20cm loosebottomed cake tins. Finely grind the almonds and hazelnuts in a blender or food processor; set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar until pale, airy and doubled in volume.

In another large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold peaks, then gradually whisk in the remaining sugar until it is all incorporated and you have a satiny, softly peaking meringue.

Add half the meringue to the whisked egg yolk mixture and fold in lightly. Pour in the melted chocolate and carefully fold in, followed by the rest of the meringue and finally the ground nuts.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared tins and stand them on a baking tray. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25–30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Place the tins on a wire rack and leave the cakes to cool. continued

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for the filling 200ml crème fraîche 100g good white chocolate, broken up 125g raspberries for the dark chocolate fondant 60g dark chocolate 3 tbsp double cream

For the filling, heat the crème fraîche in a small pan just to scalding point, then remove from the heat and stir in the white chocolate. Continue to stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool, then chill to firm up slightly, to a thick pouring consistency.

Unmould the cakes and place one on a large plate. Pour on the white chocolate mixture and scatter the raspberries on top.

Sandwich together with the other cake.

For the dark chocolate fondant, warm the dark chocolate with the cream in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Allow to cool until thickened to a spreading consistency, then pour on top of the cake and spread evenly using a rubber spatula. Allow to set before you indulge…

Recipes and photos are from Food You Can’t Say No To by Tamasin Day-Lewis, published in hardback by Quadrille and available from all good booksellers, RRP £20.

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t

n lan en he P ntm itc & oi K n app

ig es by D lable ai av

Kitchens, Bathrooms, Tiling & Garden Landscaping Indoor & outdoor, we’ve got the job lot!

NAYLOR MYERS Your Local Independent Builders Merchant Open Monday to Friday 7am-5pm & Saturday 7am-2pm

Harmby Road, Leyburn DL8 5ET 01969 622850 sales@naylor-myers.co.uk JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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A great place to stay

the Burgoyne Hotel

In a Nutshell The Burgoyne Hotel in Reeth A luxurious family run period country house hotel with a highly regarded restaurant, situated in a picturesque village at the heart of scenic Swaledale.

The Setting Half way between Richmond and Keld, the lively village of Reeth is the largest settlement in Swaledale. The Burgoyne Hotel is set in a grand Georgian three-storey building originally known as Hill House, which sits on a slope on the north side of the village green. It was originally built in 1783 – although the huge fireplace in one of the sitting rooms is clearly of an earlier date – and was sympathetically extended in 1875 and 1923. At the front of the hotel is a compact but elegant garden; to the rear there is an additional small garden area.

Your Hosts Mo and Julia Usman took over the hotel in May last year, and their genuine warmth and determination to provide top-class service in a friendly and welcoming environment should win over even the most stony-hearted guest. The couple knew and loved the area for years before the opportunity to acquire The Burgoyne came up – for them this is a labour of love, not just a business venture.

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Hotel Style “Boutique hotels are all very well,” says Mo, “but that sort of makeover simply wouldn’t be appropriate here.” What you get instead is traditional, old fashioned country house comfort – spacious rooms with deep pile carpets, lush fabrics, lustrous antique furniture, plump sofas, Farrow & Ball colours and roaring fires.

The Rooms There are eight, all named after local villages. Six are ensuite, and the remaining two each have a private bathroom just across the corridor.

‘Eskeleth’ is a spacious ensuite on the ground floor with a French window opening directly onto its own stone-flagged section of the front garden – ideal for summer breakfasts.

The remaining seven rooms are on the first and second floors. ‘Fremington’ has a stunning view of wild, craggy Fremington Edge, the 70

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Head Chef Paul Salonga presides over a menu that he redesigns daily, focusing on fresh local produce others look south across the bustling village green, with distant Grinton and Harkerside moors providing a dramatic backdrop. Curl up in a window seat, and the comings and goings in the village and the changing light on the hills will keep you absorbed for hours.

‘Gunnerside’ and ‘Marrick’ both have especially large windows, and ‘Marrick’ boasts a splendid four-poster bed into the bargain. Or you could opt for ‘Redmire’ for its stylish red and blue décor – there are certainly plenty of options.

seem to agree. The Burgoyne’s elegant dining room is open to non-residents – booking essential – and offers a four-course dinner menu. Head Chef Paul Salonga presides over a menu that he redesigns daily, focusing on fresh local produce that includes game from Carltonin-Coverdale, fresh fish from Hartelpool and Whitby, and cheeses from Richmond and Hawes. Morning coffee and generous afternoon teas are also served, and The Burgoyne’s freshly baked scones are popular with regular visitors to Reeth’s Friday market.

Food

Round and About

Mo and Julia pride are confident that their breakfasts can’t be beaten, and their guests

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junction of the two – and it’s easy to cut south over the hills to Wensleydale, or north to Teesdale.

There’s plenty going on in and around the village itself, including, in May and June, the fortnight-long Swaledale Festival. There are three pubs, a variety of specialist shops and – for a fascinating insight into the history of the area – The Swaledale Museum.

There is excellent walking in the area for all levels of fitness, and from Reeth itself you can embark on a variety of circuits in terrain that ranges from flower-rich riverside meadows to spacious heather moorland. If you have the energy, climb the steep track up past The White House to Fremington Edge, where you can enjoy unmatched panoramic views of Reeth and its environs.

Further up Swaledale, the villages of Gunnerside, Muker and Keld make good starting points for equally spectacular walking, 72

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or you can head up Arkengarthdale to enjoy a bar meal and a tipple in the windswept Tan Hill Inn – at 1,732 feet above sea level, it is Britain’s highest pub.

Hotel Factfile Address The Burgoyne Hotel, The Green, Reeth, DL11 6SN 01748 884292 Website www.theburgoyne.co.uk Rooms • 8, 6 ensuite, 2 with private bathrooms • Room tariff Twins/Doubles from £137.95 per night (two persons including breakfast).

• Restaurant tariff Four-course dinner, £35.85 per person.

• Further amenities Free parking; dogs welcome; wedding bookings taken.

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 M in

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’ve Moved!

Unit 4, Leyburn Business Park, Leyburn, North Yorks DL8 5QA T: 01969 623699 F: 07092 008049 julie@thewhitebeddingco.com www.thewhitebeddingco.com JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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To Dine For

Great places to eat and stay in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

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The White Swan

The White Bear

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.

T: 01969 622093 www.whiteswanhotel.co.uk

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.

T: 01765 689319 www.thewhitebearhotel.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. Awardwinning cuisine is served in the sumptuously furnished dining room, using seasonal produce sourced from the hotel’s four-acre walled garden and surrounding estate.

T: 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com

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.

T: 01969 622206 www.sandpiperinn.co.uk JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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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.

T: 01969 624273 www.thebluelion.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 76

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Evenings, With a comprehensive list of interesting wines and well-cared-for handpulled ales, The Malt Shovel is definitely worth a visit.

T: 01423 862929 www. themaltshovelbrearton.co.uk

The Queen's Head 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. Owner 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.

T: 01677 450259 www.queensfinghall.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.

T: 01969 663268 Westholme Estate, Aysgarth.

Yorebridge House Just outside the unspoilt village of Bainbridge in Upper Wensleydale, AA five-star 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.

T: 01969 652060 www.yorebridgehouse.co.uk

Stone House Hotel 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-cum-billiard 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.

T: 01969 667571 www.stonehousehotel.co.uk JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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The Countryman's Inn

Vennells Restaurant

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 cask-conditioned ales, three of which are brewed within 10 miles of the pub.

