Rutland Pride March 2021 by Pride Magazines Ltd

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PRIDE RUTLAND

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Going wild with a camera in Rutland

Master the art of wildlife photography with John Wright...

What a year for Rutland’s Alicia Kearns!

Alicia celebrates her first year as an MP and her second child...

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WELCOME

ike the ‘will they, won’t they?’ moment of a romantic film, a penalty shootout by England during a World Cup, or the moment you see dessert being carried over to your table in your favourite restaurant... the anticipation is almost unbearable. We know lockdown will be lifted soon but it always seems to be tantalising close and yet still some distance off.

Once it’s lifted – or at least eased – we’re looking forward to getting out and about enjoying a bracing walk around Rutland Water and a few other local places rich in wildlife. We’ll be taking along a camera too, so to sharpen up our skills capturing Rutland’s returning ospreys and other wildlife, we’ve enlisted the help of John Wright, who provides amateur photographers with all the help and advice they need to improve their photography skills whilst enjoying some fresh air... and maintaining good social distancing practices. It’s a perfect post-pandemic pick-me-up! Elsewhere this month we’ll hear about MP Alicia Kearns’ first year in parliament, we’re meeting the local couple who have created a new ethical enterprise making artisan soap and we’ll meet Caroline Stafford, the Oakham baker who has found a unique way to help people send love and best wishes to absent friends or family during lockdown. Her personalised biscuits, which are posted to their recipients, carry messages of support, love and positive vibes. Stay safe during what we hope will be the end of lockdown, and please accept our best wishes for a great month!

Executive Editor robin@pridemagazines.co.uk 3

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98 CONTENTS NEWS & EVENTS 06

32 06

NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories from across Stamford & Rutland. Find out why Stamford’s All Saints Church has become home to some peckish Peregrine Falcons...

OWLS Our cover story is a hoot.

FOOD & DRINK 46

BAKED WITH LOVE Rutland-based Caroline Stafford is bringing lockdown love to your absent friends and family with her personalised biscuits.

HIGHLIGHTS

HOMES & GARDENS

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY Photographer John Wright’s trade secrets of how and where to shoot animals like tigers within just half an hour’s distance from Stamford!

WHAT’S IN ONAME? Local couple Kelly and Alex’s ethical enterprise, making artisan soap.

VIRTUAL ART EXHIBITION Stamford based Adrian Hill’s virtual fine art gallery features some impressive work.

RECIPES & WINE Treats and tipples.

WELCOME HOME A fantastically low-maintenance family home.

INTERIORS Let there be lighting, and a bolt from the blue thanks to some luxury soft furnishings.

GARDENS Super garden furniture to ensure al fresco comfort this season.

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF AN MP MP Alicia Kearns has just completed her first year as an MP... and it’s been a challenging one, to say the least!

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WEDDINGS & FASHION 98

WEDDINGS Celebrating Victoria and Aled’s Barrowden wedding.

103 FASHION Navy outfits and gents’ tailoring with Andrew Musson.

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THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE AREA READ PRIDE MAGAZINE

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Pride Magazine is delivered free of charge, via Royal Mail, to high value homes in the county. Our circulation is to homes in the top three council tax bands, which are predominantly worth over £300,000. This guarantees the magazine has an affluent readership commensurate with our content. The magazine is also sold in supermarkets and newsagents and our in-house distribution team also works hard to hand-deliver the magazine to selected hotels and restaurants, doctors, dentists, executive motor dealerships and golf clubs. This helps to ensure we have a continued presence, right across our catchment area. Our titles also have more social media fans than any other local magazine. In addition we have over 30,000 online readers each month who view the magazine free of charge, online, on their tablet, computer, laptop or mobile phone via our website, our app, and via the Readly and Issuu platforms. If your business would benefit from being showcased to the wealthiest people in the area, please call our friendly sales team on 01529 469977. Amazing new app out now: You can read our magazines on any device anywhere.

Read Pride Magazine free online at www.pridemagazines.co.uk or by downloading our free iOS and Android App. LEGAL DISCLAIMER By supplying editorial or advertising copy to Pride you accept in full the terms and conditions which can be found online at www.pridemagazines.co.uk. In the event of an advert or editorial being published incorrectly, where Pride Magazines Ltd admits fault, we will include an advert of equivalent size, or equivalent sized editorial, free of charge to be used in a future edition, at our discretion. This gesture is accepted as full compensation for the error(s) with no refunds available. Selected images in our content may be sourced from www.shutterstock.com.

THE PRIDE TEAM Managing Director: Julian Wilkinson. Production Director: Ian Bagley. Sales Director: Zoie Wilkinson. Sales Manager: Charlotte Daubney. Sales Supervisor: Cydney Dyson. Executive Editor: Rob Davis. Illustrator: Jocelyn Lawman. Customer Care Manager: Mandy Bray. Web Developer: Joe Proctor. Administration: Sue Bannister, Carissa Clay, Sami Millard. Sales Executives: Cassy Ayton, and Grace Mumford.

Pride Magazines, Boston Enterprise Centre, Enterprise Way, Boston, Lincs PE21 7TW

Tel: 01529 469977 Fax: 01529 469978 www.pridemagazines.co.uk | enquiries@pridemagazines.co.uk

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NEWS & EVENTS

Peckish Peregrines’ Divine Intervention ABUNDANCE OF PIGEONS MAKES FOR A GOURMET TREAT FOR PEREGRINE FALCONS STAMFORD To err is falcon, to forgive is divine, according to churchgoers at Stamford’s All Saints’ Church. That’s because a couple of peckish Peregrine Falcons have put themselves amongst the pigeons at Stamford’s All Saints’ Church, causing a crisis of faith among some torn between tolerating the grizzly prospect of birds of prey using the church as a hunting ground, versus a degree of appreciation for their pest control services. Kate Riley is All Saints’ Church’s bellringer and is a keen birdwatcher too. The pigeons make a mess in the church and the two Peregrines are ‘thinning out their numbers’ nicely. “I know we’re supposed to love all creatures, but really God, did you have to make so many pigeons?” she wonders. “Peregrines like a pigeon or two and Stamford apparently

has a five-star Michelinworthy selection!” Vicar of All Saints’ Father Neil Shaw speculates that the arrival of the Peregrines coincides with lockdown and the church bells falling silent.

Wood Green’s tribute site THE ANIMAL CHARITY’S LASTING TRIBUTE TO LOVED ONES NO LONGER WITH US...

As an additional benefit though the birds are also being studied by pupils of Stamford Junior School, with eight year old Lyra Walton saying she’s ‘excited’ by the prospect of observing the rare

birds, during home schooling, in such close quarters.” It’s thought that there are fewer than 1,500 breeding pairs of the birds in the UK, and they measure 50cm in length with a 115cm wingspan. n

CAMBRIDGESHIRE A new tribute site from Wood Green, The Animals Charity, gives pet lovers the opportunity to celebrate the life of a beloved friend, family member or pet by creating a space to come together, share anecdotes and keep the memories of loved ones alive. Giving a gift in someone’s memory is a wonderful way to commemorate their life, whilst also supporting Wood Green’s work to care for thousands of vulnerable pets every year. Jensen Calleemootoo, from Wood Green: “People can find a great deal of comfort and purpose by creating a tribute

fund in their name, for a cause close to their heart.” “By donating or fundraising those loved ones stay with us forever – and help Wood Green be there for even more pets in need.” For Len, a gift to Wood Green was the perfect way to honour his late wife, Val: “Leaving a lasting tribute to Val means her love for animals lives on through the care Wood Green gives to homeless pets.” n To find out more about setting up a tribute fund for a loved one, please visit inmemory.woodgreen.org.uk or contact Wood Green’s In-Memory Giving team on 0300 303 9333.

Director at Fine & Country for Rutland, Stamford and South Lincolnshire, Jan von Draczek. STAMFORD & RUTLAND Fine & Country Rutland, Stamford and South Lincolnshire were delighted to announce they have been recognised for their exceptional marketing and promotional expertise, having won five property accolades at The United Kingdom Property Awards 2020. These are part of the International Property Awards Programme and are widely known as one of the industry’s most prestigious award ceremonies.

As a first for any single Fine & Country branch, the team are celebrating ‘Award Winner Estate Agency Website UK,’ as well as ‘Best Development Marketing East Midlands;’ ‘Best Estate Agency Marketing East Midlands,’ and two ‘Best Single Office,’ awards for both Rutland and Lincolnshire. They will now automatically be entered into the overall international awards, culminating in the profession’s worldwide awards. n

Award for Local Illustrator BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT ILLUSTRATOR, MELISSA WEBB...

Could a community cafe be coming to the Castle? OAKHAM A planning application has been submitted for a proposed café in Oakham Castle. The castle’s Ari Volanakis says: “The impact of the pandemic has further increased the need to review financial operations at the castle. The benefits for Oakham Castle include a regular lease income and improved visitor offer.” One prospective leaseholder is Steve Oakenfull, whose lease at the Castle Cottage Café ended last year. n

STAMFORD For anyone who has felt gloomy amid lockdown, or home schooling, or those who simply have the winter blues, Melissa Webb’s Mellow Doodles could be a source of great comfort. And that’s why the Stamford-based illustrator has been awarded Businessperson of the Year for 2021 at the Stamford Mercury Business Awards. Melissa creates and posts out calenders, wall planners and, prints and other items all with an ethos of support for the mental health of the products’ recipients: “I wanted to run a business, which at its core is compassionate,” she says. n See www.mellowdoodles.com.

£3.5bn Boost

Estate Agency’s wins...

STAMFORD Telecommunications infrastructure provider Openreach is promising a £3.5bn boost to the East Midlands economy with fibre broadband which it has pledged to bring to Stamford, Rutland and Bourne by the mid-2020s. The company promises 1Gb/s speeds within 10 years, essential for those who run their business from home. n

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LOCAL

NEWS In Brief RUTLAND x

RETAIL SPACES ON THE RAM JAM A1 SITE... The former site of the Ram Jam inn near Greetham will be fully redeveloped in 2021 with the creation of four retail units and access to the site both for the 25,000 daily users of the A1 plus locals in nearby villages off the B668. It’s thought that the redevelopment could feature 72 parking spaces, with the possibility of a drivethrough coffee outlet. Hambleton Bakery, currently based in Exton, has previously expressed interest in the site too as a potential location in which to expand its business. n 7

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We, at Fine & Country, are delighted to announce we have been recognised for our exceptional marketing and promotional expertise, having won five property accolades at The United Kingdom Property Awards 2020 which are part of the International Property Awards Programme. As a result, we will now automatically be entered into the overall international awards, culminating in announcements of the International and World’s Best winners at the end of the process. The International Property Awards are in their 27th year and the winners represent the highest levels of achievement in real estate, development, architecture, interior design and marketing in both the residential and commercial sectors. This year, they were judged by an independent panel of over 80 industry experts, focusing on design, quality, service, innovation, originality, and commitment to sustainability, with the judging panel being chaired by Lord Caithness, Lord Best and Lord Waverley who are members of the House of Lords. If you would like to find out more, please call 01780 750 200 for a confidential conversation and a no obligation market appraisal of your home. We look forward to hearing from you.

Tel: +44(0)1780 750200 Email: stamford@ﬁneandcounty.com

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NEW

MARKET OVERTON

£620,000

Delightful stone-built period cottage offering well-proportioned and beautifully presented accommodation with an array of character features in a sought-after village location with views over the cricket field to the rear. Reception Hall, Cloakroom/WC, Sitting Room , Conservatory, Dining Room, Kitchen/Breakfast Room, Utility, 4 Bedrooms, Bathroom, Large Gardens, Double Garage, Off-road Parking. Energy Rating: E.

NEW PRICE

BELTON IN RUTLAND

NEW

OAKHAM

£610,000

An individually designed, substantial detached property which is appointed to a high standard throughout, with good sized mature gardens located in a much sought after, non- estate location, close to the town centre with its associated amenities and also close to Oakham School. The property offers spacious, beautifully presented family accommodation with 3 Reception Rooms, luxury Kitchen/Diner, 4 well-proportioned Bedrooms and 3 Bath/Shower Rooms. NO UPWARD CHAIN. Energy Rating: C.

NEW

UPPINGHAM

Offers in Excess of £800,000

A delightful 16th century Grade II listed farmhouse set on a large plot with a range of outbuildings within a highly desirable Rutland Water village of Manton and offering extensive accommodation with period charm and character in abundance. 3 Reception Rooms, Kitchen, Cloakroom/WC, ample Ancillary Accommodation (including Cellar), feature Orangery, 4 spacious double Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms; lovely Gardens. EPC Exempt.

OIRO £499,950

A spacious and tastefully appointed detached property with double Garage and private rear Garden situated on a desirable Beeches development of the historic market town of Uppingham and enjoying delightful countryside views to the rear. Lounge, Study, Conservatory, Kitchen/Diner, Utility, Cloakroom/WC, 4 Bedrooms, En-suite Shower Room, Family Bathroom. NO UPWARD CHAIN. Energy Rating: C.

SOLD SSTC

MANTON

£520,000

A beautifully extended and sympathetically refurbished character property providing spacious, contemporary family accommodation situated in a desirable Rutland village. Family Room, Dining Room, Snug, Kitchen, Utility, Cloakroom, 4 Bedrooms, En-suite Shower Room, Family Bathroom; dbl Garage, ample Parking, low-maintenance private Garden. Energy Rating: TBC.

SSTC

LYDDINGTON

£535,000

Stunning character cottage offering fully refurbished accommodation with lovely garden in one of Rutland's premium villages. The accommodation is appointed to an exceptional standard and includes an array of features, such as exposed stonework, oak beams, handmade English oak skirting boards, bespoke window shutters and balcony with panoramic views. Sitting Room, Kitchen/Diner, Utility, Clkrm, 3 Bedrooms, ES Shower Room, Btrm. EPC Exempt (Grade II listed).

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Offers in Excess of £750,000

Offers in Excess of £550,000

Church Street, Braunston in Rutland

Chestnut Close, Uppingham

An imposing, high quality four-bedroom village home built with traditional materials and providing modern, open plan living in a commanding position in a popular Rutland village.

A substantial and well-proportioned, ﬁve-bedroom, detached home sitting in a quiet cul-de-sac location within easy walking distance of Uppingham town centre.

Offers in Excess of £350,000

Offers in Excess of £200,000

Church Street, Braunston in Rutland

South Street, Oakham

A beautifully renovated, early Edwardian three-bedroom village property boasting a huge amount of character with generous sized accommodation and a mature South-East facing garden.

A charming end of terrace two-bedroom property with some original features, outbuildings, pretty gardens and within an easy walk of Oakham town centre.

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Looking for your forever home? Look no further! VALLEY VIEW, CASTLE BYTHAM, NEAR GRANTHAM A DEVELOPMENT OF 4 & 5 BEDROOM EXECUTIVE FAMILY HOMES

£POA - CALL FOR AVAILABILITY PLOTS 3 & 6 ALREADY SOLD STC

Drawing upon the expert knowledge of our in-house designers and architects, Valley View offers six 4 and 5 bedroom executive family homes on an exclusive gated development, finished to the highest of standards and specification: an exceptional build quality that has been designed to stand the test of time. A large luxurious kitchen to accommodate the whole family designed to make the most of the exceptional valley views; plenty of spacious bedrooms and bathrooms big enough to survive the chaos on those busy weekday mornings. Not forgetting the large gardens for those gorgeous summer days. HIGH SPECIFICATION TO INCLUDE: Oak stairs with oak newel, handrail & spindles or glass balustrades. Quartz, granite or Corian worktops and upstands. Air source heat pump system... Plus: the reassurance of an NHBC backed 10 year warranty.

Call 01733 558505 or visit www.oakwoodhomesltd.co.uk REGISTERED DEVELOPER OTHER DEVELOPMENT LOCATIONS: ROYSTON, FOLKSWORTH, HOLBEACH...

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New Normal; Same High Standards of Care Physical health and mental health are equally important to a good quality of life. Robert Myers of Oakham Grange acknowledges that even amid the ‘new normal’ it’s important to deliver the same high standards of care and support… A ‘New Year;’ The ‘New Normal,’ there’s plenty to get used to right now, but one aspect of life which remains consistent is the need to provide high quality care and to look after not just the physical health, but the mental health, too, of our residents and staff.

practices, we have also introduced additional Lateral Flow tests for staff, offering instant results. We also run this programme in conjunction with normal weekly lab-based tests to stress test the efficacy of Lateral Flow based testing.

Covid-19 has proved challenging for all of us, and it’s especially unsettling for those who are older or living with dementia.

To counter the isolating affects of Covid, we also created a safe visitor ‘pod’ with glazed divider to ensure contact between residents and their families can remain as normal and as regular as possible.

