Rutland Pride Apr 2013

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SPRING 2013

APRIL APRIL 2013

NEW RELAXED LOOK

RutlandPride

RutlandPride

THE NUMBER ONE COUNTY MAGAZINE

Meet The County’s

SMOKED FISH

OSPREYS Bentley Continental Hanging Baskets Needlecraft

Catch Your Own Supper

FLY FISHING

ISSUE 129

ENJOY THE COUNTY’S FRESHEST FOOD THIS SPRING

The Expert

£3.70

S PRING

The Event

Harpist

Fashion

The county’s hunt balls

Oakham’s Elizabeth Bass

Spring style from local retailers

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RutlandPride April The number one counTy magazine

As you’d expect in spring, it’s a really busy and vibrant month in the Rutland Pride office!

This month we enjoy afternoon tea at the Finches Arms in Hambleton before visiting the reservoir to find out about the Rutland Osprey project. We take a look at the best spring fashions and create beautiful hanging baskets for the garden. Also in this edition, we learn to paint with local watercolour artist Sandra Peck, try fly fishing on the reservoir and attend some of the county’s wonderful hunt balls.

Enjoy!

Food

Flair

Flight

Fashion

The county is famous for food and this month we’re looking at how to catch and cook the freshest trout straight from Rutland Water.

Unlock your creative potential with watercolour artist Sandra Peck.

This month she’ll show you how to make a start in creating art.

Find out more about the amazing project that has re-introduced ospreys to Rutland Water and tracks their migration using the latest GPS technology.

All things bright and beautiful this month as we focus on fabulous fashions that make the most of colour blocking and strong hues.

spring 2013

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Rutland Pride – The Number One Team Spring is finally here... so how will you be marking the arrival of this glorious season?

Anna Morrish

Rob Davis

Rachel Jones

After Sales Manager

Executive Editor

Sales Executive

anna’s the hippy type... so she’ll be spending spring getting back to nature!

rob likes everything spick ’n’ span, so it’s time for a good old spring clean!

rachel’s putting her best foot forward this season and stepping out for spring!

“I love the warmer weather!

I love nature too, so I’ll be dragging my boyfriend off for a nice picnic somewhere pretty with lots of daffodils in sight... being the big strong chap he is, I’ll even let him carry the hamper!”

“After a week of concentration, it’ s nice to switch off my mind and just potter around the house. I really LOVE cleaning, so at the weekend I’ m happiest when I can put my iPod on and have a good old clean up... just pass the vacuum cleaner and leave me to it!”

“ It’ s been a really cold winter this year, and I’ ve spent most of it on the sofa waiting for better weather... now it’ s warming up a bit I feel a bit more like my old self, so it’ s time to get out and about with the kids and go for some long spring walks with the family!”

Jo Leadbitter

Mandy Bray

Jayne Broughton

Sales Executive

Customer Care Manager

Group Sales Manager

We like Jo... she’s our resident baker and creates teatime treats for the whole office!

Farmer’s girl mandy spends her spring weekends enjoying the great outdoors!

Fashionista Jayne is looking forward to treating herself to a spring wardrobe!

“ I enjoy baking cakes... and the Editor enjoys eating them, so we’ re a perfect pair!

As the spring months come around I’ m looking to move away from tea breads and bake him some lighter cakes he’ s a real fan of lemon drizzle cake, so that should go down a treat!”

“My partner is a farmer and during spring weekends it’ s really nice to get out in the fresh air. Trudging across a heavily rutted field in wellies isn’ t everyone’ s idea of appreciating the great outdoors but actually I really love it, and seeing the crops starting to come through is great!”

“I’ m tired of my winter wardrobe now so one of the things I’ m looking forward to this month is shopping for a new spring wardrobe... and I’ m going to make sure there’ s plenty of colour... Pride’ s fashion pages should prove to be a big help!”