T. 01677 450554 www.countrymansinn.co.uk

Now in its seventh year, Jon Vennell’s cooking continues to impress with many major accolades and awards under his belt. Jon’s wife, Laura, is front of house and has a relaxed, friendly approach which is probably why customers keep coming back to sample the seasonally changing menu.

Even Claudia Blake gave a flawless review.

Vennell’s holds many events throughout the year. See the website for further details.

T: 01765 689000 www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk

The Black Sheep Brewery

The Burgoyne Hotel

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.

T: 01765 680101 www.blacksheepbrewery.com

Overlooking Reeth village green, The Burgoyne Hotel is a luxurious home-fromhome set in an elegant Georgian mansion.

It has eight spacious and beautifully appointed rooms — the panoramic views from some of them have to be seen to be believed. There’s an emphasis on friendly service and fine food, with generous breakfasts and a four-course dinner menu focusing on fresh local produce sourced from the Dales and the Yorkshire coast.

T: 01748 884292 www.theburgoyne.co.uk

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Contemporary dining in the Yorkshire Dales

The Swinton Park Garden with Susan Cunliffe-Lister

Garden Lunches 25th June, 16th, 23rd & 24th July Talk and Tour of the Walled Garden £35/person

Garden Design Day 13th & 30th July Garden Design & Planting £75/person

Masham, Ripon HG4 4JH www.swintonpark.com 01765 680900

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.

Deerhouse Dining at Swinton Park

A summer's evening in the Deer House

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.

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

Pimm's on arrival & candlelit dining £35/person Masham, Ripon HG4 4JH www.swintonpark.com 01765 680900 JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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In Season‌

asparagus

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The asparagus season is here again, so why not make the most of it while it’s fresh and local?

B

ritish asparagus is a real treat.

Asparagus is at its best when really fresh, and the imported stuff that you see yearround in the supermarkets simply can’t compare with home-grown stalks.

If you can’t use it immediately, keep asparagus in the fridge, standing upright in a little water.

The lower part of the stalk can be a bit tough; the point at which the stalk snaps cleanly when you bend it is a good guide as to where to trim. Don’t waste the trimmings, though – turn them into a stock for asparagus soup.

Asparagus can be simmered, grilled or baked, but it has such a distinctive flavour that it is best cooked and served simply. It’s delicious with melted butter, a vinaigrette or mayonnaise – or, as here, enhanced with a scattering of lightly toasted hazelnuts.

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

Baked Asparagus with Hazelnuts

750g asparagus 75g whole hazelnuts 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp hazelnut or walnut oil 1 tbsp white wine or balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 5. Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 220°C/gas 7, ready for the asparagus.

2 Place the nuts in the centre of a clean tea towel. Fold the towel over and rub, so that the skins come away from the nuts.

Coarsely chop or lightly blitz the nuts in a food processor and put aside.

3 To make the dressing, place the hazelnut oil, half the olive oil, the vinegar, plus salt and pepper to season, in a bowl. Whisk until combined and set aside.

4 Put the asparagus spears on a baking tray and toss with the remaining olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for about 12 minutes until they are just lightly brown and tender. If the spears are small they will take less time to cook, so keep an eye on them.

5 Transfer the asparagus to a serving dish and drizzle the dressing over them. Sprinkle on the hazelnuts and serve.

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The Big

Cheese

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Try this scrumptious cake, made with cheese from The Wensleydale Creamery.

Real Yorkshire Wensleydale with Cranberries and Apple Cake Serves 8

T

he Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes is famous the world over as the home of genuine Wensleydale cheese. The Creamery’s cheeses are, of course, delicious in their own right, but they also make terrific cooking ingredients, as the recipes in this series will show.

This issue’s featured cheese is Real Yorkshire Wensleydale and Cranberries, a unique and innovative cheese that combines luscious, creamy-white Real Yorkshire Wensleydale hand-crafted with milk from cows that graze the Dale’s flower-rich pastures - with the subtle, fruity tang of succulent cranberries.

150g/5oz butter 175g/6oz golden caster sugar 2 eggs, beaten 2 tbsp milk 175g/6oz self-raising flour, sieved 2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced 125g/4oz Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese with Cranberries 1 tbsp Demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/ gas mark 3. Grease a 20cm/8" cake tin.

Cream together the butter and the sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time, and beat in the milk and flour. Fold in three-quarters of the apples and crumble over the cheese.

Spoon the mixture into a tin. Arrange the remainder of the apple on top and sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Bake for 55 minutes until risen and golden brown. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.

It tastes as individual and exciting as it looks, adding colour and visual interest to any cheeseboard, and it makes an ideal dessert cheese. It’s a versatile cheese too, and can be used in a range of recipes, including this sumptuous fruit cake with a tasty local twist.

You can find more information about The Wensleydale Creamery - and more inspirational cheese recipes - at www.wensleydale.co.uk.

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prime time Tennants expert Adam Wasdell talks Ian Henry through a century’s worth of fascinating pocket watches

N

owadays it’s easy to find out the time, wherever you are. Back in the 16th century, though, the notion of a portable timepiece was a revolutionary one. Early examples were a far cry from the modern idea of a watch. Essentially they were small – and often not-so-small – clocks that were worn on a chain round the neck.

By the 17th century, increasingly sophisticated mechanisms made timepieces compact enough to be carried in a pocket, and the pocket watch – slim, flat and round, with a glass cover – was born. Until the 1800s a pocket watch was a high-end luxury,

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but by late Victorian times streamlined manufacturing processes were enabling more and more people to aspire to a reliable watch.

Soon after, in the early 20th century, along came the wristwatch – and the pocket watch swiftly fell from favour.

Tennants horology expert Adam Wasdell talked me through eight particularly interesting pocket watches that came under the hammer at the firm’s Leyburn auction rooms earlier this year. They span a century, from the early 18th to the early 19th century, and together they tell a fascinating story of technological innovation and changing styles.

Old Timer Our earliest example is a silver watch made in Paris around 1710, a distinctly hefty piece compared to the slimmer and more sophisticated watches that would soon follow. It is a quarter repeater, that’s to say it can be made to strike the hours and quarter hours if you need to know the time in the dark. With its Arabic numerals for the minutes and Roman numerals for the hours it is typical of Continental watches of the period.

Auction price: £2,500.

Pretty Striking This elaborate gilt metal watch from around 1780 shows just how much the art of watchmaking had progressed since the beginning of the century. Its guilloché enamel back carries a delicate Classical scene, and the pierced case – a sure sign that there is a striking mechanism inside – is decorated with borders of split pearls. Made in England, it nonetheless has a frivolous, Frenchified look; Continental watchmakers were definitely setting the style agenda during this period. Auction price: £2,600.

Small Wonder What makes this watch, crafted in London around 1760, so unusual is its size. At just 35mm wide it would have been regarded a real miracle of miniaturisation at the time it was made, and it was quite possibly a pendant watch for lady. It is mounted in a bloodstone case, bloodstone being a handsome red-dotted form of jasper. The hands and face are of later date, but despite these alterations the relative rarity of this kind of piece helped it fetch a respectable £1,400 at auction.

Up to Date To collectors of watches, unusual features will often justify a high price ticket. This quarter repeating gilt metal watch, made in London circa 1800, has a calendar dial in the centre and no less than three cases, the outer one of which contrasts gilded metal with elegant pale green shagreen (sharkskin). Like many watches from the previous century it has so-called ‘beetle and poker’ hands.

Another highly desirable example, Tennants sold this one for £2,700.

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No more nasty shocks This gold quarter repeater made in France around 1810 may look relatively austere but it contained the very latest must-have feature: ‘parachute shock protection’. Invented by Parisian watchmaking genius A L Breguet, parachute shock protection made the delicate inner mechanism much less sensitive to the knocks and jolts that could send lesser watches haywire. It also has ‘moon hands’ – another Breguet innovation – instead of the old-style ‘beetle and poker’ ones.