So, acutely aware of both the psychological impact as well as physical harm that the virus can create, it was especially important to the staff, that we provided as safe and calm an environment as possible, for residents and their families. Having consistently carried on with a policy of Covid prevention through lockdown, we ensured that all of our residents were able to receive their first vaccinations as soon as they were available, working alongside our GP partners in Empingham. The home’s staff have also now had their first vaccination too, and in addition to sound infection control

This Covid-safe visiting space means some residents at Oakham Grange see their loved ones more than if they had been selfisolating in their own home. In addition, we’ve ensured building-wide Wi-Fi and have invested in technology to ensure that residents’ families can maintain communication with a broad range of their family and friends. With temperature-checking, PPE, strict hand-sanitising regimes and other measures, we are proactive in keeping our residents

their families and our team safe, without sacrificing contact with one another. When restrictions are eased, it would be a good idea to visit Oakham Grange for yourself to discover what a modern, forward-thinking and vibrant environment the team has created. With its residents’ reception café and outdoor terrace with its woodland walk, the child-friendly and dog-friendly home is arranged over three households with each of these benefitting from its own air conditioned lounge and dining room, serving home-cooked, nutritional meals prepared using locally sourced produce. Each bedroom or apartment has its own en suite, enabling the home to provide a mix of company and privacy, and with staff always on hand to ensure residents’ care. Oakham Grange is a refreshing change to corporate models of care and will challenge all preconceived ideas of what a Residential Home with Nursing is like. n

Oakham Grange is family owned and managed Ardale home. It offers nurse-led residential care and a bespoke service for those living with dementia. Call 01572 33 22 11 for more information or see a video tour via the website www.oakhamgrange.co.uk.

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WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

GO WILD WITH YOUR CAMERA There’s a whole world out there, with many once-in-a-lifetime moments waiting to be captured on camera and frozen in time forever. Happily, you don’t have to travel quite as far as wildlife photographer John Wright has done throughout his career. In fact, John can oﬀer expert tuition in his craft and help you gain access to a few of his favourite places to shoot, whether you want to capture birds of prey in Rutland, wild cats at Huntington’s Hamerton zoo, or hone your skills before venturing to the Masai... Words: Rob Davis. All Images: John Wright, www.photographersonsafari.com.

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WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

STAY VERY STILL. Stay very quiet. Be patient. Reframe left a bit, and give the very slightest twist to the focusing ring on your lens to ensure those eyes are super sharp. Then, hold your breath, hold down the shutter button and hold the camera steady. In a single second, with a decent camera, you’ll capture 10 frames, ten frozen moments in the life of the bird, animal or insect you have in your viewfinder. “It’s never lost its appeal,” says John Wright. “I still absolutely love it. But some time ago I discovered that there’s only one thing better than taking a great photo, and that’s helping someone else to do the same.” John is a wildlife photographer who now ensures that those from Rutland, Stamford and Lincolnshire who want to take their own photography to the next level can do the same. “There are two myths that persist when it comes to wildlife photography. The first is that it’s the preserve of those people with mega-expensive equipment, big long lenses and very sophisticated cameras with state-ofthe-art focusing systems.” “The second is that you have to travel miles and miles to even practice your skills and that international travel is the only means by which you’ll capture animals like big cats and golden eagles. Neither is true.” In fact, John has made a career out of democratising wildlife photography. A farmer in his early career, on a mixed operation which included cattle, pigs and sheep, John was always a keen observer of animals as they go about their day-to-day business. But at the age of 40, John’s back problems became more acute, and he was told that his physical mobility would suffer greatly if he didn’t leave the profession. Accordingly, he left farming behind to pursue a career in sales, with more sociable working hours and a little more time to pursue his hobby of photography. “I had a real interest in landscape photography, but it’s quite sedate, there’s lots of time spent waiting for the light and less scope for creativity,” he says. “At the same time I enjoyed watching motorcycle racing – performance bikes used by superbike riders like Carl Fogarty in the 1990s. I would be commissioned by Peterborough-based Performance Bikes magazine as a freelancer.

Their standards for submissions were very demanding. 180mph motorcycles, some distance away… and they still wanted to see the flies on the windscreen of the bike in pin-sharp detail.” It’s challenging iteration of the craft, with objects a little further away, fast-moving and with opportunities to capture the shot requiring split-second timing. Perhaps that’s why capturing sporting activity, equestrian action or nature is one of the most rewarding types of photography. The idea of mindfulness is that we have to be ‘in the moment,’ concentrating on one activity and thought to the exclusion of all others, and this type of photography certainly demands exactly the same state of mind. John has always wanted to share his talent with others and began offering tuition, with so many eager apprentices keen to take up his offer that he went full-time in 2006.

“Many of the images we’ve presented here have been taken in the UK, some locally. You can also hone your skills prior to a trip further afield or go on one of John’s international trips... And with the exception of 2020 – the year of Covid and lockdown – John nowadays expects to travel on over 100 trips, teaching around 1,000 participants each year, in groups of fewer than 10 participants, usually far fewer ensuring his time and attention is not diluted among too many people attending each course. It’s worth mentioning, too, that John’s wife Nadine, as well as running the business behind the scenes and ensuring customer satisfaction is also evidence of the courses’ success. She has become an accomplished wildlife photographer in her own right thanks to John’s tuition, her participation in their courses and her own enthusiasm for the craft of wildlife photography.

His courses are priced anywhere from £99 for a Birds of Prey or Big Cats day-course to rather more specialised trips like his 11-day Masai Mara Safari trip which, all in, commands about £8,500, or his £13,000 14-day trip to Alaska to photograph whales, dolphins and bears on glaciers using a chartered luxury cruiser as a base. But – and here’s the crucial point – John says you don’t need to travel too far to capture some impressive species. In fact, part of John’s appeal to clients is the access that you enjoy alongside him to some of the UK’s most exclusive wildlife sanctuaries and natural habitats, some of which wouldn’t ordinarily countenance a visit from our professional wildlife photographers, let alone novices under tuition. These include locations in Northumberland and Surrey and Hertfordshire as well as Rutland and Huntingdon’s Hamerton Zoo. Some of John’s most popular courses take place much nearer to home. His osprey course has been put on ice this year, as all of the socially-distance availability at the top-secret location he prefers to shoot at has been snapped up – pun intended – but in other years though John can provide unprecedented access to the birds. Instead, if you’re looking to capture breathtaking shots of birds of prey, John hosts a course in Whissendine in conjunction with falconer Simon Tebbutt, who brings along his Golden Eagle, Barn Owl and several other birds. The full-day course is unique in the sense that it’s split between static shots of birds on posts, enabling each of the eight attendees to get closer than ever to Simon’s spectacular birds, and because Simon is able to fly them from post-to-post, horizontally, the course enables participants to get some impressive in-flight shots too. The end of the day also sees Simon rewarding the birds for their accommodation of the photographers and for their hard work with a few mice, so it’s usually possible to capture a shot of the birds successfully carrying or eating their prey. Because there are only eight participants, because John works in conjunction with Simon and because the presence of the birds are guaranteed and they’re close to the photographers, everyone on John’s course is practically guaranteed the chance to capture an incredible shot. >> 19

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WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

>> There’s no waiting about for nature to unfold, and there’s plenty of opportunity for personal tuition from John on the finer points of this specialised photography. “I also run a course in conjunction with Hamerton Zoo which, for about half an hour of travelling, affords visitors the opportunity to see some absolutely amazing animals. It’s a superb location, managed by people who really understand and respect their animals. We’ve a great relationship with the keepers who can bring the animals close to us for shots that you really couldn’t ever imagine taking… especially here in the UK!”

“I think it’s important that people enjoy some success really quickly, it encourages them to keep shooting and it’s a nice reward for your learning early on...” Top/Above: Many of John’s courses take place right here in the UK, gaining clients not just expert tuition but exclusive access to many wildlife sanctuaries. This little kitty was actually photographed in Kent!

John’s Hamerton all-day course is divided up in two. In the morning there’s the opportunity to work with birds of prey – again, on their perches and in-flight, typically barn owls and hawks – before being introduced to some of the species less-frequently seen in the UK. Cheetahs, Corsac foxes, the Maned Wolves, Lynx, Serval, and Tigers, for example. “I think it’s important that people enjoy some success really quickly, it encourages them to keep shooting and it’s a nice reward for your learning early on,” says John. “Being in a more controlled environment we can guarantee where the animals will be and as such, concentrate on the technicalities of photography instead of playing a waiting game as wildlife photography often entails. Being able to encourage birds of prey to fly

past us provides a better chance to practice focus and panning. Once you’ve honed your skills, you’ll get more out of working in the wild, or from a trip on safari, for example.” It’s also important to master the equipment you have and to understand it, but again the myth pervades that only expensive top-of-therange equipment will suffice. “You can do more by using modest equipment well than investing in expensive gear without knowing how to use it,” says John. “Modern cameras have become very sophisticated and some pack almost too much functionality in for most photographers, especially since, today, manufacturers are trying to turn their camera into equipment to capture both still images and video.”

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“Focusing zones are a typical example of that. A top of the range camera might have 190 focus points, but if the one it chooses isn’t on the animal’s eye, sometimes your ‘clever’ camera can give you a bird’s chest or wing in focus, not its eye.” “It’s vital that your subject has character, and that you gain an insight into its behaviour. Ensuring you make eye contact with it is one of the best ways to ensure that. It’s like human interaction; if you’re talking to someone and they won’t make eye-contact, you’re less connected to them. More modest cameras – or at least knowing how to take charge of your focus system – will help to connect more easily with your subject.”

Making in-focus eye-contact with the subject is one of the more technical skills that John imparts, but another is to take as many shots as possible. Today’s cameras don’t necessitate a film roll change every 24 or 36 frames. It’s possible to shoot hundreds or thousands of frames... and you should! “Some people are dismayed that not every shot is perfect, but that’s OK,” he says. “I encourage people to take anywhere from 400 to 2,000 shots on a day, and it really doesn’t matter is that only yields a handful of good images. Nobody cares about the ratio of wasted shots to brilliant images; it’s just important to make sure you get those one or two amazing shots when the best opportunities arise.”

“In terms of cameras and lenses, there’s plenty that you can do with a fairly ordinary DSLR or a compact camera, equipped with a standard lens.” “Standard or ‘kit’ lenses have a focal length or reach of 28-105mm, but if you’re keen to take up wildlife photography, and get the most of your shots on one of my courses, a 70mm-200mm of 70mm-300mm lens will give you greater ability to pull your subject close to you and achieve an intimate shot.” On that point, another tip that John imparts is not to not to crop in too closely. All modern cameras have a sufficient number of mega pixels to give you a bit more ‘headroom’ >> 21

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WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

>> when cropping... but what you can’t do is pull back your in-camera crop once the image has been taken. “I teach people to leave a bit of room around the subject not just for this reason but to help with depth of field; the amount of the image, fore and aft of the focus point, that’s sharp. Sometimes there might only be a three inch ‘window’ of focus so it’s essential that your focus is as accurate as possible. Reducing the tightness of your crop can help this, giving you sharper shots, more accurate focus and greater flexibility on your crop, in post-production. A shorter focal length will also help to alleviate camera shake, the number one cause of blurry shots.” “I’ve had some people come on my more local courses then go away and refine their skills only to come back and enquire about a trip of a lifetime, like a Masai safari. Again, they’re practically guaranteed to photograph lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, giraffes, hippos… to see, in person, animals they never thought they’d see in their natural environment, with some incredible images to take home as a reminder.” “I’ve visited the Masai several times and I still think its breath-taking. I take people to the Farne Islands or to Alaska too and I never get tired of seeing their inhabitants or introducing new people to them. I really do have the best job in the world!” n

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JOHN’S WILDLIFE COURSES

From a local course at under £100 to Masai safaris or Alaskan adventures... n Eagles & Birds of Prey, £99: Six hour local course with birds on perch and during controlled flights. Typically comprises Eagle Owl, Goshawk, Buzzard, Harris Hawk, Barn Owl and more. n Gannets and Puffins, £99: Northumberland/Scotland based, Bass Rock or Farne Island courses. Gannets diving in sea or seabirds (e.g.: Puffins) on the Farne Islands. Exclusive access in chartered boat. n Big Cats and Birds of Prey at Hamerton Zoo, £129: Full day course comprising birds of prey on perch and under controlled flying, plus big cats including Lynx, Maned Wolf, Malayan Tigers and Servals, all approx 5 metres. n Ospreys near Rutland, £299: Sold out this year, bookings being taken for 2022. Two sessions per day, each with six photographers. n Big Cats in the UK, £349: Exclusive access thanks to John’s partner wildlife sanctuary. Leopards, Tigers, Lions, Puma, Lynx and Snow Leopards. Takes place in Kent, four people maximum. n Masai Mara Safari, £8,500: Price subject to variation, 11-day trip with flights to Masai, max seven clients, Lions, Cheetahs, Elephants, Giraffes, Hippos. Call for more details. n Alaska’s Wildlife, £13,000: Price subject to variation. 14-day trip with flights and charter of luxury cruiser included. Whales, Dolphins, Bears, Eagles, glaciers and more. Six clients maximum. John Wright is a wildlife photographer from Rutland who runs regular courses teaching keen novice photographers to shoot wildlife. For more information call 07779 648850 or see photographersonsafari.com.

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PROPERTY FINDERS

The Family Home Reimagined Kate Vincent from Garrington Property Finders discusses how the pandemic has changed many buyers’ requirements for a new home in the Stamford and Rutland area and how this is affecting the type of property they plan to buy.

Kate Vincent Garrington

Where last year a most common criterion on a search brief was ‘proximity to a local pub and good facilities’, this year, ‘having room for a separate office or home gym’ is far higher up. Clearly Garrington’s new homesearch clients are revising their expectations of what a future property needs to provide.

possible, independent space in the place we call home.

smaller rooms to accommodate different activities.

As a result, property search briefs have evolved and for many buyers the features which were once considered a ‘nice to have’ are now firmly ‘need to have’ requirements in a home.

The new norm It is sometimes said that it takes 21 days to form a habit, so after nearly a year of lockdown, it is easy to believe that many features in our routines, such as the way we work and exercise, are here to stay. Indeed, there have been many reports in the media about the housing market being fuelled by buyers wishing to move to larger properties, further away from cramped city centres with more space and rooms to house the various activities that previously were carried out away from home.

A legacy for the future? One question we would all like the answer to is ‘when will this be over and what will life be like thereafter?’ and of course, none of us know the answer to this. However, we can probably make some assumptions.

Likewise, with the daily commute reduced to occasional visits, longer commute times can be tolerated leading to buyers looking further afield or even considering a second home that can be used (when permitted!) for extended stays such as the whole of the summer holidays. Clearly, excellent connectivity is key to this approach so checking there is reliable and fast broadband early-on will remain of paramount importance.

Garrington saw this theme first emerge last year. On a recent company-wide Zoom meeting with property finders from across the UK, the theme was highlighted as being just as strong this year, in every location across the country. Buyers are increasingly talking about the challenges of accommodating an office, school room, gym, family social and, if

Having found that a lot of us are able to work effectively from home, it is likely that many will be reluctant to revert to a daily commute, preferring to travel say, 2-3 times per week instead. Likewise, having been forced to restrict our exercise to nearby open space or a workout area inside, we may decide that a monthly membership to a gym is an unnecessary luxury and the ‘Peloton bike’ is welcome to stay – if housed in a suitable space. New priorities After a couple of decades of open plan living, there is some suggestion that the new ways we use our homes will push us towards buying properties with a greater number of

Don’t forget the old ways Whilst recent times have escalated changing requirements, please don’t forget that one day this period in our lives will be over, so if last year a local pub was on your wish list, don’t forget to add it now – after all you are likely to now have a home gym to offset the visit! Garrington helps buyers to find and purchase properties that meet their lifestyle requirements. Their local expertise and in-depth knowledge of the property market enables homebuyers to consider a wider choice of properties and purchase more effectively. If you are thinking of moving this year and would like further information on how Garrington can assist, contact Kate Vincent: Tel: 01780 408377 Email: info@garrington.co.uk www.garringtoneastmidlands.co.uk

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A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF MP ALICIA KEARNS

Alicia’s First Year in

PARLIAMENT There’s probably no easy time to be an MP. Balancing the demanding work of national policy-making with the need to maintain a strong presence in your constituency requires real commitment. But with Brexit, Covid-19 and many other travails to contend with, it’s especially impressive that MP Alicia Kearns still adores the role, 12 months into the job... Words: Rob Davis. You were one of 106 new Conservative MPs to start work at the House of Commons in December 2019, how have you settled into life in Westminster, just over a year later?

It’s been such a difficult year for the entire country, with so many challenges for us all, so I wouldn’t say I’ve managed to settle in quite yet! Parliament has tried its hardest to function normally, but Covid-19 has made that almost impossible. What I’ve tried to do is focus on supporting residents as much as possible, and so we’ve helped tens of thousands of constituents.... I guess this year it wasn’t really a matter of settling in, but working as best you can under the circumstances, and helping as many people as you can. With Brexit and Covid to contend with, could this perhaps have been the worst possible year for a new MP to start work?

