Pride Magazine November 2014 by Pride Magazines Ltd

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MarKeT HarbOrOugH, KeTTering, COrby and OundLe PrideMagazine

PrideMagazine THE

NUMBER

ONE

MAGAZINE

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 £3.70

Covering the whole of Market Harborough, Kettering, Corby and Oundle

The Lifestyle Magazine for High Quality Homes

NOVEMBER 2014

Creating Christmas Wreaths annual County Fair at rockingham Castle exeCuTive HOMes - gOOd FOOd aWards - CHrisTMas giFTs

Pride Magazine November 2014 £3.70

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The month of November is upon us, and we’ll soon be making our preparations for the fun and festive season of Christmas!

Ceri JaCkson Editor, PridE magazinE editor@pridemagazines.co.uk

Award-winning wreath maker Ella from Welford Christmas Tree Farm brings you some top tips on how you can create your own Christmas wreath at home. We also spoke with a local historian to find out about our local land army girls, and the role they played to help during the first World War. The annual County Fair was held at Rockingham Castle, a beautiful location for a family fun day out - so look out for exclusive images. If you have an an event you’d like us to cover for you, please do get in touch! Camille Ortega Mclean’s chutneys, marmalades and preserves are now a global success - a far cry from when she first started cooking them up in her kitchen in Bulwick, near Corby.

PrideMagazine MARKET HARBOROUGH, KETTERING, CORBY AND OUNDLE

THE

The Lifestyle Magazine for High Quality Homes

NUMBER

ONE

MAGAZINE

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 £3.70

Creating Christmas Wreaths Annual County Fair at Rockingham Castle EXECUTIVE HOMES - GOOD FOOD AWARDS - CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Pride Magazine November 2014 £3.70

This month’s cover: Skefﬁngton Hall in Skefﬁngton, Leicester was successfully sold by King West. It was on the market for £1,650,000. www.kingwest.co.uk.

Finally, if you’ve yet to do so, please do vote for your favourite restaurant, bistro and nominate a Food Hero in our Good Food Awards. We’re asking you to nominate your favourites, and in return, one lucky reader will enjoy complementary meals out in 2015 to say thankyou for voting. Find out more on page 52.

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PrideMagazine MARKET HARBOROUGH, KETTERING, CORBY AND OUNDLE

PrideMagazine

THE

Covering the whole of Market Harborough, Kettering, Corby and Oundle

The Lifestyle Magazine for High Quality Homes

NUMBER

ONE

MAGAZINE

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 £3.70

NOVEMBER 2014

Creating Christmas Wreaths Annual County Fair at Rockingham Castle EXECUTIVE HOMES - GOOD FOOD AWARDS - CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Pride Magazine November 2014 £3.70

With best wishes from the Pride magazine team Publisher: Julian Wilkinson. general manager: ian Bagley. Editor: Ceri Jackson. Features Editor: rob davis. graphic designer and Customer Care: mandy Bray. accounts manager: Sue Bannister. Sales managers: zoie Wilkinson, Jayne Broughton. Sales Executives: Liz King, abigail Colley, Carissa Clay, Emily Brown, Sami millard, Lauren Chambers, Emma Barrett, Hayley Scott, amy Whiley. Sales Support: Emily rippin. distribution manager: Paul dixon.

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Contents

10 24 36 60 90 110 124 150

november 2014

Find out WHaT’s on this month in Market Harborough, Kettering, Corby and Oundle with theatre, music and charity events. We visit Northamptonshire’s annual Food sHoW at Holdenby Hall, so take a look at our exclusive photographs of the event. As we near Christmas, enjoy our selection of venison recipes and find out about Rutting Reds in the Food and drink section. In our HoMe section, Nicholas and Sheron transform a former clothing factory, with a dramatic mix of contemporary and traditional. In our HisTory feature, find out about local Land Girls in our area, and the difference they made during the first World War. Our MoTor of the month is the ‘streetwise’ Volvo XC90, which has been updated to suit family motorists seeking a comfortable SUV. Find out the story behind a local FasHion expert, Philippa Cloete, who launches her exciting new British childrenswear brand.

Ella Miles, a local CHrisTMas WreaTH maker whose wreaths have hung on 10 Downing Street twice, shows us a thing or two!

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County News Let’s get physical at Corby’s state of the art gym facilities...

all the World’s a stage for new theatre director naomi...

People in Corby may not recognise the new state-of-the-art gym at Lodge Park Sports Centre...

theatre productions commenced in September under naomi Jones, oundle’s new theatre director

Corby customers aren’t going to recognise the new gym at Lodge Park Sports Centre after a huge makeover thanks to Corby Borough Council. Over the last six weeks, work has been underway to improve and extend the gym at Lodge Park and now the wait is finally over as is reopened on Monday 1st September. The Project means that the gym has now been extended into the once Aerobics Studio on the ground floor, making it double the size with room for more fitness equipment with a much wider variety too. Corby Borough Council has invested in state of the art treadmills, bikes, rowers, elliptical trainers and climb mills with integrated TVs, as well as new resistance machines and XCube which includes monkey bars and platforms alongside cable, plate loaded and free weights. Around 25 members of the Health and Fitness Team have

undergone training on the brand new Xcube, which incorporates functional and body weight training. Staff also have training planned on suspension, Strength & Conditioning which allows the team to offer more, including GP referrals, cardiac rehabilitation, weight loss, general fitness and sports specific training. Upstairs, the Community Room has been transformed to a studio; enabling the centre to keep its four purpose built studio’s to support the 85+ classes a week timetable. The development also includes new indoor cycling bikes to support the popular spin classes the centre provides. “This is an exciting time for the Sports Centre – we’re committed to providing the best and we are always encouraging new people to come along. The redevelopment is an exciting addition to what is on offer and will provide that extra something to our loyal and new customers.” Corby Borough Council’s Cllr John McGhee, Lead Member for Community. oundle’s Stahl Theatre productions will re-commence in September under the Theatre’s new Director, Naomi Jones. Naomi will be working with Reb Desmond, the Stahl’s new Theatre and Productions Manager, on a wonderfully diverse and intriguing selection of productions. “I am so excited to take up the post of Director of the Stahl Theatre in Oundle. I have been thinking and planning in abstract

terms; it’s great to be actually making those plans happen! The 2015 season will see an increase in the professional body of work hosted and in doing this I hope we can appeal to a broader range of people and encourage those who might never have been here before to give it a try.” says Naomi. Events coming up include The Shop of Little Horrors, Sweeney Todd and Forty Years on. For more information, please visit www.oundleschool.org.uk/arts/theatre.

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Send your press releases and county news to: Editor via editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

Corby commemmorates World War one at exhibition... Corby Borough Council in partnership with the Library, held a WWI exhibition as part of the WW1 Centenary commemorations in the Corby Cube. Newsletters, decorative bomb shells and a stack of information were on display for the public to see. It also included Corby’s Roll of Honour, which lists those who served and died or served and returned with local connections to Corby and surrounding villages. This event comes after Councillors agreed for two recreational spaces to be put forward to the Fields in Trust in partnership with the Royal British Legion, as a dedicated Centenary Field. The Royal British Legion and Fields in Trust are leading a nationwide initiative aimed at securing recreational spaces as ‘Centenary Fields’ in honour of the memory of the millions of people who lost their lives. At Corby Borough Council’s One Corby Policy Committee,

Coins honour British army’s ﬁrst black ofﬁcer... northampton Football Club’s Walter Tull will be honoured by the Royal Mint with a special set of coins. Walter was killed in action in World War One on the Western front, in 1918. During the war he was promoted to officer, despite a ban on black officers being given the status. The coin will be part of the commemorations of the centenary of WWI.

Councillors agreed to put forward both Charter Field and Hazelwood and Thoroughsale Woods as part of this scheme. If successful this will commemorate this significant milestone in shared history but also safeguard from development, creating a local legacy to the fallen soldiers of World War I valued by the local community for years to come. “We’re pleased to put forward two recreational areas that will benefit from being safeguarded and be a long-lasting commemoration. We hope they will be successful,” Cllr John McGhee. A catalogue of historic and interesting information has, and is continuing to be, compiled and issued on the Council’s website, so you can find out lots of information on these dedicated pages. If you have anything that you wish to share and hopefully have included please contact Corby Borough Council’s Democratic Services Team on 01536 464013 or email paul.goult@corby.gov.uk.

The coin will feature a portrait of Walter with a backdrop of infantry soldiers. It will be one of a set of six £5 coins to remember the sacrifices made by many during the war. Tull was also one of England's first black footballers, and used to play for Northampton. He enlisted in the army in 1914, rose to become a 2nd Lieutenant and died in the Second Battle of the Somme at the age of 29. For more information please call the Royal Mint on 01443 222111 or visit their website www.royalmint.com.

oundle’s girls School hockey club enjoy trip of a lifetime... 34 girls embarked on a three week tour across the Paciﬁc ocean, playing 20 matches and exploring cities, expanding cultural and linguistic horizons. oundle School’s girls’ hockey club made the most of the summer by going on a three week tour across the Pacific Ocean, with destinations across Asia and Australasia, including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney and New Zealand’s North Island. 34 girls played 20 matches against local schools and clubs. New skills and ideas were tested in competitive matches. This helped boost confidence and saw them trying out new tactics to improve their game.

temples to Sydney’s Taronga Zoo and the crafts and culture of New Zealand’s Maoris. The Great War commemoration coincided with their stop in New Zealand, where the girls marked the 100 years since war was declared by laying a wreath at the New Zealand Cenotaph.

The girls were also lucky enough to train at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium under the guidance of Larry Macintosh, Head Coach at the NSW Institute of Sport.

“Travelling with 33 other girls was an amazing experience. We shared many cultural experiences together, and the standard of hockey was very high. We enjoyed victories and defeats, allowing us to move forward as a hockey club in preparation for what we hope will be a very successful season." says lower sixth former, Polly Baker.

They also spent time exploring the cities, with surfing in Sydney and climbing the iconic Harbour Bridge. Malaysia and Australasia offered contrasts - from the bustle of Kuala Lumpur’s markets and

“Not only did they have a lot of fun travelling together and exploring new places, but they improved their level of hockey significantly.” says Gareth Terrett, Head of Hockey.

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County News

Send your press releases and county news to: Editor via editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

Second malting oven discovered in northampton...

the town for more than 30 years.

northampton is to become an archaeological site, after a second larger medieval barley malting oven was discovered.

"It was indeed a malt oven, which would have been used for roasting barley for the brewing of beer. It is bigger than the first was was found in the summer but dates from the same period.” says Northamptonshire County Council spokesman.

The 13th century oven was found at the same site as the first on St John’s Street, where the council's £43m headquarters will be built.

Plenty of time to get involved in Charity Car race... Corby’s charity car treasure hunt, called the Green Treasure Challenge, was due to take place on Saturday 6th September in order to raise money for the Mayor of Corby, Cllr Anthony Dady’s chosen charities. Unfortunately the event had to be postponed but don’t worry you can get your engines ready for the event at a later date as the challenge is being rearranged for early 2015. The event consists of a treasure hunt around Corby, taking in some of the iconic landmarks from the town’s recent regeneration. Teams travel around the town in cars looking for clues in order to complete the challenge in the shortest possible time. Although all car types will be accepted, entry fees will be reduced depending on how environmentally friendly a car is, encouraging the use of electric and hybrid vehicles. “Promoting environmental responsibility is extremely important. As someone who has owned a hybrid car for several years, I have seen myself how much

sense driving a “green” car makes financially as well as environmentally.” says Cllr Anthony Dady, Mayor of Corby. I hope this event will be a fun way of promoting environmentally-friendly transport. As a place with one of the highest number of electric car charging points per population in the UK, we can be proud of what we are doing as a town to lower our carbon footprint” “I wanted to hold this treasure hunt as a way to promote what we are doing within the Borough, while at the same time giving people a fun opportunity to explore our town.” Corby Borough Council will announce the finalised details of the Green Treasure Challenge to residents as soon as possible. Any money raised from the treasure hunt will go to help the Corby Mayor’s chosen charities: Corby Foodbank, Corby Street Pastors and the Lighthouse Drop-in Centre. For more information, visit the Council’s website: www.corby.gov.uk.

Flagstones from the first oven will go on display at a pub planned for Phipps brewery in nearby Kingswell Street.

This discovery of the malt ovens and wells means that beer could actually have been brewed on a much larger scale in Northampton.

“The discovery of the malt malt ovens and two deep wells indicate the brewing of beer in the area on a relatively large scale, possibly dating back 800 years."

Archaeologists started to uncover the remains last week, one of the largest excavations in

For more information, please visit Northampton Borough Council’s website: www.northampton.gov.uk.

oundle School Hosts Prestigious Cricket Finals... oundle School played host to three weeks of cricket finals, hosting the London Schools Cricket Association and English Cricket Board festivals. The festivals involved 10 teams for the U15 festival, and eight for U12 tournaments, with sides coming from as far as California. Oundle School provided a fitting backdrop for the finals of the ECB National Club U15 and U13 competitions, with the highlight being a win for the Old Northamptonians. There were appearances from three England cricketers including Eoin Morgan, all keen to pass on tips and experiences.

Oundle School brought to a close a successful cricket season, including its partnership with the MCC Foundation Cricket Hub which ensures all young cricketers get the same chances to play. “Oundle is investing in the future of cricket, with work underway on a new pavilion, which will provide ample changing facilities, as well as excellent hospitality for guests and spectators,” says Oundle School’s Development Director, Matthew Dear.

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What’s On there’s plenty to do and see this month, with musical theatre, festivals, comedy across market Harborough, Corby, Kettering and oundle...

JasPer CarroTT

oliver TWisT

Jasper will be his very best at The Lighthouse Theatre this month; microphone in hand regaling the audience with his stand up routines before introducing his musical compatriots that have been charming audiences all over the world. Sunday 30th November at 7.30pm. Tickets from £25.

In a brand new adaptation of the classic Dickens story, Starlight Dance’s Drama and Theatre Skills department take you back to 1800’s England at The Masque Theatre. Orphan Oliver Twist makes his way to London to seek his fortune. After being taken in by a gang of pickpockets, he finds himself on the wrong side of the law. Saturday 15th November, tickets from £5.

www.lighthousetheatre.co.uk 01536 414141

roy orBison and Friends

Top: Concierto de Aranjuez performed by Fiori Musicali and guitar celebrity Josè Marìa Gallardo del Rey. Above: Jaspar Carrott is back to his very best and performing at The Lighthouse Theatre. Top/Right: Donizetti’s romantic comedy, L’Elisir D’Amour performed by the Royal Opera House.

Barry Steele presents his all live, spectacular, multi media tribute to The Big O, featuring classic Orbison hits from the ‘60s to the late ‘80s. Backed by a fabulous band, this sensational night will bring all the hits to life including Only The Lonely, Crying and Oh, Pretty Woman. Saturday 14th November, The Core at Corby, £17.50. www.thecorecorby.com 01536 470472

www.masquekettering.co.uk 01536 414141

l’elisir d’aMoUr Donizetti's romantic comedy of rural life shines brilliantly in Laurent Pelly's hilarious staging, which matches the perfect blend of sentiment and tomfoolery. Italian conductor and former Jette Parker Young Artist Daniele Rustioni conducts a starry cast with Royal Opera House. Lucy Crowe takes the dazzling soprano lead as Adina, the most

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- WHat’S on -

sophisticated woman in the village, loved from afar by Vittorio Grigolo's handsome but shy Nemorino. Nemorino meets a worrying rival in Levente Molnár’s braggart Sergeant Belcore, until the love potion sold to him by Bryn Terfel’s larger-than-life travelling quack, Dr Dulcamara, gives him a powerful dose of courage - with both comic and touching results. The Odeon in Kettering, Wednesday 26th November, 7.15pm. £15.50. www.odeon.co.uk

Jools Holland Jools Holland will be bringing the greatest boogie-woogie party around the UK once again. Soul Sensation Joss Stone will join Jools and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra for the first time making for a very exciting addition to the line-up at De Montfort Hall. Thursday 27th November, tickets £36. www.demontforthall.co.uk 0116 233 3111

ConCierTo de aranJUeZ FrankensTein enCore Oscar winner Danny Boyle returns to direct ‘Frankenstein’ by Nick Dear. These encore screenings of the production star Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch who alternate their roles. Frankenstein’s bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. The Odeon, Kettering, Thursday November 6th at 7pm. £13. www.odeon.co.uk

Rodrigo’s popular concert for guitar and orchestra – performed by Fiori Musicali with international guitar celebrity José María Gallardo del Rey. Don’t miss his only UK appearance this year at The Castle in Wellingborough. The memorable themes from this concerto linger long after the performance has finished. Saturday 15th November at 7.30pm. Tickets from £18.

Top: Jools Holland will be at De Montfort Hall with soul sensation Joss Stone. Above: Oscar Winner Danny Boyle direct Frankenstein by Nick Dear. Live broadcast.

www.thecastle.org.uk 01933 270007

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Christmas

Pantomine

Panto is back at de montfort Hall and it is bigger and better than ever this year with an all star-cast in their panto, Cinderella.

Panto is back – and it is bigger and better than before with the spectacle that is Cinderella. Come and enjoy a traditional family panto and relive this magical fairytale on stage – brought to life for the 21st century at De Montfort Hall in Leicester. Exclusively written and directed by Leicester’s Susie McKenna, Artistic Director at Hackney Empire, this show will be packed full of singing, laughter, comedy and a bit of romance... all, of course, with a unique and local take on life.

Carly Thoms plays the title role of Cinderella, with Tania Mathurin as her Fairy Godmother, Oliver Brenin as the Prince and Eddie Elliot as Dandini. With pumpkins galore, fantastic costumes, slapstick and lots of audience participation... come and celebrate the festive season this year at De Montfort Hall. There are some fantastic group offers available, the bigger the group you come with, the more you can save. Or you could event hold your staff Christmas party at the Hall as they have hospitality packages.

“This show will be packed full of singing, dancing, laughter, comedy and a bit of romance...”

De Montfort Hall are delighted to announce a fairytale line-up for this year’s spectacular family pantomime.

CBeebies’ presenter Alex Winters appears as the loveable Buttons, Goodness Gracious Me’s Kulvinder Ghir stars as Baron Hardup, back following her hilarious role as Spirit of the Ring in last year’s panto Aladdin, Rina Fatania makes a welcome return as the Wicked Stepmother, whilst Tony 12

Whittle dons a frock once more as one of the Ugly Sisters.

Showing from Saturday 13th December to Sunday 4th January, 2015. Tickets are from £17 per adult, and £16.50 per child. There will also be Relaxed and British Sign Language signed performances. For more information, you can visit their website www.demontforthall.co.uk or call 0116 233 3111.