Auction price: £1,050.

One for the Ladies The relatively small proportions of this watch, together with its delicate powder-blue enamelled numerals, suggest that it may well have been a watch for a lady. It was made by Vaucher Frères, a highly respected maker based in Geneva, in around 1820. Once again it has the Breguet look and – inside the case – the parachute shock protection mechanism that Breguet devised.

Auction price: £1,500.

Sound Investment Make no mistake, Breguet was the firm to copy in the early years of the 19th century, and here’s another gold Breguet-influenced piece from 1810 or thereabouts. Behind its handsome engineturned face there’s a tiny musical movement, so the watch can be made to play a little tune as well as striking the hours and quarters – a charming extra function that helped it achieve a very substantial £3,200 at auction.

Hands Up Novelty watches don’t get much quirkier than this Continental ‘bras en l’air’ watch from the 1820s.

Press a button and the little gilt figure in the centre raises his arms to indicate the appropriate time – his left hand shows the hours and his right hand shows the minutes. Idiosyncratic pieces of this kind are irresistible to collectors and this one, despite requiring a fair amount of restoration, substantially exceeded its auction estimate to reach a hefty £2,600.

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

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ANIMAL PORTRAITURE

Chalk Pastel Paintings

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

From Leeds to London for ÂŁ181,250 Our Specialists are out and about around the County this month Our specialists could be available to call and provide free auction valuations.

For further information please contact

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

0113 234 5755 alison.hayes@bonhams.com A George II padouk, sabicu and marquetry commode. Consigned locally and sold in our Fione English Furniture sale in London for ÂŁ181,250.

International Auctioneers and Valuers bonhams.com/leeds JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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Ian Henry on the offbeat charms of Europe’s liveliest capital.

Brilliant

Berlin ith its cutting-edge contemporary architecture, avant-garde arts scene and vibrant counterculture, Berlin is one of the hippest cities in the northern hemisphere – a world away from the manicured window boxes and bourgeois fussiness of the rest of Germany. Rich in history and – in parts – surprisingly rural, it’s also a place where you can stroll in tranquil lakeside parks, marvel at stately Baroque palaces and explore sleepy suburban villages.

Left: The Sony Center; Above: The Face Project, Potsdamer Platz, 2011 Festival Of Lights; Opposite: Reflection of The Reichstag 88

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Where to stay The Art’otel chain (www.artotels.com) has three hotels in Berlin, each of which features cool, contemporary décor and a generous selection of original works of art. The Art’otel Berlin Mitte, due south of Museuminsel (Museum Island), is probably the best choice.

Or dispense with hotels altogether and rent an airy, spacious loft apartment in the trendy, up-and-coming Prenzlauer Berg district from T&C Apartments (www.tc-apartments-berlin.de).

On the move Berlin is a vast place, more like an American urban sprawl than a traditional tightly packed European city. Fortunately there’s an efficient and fully integrated travel network. You can hop from U-Bahn (underground train) to S-Bahn (urban railway) to tram to bus all on the same inexpensive day ticket (€6.30,

central zones). For even better value, a ‘small group’ ticket allows up to five people to travel together for a day (€15). Check the BVG site (www.bvg.de/index.php/en/) for other deals, including the tempting seven-day ticket.

Whichever ticket you buy, validate it before using it or you risk a hefty fine; you can find date-stamping machines on station platforms and inside buses.

Rising above it all The best place to get a panoramic view of the city is the marvellous glass dome, designed by British architect Norman Foster, on top of the Reichstag (parliament building). Entry is free, but you’ll need to register online a few days in advance at www.bundestag.de. Alternatively you can pay to take a lift to the top of the futuristic ball-on-a-stick Fernsehturm (TV tower) built by the Communist GDR in the Cold War era with the intention of JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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Within its boundaries Berlin has a remarkable amount of parkland, woodland, rivers and lakes…

impressing their rivals in the West. Or hurtle heavenward in Europe’s fastest elevator to the breezy Panorama Punkt on top of the tallest of the spanking-new skyscrapers in the DaimlerChrysler complex.

Above Left: Charlottenburg Palace; Above: East Side Gallery; Left: Fernsehturm Right: Facil

Building Sights After ticking off the standard tourist spots – the Brandenburg gate, the Charlottenburg Palace and suchlike – take time to explore some more of the amazing modern architecture that makes Berlin so exciting.

Clustered around Potsdamer Platz are several jaw-dropping structures, the best of which is the circular, glass-roofed Sony Center. Inside the Sony shop itself you can try out the latest 3D TV technology and – from the higher floors – get a fine view of the inner courtyard and its intricately programmed fountains.

More impressive still is the Jüdisches Museum in Kreuzberg (U-Bahn Hallesches Tor).

Architects usually try to create buildings that we feel comfortable in, but Daniel Liebeskind has designed this metal-clad monster to jolt 90

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visitors out of their everyday mindset. It’s worth the price of admission just to experience the extraordinary Garden of Exile – a garden that plays strange tricks on your senses and leaves you feeling anything but relaxed.

Art Attack Berlin is a city where graffiti have become an art form, and you won’t need to look far to find them. Some are so accomplished that it’s hard to know where to draw the line between graffiti and murals. You can find an impressive and varied selection of both on a kilometre-

long stretch of the Berlin Wall now known as the East Side Gallery (U-Bahn Ostbahnhof).

For a glimpse of an even more anarchic manifestation of Berlin’s art scene, clamber up and down the multicoloured stairwells of Tacheles in Oranienburger Strasse, a derelict building that has been taken over by artists and is now home to a multitude of wild art projects and events.

Chilling out If the city centre noise and bustle start wearing you down (and Berlin can sometimes seem like one huge construction site) there are plenty of opportunities to relax. Within its boundaries Berlin has a remarkable amount of parkland, woodland, rivers and lakes – not just the massive central Tiergarten park, but opportunities for genuine forest hikes in the pine and birch woods of the Grunewald.

While you’re there, take a stroll along the Strandbad Wannsee, the longest inland beach in Europe. And for a pleasant halfday excursion, take the S-Bahn to the sleepy

suburb of Köpenick, with its Baroque mansion, charming old fisherman’s cottages and solarpowered rental boats.

Eating out The travel guides will direct you – and all the other tourists – to the venerable Zur lezten Instanz (Waisenstrasse 14–16, U-Bahn Klosterstrasse), which has been in business since 1621. Foreign dignitaries are regularly wined and dined there, and prices are surprisingly reasonable considering its fame. However, traditional German cuisine, with its emphasis on fatty meats, sausages and dumplings, can seem leaden to the modern palate.

Fortunately cosmopolitan Berlin has plenty of lighter, more exotic options – including Turkish, Indian, Cantonese, Korean and Thai – just head for one of the nightlife districts and follow the crowds. Berliners are canny diners, so anywhere busy will probably be tolerably good. There are several decent places, including good Chinese and Italian restaurants, in and around Husemannstrasse (U-Bahn JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

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Inside the Reichstag dome

Jüdisches Museum

Berlin is a place that attracts nonconformists Eberswalder Strasse), and an excellent tapas joint next to the cinema in the nearby Kulturbrauerei arts centre.

Facil (www.facil.de), a restaurant set in the Mandala Hotel in Potsdamer Strasse, is the place to head for if you’re looking for the ultimate in urban chic. Set in a beautifully appointed elegant glass cube, it offers stylish, inventive – and Michelin-starred – contemporary food.