It’s been extremely difficult, no question about it. But every day I receive in my inbox stories of real hardship because of the pandemic. So whilst it’s been a very difficult year, I’m blessed that I have such a strong team around me, family support and that I’ve been able to help make some people’s lives easier. Many people don’t have support right now, so whilst my colleagues tell me it is the toughest year MPs have faced, that is not different to anyone else.

Is there such a thing as a typical day or week in Parliament and if so, what does it entail?

Even without COVID-19, there really is no regular week in parliament, although there is a sort of rhythm to it. You will usually have two or three urgent questions or ministerial statements every day, including departmental questions, where MPs challenge Ministers on various aspects of Government policy. This is followed by debates on various pieces of legislation to try and shape them.

business or resident with a particularly difficult case pushing their case with Ministers or relevant organisations, and another I’ll be focused on trying to change a law we have, or pushing a foreign policy issue such as ending the genocide against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang. Every week I spend more time responding to constituents in need of urgent support and fighting to win the outcomes or policy changes they need, than anything else

Every Tuesday while the House is sitting, I have the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the afternoon, and on Mondays I sit on the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy.

The one thing that stays constant every day, and the most important thing, is making sure my constituents are heard, and that we create policies that can create a more secure and prosperous Great Britain.

In these committees I scrutinise the Government’s approach to our national security and foreign affairs and advocate for how we can improve them. I also sit on Bill Committees where we sit twice a week, sometimes for six weeks in a row, scrutinising a new Bill sentence by sentence. I was pleased to secure a plane on the Agriculture Bill Committee so I could review it in detail for our farmers and food producers.

The public seems to have been largely satisfied with the Government’s Covid-19 response, what were the biggest challenges?

On top of this we have multiple votes every day, and I will have meetings with Ministers, businesses, our Local Councils and organisations on my election commitments. One week I’ll be using all of my energies to help a local

Make no mistake about it: Covid-19 is the most significant crisis we have faced since the Second World War, on every front. We have faced a threat we could not see or had encountered before, had to create a national testing regime from scratch, invest in and support vaccine development, deliberately close down much of the economy, create a job and business protection scheme, and as we are seeing currently, stand up a national vaccination programme at lightning speed. >>

Main Image: Alicia became MP for Rutland and Melton just over a year ago, entering Parliament as part of an intake of 106 new MPs... suffice to say it’s been an interesting year with Brexit, Covid, and the birth of her second child!

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A YEAR IN PARLIAMENT: ALICIA KEARNS MP

>> Speaking personally, though, one of my most constant concerns has been what the right measures are to protect communities. When I was elected I did not set out to take away freedoms, nor to shut down businesses and close schools. However, to save lives and to protect our most vulnerable, we have had no choice. That is enormously hard when you want to protect people’s freedoms and right to live their lives freely. But every death has weighed on my heart, as have residents who have reached out to me seeking help to recover from the loss of a loved one, or who have suffered as a result of the restrictions we’ve had to impose. At all times my priority has been making sure that no resident of Rutland and Melton was left without access to an intensive care bed if they needed one, and that every possible life was saved. Holding his nerve to a point with seconds to spare, the Prime Minister brokered – and Parliament voted for – the Brexit deal, how successful is the outcome of that deal?

The Prime Minister deserves a huge amount of credit for being steely throughout the negotiations. A deal would not have been delivered without his holding firm. This is the most impressive deal any nation has achieved with the EU. The EU has demonstrated a failure to understand the referendum outcome, and our desire to be an independent nation that can make its own economic and trade policies. It was attempting to impose significant restrictions. It is a great success that the Government has already signed over £885 billion in trade deals with 63 countries, and this coming year we’re continuing negotiations with New Zealand, Australia and the US, and starting negotiations with Canada. We have the chance to further our economic and security partnerships with key allies now, and I hope the CPTPP in time. This deal is a one we can all be rightly proud of, but as a nation we also have work to do. We need to come together now, as one nation no longer divided as remain and leave voters and put the work in to make every success of our new status as an independent nation. 28

What campaigns have you been involved with closer to home?

I’m working really hard to deliver my election promises, whilst prioritising supporting people through the pandemic. I’m delighted that so far I’ve secured a commitment from our Clinical Commissioning Group that Rutland Memorial will not close, and that instead they will invest in improving services and will consult with residents on Rutland’s healthcare overall in 2021. I’ve also progressed investigations into whether we should build a new train station in Rutland to better connect us to Corby, Stamford, Peterborough and beyond and successfully fought against new housing targets which would have harmed Rutland. My campaign to improve the A1 is very much underway, and whilst this will take quite some time, I have secured the support of all necessary stakeholders and founded the A1 MPs Working Group in Parliament.

“I’m working really hard to ensure I deliver my election promises, whilst also prioritising supporting people through the pandemic...” At the height of the first lockdown businesses across Rutland came to me who were unable to benefit from Government support as they don’t pay business rates. I fought for them, created a coalition of MPs, and as a result the Government announced a £674 million national discretionary grant programme. That made a huge difference to so many in Rutland and was part of the £144 million in economic support Rutland and Melton residents and businesses have received during the pandemic. I’ve also fought consistently for our pubs, including in Parliament leading the battle with certain landlords who treated our Publicans appallingly. Crucially as we moved to a tiering model I made sure that Rutland was respected as its own county and wasn’t

tiered with Leicestershire. I’m also really pleased to have and to have secured an exemption for children under five, so parents with young or severely disabled children are able to meet other adults and their children in outdoor spaces during lockdown. So what does 2021 have in store locally, but perhaps for the UK as a whole?

2021 is going to be a time of rebuilding: getting us all back on our feet and getting our communities back together. Across Rutland we’ve all worked so hard throughout the pandemic to keep rates down, for so many at great personal cost, and my first priority is to make sure the recovery is as swift and widespread as possible. The vaccination programme is moving at incredible pace, as I write this over 3.2 million people have been vaccinated in just six weeks across our country. I’d like to thank our local Primary Care Network, CCG and Council for all they’ve done to ensure we were ready to start vaccinating before Christmas and for vaccinating thousands of residents. And you’ve been especially interested in agriculture, which is important both post-Brexit and of relevance in the constituency?

I’m extremely proud of our farmers locally. They produce some of the finest produce in the country, kept us fed during the pandemic, and I am so glad that with our ambitions to expand trade to markets outside the EU, they will have better access to new markets. Already, we have ended the US restrictions on beef, and I am hopeful for ambitious trade agreements with New Zealand and Australia. The pandemic has hit some areas of our farming industry very hard, and during the first lockdown I lobbied the Government with colleagues to secure a £10,000 grant for dairy farmers who had been significantly affected. I’m glad so many in Rutland and Melton were bolstered by this. In Parliament I have founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Farming and the APPG on Geographically Protected Foods. Through these I have brought together MPs from all parties and pushed the needs of our farmers and food producers, and for protections for culinary specialties, like our very own Rutland Bitter, Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and Stilton Cheese in our trade deals.

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You’ve also been a keen advocate of ensuring expectant mothers have their partners present for scans and prenatal appointments. How important was that to you personally?

I launched this campaign because pregnant women in some parts of Rutland and Melton, and hundreds of thousands of women across the country, were being denied their partners at scans, miscarriages, and during birth depending on which hospital they were registered with. It is utterly unacceptable to me that women were being forced to go through the most difficult experiences on their own because NHS Trusts were choosing not to follow Government guidance, not least when my hospital had rightly permitted my husband to be with me for all scans. No woman should give birth alone, and no partner should be locked outside the door. During my son’s birth, it was my husband who realised that my baby’s heart rate had halved, which prompted an emergency c-section. The evidence clearly shows that partners during labour improves clinical outcomes,

and I know that, in my case, it may have saved my son’s life. The Prime Minister and Matt Hancock were enormously supportive.

People don’t stop being in need over Christmas, and hundreds of residents wrote to me over the holidays for support.

On my request, they ensured maternity settings (as well as cancer, end of life and paediatric settings) received Covid-19 rapid flow tests, and that guidance was clear women should have partners with them at all stages.

I was determined my team took a break as they’ve worked tirelessly this year, so I worked to help as many families and individuals as I could.

I’m angry it took so long for NHS Trusts to adopt the Government guidance, but relieved I could give women a voice, and that tens of thousands of women were not alone at sometimes the worst, and hopefully the best, times of their lives. It must have been a very busy Christmas and New Year season, despite being locked own and stuck at home?

I love Christmas, and it’s such a time of joy normally, but it can be very difficult, especially if families have experienced lost loved ones as so many have this year. On top of those losses, Covid-19 prevented so many families from coming together so it hasn’t been quite the festive season we all love.

In our last interview you revealed that the green leather seats in the Commons are quite uncomfortable and that anyone entering politics might want to bring a cushion… have they become any more forgiving?

As much as it is an unparalleled privilege to sit on the green benches, after six hours any seat is uncomfortable! However, as I’ve been home in Rutland almost full time since March it’s been a tad more comfortable! I like to think of those seats as a reminder that power and responsibility shouldn’t be comfortable, and the decisions we make have real impact. It’s a privilege to serve, not a right. n Alicia Kearns is Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton. For more information on her current work, see www.aliciakearns.com.

Above: Alicia says senior cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister himself have been enormously supportive over issues such as ensuring partners can be present during prenatal appointments.

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HAND MADE SOAP

How to Wash

WITH JOY One local couple’s new business is hewn from a desire to make sure that mindfulness, luxury and sociallyminded commerce are not mutually exclusive. In the creation of their handmade, cold-pressed soap ranges from their home-based business, Alex Tuppen and Kelly Henderson are on a mission to remind us of the quality, sustainability and pleasure of solid soap and to encourage us all to Wash with joy! Words: Rob Davis.

AFTER ALMOST A YEAR of living in a global pandemic where hand-washing has become a most effective preventative to the spread of Covid-19, hand-soap has never been more in demand, say soap-artisans Kelly and Alex.

playful, fun and colourful packaging. “Our designs are what makes our soap different,” says Alex. “Part of the work, and the creativity of the brand, is constantly thinking of new ways to present them.”

Equally, however, the regularity with which we are washing has perhaps highlighted more than ever before the need for good quality soap to avoid the host of damaging effects that over-washing with chemical laden gels and liquids has on our skin.

An artist at work, Alex also screen-prints their designs onto the interior of their four bar gift boxes. “We want our soaps to be a pleasure, a surprise to open, something exciting.” he says.

These include dryness, cracking, soreness and flare-ups of common conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Top off the pandemic with the existing climate and waste crisis caused by damaging consumer and manufacturing habits and we find ourselves re-evaluating how and what we buy and looking more closely at the impact less holistic habits are having on our health and on the well-being of the planet we share. “We named our company, ‘Oname,’ which is pronounced like the two words, ‘Honour Me’ to reflect our commitment to better health habits for ourselves and the planet,” explains Kelly, teacher and soap-maker. “We thought really hard about our company message –

‘Wash with Joy!,’” explains Alex, a graphic designer and creator of the soap-making equipment and packaging. “We create natural soaps, with ethically sourced, good-quality, skin-kind ingredients that are made to be used and enjoyed.” A world apart from the old, hard, cracked and unpleasant soaps of the past, Alex and Kelly bring solid soap up-to-date with their modern take on naturally coloured and scented bars. Sold naked or in uniquely styled recyclable wraps, these soaps offer a wider pleasure. Alex takes ‘eco’ beyond the utilitarian brown paper designs that they find so uninspiring, and focuses his design skills on custom made,

Soap-making was a new challenge that Kelly first undertook after receiving a book from Alex for Christmas 2017 called No More Plastic by Martin Dorey, founder of the Two Minute Beach Clean initiative. The book gives hard-hitting facts that really opened the couple’s eyes to the devastating environmental effects of single-use plastics today. Martin Dorey exposes plastic bottles and coloured tops as some of the most frequently washed up waste, choking our oceans and the beaches today. “I was looking for ways to eliminate the single-use plastics from the weekly shop, and the book suggested making your own soap.” says Kelly. “An intensive year of soaping and prototyping soaps, packaging and branding followed.” >>

Main Image: Alex Tuppen and Kelly Henderson set up Oname to produce ethical cold-pressed soap and enable locals to ‘Wash with Joy!’

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COLD-PRESSED ARTISAN SOAP

>> “We showed our initial designs to my yoga students and our families in October 2018 and had enough encouraging feedback to continue. “We were walking the South Downs Way on New Year’s Day 2019 when Kelly and I started talking – really talking about the possibility of running a business together.” says Alex.

Hydroxide as our alkali.” explains Kelly. “Very simply put, the acids are gently heated, and the alkali dissolved in the water. Once cooled, this is carefully combined with the warm oils and stirred until it thickens or reaches what we call ‘trace.’ Scents and colours are added before pouring into a mould to cool and harden.”

They focused first on deciding what would become the cornerstones of the business; plastic-free, natural, responsibly sourced and cruelty-free. “Having our ethos clear, really helped make decisions,” explains Kelly.

While it sounds straightforward enough, we all know very well that there is soap... and then... there is soap. Childhood memories of the medicated scent of coal tar soap might trigger a degree of nostalgia but not necessarily of a great pleasure. Perhaps the huge transparent bars of Pears soap are a memory that takes you back.

“Based on our cornerstones, we always avoid synthetic fragrances and chemicals, we source essential oils from suppliers in Nottinghamshire – who send these to us without plastic packaging – and we ensure our ingredients are Leaping Bunny certified.” As consumers become more mindful, these are the kind of assurances that eco and socially conscious consumers today look for. As a sort of pledge to their customers, they have printed their cornerstones on the four points of the wraps that fit around the soaps. Making soap is an age-old craft; there are records dating back almost three thousand years to Babylon where an early soap-like product made of water, alkali and cassia oil was used.

difference between poor quality mass-produced soaps compared to hand-crafted, small-batch soaps made with thought, care and finer ingredients. Unlike early soap recipes using just one oil such as Castile soap, Oname’s first range of soaps – named Essentials – comprised Calming Lavender, Purifying Tea Tree and Cleansing Charcoal, and are made from a fine blend of Olive, Sunflower, Coconut and Castor oils.

The hilarious article in The Guardian in January 2011, entitled, ‘This Pears just won’t wash!’ pitches nostalgic memories of a soap bar that smelt of clean linen with the grave reality that Unilever has changed the ingredients and that now, ‘this bar was more reminiscent of burning rubber and recycled cooking oil,’ with ‘an ingredients list to rival Sunny Delight.’ This is not the kind of uninspiring soap that Oname produces and highlights the

“Soap-making is an art and a science and there was so much to learn.” Kelly says. “It required a year of research, practice and experimentation to refine our initial recipes,” she says. “You learn as you go like any craft that you commit to.” As Kelly’s confidence in ‘soaping’ grew, the couple began to batch larger amounts of soap. “While the look and feel of our brand is deliberately bright and modern, we really are artisanal in scale.” “Alex has designed and built the tipper, the cutter, the moulds and all our soaping equipment. When you have the skills to take your own business in your own direction it can feel really liberating.” explains Kelly. From ancient soaps to Oname’s modern artisanal soaps and on to those mass-marketed, all soap comprises the same basic elements – a solvent, an alkali and an acid which are combined in a process known as saponification. “We use plant-based oils as our acids, water as our solvent and Sodium 34

Above/Right: Embracing the challenge of running their own artisanal business in their own way, Kelly hand-makes the soaps using equipment custom designed and built by Alex.

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Kelly combines oils to create creamier lathers. “Sulphates such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) are responsible for the lathers that we so enjoy in our shampoos and body soaps but SLS is a detergent that strips the skin of natural oils and often causes dryness and irritation. The creamy, natural lathers in Oname soaps, by contrast, moisturise and protect the skin.” Inspired by gardeners, their two exfoliating soaps, Reviving Rosemary, for hands and body, and Invigorating Citronella hand scrub, each use ground walnut or poppy seed as natural exfoliators too. The couple’s Oceans range which includes Black Pepper & Basil or Palmarosa, Lavender & Geranium Rose bars, are richer blends made of six base oils, with added blends of essential oils and clays, each offering benefits to the hair, face and body. Coconut oil, for example, has really great cleansing properties while also hardening the soap bar. Softer, lighter oils like Olive or Almond oils are known for their cleansing and conditioning properties. “One of the nice things about our products is their versatility,” says Alex. “We’ve made solid soaps to wash the hair as well as the body, bringing simplicity back to the bathroom. I just like one soap for everything.” As the trend for solid shampoos gains momentum, Kelly emphases that commitment is needed when swapping to solid shampoo. Because conventional hair products are often chemical laden and can strip the hair of natural oils, it can take a month or so for the scalp to adjust to its natural oils again. For many, bouncier, thicker locks do make it worthwhile. Kelly superfats her soaps to make them extra softening, a method in the recipe process of carefully calculates a percentage of the oils to remain unsaponified so they benefit the skin when washing. “When I taught through the first lockdown, I actually observed how cracked and sore the hands of some of the children and staff were becoming due to washing with gels so many times a day. I gave each child mini soap and took in a variety of the Essentials range for staff. They loved them because they cleansed and soothed their hands but without drying the skin.” >> 35

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COLD-PRESSED ARTISAN SOAP

“Scent is pleasure,” explains Kelly, “And feedback from our customers is that they love the way our soaps smell!”