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Woodside, Melton Road, Lowesby

£745,000

A superb 1920's 4 bedroomed detached family home situated on the outskirts of the Leicestershire village of Lowesby surrounded by open rolling countryside with gardens of approximately 1 acre. EPC Rating E

Broadview, Stockerston Road, Great Easton

£595,000

An individually designed 3 bedroomed detached dormer style house with large barn and 0.80 acres approx. occupying a delightful rural setting some 2½ miles outside the highly desirable Welland Valley village of Great Easton. EPC Rating E

Phoenix House, 52 High Street, Market Harborough, LE16 7AF

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Holt Rise, Manor Road, Medbourne

Price Guide ÂŁ475,000

An exceptionally spacious and stylishly refurbished 5 bedroomed country cottage of immense charm and character having the advantage of a large rear garden enjoying spectacular views over open countryside on the edge of the village of Medbourne. EPC Rating D.

Manor Farm Court, Drayton

ÂŁ435,000

Delightfully situated 5 bedroomed stone built country house constructed in 2008 in the style of a barn conversion by the reputable local builders Francis Jackson Homes, enjoying spectacular views over open countryside on the edge of the sought after Welland Valley village of Drayton. EPC Rating C

Tel: 01858 431315

www.andrewgranger.co.uk

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Skeffington, Leicestershire

Guide price £1,950,000

Skeffington House is a splendid historic residence quietly located in the heart of this pretty Leicestershire village. Set in delightful grounds of approximately 4 acres, the property dates from the 1800s when it was built as the coach-house and stable block for Skeffington Hall. The property’s equestrian connections continued into the last century when it became a renowned racing stables and in the 1930s it was home to several Grand National winners.

Glooston, Leicestershire

Offers in excess of £1,295,000

The Old Rectory dates from the 17th century and retains the charm and character of a historic property whilst providing excellent accommodation, meticulously remodelled throughout the current owners tenure over the past 24 years. The house is tucked away in the south west corner of the village in a peaceful and secluded location positioned in its own grounds with all principal rooms having southerly aspects with views over the gardens, paddocks and the open countryside.

Fine & Country 36 High St, Market Harborough, LE16 7NL Telephone: 01858 463747 Email: harborough@fineandcountry.com www.marketharborough.fineandcountry.co.uk

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Goadby, Leicestershire Guide Price £950,000 Holme LodgeHouse, is a handsome house, dating back toHarborough the 19th century and is constructed of stone under Bay Tree Thevillage Woodlands, Market Guide price:a£720,000 clay tiled roof. Immaculately presented by the current owners and boasting the character of the period, the house An immaculately presented five bedroom residence in a sought after residential area. With its galleried entrance hall and ensuite isannexe centrally located yetdouble set within itsthis own privateis grounds formal room over the garage, property a stunningincluding and versatile familygardens home. on three sides and benefitting from an enclosed paddock to the rear, with three stables all with power and light.

Claybrooke Parva, Leicestershire Guide Price £950,000 Approached via a private gated driveway, this magnificent Georgian hall benefits from an abundance of period Hillcrest Avenue, Market Harborough Guide price: £595,000 features. Claybrooke Hall is a magnificent Grade II listed property and offers the opportunity to reside in a truly An immaculate and stunningly detached home, distanceattached to the town’s facilities unique historic home, with thepresented benefit of1920s a central villagefamily location, anwithin amplewalkable plot including paddock andand train station. Boasting a large plot, garage, well-proportioned rooms and extended and refitted bespoke kitchen/breakfast room. open countryside views. Requiring some renovation, the property includes an independent annexe.

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41 High Street Market Harborough LE16 7NL

01858 433123

marketharborough@struttandparker.com

www.struttandparker.com

Bosworth House, Husbands Bosworth

A substantial detached Victorian property, which has been renovated to a high standard, with indoor swimming pool, and within large gardens.

The Hollies, Clipston

ÂŁ885,000

ÂŁ599,000 A 17th Century village house with huge character in a discreet position within one of Leicestershire's most popular villages.

Strutt & Parker estate agents and property consultants work in partnership with clients to deliver their goals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether their interests are in residential, commercial, rural or development property.

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13 Church Street Market Harborough LE16 7AA

01858 410008

www.jamessellicks.com

Burford House, Great Easton

Guide Price £500,000 A most attractive stone built detached family home, positioned in the heart of this picturesque and sought after village.

•

Traditional Stone Built Home Two Reception Rooms Dining Kitchen

•

Very High Specification Private Walled Garden Gated Private Driveway

•

Garage No Chain EPC - D

Lubenham Hill, Market Harborough

Guide Price £425,000 A recently refurbished and greatly extended three bedroom family home contemporarily styled and finished to the highest standard.

• • •

Impeccably presented Greatly extended throughout Refurbished and updated

• • •

3 Double Bedrooms Stunning L shaped living Kitchen Vaulted Ceiling in Kitchen

• • •

Contemporary Bathrooms Off Road Parking, Close to Town EPC – C

Estate Agents, Chartered Surveyors & Letting Agents

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Charter Court, Butland Road, Oakley Vale Corby, Northamptonshire, NN18 8QT 01536 747320 www.connells.co.uk

Home Farm Close, Great Oakley

Offers in excess of ÂŁ450,000 This fantastic stone built detached property is in excellent order both inside and out and must be viewed to be appreciated. Four bedrooms, including master bedroom of nearly 20 feet long and an en-suite, lounge with feature fireplace and patio doors into the conservatory. Open plan Kitchen/diner/family room, galleried landing and views over the lovely garden to the rear.

Deene End, Weldon, Corby

ÂŁ375,000 Delightful Grade II Listed English thatched cottage believed to date back to the early 1500's and located in the popular village of Weldon. The cottage boasts a host of original features such as exposed oak beams, stone work and open fireplaces but with modern items; such as an en-suite and re-fitted bathroom. With a good sized garden the property must be viewed to be fully appreciated!

Connells, an award winning agency...

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45 High Street Market Harborough LE16 7AF

01858 431635

marketharborough@harrisonmurray.co.uk

www.harrisonmurray.co.uk

136 Northampton Road, Market Harborough

£375,000 Period semi detached house of good proportions with no upward chain located on one of Market Harborough’s most sought after roads. Located on a landscaped plot with a good deal of privacy, two reception rooms, fitted kitchen/diner and master bedroom with ensuite.

23a White Street, Kibworth £340,000 Located within easy walking distance of the bustling village centre, this five bedroom detached home offers well proportioned accommodation over three floors as well as benefitting from a landscaped rear garden and detached single garage.

Estate Agent, Lettings, Conveyancing, Auction, Mortgages

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- nortHamPtonSHirE Food SHoW -

Northamptonshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Food Show

A Taste of

The Good Life Visitors recently enjoyed the eighth northamptonshire Food Show which was held at Holdenby Hall. a celebration of everything that is good to eat and drink locally, craft stalls galore, cookery demonstrations & workshops, and a unique opportunity to ďŹ nd out about food and living in the 17th century, it was certainly an enjoyable weekend! Words: Ceri Jackson Images: Don Lambert 25

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Top: The Living History display by The Earl of Essex’s Regiment of Foote. Above: Visitors could find out about living in the 17th century and different crafts. Main: Local distillers Warner Edwards gave talks over the weekend, and were on hand to give sips and tips with their award-winning gin products.

Holdenby has become synonymous with local food and drink, and this year saw the eighth Northamptonshire Food Show, which was held at Holdenby House recently. The Food Show is an annual celebration of everything that is good to eat in the local area, and there was an abundance of food stalls for people to sample from including artisan cheeses, home cured and fresh meat, bakery, wine and condiments, as well as an array of arts, crafts and gift stalls. Throughout the two day event, there were cookery demonstrations and workshops with experts including Andy Kelly from Sophia’s Restaurant, and Anita Chipalkatty from Hobby Cooks gave an authentic Indian cookery class which was compered by Masterchef contestant Ondine Hartgroves. One of Britain’s best loved food writers, TV cooks and keen champion of domestic cookery, Sophie Grigson also made an appearance at the event who shared some of

her expert knowledge with those who attended her cookery demonstration. As well as a full programme of cookery demos - wine and beer tastings also took place throughout the weekend. Visitors could get tips from local distillers Warner Edwards who we met last month and try their gins, and Holdenby’s Head Gardener Matt Hughes gave tours in the beautiful 20 acre Grade I listed garden. Holdenby House also has a 20 acre Grade I listed garden that visitors could explore over the weekend, with stately lawns and hedges, and several special features including the Elizabethan Garden. There is also the Tous Tous border which was named after Lady Clifden’s daughter’s pet dog, andcompleted by Rupert Golby as a fragrant border, as well as the Pond Garden, King Charle’s Walk and Silver Border. There was also a Living History display each day from The Earl of Essex’s Regiment of

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“Visitors could sample an array of local food and were treated to a number of cookery workshops and demonstrations..” Foote which gave an insight into Civil War history, what people ate and how they lived in the 17th Century. There were also drill and firing displays in front of the stately house. “Holdenby is a beautiful house owned by James and Karen Lowther. It was built in 1583 by Sir Christopher Hatton who was Lord Chancellor and favourite of Elizabeth I, and is the largest private house in Elizabethan England. It has 123 huge glass windows around two courtyards, which were to honour his beloved Elizabeth. It’s a fantastic location for our annual food show,” says Gilly who helps organise the annual food show in Northamptonshire. Hatton died a few short years after the completion of Holdenby House, bankrupt and childless. The house was passed to James I, who used it as a place of entertainment yet for his son, Charles I, it was his prison. Charles I was held prisoner at Holdendy House for five months in 1647 after his defeat in the Civil War. 27

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- nortHamPtonSHirE Food SHoW -

In 1709, the Duke of Marlborough bought the house and since, it has descended down the female line of the Lowther family, which dates from 940AD. “In the 1870s, the house was restored and added to by Karen’s great-greatgrandmother, Lady Clifden, working with the Victorian architect Richard Carpenter. It is now based around the remaining Kitchen wing of the old Palace. Visitors can enjoy tours through the different rooms including the majestic ballroom, dining room, library and piano room.” The house also has a Falconry Centre which is run by Icarus Falconry. The centre has many different species of birds of prey including the extremely rare black eagle, lanner falcon and European eagle owl. Over the weekend there were lots of displays

Right: Visitors could enjoy a range of stalls and activities including cookery workshops, and find out how people lived in the 17th Century.

“The house has a Falconry Centre with birds of prey including the extremely rare black eagle...” headed up by the resident Falconer, and visitors could also meet the elegant raptors! This annual event in Northamptonshire is a great way for local people and those further afield who fancy a fantastic weekend away to sample the delicacies of local produce, crafts and see a bit of history. “Holdenby Hall has a rich history and with visitors being able to enjoy tours of both the house and gardens, they were able to find out more about its history and see the beautiful, grand rooms.” says Gilly. For more information about the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Show, and Holdenby House please visit www.holdenby.com or call 01604 770074.

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- Food -

The Pickled

Village

Six years ago, Camille ortega mcLean began making internationally inspired, British-made chutneys, preserves and marmalades in her kitchen. today, she has achieved global success so we paid a visit to find out how to make your own chutneys full of flavour and goodness. Words and Photographs: Ceri Jackson. at The Pickled village, life is all about preserving British tradition such as the craft of making chutneys, marmalades and other products. Camille Ortega McLean has always had a love for food. Even from a young age, her mother and father surrounded her with different ingredients and flavours. “When I was growing up, life was all about spending time together as a family; giving selfless love and pleasure through food and flavour. My mother is Italian, and my father Spanish so good quality food and flavours was very important.” The Pickled Village began six years ago in Camille’s kitchen, where she innovatively created and cooked up internationally inspired, British-made chutneys, preserves, marmalades, marinades and dressings before trailing them in her local village shop in Bulwick. “My husband and I own the village shop in Bulwick, which is near Corby. I decided to start making chutneys for the shop for local

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customers, and passer-bys and it has just grown from there. People started to ask if I would supply to them too.” Camille has come a long way from her days perching preserving pans on every surface and juggling fruit and vegetables in her kitchen. The Pickled Village has now become a global success, and Camille entered into a joint venture in 2013 with Bramble Foods of Market Harborough. They have since built their bijoux production room that has been a hive of aromatic activity over the year, and with all of the exciting developments they have now outgrown that space too. Camille is a great example of how you don’t need an industrial sized kitchen to start making your own chutneys and preserves. She believes that anyone and everyone can make their own at home using everyday ingredients available from a local farmers market, supermarket, and from your garden. “I’ve always loved food and experimenting with different ingredients. So many gardens have things you can use to make a chutney, like apples and you should use them rather than let them go to waste. Now is a great time of year as there’s so much on offer.” “Don’t say no to discounted produce - buy it and make something lovely with it. You could even make a pasta sauce using tomatoes, garlic, onions and herbs, preserve it in a jar and use when you have friends for dinner.” The most important thing you need in order to get started is a good quality preserving

pan, a chopping board, glass jars and lids and lots of ideas and inspiration! “It’s all about trying different things. A lot, if not all of my products started from experimentation and trying different ingredients together - some work and some don’t but that’s all part of the fun when you create a chutney full of flavour. The Pickled Village has grown significantly, but I still do all of my product development at home.” When making your chutneys, you should use a good quality vinegar, as this makes a lot of difference in terms of flavour and shelf life. You also need good quality, unbruised fruit and vegetables. Camille uses a whole host of ingredients including onions, limes, apples, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, carrots, gherkins, strawberries

“The Pickled Village started in Camille’s kitchen at her home in Bulwick and it is now a global success...”

- pretty much any fruit or vegetable can be used and it’s all about trying out different flavours and seeing what works. As well as her chutneys, Camille also makes preserves, marmalades, curds, and jams but sometimes people don’t actually realise the difference between them. “Not many know the difference between say, a chutney and a pickle or marmalade. Chutneys are made from fruit and vegetables, marmalades are from a citrus. Chutneys can be smooth, or chunky. It all depends on the finished product that you would like to achieve.” Depending on the ingredients you use, your chutney can be sweet or tart. Camille’s top tip if you would like a sweet chutney is to add fruit such as apples and pears. For a tart or spicy chutney adding extra spices and chills will give a good result. “Before I start, I get all of my ingredients together, and prepare them by chopping them up to the size I want for my chutney. I add them to my preserving pan and mix them up. If you want a chunky chutney I recommend leaving your main ingredient until last. And never use salt - you should let the flavours speak for themselves.” It’s important that you sterilise your glass jars and lids before adding your chutney, as this will help to preserve them better. You can do this by running them through a hot dishwasher cycle, or washing them with hot soapy water and placing in an oven at 100°c for 10 to 15 minutes.

Main: Camille showed us where The Pickled Village began in her kitchen at her home in Bulwick, and created a simple and quick apple and ginger chutney.

Once her ingredients are mixed together, Camille adds vinegar and simmers the mixture on her Aga for an hour or so, or until the fruit or vegetables have softened, the mixture is thick with no runny liquid. “Making chutneys doesn’t have to be a time consuming affair. You can prepare your

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“I’ve always loved food and experimenting with different ingredients - there are few you can’t use to make your own chutneys and it doesn’t have to be a time consuming affair...” ingredients at the weekend or at night when you are home from work, and then leave it to simmer when you have time.” “Once cooked, you will have a lovely glass jarred chutney that you can use with a snack or to add flavour to a meal. They will last for ages and your friends are bound to be impressed at the dinner table!” Camille holds small workshops in her kitchen at home, creating a fun and relaxed atmosphere where you can learn about making chutneys, what ingredients work well together and how you can decorate them beautifully creating a personal gift for yourself, or someone else.

fruity and spicy chutney with a hint of mulled wine and The Christmas Cracker, a feisty, fruity chutney with a scotch bonnet chilli kick. Camille never believed that her homemade chutneys would lead to the success story they are today, and the extent that The Pickled Village has grown. “I never once thought that I would be starting my own business at my age. The first couple of years were hard when we set up The Pickled Village. I used to go to f armers markets at 6am to build up awareness for my products. It is hard work but I am so passionate about what I do, I enjoy every moment. Hearing the lovely comments from people trying them definitely makes it all worthwhile.”

“Camille holds small workshops to show which ingredients work well and how to decorate jars beautifully as a gift...”

Her products are available online and from farm shops, delis and garden centres throughout the Country. They include The Bloody Mary which has all the ingredients of the cocktail including vodka, The Minted Mango Tango, a spicy, chunky mango chutney with coriander, mint and chillies and The Earth and Fire, a chunky beetroot chutney with a hit of chillies and horseradish. The Pickled Village’s best seller is The Cuban ‘Mojito’ Breakfast marmalade which has all of the ingredients of the cocktail: lime, mint and rum. Other marmalades include The Wedding Breakfast, a thin cut with champagne and splash of crème de cassis, and The Hot-Blooded Breakfast with red hot chillies. Camille also makes seasonal products, and this year she has The Christmas Cheer, a warm, 34

She also believes that anyone can take the next step and make a successful business if they have a good product and the passion for it. “Anyone can start their own business if they have the right product. Look at me - I began making chutneys myself in my kitchen and now because of the demand and supplying to other markets, we have help to make them. I still create all of my new products at home though.” Whether you want to make your own chutneys, marmalades and preserves to enjoy with friends and family or start a new venture, the key is to experiment with ingredients and let the flavours speak for themselves.

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the recipe Book Camille has created her the Pickled Village recipe book to show how her chutneys can be used to create delicious dinners to enjoy with friends and family! the Bloody mary

To add a little punch to your penne, make a basic tomato sauce for your pasta and stir in half a jar of The Bloody Mary chutney. the Earth and Fire

Pan fry a sea bass in butter with a squeeze of lemon juice served with a few spoonfuls of this chunky, fiery chutney to brighten up your dish! the Hot runner

This crunchy runner bean chutney is a surprise hit stirred into mashed potatoes and makes a delicious accompaniment to slices of hot baked ham. the red rapscallion

This red onion ‘marmalade’ is made with redcurrants, chillies and thyme is the ideal addition to a hot goat’s cheese salad. Spoon on to the hot cheese and allow to melt. Serve with peppery leaves.

the Fiery Cheese Pie Ingredients: 1 pack of puff pastry, 1 jar of Camille’s Fiery Italian, 2 balls of mozzarella, handful of basil leaves and baby spinach. Method: Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6. Roll out the puff pastry and cut it in half. Spread one half to 2cm from the edge with The Fiery Italian chutney. Take the other half of the pastry and place on top, sealing the edges and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve topped with torn basil leaves and a handful of dressed baby spinach. For more information about The Pickled Village, visit 15 Main Street, Bulwick, Near Corby Northamptonshire, NN17 3DY. Call 01780 450774 or see www.thepickledvillage.co.uk. 35

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- LoCaL Food -

Rutting Reds The

venison is often disregarded around the dinner table, but many don’t realise the nutritional value of introducing this lean meat into your diet. giles and Polly run rutting reds deer park in newnham and are great venison advocates, so we visited to find out more...