Oddly enough, one of the dining establishments with the longest queues and the most fanatical devotees is also one of the cheapest. Operating from a Portakabin under the U-Bahn tracks outside Eberswalder Strasse station, the Imbiss Konnopke has been serving Berlin’s ubiquitous street snack, currywurst and chips, for three generations. Wash down your award-winning wurst with a Berliner Weisse beer as you lean on a wobbly aluminium table and watch the world rush by – it doesn’t get much more authentic than this.

Best of all For me, by far the most enjoyable thing to do in Berlin is to indulge in a good old session of people-watching. Head for Oranienstrasse (U-Bahn Kotbusser Tor) and settle down with a drink at a cafe on an intersection – outdoors if the weather is clement. I can guarantee 92

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you’ll see a wider and more kaleidoscopic variety of passers-by than you could at pretty much any other spot in Europe: Turkish accordionists, art punks, primly promenading nuns, eco-fanatics on homemade tricycles, bleary-eyed clubbers, sharp-suited underworld

types, cosplay girls... Berlin is a place that attracts nonconformists, and sooner or later they all seem to come meandering down Oranienstrasse.

On our last visit there was even a man riding a cart drawn by a team of huskies. Just sit back and marvel at it all.

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11b Market Place, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1EB or Call 01677 427358 JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

93

om over Buy quality work frs 130 selected artist a Visit their studios in locations wealth of stunningYorkshire throughout Nor th

Develop traditional skills with hands on heritage courses, demonstrations & specialist talks • Traditional gate making • Wood working Experience Weekends … our events page for more info • And much more…visit

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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 - 4pm, closed Sunday • 01969 650076 www.askriggvillagekitchen.co.uk THE GIFT SHOP WILL BE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FROM MAY

Boundless Beads

Gatsby’s hairdressing

www.boundlessbeads.com Workshops and jewellery using only the finest quality Components.

01677 426943 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

New range of exciting hair accessories just arrived.

9a Market Place, Bedale JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

95

2 for1

che viewinegse-making & ticket omuseum ffer!

Qu ote discoun DL05/12 for advert t or bring this w your neith you on xt visit

Enjoy the Wensleydale Experience at our Visitor Centre • Discover the Wensleydale Story • Watch the cheese being made • Indulge in our famous cheese shop • Shop till you drop in our gift shop • Restaurant and coffee shop

10% DISCOUNT at Calvert’s Restaurant ant Present this advert to claim your discount.

Valid until 30/09/12. Not be used with any other offer.

LATE NIGHT DIN ING at Calvert’s Restau ra

Wed, Thurs & Fri N nt ights (during the sc hool holidays)

Open all year, 7 days ays a week 9am-5pm Museum and Cheese-making Viewing Gallery: Monday to Sunday 10am – 4pm The best time to view our cheese-making is between 10am – 2pm.

We do not make cheese every day, so please contact us for further details Ample FREE Parking : Coach Parties and Groups welcome by prior arrangement Wensleydale Creamery & Visitor Centre, Gayle Lane, Hawes, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire DL8 3RN Tel: 01969 667664 creamery@wensleydale.co.uk 96

www.wensleydale.co.uk

| Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

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Dales Diary

Events compiled by Elaine Pollard.

VENNELL’S RESTAURANT Masham Telephone: 01765 689000 www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk

Sally Arnup at work

Seventh Birthday Celebration 26 – 30 June From 7.15pm Four courses £37.50: Lobster Ravioli, Beef Wellington, Dessert.

THE HIMALAYAN GARDEN Grewelthorpe near Ripon Telephone: 01765 658911 www.himalayangarden.com

Lobster Festival 3 – 7 & 10 – 14 July From 7.15pm Four-course dinner £45.00.

Open until 17 June Tues – Sun & Bank Holiday Mondays 10am – 4pm

Award-winning food by Jon, great service by Laura in an amazing newly refurbished restaurant – come and join us for a special evening!

The award-winning Himalayan Garden is now open for the season.

BLACK SHEEP VISITOR CENTRE Masham Telephone: 01765 680101 www.blacksheepbrewery.com Great Yorkshire Show 10 – 12 July Join the Black Sheep flock for a pint at the Black Sheep Baa..r as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary year. Have a

browse in our well-stocked sheepy shop or catch a performance of the ever popular sheep show, which is back for another year!

Vennell's Lobster Festival

Sculptor Sally Arnup – a York-based artist who has achieved global acclaim for her bronze animal sculptures – will be exhibiting for the first time at the Himalayan Garden this year. The sculptures will be spread throughout the 20-acre gardens, which are filled with 20,000 plants including some 1,400 rhododendron and 250 azalea varieties and 150 different magnolias.

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GAYLE MILL near Hawes Telephone: 01969 667320 www.gaylemill.org.uk

Dales Diary

Father's Day Sun 17 June 10am – 4pm Free admission for fathers, and craft activities for children all day.

Family Fun Arts-and-Crafts Activities Sat 2 June 10am – 12pm, booking required A Royal Celebration! Learn about the textile industry and find out how cotton was produced in the earliest years of the mill. Make crochet bunting and decorate your own paper crown. Activities are suitable for 5–11 year olds but younger or older children may still enjoy taking part. £2 (inc drink and art activity; woodwork activity £3), under 5s free Demonstration Tour of the Victorian Saw Mill Sundays: 3 June, 1 July & 5 August 11am & 2.30pm Come along to see and hear the original 1879 water-powered Victorian woodworking machinery in action £10 (inc refreshments) Introduction to Dry Stone Walling – Hands-on course Sun 24 June 10.30am – 4.30pm A day’s introduction to dry stone walling using traditional methods. Try your hand at rebuilding a wall onsite at Gayle Mill. £10 (inc lunch)

DALES COUNTRYSIDE MUSEUM Hawes Telephone: 01969 666210 www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/index/ outandabout/see/dcm.htm Dyeing Demonstration Sun 3 June 11am – 3pm Learn about the use of natural and acid dyes, mixing and blending colours and textures.

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Wildflowers of the Yorkshire Dales Fri 29 June 7pm – 8pm Join Tanya St Pierre, YDMT's Flowers of the Dales Project Officer, for an illustrated talk celebrating the wonderfully diverse wildflower habitats of the Yorkshire Dales and their species. Donation welcome.

Gayle Mill

Discover how early man managed without modern tools and materials.

Exploring Archaeology Sat & Sun 14 & 15 July 10am – 4.30pm To tie in with the national Festival of British Archaeology, Keith Webster will be hosting a weekend of activities.

Discover how archaeologists interpret finds and how early man managed without modern tools and materials.

YORKSHIRE DALES MILLENNIUM TRUST Hawes Telephone: 01524 251002 www.www.ydmt.org Summer Valley Walk – Lofthouse to Ramsgill Thurs 21 June 11am A lovely easy five-mile walk with great views of the valley and Gowthwaite Reservoir with optional pub lunch afterwards. Suggested donation £15 per person to support the charitable work of the Trust.

Dales Diary

Photography Workshop at Yorebridge Sport and Fitness Centre, Askrigg Sat 23 June 10am – 4.30pm Led by professional photographer Steve Finch, this full-day workshop is ideal for digital SLR users wishing to experiment beyond the automatic settings. Learn photography theory and techniques, put them into practice shooting wildflowers and scenery, and evaluate the results.

Please bring your digital SLR camera, lunch and tripod/laptop if you have them. Maximum group size is 6 to ensure plenty of 1-to-1 tuition.

Woodland Open Day, Harrison’s Wood nr Pateley Bridge Tues 26 June & Sat 30 June 10am – 4pm

special tours of the house for children and art lovers

near Ripon Telephone: 0845 4504068 www.newbyhallandgardens.com

Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition 5 June – 30 September A solo show of stone and wooden sculptures by Reece Ingram.