RutlandPride The number one counTy magazine

pride magazines elm grange studios east heckington boston Lincolnshire pe20 3QF

Tel: 01529 469977 Fax: 01529 469978

www.facebook.com/rutlandpride Why not follow us on Facebook? you can keep up to date with any news we may have for our lovely magazine!

twitter.com/RutlandPride Follow us on Twitter so you can read our tweets. We’ll let you know what’s going on and keep you well informed!

Web: www.rutlandpride.co.uk enquiries@pridemagazines.co.uk

enjoy rutland pride, read it cover to cover. pick it up, put it down and when you have finished with it pass it onto your best friend.

When everyone has had a good read, pop it in the recycle bin!

by supplying editorial or adverts to rutland 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.

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STRETTON, RUTLAND

£865,000

The Barn dates from 1780 when it was built as stabling for the Old Greetham Inn, one of the original Great North Road staging posts. It is now totally transformed into a stunning family home that excellently combines the original fabric and character of the eighteenth century barn with the benefits of a modern twenty-first century residence. The original vaulted ceilings and many of the rafters and wall timbers have been preserved and integrated, as well as features such as the old stable cobbles and arched stage coach doorways. Distinctive local honey-coloured stone features in many exposed areas of the walls, all of which are now enhanced by solid-wood hand-crafted doors and windows. A truly unique property with the potential to be a stunning home. EPC Rating - D

KETTON, RUTLAND

£975,000

With views over its south-facing gardens to open paddocks beyond, Chapel Lodge is an impressive village residence with excellent reception space and extensive accommodation fitted to the highest standard throughout. The property’s attractive exterior has classic proportions and the garden of approximately one acre includes a heated outdoor swimming pool and pool-house. Internally the property combines traditional styling with all the benefits of modern fittings of the highest specification. Decorative details such as elaborate cornicing, a carved stone fireplace and solid wood panelled doors are enhanced by features including under-floor heating on both floors, an integrated sound system and double-glazed timber frame windows. Chapel Lodge is a flexible village home with the advantage of country views, extensive grounds and its own outdoor pool. EPC Rating C

Fine & Country 2 St. Mary’s Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 2DE Telephone: (01780) 750200 Email: stamford@fineandcounty.com www.fineandcountry.com

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UFFORD, NR STAMFORD

ÂŁ3,950,000

Ufford Hall is a fine example of elegant, stylish eighteenth-century Georgian architecture, with its impressive façade looking out over its private grounds and parkland of Approximately 17 acres. Now Grade II listed, the Hall is steeped in history and, as much of its external and internal period detail has survived over the centuries, it remains true to the original classical design. Built in the 1740s for Charles Manners, second son of the Duke of Rutland, it was intended as a hunting lodge and the earliest incarnation of the property was regarded as a fairly compact villa.

Ufford Hall is in need of complete refurbishment, its elegant architectural design makes it an exceptional opportunity to create a stunning home fit for the twenty-first century within an historic Georgian property. With its beautiful proportions, period features and original fixtures it has the potential to become an impressive and striking home with extensive accommodation and exquisite reception space.

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PUDDLE VIEW, EDITH WESTON

GUIDE PRICE £1,350,000

A delightful 17th century property with stunning far reaching views over Rutland Water.

FINESHADE ABBEY, FINESHADE An Imposing Country Residence, Listed Grade II, in a Parkland Setting of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

King West St Marys Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 2DE Telephone: (01780) 484520 email: stamford@kingwest.co.uk www.kingwest.co.uk

GUIDE PRICE £2,500,000

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This spectacular shot of an osprey was captured by nature photographer Paul Hobson who holds regular wildlife photography workshops to teach his art (www.paulhobson.co.uk).

Ospreys will return to the county this month as Pride goes to press after a long-standing project to reintroduce them to the UK.