Words & Photographs: Ceri Jackson When it comes to rustling up a sunday lunch, not many people will think to use venison instead of the classic beef, chicken or turkey. However, what many don’t realise is that venison is actually a very healthy addition to your diet that is full of nutrition and goodness. The meat boasts a lower cholesterol level than chicken, and has been a staple diet of the British people for centuries, long before the domestication of the more recognised farmed animals of today. With this in mind, Giles and Polly decided to start their own deer park in Newnham 11 years ago to produce their own venison on their land. Starting with just five stags and 20 hinds (or females), the herd has grown significantly over the years, and is now in the region of about 150 deer. “Giles and I both grew up on farms, and we both have an interest in deer of all species. When we moved to the area Giles said he wanted either a fish farm or deer park, and with us being miles from the sea we settled on deer. Rutting Reds initially started as a glorified hobby, and it has grown from there. It is very much the same as, say, breeding cattle,” says Polly. Giles always had a passion for deer, and when he was growing up on his family farm he enjoyed stalking and learning about them and it was this interest and passion that pushed the couple to start their park. Red deer are very majestic, and this played an element in their choice of species for their park. They are also the largest, and most noble of Britains native deer species, and the couple wanted to produce good quality, local farm produce where the animals can enjoy a healthy and natural life as possible. “Red deer are easier to introduce to a farm or park environment. We don’t farm ours 36

Main: Giles and Polly started Rutting Reds eleven years ago, fulfilling their dream of producing local venison. Starting with just 25 in their herd, the farm has now grown to over 150 red deer, the largest and most noble of Britain’s native deer species.

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intensely, and the deer are allowed to roam free, living a relatively unhindered life whilst grazing on about 50 acres of grassland. We also feed them a natural substitute feed in the winter months to make sure they receive the right nutrients to maintain their health.” Being classed as a deer park, the couple aren’t restricted to when they shoot their deer for sale, but they don’t like to disrupt the herd when they are calving. Rather they prefer to leave them to live life as though they were in the wild.

“The fact the deer are slaughtered and butchered on site means they’re under a lot less stress, and produce better meat...”

“Traditionally you would shoot a much older deer, as the meat has a much stronger taste. However, being a deer park, we are able to control when we shoot. We tend to shoot at a much younger age, say between 15 and 22 months old. This means that the meat is much more tender.”

meat has a much better flavour and quality.”

As deer are classifed as game, they don’t have to be taken to an abattoir, or slaugherhouse, meaning the process is much less stressful.

Whilst Giles is very much the deer expert of the family and concentrates on the park management and cull, Polly also gets involved with the sales and butchery sides.

Giles carries out the shooting on site, selecting the deer he needs. These are predominantly stags as this helps to lessen the chance of fights between males.

Polly tends to leave the carcass to hang for five to seven days in the butchery to allow the meat to set. It is very much a controlled environment, because if left too long, the meat can sometimes dry out because it is so lean.

They tend to only keep two stags from each breeding year to keep the herd stock healthy, and they retain the hinds for breeding. “The deer are butchered on site in our purpose built facility which also has a chiller. The fact that the animals are slaughtered and butchered on site means the deer are under a lot less stress and so the

From one deer, Polly can use the haunch, shoulder, loin, fillet, saddle, shank and skin, and also make burgers, sausages, mince and diced which are then sold to local pubs and individuals who can call the farm and request an order. “We primarily butcher to order, so we cannot guarantee the cut for individual sales. We don’t have a shop onsite, so all of our enquiries and orders are over the phone.”

“Over the years I have learnt the butchery side as we went along and now I do it all myself with the help of a retired butcher. He breaks up the carcass for me and I then sort the different meat sections ready for sale and consumption.”

What we love about venison is that it is a remarkably lean meat - even leaner than a skinless chicken. It has less than half the cholesterol too, and is a good source of essential Omega 3 fatty acids, protein, and B vitamins - and it has a wonderful flavour.

The couple supply whole carcasses to a chain of pubs in London, which they have done for the past seven years. They also supply to local butchers, and then the remainder is butchered on site. This year, they are also supplying live deer for the first time to a local businessman who wants to start his own deer park.

“Many people are not aware that young farmed venison is such a low fat meat. When people are advised to reduce the fat content in their diet, chicken and fish are usually the alternatives suggested, however venison is a viable option too. 100g venison has 1.6g of fat whereas chicken has 2.1g and a topside of beef has 12.9g.” “Because it’s so lean, venison also shrinks less during cooking and is quite a filling meat so you will only need smaller portions to say, beef or pork.”

Right: Red deer stags lose their antlers every spring, and when they grow back they are covered with a protective layer of velvet. When this sheds, it reveals strong new antlers.

In the spring, every stag sheds their antlers and within two weeks they start to grow back. As they mature, their antlers get bigger and stronger meaning the older the stag, the bigger their antlers. During the rutting, (or breeding) season, which starts late October, early November, the stags lock their antlers to determine who

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- LoCaL Food -

“Every spring the stag sheds their antlers - as they mature, they get bigger & stronger, and they tend to win during the rutting season...” is the master stag, with the stronger deer tending to win. The calves are born in June. As well as meat, Polly also creates byproducts using the antlers, including coat racks, corkscrews and bottle openers, and leather bound notebooks which are made locally in Northampton. “We decided to make something from the antlers the stags lose every year. They are so interesting, and make great gifts. We also make deer hide rugs using the skin.” Polly salts the skins before taking them to a tannery who create the beautiful deer hide rugs. They can also supply complete antlers for people to hang in their homes. A great advocate for venison due to its nutritional qualities, Polly and Giles also like to involve their two young sons, Jack and Max, as much as they can. “Our sons really get involved with caring for the herd, feeding them in the winter and asking to visit the fields to make sure they are OK. They have grown up eating venison, and have also seen me butchering the deer, so they see the park as everyday life.” With the start of the season upon us, an abundance of recipes available (including Polly’s favourite Venison Chilli), and most local farm shops or markets supplying the meat, introducing venison into your diet has never been easier.

For more information about Rutting Reds Deer Park, please visit their website at www.ruttingreds.com or you can speak to Polly and Giles on 01327 340725. You can also email info@ruttingreds.com. Left: Red Venison Irish stew, with potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms, plus a half a cup of stout and fresh rosemary and thyme. Top and Middle: Giles supplies game throughout the shooting season, primarily oven ready partridges, and some pheasant. Polly and Giles on their deer park. (Images by Marcus Janssen).

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- VEniSon rECiPES -

Winning The

GAME

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Following our visit to local deer park rutting reds we bring you a selection of simple and easy recipes. Because venison meat is so lean it needs careful cooking, so it is quick and tasty to eat!

Venison Sausage Bread Pudding 12 Venison Sausages • 50g Caramelised red onion • one Small Crusty Loaf • Six Eggs • 500ml milk • 10ml rapeseed oil • 20g Chopped thyme • Cornish Sea Salt • milled Black Pepper

Preheat a roasting tray with the oil until hot, and then sear the venison sausages until they just start to colour. Dice the small crusty loaf into chunky pieces and add the pieces with the sausages in the roasting tray. Add the chopped thyme, caramelised red onion and season with cornish sea salt and milled black pepper. Whisk all of the eggs and the milk together to make the batter. Pour the batter over the sausages and bread in the roasting tin and bake in a hot oven preheated to 220ºc for 20 minutes.

Venison tartare

Remove from the oven and serve hot with seasonal vegetables and gravy.

Gently pulse the venison in a food processor to create a fine mince. Add the chopped red onion, chilli flakes, mustard and a few drops of Tabasco sauce and pulse again to combine.

100g/3½oz venison loin, chopped • ¼ red onion, chopped• Pinch chilli ﬂakes • 1 tsp dijon mustard • tabasco sauce • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing • 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs • fresh chives, to garnish

Transfer to a small bowl and chill for 10-15 minutes in the fridge. Mix together the red wine vinegar, olive oil and herb in a small glass. Press the chilled venison mixture on top, and place onto a serving plate. Remove the glass and garnish with fresh chives and salad leaves.

red deer tartare Serves: 4 400g red deer loins • 4 duck eggs • 50g diced red onion • 10g chopped ﬂat leaf parsley • 50g chopped capers • 50g chopped gherkins • garlic oil • Smoked Cornish sea salt • milled black pepper

Dice the red deer into small cubes and mix with the onion, parsley, capers and gherkins and mould into 4 flat ball shapes. Season well and place on a plate with a little garlic oil and a raw egg yolk. Serve with autumn salad leaves.

images and recipes courtesy of www.gametoeat.co.uk.

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grilled Venison Chops, Creamed Spinach and Straw Potatoes Serves 2. Preparation: 20 minutes. Cooking: 20 minutes. For the Venison: 4 venison chops or rack • ½ tsp ﬂaked sea salt • 1 tbsp fennel seeds • 2 tbsp olive oil • For the creamed spinach: 1 bag of baby spinach • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tbsp later • 2 heaped tbsp full fat crème fraîche • a good scratch of nutmeg • 1 small clove of garlic (must not be sprouted) • Salt and pepper • For the straw potatoes: 400 g peeled large potatoes • Sunﬂower oil for frying • Salt •

Wash the spinach and drain in a colander. Put a large pan of water on a high heat, add one tbsp of oil and when hot, put in all the spinach. Stir, turning the leaves until all are totally collapsed. Remove from the heat. Press the spinach against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon and tip away the excess water. Stir and repeat the process, getting rid of all the water. Put the spinach in a blender. On top of the spinach, put one heaped tbsp of crème fraîche, nutmeg, the remaining olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Blitz everything together until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Heat up the spinach just before you need it - if you keep it on a long slow heat it will lose its fabulous colour. Peel and very thinly slice the potatoes. Stack the slices and slice them lengthways into matchstick thickness. Preheat the grill to high, and heat two inches of oil in a medium pan to 180ºc. Season the venison chops with salt and the fennel seeds and rub them all over with the oil. Place them close under the grill, turning them once until cooked to your preference. They should be pinky rare, so about four minutes on each side. Or seal the rack in a pan and cook in a hot oven for 12 minutes. Drop the potato slithers in the oil and fry until golden. Stir occasionally to help colour evenly. Remove to kitchen roll to drain and salt generously.

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grilled Venison and green Sauce Sandwich

roe Loin with apple and Fennel Slaw

Serves 4. Preparation: 20 minutes + 4 hours marinating. Cooking: 10 minutes.

Serves 4. Preparation: 20 minutes. Cooking: 40 minutes.

For the venison: 600g venison fillet • 8 anchovies in olive oil • 2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped • zest of half a lemon • Black pepper • 150ml red wine For the green sauce: 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped • 2 tbsp fresh marjoram, finely chopped • ½ tbsp baby capers • ½ medium shallot, finely chopped • Juice of half a lemon • 4 tbsp olive oil • 1small clove of garlic, finely chopped • Salt • to finish: 8 slices of sourdough, medium sliced and toasted • ½ tsp dijon mustard p/sandwich

In a small saucepan, gently fry the anchovies in their olive oil for two minutes or until collapsed. Add the garlic, lemon zest and pepper before pouring in the wine. Heat to a simmer, turn off the heat and allow to cool. Marinate your venison fillet for four hours. Start making the green sauce: combine the tarragon, marjoram, capers, shallot, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic together to form the sauce. Season with salt to taste. Over a hot griddle, sear the venison fillet for three to four minutes on each side, painting occasionally with the marinade. They should be well coloured and pink within. Toast the bread and spread the mustard over four slices. Slice the venison and lay it on top. Apply the green sauce and remaining slice of toast and eat immediately.

4 x 150g roe loins • 50g sliced carrot • 50g sliced fennel 50g sliced apple • Lemon oil • Smoked Cornish sea salt milled black pepper

Season and sear the steaks in a hot pan and place them in a pre-heated oven (220ºC) for two minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for five minutes before slicing. Mix the carrot, fennel and apple together with a little lemon oil and season to taste. Serve the sliced roe loin on the slaw. You can make alternate toppings to accompany your roe loin or venison steaks: To make a port and redcurrant sauce simmer 2 tbsps port and 225g (8oz) redcurrant jelly together for five minutes. Sieve and keep warm. Serve each steak topped with a slice of Brie de Meaux, a little sauce. Serve with salad. Place 150ml red wine, two tbsps French wholegrain mustard, one tbsp soft brown sugar, two tbsps tomato purée, one tsp chilli powder, small sliced onion, two cloves garlic, crushed, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour the marinade over the steaks in a dish, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, then cook. 45

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- Food -

Market Harborough’s

Own Little

Venice

With a brand new menu making its debut, utilising the finest local ingredients, The Waterfront restaurant in market Harborough provides a lovely spot to enjoy contemporary bistro dining with fantastic waterside views. Words & Photos: Ceri Jackson. venice is renowned for its narrowboats and canals, but you don’t need to travel as far as Italy to experience a dining out delight with a beautiful waterside setting. Market Harborough’s Waterfront Restaurant, which was named one of The Sunday Times’s best places to eat in the area is situated on the Union Wharf, and is owned and managed by Stephanie Hamblin along with her sister Sandy Tandy. “It used to be an expensive Italian restaurant - I always wanted to open a restaurant here so when the building became available I snapped it up quickly. We wanted to create something that was affordable for everyone, and the location is great: right on the basin with lovely views and a large outdoor seating area, as well as free parking.” says Stephanie.

Left: Tiger prawn linguine tossed with red onion, sun blush tomato, chilli and garlic oil.

When the sisters took over the converted warehouse, it enjoyed a brand new decor including laying new carpets, and putting their own ‘canal’ twist to it. For the last four years, the sister duo have provided a relaxed, informal setting with beautiful views and fantastic bistro dining. 47

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Left: Salt & black pepper calamari, aioli and rocket. Opposite: Moules marinières with white wine cream sauce. Below: Port & brandy chicken liver patè with red onion marmalade. Bottom: Slow cooked pork belly, bubble and squeak, black pudding and Bramley apple gravy.

“It’s all about teamwork - bouncing ideas off each other to come up with new dishes...”

the different seasons. They make sure they utilise the freshest ingredients that reflect the seasons. The menu has just enjoyed its most recent change, and features an array of new dishes including goats cheese with honey, rosemary and pecan nuts, the moules marinières, tiger prawn linguine and winterberry eton mess. There is a carvery menu available on Sunday, and they have just launched their Christmas menu, which features two courses for £15 and three courses for £20, served at lunch time and in the evenings for parties of eight or more. They also have a number of cabaret and theme nights lined up for diners to enjoy.

There are two restaurants offering a relaxed bistro-style dining experience. The downstairs restaurant area seats 64 and the upstairs seats 35. This can also be used as a private dining room for parties including weddings. Head chef Lawrence Pugh joined Stephanie and Sandy from the beginning as they embarked on their riverside journey four years ago. Along with his kitchen team of six, they create classic dishes along with their more contemporary choices. “I started working in kitchens and with food 13 years ago. For me, it’s all about teamwork. Bouncing ideas off each other and pulling everything together. Coming up with new, fresh ideas for the menu is key. We all sit down together and discuss the menus: what has worked, what hasn’t, any themes coming up, which classic dishes will stay on the menu. It really is a team effort.” says Lawrence. There are two menus to choose from, which change three times a year to coincide with 48

Lawrence sources his ingredients as locally as possible for his dishes, including Pauls Butcher who provide the meat, vegetables from Nutties, and Majestic Wine. The lunch menu is available Monday to Saturday 12pm to 3pm, and has a great deal of two courses for £9.95 and three courses for £12.95. There is a selection of nibbles, eight starters, nine mains, seven classic mains and seven desserts. As well as enjoying the lunch time special offer, these dishes can also be purchased separately. The main evening menu is available from 6pm to 8.45pm Monday to Saturday, with nine starters, 13 mains and eight desserts. “When I first opened The Waterfront, I wanted to create a place where there is something for everyone that is affordable. We also have a Sunday Carvery which is very popular so we recommend booking in early!” says Stephanie. Everything is homemade on site by Lawrence and his team, except the odd dessert here and there. All tastes are catered for, with a selection of meat and fish dishes

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- Food -

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- Food -

“We all sit down together and create the menus using local ingredients that reflect the seasons.” For dessert, we recommend trying the orange posset with rhubarb compote and the Winterberry Eton mess. “I worked in France for six months where I picked up different techniques and experience. I also learnt a lot from my mother, cooking together when I was growing up. It’s all about customer service and having a really good reputation.” says Lawrence.

as well as vegetarian options. Being situated on the canal, the restaurant also tends to specialise in fish dishes. During our visit, Lawrence served up an excellent selection from the two menus, including the port & brandy chicken liver pate with red onion marmalade, moules marinières with garlic and herb ciabatta and the salt and black pepper calamari. For main, we enjoyed three of The Waterfront’s classic dishes: the tiger prawn linguine, whole baked sea bass and the slow cooked pork belly which were all cooked to perfection and really showed us the breadth of Lawrence’s skills. 50

All of the dishes we tried were presented exceptionally well and cooked perfectly with mouthwatering bursts of flavour all served in a stylish, modern, canal-inspired restaurant. Diners can also enjoy watching the chefs at work through the open view window. What really appealed to us was the location - especially the large seating area outside with fantastic views out over the canal basin and seeing the narrowboats. Being named as one of the best places to eat in the area by The Sunday Times, yet remaining delightfully affordable is what sets this restaurant apart. Stephanie owns and manages the Foxton Locks Inn and The Old Boathouse, Bottom Lock, Gumley Road, Foxton, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7RA. Call 0116 279 1515 or visit www.restaurantfoxtonlocks.co.uk.

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Sample Menu 2 courses: £9.95, 3 courses: £12.95 StartErS Soup French onion soup with Gruyere cheese crouton. Potted mackerel With cranberry jelly and winter slaw. Port & Brandy Chicken Liver Paté With red onion marmalade. goats Cheese With honey, rosemary and pecan nuts. Salt & Black Pepper Calamari With aioli, and rocket. Crayﬁsh Crayfish tail cocktail, dill and lime mayonnaise.

mainS Beer Battered Cod Twice cooked chunky chips, minted mushy peas. ginger & Coriander Crab Cake With mixed leaf salad, sweet chilli sauce. Honey roasted gammon With bubble and squeak & parsley sauce. moules marinières With garlic & herb ciabatta. Cassoulet Double pork sausage and bacon, borlotti and cannellini beans, quenelle of mash. Lemon risotto With rosemary, shallots and parmesan crisps.

PUdding Crumble Pear & blackberry crumble, pistachio crumb. Sticky toffee Pudding With custard. Warm Chocolate Brownie With vanilla pod ice cream. Caramel, Honey & Fig ice Cream In homemade honey meringue. orange Posset With rhubarb compote. Winterberry Eton mess Espresso Crème Brûlée

The Waterfront, Union Wharf Market Harborough, le16 7UW Tel: 01858 434702. Web: www.thewaterfrontrestaurant.co.uk. Open seven days, lunchtime service from 12pm to 3pm, evening service from 6pm to 8.45pm. Sunday Carvery, 12pm to 5pm.