Yorkshire Vintage Association 9 & 10 June The UK’s largest exhibition of vintage tractors and farm machinery – a very colourful weekend!

Matombo Zimbabwean Sculpture 1 July – 9 Sept Get your goggles on and have a bash!

Original pieces of all sizes to buy, too.

Free event. Local charity YDMT has planted over a million new native broadleaf trees in the Dales. Visit our current supporter woodland and see what the restoration project is all about.

NEWBY HALL & GARDENS

This year we have an events programme packed with old favourites, fresh ideas and workshops to suit a wide variety of tastes. New for 2012 are special tours of the house for children and art lovers, and a Head Gardener’s Walk and Talk in the garden – all are held weekly and at no extra cost to visitors.

Peter Packer border, Newby Hall

Historic Vehicle Rally 15 July Over 1,500 vintage vehicles of all makes, marques and ages will be on display.

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KIPLIN HALL near Scorton, Richmond Telephone: 01748 818178 www.kiplinhall.co.uk

Dales Diary

Picnics from 6pm or book a pretheatre supper in the tea room. Cakes and hot/cold drinks on sale. £14/£12/£8

Plant, Book & Craft Fair Sun 10 June 1 – 5pm

Walk with the Head Gardener Tues 10 July 10.30am

Donations of plants, books and produce welcomed for the Friends of Kiplin stall.

Chris Baker talks about the history and restoration of the gardens.

Adult £1.50, child free

FOUNTAINS ABBEY & STUDLEY ROYAL

Art in an English Country House Wed 13 June 10am What do paintings tell us about history, the artist and the subject? Art historian Sandra Pollard reveals the story, imagery and symbolism in the female portrait.

Gardens at Kiplin Hall

The story, imagery and symbolism in the female portrait.

Maryland Charter Day Wed 20 June 10am – 5pm (Hall from 2pm) Charles I put his seal to the charter for Terra Mariae, now Maryland, 380 years ago. ‘Victorians’ Peter and Val Holt talk about the founding of the colony.

Private Lives Thurs 28 June 7.30pm Heartbreak Productions bring their innovative approach to Noel Coward’s iconic 1930s comedy of manners.

100 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

near Ripon Telephone: 01765 608888 www.fountainsabbey.org.uk BBC’S Antiques Roadshow visits Fountains Abbey Thurs 12 July 9.30am – 4.30pm BBC’s popular Sunday evening programme Antiques Roadshow will be filming for its 35th series in the grounds of the Abbey. Some of Britain’s leading antiques and fine arts specialists will be on hand to offer free advice and valuations to visitors, who are invited to raid their attics and bring along their family heirlooms, household treasures and car boot bargains for inspection.

People with large items can send details and photographs of their objects to: Antiques Roadshow, BBC, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2LR or email them to: antiques.roadshow@ bbc.co.uk. It may be possible to arrange to look at the item in advance and organise transport to the venue.

Series Editor Simon Shaw says: “The team are all looking forward to visiting Fountains Abbey. It’s always exciting to see what will come to light. We regularly see between 1,500 and 2,000 visitors on the day. Despite the high turnout everyone will get to see an expert.”

Entry to the show is free For more information visit www.bbc. co.uk/antiquesroadshow.

Dales Diary

Fiona Bruce, The Antiques Roadshow JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 101

CATTERICK RACECOURSE FIXTURES

Dales Diary

SWINTON PARK near Masham Telephone: 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com

Catterick Bridge, Richmond Telephone: 01748 811478 www.catterickbridge.co.uk Few spectacles in life compare with a day at the races. Exciting action, good food and drink, a flutter on your fancy and Catterick’s unique atmosphere combine to give you, your friends and family a great day out at real value for money, and with racing all year round there are plenty of days to choose from. Join us for an exhilarating Catterick raceday and we’ll give you a warm Yorkshire welcome!

…a flutter on your fancy…

Children's Cookery Courses at the Cookery School 6 – 8 June Suitable for children from Mini-Chefs to Confident Cooks, catering for the 6–9yr and 10–14yr age groups.

From £50 per child (including apron, recipe card and goody bag or meal)

Sat 2 June – Jubilee Day First Race: 13.55 Last Race: 17.4 Fri 8 June First Race: 14.00 Last Race: 17.30 Wed 4 July First Race: 14.30 Last Race: 17.30 Wed 11 July First Race: 14.20 Last Race: 17.20 Wed 18 July First Race: 14.20 Last Race: 16.50 Wed 25 July Yorkshire Racing Summer Festival First Race: 14.10 Last Race: 17.10 Tues 7 August Family Day First Race: 14.00 Last Race: 17.00

Susan CunliffeLister in the garden at Swinton Park Garden Design Day 13 July 10am – 4pm Join Susan Cunliffe-Lister for a day of garden design and planting ideas as she compares the two kitchen gardens she has designed at Swinton Park and Burton Agnes, along with an overview of the history of the 18thcentury landscape of the parkland surrounding the hotel. Susan will offer tips and suggestions for your own garden throughout the day. £75 per person (includes lunch)

102 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

robert.sturdy@speartravels.net www.speartravels.net/leyburn NEW! 9 Market Place, Helmsley 40 High Street, Boroughbridge Barkers Arcade, Northallerton

Tel: 01439 770456 Tel: 01423 324545 Tel: 01609 779821

The next generation of customers is already here At Local Marketing Strategies we can help you grow your business.

We offer a wide variety of services from QR codes

App. creation

Mobile optimized web sites

Hosting and domain management

SMS marketing campaigns

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Contact Mick to find out how you can stay one step ahead of the competition.

LOCAL MARKETING STRATEGIES O N L I N E S O LUT ION S FOR OFFL I N E BU SI N ESSES

t: 01677 423193 m: 07879 213821 e: mick@localmarketingstrategies.co.uk w: www.localmarketingstrategies.co.uk JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 103

... 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

Dedicate a Tree A unique gift that grows and grows.

For £15 we’ll plant a native tree in a new wood in the Yorkshire Dales.

www.ydmt.org 015242 51002 A small charity doing big things to help care for the landscape, economy and people of the Yorkshire Dales.

Charity No. 1061687 104 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

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

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JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 105

E IR SH OM 11 RK LO 20 YO B ER IN NN I W

Newby offers you one of the best days out in Yorkshire CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE EXHIBITION 5th June – 30th September A solo show of stone and wooden sculptures by Reece Ingram

YORKSHIRE VINTAGE ASSOCIATION Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th June

The UK’s largest exhibition of vintage tractors and farm machinery – a very colourful weekend.

MATOMBO ZIMBABWEAN SCULPTURE 1st July – 9th Sept Get your goggles on and have a bash! Original pieces of all sizes to buy too.

HISTORIC VEHICLE RALLY Sunday 15th July Over 1500 vintage vehicles of all makes, marques and ages

Open daily except Mondays (but inc. Bank Holidays) April-June and September, and every day throughout July and August from 11am Information Hotline: 0845 4504068 www.newbyhall.com

KIPLIN HALL

Jacobean House

Country Seat of Founder of Maryland, USA

Gardens and Tea Room

l

Open 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)

l l l l

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 106 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

HHA

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

Flat Out For The Summer At Catterick Races There are many ways to enjoy a day at the races. Dress to impress and do it in style with corporate hospitality and fine dining or have an informal fun day out with friends and family. Whatever you choose, a day at the races is a sure winner!