One of the cornerstones of the business is that the key ingredients are natural. This helped Alex and Kelly to decide they should scent the soaps with essential oils, even though these are a more expensive addition compared to synthetic fragrances. “Scent is real pleasure,” explains Kelly, “And feedback from our customers is that they love the way our soaps smell.” “We’ve blended some lovely oils into our soaps, like Cedarwood Atlas and Clary Sage – two very calming oils – and we encourage our customers to inhale the lathers as they wash to really enjoy the whole experience of washing with our soaps.” Stripping off for the New Year, the couple, tongue in cheek, have launched their new Embrace Naked campaign, offering their current soaps without wraps. Customers can choose any four soaps to be delivered in a screen-printed box. Aware of the current need for home-delivery, the couple have planned a subscription service from May, also offering a simple yogainspired Breathe, Focus and Stretch activity in a smaller box holding four 75g soaps, made to fit through the letterbox. “We’ve had some really amazing feedback from local customers in the Barleythorpe and wider Oakham area wanting to repeat buy, that it seemed a sensible move forward.” In support of the efforts made by the Two Minute Foundation, Alex and Kelly have also committed 25% of the sale of their Spearmint & Peppermint soap bar to the foundation, again building on the company’s initiative to go beyond making soap and make a difference socially too. The goodness of these natural soaps and the playful packaging are a light reminder to us all to join the plastic clean up and make sure that we can all Wash With Joy! n Oname soaps are available by mail order from £4-£6.50/ea. Four-bar boxes of gift soaps £22.50 For more information see www.oname.uk. 37

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Truly Independent Financial Planning • Efficient Portfolio’s Charlie Reading • Author of The Dream Retirement

The End of Year Checks that Could Save You Money Are you worried that you’re not making the most out of your savings? And are you confident that you are creating sufficient income for the future? Astute investors make use of their tax-free allowances every year and save thousands of pounds in the process. With the end of the Tax Year just around the corner, it’s a strategy to start thinking about. 1. Maximise Your ISA Allowances Good returns, flexibility, diversity and tax efficiency should be key components in your financial strategy, and the ISA helps to deliver all of these. Historically, ISAs have been at the cornerstone of tax-efficient saving and are often referred to as one of the essential steps in your strategy, as they can help your wealth grow without you being penalised by heavy tax charges. They are an incredibly useful wrapper for saving, and, as such, we generally encourage people to take advantage of their benefits. However, the ISA allowance is offered on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis, so if you fail to maximise it, you can’t make up the funds later on.

if you hold investments which have grown above your tax-free allowance. To ensure you make the most of your Capital Gains Allowance, we usually recommend that selling down a portion of your portfolio to realise the growth made, but only enough to maximise your allowance, is the most prudent strategy. These funds can then be used to fund any outstanding allowance on your ISA, for example. The advantage of doing so is that by placing your money from a taxable to nontaxable environment you have the potential for further growth, and you benefit in the longer term by potentially reducing a future bill. n Tax-efficient planning can benefit a wide range of people and circumstances, but can sometimes be complex and time-consuming. If you would like to speak one of our Independent Financial Planners, we would be delighted to offer you a free introductory call. Simply call 01572 898060 or email enquiry@ efficientportfolio.co.uk to book your call today.

Up until 5th April 2021, you can contribute up to £20,000 into an ISA, and a further £20,000 from 6th April 2021, ergo sheltering up to £40,000 per person (aged over 18). 2. Top Up Your Pension Whilst You Still Can At the time of writing, the highest level of State Pension you can receive is £175.20 a week, which is frankly a paltry sum to live on. That’s why saving for the future is so important. Pensions are a highly tax-efficient vehicle and now offer a great deal of flexibility in retirement, as when you retire you can get access to 25% of your pension pot as a tax-free lump sum, with the remainder taxed at your marginal rate. The current pension annual allowance is set at £40,000, so if saving for your future is a priority, it is worth investigating which pension is right for you. 3. Protect Your Estate from Tax Inheritance Tax (IHT) is a concern for people from all walks of life. If you are hoping to leave a legacy to your loved ones, the last thing you would want is for that legacy to be taxed at 40% and lost to the Government. One simple way of combatting this is to consider using your annual IHT allowance. During your life, you are

During your life, “you are allowed to give away £3000 per year without incurring any IHT charges upon your death

”

allowed to give away £3000 per year without incurring any IHT charges upon your death. There are of course downsides to this, in that you lose all access and control over the money, but it may be a tax-eﬃcient strategy to consider. 4. Don’t Overpay Your Capital Gains Tax The ﬁnal tax consideration at this time of year is Capital Gains Tax, which is given on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis and currently set at £12,300. The issue of Capital Gains Tax is most acute

Charlie Reading created Efficient Portfolio to offer entirely independent financial advice and helping people clarify and realise their dreams and goals through financial planning.

Call 01572 898060, see www.efficientportfolio.co.uk or visit Portfolian House, 30 Melton Road, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6AY

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FINE ART IN STAMFORD

Enjoying Fine Art

IN A VIRTUAL GALLERY If there was ever a time we needed cheering up and to take the opportunity to enjoy something bright and beautiful, it’s towards the bitter end of both a long lockdown and a drab winter. Happily, Adrian Hill’s ﬁne art galleries in Stamford and Holt have each made their work easy to enjoy online, as a sort of virtual exhibition of work from both established and new artists of exceptional talent... Words: Rob Davis.

and Federations. The Fine Art Gallery also showcases works from other leading British artists including Laurence Stephen Lowry, Edward Seago and David Hockney.

BEAUTY IS NO LONGER in the eye of the beholder, but in the hand of those with iPhones, iPads and laptops, thanks to people like Stamford’s Adrian Hill, who believes that fine art is a right, not a privilege.

“An aspect of normal gallery life that we’re missing despite being able to display lots of work online is our programme of exhibitions.”

“Quite irrespective of your knowledge of the subject or in respect of a particular artist, absolutely everyone has an emotional response to a piece of artwork,” he says. “To deny people access to art is like denying us access to nature or love. Historically, the fine art sector has in some quarters been less accessible than it should have been, but now there’s a new generation of galleries – like ours – keen to introduce people to something they’ll enjoy experiencing.” “Lockdown has been a disappointing time, as it’s meant we’ve had to close our galleries to the public for the purposes of viewing our current collection.” “We’re still able to trade, with Covid-safe collection of items or delivery of a particular piece available when someone chooses to make a purchase, but we still miss the engagement of people coming into our two fine art galleries. Happily, though, we’re still living in an age when we can host our collections online for people to enjoy.” “It’s not quite the same as being able to mix with visitors to the gallery, but our website is

able to offer a really good insight into the work we show in the galleries and at least allow everyone to enjoy our collection virtually, if not in person.” Adrian founded his two galleries in Holt, ‘The Gallery, Holt’ having been in his family since 1972 and the first of his Fine Art Galleries in 2013 and with clients visiting from Stamford, he decided in August 2020 that the town would be a good place to establish a further gallery to bring everyone, from leading British artists to emerging talent, to the area. Following the same principles of exhibition as the flagship fine art gallery in Lees Yard, in Norfolk’s Holt, Adrian Hill Fine Art, in Stamford also specialises in original paintings from carefully selected Members of the Royal Academy, Royal Institutes, Societies

“In ‘The Gallery, Holt,’ we’ve a diverse programme, typically hosting seven six-week long themed exhibitions which ensures those who enjoy visiting The Gallery have a reason to return all through the year with fresh work to enjoy.” Alongside the themed exhibitions we stage two week solo exhibitions for leading British artists and this year will see the President of the Royal Institute of Water Colours, Rosa Sepple PRI, showcase 70 new paintings for a major exhibition and book launch in September and a new body of work by internationally acclaimed artist Kieron Williamson in July. “Meanwhile, we hope as many people as possible will enjoy the artists we feature online instead, with a profile of a few of our most popular ones over the page... by summer, hopefully, we’ll be able to enjoy them in person, too. We’ll welcome you back with great enthusiasm!” >>

Main Image: Adrian Hill’s galleries in Stamford and Holt feature collections of work from artists like Rosa Sepple, featured left. The galleries’ collections can currently be viewed online, but by summer we hope to be able to enjoy them in person one more!

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This month we’re profiling a few of the artists whose work can be viewed, enjoyed and purchased at Stamford’s Adrian Hill Fine Art...

Linda Alexander

ROI The Royal Institute of Oil Painters still life artist is a former architect...

Silver Jug and Greengages, Oil on Canvas, 8.25 x 8.25 inches, £1,795.

Architect turned still life artist Linda Alexander’s early career was spent working for a number of award-winning architectural practices. Her graphic skills were employed preparing artwork for national and international competitions. One of these drawings was exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Following a number of successful shows Linda decided to become a full-time professional artist in 2005. Her work has been shown in London galleries, and she has won a number of prestigious awards and prizes including the Artist & Illustrators ‘Artist of the Year.’ Her work is also in private collections worldwide. In 2016 she was delighted to be elected a full Member of The Royal Institute of Oil Painters. Linda is known for the interplay of shadows and textures and the joy of reflective surfaces. n

Huddersfield, Signed Lithograph Print, 18″ x 25.5″ inches, £8,500.

Peter Wileman

FROI RSMA FRSA Peter’s style is bold and vigorous in his use of colour and paint... Peter Wileman is a highly acclaimed landscape artist, whose oil paintings are characterised by a highly expressive, painterly technique. His style is bold and vigorous, both in the use of colour and handling of paint, as he explores the effect of light on his subject. Seeking atmosphere through light and colour, he works in varying degrees of abstraction. Peter enjoys an enviable reputation as a master of

L S Lowry

RA RBA Original drawings and lithographs can be seen in Adrian Hill’s galleries... Through the industrial scenes, landscape, seascapes and single figures, Lowry uses his canvas as a response to his observation of life. Laurence Stephen Lowry was born in Manchester in 1887 and is regarded as a genius. His contribution to twentieth century art was honoured by many institutions throughout his life including being elected a Royal Academician in 1962 and received the freedom of the City of Salford in 1965. Lowry’s work in the auction room has sold for in excess of £5 million. n

Burnished Light, Oil on Canvas, 19.75″ x 23.5″ £,3250.

observation and execution, and his outstanding work has been recognised with various awards including the Frank Herring award at the Mall Galleries in London, The Stanley Grimm Prize in 2010 and The Dartington Crystal Chalice in 2012. Peter is a past President and Fellow of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, a Member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. n

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Rosa Sepple

PRI Mixed media artist’s work is vibrant, fun and intriguing...

David Hockney

OM, CH, RA

Inﬂuential mixed media artist remains a cultural icon and visual polymath... David Hockney attended the Bradford College of Art from 1953 to 1957 and in the 1970s, began working in photography. He continues to create and exhibit art, and in 2011 he was voted the most influential British artist of the 20th century. In a 2011 poll of more than 1,000 British artists, Hockney was voted the most influential British artist of all time. n

I’ve Only Got Eyes For You, Mixed Media, 22″ x 15″ £2,450.

Rosa Sepple was born in 1951 in London to Italian/British parents, and is a self-taught artist, starting her painting career in the late 1990s. She is renowned for her striking mixed-media paintings that are based on watercolour and collage. She is now fully occupied as a painter committed to producing exciting, vibrant and original figurative works combining observation, memory and imagination. Rosa’s compositions have a powerful visual strength and refreshing spontaneity.

She experiments continuously using a combination of watercolour, acrylic, gouache and ink as well as collage to produce beautiful textured surfaces and rich variations of colour and tone. In 2004 Rosa was elected a Member of Exceptional the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and in 2017 she was Adrian Hill Fine Art curates a elected the first ever collection of fine art across female President in galleries in Stamford and in the Norfolk town of Holt. the Institute’s 187 View more work at year history. n

Galleries

www.adrianhill fineart.com

Untitled No.22 from The Yosemite Suite 2010, iPad drawing printed on paper, Ed 11/25, 37″ x 30″ £55,000.

Frippy Jameson

PRI Frippy produces equine bronzes including horses at rest...

At Grass, Bronze Verdigris, 13.5″ x 35.5″ x 7″ £12,600.

Frippy Jameson lives and works from her studio in the Scottish Borders, sculpting life size to one fifth scale, equine and figurative pieces from clay, then casting them into bronze. The artist studied Fine Art Sculpture at Camberwell College of Art and Design and City & Guilds of London Art School. She trained in sculptural stone-carving at The Portland Sculpture Trust, Tout Quarry.

This horse is from a small yard in the Scottish borders, named Mr Mercurial. With his owner, also his jockey, he ran Cheltenham Festival 2020 and won the Best Turned Out with his grooms. He was sculpted whilst out at grass with other horses in the yard, a few weeks before beginning training for the Cheltenham Festival. Frippy’s sculpture here reflects the ‘at rest’ periods of her horses’ lives. n

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Carefully selected artists from the Royal Academy, Royal Institutes, Federations and Societies

David Hockney OM CH RA | Untitled No. 22 from “The Yosemite Suite” | I-Pad Drawing | 37” x 30”

New Fine Art Gallery Now Open in Stamford 5-8 The Mews • The George Hotel • Stamford • PE9 2LB Tuesday - Sunday from 11am to 5pm | 01780 480800

Also at Lees Yard • Holt • Norfolk | Monday - Saturday 10am - 4pm | 01263 713883 Please visit the website to view and purchase our artworks

w w w. a d r i a n h i l l f i n e a r t . c o m 45

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PERSONALISED BISCUITS

THE GIFT THAT TAKES THE

BISCUIT What a lovely surprise! Freshly baked biscuits delivered through your letterbox with a personalised greeting from a loved one! Oakham’s Caroline Staﬀord is baking 60,000 biscuits a year, spreading love and happiness during lockdown… Images: Rachael Connerton, 01664 822342, www.rachaelconnertonphotography.co.uk.

IMAGINE THE JOY! Imagine the happiness! The letterbox clatters and there’s a gentle thud on the doormat, but instead of the usual bills and junk mail, you’re greeted by a box of beautiful looking and delicious hand-baked vanilla biscuits. Iced on top, in pretty pastel lettering, are the kind of positive messages that we all need to hear at a time when we’re apart from family or friends, perhaps feeling a bit isolated. “Part of the job is hand-writing the gift notes that go inside the boxes,” says Caroline Stafford of The Kitsch Hen. “It’s a joy, but it’s incredibly humbling too to read the messages and understand the reasons people are sending the biscuits. It certainly reminds me why we’re doing this.” Caroline is probably the happiest, loveliest person you’ll ever meet, which ought to come as little surprise, given that her job itself is full of joy. The radio’s on (the hilarious Ken Bruce; an audio book she’s hooked on, or Radio 4’s Women’s Hour); it’s nice and warm next to the oven, and there’s the sweet smell of baking biscuits wafting around the kitchen as we interrupt her work to hear more about the business. “It all began in 2015 when my husband Gareth and I were undergoing fertility treatment. I’d come to know a few of the other ladies and their partners who were going through the same experience and sharing the same emotions.”

“The two week wait between an embryo being implanted and finding out if you’re pregnant is a really tough time. It’s a time when you just want someone to tell you it’s going to be alright, that you’re brave, loved and that someone’s thinking of you.” “There were a few of us, and sending flowers seemed a bit generic, not to mention the fact that you’re looking at around £40 with delivery, which precludes being able to send them to the four or five couples we were close to. So instead, I baked a batch of biscuits, packaged them up nicely and delivered them to the doorstep.” >> 47

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BAKING BISCUITS

>> Caroline’s biscuits were much greatly appreciated. Each featured a hand-stamped message of support, and she realised that there was an opportunity to create a range of really personal treats, hand-made, not mass-market, with words of love. Suffice to say there were a lot of takers even pre-Covid-19, but since ‘Lockdown One: It Can’t Get Much Worse,’ and its sequel, ‘Lockdown Two: Revenge of the Zoom Call,’ business has been even more brisk. And with ‘Lockdown Three: The Horrors of Home Schooling’ now showing in a cinema near you, there’s never been a better time to let someone know you’re thinking of them. ‘Consider this a hug in a biscuit,’ reads one message. ‘You are amazing, brave and strong,’ reads another. ‘Be gentle with yourself; you’re doing the best you can,’ says a third. Some messages are simpler than others; ‘sending love,’ ‘thinking of you,’ ‘keep going,’ but the common feature is that they’re all feel-good sentiments, in the form of something delicious and enjoyable. “The thing about writing a message on a biscuit, rather than in a card, is that you’re obliged to make a cuppa, sit down and enjoy five minutes with something delicious, to treat yourself and to take some time out.”

The biscuits themselves are vanilla sugar biscuits, sold with messages in boxes of six or 12 and delivered to their recipient for £15 and £22 respectively. There’s also a single, larger biscuit or boxes with one, two or three biscuits and several smaller heart biscuits in the box too. They’re all iced with pink, blue, green and lemon-coloured fondant with dotty borders and hand-printed messages. Alternatively, you can ask Caroline to create a completely bespoke biscuit with your own personal message for an additional £5 per box.