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Left: A few images from our most recent Eating Out features, and winners from our sister magazines in Lincolnshire and Rutland - our awards invite you to vote for whoever you want, regardless of advertising presence in Pride Magazine. We’d like you to tell us about your favourite restaurant, coffee shop or bistro, and to nominate a ‘food hero.’

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The area’s many fine dining restaurants, hotels and gastro pubs go to great efforts to satisfy their diners in an increasingly demanding market. That’s why, this year, we’re seeking to identify and reward the county’s best restaurants... with a little help from our readers! We’re asking you to vote for your favourite restaurant, your favourite coffee shop or bistro, and nominate your local ‘food hero.’ In return, we’ve partnered with six local restaurants to offer you a prize of ‘on the house’ meals throughout 2015. “It’s really important to us that our Restaurant of the Year competition truly represents the good taste of our readers.” says Pride Magazine’s Editor, Ceri Jackson. “We don’t want advertising to have a bearing on who we or our readers vote for; we want our readers to be able to vote for whoever they choose.” “Over the page, you’ll find a form asking you to submit your votes for each of our three categories. They should be venues and people in Market Harborough, Corby, Kettering, Oundle and the surrounding villages.” “Votes will be calculated and we’ll reveal the three winners in each of our three categories in our January edition.” “We’ll then pick one reader at random to be the recipient of our prize; meals out in 2015 at some of our partner restaurants.” In our Restaurant of the Year category we’re looking to name three winners and seven runners-up, which we can recommend as the area’s most popular restaurants. These will not necessarily be the most expensive restaurants in the county, they may be good quality pub restaurants too, but equally they could be fine dining establishments offering exceptional food and service. Customer satisfaction and an enjoyable overall dining experience are more important than formality. In our Bistro or Coffee Shop of the Year category, we’re looking for a venue

that provides good lunchtime dining, a traditional tearoom experience or a great place for ladies who lunch; somewhere to enjoy more relaxed dining during the daytime. Finally, we’re also asking you to nominate a Food Hero. This could be a farmer, food producer, the owner of a quality deli or a well-known county chef, who acts as a good ambassador for the county’s food culture or champions local ingredients to put the county of the area’s on the map in terms of its food and drink.

Win complimentary meals out in 2015...

Vote for Your Favourite Local Restaurants... if you value local food and talent in your local gastro pub or ﬁne dining restaurant, now is the time to show your appreciation. We’re asking readers to vote for your favourite restaurants, and in return, you could win meals out in 2015 courtesy of our partner restaurants. our awards are completely free of advertising bias and are voted for entirely by our readers... Images: Rob Davis. “One of my favourite jobs each year for our sister magazines is to record the votes as they’re coming in.” says Ceri. “This year is the first time that we’re asking for nominations in Market Harborough, Corby, Kettering and Oundle, so we’re really looking forward to finding our who our readers will nominate! Please vote now, and let us know your favourite places to dine!”

>> turn over to vote for your favourite restaurant... We’ll automatically enter you into our prize draw to win meals out at our partner restaurants in 2015...

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Win complimentary meals out in 2015... We’ve partnered with these six restaurants across the county to offer a lucky reader who casts their vote in our awards complimentary dining throughout 2015 The attic restaurant, in Market Harborough, provides a modern interpretation of cuisine from countries like Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam - a unique and high quality dining experience. The Bridge Hotel at Kettering has an oak-beamed restaurant offering full à la carte dining in a pretty, boutique hotel environment. The Courtyard Hotel at Wellingborough boasts a garden restaurant that’s open to residents and non-residents alike. It features modern British cuisine with fresh local ingredients.

kelmarsh Hall, near Northampton, provides absolutely beautiful afternoon tea experiences in the grounds of the pretty 18th century former stately home. Our lucky winner can enjoy a lovely afternoon admiring the gardens next spring. kilworth House Hotel boasts not only wonderful dining in the Orangery, but an excellent outdoor theatre too. The red lion at Great Bowden, meanwhile, offers quality pub restaurant dining in a contemporary setting with imaginative dishes that are flawlessly implemented.

vote for your favourite restaurant, and a favourite bistro or coffee shop below. We’d also like you to nominate a ‘Food Hero’ — perhaps a butcher, baker, food producer, chef or similar.

Please provide your name, address, and telephone number (we will need to contact you if you’re our lucky winner).

We’ll pick one voter at random to win complimentary meals in 2015. if one of your nominations wins, we may want to quiz you on why you voted for them!

name:.....................................................

alternatively, you can vote on our website by visiting

restaurant of the Year (name & location):

address: ..................................................

...............................................................

Bistro/Coffee Shop of the Year:................

Closing date for entries:

...............................................................

Monday 3rd november 2014.

............................................................... ...............................................................

...............................................................

Postcode: ................................................

...............................................................

telephone: ..............................................

send your entry to: Pride Magazine’s restaurant of the year awards 2014, Pride Magazines, elm Grange studios, east Heckington, Boston, lincolnshire Pe20 3QF.

Terms and Conditions: one entry per household. Photocopies or multiple entries will not be accepted. Competition is available to anyone in the county or surrounding area. You must not be personally or professionally allied with nominations. Votes received for each venue will be counted up to determine eventual three winners for each category and seven runners-up. the Editor’s decision as to our competition winners is final and further terms and conditions may apply.

...............................................................

www.pridemagazines.co.uk/vote

...............................................................

............................................................... Food Hero of the Year (name, location of person and reason for your nomination):

Welcome to Pride magazine’s food awards, in which we want our readers to nominate their favourite restaurant, bistro/coffee shop and the county’s ‘Food Hero.’ this entry form will ensure your vote is counted, and in return, we’ll pick one reader at random to win meals out at the above restaurants in 2015.

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OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR HIGH QUALITY PUB RESTAURANT DINING Main Street, Great Bowden LE16 7HB For table reservations call 01858 463571 www.redlion-greatbowden.co.uk

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TheWineCellar If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, our new wine correspondent Trevor Langley has five superb recommendations. This month: top sauvignon blancs from around the world, each of which are as deep and crisp and even as the snow around Good King Wenceslas himself...

Gonzalez Byass’ Sauvignon Blanc, Spain; £8.

Errazuriz’s Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Chile; £11.99

From Spain, Gonzalez Byass’ Altozano Sauvignon Blanc, has the most pleasant aroma. A refreshing, un-oaked wine, which comes from a family business founded in 1835. This company’s productions bring to the fore some of the best modern Spanish wines.

Chile has excellent vineyards and wine producers. Errazuriz is one of the premier family wine estates founded, in 1870 in the Aconcagua Valley. Errazuriz’s Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc has an elegant bouquet and is superb on the palate, bringing a distinctive character.

Wirra Wirra’s Scrubby Rise, Australia; £9.99

every single month in 2014! Scrubby Rise, from Adelaide Hills, uses Sauvignon Blanc as the main varietal, plus Semillon and Viognier. The name is from the vineyard at the front of their old ironstone cellars. This adds something a little different and may create a talking-point, around the table.

Jackson Estate’s Stich, New Zealand; £12.99

Villa Maria’s Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand; £10

New Zealand, another great producer of wines, has many Sauvignon Blanc wines. Jackson Estate has Stich. The Stichbury and Jackson families have farmed on Marlborough’s Wairau River plain for generations. This wine is aromatic, with superb palate and excellent on aftertaste.

I have to mention Villa Maria. As New Zealand’s most awarded wine company for over 30 years, Villa Maria has an excellent range of wines. Their production of Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc, with fruits from the Awatere and Wairau Valleys, has an abundance of aroma, with wonderful flavours. 59

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- HomES -

A Tailor Made

House

Hidden away behind closed doors is a truly exceptional architectural masterpiece which has previously featured on the tV series ‘i own Britain’s Best Home.’ Since purchasing the former clothing factory in 1998, nicholas and Sheron have transformed the space, creating an open plan interior over three ﬂoors and a mezzanine, with a dramatic mix of both contemporary and traditional. Each ﬂoor is intertwined by a spineless spiral staircase that is magically suspended by almost 200 steel cables - creating the illusion of transparency

When you see The Factory in the town of Wellingborough from the outside, it’s hard to imagine the architectural masterpiece that awaits inside. Built in 1890, Nicholas and Sheron bought the former clothing factory in 1998 when it was still being used for storage - production had long since moved abroad. “It still had the steam equipment for the presses and a full size steam engine in the basement. Don’t ask about the nightmare of getting it removed! It even had some old patterns and labels from the garments. People still pass by and say they used to work here. We managed to salvage the original 60

glass name panels as the factory was called ‘Melton Works’ and the company was ‘Sydney Gould & Sons;’ they’re are now on display.” When searching for their dream home, they were looking for an unusual property to convert. Nicholas works as a creative in the in the design industry and has always had a keen eye for design and it was his dream to convert an interesting building.

Words & Photographs: Ceri Jackson.

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“We were open to looking at churches, chapels, and water towers - anything as long as it was different. We were looking all over the country as we had our own business at the time and could work from home. Factories became our focus as chapels and barns had become popular. We realised factory spaces with their open plan nature fitted our concept of live, work and play.” They embarked on their search throughout Northamptonshire looking for factories and took an unconventional approach by posting flyers through the doors of those they liked, which generated an amazing response. “We chose Wellingborough due to its high speed train connection to London and road links. The Factory is just 4 minutes walk to the station.”

“Nicholas and Sheron wanted to respect the past by using reclaimed materials...”

When it came to renovating the factory, their vision was to respect the Victorian heritage and make no changes externally. They replaced the glass in the windows after restoring the frames, and used the loading doors from outside as internal doors. “We wanted a combination of traditional with a contemporary feel. Our aim was to 62

have a modern edge as well.”

For the couple to keep the traditional look, they used reclaimed material such as Wellingborough bricks for indoor work and sourced cast iron radiators from other factories and hospitals. To add to the contemporary feel, they added balustrades of freestanding glass, curved walls and hand basins of wood. All the walls were painstakingly sandblasted back to the

Above Left: The property’s level of detail is ingenious. The wet room on the ﬁrst ﬂoor is hidden behind a full height mirror, for instance. Above/Right: The property has two decking areas. Right: The spineless staircase appears to be transparent and is suspended by 200 steel cables.

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- HomES -

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original brick, and the beams were taken down, planed down and re-inserted after the staircase steels were in place. When you walk through the industrial looking front door, the vision that awaits you is out of this world. The main feature is the beautifully crafted staircase which creates an illusion of transparency and appears to float without being intrusive to the view across the interior. “The designs and layout were all conceived personally myself. I then enlisted the help of an architect to draw up the plans and a structural engineer to bring the vision of a transparent staircase to life. We built a cardboard model of our vision to make it easier to explain to others. Having very high standards, it was quite a hard process to find the right contractor to carry out the momentous task of converting the building.” The final team consisted Robert Nowark and Tom Morak overal project leads, arcitect Q Reidford, Ian Percy from H Joinery in Leicester for the specialist bathroom woodwork, Ellmark Design & Build Ltd, for general building works Alan Ward from AW Fabrications, and Mark from MWC Partwork Fabrications, for specialist steelwork and staircase, and architectural upholstery by Val Cox from Soft & Safe. The couple were desperate to move in, and after six years they moved in to the property in 2004 although it wasn’t complete. “The build took a number of years to complete due to a number of reasons, one being my passion for the project and need for precision. It also took time to find the right contractors that had the skills to give us the quality we wanted to achieve.”

on wheels, each having a large top that acts as a table. The units can be moved around to form a larger dining table or a bar for a party. They have a Mercury cooker, Miele dishwasher, Amana fridge and freezer and a Liebherr drawer cooler and larder.

“Building the staircase was the biggest challenge Nicholas and Sheron faced, as it appears to defy physics...”

“Funding, and taking on such an ambitious project which you are managing yourself, and running a business was a challenge.”

An unconventional element of the property is the kitchen. Being desperate to move in, they improvised and used office cabinets. There is a large oval island with four units 64

Spread over three floors, each is intertwined with the previous by the spiral staircase. An oval shape, it has no structural spine. The initial quote to construct it was beyond belief, so Nicholas began the task of sourcing all the individual component himself. The stair treads are laser cut sheet steal folded and welded together suspended by 200 steel cables.

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contained one bedroom flat complete with kitchen/living area, a bedroom and bathroom.

The quilted wall which encloses the staircase was inspired by a Philippe Starck restaurant from when Nicholas and Sheron lived in Hong Kong. Their neighbour and good friend, Vall Cox of Soft & Safe, covered the panels for the couple. The basement level is open plan and is currently being used as a den and studio space by the couple. The space could easily be converted into extra bedrooms. There is also an en suite, spare bedroom, two toilets and a kitchenette. The ground floor is the couple’s entertaining area, and has an entrance hall, lounge, kitchen, two ‘his and her’ toilets which light up neon pink and blue in the evening giving a club feel. There is also a spare bedroom with en suite themed on the orange of Veuve Cliquot behind panels that can be opened and closed. Behind a silver framed flower arrangement there is a secret door which leads to a self-

The main bedroom is situated on the top floor, and features lots of light, a vaulted ceiling, exposed beams and is overlooked by a mezzanine bathroom. Another surprise is the wet room custom made of teak wood hidden behind a full height mirrored door. Discretely set behind the original loading bay doors at one end of the first floor is a laundry room, gym and storage with a staircase to the bathroom mezzanine. Externally, the couple have used the space they have very wisely, creating two decking areas - one which has two levels and creates a perfect sun trap for relaxing and sunbathing in the warmer months. The separate flat also has it’s own decking area. To create such a wonderful masterpiece requires a great deal of knowledge, expertise and passion. We were excited to find out why they’ve decided to sell such an intriguing home and what the future will bring. “We love this property and spent lots of time and effort to create our dream home, but we’re keen to start a new project.” The couple hope to build their next vision in Spain, creating a home that’s minimalistic and an infusion of their personalities.

About This Property: Location: Market Harborough 19 miles, Corby 17 miles, Kettering 8 miles. Four minute walk to the Station and 50 minute journey to London St Pancras. Style: A former clothing factory that has been converted to a contemporary modern, open plan home with an abundance of space. The main feature is the spineless spiral staircase. The stair treads are laser cut sheet steel folded and welded together and suspended by 200 steel cables. Receptions: Two - which are currently being used as an open plan kitchen area with a seating area, and a home office. Bedrooms: Three. Also features a separate 2 storey apartment with kitchen/dining/ living area, bedroom and bathroom. The Factory: £750,000

Find Out More: Estate Agency: The Modern House, 5 Baldwin Terrace, London, N1 7RU Tel: 020 7704 3504 Web: www.themodernhouse.net 65

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- HOMES -

Colour &

CONTRAST

This month why not add a splash of colour and contrast to your home and create a modern, sophisticated look. With this month’s launch of two new collections from leading designer houses, you’ll be spoilt for choice with patterns and prints...

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Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait for the opportunity spring clean. Rather, have a spruce up ready for Christmas entertaining with the latest collections from Jane Churchill and Colefax and Fowler, who bring an array of new patterns and prints to add a touch of sophistication...

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- HOMES -

Far Left: JC: Chair in Jive, Odissa and Jive cushions.

Who said you need the warmer weather to refresh your home? With the arrival of the colder months comes the brand new collections from two of the leading designer houses. Meaning you can create an infusion of bold and beautiful colours throughout your home for a sophisticated look, just in time for entertaining guests this Christmas.

Top Left: Curtains in Versus, chairs in Orion (burnt orange and pink), cushions in charcoal Plato. Top Right: Colefax and Fowler: cushions: Lucius in charcoal, Baptista Linen in charcoal, Padova in petrol, Levan in aubergine, Padova in aubergine and Cesario in red. Sofa has Appledore old blue fabric, Cordelia onyx curtains.

Fabric and wallcovering designers Jane Churchill and Colefax and Fowler, who, with an array of patterns and prints, will help you add a splash of sophistication with their new collections: Havana, Atmosphere and Stylish Sophistication. Over the years, designer Jane has built up an international reputation with her ﬂair for creating fresh designs, from eye catching wallpapers to exotic prints, allowing homeowners to create a wide range of traditional and contemporary looks. Each range encompass easy-to-live with tones, and have a broad mix of fabrics, wallpapers and trimmings.

Left: Colefax and Fowler: curtains in old blue Pascale Stripe, left chair in charcoal Sinclair and cushion in aqua Cesario, right chair is old blue Sinclair.

This year she presents two leading stories: Havana and Atmosphere. Her colour palette is constantly evolving, and with every collection it is easy to co-ordinate and pull together any look that you want to create for your home.

“It is a truly modernised collection that looks both retro-chic and contemporary. Laid back diagonal stripes of Bossa Nova, ﬂorals of Ipanema and Mardi Gras, Ikats and stylish circles like the Patino, zigzags and Carnival triangles all make a welcome appearance, and combined they create an eclectic scene alongside the artistic Havana. Some of the elements replicate some of nature’s most beguiling patterns, like the Santana with exotic fruits.”

The Havana collection is colourful, featuring printed and embroidered signature designs, and together with small scale elements, you can create a harmonious look with lots of layers of patterns. Jane has incorporated Southern European and Latino overtones, with strong off-beat colours alongside brights and pastels.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Atmosphere collection of fabrics, which offer something a little more reﬁned and chic, with a neutral and metallic pallette appearing across velvets, weaves and jacquards in luxurious graphic patterns and abstracted embroideries. Swirls and curves repeat the Arcola and

Overleaf: Jane Churchill: Apollo curtains, Sofa in Nocturne fabric, Cushions from left: Celena, Plato, Opus and Quartz.

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Opus patterns which are contrasted against Astrid and Polaris, paired with low-tech look of the Halcyon, with brushstroke printing design. This collection is modern, with a graphic twist with sophisticated patterns. The Colefax and Fowler collection will bring glamour and conďŹ dence to your home, with bold statement prints such as Lucius and Cordelia. The designer house has used a palette of muted blue, rich red and onyx, teal and charcoal fused with ďŹ&#x201A;orals and arabesques. Paisley designs also make an appearance, along with Pascale, Genoa and Adair stripes. Use embroideries such as Baptista and Martinez to have a rich colour to your home, along with damasks like Cesario. You can add texture with the informal Appledore with a mix of checks, plains and tickings. To complement your fabrics, Colefax and Fowler have a range of decorative wallpapers featuring lots of different patterns, including the Baptista and the well renowned Snow Tree, perfect with Christmas just around the corner! Right: Jane Churchill Havana Collection: Curtains in black Havana, left chair in pink Marimba, right chair in copper Capella, cushion on right chair in grey Cirrus. Below: Colefax and Fowler collection: curtains in onyx Cordelia, sofa in old blue Appledore, cushions: Lucius in charcoal, Baptista Linen in charcoal, Levan in aubergine, Cesario in red. Stool in aqua Cornelius. Left chair, Similar to Seymour Damask in red. Right chair, Similar to Seymour Damask in natural. Stockists: www.janechurchill.com/stockists and www.colefax.com/stockists.