To Book Tickets or Request Further Info

Call: 01748 811478

info@catterickbridge.co.uk | www.catterickbridge.co.uk

GET CLOSER TO THE ACTION 2609 Catterick Racecourse - Dales Life Half Page Version 2.indd 1

Save up to 25% when you

book in advance at www.catterickbridge.c o.uk

30/04/2012 16:16 107 JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life |

Throw away your digital camera – the one in your phone is just as good. Or so the manufacturers claim. But are they right? Ian Henry investigates.

Calling the Shots Little more than a decade has passed since the debut of the first mass-market digital compact camera, but nowadays all sorts of devices come with cameras built in – including phones and tablet computers. Is the digital point-and-shoot already dead in the water?

Setting the Scene War of Words. Not long ago, mobile phone cameras were laughably poor.

But today’s phone-makers are aiming to wipe the standalone camera off the street. Apple think the camera on their new iPhone 4S “might just be the only camera you ever need.” And HTC, touting their myTouch 4G Slide, encourage aspiring purchasers to “say goodbye to your point-and-shoot.”

Counting the Costs. You can buy a standalone digital camera for under £50, but it will be pretty basic. Smartphones and tablet computers will definitely trash this end of the market. To give the digital camera’s prospects a fair hearing, let’s choose a decent example: 108 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

the Canon IXUS 230 HS, which will cost you around £180. And let’s compare that with the new iPhone 4S, which will set you back £499 for the cheapest 16GB model – plus whatever you pay the phone company to actually use it.

Like for Like. The smartphone camera and the standalone camera have lots in common, starting with plenty of megapixels (MP). The Canon camera offers you 12MP, the iPhone offers you 8MP. Frankly the difference isn’t crucial; unless you’re blowing your photos up to billboard size, 8MP will suffice.

They share several other features too, including automatic face recognition, movie-shooting mode, and cutting-edge technical tweaks that let you take sharp pictures in poor light.

Where the Smartphone Scores Less is More. Carrying one device will always be more convenient than carrying two. The Canon may only be the size of a pack of cards, but it’s one more piece of kit to haul around. And its battery charger, plus cable, takes up almost as much space again.

There to Share. Take pictures on a smartphone and – providing you’ve got a signal – your snaps can be on Facebook or Twitter in seconds. With the camera, you’ll need a computer to act as go-between before you can start sharing. So the smartphone is a no-brainer for compulsive social networkers.

And Thirdly... Um, actually there isn’t a thirdly. Because apart from the advantages just mentioned – undeniably important ones – there’s not much else in favour of the smartphone.

Where the Camera Scores Power Struggle. The reason professional photographers end up with terrific pictures is, in part at least, because they take thousands of shots and bin the duds. And so should you. But after taking 200 shots – easily done in a morning on holiday or at a sports event – the iPhone’s built-in battery will be going flat.

So will the Canon’s, but there’s a crucial difference. With the Canon you can carry a spare battery, but the iPhone’s battery is built-in, so you’ll need to stop and wait for it to recharge.

Space Probe. Hi-res digital images eat up vast amounts of storage space.

The iPhone has 16GB storage, but you’ll be using a big chunk of it for other applications. Run out of space and you’ll need to stop shooting and start deleting. Yes, you could upload your photos to an online storage service, but then you’re dependent on your phone finding a signal, and you risk incurring eye-watering data charges, especially if you’re abroad. What’s more, online storage isn’t cheap; with iCloud, Apple’s service, the first 5MB comes free, but after that you start paying. With the camera, by contrast, it’s all ludicrously simple: slide out one inexpensive memory card and slide in another.

Zoom at the Top. Both iPhone and Canon allow you to zoom in on faraway objects. But not all zooms are equal. The Canon zooms by changing the focal length of the lens, which physically telescopes back and forth. The iPhone’s zoom is essentially technical trickery: it selects a portion of your original image, taken with the same fixed lens, and blows it up to fill your screen. This means that the Canon’s lens system, which genuinely homes in on its subject, can give you noticeably superior results. In fact it’s an altogether superior lens system, full-stop.

The Verdict If you want fun snaps of your friends at a party or on the beach then a smartphone will be just fine, assuming you are prepared to stump up for one of the latest models – which I, personally, wouldn’t be. If you’re off on holiday or going to a sports match and want to come back with bags of promising pictures to choose from you’d be crazy not to take a standalone camera. It will let you shoot for longer, with a better lens, and store more pictures. So don’t believe the marketing hype, the digital point-and-shoot isn’t finished yet.

JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 109

Bookmark Brian Pike sizes up some springtime reading.

Auriculas: An Essential Guide Paul Dorey

I

f there’s a more charming cultivated flower than the auricula then I’ve yet to meet it. And spring – when these diminutive alpine primulas send up heads of vibrant, gemlike blooms – is when you’re most likely to be seduced into buying a specimen or two for your own garden or yard. They’re not the easiest plants to grow, though, and if you want them to delight you again next year then you can’t necessarily just plonk them in a border and forget them. Ever since auriculas were first introduced to England in the 16th century – when they regularly changed hands for a year’s wages – there

110 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

has been an air of mystery surrounding the finer points of their cultivation. This splendid book, however, will tell you everything you need to know about caring for, propagating, breeding and displaying auriculas (traditionally shown in ‘auricula theatres’), and it is packed with inspiring photographs to boot. It includes a history of the cultivation of these fascinating plants, whose unique appeal, over the centuries, has made obsessives out of everyone from London aristocrats to migrant weavers.

The Crowood Press, hardback, £19.95

If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home Lucy Worsley

A

ny book with a chapter entitled “Chewing, Swallowing, Burping and Farting” has to be worth investigating, and if you want an insight into the fine detail of everyday domestic life through the ages then this bright and breezy overview should keep you entertained.

Covering everything from the evolution of toilet paper and bed linen to changing fashions in cooking, cleaning and washing up, it’s a reminder of how very different our ancestors’

daily lives were to our own. And presumably – strange though it may seem – future generations will one day look back at our own 21st century living arrangements with the same mixture of horror, pity and fascination with which we regard those of medieval peasants or Georgian dandies. By the author’s own admission the book depends heavily on secondary sources, but as a general survey of British home life through the ages it’s none the worse for that, and it concludes

The Psychopath Test Jon Ronson

some cases, seems almost as unhinged as those of their charges. He also explores the notion that psychopaths are especially well equipped to succeed in the business world

J

on Ronson has made a name for himself interviewing odd characters, so it seems natural enough that in his latest book he should turn his attention to the subject of madness. The result is a loose patchwork of a book that nonetheless makes a compelling read, by turns shocking, funny and thought-provoking.

Ronson meets both psychopaths and the health professionals who diagnose and treat them – and whose behaviour, in

with a comprehensive bibliography for the benefit of readers keen to follow up on specific topics.

Faber and Faber, paperback, £9.99

(not a new idea, but one that certainly explains a lot), before turning the spotlight back onto the media, pointing out how tabloid journalists and reality show producers cynically home in on people who are ‘just mad enough’ to be entertaining, but not so loopy that it’s blatantly obvious that they’re being exploited.

These are weighty topics indeed, but Ronson’s gentle, humane and politely baffled approach to them effortlessly draws the reader in.

Picador, paperback, £8.99 JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 111

Hashi: a Japanese Cookery Course Reiko Hashimoto

I

f you aim to shed a pound or two to look good on the beach this summer, you could do a lot worse than getting to grips with Japanese cookery – it’s one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.