“It must have looked rather silly, but it’s certainly paid off as we’ve never had a single broken biscuit, a fact that we’re really very proud of !” “Another round of consumer testing we’ve had to complete is the dunk test. After all, any self-respecting biscuit should be able to withstand the steamy sweet rigours of a mug of builder’s tea or a frothy cappuccino.” “So, we invested more time than anyone in their right mind should have done ensuring they can cope with some seriously satisfying soaking-up of your daily drink.” >>

“Happily, we’ve managed to overcome the main risk of sending biscuits through the post,” says Caroline. “It took a surprising amount of effort to find and test packaging that was cost-effective, eco-friendly but one that also provided enough protection to ensure the biscuits reached you intact.” “It was a pretty surreal thing to have to do, looking back, but we went through a number of weeks when we’d throw boxes of biscuits around in the kitchen, dropping them on tiled floors and generally testing their how they’d stand up to the rigours of a Royal Mail sorting office!”

“It’s about stopping for five minutes and acknowledging that you’re not alone, and that’s especially nice when you’ve had a rubbish time, a bad day or when it’s an unexpected gesture of support.” A year or so ago, coinciding with farmer Gareth starting work on his own dairy farm and a house move, Caroline moved out of her kitchen to a dedicated unit on Oakham Enterprise Park. It was an opportune time which has afforded her more room and the ability to maintain social distancing when Caroline, her star baker Tasha and chief packer Grace are all hard at work. Caroline also has a virtual assistant in the form of Marlen who she describes as her right hand (wo)man! Together, the team are creating a whopping 60,000 biscuits a year, with most sold via The Kitsch Hen’s social media channels and website, and lots of new business from people who have received biscuits themselves, loved the gesture, and who want to pass on the same happiness to others. Above: Caroline’s business, The Kitsch Hen, specialises in sending personalised biscuits to recipients with a fondant message of support stamped into them. The baker has enjoyed bumper orders from those wanting to send loved ones messages of positivity to temporarily absent friends and family.

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BAKING BISCUITS

>> Caroline’s biscuits have also found their way into a number of Zoom meetings during lockdown as they’re proved rather popular with businesses. With many teams working remotely, it’s more important than ever to keep up morale and ensure employees working from home feel connected and appreciated. Some kind-hearted employers have sent their teams and their customers an unexpected treat through the post, and The Kitsch Hen team has even innovated with the use of 3D printing to stamp corporate logos on the top of their biscuits with icing matched to a business’s corporate colours. She also baked biscuits for the guests on Ant and Dec Saturday Night Takeaway, some of the Strictly Come Dancing Stars and this last week, had an order for a Thank you biscuits for non other than Mel C of Spice Girl fame! They’ve also found favour with photographer Rachael Connerton, who took these images before lockdown: “I love the ethos behind Caroline’s business and, having met for a coffee to chat all things small business between lockdowns, we decided that a lifestyle shoot would be the perfect way to tell her story,” she says. “I get such a creative buzz from exploring behind the scenes of a small business and getting backstage access like seeing biscuit making process at the bakery!” “It’s impossible to be unhappy in this line of work!” admits Caroline. “Baking is such a pleasure. But when you’re making people happy, giving them an unexpected lift during their day, or letting someone know that they’re loved, it’s especially rewarding… we wouldn’t do anything else. As a labour of love, it really does take the biscuit!” n Caroline Stafford’s business, The Kitsch Hen, is based in Oakham and delivers biscuits across the UK and abroad iced with positive messages and personalised greetings. Her gifts start from £15 delivered. For more information call 07799 516179 or see www.the-kitsch-hen.co.uk. We’d also like to thank photographer Rachael Connerton for introducing us to Caroline, her website is www.rachaelconnertonphotography.co.uk, or call 01664 822342. 51

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In the KITCHEN Whether this month brings bad weather and plummeting temperatures or – hopefully – early spring sunshine and lots of reunions with friends and family, this should be your go-to dish. It’s a cinch to prepare, it suits winter and spring alike, and it’ll easily scale up to feed more people if lockdown is lifted... there’s even a one-pot supper variation that’s fast enough to provide an easy mid-week meal solution.

BAKED MEATBALLS with TOMATO & MASCARPONE Preparation Time: 10 minutes. Cooking Time: 30 minutes. Serves four. ⁄2 tbsp olive oil • 300g pack reduced fat British beef meatballs • 200g pack swiss chard 3 garlic cloves, crushed • 680g bottle passata - Cirio Rustica is a decent brand • 2 oregano sprigs • 2 tbsp mascarpone 1

Preheat the oven to 180 ̊ C, gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish, sauté pan or frying pan over a high heat. Add the meatballs, season and fry for five minutes until browned all over. Meanwhile, strip the chard leaves from the stalks. Finely slice the chard stalks and add to the pan with the garlic; fry for a minute. Pour in the passata, add the oregano sprigs, then season (you may want to add a pinch of sugar too).

Transfer the uncovered pan to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the mascarpone. Tear the chard leaves into large strips and stir into the sauce. Return the pan to the oven for five minutes, then serve with couscous or pasta, if liked. For a one-pot meal, stir a pouch of ready-cooked freekeh or can of drained butter beans into the sauce along with half the chard leaves, before baking for the final five minutes. n

Recipes & Dishes: Find thousands of recipes online at www.waitrose.com/recipes.

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In the KITCHEN Sufficiently warming and satisfying to take away the last of the winter blues, yet bursting with the spring freshness that we’re all anticipating. This month’s recipe provides exceptional flavour and is easy to create in just 10 minutes!

CHICKEN & SPRING VEG in TARRAGON BROTH Preparation Time: 10 minutes. Cooking Time: 30 minutes. Serves: Three to four. Chicken stock, e.g.: from 1 Kallo Organic Chicken Stock Pot • Six tarragon sprigs, three roughly chopped Two skinless chicken breasts • Four small potatoes, sliced • 150g pack baby topped carrots, halved 135g pack baby leeks (or salad onions), trimmed and cut into 3cm chunks • 240g frozen or fresh garden peas 3 tbsp crème fraîche • 1⁄2 lemon, zest and 1 tbsp juice Prepare the stock in a medium pan, it should amount to about one litre; whisk until dissolved if using stock pots/cubes. Add three whole tarragon sprigs, bring to the boil, then take off the heat. Quickly put the chicken breasts in the hot stock, cover and leave for 15 minutes, turning halfway. Lift the chicken out of the pan and rest on a plate, loosely covered with a sheet of foil.

Discard the tarragon, bring the stock to a simmer and add the potatoes and carrots. Simmer for five minutes, then add the leeks and simmer for five minutes more. Add the peas and simmer for a final two minutes. Take off the heat and stir through the crème fraîche, chopped tarragon and lemon zest and juice; season. Slice the chicken and divide between bowls, then ladle over the veg and broth. n

Recipes & Dishes: Find thousands of recipes online at www.waitrose.com/recipes.

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Made from 100% English blueberries, hand picked from Lutton Farm near Oundle... Midnight: Intense, oaky & beautifully rich, 11% ABV, £11.95. Also Available: Blue Aurora Dusk & Ice Wine. SHOP FOR THE FULL RANGE ONLINE AT

www.blueaurorawine.co.uk @blueaurorawine

01832 273300

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Wine of the Month

Blueberry Thrill: the perfect spring and summer drink?

Beaune 1er Cru Nicolas Rolin, Bordeaux, 2011

We think we’ve found the perfect summer drink! A speciality cider produced in collaboration with Oundle-based Blue Aurora and cider producers Long Brothers... What could be better than the refreshing tang and playful fizz of an English artisan cider? How about that same cider with a twist of hand-picked English blueberries too? Oundle based Blue Aurora and Long Brothers have produced this quintessentially English cider, lightly sparkling, with a wonderfully dry, crisp and refreshing taste. A great aperitif to enjoy in the sunshine! £11.95 per bottle, 75cl each, 6.5% ABV, call 07766 696403 or see www.blueaurorawine.co.uk.

£62 / 75cl / 13.5% ABV

It’s been a rotten winter so far... so we think you deserve a treat. That’s why we’re introducing you to this premier cru Bordeaux with its bright, cherry tartness which balances the elegant oak, and tucked under the perfume of red-berry fruit is a hint of spicy chocolate oak.

The Wine Cellar MARCH SEES BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS FOR THE RIESLING GRAPE, A NEW ARTISAN GIN FROM PETERBOROUGH AND BETTER WEATHER IN WHICH TO ENJOY BLUEBERRY CIDER...

MARCHING TOWARDS SPRING: A trio of Riesling wines to chase away winter blues... 1. March 13th 2019 was the first annual Riesling birthday. Villa Maria’s example makes the most of the grape and of New Zealand’s climate to produce this ripe, citrus wine. £7.79 / 75cl / 12% ABV.

2. For those keen to exploit the potential of Riesling as a dessert wine, Seifried from New Zealand’s Nelson region is a symphony of honey, rosy apple, lime and passion fruit. Deliciously sweet and an ideal digestif. £16.29 / 37.5cl / 10.5% ABV.

3. And for those who really appreciate the grape, this Leitz Rosenbeck Riesling is from Germany’s Rheingau and is dry and powerful. £36 / 75cl / 12.5% ABV.

Brand new to Waitrose, it’s at the higher end of the market, certainly, but find a reason and you’ll enjoy a full-bodied wine founded on Pinot Noir that’ll chase away the winter blues! Available from Waitrose Cellar, www.waitrose cellar.com.

All Roads Lead to a Gin & Tonic! Peterborough’s newest artisan gin distillery is Nene Valley Spirits, and last month the company unveiled its two flagship sprits, Ermine Street and its sister gin, Colibri. Ermine Street is a stylish and refined Gin with a lemon devotion, that’s complemented with locally foraged rosemary. It’s produced by the distillery in the newly renovated artisan’s courtyard of Nene Valley’s Sacrewell Farm and you can purchase both spirits from the distillery or online. £35 / 70cl / 40% ABV, nenevalleyspirits.co.uk.

n Our featured wines are available from

the best local independent wine merchants, supermarkets and online, prices are RRP and may vary from those stated. 59

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HOMES & INTERIORS

SIMPLY the BESTS’

For Christine & Brian Best, this modern Uppingham home has been the perfect compromise between space and manageability, ideal if you’re seeking a home that’s light, warm, maintenance-free, and still has lots of room when the family comes home for the odd weekend... Words: Rob Davis. Images: Ben Davis, www.bendavisphotography.com.

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Proverbially, an English person’s home is their castle (man or woman, it’s equally applicable), but for Christine and Brian Best, their home also happens to be a place to write and paint, play bridge, or keep in touch with the family. It’s a good job the couple are both retired, as one wonders how they’d ever find the time to fit work in. When we called Christine to find out a little more about their property, on Uppingham’s Hawthorne Drive, author and wartime historian Brian was completing his latest book; number 16, no less. “He’s quite prolific and meticulous in his research, accuracy is really important to a good historian,” says Christine. “Meanwhile I enjoy painting; still life, usually flowers in watercolour oils and pencil, lately.” Main/Above: The living room and conservatory have great views over open countryside towards Preston. Right: The kitchen opens up onto a dining terrace.

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Despite being very busy, Christine took the time to explain how the couple moved to the property five years ago, and how, reluctantly, they’ve put the property on the market seeking a move closer to their grown-up children. “It’s a really lovely property and we’ll miss it greatly,” says Christine. “It’s just over 30 years old, and at that time new houses still had a decent plot size to them. What’s really nice, too, is that fact that we’re not overlooked. There’s an open aspect to the back of the house with views of rolling countryside. You can see right to the village of Preston.” “We moved to the property from an older cottage and although we’ve always liked the character and style of period houses, living in a newer house has proved a refreshing change.”

“My favourite room, though, is probably the conservatory. Brian and I can both work in there, writing or painting and there’s lots of natural light!” “It’s much easier to maintain, and we’ve enjoyed the peace of mind that comes from knowing the plumbing, wiring and roof are all nice and recent.” “We four children, seven grandchildren all living as close as Weighbridge and as far away as Paris, so when they come to visit, the house is large enough to accommodate them, but manageable enough to be easy to maintain when they leave and it’s again just us two. It’s the perfect compromise!”

“Another reason that we really like it is that when it claims to be a four-bedroomed property it really is; they’re good-sized rooms, with a master to the en suite.” “It’s a really good family home too in the sense that there’s a separate study for those who work from home, plus an en suite in addition to the family bathroom and a utility room. They’re all quite functional rooms but each is essential for modern day-to-day life.” “My favourite room, though, is probably the conservatory. Brian and I can both work in there, there’s plenty of room when he’s writing and I’m painting. We’ve installed ceiling shades and there’s a heater in there too, so it’s never too warm or two cold to be in there, and whatever the time of year there’s always plenty of natural light... it’s a nice place to paint, with lovely views, too!” 63

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>> The property’s kitchen, too, follows the same philosophy, providing plenty of modern practical space to accommodate family life whilst remaining easy to work in, and light on a day-to-day basis. “We’ve been really impressed with the quality of the property which I think is a credit to the housebuilder, Barrett. We did wonder about installing a new kitchen a few years ago.” “The cabinetry was all so solid and hardwearing, though, that all we needed to do was to replace the work surface with a nice solid top and repaint the existing cupboards in a duck-egg blue.... to do any more we thought would be a waste, it’s such good quality.” “I had integrated appliances like our Miele dishwasher and installed, there’s a nice big Top: The kitchen’s solid cabinetry has been painted duck-egg blue and appliances are from brands like Miele.

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Rangemaster cooker with plenty of oven space, and we commissioned some bespoke blinds. We’ve also added French doors to enable us to go from the kitchen to the terrace easily, and apart from that the house has been really easy to maintain. It’s made a nice change after living in older houses that constantly need work!” “We’ve designed the gardens to be easy to maintain too. They look beautiful in spring and summer with hydrangeas, cherry, plum and Bramley trees and herbs. Neither of us particularly enjoy gardening but we think we’ve planned the space to be as nice looking as possible but with the least work incurred.” “As we’re planning a move away we’ve come to realise how much we’ll miss the place. Having Uppingham within a five minute walk is really practical, and we’ve downsized from our last place but not so much that we feel stuck for space here. It’s been a really practical, lovely place to live, and we hope its next owners will think the same!” n

HAWTHORNE DRIVE, UPPINGHAM Location: Uppingham 0.8 miles, Oakham; 5.8 miles. Style: 32 year old property with four bedrooms, en suite, two reception rooms plus kitchen diner and study. Guide Price: £499,950. Find Out More: Murrays, Market Street, Oakham LE15 6DY. Call 01572 755555 or see murrayestateagents.co.uk. n

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HOME FURNISHINGS

Bolts from the

BLUE Cool, restful and pairing beautifully with white, this month we’ve fabrics and furnishings from light blue to the deepest indigo from the area’s leading independent interior designers... This Spread: Rufolo fabrics from William Yeoward, over the company’s Morris Queen Bed in greyed oak £8,989.

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HOMES & INTERIORS

Above Left: Harlequin Dentella from the Paloma range is available in powder blue and soft grey colourways. Above Right: Harlequin Mirador; curtains in Alvaro, throw in Amalfi. Below: Clarke & Clarke’s brand new Eco collection with weaves and textures in sky blue and indigo. Opposite Page: Sanderson’s Maelee wallpaper in mineral colour scheme and fabrics from the Bilberry range.

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71 71

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Sanderson Art of the Garden fabrics, with sofa in Woodland Plain, curtains in Fig Harvest and cushions in Baroque Trellis and Fig Harvest.

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HOMES & INTERIORS

Above Left: William Yeoward Mérida, Flores and Lakhama in Peacock and Indigo colourway. Above Right: W Morris Pure Trellis rug, four sizes from 140cm x 200cm to 250cm x 350cm, from £514. Below: William Yeoward Brinkstone coffee table, £5,950; Limpton chair in Yeoward fabric, Avalone mirror in antique bronze £1,750. Alfie turquoise lamp £995; Appia console lamps £450/ea.

Rutland & Stamford Suppliers: Delcor Interiors: Stamford, 01780 762579, www.delcor.co.uk. Furleys: Rutland 01572 755539 www.furleys.co.uk. H-Works: Stamford 01780 754605, www.hworksdesign.co.uk. Hunters Interiors: Uffington, Stamford PE9 4TD, 01780 757946, huntersinteriorsofstamford.co.uk. Sarah Harding Interiors: Uppingham, 01572 823389, www.sarahhardinginteriors.co.uk. n

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JACKSON BUILDBASE

A KITCHEN to SUIT YOUR

LIFESTYLE

With virtual consultations and a wealth of free, no obligation advice, now is the time to spring into action and create your new kitchen, with help and experience from Suzy Heffernan of Stamford-based Jackson Buildbase... Words: Rob Davis.