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- HOMES -

Modern

Living Graeme and Sarah Swann were seeking a high-tech, eco-friendly and contemporary family home, and when a plot became available in the village of Caythorpe, they set about creating the property right down to the ďŹ nest detail... Words: Rob Davis 72

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Sarah and Graeme Swann clearly love technology, but like the most sensible of consumer, they’d rather it was applied with consideration, rather than doing so gratuitously. That’s why, when they came to define their new property, The Cygnets in Caythorpe, they incorporated only the most practical, discreetly employed technology. If the name sounds familiar; it should be. Graeme is a former international England cricketer who enlisted a friend, Guy Welton, to find a plot upon which they could design and project manage their dream property, working closely with architect Valeria Passetti and designers The Treehouse Interiors , back in 2012. The brief was to create a house that had a modern look and feel, but was comfortable, too.

“Solar reactive glazing and an air source heat pump ensure the property is super energy efficient.”

Situated on a plot just over a third of an acre, and offering nearly 5,000sq ft of accommodation, its ecocredentials make the house cheaper to run than its size would suggest. Features like solar reactive double glazing, acoustic concrete flooring and a super-efficient air source heat pump all help to ensure the property is reallyefficient to heat and run. 74

The result was a property that won the National Federation of Builders’s Private Home Award in 2013 with particular praise given to its design and finish. Arranged over three floors, the house has deceptively traditional proportions to the front; it’s symmetrical, like a Georgian property, with an easterly-facing drawing room with a pair of large curved glass doors, and a living kitchen with bi-fold doors leading onto a large terrace.

Top: The downstairs reception room has integrated home cinema equipment as well as a curved glazed wall. Above: The dining room and kitchen are open-plan, separated only by a pillar with a contemporary fireplace. Right: The kitchen has a bank of integrated appliances featuring brands like Miele.

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- HOMES -

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The ground floor also has a family room, large entrance hall and formal open plan dining room, leading to the kitchen, separated only by a modern feature fireplace integrated into the room’s pillar. The kitchen’s contemporary grained wood and metallic silver finish is complemented with banks of Miele appliances, from combination ovens and microwaves to warming drawers and integrated coffee machine. Hidden away discreetly is a fridge freezer, and two Miele dishwashers. Speaking of technology, the family integrated a Control 4 Tech system providing a single point of operation for all media systems from TV to hi-fi, for the property’s blinds, Velux windows, internal and external lighting, as well as the property’s heating. To the first floor there’s a large master bedroom with dressing room, master bathroom and through a set of bi-fold doors a private curved terrace area lined with glass. The first floor also has three further bedrooms, a second en suite bathroom and a large family bathroom, too. The second floor has two bedrooms. Each of the bathrooms suites have been created with Villeroy & Boch fittings, and it’s on the first floor, too, that the laundry room has been created, with plenty of built-in storage and no stairs to climb with bulky ironing baskets. Outdoors, there’s an automated video entry system and powered gates, as well as a small landscaped front garden, with most of the grounds located to rear, set to lawn and designed for entertainment. A large sun terrace provides plenty of outdoor space for the whole family.

“Seeing something transformed before your eyes is addictive!” he says. With a new project beckoning, the family have put the property on the market with Alexanders, and it’s safe to say that whichever family is the next custodian of the property, they’re getting somewhat of a bargain.

“Absolutely no expense has been spared on the fixtures, fittings and the use of technology...”

Graeme admits that having project managed and created his home, he’s been somewhat bitten by the bug. 76

With absolutely no expense spared on the fixtures and fittings and the integration of technology, its next owners will enjoy not only a luxurious and beautiful property, but one that’s practical and efficient to run, too.

The Cygnets is on the market with estate agency Alexanders for £1.1m; 0115 8512211 www.alexanders-estates.com

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- HOMES -

Below/Left: The property is arranged over three floors with four bedrooms on the first floor and two additional bedrooms on the second floor. Bottom: The spacious entrance hall.

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- HOMES -

Kill Your Bills ...and ‘go green’ with renewables From the warmth and comfort of an open ﬁre to sophisticated renewable energy technology, going green is good for the planet - and for your pocket. This month we’ve hassle-free ways to kill your bills and embrace renewable energy. Words: Rob Davis.

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We all know household bills are rising. What’s more, it’s the larger and older properties around the county which are being hit hardest. Currently, the UK sources most of its energy from natural gas (41%), coal (29%) and nuclear sources (18%), but the Government is charged with the responsibility of using renewables to reduce its CO2 emissions by 60% by 2020 and become more reliant on green energy, and less on fossil fuels from countries like Russia. The government has also introduced generous renewable incentives for homeowners to offset the initial cost of installation. One of the easiest ways to go green and kill your bills is to install a wood burning or multi-fuel stove. “Multi-fuel stoves allow you to burn a range of fuels from coals, smokeless fuels to wood and anthracite and can work out considerably cheaper than other forms of heating.” says Helen Fearn of County Stoves, one of the area’s leading installers. The beauty of wood burning and multi-fuel stoves is that they are, essentially, carbon neutral. That’s because they absorb as much CO2 during the growth of the tree as they release during burning. The cost of burning wood is also much lower than coal, gas or oil with savings of around £100 a year for homes currently heated by gas and more than £580 for homes heated by electricity. Biomass systems reduce costs even more, with a typical installation paying

for itself within five years, based on an average 18% return each year, with the best returns going to larger properties, situated rurally and heated by oil deliveries. One of the most popular renewable installations is solar energy systems. Considered less intrusive than turbines, these are best suited to the UK climate given that they work all year round, even on cloudy days. A wind turbine’s provision of generation is, by contrast, more erratic because of changes in wind speed, direction and location.

“One of the easiest ways to go green and kill your bills is to install a wood burning or multi-fuel stove...”

“The cost of the system depends on the number of panels that you opt for. The more panels you have, the more energy you can generate, and the greater savings you’ll see.” says Emma Stronge of installer Mark Group.

Opposite: Wood burning stoves like Aga’s new Fusion model are more energy efficient than ever, producing a clean burn and cosy heat.

“Prices start from £5,000, and an average household system is around 4kWp and this can generate around 3,700 kilowatt hours of

Above: Orangehouse renewables demonstrate the savings that are to be made with ground source heat pump technology.

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- HOMES -

electricity a year - roughly equivalent to a typical household’s electricity needs. It will save nearly two tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.” “If your system is eligible for the Feed-In Tariff scheme it could generate savings and income of around £770 a year. You can expect to be paid for the energy you generate for the next 20 years and to have covered the cost of your initial investment within the first 5-10 years, depending on how much energy you’re generating and selling back to the grid.” “The great thing about solar panels is that they are very low maintenance. Once they have been installed you can literally forget that they are there, whilst appreciating the benefits.” Meanwhile, wind turbines are most suited to generating electricity in rural areas with lots of open space. Building mounted turbines are cheaper at around £2,000, saving around £210/year in electricity costs and paying for themselves within around 10 years. Large pole-mounted turbines generate around three times the electricity but cost between £20,000 and £30,000, generating around £10,000/kWh a year and saving roughly 5 tonnes of carbon each year with FIT rewards of around 17.8p/kWh. Of all renewable technologies, the most challenging to install but the most energy efficient are ground (and air) source pumps. Companies in the area like Orangehouse Renewables and Energy My Way can install systems which recover heat from beneath the ground using coils of glycol. “The technology sounds new, but it’s essentially the same process used in your refrigerator or freezer, which heats away from your food and releases in coils at the rear of the appliance.” says local installer Alex Driver. The technology is incredibly efficient, despite the hassle of installation. 82

The systems are best suited to new-build properties in rural areas, with paddocks or similar expanses of land, and provide returns via the Government’s Renewable Heat Initiative rather than FIT. Returns are around 18.8p/kWh, and if your rural property would otherwise be heated by heated by deliveries of oil, you can expect to heat your property 60% cheaper using the technology. Renewable energy has the ability to save both your pocket, and the planet. From carbon-neutral wood-burning stoves to new technology, a local supplier will definitely have a suitable system to provide savings you’ll really warm to this winter.

“Renewable energy systems can heat any home, saving money, saving the planet and earning the householder generous FIT or RHI returns...” Above: Mark Group’s installation of solar panels on one of the county’s rooftops.

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An Antique Rug

Makeover...

Rachel and Tony Simpson at The Rug Studio are one of the few businesses who still personally undertake rug restorations and cleaning using traditional methods. As well as restoring, them Rachel also rejuvenates antique rugs giving them a new lease of life as beautiful and historically interesting cushions... If you’re looking for a special gift for someone this Christmas, Rachel at The Rug Studio in Uppingham has it covered. As well as restoring, salvaging and cleaning antique rugs, Rachel also rejuvenates them to create beautiful bespoke cushions to add colour, texture and a little piece of history to your home.

Words & Images: Ceri Jackson. 86

“I have over 20 years experience restoring antique rugs, but I started making stools, cushions and draft excluders for my home when I was on maternity leave. I’ve had four

children so I spent a lot of my time concentrating on upholstery. I then made a series of cushions for a client from an antique rug which couldn’t be restored, so I decided to start making them for sale in our shop too.” Rachel makes her cushions using small fragments of rugs and carpets, or a customer can pick what fabrics they wish her to use. She then backs them with a fabric or velvet that compliments the antique look and feel. Prices range from £48 up to £180. “Textiles are perishable and if they aren’t looked after we won’t be able to get them back. They have such historical value, so it’s great that I can restore or salvage a rug by making a beautiful cushion for your home.” When faced with a rug in need of restoration, Rachel has identified three ways to tackle a job - the best economical option, one that suits lifestyle and ‘traffic’ and the best option for the rug. This way, Rachel can ensure she keeps the wellbeing of the rug in mind. Rachel will always offer her expert opinion, and advise what she feels is the best way forward, whether that is restoration, conservation or rejuvenation by giving a rug a new lease of life. If a rug is rare, she can also

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mount it onto a stretcher to become a painting for your home. When we met with Rachel, we were intrigued by the methods used to make the cushions. Depending on size and style, she either machine sews them or uses the same technique as carpets called ‘whipping.’ “Whipping is similar to an overstich, and I use commercial Appletons as the thread. I often alternate the colours to make it visually more appealing and interesting. I sew three sides, and then stuff using antiallergy polyester wadding before making the cushion fully sealable. A smaller cushion usually takes me around two hours to make.” Rachel’s love for antique rugs and textiles was apparent even as a child. She attended patchwork lessons from the age of nine and whilst everyone else made smaller items, she made a quilt. “My old boss once said to me, you can learn different techniques for restoration in an afternoon but learning when and which to use can take a lifetime. I was exposed to a lot of different rugs during my time in India and Turkey, both with restoration but also working with the public and presentation.” For Rachel to restore a rug can take anything

from a day up to two years depending on the extent of the damage. Using traditional techniques, they use wooden looms or restore the rugs by hand. Rachel’s husband also offers a cleaning service which is done by hand and when possible, no chemicals are used. Rachel is greatly interested with the history of each rug, and it’s a lovely to see the care, dedication and passion she has for her trade. “I once bought a qashqai rug which was 150cm by 90cm to make into cushions as it was worn down one side. It became one of my main pieces when I lectured as it, to my surprise, had been made by two people - one side was in the Turkish knot and the other in the Persian knot.” “The Persian side had worn as it was parallel rather than a depressed warp. A small rug of this size would not usually have been two weavers. It was interesting as it showed how one had married into that sub section of the tribe as the techniques were different.” So whether you have a rug in need of some TLC, or looking for an interesting and alternative Christmas gift, look no further than The Rug Studio in Uppingham.

“Sewing is what I do. Embroidery, colour, textiles. It’s my way of being expressive...”

For more information, please call Rachel at The Rug Studio on 01572 829927 or visit 2 High Street East, Uppingham, LE15 9PZ. 87

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- HiSTORy -

The WWI Land Girls During WWI, women volunteered to work on the land but there were still not enough to take over the roles of 100,000 men who had gone to war. in 1917, Meriel Talbot created the Women’s Land Army and this month, we speak with historian Cherish Watton to find out more about the Land Girls in our area... During the first world war, over 100,000 British men who worked on the land had gone to war. Farmers were finding it hard to carry out their seasonal work and not enough food was being produced. To help, women started to volunteer to work on the land as part of voluntary societies, such as the Women’s National Land Service Corps which was formed in February 1916. However, there were still not enough of them to do the work previously carried out by the men. “Committees were formed in each county to try to increase the amount of food being produced in each area, but these committees were reluctant to encourage the use of women.” explained Cherish Watton, Historian and editor for The Women’s Land Army website. “This was because they thought that women would not be able to do the physically demanding work like the men could.”

Main: The area’s land girls were determined to dig for victory - here, they’re helping to keep the country well fed.

The Government’s Board of Agriculture tried to change men’s prejudices regarding women working on the land by organising demonstrations and competitions, which showed that women could perform a range of farm roles competently. 91

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Following these local demonstrations, a new Department for Food Production was created, and in January 1917, a Women’s Branch was established under a Director, Meriel Talbot. Meriel set to work to establish local civilian women’s labour force of mobile workers called the Women’s Land Army to recruit, train for four weeks and channel healthy young women over 18 years of age into working on local farms in March 1917. “Young women, most over the age of 20, who applied to join the Women’s Land Army were interviewed by a selection committee. This involved assessing their aptitude for physical work and a medical examination. Those who could demonstrate previous training or experience would be sent directly to a farm which needed labour.” Untrained but ‘strong and healthy’ recruits were sent to a WLA training centre on selected farms around England and Wales. By September 1917, there were 247 of these training centres. ‘Land girls’, as they came to be known, took on milking, care of livestock and general work on farms. They were paid 18 shillings a week, which increased to 20 shillings a week after they passed an efficiency test. Between March 1917 and May 1919, 23,000 women successfully passed through training centres to become official members of the Women’s Land Army, a small but significant part of the 300,000 women who by 1918 were working on the land. There were three sections within the WLA: agriculture, forage and timber cutting. The majority who worked in agriculture were milkers and field workers, but some were carters, ploughwomen and market gardeners. Agriculture training could take up to six weeks, and consisted of the correct use of farm implements, milking, the care of young livestock and working with horses. For some it also included mole trapping, farriery or thatching hay and straw stacks. Even learning to drive the newly-introduced motor tractors. Enthusiastic and well-educated young women were chosen to become ‘Gang 92

Leaders’ who took responsibility for three to four field workers who worked as ‘land girl gangs’ on individual farms from June to October each year. Timber cutting training took the same time, and involved learning how to measure trees, cutting down and stacking trees, loading and transporting timber, operating saw mills, producing pit props and other timber products for the war such as ammunition boxes and duck boards for the trenches and tree nursery cultivation and planting. Women tasked with forage work tended to be trained on the job, including operating steam baling machines, producing bales of hay for horse feed and straw for bedding, and cutting chaff into short lengths. “Those who signed on for a year were provided with a free uniform, but not all land girls dressed according to the official rules! The revolutionary innovation was that land girls were allowed to wear breeches to give them the same freedom of movement as men when doing physical work. ” After three months’ proficient service, a land girl would be presented with a green loden

“Young women who applied to join the Women’s Land Army were interviewed; those who could demonstrate training or experience were sent directly to a farm.” armlet bearing a red felt crown indicating that she was on national service. There were also good service badges and chevrons which indicated the length of time and the minimum number of hours they had worked which could be added to the uniform. Throughout the first World War, which lasted from 4th August 1914 to 11th November 1918, thousands of women helped contribute to the war effort by carrying out the work of the men whilst they were away at war. The Women’s Land Army was officially disbanded on 30th November 1919, but was re-created on 1st June 1939 in time for what was to become World War Two.

Top Left: Three land girls in uniform at The Grange, Gunthorpe, Peterborough. Top Right: WW1 Land girl Dorothy Brown delivering milk locally, employed by Mr Brown of Gunthorpe. Right: Four weeks training are over and local girl Iris receives her first week’s pay. Far Right: Land girls march with the banner ‘Join The Land Army For Health and Happiness.’ Peterborough, 14th September 1918.

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The Local Land Army Girl... Dorothy Brown, born in 1896, grew up on a farm in Gunthorpe, Peterborough. She always had an interest in horticulture, and during the war she worked as a land girl, which she loved as it gave her freedom. Dorothy’s father owned four milk floats and horses, and her parents were pleased that Dorothy was helping out on the land during the first world war. She used to deliver milk twice a day, but found it heavy work lifting churns. She enjoyed working with the horses and was responsible for putting them away at night. Dorothy mainly worked with farmworkers and with a lady from Stockport called Mary Norman. In her free time, she went to dances with her grandmother and she loved the rallies and having the opportunity to mix with a lot of people as it was often difficult to meet up with others because of the lack of transport. Dorothy found it funny how men would stare at her wearing trousers when going between the alleyways of houses delivering milk. Men were not mocking when they stared, but were fascinated, as they had never seen women wear trousers before. After the war, she didn’t stay on land, but went on to become a housewife. Shared by Valerie Linder, Dorothy’s daughter. 93

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To view and purchase photographs from The Event visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk

All the fun of the fair at Rockingham Castle... Set in the beautiful grounds of Rockingham Castle, the annual Rockingham County Fair took place recently. The Country Show, which is is organised by Oakleigh Fairs had all day family entertainment including Jez Avery Stunt Bikes & Quads, Totally Terriers racing team, birds of prey, animal petting areas, Nuneaton Dog Display Team, The Goat Show, as well as childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entertainment with Devilstick Peat and Circus Skills workshops, Knights of Honour, Medieval Village & Fighting Knights as well as the 44th Regiment of Foot. On Sunday they hosted their Companion Dog Show in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care, and the cookery demonstration marquee was hosted by Masterchef Ondine Hartgroves. There was also a selection of arts, crafts and gift marquees, a food hall and children fairground rides throughout the weekend. Photographs by Ceri Jackson.

Let us know about your event! 94

Call 01529 469977 and speak to our Events Desk...

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We want to feature your event in our magazine. 96

Call 01529 469977 and speak to our Events Desk...

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Purchase photographs online. Visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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- gardening -

The Season of Mist and

Mellow

Fruitfulness

With a crispness in the air and the falling of leaves, late autumn turns into winter. We recently visited Sandra and Jonathan Blazaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three and a half acre plot and met the keen local gardeners. Here, we ďŹ nd out how their georgian style grounds have evolved over 12 years through hard work and skilful design... Images: Sandra Blaza. Words: Rob Davis.