Cookbooks claiming to introduce beginners to exotic eating often disappoint, especially when you discover you can’t round up any of the crucial ingredients outside central London. Fortunately Reiko Hashimoto’s handsome volume is eminently practical, and a quick trawl of your local deli or health food shop should furnish you with all you need. There’s an extensive section of recipes suitable for newbies, all clearly explained and attractively illustrated – from aubergine with sweet miso sauce to teriyaki chicken, you’ll find plenty of tasty choices to get you started. Once you’ve built up your confidence you might even graduate to Hashimoto-san’s signature dish: scallops with creamy spicy sauce on sushi rice.

The dessert section is predictably spartan (Japanese dinner parties seldom conclude with artery-clogging confections of cream and sugar) but white miso soufflés with ginger caramel sauce certainly sound fun.

Absolute Press, hardback, £20

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Hay Time in the Yorkshire Dales ed. Don Gamble & Tanya St Pierre

N

othing captures the richness of spring like the lush, flower-rich hay meadows that still survive – albeit in dwindling numbers – up and down the Dales. And if you want to understand more about these fascinating habitats, you can’t do better than this comprehensive book. Written by a group of enthusiastic specialists, it covers everything from the anatomy of Dales barns to the relative virtues of hay and silage. Whatever your level of engagement, you’ll find something of interest. There’s a handy guide to meadowland flowers and grasses – including details of when they’re in bloom and their traditional medicinal uses – and a generously illustrated guide to the insects, birds and mammals that call the meadows home. Readers interested in social history will enjoy the account of traditional haymaking and the collected reminiscences of Dales farmers. There’s also a useful list of meadows that are open to visitors, so you’ve no excuse for neglecting these floral treasures on your doorstep. Buy this book from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (www.ydmt.org/shop) and you’ll even get a free DVD. Scotforth Books, paperback, £12

Enjoy some great entertainment...

Floral Feast

Harmonies

Wednesday 6th June

Thursday 14th June

Join us for an exciting array of flower arranging as Bob Forbes of Oasis demonstrates the importance of symmetry and colour coordination in seasonal floral displays.

There’s something special about the sound of voices raised in harmony, so join us as the ever popular group, the Daytones, perform their special music just for you.

Doors: 2:00pm, Tickets: £3.00pp (includes tea and biscuits in the Granary)

Doors: 2:00pm, Refreshments available Tickets: £7.50pp prepaid/reserved or £10.00 on the door

Magic & Music

Steve Holbrook

Monday 25th June

Tuesday 25th September

Prepare yourself for an afternoon of cutting edge magic with our award-winning magician and music from a top cabaret artiste.

Sit back, relax and prepare to be amazed by Stephen’s clairvoyant gifts as he shares his natural talent with the audience in this truly awe-inspiring demonstration.

Doors: 2:00pm, Refreshments available Tickets: £7.50pp prepaid/reserved or £10.00 on the door

Doors: 2:00pm, Refreshments available Tickets: £15.00pp prepaid/reserved or £17.50 on the door

www.lightwatercountryshopping.co.uk (Remember to allow at least a couple of hours to visit our array of shops)

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 Please note: We reserve the right to cancel events or change dates without prior notice.

JUNE/JULY 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.

£875,000 Park House, Finghall Spacious, refurbished, detached property, immaculately presented. 1 bedroom annex and a further 1 bedroom cottage, extensive gardens and separate garage.

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

£485,000 Oakwood, Gilling West Grade II Listed Georgian 4 bedroom property. Well-presented with large walled garden. Derelict chapel with planning permission to convert to a 2 bedroom dwelling with garage.

Contact GSC Grays on 01748 829217 www.gscgrays.co.uk

£465,000 Park House, Hornby Set in countryside near Hornby Castle and Deer Park. Spacious 4 bedroom barn conversion in courtyard development with modern facilities and original character.

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

£395,000 The Old Chapel, Skeeby Immaculately presented 5 bedroom Wesleyan Chapel, dating from the c19th, spacious accommodation. Forecourt garden with water feature & driveway, gravelled path access to sides & rear.

Contact GSC Grays on 01748 829217 www.gscgrays.co.uk

£350,000 The Old Rectory, Spennithorne Semi detached. Wealth of traditional and period features throughout, views to the church and countryside beyond.

Private and enclosed gardens and off road parking.

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

£349,950 Old Hall Barn, Carlton in Coverdale Grade II Listed with a wealth of preserved features. Converted to a high standard retaining original character. Open plan living area, utility room, 3 bedrooms, mezzanine gallery.

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

114 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

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Talk to the experts – designed and fitted by specialists we can bring your ideas to life… We offer a no obligation design and quotation service, so contact us today and tell us about your plans – we’ll be delighted to hear from you.

Take advantage of greater energy savings, security and style. From contemporary to traditional, we offer a bespoke range of top quality window and conservatory designs and bespoke solutions in a colour and style to suit you.

Visit our showrooms at: Lifetime Home Improvements Plews Way, Leeming Bar Ind. Estate Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9UL T: 01677 424381 W: www.lifetimeltd.com JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life 1| 115

On themarket market On the

Our beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.

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

£425,000 Buckley Grange, Ellingstring, Masham Charming detached stone built village property with 1 acre.

Deceptively spacious family accommodation with 4 bedrooms.

Attractive gardens and garaging.

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

£350,000 West Cottage, Fremington, Richmond Spacious 4 bedroom house. Immaculately presented. Large gardens with ample parking. Stunning panoramic views over surrounding countryside.

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

£595,000 Briar House, Redmire, Leyburn Imposing 5 bedroom detached village property. First class accommodation. Delightful gardens and good car parking.

Accessible location.

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

£395,000 Smithy Garth, Askrigg, Leyburn Substantial detached 4 bedroom detached house in a commanding position. Immaculate and spacious. Gardens, garage and spectacular views. Secluded yet central location.

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

£265,000 Rose Cottage, Thornton Steward, Ripon Charming 2 double bedroom accommodation. Beautiful south facing garden. Spectacular views over East Witton Fell and Jervaulx Abbey. Desirable village location.

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

£350,000 Whitecroft & Stable Cottage, West Witton, Leyburn Period house & detached cottage. Spacious family house with 3 double bedrooms. 1 bedroom cottage. Private gardens , parking.

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

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We are Fusion Fusion is a creative agency based in Darlington. Founded in 1997, our friendly approach delivers effective design, publishing and branding work for a wide range of clients.

We’re a small, talented and very experienced team, and we concentrate on what we’re good at – this means our clients get better work at a very competitive price.

We’ve helped businesses of all sizes, from worldwide luxury brands to ambitious start-ups, and we really like a challenge. If we sound like your sort of creative agency, we’d love to hear from you.

• Product and Corporate Literature • Brand Development • Advertising • Publishing Design and Consultancy

• Business-to-business and Consumer Sales Promotion • Exhibitions • Point-of-Sale • Web site Design • Illustration

01325 252484 www.fusioncreativeservices.co.uk info@fusioncreativeservices.co.uk Fusion Creative Services Limited 35 Woodland Road Darlington DL3 7BJ

JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 117

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.

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

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Beautifully designed cast iron radiators Traditional, Contemporary, Classic or Chic.

Incorporating cast iron radiators within your design will add elegance and style to any room.

Castironrads: The largest cast iron radiator company in the UK. • Original cast iron radiators • Reproduction radiators direct from our foundry • A full range of period style Valves & Fittings • Restoration service available

COATINGS LIMITED

SPECIALISTS IN SURFACE PREPARATION AND COATINGS, FROM SMALL COMPONENT PARTS TO VEHICLE CHASSIS

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The Sawmills • West Tanfield • Ripon • North Yorkshire • HG4 5JU • Tel: 01677 470808 www.castironrads.co.uk

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

West Rountengill | Walden, Leyburn

Seata Barn | Askrigg, Leyburn

Traditional Dales long house with 16.86 acres in a stunning location. Newly refurbished traditional dales long house. First class range of farm buildings. Standing superbly in an elevated position. Outstanding panoramic views. Perfect equestrian property.