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It’s been a long time coming. Perhaps it was a chaotic cupboard of baking paraphernalia, or that rickety drawer which refuses to open fully thanks to a rogue potato masher that jams itself tight. Maybe it was the cracked cutlery tray, the saucepan cupboard that looks like a hard-fought game of Jenga or that annoying bit of trim which is becoming looser and looser and looser. But something suddenly struck you, like a bolt from the blue, mid-lockdown: this kitchen needs sorting out. Anecdotally we can tell you it’s happened to lots and lots of people; just ask Suzy Heffernan of Stamford’s Jackson Buildbase. “A lot of people seem to have been stuck at home, retreating into the kitchen for some lockdown relief, baking or cooking,” she says. “Spending more time in the kitchen seems to have made people acutely aware of what’s wrong with their existing kitchen, and they’ve used the time – and perhaps their summer holiday refund – to think about investing in their kitchen instead.” “Kitchens are really practical rooms, they have to store plenty of clutter – keeping all of the essentials to hand – they have to be places to prepare food, dine, socialise, work and generally spent time as a family. The role of the kitchen in family life has never been more important or diverse.” “It’s surprising but some people still think of a builder’s merchant as being a business which deals with trade-only customers.” >>

Left: Whitby in Atlantic Green has the look and sturdiness of a bespoke kitchen from a cabinet maker with in-frame shaker style cupboards.

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>> Actually, we can deal directly with the public, using our size and well-established reputation – we’ve been around for 50 years and have over 200 branches – to provide kitchens and bathrooms to the public at very competitive prices.” “What’s more, we also have our network of local showrooms like our Stamford branch to provide a personal consultation and the service you’d expect as well as the quality ranges you’ll find at much more expensive kitchen retailers.” “During lockdown we’ve been providing video consultations, and our customers have reported that they love the convenience of the service and the fact that they can ‘show us’ their rooms via mobile phone cameras and iPads.” “It makes it really easy to have that initial chat with us to discuss ideas, spaces and layouts, and ensure that our design process is really collaborative.” “We’ve ranges from the UK’s best names like Laura Ashley, Sheraton and Symphony, plus hard-wearing products like Corian and Silestone surfaces, hard-waring sinks from leading names and rigid-supplied cabinets for sturdiness and longevity. Our 3D design service is included and our advice is strictly no-obligation, totally free of bad practices like pressure-selling.” “We also provide quality bathrooms from brands like Utopia, Roman and Matki, with all of the expertise you need to make your budget go further.” “Even during lockdown we’re available for video and phone consultations, so if you’re keen to ensure a spring makeover for your kitchen or bathroom makes the most of your space, solves your storage woes, freshens up the look of your room and adds value to your home, we can create a room that suits your lifestyle perfectly.” n Suzy Heffernan of Stamford-based Jackson Buildbase can provide free, no obligation consultations via telephone or video for an initial chat about your kitchen or bathroom. The company is based on Radcliffe Road, Stamford PE9 1AP. Call 01780 764782 or see www.buildbase.co.uk.

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“During lockdown we’ve been providing video consultations, and our customers have reported that they love the convenience of the service and the fact that they can ‘show us’ their rooms via mobile phone cameras and iPads.”

Opposite: A place for everything and everything in its place with Harbury’s butler’s pantry, seen here in Cameo colour. Top: Harbury, Beadale, Helmsley and Rosedale kitchens. Above: Quality cutlery insets to last a lifetime.

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Professional Interior Design Service Re-Upholstery and Soft Furnishings

MARKET PLACE · UPPINGHAM · RUTLAND · LE15 9QH

01572 823389

www.sarahhardinginteriors.co.uk • info@sarahhardinginteriors.co.uk www.facebook.com/sarahhardinginteriorsltd

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Hyde contemporary ceiling light in black with 12 lamps, and polished brass interior. Also in white, pebble or smoke blue exterior colours and with single, six, 12 or 18 lamps, £1,095 as seen here.

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LIGHTING WITH BROUGHTONS OF LEICESTER

Stag Table Lamp

Made from resin with a bronze finish, leather-effect shade, £125.

Crystal Skye

Eight light pendant chandelier, 52cm wide, chrome, £1,026.

Blenheim Wall Lamp

Available in three sizes and in black, Corten steel or zinc, £345/46cm high, medium.

SEEING the

LIGHT

Fulton Foyer Light

Modern glassless design with square candle sleeves, 85cm wide, £1,692.

Stanford

Three arm chandelier, antique brass, (shown) or polished nickel, £202.39.

As well as providing ironmongery for indoor and outdoor use, and fittings for doors and windows, Leicester-based Broughtons has a stunning range of indoor and outdoor lighting. Here’s our pick of the most stylish statement lights which will prove positively illuminating...

Victorian Globe

Striking handmade Victorian globe in verdigris, three bulbs £1,868.

Antler Chandelier

17 light statement piece design in cruelty-free resin, £1,725.

Dome Light Switch

Round ‘Dolly’ light switches. Four; mix and match your colours, £154.

Featured products available from Broughtons, established in 1888. Call 0116 2341888, see www.broughtons.com or visit the firm’s flagship showroom at Cropston Road, Anstey, Leicester LE7 7BP.

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GATES GARDEN CENTRE

The ‘Even Greater’

OUTDOORS Words: Rob Davis.

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This season looks like being one to make the most of our gardens, so if you’re not sitting comfortably, it might be time to invest in some new furniture and lifestyle accessories to enjoy the great outdoors... Cold Overton based Gates Garden Centre has some rather wonderful suggestions!

IT’S THE SEASON TO ENJOY getting out in the garden, and today’s quality garden furniture is a million miles away from the uncomfortable or rickety products you’d have to put up with some years ago! Instead, comfy new products can create a living room in your garden. This month we’re presenting a few of the latest ranges from one of the area’s largest and most well-respected locations to find quality outdoor lifestyle products, Cold Overton based Gates Garden Centre. “For many people who were stuck at home during lockdown, last summer, the garden was a real source of comfort,” says the centre’s Nigel Gates. “Having somewhere that provided the chance to enjoy fresh air, being able to sit and read or even work in comfort was important to prevent a feeling of isolation and avoid that sense of cabin fever.”

“Last year more than ever we were reminded of how valuable to our mental health our gardens can be, and we think this year is likely to be similar.” “We’ve noticed that more people are keen to invest in quality furniture to be comfortable outdoors, so we’ve worked really hard to source products which strike a balance between being good value, but still providing the quality and longevity you’d expect.”

Opposite: Chedworth modular sofa set with rectangular fire pit, £3,299. Top: Toulouse Mosaic bistro set, a best seller, in powder-coated iron, £159. Above: Seville rope side table with centre planter, £109.

“We’ve all you need for comfortable outdoor living from dining sets to outdoor sofas, recliners and tables, plus outdoor games, and barbecues... and speaking of barbecues, our farm shop provides all you need to dine al fresco in the garden too. That’s in addition to plants, shrubs and core gardening products to ensure your garden is a great place to relax this summer.”>> 85

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“For many people who were stuck at home during lockdown, last summer, the garden was a real source of comfort,” says Gates Garden Centre’s Nigel Gates... Right: Tetbury dining set with wood effect, Tree-Free top and six armchairs, plus matching three metre parasol and 15kg base, £1,199. Below: Weber Genesis II SP-335 Gas Barbecue in Stainless Steel, £1,304.99.

Right: Seville rope side table with centre wine cooler, £74.99 Far Right: Monte Carlo reclining sun lounger with side table. All-weather faux leather; table has frostresistant glass top, £949.

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OUTDOOR LIVING

This Page: Monterey Triple Cocoon, new for 2021. Relax in this contemporary and stylish swing seat for three. This luxury hanging chair is for indoor or outdoor spaces and is made for sharing, £849.

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Capri 8-seat rectangular dining set in bronze with amber cushions, new colour for 2021. Perfect if you want low maintenance, this cast aluminium set includes a matching three metre parasol and 15kg base, £1,699.

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OUTDOOR LIVING

Above: Scatter cushions for outdoor use. Add a hint of colour to your outdoor furniture with the addition of these weather-resistant cushions, available in a wide range of colours and designs, you’ll be sure to find the perfect designs to complement your outdoor spaces, from £9.99. Left: Plain Jane firepit with swing arm BBQ rack, choose from a range of sizes from 60cm, to 90cm diameter, £259-£419. Right: Seville rope rocking chair, perfect for outdoors or in the conservatory, grey or beige. Water repellent, £299.

Find Out More: All of our featured products are available at Gates Garden Centre, still open and trading under Covid-19 compliant conditions. Visit the Garden Centre, open seven days a week on Somerby Road, Cold Overton, Oakham LE15 7QB, call 01664 454309 or see www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk. n

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08000 141452 or see lincs-surfacing.co.uk 90

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How Green is your Home...? With winter on its way out and spring just around the corner, ‘now’s the time to replace draughty windows with modern – and green – windows and doors,’ says Roy Wakeman OBE, Chairman of the CTI (Confederation of Timber Industries) and of local Window and Door installer The New Window Company at Frieston Heath It’s now widely recognised that global warming is a real issue, and that mankind has been the major factor in influencing events leading to the causes. Amongst them is the release of CO2 or carbon into the atmosphere and this has been a significant factor in damaging the ozone layer leading to global temperatures rising. So much so, that now all governments are targeting zero carbon either before – or by – 2050. In the UK the preferred target is to cut emissions by 68% by 2030. We already know that petrol and diesel powered vehicles are going to be phased out, and that the burning of fossil fuels will cease at some point in the future. Major changes, these are, but the single biggest action the world can take is to make use of the world’s oldest and versatile material for building and construction... namely timber. ‘It’s time to put timber at the heart of the climate debate.’ That was the headline used recently to report on the Climate Change Committee (CCC) release of their sixth Carbon Budget report which sets out a detailed and achievable ‘balanced’ route for the UK to drastically reduce emissions by 2050. The report recommends that the UK cuts its territorial emissions by at least 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. To achieve this the CCC suggests ramping up the use of wood in construction, a £12 billion investment in a

long-term refurbishment programme to existing housing stock that would create an additional 200,000 jobs by 2030 and plant two billion trees in the UK. So, timber-framed houses should be used as they are quicker to build and much easier to keep warm using less energy. We also need to recognise that using wood as a key material in our windows and doors is a no-brainer since timber in any form – and particularly in finished products – is a natural ‘carbon sink’ and the carbon will be stored within the products for their lifetime, which has been proven in life cycle analysis to be at least 65 years (Herriot Watt University and the BRE Green Guide). Timber windows and doors, as supplied locally by The New Window Company, come in hardwoods and softwoods engineered to suit the customer’s bespoke needs and to avoid the issues of warping or rotting. Modern paint finishes are offered in myriad colours to match the customer’s needs and are now guaranteed for 12 years before any further decoration is necessary. There are lots of initiatives available sponsored by government grants (Green Deal) as well as help for listed buildings where heritage products are needed to meet today’s demanding performance standards, but also fit in with local planning rules, too. So, our world wants to go green and we can help the cause by using timber wherever we can, ensuring the area in which you live remains a green and pleasant land! n

Find Out More: New Window Company is based at Elms Farm, The Old Barn, Frieston Heath Lane, Grantham NG32 3HD. For a free no obligation discussion about your property’s needs call 01400 272538 or see www.new-window.co.uk.

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Plant Now, Enjoy Later

REAP WHAT YOU SOW THIS SEASON AS WE PRESENT YOUR MARCH MANIFESTO FOR ENSURING ALL YEAR ROUND INTEREST 1. Snowdrops: Lift and divide or direct sow this winter wunderkind to provide cheerful garden interest next year. 2. Wildflower Mixes: Direct sow a wildflower seed mix to attract bees and butterflies, leave it unmown or at least mow paths through it. 3. Sweet Peas: Plant from March to May as seeds or plant out plug plants and ensure their height is supported. 4. Summer Flowering Bulbs: Plant summer flowering bulbs like gladiolus, lilies and ranunculus. 5. Herbaceous Perennials: Plant herbaceous perennials like delphiniums for charming cottage garden borders. 6. Roses: Bare root roses should be planted in March. 7. Poppies: Sow hardy annual like poppies & cornflowers. 8. Forced Bulbs: Plant out hyacinths & daffodils. n

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COVER STORY LOCAL OWLS

PARLIAMENTARY

CANDIDATES The collective noun for a group of owls is of course a parliament, and this month they’ll be sitting not in the Commons but on their nests. With breeding season underway early in the new year, we’ll soon see our six main owl species laying eggs in time for hatching in a month or so. The birds remain a source of fascination to many, and that’s unsurprising, given their remarkable abilities... Words & Images: Rob Davis.

QUITE REMARKABLY, a Barn Owl can hear a mouse’s beating heart from 30ft away, and pinpoint it with the most deadly accuracy. The most well-known of owl species, there are around 4,000 to 6,000 breeding pairs of Barn Owls, and just six species are common in Britain despite the fact that there are in fact, over 200 species in total. To get up close and personal with owls you’ll need to get up pretty early in the morning, or at least be a night owl – so to speak – yourself. Though not nocturnal per se, owls are crepuscular, choosing to hunt at dawn and dusk. The poor short-tailed vole is the most common source of food for owls, which is unlucky for them, given our native owls’ deadly skill as predators, and it’s thought that a pair of Barn Owls will gobble down as many as 4,000 mice or voles every single year. Common shrews and wood mice are the next most popular delicacies although, despite their efficacy as hunters, heavy rain, strong wind and deep snow will adversely effect the birds’ ability to feed. Rough grassland, and locations with cover like farmland and woodland are the most common habitats for all owls, though life expectancy for owls in the wild is a perilous one to five years, despite the fact that, in a protected and safe environment, they can live for over 20 years. The Area’s Six Common Owl Species...

Barn Owls are arguably the most recognisable of our six common species. However, it’s the Tawny Owl which is by far the most abundant. Also known as Brown Owls, the species is shorter, with dark tree-bark coloured camouflage and huge brown eyes. Compared to Barn Owls, there are 50,000 breeding pairs of Tawny Owl in the UK. Little Owls are found in similar numbers to Barn Owls, with round heads and bright yellow eyes. The breed was introduced into Britain in the 19th century and the Little Owl, despite being a diminutive six inches tall – about half the height of its cousins – may in fact be more visible since it’s the more common species to be seen during daylight hours. Rather rarer is the Long-Eared Owl, which is small, well-camouflaged and unusually for owls, quieter than other species. It’s the more mysterious species in the UK and is mainly found in woodland. There are around 3,500 breeding pairs in the UK. >> Left: A resident of Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre on Burley on the Hill’s Exton Road, Rowan is an Ashy Faced barn owl.

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THE COVER STORY: LOCAL OWLS

>> Certainly one of the most amusinglooking owls is the Long-Eared Owl, a harder owl to spot; it comes to Rutland and Stamford in winter, and they are nocturnal and secretive. Interestingly they also form monogamous couples, mating for life... and they have a slightly longer life expectancy than other species, living for around 27 years in a protected environment, which perhaps confirms what we all suspected all along; marriage is good for you! An honorary mention, too, for the European Eagle Owl. Estimates of how many breeding pairs there are wild in the UK range from as few as 12 to as many as 40, making it the UK’s rarest wild owl species. Where to see them...

Now we’ve discussed twit-twho, it’s time to consider twit-twhere to see all of the above species. Lockdown has closed zoos and wildlife sanctuaries but once restrictions are lifted, the area is actually rather well served 96

“The Long-Eared Owl is a much harder owl to spot; it comes to Rutland and Stamford in winter, and they are nocturnal and secretive, less vocal than other species...” for places to meet owls for yourself, and top of the list is Rutland’s Falconry & Owl Centre, 21 years old this year, founded and run by Chris Lawton. Currently Chris has 130 birds of prey, of which over three quarters are owls, from European Eagle Owls, Barn, Tawny and Great Horned Owls. Many have been rescued from inexperienced owners after an ill-fated boom in owl ownership following the emergence of the Harry Potter film franchise in which the young wizard owned a pet owl. Meanwhile, Stamfordians are within 20 minutes of Deepings Exotic Pet Rescue, founded in 1984 by Pam Mansfield and her

late husband, Mel. The centre is not a zoo but can still open for a handful of days to welcome visitors to see everything from owls to wild cats, monkeys to meercats. Around 20 minutes from Peterborough is Hamerton Park Zoo, which in addition to big cats and reptiles is also home to a number of rare owl species. Again, once lockdown is relaxed, a visit is highly recommended, and if you’re keen to sharpen up your photography skills, earlier in this edition our wildlife photographer John Wright works with the zoo to provide access to the zoo on his wildlife photography courses.

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Rutland & Stamford’s Birds of Prey...

Above/Left: Misty, is Rutland Falconry & Owl Centre’s Canadian Great Owl. Top: Little Owls are one of the few species seen during daylight hours and were introduced into the UK in the C19th. Above: Bengal Eagle Owl Roxy at Rutland Falconry & Owl Centre,

OSPREY Pandion haliaetus Prevalent in Rutland thanks to the Rutland Osprey project which began in 1996, these birds are a big avian attraction around the reservoir and since the first chick was born in 2001, over 150 young ospreys have fledges from local nests.