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“Splitting the garden up into different ‘rooms’ meant we could tackle one at a time.” says Sandra. “It also means that when there’s weeding or tidying up to be done I can work on one area at a time.” The garden’s condition was similar to that of the house, needing a lot of care but with lots of potential. The plot sloped quite considerably and was heart shaped; not so much laid to lawn as extremely overgrown, buried under wild grasses, ground elder, nettles and ivy. Sensibly, given the different levels and unusually shaped plot, the couple’s first stroke of genius was to divide the garden up into different ‘rooms.’ This facilitated the creation of smaller gardens with individual planting schemes, colour schemes and points of interest all within the garden as a whole. It also made the logistics of managing the plot much easier.

Main: A shot taken earlier in the year demonstrates the wealth of David Austin roses in the rose garden. Left: The walled garden was created using reclaimed bricks and has four pairs of vegetable beds.

You can always tell when a garden is a labour of love. When it’s created not just with skill and knowledge, but with passion and commitment. That’s definitely the case with Sandra and Jonathan’s three and a half acre garden which we visited following another successful year of NGS fundraising. “We’ve raised a total of just under £20,000 for the NGS and Eden Valley Hospice In the four years we’ve opened for the NGS.” says Sandra. The couple purchased the property, originally a 16th century cottage with rambling Georgian additions, in 1996. The house is in a beautiful position with panoramic views, but necessitated a back-tobrick refurbishment which meant a whole year of work before the family could move in. Once the house was in a reasonable state, after another three or four years, they felt they could begin to work on the garden.

“Splitting the garden up into different areas meant we could tackle one at a time.” says Sandra. “It also means that when there’s weeding or tidying up to be done, I can complete one area at a time.” The mostly south-west facing garden’s first area to be seen by visitors is the rose garden, with formal, neatly symmetrical box hedging and a wealth of David Austin roses. A central two tier Edwardian fountain was reclaimed from their previous house, and steps from the rose garden lead to both a rear terrace and the rill, created in reclaimed York stone. At this point it’s important to recognise that whilst Sandra is the dedicated and highly skilled plantswoman, it’s Jonathan who is responsible for the hard landscaping. Working together with Trevor Blatherwick, a gardener and landscaper from Oakham, he put in steps, terraces, paths and walls. The centre of the walled garden has a bespoke David Harber armillary sphere commissioned by Jonathan and the couple’s 101

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will look in a specific planting scheme. I wander round with a handful of flowers to see how they look in a particular light.” The garden’s main lawned area and borders follow three different colour schemes; blue and lime, facilitated with wisteria, clematis, agapanthus and catmint; blue and yellow facilitated by roses, irises, day lilies and geraniums and finally, red and purple, courtesy of dicentra, peonies, monarda and daylilies. There’s limited colour in the white rose garden, just adjacent to the rill, but it still manages to look splendid with 36 Macmillan Nurse roses and a bust of Marcus Aurelius covered in clematis ‘Wisley.’

“The centre of the walled garden has a bespoke David Harber armillary sundial commissioned by the couple’s children for Sandra’s last ‘significant’ birthday...” Top: The rill was constructed by Jonathan and Trevor in York stone. Opposite: The top terrace has a trio of olive trees, as well as lemon trees and grape vines.

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two boys for Sandra’s last ‘significant’ birthday, with the engraved message that ‘all the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.’ “We both have creative input into the garden, but we don’t divide it up geographically. We’ve our own areas of expertise and we each respect these. There’s a standing joke that Jonathan only gardens with machinery whilst I only use secateurs and a trowel.” One aspect of the garden that Sandra is keenest on is choosing colour schemes. “Although I started by planning everything theoretically, I was so often disappointed by the results, that now I know I need to see the flowers in situ, before I can judge how they

The garden’s largest single area is a 33m x 25m walled garden on the grounds of a former pony paddock, created in reclaimed bricks from a derelict structure on the plot. Four pairs of beds are rotated to optimise the vegetable production; each of these is surrounded by step-over apples with wild strawberries creating interest at ground level. Two further orchards, a lime walk and wildlife pond all provide even more interest - and even more work - for the couple, so it’s easy to see why it’s now the full time occupation and pleasure for both Sandra and Jonathan. They’ve worked extremely hard to produce not only a neatly maintained garden, but one that’s beautifully conceived and designed, too. A new garden on an old site, the Old Vicarage’s garden will doubtless look beautiful for years to come, with the seeds of today definitely creating one of the area’s most beautiful for its many tomorrows. The Old Vicarage’s gardens are open on selected NGS days and to groups by appointment only. See www.theoldvicarageburley.com

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- nature -

Making a Winter Home for

Nature

Our nature correspondent richard Owens advises on ways to make simple but extremely welcome, habitats - ones that you can create in your own garden. this winter, give all creatures great and small a home during the cooler months...

As we move into November, the grass growth begins to slow down and our thoughts turn to the cold winter months ahead. Maybe you’ll plan a getaway to warmer climates or perhaps see the winter through at home sitting cosily in front of an open fire? What has this got to do with wildlife you may ask? Well, before you throw all of your logs on the fire, I’m going to tell you how you can help the wildlife in your garden with a couple of simple easy to do projects using a few spare logs and a little bit of time.

few logs, you don’t need many; half a dozen or so will normally suffice. Try to avoid using willow or poplar species as these will often re-sprout, and never be tempted to remove any logs from woodland or natural areas. So, now that you’ve built your eco-pile, what is going to live there you may ask, well the list is endless. Initially it may be used as a refuge for frogs and small mammals, but as the wood starts to decompose, it becomes a valuable home for many different mini-beasts including beetles, centipedes and the woodlouse.

“Consider creating a log or ‘eco-pile.’ Simply find a nice quiet corner of your garden and create a pile of logs...”

First of all, consider creating a log or ‘ecopile.’ Simply find a nice quiet corner of your garden and create a pile of logs. There are really no set rules, just ensure that the pile is stacked safely and securely, ideally in a damp shady location. If you don’t have any logs for fire wood, simply speak to a local tree surgeon and explain your plans. Generally they will be happy to spare you a 104

However it’s not just the animals that will benefit from the decaying wood, as during the winter months many interesting species of Fungi may also be observed. Ongoing maintenance is quite simple too; just add a new log each year for regeneration. If your pile is situated in a grassy area, it may be worth allowing a small area surrounding the pile to grow long. Not only

would this create a great migration passage for voles and mice but would also create a home for grasshoppers and crickets. So we’ve built our eco-pile, what else can we do with a log? Answer; we can make an insect home. Quite simply all we need to do is drill some holes into the log using a 10mm drill bit to 2-3 inches depth (adult supervision is required!). The logs can then be placed anywhere, on a fence, up a tree or simply on a window ledge. Wherever you put it though, please ensure that it is secure and can’t fall off. After a little while your simple insect hotel may be used by ladybirds, lacewings and possibly solitary bees. Also this month, if practical, avoid moving any leaf piles as they may be home to hibernating toads and hedgehogs and please remember to keep filling your bird feeders and bird baths. Stay warm everyone! Richard has spent his career promoting bio diversity within the world of turf and is currently the UK's Golf Course Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year.

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- farming matterS -

A Winter of Discontent in

Farming Once again farming matters are influenced by overseas turbulence and by the weather. farming correspondent Barry Poston looks at the issues affecting farmers during a winter of international discontent. With an early harvest this year, at least autumn cultivation has proceeded without interruption... As we move into November, a good period of dry weather allowed the cereal harvest to finish around the end of August.

Potato lifting started ten days earlier than normal and both yields and conditions at lifting were generally good.

The yield was slightly above average and with reduced drying costs. Unfortunately prices had considerably dropped and the overall return per acre will be less than last year.

Unfortunately higher dry matters meant that special attention had to be given to damaging. Those growers with ambient drying stores will have to be especially vigilant as it is important to reduce the temperature of the potatoes in store as soon as possible after lifting.

Although there was considerable ‘blackgrass’ in the crop the combines managed to deal with the weed’s interference especially if the crop had been sprayed with roundup prior to harvest.

“Unfortunately prices for milk have dropped considerably, and it is now well below the cost of production...”

All farmers have given considerable thought to reducing the amount of this obnoxious grass weed in 2015’s crop. Control measures, such as returning to ploughing, later sowing and the spraying of stale seedbeds are all being used.

There is no doubt though that the best control of all - the burning of straw and rubbish - will never be allowed to return.

The price level is much lower than last year and with reasonably good yields, the return does not look to be too good for the rest of the year.

Firstly, harvesting of sugar beet looks to be quite good with average sugar content, and with this year’s price per ton, the overall return looks to be economic. With the size of the crop, the season is set to be a long one with sugar beet factories open well into the spring. The harvesting of vining peas, for freezing and canning, proceeded well with just below target yields.

No peas had to be bypassed for seed, and in the relatively good weather the machines performed very well with none having to be towed out due to wet soil conditions. The early harvest allowed several farmers to attend to bottoming out dykes and clearing drains. These are maintenance jobs that often get left in the frenzy of autumn cultivations but better if they can be completed when conditions are drier. On the livestock side of farming, the price of milk has dropped considerably and is now below the cost of production. There are several reasons for this; firstly the better grass growing weather, but also increased production in New Zealand, more cheese and butter on the world market and finally, the move by Russia to ban all EU products in retaliation for economic sanctions over the situation in Ukraine. Barry Poston is the area’s foremost farming expert with a long history working in both arable and livestock environments. During his career he has seen a great many changes in the industry! 107

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- mOtOrS -

The Streetwise

Swede a favourite on the school run, Volvo’s flagship XC90 has been updated to suit family motorists seeking a safe, comfortable SuV with seven seats and the latest technology with prices from £69,000 for ‘first edition’ models Words: Rob Davis Sober, Swedish and Safe. It’s fair to say that Volvo isn’t the most exciting manufacturer of motor cars in the UK, but the character of the company, known for its solid, reliable family estates nevertheless remains; one of motoring’s most favourable and enduring reputations. The emergence of 4x4 ‘SUV’ vehicles severely dented sales of large estates, and so, despite still offering its large estates, Volvo had to launch its first XC90 4x4 in 2002. Now, there’s a new model, and there are several reasons why it’s a crucial car for the Swedish manufacturer. Firstly, it’s a flagship vehicle, rather ambitiously targeting would-be Range Rover Discovery and Audi Q7 motorists. With competition as strong as those models, the new version of the XC90 has to be very good indeed. Secondly though, the car is built on a new chassis which the company calls its Scalable Product Architecture. Essentially, this means it’s the platform on which all future Volvos will be created, with the floorplan just resized. How the new XC90’s handling is received, therefore, is likely to indicate the success - or failure - of future models’ reception, too. Volvo is planning to release a number of new models in 2015, each taking the XC90 as their technical blueprint. What’s more, all future models will feature brand new engines, each of which will debut in the XC90 too. So, after £6bn of investment in research and development, plus the creation of a brand new chassis and new engines, the XC90 will go on sale in Spring with prices from around £45,000. However, in a unique move, the firm last month released 1,927 ‘first edition’ cars, all of which were sold online without a single viewing or test drive. These will be delivered to drivers early next year. 1927 was, incidentally, also the year that the company A Blueprint for the Future: was formed. The new Volvo XC90 introduces The ‘first edition’ vehicles carry a price tag of £69,000 and featured what is likely to be the most popular of Volvo’s new engines, a modestly sized 2.0 four cylinder turbocharged unit.

a brand new design language, new engines and a new scalable product architecture which will simply be resized, then used to produce all of Volvo’s future models. This is not just the launch of a new car, it’s the relaunch of the Swedish firm.

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“What the new XC90 represents, is not just a facelift, not just a new car, but a manifesto for a new Volvo...” Many motoring manufacturers are downsizing engines now - Ford’s 1.0 Mondeo, for instance - so despite its substantial size and standard seven seats, Volvo will not offer six cylinder engines, only four cylinder petrol and diesel units. A hybrid will also utilise both a turbocharger and supercharger to deliver 400hp with CO2 emissions of less than 60g. What that means in practice is the XC90 will be more economical than ever, with no compromise in power or performance. And it’s not the only element of the car that has been consolidated. Gone is the slab of fiddly interior buttons, replaced by an ultra-high resolution, easy to use touchscreen, which changes to present the driver with options for entertainment, sat nav, or climate controls. Also standard is adaptive cruise control with steer assist which will, to some degree, ‘autopilot’ the vehicle on A-roads and motorways. The car will even look out for pedestrians and cyclists in town and automatically brake the car if it detects a collision. The interior of the XC90, too, is more luxurious than the car it replaces, with crystal glass and diamond cut detailing, plus higher quality hide for the seats and dash. What the new XC90 represents, then, is not just a facelift, not just a new car, but a manifesto for a new Volvo. There’s new technology, better economy, but thankfully, the same commitment to safety and innovation that have made the company one of the world’s most well-respected names in motoring since 1927. 112

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- Weddings -

Plan the Perfect Party Get advice from local wedding planner, Charlotte Stokes of Portfolio Events, on how to plan the perfect wedding reception!

Main Image by Colour White Photography based in Market Harborough. www.colourwhite.com.

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- Weddings -

Your wedding reception is a celebration of your marriage and a chance for your friends and family to meet each other and to toast to your future together. You will want it to be a night to remember, so making sure you take into consideration all the elements of planning the perfect party is important. Local wedding, party and catering planners, Portfolio Events have 20 years experience, and specialise in planning wedding, birthday and anniversary celebrations and catering. A family-run enterprise, all events are personally overseen by two of the directors, Billie Paschier and Charlotte Stokes. This month, Charlotte shares some of her top tips for planning your wedding reception, whether a cosy reception in the comfort of your own home, to a full scale banquet and canapés with a traditional or contemporary style! Set a budget and make sure you stick to it... When you start planning your wedding and reception, the main thing to do is set yourself a budget and prioritise everything you want. Making a list of everything will allow you to cover all the different aspects that you want for your reception, and stop you from over spending. For example, if you love live music then your budget will need to consider having a live band and perhaps only have two courses for the wedding breakfast instead. Don’t over-complicate things... Place settings can look just as beautiful with a simple fresh flower as they do tied with ribbons and decorated with intricate beads. If you try to do complicated table settings and decorations yourself, you’ll find you are tied up until midnight the day before your wedding, putting your self under too much added pressure. Start your planning early... You should start planning your reception as soon as you can - as this 116

will allow you enough time to organise everything you want. When you start making arrangements, make sure you get the larger things out the way sooner rather than later, like finding the perfect venue! This will allow you a bit more breathing space for the smaller tasks and adding those finishing touches. Include working out your budget and planning what you need and your wish list, working out your guest list and table plan to avoid any mishaps, finding the right venue, booking a caterer, and trying on different dresses to find the perfect wedding dress! Get help planning... You want everything to be perfect but what you don’t need is the stress and worry of arranging something with no idea of how to go about it. Consider hiring a wedding planner or planning company, like Portfolio Events, who have arranged different weddings and receptions all over the country, from marquees, stately homes and private houses to hotels. Often wedding planners can co-ordinate the entire day for you from finding and booking the venue, flowers and table decorations, to transport and catering. Wedding planners work closely with you so they can make sure you get everything you want for your wedding and reception, and it will also provide that extra reassurance. Delegate! Don’t be afraid to delegate to others to help take the pressure from you and your fiancè. But make sure you keep a check of those you’re delegating to and make sure they are making progress with things.

Keep traditional: Image by Don Lambert, www.donlambert.co.uk.

Have YOUR day, YOUR way... When you to start to plan your special day, make sure you have it your way, and not someone else’s. It is easy, and sometimes very helpful to get lots of opinions from your friends and family, but you mustn’t forget who’s

>> Choosing the right food for your Wedding: Opposite, we have some great ideas for choosing the right food to complement your wedding reception style...

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Choose food to complement style The food on your wedding day can help reﬂect the style whether it’s formal or informal or you just want something a little different....

Vintage Vintage is becoming increasingly popular with weddings, and you can enhance the style with food too - instead of a sit down meal, have afternoon tea with fingers sandwiches and mini scones, puddings and cakes. You could also have a retro sweet stall with paper bags printed with your names and wedding date.

Country Vintage Style: Image by Firetree Photography, www.firetreephoto.co.uk

wedding day and reception it actually is. Make sure you do what is right for you. Don’t over-etiquette! Don’t get buried under with Etiquette – receiving lines and getting the order of the speeches right are not the ‘be all and end all.’ Timings... Keep an eye on your timings. Ideally you should have a maximum of about three hours from the wedding ceremony to sitting down for your meal. If you try to stretch this time you may find that some of your guests become restless or even a little bored. Remember who your suppliers are... Don’t forget who’s supplying what. It may be worth sharing this information with someone else in the bridal party so they can help make sure everyone is accounted for. Remember; these suppliers have been involved with lots of weddings and you should use their experience too. Control of the day... You should ask a suitable member of the bridal party to take control on the day to help lessen the pressure on you.

“Wedding planners work closely with you and can add that extra bit of reassurance...” They can liase with the venue, the caterer and the entertainment as the last thing you should be thinking about on your wedding day is whether the DJ knows where he’s going! Last but not least; enjoy yourself... Your wedding day is meant to be the best day of your life and if there’s a small hiccup like the beautiful weather that you were sure you’d booked doesn’t materialise then c’est la vie – remember that the most important thing about your wedding reception is celebrating your marriage with your loved ones. Charlotte Stokes is a Director at Portfolio Events, catering and event planners based in Lamport, Northampton. For more information please call 01604 686726 or visit www.portfolioevents.com.

To create a country style wedding, have picnic hampers on each table filled with cold meats, cheeses, pork pies and chutneys, and strawberries and cream to finish.

Informal or Formal? If you want an informal approach having canapés served before the meal, acting as the starter works really well as your guests only have to sit down for a two course meal. You could also try something a little different, like traditional pub food like pie or sausage and mash, steak and chips or even fish and chips! For a traditional formal approach – a fabulous three or four course served meal will help to portray this.

Evening Buffet Your evening buffet doesn’t have to be the standard – there are so many exciting ideas like food stalls offering savoury and sweet, traditional Spanish paella cooked and served in traditional pans in front of your guests, a burger bar, barbecue, or even a fajita station! If you are getting married earlier in the day, canapés will help tie your guests over until the meal. This way your guests are happy and occupied whilst you are having your photos! 117

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The Bridal Showcase This month, we congratulate some of the Brides and grooms who married in your local areas.

Shea and Jess married on Saturday 13th September at St Mary’s Church in Woodford, with their reception at Manor House Farm. Jess headed from Corby in a vintage Rolls Royce. Shea and (brother and best man) Arun, who wore bespoke morning suits, headed over to The Dukes Pub, Woodford to meet up with friends and family. The party had a short walk down the hill to the beautifully situated and historic, St Mary’s Church in Woodford, to be

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welcomed by the Rev. Pauline Tate. Rev. Pauline was instantly taken with Jess and Shea when they first enquired about getting married and it was a relaxed ceremony including a personal and heart-felt sermon.

an evening Hog Roast. Meadow flowers and crisp white tablecloths were laid out in the enclosed Manor Farm courtyard, and the stunning stone walls and barn doors gave a fantastic rustic feel to the day.