Substantial four bedroom barn conversion with 3.5 acres land. Immaculate and spacious accommodation.

Garden and range of outbuildings. Spectacular views over open countryside. Secluded yet central location.

Excellent village amenities.

£625,000 - £675,000

£380,000 - £420,000

Archway Cottage | Preston Under Scar, Leyburn

The Old School | Thornton Watlass, Bedale

Deceptively spacious country cottage in a highly desirable village. Three bedroom accommodation with garage and gardens. Ample off street parking.

Viewing by appointment.

Delightful three bedroom former school. Light spacious accommodation. Immaculately presented.

Wealth of period features. Private courtyard garden. Excellent village location overlooking the village green.

£300,000 - £325,000

Offers In Excess Of £325,000

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 JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 119

Bring your message to Life With 20,000 copies delivered to carefully selected households, Dales Life is the only cost-effective way to reach customers in the Dales.

The whole magazine’s online too — so readers can click straight through to your website.

Over 75% of our advertisers stay with us, for one very good reason:

Dales Life delivers Contact Sue Gillman now on 01904 629295 or sue@daleslife.com to find out more.

120 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

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 For more information please contact: David Cooper or Phil ScottScott-Priestley - Leyburn Office Guy Coggrave - Richmond Office

Leyburn Office tel: 01969 600120

Email: leyburn@gscgrays.co.uk

Richmond Office tel: 01748 829217 Email: richmond@gscgrays.co.uk Offices also at: Barnard Castle • Hamsterley • Stokesley

WWW.GSCGRAYS.CO.UK JUNE/JULY 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

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

122 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

Clifton St Annes P.C.S.

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For an information pack please contact: Premiere Care (NE) Ltd Thornborough Hall, Leyburn DL8 5AB 01969 622 499 www.premiere-care.co.uk

To book space in the Summer issue contact Sue Gillman Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 123

MICHAEL WATKINSON Building & ďŹ ne restoration

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

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

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124 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

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

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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

Recipes • Books • Travel • Restaurants Wildlife • Gardening • Antiques • Wine

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www.wensleydalehousedoctor.co.uk JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 127

There’s an incredible diversity of artistic talent right on your doorstep – and this year’s best-ever Open Studios event proves it. Brian Pike reports.

Home is where the Art is

hat goes on inside an artist’s head?

What exactly makes him or her tick? How do they come up with their ideas? And how do they turn those ideas into reality?

Top left: Titanium brooch, Debby Moxon Above: Teapot, Charlotte Morrison Above right: Leaf earrings Helene Shovlar Far right: The Dales, Andrea Hunter 128 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

Well now’s your chance to find out, thanks to this year’s North Yorkshire Open Studios event, in which 130 carefully selected artists and craftspeople welcome visitors into their work spaces. Open Studios takes place over the course of two consecutive weekends in June, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to discover the wealth of creative talent in our region. It’s also an ideal excuse for a fun day out with the family.

And if, when you think of Yorkshire art, you’re imagining some plodding, saccharine painting of sheep grazing the moors then you couldn’t be further from the truth. From vibrant abstracts and cutting-edge jewellery to innovative glasswork, tactile ceramics and luscious textiles, the artists involved in the Open Studio scheme cater for pretty much every conceivable taste.

With such a huge amount on show it’s impossible to do justice to all the participants.

Here I will concentrate mainly on artists in the Northern Dales, but there’s plenty to see all the way out to the East Coast, and as far south as Selby. For a more comprehensive summary, take a look at the Open Studios website – or, better still, visit the ‘taster’ exhibition that will be opening soon at Harrogate’s magnificent Royal Hall (see panel over page for details).

skilfully crafted from silver, copper, enamels, gold leaf and precious stones.

While you’re in the vicinity of Hawes, don’t miss Andrea Hunter’s stunning, painterly images, immaculately crafted from felt, or Carol Tyler’s subtle, reflective paintings inspired by tumbledown abbeys and medieval wall decorations. Then head off to Finghall, near Leyburn, to enjoy Caroline Dunn’s cleverly worked textiles.

You’re spoiled for choice in and around Masham too. At Old Sleningford Farm, Anna Poulton and Stuart Whitehead share an interest in experimental mixed-media work, whilst at High Burton you can see Josie Beszant’s gently nostalgic collages, Charlotte Morrison’s delicate porcelain and Rosie Scott Massie’s intriguing landscapes, which are made from intricately cut-up maps.

Wensleydale Wonders

Cross the hills from Upper Wensleydale to Gunnerside to see Rachel Antill’s spacious abstracts before heading back down Swaledale to a cluster of studios in and around Richmond. Not far from the town centre you can enjoy Beverly Haines’s

Take a trip to the top of the Dale to enjoy Angela Keeble’s richly textured paintings, which hover on the boundary between abstract and landscape, and Helene Shovlar’s Dales-inspired contemporary jewellery,

Swaledale and Beyond

JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 129

delicate, atmospheric illustrations, and in nearby Gilling West you can meet Kathy Mabbett’s charming and quirky ceramic animals.

From Gilling it’s a short hop to Sedbury and Wendy Jones’s bold landscape studies of the Dales and the North East coast. At nearby Forest, not far from Scorton, you can meet husband-and-wife Colin and Sheila Smithson. Colin’s landscape paintings are packed with colour and gentle humour, while

With such a huge amount on show it’s impossible to do justice to all the participants Sheila’s current work reflects her fascination with gardens and garden plants. Drop in at Croft-on-Tees village hall to see Petra Lloyd’s sculptural ceramic birds and Frances Connolly’s pastel skyscapes.

And There’s Moor The Open Studios scheme isn’t just about visiting artists’ studios, and this year’s programme includes an unprecedented range of special events, installations and workshops for visitors to get involved in.

Askrigg artist Judith Bromley will be leading ‘a contemplative moorland walk’, and there will be another walking expedition around Hawes and Hardraw led by ‘walking artist’ Alison

A Pile of Carrots, Kathy Mabbett

Lloyd. Masham printmaker Hester Cox will be creating a series of geo art caches in romantic Hackfall Woods, and Sarah Morpeth will lead a book art workshop in Richmond’s historic Georgian Theatre Royal.

You can learn how to make monoprints with Rebecca Gouldson at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes, or create your own sparkling glass light-catchers with Gill Hobson at The Station in Richmond. Other highlights include Janet Clarke’s tapestry masterclass in Thirsk and Steve Rayner’s pinhole camera workshop in Gargrave. On top of all these there will be hat-making, jewellery and sculpture workshops, and more besides. Whichever you opt for, book early to avoid disappointment.

Open Studio Overview Studio Opening Dates and Times: 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th June, 10.30am to 5.30pm.

Good Taste: Many of the artists participating in the 130 | Dales Life | JUNE/JULY 2012

scheme will be represented at a special ‘taster’ exhibition at Harrogate Royal Hall, 31st May to 17th June, weekdays 12pm to 3pm, weekends and bank holidays 12pm to 5pm,

www.royalhall.co.uk.

Get the Big Picture: For more information visit www.nyos. org.uk, where you can order yourself a free brochure.

Eccles Heddon LLP Solicitors

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 Dispute Resolution

FAMILY LAW CLINIC We also 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.

JUNE/JULY 2012 | Dales Life | 131

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Visit our showroom: Unit 1 The Craft Yard The Station Bedale DL8 1AW Telephone us on 01677 424669 or visit our website www.holmedesign.com

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