KESTREL Falco Tinnunculus A rather small bird of prey - just a little smaller than a pigeon - the kestrel is widespread in the UK. The kestrel has the ability to keep its head still while it hovers - even in strong winds - helping it to pinpoint its prey by sight. This gives it its other name; the ‘windhover.’

MARSH HARRIER Circus Aeruginosus The Marsh Harrier nests in reedbeds where it feeds on frogs, small mammals and birds, such as moorhen and coot. In 1971, after years of persecution, only one nesting female remained. Today, after decades of conservation effort, there are 400 pairs in the UK.

BUZZARD Buteo Buteo Buzzards are the most frequently seen medium-sized birds of prey. In the spring, male Buzzards perform a ‘roller coaster’ display, soaring up high and then swooping down over and over again to attract a mate. Once paired, Buzzards construct their nest in the fork of a tree.

SPARROWHAWK Accipiter Nisus The sparrowhawk is a small bird of prey that can be found in all kinds of habitats and often visits gardens looking for finches, tits and sparrows. Female sparrowhawks can be up to 25% larger than the males. That is the biggest size difference in any bird.

RED KITE Milvus Milvus Red kites were common in Shakespearean London, where they fed on scraps in the streets and collected rags or stole hung-out washing for nest-building materials. Shakespeare even referred to this habit in ‘The Winter's Tale’ when he wrote: ‘When the kite builds, look to lesser linen.’

Owl Conservation...

Owls – and Barn Owls specifically – are protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, making it illegal to disturb them, their nests and their eggs. You can, nonetheless, create nesting boxes for the birds, which will prove quite timely given that we’re coming to the end of mating season. Each species has slightly different preferences for their accommodation, so consult wildlifeworld.co.uk for its specially designed and species-specific boxes. n Find Out More: See rutland-falconry.com; exoticpetrefuge.org.uk, hamertonzoopark.com.

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WEDDINGS

“A Day of Laughter, Fun, Friends & Family! Huge fun, lots of smiles and more than their fair share of hilarious moments. Victoria & Aled’s wedding (pre-Covid 19) was just the kind of happy summer event Stamford and Rutland’s best local suppliers can provide once more, after lockdown is lifted! Wedding Photographer: Ben Davis, 07515 776526, www.cambridgeshireweddingphotography.com.

The ideal wedding has to be one where the couple and their guests never stop smiling. That being the case, Victoria and Aled’s Barrowden-based wedding must have been nothing short of perfect. Victoria is a broadcast journalist and camera operator who, after a number of years working on the BBC’s Look North programme, operating from Hull, embarked on a freelance career. She now works for the broadcaster and for clients like the National Trust, as well as working as a wedding videographer for couples.

WEDDING SUPPLIERS VICTORIA HOLLAND & ALED GREENHALGH

“We started to put together the guest list on the way back home, and we decided from the outset that the kind of day we wanted to create would be fun and enjoyable. Really we wanted a great party for family and friends.” “I’d grown up in the village of Barrowden and was really familiar with the church so I really wanted to hold the ceremony there. St Peter’s has been our church since I was a child. I remember performing in nativity

“We invited about 130 guests, perhaps a few more to the evening reception. When I walked into the church I was so excited, but then one of my three bridesmaids – two of which were my university friends and one a friend from when I lived in Nottingham – remarked that she felt like she could cry, and immediately that set me off !” “Aled’s best man – well, best dog – was less emotional but perhaps a bit more excited. Our one-year-old Cocker Spaniel, Ruffles, carried the rings for us. There were also a couple of two-legged groomsmen; Aled’s brother Sam and his friend Peter, who is in the Army and flew back from a posting in the Middle East. My brother Freddie was Master of Ceremonies and we found him a very fetching red jacket which made him easy to spot as he was organising guests!”

Meanwhile Aled works in IT sector of the healthcare industry and has more recently has been providing IT systems to facilitate the Covid-19 vaccine rollout. The two met in 2017 and a proposal followed a year later when Aled found a vintage sapphire ring at an auction after a similar one owned by Victoria – once her great grandmother’s ring – was lost. “We were on holiday, camping and surfing in Northumberland when he suddenly went very quiet. He proposed on a sand dune overlooking the sea, it was very romantic. He had brought along some Champagne but as it wasn’t chilled we opted instead to toast the proposal with cider and crisps!”

plays there and our family is good friends with the vicar, Chris Armstrong... I couldn’t have been married by anyone else!”

Wedding Ceremony: St Peter’s Church, Barrowden, www.stpetersbarrowden.org. Catering: The Rutland Gourmet, 01572 747909, www.rutlandgourmet.co.uk. Wedding Dress: Eliza Jane Howell, www.elizajanehowell.com. Wedding Flowers: The Wild Garden, 07568 514182, the-wild-garden.co.uk. Cèilidh: Govannen, www.chrisconway.org Photographer: Ben Davis, 07515 776526, www.bendavisphotography.com. Recommended for Videography: Victoria Holland, 07759 226321, www.victoriaholland.media. n

“Our marquee supplier, Funky Tents, really were great, and our caterer, Sarah Rivett of Rutland Gourmet, was a joy to work with. She and her team worked really hard helping to turn around the marquee following our wedding breakfast so we could use the space for an evening reception. My parents kept the marquee up the following day and held a drinks party for the neighbours as a sort of goodwill gesture for tolerating a raucous wedding reception with such good grace!” “We tried to incorporate a few personal touches to put our own mark on the day. We’re big fans of maps and the outdoors. I hand-wrote the name places on luggage tags and we used a map as a table plan, with special places we’d visited or hiked around giving names to each table.” >> 99

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- WEDDINGS -

“Mel Greville of The Wild Garden in Eye created some really beautiful posies and provided flowers for the tables, all grown in her Peterborough garden. Our cake, meanwhile, was created by Heather Owen, and had three tiers with Victoria, elderflower & lemon, and chocolate sponges... it was delicious!” “It’s true that the day goes so quickly but there were so many highlights and funny moments all throughout the day. Aled’s speech was absolutely hilarious and many of the guests claimed they ‘didn’t realise he was so funny,’ to which I replied that was one of the many reasons I was marrying him.” “Because his best man was in fact a best dog, his inability to make a speech wasn’t ideal, so I made a speech instead. I also drove away from the reception, rather than Aled, in my Uncle’s vintage Austin Healey.” “We also had a cèilidh band, and a silly game, which saw guests trying to drink shots from skis. We didn’t have a first dance, as such, but when Toto’s Africa was played, during the evening reception, four of our friends lifted us onto their shoulders, high above the dance floor... and the whole day’s excitement was captured by our photographer Ben Davis who was brilliant. He even captured the expression on our guests’ faces when, running late, one of our guests managed to crash their car as they arrived at the reception, just as we were having our photos taken. Nobody was hurt but I don’t think they’ll live it down.” “We went on a minimoon to Northumberland but deferred our proper honeymoon to enjoy a buddymoon instead skiing and attending a music festival with friends in Japan.” “It really was an incredible day, with lots of fun and laughter and lots of silly, happy, wonderful moments. I’m so glad that our friends and family were there to celebrate with us!” n 100

Wedding Photographer: Ben Davis, 07515 776526, www.cambridgeshire weddingphotography.com.

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We are the Number One wedding website in the UK...

PLAN YOUR WEDDING PROPERLY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR 900,000 MEMBERS 102

Win a £25,000 dream wedding Browse through 20,000 wedding dresses Free wedding planning tools like our table planner Claim a free engagement photoshoot Win monthly wedding related prizes Talk to like-minded brides in your area for support

Join now for free at www.ukbride.co.uk

To advertise your wedding business to 43% of brides-to-be in your area, call us on 0800 112 3 112.

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IN the NAVY This month we’ve a selection of navy fashions from leading designers which will ensure you look great no matter what the weather has to throw at us... This Page: MYBC shrug in navy, red, black and white also available, £85.

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Looxent jersey navy blazer with revere collar, £194.

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Peter Hahn cardigan in navy with red trim, £75.

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Fadenmeister Berlin coat in milled wool and cashmere blend in navy, £715.

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Basler blouse in navy with long sleeves, £180.

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- FASHION -

Top/Left: Carl Gross sports jacket in navy corduroy, £175. Top/Right: Betty Barclay stretchy blazer, £105. Bottom/Left: Basler jersey blazer with revere collar navy, £259. Bottom/Right: Carl Gross sports jacket £219.

For local stockists see www.peterhahn.co.uk.

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London Tote, in Marmalade Pebble, £650.

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LUXURY ACCESSORIES

Margot Bag in Marmalade Pebble, £495.

Hat Box Deep Shine Cornflower Small Croc, £495.

Midi London in Marmalade Pebble, £550.

STYLE? IN THE BAG!

London Tote in Cornflower Pebble, £650.

Lottie Purse in Marmalade Pebble, £160.

Spring 2021 sees a new collection of bags and fresh shades from Aspinal. Their two flagship new season colours are Cornflower and Marmalade, but these designs are also available in the brand’s classic shades too... 01428 648 180, www.aspinaloflondon.com

Camera ‘A’ Bag Cornflower Pebble, £275.

Midi Mayfair Deep Shine Cornflower Small Croc, £595.

Camera Backpack in Marmalade Pebble, £395. 111

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HOLISTIC HEALTH

Follow Your Gut Instincts Ali Hutchinson has always valued nutrition, good lifestyle choices and wellness, but to ensure she remains healthy, keeps her energy levels up and remains able to avoid fad diets, the healthy lifestyle advocate follows her gut instinct and maintains good gut health too. This is the first of Ali’s new regular columns on healthy living and wellness... Looking after our health and wellbeing has never been more important than it is today Just ask Ali Hutchinson, who runs a thriving health and nutrition practice with a passion for helping people with menopause and gut health issues as well as general weight loss, weight management and energy. Ali has always valued good nutrition, and maintaining the continuity of good health practices instead of following inconsistent diets and brutal eating regimes. “Good health shouldn’t be something you’re a slave to, nor something that requires lots of effort,” she says. “It should be something positive, something you enjoy, something that gives you energy and liberates you from lethargy. I’ve been working in the field of health and wellness since 2013. That was initially alongside my interiors and garden design business and then latterly on its own.” “I think the transition came when I realised what a huge difference I was making to the day-to-day lives of my clients simply by getting them to look at food differently and to make changes that supported their gut health, which is often the window to our overall health.”

“Friends kept saying ‘you’ll never lose weight now you’re over 45 and I was determined that was nonsense. I had also suffered with IBS for most of my adult life.” “As anyone with the condition will know, I had choices of clothes for a flat tummy day and clothes for when I was really bloated strangers would ask when my baby was due! “I set about exploring what foods I was consuming and looked into those which energised me and those which left me depleted and reaching for more caffeine or sugar to get me back on a high. This led me towards re-training in nutrition and to later becoming a fully certified Health & Wellbeing Coach so that I could approach this from a holistic whole-self basis.” “I became totally committed and passionate and now I rarely suffer with an IBS flare up and have maintained my weight at a level I’m really happy with. My mission is to change the health habits of a generation one family at a time.” “As a wife, mother and complete foodie, I’d always been interested in eating healthily and being active but I had a very different relationship with food and what I call clean eating than I do today.”

“I kept hearing about gut heath, and the benefits seemed too good to be true. But once you realise that you can work with your own body, feel the benefits physically and emotionally, and that it can help you to live with symptoms of conditions like IBS or menopause, the benefits are too great to ignore.”

“It’s easy to get taken in by fad diets and over-hyped products making outrageous claims (I did) and I think being a busy mum puts a huge strain on women and often just getting a meal on the table is enough to think about, let alone does it have something from every food group or is it nutritious and energising.”

“It all started during my journey to healthy living. I realised that in my mid 40s I was feeling tired, lethargic and sluggish as a norm and really thought it was age related.”

“I was so pleased to discover a sustainable and positive way to be healthy and promote wellness that would even work for a sugar and ‘carb addict’ like me!”

“I’m passionate about natural wholefoods and clean eating – and often get asked what this means. So, for me, clean eating is eating whole foods; think things that were once living or growing.” “Knowing how well these changes had worked for me, I want to share my experiences, recipes, helpful tips and even snippets from my day-to-day life in order to inspire others on their clean-eating, wellness journey.” “I’ve latterly become a menopause expert too, again largely driven by my own need to find the answers I craved to this changing time in a woman’s life. I’m so passionate about helping women at this stage in life as they are so often, lost, lonely, fighting terrible battles and feeling totally misunderstood.” “Menopause has largely been a topic swept under the carpet but it’s a natural part of most women’s life journey so I’m looking to change that in order that future generations don’t approach this empowering time of their lives in the dark.” “One thing I discovered along the way was a botanical brand called Arbonne. They’re a ‘B-Corporation’ meaning they put the planet and people above profits, something that’s close to my heart and I knew I could always rely on them to do the right thing and source quality ingredients backed by expert research.” “With more energy, a leaner body, boosted confidence and a passion for promoting wellness and clean eating, I decided to start a blog and to reach out to readers, so look out for this column in forthcoming editions of Pride... and we’ll make positive changes together!” n

Find Out More: If you’re struggling with gut issues, weight loss or weight management, energy levels, menopause or would just like a body MOT, Ali would love to hear from you. Through her blog www.ali-hutchinson.co.uk you can book a free discovery call to find out how she could help put you on the path to a brighter future or ring 07973 843020. Alternatively, email hello@ali-hutchinson.co.uk to book a consultation. 113

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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW DENTIST...? Here are five reasons you might be overdue a visit...

YOU HAVE BAD BREATH

YOUR TEETH ARE YELLOWING

YOUR GUMS BLEED WHEN BRUSHING

YOU HAVE TOOTH PAIN

YOU HAVE DIABETES OR ARE AT RISK

If you have any concerns about your teeth, make an appointment to see one of our dentists today.

01476 847 885 Avenue Road, Grantham, NG31 6TA www.dentalhealthcentre.co.uk

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SPRING COSMETICS

Going for Gold THIS MONTH EMBRACE THE RICHNESS OF GOLD AND ENJOY A RANGE OF TOP-END LUXURY COSMETICS PRODUCTS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU FEEL JUST AS PRECIOUS AS THE SHADE ITSELF

1. A golden scent to enjoy on warm evenings... Cuir Noir is the brand new scent from Giorgio Armani available as an EDP in one of 26 different fragrances. Cuir Noir is ‘warm, addictive and elegant’ ...at least according to the accompanying press release. Sensual vanilla fragrance partners the leathery scent of sandalwood, rose, coriander, and nutmeg. £225 / 100ml.

2. Satin from YSL... Yves Saint Laurent Satin Crush Eyeshadow provides wearable colour for every occasion with six different shades available. The lightest of these is Scandalous Beige, shown here. Glide-on formula; wear alone or layer for a smokey eye makeup, £27/1g.

3. Adore Dior’s L’Or... Dior L'Or is a moisturising balm designed to improve the skin’s elasticity and firmness, reduce fine lines and leave skin radiant, youthful and fresh. SPF30 and with antioxidants, £320/50ml.

5. The fragrant ‘must have’ from House of Cartier Maison Cartier has relaunched its first fragrance, Must. It’s an oriental, woody perfume with top notes of peach, lemon and bergamot, middle notes of leather and ylang-ylang, and base notes of vanilla and sandalwood. It offers incomparable freshness in an oriental fragrance, with floral opulence and a sophisticated rich scent. £109/100ml.

6. An investment in elegance from Creed... Olivier Creed has designed this elegant gold and leather-bound atomiser to complement the perfumier’s range of scents. Choose from Jardin d’Amalfi with its exotic fruits and luxury spices, to Santal with its orange & sandalwood, or Aventus with its light, apple & patchouli scent, £155 - £845. Atomiser £155.

4. A Gold Foundation... Guerlain’s Parure Gold Fluid Foundation utilises light-reflecting pigments to provide moisture and a heat-resistant finish to your skin, ensuring it looks moisturised, luminous, and radiant. 12 shades available, £63/30ml.

n All our beauty products are available from local independent stockists unless otherwise stated, please note that prices stated are RRP and may vary according to retailer. 115

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BESPOKE TAILORING

WORTH ITS WEIGHT in

WOOL Bespoke tailoring is worth its weight in gold... or rather wool. Where do we begin? A substantially better fit from better quality cloth, a feeling of luxury, the longevity of a hand-made garment and of course, the feeling that there’s no better suit for you. The benefits are obvious, so all you need now is a local expert with Savile Row provenance, like bespoke tailor Andrew Musson! THE BRITISH TEXTILE DESIGNER William Morris advised that you should have nothing in your home which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. So, what if something is both useful and beautiful? That would certainly be worth the investment. Sadly, we live in an age when products tend to be produced in an increasing volume by a decreasing number of manufacturers, made to a price point and almost intentionally designed with a limited life expectancy. So it almost comes as a pleasant surprise when you encounter something that’s made well; designed to last and designed just for you, rather than for a market sector. It’s especially true in fashion, where price points dictate the market and, somewhat paradoxically, a turnover of new ranges provide a lack of choice. And if that’s true of fashion generally, it’s certainly the case when one considers gentlemen’s clothing. Happily there’s a corner of the market – albeit an ever smaller one – where a personal service, absolutely quality and attention to detail still remain. Andrew Musson is a traditional tailor based in Lincoln and provides gentlemen with completely made-to-measure and bespoke garments, making the most of over 25-years of experience working on London’s Savile Row. The tailor’s two options provide the perfect ﬁt for men seeking suits, sports jackets and shirts. Made-to-measure suits are especially well-priced, starting from £800, which is not a great deal more than you’ll pay for a very ordinary oﬀ the peg suit with a designer label produced in a factory overseas much like any other brand. There’s a distinction, incidentally, to be drawn between a made-to-measure suit and a bespoke one. Both options provide a suit cut to Andrew’s precise measurements, with a choice of cloth, lining and other options. >> Words: Rob Davis.