For their wedding day, the couple wanted a very personal, country-themed day. After the service, they had a short but steep walk, back up the hill to Manor House Farm for their wedding reception, with a spread of cold cuts, salads and cheeses ahead of

Great speeches and a live band topped the day off ! With 100 guests and perfect weather, Jess and Shea’s vision became a perfect reality. Shears Mockford Photography; www.shearsmockford.com, 0845 519 5618.

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- Weddings -

Donna and Matt were married on 8th August at the Mill in Oundle. Dinky Pics; www.dinkypics.co.uk, 01832 272812.

James and Emma were married on 8th August at Barton Hall in Barton Seagrave. Layla-May Photography; www.laylamayphotography.co.uk, 07771 394898.

Jean and Rebecca were married at Kelmarsh Hall on 30th August. Nigel Ord-Smith; www.nigelordsmith.com, 01858 461770.

Neil and Claire married at Barton Hall in Kettering on 20th June. Kasia Zaluska; www.kasiazaluskaphotography.com, 01604 743533.

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- BeauTy -

A Fine Romance Fall in lust with A Novel Romance from M•a•C, a colour collection teeming with deep, luscious shades. Metallic hues and cool blackened purples; become provocative with seductive plum and burgundy lipsticks. Play temptress in shades of sweet lavender and soft rose gold and ﬂush your cheeks in shimmering powder blush...

Novel Romance Lipstick has colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street - it’s what made M·A·C famous. Six shades available. ‘Myself’, £15.50. Novel Romance Lipstick in Lingering Kiss, £15.50. An Amorous Adventure four Eye Shadow pack. An explosive combination of seafoam green and plum tones. The highly pigmented powder formula applies evenly, blends and builds beautifully. £30. Novel Romance Lipstick in Good Kisser, £15.50. Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash - two in one mascara in an intense carbon black. Creamy, velvety, lightweight formula sweeps up lashes and coats from root-to-tip. The dual-wiper system customizes your lash style: naturally defined or powerfully dramatic. £19. Tinted Lipglass - a unique lip gloss available in a wide variety of colours that can create a high gloss, glass-like finish or a subtle sheen. Designed to be worn on its own, over Lip Pencil or Lipstick, it’s the perfect product for creating shine that lasts, and it contains Jojoba Oil to help soften and condition the lips. Tinted Lipglass is packaged in a convenient bottle with a sponge tip applicator that provides a quick, smooth, even application. Five shades available. Wanting more, £14.50. Tinted Lipglass in Talk Sexy, £14.50. Electric Cool Eye Shadow’s new generation of texture - buoyant, spongy formula provides coverage, colour and wear with a unique, flawless finish. Builds seamless coverage without heaviness or caking. Creamy to the touch and easy to apply and blend. Provides medium to buildable coverage for a soft wash of pearl or a vibrant pop of colour. 8 shades available. Shown here are Highly Charged, Love Power, Superwatt and Switch to Blue, £15.50 each.

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- LiFesTyLe -

Relax and unwind at

Barnsdale Hall Hotel With the lead up to Christmas, you’ll want to relax and unwind. What better place than Barnsdale Hall Hotel near Oakham, which has an abundance of luxurious hair and beauty treatments at their on-site salon and spa - creating the perfect place to pamper yourself, whether it is for the day, overnight, a long weekend or a longer stay! “Imagine floating effortlessly in Dead Sea waters where the weight of gravity is nonexistent. The therapeutic benefits of floating in the dead sea have been well researched and this is incorporated in the Hydrofloat.”

As well as offering an idyllic and stunning place where you can relax and unwind whether for a night, weekend away or a longer stay, Barnsdale Hall’s Hair and Beauty Salon also offer a luxurious range of hair and beauty treatments.

There are a number of benefits for this treatment, including relieving stress, helping to ease arthritis, releasing endorphins, detox the system, increasing circulation and mobility, increasing concentration and improving concentration.

Annabel Miles is the Spa Manageress, and has 13 years experience working in the industry. The hair salon has two trained hairdressers, Amy and Vicky who have nearly 20 years combined experience. There are also six beauty therapists, and each have their own self contained room which all have neutral tones and relaxing music.

“Lots of people lead such hectic lifestyles, so here at Barnsdale Hall’s spa we can offer them an outlet to relax and enjoy some ‘you’ time whilst being pampered.”

Guests can also enjoy the relaxation area, where they can sit and relax before, in-between and after treatments. “We offer a range of treatments at Barnsdale Hall, and we only use highly acclaimed products. We strive to make every visit memorable and a relaxing experience.” Guests can choose from a selection of manicures and pedicures, including the Jessica Prescriptive Manicure, or the ZenSpa Delux with thermal booties. They can also do an array of nail treatments such as a shape and polish and a general tidy. “The beauty about using Jessica gel polish is that it delivers a high shine, chip free finish for up to three weeks. The polish is also designed to protect the natural nail and gives fantastic long-lasting results.” There are a range of hair removal treatments available, from eye brows, upper lip and chin to full leg and bikini, chest and back. Barnsdale can also perform electrolysis hair removal which has lots of 122

“Guests can enjoy a range of luxurious hair and beauty treatments, the perfect place to unwind...” advantages - it is permanent, has a good reputation and it is a versatile treatment. One treatment that is very innovative, and one we would love to try is the Barnsdale Hall floatation therapy. Floating works for just about anyone, and is great for the skin and also certain surgeries such as hip replacements. The pool is filled with water and dead sea salts which are heated to body temperature, and can be enjoyed singularly or as a couple for 30 to 40 minutes.

The beauty of Barnsdale is there is something for everyone to enjoy, and with the run up to Christmas now is the perfect time to pamper yourself and receive great savings on both treatments and products. “People will be starting to think about getting ready for the Christmas season, including all the parties! We have a dedicated Sienna X spray tan room where you can get an instant, and flawless tan. “Why not enjoy a full package and have an eye care treatment or your make up done professionally for a party or special occasion? We use Mii make up, which has skin loving formulas, tailored brushes and 100% pure mineral composition.” An area that offers an abundance of choice is Barnsdale’s facials. The beauty therapists will always discuss your requirements so they can tailor the facial to suit you. Firstly, they carry out a medical examination because they primarily use Elemis products

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which use essential oils. With this in mind, the therapists need to make sure they use the right products and you do not have any underlying health issues. They carry out an Elemis consultation where they discuss your daily routine, skin care and diet. Many people do not realise the external factors that can have an effect on the skin, such as stress and pollution. There are different levels of facials, including advanced anti-ageing facials from £72 to £80. The pro-collagen quartz lift facial is clinically proven to reduce wrinkles and improve skin firmness after just one treatment. There are also three skin specific facials costing £45 each. “We also offer the Caci facial which is a non surgical treatment. It is a more clinical

procedure, where electrical impulses are used. It is a really popular treatment, and you can see the different straight away.” Annabel recommends that you change your skin care products every six months, and Barnsdale offer a range of Elemis products to use at home, from the maximum moisture cream, pro collagen marine cream and the pro intense. The hair salon has a range of services, so is the perfect place to get a new look. They offer a very high end service including cut, style, colour, and put ups, and both stylists are fully qualified. They can also do wedding packages for brides and grooms. The spa is also now stocking their Gift of Elemis packages, including the 12 days of Beauty advent calendar - a fun gift either for

yourself or someone else with all the best sellers for £59.50. Barnsdale also have the Body Bathing Brilliance for £25, Frangipani Body Indulgence for £36 and the Ultimate Gift of Pro-Collagen for £199. Perfect stocking fillers - treat a loved one with the Men’s Grooming Solutions for £25 and Multi Active Men’s Collection for £39.50. With all this, plus 60 acres of parkland and breathtaking views out over Rutland Water and more, Barnsdale Hall Hotel really is the perfect place to relax and unwind just in time for Christmas. Find out More: Barnsdale Hall Hotel is based near Oakham in Rutland, LE15 8AB. For more information please call 01572 757901 or see www.barnsdalehotel.co.uk. 123

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Angel &

Rocket

The story behind British childrenswear brand...

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Local fashion expert Philippa Cloete is celebrating the launch of her new British childrenswear brand, angel & Rocket with her first collection making its debut in september. This month, we visited her at her home in Hallaton to get a sneak peak and to find out about the brand, the hard work, dedication and passion behind it all.

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You don’t have to be in London, Paris or Milan to create your own fashion brand and label, as Kate Bostock and Philippa Cloete have proven!

years old, and incorporates comfortable yet affordable garments, all with high quality fabrics and details, and created by a team of professional and emerging British talent.

This September the fashion experts have launched their new British childrenswear brand called Angel & Rocket.

The brand has been innovatively pulled together at Philippa’s home in Hallaton, Northamptonshire, which she moved to from London three years ago. She has used her wealth of knowledge and experience in the fashion industry to create the bespoke range of clothing for children.

“Angel & Rocket has been a long time in the making, but it has been worth it. From saying ‘let’s have a go,’ to sampling, designing and the making, it has taken about a year to pull everything together.” says Philippa. The first collection has 50 styles for both boys and girls aged between three and ten

“Having over 15 years experience working with different fashion brands, I had a great advantage and the right connections to give 125

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- FasHiOn -

me the support and guidance that enabled me to create the brand,” says Philippa. Philippa previously worked for Next, Marks & Spencer and Topshop as a buyer through to head of buying in womenswear. However she always had an interest and passion for childrenswear, and having her own daughters reinforced this. “People always comment on how well my two daughters are dressed. Most of the time it wasn’t necessarily what they were wearing, rather it was how I’d pulled together the different elements. I didn’t have to buy from expensive boutiques to create these looks, and that’s when I realised there was a gap in the market for sophisticated children’s clothing that is fun and has fantastic attention to detail.”

for girls clothing and the rocket for boys. The collection has been carefully edited to inspire children to mix and match, and to have fun whilst finding their own style.” says Philippa. To create the collection, Philippa mapped out the looks and trends for the season, and what styles she wanted to incorporate. From there, she collated a story for her collection, determining what the design elements and details would be, such as the stich style, pockets and so on.

“I realised there was a gap in the market for sophisticated children’s clothing that is fun with attention to detail...”

Following the decision to create the brand, Philippa worked with a team of professionals and emerging talent to design and create their first collection. “Lots of thought and consideration has been put in to creating Angel & Rocket. The attention to detail was key, and it is totally uncompromised in terms of quality - even down to the stitched logo which shows the angel

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Having built solid relationships with British suppliers over the years, Philippa has been able to draw on industry friends to help source yarns and fabrics from the best manufacturers around the world.

Philippa travelled to India and Turkey to meticulously seek out the perfect fabrics to suit her vision, making sure they were high quality but versatile. Philippa’s design team, which includes Kate Please who is based in Leicester, then worked around the clock to create a design pack, infusing the elements together, from hand drawing all the graphics that appear throughout the collection including the flowers, rabbit and owl to the embellishments.

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- FasHiOn -

“The Angel & Rocket brand’s first collection is very much a reflection of my style and personality. I have a great eye for detail which has really paid off - it is commercial and accessible but remains unique...” Her other designers concentrate on their field of design expertise, such as knitwear which is very much a specialist area.

Above: Philippa got a lot of inspiration when shopping for her two children.

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Once the clothing samples are signed off, they then start bulk production which can take up to three months to complete. The collection has a limited number of styles for each season, with the first collection being launched a few days after Pride goes to press. The Christmas collection will be launching at the start of November, along with a charity Limited Edition Christmas jumper.

This design pack would then be checked by Philippa to ensure she is completely happy before sending the designs to ethically approved factories in Turkey, India and Vietnam.

Philippa shared that it had been hard work setting up the business and getting everything together ready for the launch but working for herself has given her the flexibility to be at home with her daughters and concentrate on creating the brand.

They then interpret the designs, and make samples of each garment so Philippa can check everything is perfect from the colours and prints to the fit.

“When you’re used to working in a big company you can’t just ask someone for advice - you have to research your market, understand where you are and really believe

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Images: The ﬁrst Angel & Rocket launches on 18th September, and comprises 50 bespoke styles for boys and girls aged between three and ten years old.

in what you are doing. It has to be 100% what you want it to be and that’s what I have achieved.” says Philippa. The average selling price for one piece from the collection is £35, but Philippa believes the hand-drawn graphic tee shirts featuring playful animals like the beetles and hares will be a must-have item, priced from £22 to £25. The collection is very much a reflection of her style, and what she looks for when dressing her two daughters. She is very selective but has a good eye for detail which has really paid off as the collection is still commercial and accessible for most who have children, incorporating all the beautiful characteristics you associate with top designers, yet remaining bespoke and offering something a little different and unique. Vintage markets also played their part in Philippa’s inspiration. Picking up different

clothes and fabrics, her designers mimicked these styles and patterns but introduced her own style which was a bit more stylish and toned down.

“It has allowed me to have a lot more ownership and control in terms of the products and designs that feature in the collection which I love.” says Philippa.

Philippa has always been passionate about design and being able to analyse the finer detail, which she has translated into the look and feel of Angel & Rocket.

The first collection will be available to buy from 18th September, with the Winter collection available in the first week of November.

Their first collection is very much a representation of Philippa’s personality, from the chalked colour palette, gorgeous soft yarns to hand-drawn graphics of animals such as the hare and beetle.

The team are also busy planning their Spring/Summer 2015 collection, pulling together the designs and samples and they are hoping to launch by the end of January - proving that with hard work, passion and determination you really can do anything.

“The brand has been a long time in the making, but the team have worked around the clock over the last few months to create the first collection, and I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished. It is a constant, seven days a week job but I wouldn’t have it any other way and we’re really excited about the future.”

The Angel & Rocket collection is available on their website: www.angelandrocket.com. You can also visit their Facebook page for more information www.facebook.com/angelandrocket.

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- FASHION -

perSONAl moments Create your own personal moments with the latest collection from designer Frank Walder, whilst looking stylish, and feeling comfortable... Words: Ceri Jackson.

Be ready to experience your personal moments whilst wearing the latest collection from designer Frank Walder.

degrade and coated matelassĂŠ as well as classy, fine-thread loden. Elegance comes from highquality, shimmering fabrics.

Happy times with friends and family, a dinner date or shopping trip with your best friend - an uncomplicated, varied approach to dressing up is the focus.

The Frank Walder label was created in Germany, and represents the changed lifestyle of the new generation of women. They are specialists in smart separates and coordinating styles that can be used for every occasion.

The contours are figure-flattering and feminine with softly flowing fabrics like silk-touch jersey, metallic intarsia knit, knitted

Jackets are the centre point of the collection and stand for decorated

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sportiness with functional details. Finishing with fake leather or fancy wovens, with sporty little Chanel jackets forms the absolute fashion highlight. Lace and printed lace is important, and textured surfaces and cloqués contrast with smooth micro-fibre, batiste or cotton satin. Fake furs, satin or leather piping and coloured flat-locks are just some of the decorative elements featured in the collection. Clear black and white prints, digital and abstract in combination with ornamental arabesque prints, opulent crystal flower motifs, multi-coloured prints seduce with fascinating colours creating accents, and there is knitwear for every occasion; from feel-good cardigans, printed knit, jacquard knit through to sumptuously shimmering metallic prints. 134

Trousers range from sporty five-pockets in premium stretch denim or two-tone washout denim, straight-cut peach skin cotton through to flowing fabrics for comfy slip-on trousers. Skirts have feminine silhouettes and perfectly match the blazers. Differing lengths, mini godets, piping and trendy lace all offer individual solutions for different occasions. Blouses surprise, featuring elaborate details like frills, flounces or new collar ideas and give the outfits class and elegance, skilfully combining the comfort of jersey fabrics with the blousy look of satin. With fancy prints the shirts narrate each collection theme like oil-dye shirts and long shirts with new silhouettes, material patches, gathers and new neckline ideas make countless combinations possible.

“We are successful, because we love our target group. These are optimistic women, who are going their own way and who achieve a lot in their life - and we have great respect for them.” Lothar Held, executive director. The success story behind the brand began with hand-knitted blouses in the idyllic town of Münchberg in the north of Bavaria. You can be casual, classic or unique in Frank Walder, a collection which inspires women to try something different - and this collection will make sure you have something stylish to wear every time. The brand makes clothes with an exclusive look that are suitable for every day, special occasions, well designed and and perfectly finished.

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Left: Get ready for winter with these grey hat, scarf & gloves, and comfortable brown jacket. top Right: Light the ďŹ re and keep warm with the patterned brown cardigan, scarf and black tailored trousers. Above Right: Keep stylishly casual with this patterned black and white top. Right: Be prepared for a romantic meal with this stylish black jacket.

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opposite: Layer up your look with this long sleeved top and fur gilet. this Page: Sparkle with this embellished cardigan jacket and tailored trousers.

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top: Look stylish whilst out and about with loved ones. Match this green patterned top perfectly with this green jacket. Above: Enjoy a shopping trip with friends wearing comfortable yet chic clothes like this padded jacket and patterned cardigan. Find stockists on their website: www.frankwalder.com/en/.

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- CHrIStmAS treeS -

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Pines & Needles

Choosing the family Christmas tree is one of the better jobs of the season; an enjoyable pursuit for the whole family amid the frenzy of negotiating the high street for gifts and preparing a mountain of vegetables for Christmas dinner. this month, we visit a local country estate for advice on which variety to choose, how to make your tree last, and to ďŹ nd out why choosing a local tree will ensure your decorations adorn the best quality tree possible... Words & Images: Rob Davis.

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- CHrIStmAS treeS -

Branch out this winter, and choose a locally grown Christmas tree to decorate this season.

Top: Trees grow an average of one foot each year and are thinned out when they grow too closely together. These examples will be the first to be cut this season. Above: Trim an inch or two off your tree when you take it home to ensure a good uptake of water.

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The exact origins of Christmas trees are unknown - theories include their use as a Pagan celebration of the winter solstice - but the tradition came to Europe around the 15th century. They were popularised firstly in Germany, then in England from the 1840s by Queen Victoria’s German cousin Prince Albert, after which it was adopted by British households. Today, over 8,000,000 Christmas trees are sold in an industry worth over £160m. The two most popular varieties are the Nordmann Fir and Norway Spruce, varieties grown at Doddington Hall, the country estate we visited to see how this year’s trees are faring. It’s somewhat deflating to visit a Christmas tree farm in bright sunshine and good weather - but hoping for a blanketing of

snow in September is perhaps on the optimistic side! The scent of Norway Spruce was prevalent in the air as foresters Hari Limbu, David Logan and Ross McKenzie showed us around. The planting of some two or three thousand trees takes place in March, and the trees grow at, roughly, a foot each year. The most popular size for a tree, nationally, is 6ft, with our area a little above the national average. Whilst the more heavily scented but somewhat spiky Norway Spruce was always the preferred variety, in recent years the Nordmann Fir has overtaken it and now accounts for 70% of sales nationally - but a little lower than that in our area - owing to its softer needles and the belief the public holds about it being less likely to drop. “The spring and summer months see us completing quite a bit of work around the 30 hectare site.” says David. “We keep as much of the forest floor as clear as possible, because if the grasses grow and choke the lower branches, they stop growing.”

“Nordmanns account for 70% of tree sales thanks to their softness and needle retention...”

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- CHrIStmAS treeS -

Varieties of

Tree

Nordmann Firs now account for around 70% of all trees sold, but you could opt for something more unusual... Norway Spruce A traditional favourite but needle retention is poor without proper care. Needles aren’t very soft, but it has a lovely traditional smell.

Nordmann Fir

“Fresh trees require a litre of water a day. Add sugar to the water to help retain needles.” Each year, the team shapes the trees with shears two or three times to ensure even branches all the way around. They also ‘crimp’ the top branch, pinching it to impede the flow of nutrients into the vertical branch to stop it becoming too tall, which would result in a sparse-looking tree at the top. Choose your tree from a local farm, farm shop or garden centre, rather than a DIY store, and expect to pay around £20-£25 for a 6ft tree, £40 for one of around 9ft, and perhaps a £10 premium for a Nordmann Fir of ‘premium’ variety. Only five percent of the trees sold are dug up with roots intact; most are sawn down, Above: The crimp marks here ensure the single vertical branch at the top of the tree doesn’t grow too tall.

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but how do you keep your tree looking fresh and lustrous all winter long?

Now the most popular Christmas tree in the UK. Good at retaining their soft dark green needles, perfect for the whole family to decorate.

“Definitely don’t situate them near to draughts, fireplaces or radiators.” says David.

Scots Pine

“Also, we recommend that you saw an inch or two off the bottom of the branch when you get it home. This gives it a fresh stump to take in as much water as possible.” A fresh Christmas tree requires around a litre of water, and adding sugar to the water is also known to help with needle preservation. Choosing a suitable stand - one that holds plenty of water - will also help. Don’t scrimp on the stand; a slightly more expensive one with a ratchet action, that you pump with your foot, will enable you to straighten your tree easily without having to crawl underneath it. Some stands even have ‘water now’ indicators to take the guesswork out of keeping your tree healthy. “Hari cuts down around 400 trees a day in the season.” says David. “It’s quite a task but the joy we get when people come to pick one out makes it all worth it!” www.doddingtonhall.com.

traditionally one of the most common trees - nice aroma, but with stiff dark needles; it’s been supplanted by the Nordmann.

Noble Fir Stiffer and shorter branches, great for heavier decorations. extremely aromatic with a deep rich colour.

Colorado White An unusual variety, but pretty with a light green/blue hue. Nice shape, good aroma and excellent needle retention.

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- ChrISTmaS CounTdoWn -

Fantastic

Gift Ideas Santa Claus is coming to town with a Christmas sleigh full of fantastic presents (with a little help from some high quality local businesses too...!) Image: The White Company, www.thewhitecompany.com.

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A dog portrait is for life not just Christmas. Gift vouchers available, Nigel Ord Smith. 01858 461770, www.nosphodography.com.

Blue Topaz 2.12cts & Diamond 0.04cts 18ct white gold pendant; £850. 18ct white gold chain; £280 (depending on length and style), part of The Eden Collection from Heidi Kjeldsen. 01572 722666, www.heidikjeldsen.com. Mulberry Black Leather Small Willow Tote Handbag, £1,189.99. Raymond Weil Parsifal Gents 18ct Rose Gold, Stainless Steel and Black Watch, £1,499.89, both Costco. 0800 0324324, www.costco.co.uk. impressa z9 black bean-to-cup coffee machine from the Kitchen Range Cookshop, £2,295 01858 433533, www.kitchenrangecookshop.com.

Toy Boxes from £145. 01780 752414, www.chalkinteriors.com. Dower & Hall vermeil and white topaz round pendant; £135 from TJ Thornton, 01858 468858, www.tjthornton.com.

Vivienne Westwood Orb Watch in mother of pearl, rose gold and silver; £235 from Grace & Co. 01536 601299, www.graceandcojewellery.co.uk

Stamford Notebook Leather bound notebooks, from £16.95. Le Chameau Vierzonord Weillington Boots, Neoprene lined; £165 from Robinsons of Stamford. 01780 755378, www.robinsonsofstamford.com

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- ChrISTmaS CrafTS -

A wreath fit for the

PRIME MINISTER

To have the honour of hanging your wreath on the door of 10 downing Street twice is an extraordinary one. That’s exactly the privilege that Ella miles from Welford Christmas Tree farm enjoys. This month, we visit Ella and husband Will to ﬁnd out how to make your own wreath... Words: Ceri Jackson

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- ChrISTmaS CrafTS -

Below: Will and Ella now have 30,000 trees growing on their family farm. Opposite: Ella’s best tip to make a wreath is to invest in a glue gun.

It’s one thing to know how to make a Christmas wreath, but to pick the brains of an award-winning wreath maker is truly something else! Ella Miles, who owns and runs Welford Christmas Tree Farm with her husband Will, has had the privilege of having her wreath hang proudly on the door at 10 Downing Street during Christmas not once - but twice! “I made my first wreath in 2010, and I was somewhat naive as to the sheer scale of some of my competitors had gone to. It was a huge learning curve for me - I made a small wreath, and everyone else’s was a lot bigger and grander, so I knew I had to up my game.” 152

This didn’t deter Ella, who came back fighting the following year, eventually taking the crown. Once a competitor has won, they are then not allowed to enter the following year, so when Ella entered two years later in 2013, she went on to win her second title. “I made a very classical wreath using red ribbon for bows, berries and cones. There were 35 other entrants, and we all had to make two wreaths. The winner is then voted for by other contestants, so winning on my second attempt was great.” Ella’s wreath making began when she met her husband Will, who started growing and selling his own Christmas trees from his

parents’ family farm 21 years ago when he was just 17 years old. Today, they have 30,000 trees growing, with a range of types including the popular Nordmann Fir, Frazer Fir, Blue Spruce and Norway Spruce. The average tree takes nine years to grown to 6ft, so over the years he has staggered the stages so they have enough stock each year. Ella wanted to help Will, so she turned a stable into a shop and started making improvements with decorations. It’s not difficult for you to make your own Christmas wreath at home too. The most popular tree branches to use are the Noble Fir or Nordmann as the other tree types are too

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- ChrISTmaS CrafTS -

“Making your own seasonal wreath is easy - it’s about being creative, and trying out different things...” prickly. To get started, you’ll need your wreath ‘body.’ There are different materials you can use, and Ella showed us using a metal ring which can be purchased from local florists or wholesalers. You can also use a coat hanger which is shaped into a circle, using the hook as the hanger, moss or oasis. You’ll need three to five branches from a tree - for our wreath we used Nordmann. You then need to trim these branches to 20/25cm, each with three to five stems. Using two or three of these trimmed branches, you need to make a fan-like posey rather than layering them directly on top of each other, and then wire them together on the stem using robust garden wire or raffia. Once you’ve made your poseys, start to add them diagonally to your hanger, making sure the ends aren’t sticking out and you hide the wire with the next posey. Ella usually works clockwise, adding each posey diagonally. “If there are wires showing, don’t worry as you can hide these with branches or sprigs later on. Once you’ve made your wreath, there are so many things you can use to decorate it - eucalyptus, holly, cones, berries, and nuts. You can forage and use an array of natural things but the best advice I can give is to invest in a glue gun!” 154

It’s all about being creative, and trying out different things. You can even recycle baubles that you have previously used on your Christmas tree, or use different things like dried lotus heads or chillies, cinnamon sticks, felt... the list really does go on. Once she’s made her wreath, Ella props it up so she can ensure it hangs correctly. She then places all of her decorations around the wreath, always working with odd numbers. When she has the right look, she then glues each of the decorations into place using her glue gun, making sure they are secure and stable. For that extra finishing touch, you can also tie a pretty ribbon around the top of the

hanger where it will hang to cover the wire. “Another top tip to make your wreath more stable is to use rolled up newspaper which you can then place around your coat hanger or metal ring, securing it using wire.” This will widen the frame and surface area for your wreath, making it stronger. Ella even used this technique when she made both of her award winning wreaths for Downing Street! This year however it’s Will’s turn and he is hoping for victory at Downing Street. He is entering the Christmas Tree competition for the first time on 23rd October. There are different categories, including Spruce, Fir, Pot Grown and Pine, and the winning tree

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Left: The easiest tree branches to use are Noble Fir or Nordman; the other types are too prickly to handle! Below/Left: The farm will be open from 22nd November, where families can choose their own tree.

will stand alongside the winning wreath. “I’m really excited to be entering the tree competition. It’s always really tough and the criteria to win is really high - it has to be 6ft or smaller and have a perfect shape, and have a really good colour and condition.” The business is also a smaller retailer, which means they don’t have as much stock to choose from so they will be up against some big competition! Welford Christmas Tree Farm will be open every day from 22nd November, 9am to 5pm, where you can purchase both your Christmas Tree and wreath, and also meet the farm’s friendly animals. For more information, please call 01858 657008 or visit www.welfordchristmastreefarm.co.uk. 155

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- local cHRISTMaS evenTS -

Local Events and Markets at

Christmas Time There’s nothing better than the feeling you receive when you give someone the perfect gift at christmas. We have dates for your diary to make sure you’ve plenty of time to browse local markets and events... Willow Place Shopping Centre, Corby TYS Craft Fayres will be running a Christmas Market from 1st December to 24th December, seven days a week, with a selection of craft and trade stalls at Willow Place Shopping Centre in Corby. There will also be late night shopping day from 8am to 8pm on the 11th, 18th, 22nd and 23rd December. For more information call Willow Place & Corby Town Shopping Centre, Allied House, Spencer Cour, Corby, NN17 1NU on 01536 200073, or visit or www.willowplace.co.uk. You can also visit TYS Craft Fayres at www.stallandcraftcollective.co.uk. Christmas Extravaganza, Billing Aquadrome Fantastic festive fun returns to put a sparkle in your weekend with the Billing Aquadrome’s Christmas Extravaganza, providing lots of fun for all the family on 21st and 22nd November. Avoid the hustle and bustle of the towns and come along to enjoy crafts stalls, festive food and drink, Christmas gifts, children's entertainment, meet Santa in his Grotto and more! Free entry, parking is £5 per vehicle. For more information call Billing Aquadrome on 01604 408181 or visit www.billingaquadrome.com. Kettering Arts Centre Christmas Fayre St Andrew’s Church will be host to over 20 charities and community groups for the Kettering Arts Centre’s annual Community Christmas Fayre. As well as stalls, refreshments 156

and activities there are performances by local music group Connexions, the Kettering Youth Salvation Army band, as well as several local school choirs. The Fayre will be open on Thursday 4th December, 6pm to 9pm and on Saturday 6th December from 10am to 2pm. For more information call Kettering Arts Centre at St Andrew’s Church, Rockingham Road/Lindsay Street, NN16 8RG on 01536 513858, or visit www.ketteringartscentre.com. Stoke Rochford Victorian Christmas Market On Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd November at Stoke Rochford Hall, you can browse a fantastic array of gifts for Christmas from a selection of unique stalls selling handcrafted and unusual items from 10am to 6pm on both days. See their own ‘Green’ Father Christmas and the World famous ‘Palace of Curiosities’ – a self titled travelling museum of strange and intriguing items from around the world. Make sure you don’t on a ride in the authentic horse drawn Victorian omnibus around the grounds. Rides are every 20 minutes between 10am and 4pm each day – £4.50 per person. Pre booking is advised although booking on the day will be available. Admission to the Christmas Market s free of charge. For more information call Stoke Rochford Hall on 01476 530337 or visit www.stokerochfordhall.co.uk.

Rockingham Castle Victorian Christmas It’s Christmas Eve 1881 and Rockingham Castle is decorated to help you step back in time to a thoroughly Victorian Christmas. The fires are lit, the food prepared and the Great Hall table is laid for a sumptuous Christmas dinner. From Monday 17th to Friday 21st November, 11am to 8pm - enjoy a guided tour in period costume. A wealth of beautifully lit Christmas trees welcome you into the Castle Courtyard, and their Castle Gift Shop is stacked full of Christmas ideas for friends and family. Thelicensed Castle restaurant is also open for lunch, tea and supper, or mulled wine and a mince pie. Castle tour: adults £8, children £3.50 (5-16yrs), under 5’s free. Car parking is £3. For more information call 01536 770240 or visit www.rockinghamcastle.com. Lamport Hall’s Annual Gift and Craft Fayre Held in the former stable block of Lamport Hall on Sunday 12th October, from 10am to 5pm - there will be plenty of stalls located inside with a couple of stalls outside. It

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“Christmas markets & events are great for finding unique gifts!” provides a fantastic opportunity for Christmas shopping or treating yourself, and Owls to Behold will be attending with a variety of owls on display. This event has free parking and there are refreshments available to purchase. For more information please telephone Lamport Hall on 01604 686272 or visit www.lamporthall.co.uk. The Hall & Gardens will also be open between 2pm and 5pm under separate admission. Oundle Christmas Market Oundle will be holding its Christmas Market on Saturday 6th December from 12pm to 7pm. The town will be filled with over 60 Christmas Market Stalls selling a fabulous diversity of Christmas food and plenty of great gifts and ideas – everything you need from Christmas trees and decorations to charcuterie and cakes. They’ll be plenty to explore and experience, including music, carols, roasted chestnuts, children’s fairground rides, mulled wine and mince pies and plenty of street food to keep you warm, with the town’s Christmas lights being turned on by a surprise guest at 6pm. Free car parking and independent shops and cafes will be open for Late Night Shopping,

For more information please call 01832 270255 or visit www.oundlefoodfestival.co.uk. Christmas Craft and Design Show A high quality craft fayre with over 65 craft exhibitions as well as demonstrations on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th November, 10am to 4.30pm at Sywell Aerodrome. Quality refreshments and free parking is available. Admission price is £3.50, over 60’s £3. Accompanied children under 16 are free. For more information please call 07570 016805 or visit www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk. Castle Ashby Gardens Crafts for Christmas Enjoy quality crafts from over 60 exhibitors, all on display in heated marquees on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November from 10am at Castle Ashby Gardens. Meet the reindeer and listen to some music. Warm up with traditional home cooked food in our Walled Garden Tea Room. Admission prices: Adults £4, Concessions £3.50, Under 16 free. For more information please telephone Castle Ashby Gardens on 01604 695200 or visit www.castleashbygardens.co.uk.

Lings Forum Christmas Craft Fayre TYS Craft Fayres are holding a Christmas Craft Fayre on Sunday 2nd November from 12pm to 4pm in Lings Forum’s Sports Hall with approximately over 70 stalls. For more information please call 07572 655099 or email tyscraftfayres@hotmail.com. Craft Fayre at the Tithe Barn On Saturday 6th December from 10am to 4pm, browse a selection of hand created items made by local crafters. You can also find unique homewares and gifts. Refreshments are avaliable, and admission is free to the public. For more information please visit Tithe Barn at Barn Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1AH. Christmas Vintage Furniture & Fashion Sale This Christmas buy your loved ones a special present at this popular Vintage Fayre at the Picturedrome. Find interesting gifts from sellers, including furniture, homeware, mens and womens clothing and accessories. Saturday 6th December, 11am to 3.30pm, entry is £1. For more information please call 01604 258666 or visit www.thepicturedrome.com. 157

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- Panorama -

Corby’s Kirby Hall Kirby Hall is one of England’s greatest Elizabethan and 17th century houses earlier owned by Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor to Queen Elizabeth I. Although this vast mansion, which is situated in Corby, is partly roofless, the walls show the exceptionally rich decoration that proclaims that its successive owners were always in the forefront of new ideas about architecture and design. The Great Hall and state rooms remain intact, refitted and redecorated to authentic 17th and 18th century specifications. Take time to wander around the recently restored great gardens with elaborate ‘cutwork’ design complete with statues and urns. Kirby Hall is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm from 1st October to 2nd November, and on Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 4pm from 3rd November to 29th March. 158

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Crosswords CRYPTIC CROSSWORD Test your lateral thinking skills with this month’s Cryptic Crossword. Each puzzle has a set of perplexing clues to unravel, and as every lover of logic knows, the frustration is all part of the fun!

ACROSS 1. Finally Condoleezza Rice misled in Massachusetts, USA (7) 5. Perhaps Cook makes 100 next (not 50) with England's opening runs (7) 9. Looks are said to attain their best with small crowns (5) 10. Before starting to darken, skin uses tan to appear like this (3-6) 11. Island gods embraced some Bible characters (10) 12. Conservative backing European Union? Liberal bias, for starters (4) 14. Order me new shirt? It's a deal! (11) 18. It's not surprising the Great Pyramid of Giza has shrunk! (5,6) 21. First male (Adam) had no ma, surprisingly (4) 22. Those ultimately with least struggle? (10) 25. I would back loud form of jazz spreading (9) 26. Dead keen on Renaissance sculpture? (5) 27. Long article on time by nuclear scientists, not about light (7) 28. Hearts — they flutter when hugging man in good shape (7)

DOWN 1. Domestic help to the French couple (2,4) 2. Rubber bridge's finale: king, a spade, over queen (6) 3. A leading banker taken in by lies ain't corrupt or greedy … (10) 4. … returns old savings account for something useful (5) 5. Sentenced prisoner, heartless man indeed (9) 6. Double the victory in Yorkshire? (4) 7. Decided to complete this puzzle again by day (8) 8. Wine and steam, cooking beef and lamb etc (3,5) 13. Broken-hearted over upside-down painting's shapes (10) 15. In the past African rebel hero said "no" (9) 16. Lily Allen's debut EP holds potential (8) 17. Soldier lifts lid off can to store f-f-fuel (8) 19. 5 + 2/3 of 12: maths' core material (6) 20. Uninspired holy man upset God by asking "Why?" (6) 23. On the radio Dame Vera and companion make a killing (5) 24. Hill made from brown earth (4)

DOWN

1. Perform music in the street for money (4) 3. Strikebreaker (8) 8. Pocket (billiards) (4) 9. Yes — adequate (3,5) 11. Stomach-turning (10) 14. Older — superior (6) 15. Formality — give stiffness (6) 17. Sponger (informal) (10) 20. Oversight (8) 21. Try to find (4) 22. Laughable (8) 23. River of northeast England (4)

1. Trade — one's concerns or affairs (8) 2. Bloody — cheerful (8) 4. Ogress who attacks children (Semitic folklore) — Frasier Crane's (ex-)wife (6) 5. Ceremony of installing a monarch (10) 6. Racing toboggan (4) 7. Frame for closing an entrance (4) 10. Extremely comfortable situation (3,2,5) 12. Tedious, hard work (8) 13. Native American people (8) 16. Louvre (anag) — fabric (6) 18. Bowl — golf club (4) 19. Landing stage (4)

CRYPTIC ANSWERS

QUICK ANSWERS

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

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