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BESPOKE TAILORING

>> Andrew’s made-to-measure suits, though, are laser-cut off-site, as opposed to his bespoke suits, which are produced from cloth cut entirely in house, assembled and then refined over a couple of successive fittings to ensure the full Savile Row feel. “Compared to womenswear, men’s clothing, and especially mass-market tailoring tends to be much more limited in its design, with muted colours and price-driven ranges,” says Andrew. “Men aren’t really disposed to dress with much flair beyond their choice of neck tie, and even those are less popular these days.

“I think it’s also unusual that someone takes the time to talk to you, offer advice and provide a proper service. It’s a shame that’s become so rare but once a client has chosen their fabric, lining and once they’ve been professionally measured, it’s a genuinely exciting prospect...”

Above: Andrew and his father John were recently awarded the Midlands Enterprise Award for Best Family-Run Men’s Clothing Business for 2020.

n For information on Andrew Musson’s made-to-measure and bespoke tailoring, or for a post-lockdown appointment, call 01522 520142 or see www.andrewjmusson.com. Andrew J Musson Bespoke Tailor Ltd., is based at 39 High Street, Lincoln LN5 8AS.

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“Shop for a mass market suit and your choice of colours and styles will be limited to just black, grey, blue and perhaps a few tweeds. Made-to-measure menswear, by contrast, goes much further, enabling you to choose linings or details such as the number and location of pockets and buttons.” “What’s more, shop for a mass market suit and you’ll choose the one that fits adequately – not perfectly, with as few concessions to the unique shape of your body as possible. Made-to-measure tailoring accommodates you as an individual, and being able to choose, for instance, how loose or snug or how light or heavy your jacket is often proves to be something men can’t live without once they’ve experienced it.” “There’s a strong argument, too, for made to measure or bespoke tailoring in the sense that you’ll get much more use from a suit which is comfortable to wear and receives compliments than one which is a grudge purchase for your office life.” “During lockdown we’ve heard of men working from home in casual clothing, and post-lockdown they expect that this new way of working will continue – they’ll work from home more, going into the office or venturing out to meet clients just a day or two a week, post-Covid. Across the industry tailors are anticipating men will purchase fewer suits, but choose them more wisely and perhaps spend a little more, investing in quality.” “Interestingly, we’ve noticed an increase in younger clients too. I think this has probably been buoyed by movies like Gatsby and TV shows like Downton and Peaky Blinders, all set before the establishment of fashion as we know it, when men had the ability to express a sense of style in a smart way that doesn’t just necessitate buying branded products.”

“Younger men recognise the benefits of our made-to-measure service and some have then opted for my bespoke suit service – from roughly £1,500 – for their next one.” “They report that with made-to-measure or bespoke tailoring, the better fitting suit is worth the investment in itself, but having the ability to design their own suit is something they’ve never had the option to do and really appreciate.” “I think it’s also unusual that someone takes the time to talk to you, offer advice and provide a proper service. It’s a shame that’s become so rare but once a client has chosen their fabric, lining and once they’ve been professionally measured, it’s a genuinely exciting prospect.” “I think we’ve over 2,000 cloths to choose from and up to 50 hours are invested in each suit. And yet, being based in Lincoln, I can still manage to undercut Saville Row prices by thousands – not just hundreds – of pounds for the same quality.” “Sadly bespoke tailors are increasingly rare but that does at least mean gentlemen travel from quite a distance away for an appointment with us. It feels really great to be keeping alive an industry and a skill that otherwise would be lost to the mass market.” “Bespoke tailoring is made to last, with better quality cloth and the kind of attention to detail that ensures men will get more wear out of their suit. If a gentleman wants something in his wardrobe that he knows to be useful – versatile – but also believes to be beautiful, an investment in quality, made-to-measure, tailoring is perfect.” n

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MOTORS

M is for

MONSTER From carrying the kids to rugby, to dispatching the supermarket slog, to storming down the motorway, there’s little beyond the capabilities of BMW’s X5. But in £113,045 X5M Competition trim, is this SUV too hot to handle? Words: Rob Davis.

OUTRAGEOUS is perhaps the best and only description of BMW’s new X5M in new Competition trim. True, it’s perhaps the closest thing to piloting a fighter jet down the A1, but £113,045, is a pretty hefty amount of money to pay for what is – underneath all the spoilers and carbon fibre – a family-friendly SUV you can otherwise put on your driveway for £60,000. So where does the extra cash go, and is it worth paying more for this ostentatious range-topping trim? For a start, there’s the engine. Base model X5 cars come with a 3.0V6 engine good for completing the 0-60mph dash in 6.3 seconds and achieving 38mpg. The X5 Competition meanwhile utilises a 4.4V8 engine which slashes the 0-60mph sprint to just 3.8 seconds.

Fuel economy plummets accordingly, with just 21mpg possible, and the subsequent fall in economy, greater list price and higher emissions figure will also rule out running the flagship model as a company vehicle. The standard X5 has a roster of equipment commensurate with a car of its size and class, with electric, heated leather seats as standard plus an automatic tailgate, parking assistant, auto lights & wipers and sat nav. Add to that the Driver Assistance and Parking Assistant Plus pack, perhaps two additional seats, and you’ve a respectable all-rounder as a family car. Much of the additions to the X5M are stylistic, from larger wheels and bucket seats to a head-up display and model-specific steering wheel and gear shift. >>

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>> Competition trim adds an extra 50 horsepower to the standard X5 M50, taking the car’s figures to 625hp and 750nm torque. Accordingly, the firm has upgraded the car’s cooling and oil supply systems, tuned to top-level dynamic performance and added a sports exhaust system to deliver a more stirring soundtrack. The car’s drivetrain has also enjoyed an upgrade with rear-biased all-wheel-drive, plus a model specific Active Differential and Competition active suspension, compound brakes, DSC and lighter weight alloy wheels. If all that sounds like technobabble or waffle, chances are the Competition isn’t for you. The standard X5 provides most of the performance you’d need from a large SUV, and the stylistic and dynamic changes to the 122

“The standard X5 provides such a good compromise between comfort and dynamism that larger wheels and stiffer dampers imperil the car’s well-considered existing setup...” car that X5 M50 or Competition trim entails a harsher ride, especially on the county’s broken road surfaces and down country lanes. Furthermore, the standard X5 provides such a good compromise between comfort and dynamism that larger wheels and stiffer dampers imperil the car’s well-considered existing setup. What’s more, at nearly double the price of the standard X5 and commanding a £30,000 premium over the existing X5 M50, it’s tricky to justify this trim.

Though some will love the Competition’s style we think lesser X5 models offer a package that’s more well-rounded and practical, and with budget left over, we’d choose to add a few optional extras to increase the car’s practicality and usability day-to-day instead. If, however, outright performance remains your main interest, we’d point you in the direction of a new generation of plug-in hybrid SUVs which offer a better combination of rapid acceleration as well as fuel economy and lower emissions day to day. n

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Roar by Roar: Three High Performance SUVs...

Range Rover 5.0V8 Supercharged Autobiography £105,330: A comparable budget to the X5M Competition puts a Range Rover with Solihull’s five litre supercharged engine in budget. Range topping Autobiography trim affords all of the bells and whistles you’ll ever need, and though the 0-60mph time of 5.4 is a little behind the X5M in Competition trim, the trade off is greater luxury, space and much stronger capabilities off road, making the Range Rover a more well-rounded package. n

Tesla Model X 100kWh Dual Motor £137,650: A refreshing approach to the performance SUV, Tesla’s Model X utilises dual motors to ensure full-electric driving with a range of over 300 miles, CO2 free. That’s not to say it’s a slouch, though. In fact, with 60mph reached and breached in 2.9 seconds, it’s even quicker than the X5. The interior is very minimal, with just a larger iPad-style central screen and hardly a physical button to be found. Gullwing doors add to the gratuitous uniqueness of the car too, making the Tesla the ideal car for the responsible extrovert. n

BMW X5M COMPETITION Price: £113,045. (On sale now). Drivetrain: 4.4V8 Twin Turbo petrol, 625hp, 750 Nm torque. Eight speed automatic gearbox, all wheel drive. Performance: 0-62 mph: 3.8 seconds. Top Speed: 180mph. Economy: 21mpg, 284g/km CO2. Equipment: Leather upholstery, heated seats, satellite navigation, climate, cruise. n

Mercedes Benz G-Class G63 £143,370: The G-Class is a motoring oddity; very old school in terms of its appearance, bluff, blocky, thuggish and yet still highly sought after. In G63 trim it’s horribly expensive, but whilst the Tesla utilises modern technology to create eco-friendly performance, the G63 uses old-fashioned brute force, from a 4.0V8 engine generating 850nm torque. 60mph is reached in 4.5 seconds but you’ll need to make friends with someone who owns a filling station, as the car achieves just 21mpg! n

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MOTORS

HORSE

POWER

What’s in a name? Plenty, it seems. If I were to tell you that Ford has released an all-new electric SUV, your eyes would probably glaze over. But if I told you that I’ve just purchased a new Mustang, that would sound a bit more impressive. Like Toyota’s Lexus, Nissan’s Inﬁniti or Mercedes Benz’s Maybach, posh sub-brands have become de rigueur in the motor industry, and now Ford has requisitioned the Mustang brand to adorn not the usual V8 American muscle car, but its new electric SUV. 124

The Ford Mustang Mach-E may sport a ridiculously masculine name for a car that needs to be, in reality, frugal, family-friendly and eco-aware, but with prices starting at £40,350 and rising to £58,080, with a ﬂagship GT version later this year raising the price even further, the Mustang ought to distance itself a little from the humdrum Ford brand. It should also do so given the competition it’s going up against. The Mach-E is the same size and price as the Mercedes EQC and the PHEV Range Rover Evoque.

So what’s it like? Well, there’s a rear wheel drive Mach-E with a standard range of 273 miles or an extended range version which can reach 379 miles on a full charge and comes with a few more bits of equipment. The extended range car, then, is the one we’d go for. Further up the range is an all-wheel drive model and a First Edition; but these sacriﬁce range for performance. Instead, our chosen model reaches 60mph in 6.2 seconds, achieves 111mph ﬂat out and charges to 80% of capacity in 45 minutes...

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When is a Ford not a Ford? When, instead of the blue oval logo, it has the name Mustang attached to it instead. The galloping horse sub-brand is normally associated with ‘Murican muscle cars but unusually it has been requisitioned for Ford-not-Ford’s all-new, all-electric SUV, the manly-sounding Mach-E... Words: Rob Davis.

although that’s using a high power charger, not your 240v mains outlet. The Mach-E has ﬁve seats – no seven seat option – and boot space is somewhere between a Ford Focus and a Mondeo, at just over 400 litres. The extended range version is also very well equipped. Fitted as standard are adaptive cruise, automatic parking and parking sensors front and rear, a power tailgate, 360° camera, wireless phone charger and heated, electric memory seats.

Inside, a large iPad-style tablet dominates the centre console, and supplements an additional digital screen in front of the driver. It’s all modern and intuitive. The seats have contrast stitching, too, but you don’t have to look far to ﬁnd Ford switchear borrowed from car like the Focus. The Mach-E is a great car on paper and as long as you’re happy knowing that underneath the brand it’s a posh Ford, it’ll serve you well, oﬀering a nice looking SUV with a very modern powertrain. n

MUSTANG MACH-E Price: £46,980 (ER, on sale now). Drivetrain: 88kWh electric with 379 mile range, rear wheel drive. Performance: 60mph in 6.2 seconds, 111mph. Equipment: Adaptive cruise, self-parking, power tailgate. n

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MOTORS

Tesla’s Triumph NEWCOMER TO THE MARKET IS ONE OF JUST TWO SALES FIGURE WINNERS

TESLA Just a few years ago, you wouldn’t have heard of Tesla. The firm was founded in 2003 with Elon Musk taking over the following year, it’s still a young company in a market where some manufacturers (e.g.: Ford) have been in the market over 100 years longer. Nevertheless, in 2020, just two car makers increased their sales; MG (by 40%) and Tesla (by 78% to 26,000 vehicles).

“Just shy of 6,000 examples of Tesla’s entry-level Model 3 EV were registered in December, making it the best-selling car of the month,” says Autocar magazine’s Will Trinkwon. “Its 5,798 registrations gave it an advantage of more than 1,000 over the next most popular car, the new Volkswagen Golf (4,470) and more than 2,000 over the Ford Fiesta (3,367).” n

The Perfect Company Car... STYLISH, WELL-EQUIPPED, FRUGAL AND ECO-FRIENDLY, THE MERCEDES C-CLASS NOW HAS A DIESEL/ELECTRIC HYBRID

Ford’s Transit triumphs in 2020 new van registrations... FORD If you run a business or you’re in charge of a fleet, the Transit is perhaps already essential for ensuring you deliver your products or services. The best selling van or commercial vehicle in the UK in 2020 was the smaller Transit Custom, of which 43,551 vehicles were registered last year. The second best selling van was Mercedes’s Sprinter, selling 23,506 examples, and Ford’s other, larger Transit, followed closely behind with 21,724 examples sold. n

MOTORING

NEWS In Brief

TOP 20 BEST SELLERS

20 IN 2020: LAST YEAR’S BEST SELLING CARS...

Last year may have seen new car sales fall to their lowest level since 1992, but still 1.6m vehicles were driven off dealers’ forecourts. For the 12th year running, Ford’s Fiesta was the UK’s best selling car... but what were the other winners? The UK’s 20 best selling cars in 2020: 20. Range Rover Evoque, 18,509 registrations. 19. Kia Niro, 18,530 registrations. 18. Vauxhall Crossland X, 18,681 registrations. 17. Vauxhall Grandland X, 18,885 registrations. 16. Kia Sportage, 19,597 registrations. 15. Toyota Yaris, 21,209 registrations. 14. Tesla Model 3, 22,344 registrations. 13. Volkswagen Tiguan, 22,771 registrations.

MERCEDES BENZ If you’re a company driver, a fleet manager or an accountant looking to recommend a company car, look no further than the Mercedes C-Class’s new C300de model. The car has a 2.0V4 diesel engine ensuring low-cost motorway milage, whilst a 13.5kWh battery provides low-emission urban motoring and unlocks tax savings for companies and their drivers. It’s available as a saloon or a more practical estate for those with loads to carry, plus it’s refined and well-equipped. In AMG-line trim, the C300de costs £43,715. n

12. BMW 3 Series, 23,245 registrations. 11. BMW 1 Series, 24,932 registrations. 10. Volvo XC40, 25,023 registrations. 9. Ford Puma, 26,294 registrations. 8. Volkswagen Polo, 26,965 registrations. 7. Mini Hatchback, 31,233 registrations. 6. Nissan Qashqai, 33,972 registrations. 5. Mercedes-Benz A-Class, 37,608 registrations. 4. Ford Focus, 39,372 registrations 3. VW Golf, 43,109 registrations 2. Vauxhall Corsa, 46,439 registrations 1. Ford Fiesta, 49,174 registrations. n

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AND FINALLY

March Violet John Clare, (b. Helpston 1793 – d. 1864)

Where last years leaves & weeds decay March violets are in blow I'd rake the rubbish all away and give them room to grow

The lambs will nibble by their bloom and eat them day by day ‘til briars forbid his steps to come and Then he skips away

Near neighbour to the Arum proud where dew drops fall and sleep as purple as a fallen cloud March violets bloom and creep

Mid nettle stalks that wither there and on the greensward lie all bleaching in the thin march air The scattered violets lie

Scenting the gales of early morn they smell before they’re seen peeping beneath the old white thorn that shows its tender green

I know the place it is a place in spring where nettles come there milk white violets show their face and blue ones earlier bloom. n

Photo: Viola canina - Heath Violet at John Clare Cottage, Helpston, between Stamford & Peterborough. The John Clare Trust will reopen the cottage and gardens post-lockdown, see www.clarecottage.org.

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The Directory To advertise here call our friendly team on 01529 469977

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