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OSPREyS

Bi rd s R

Rutland Water’s ospreys return to the county this month and have been tracked using sophisticated GPS equipment by the LRWT’s Tim Mackrill...

utland is the home to a flourishing Osprey population thanks to a ground-breaking project headed up by Tim Appleton and Tim Mackrill. This month, a book about the reintroduction of the species to the country will be launched as the birds return home. Meanwhile, in their absence, the two Tims have been keeping a close eye on the birds using sophisticated GPS technology. >> >>

Words: Rob Davis images: Courtesy of John Wright and Paul Stammers.

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The Rutland Water Ospreys have embarked on a 2,500 mile migration, flying around 250 miles each day

Tim Mackrill joined the project as a volunteer at just 15 years old. He took over in 2006 and is currently working towards his PhD as part of his job at Egleton.

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OSPREyS

Roy Dennis with Tim Appleton and Helen McIntyre - who pioneered the project - fitting a transmitter to a juvenile.

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irdwatching has come a long way in the past 18 years - just ask Tim Mackrill of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.

Tim and his team have been tracking Ospreys live using GPS technology to keep an eye on where the birds migrate to, following a translocation programme established in 1996.

The Wildlife Trust and Anglian Water work symbiotically; the Trust manages the habitat to create a conservation area both on the 3,000 acre reservoir itself and on its nine miles of shoreline on its western edge and 700 marshland environments that make up its western edge. The Trust completes work such as coppicing, keeping the grass low with grazing of its Dexter cattle herd & Hebridean sheep flock, and habitat management.

“Likewise,” says Tim “The Rutland Osprey Project wouldn’t be viable without the support and funding of Anglian Water.”

Two newly hatched chicks and two eggs in 2011.

Back in 1996 England’s Osprey population had dwindled dramatically. Rutland Water was the perfect site for a reintroduction project since the birds exist solely on a diet of fish - over 100,000 trout are stocked in the reservoir each year - and as the site was already on their migration route.

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OSPREyS

Translocation from Scotland took place from 1996 to 2005 with 64 birds being rehomed in Rutland and a further 11 moved in 2005. A total of 62 ospreys have been hatched, with some born every year in Rutland since 2001 and nine young birds fledged last year alone.

“Rutland Water’s Lyndon Reserve is now the best place in England to see ospreys - perhaps the only place where you’re guaranteed to see one - we have over 30 hides here and they’re equipped with telescopes and a webcam so you can log on to see chicks hatching live.” says Tim. Fully grown ospreys weigh around two kilos and have a wingspan of up to 180cm. They grow to around 60cm tall and live for up to 20 years. The total world population of ospreys is believed to be around 40,000 and the birds mate for life, taking care of their young together.

The birds will return to the county at the end of March and will lay their eggs in mid to late April, incubating them for around five weeks. They will remain in the county until late August, then they will embark on an epic 3,000 mile journey to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Not only has the Rutland team been crucial in returning ospreys to the UK, they have worked hard to track birds using GPS technology so anyone can see, in realtime, where the birds are heading...

For the young osprey this will be the most hazardous journey of their lives, with many of the birds still dependent on their parents for food.

From the beginning of the project the birds were ringed, but back in 1999, satellite tracking systems were beginning to emerge. For the first time technology could meet ornithology as these systems could allow the team to remotely keep an eye on where the birds were heading.

Back then the technology was in its infancy and provided just one data feed a day. Tracking the birds back in 1999 was accurate to around 300 metres but as GPS systems have finessed, it’s possible to pinpoint the exact trees the ospreys are perching in - whether they are in Rutland or Africa - using Google Earth.

Results for the two birds tracked last year were also fed to the Rutland Osprey project’s website so the public could follow the birds’ progress live during their return to the UK. 18

Above; 03, one of the birds to be tracked. He was relocated in 1997 and has raised 27 chicks. Right: A family of ospreys at the Egleton site.

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The transmitters fitted to Rutland’s ospreys nowadays last for up to six years. They relay real-time telemetry and are accurate enough to pinpoint the tree that an osprey is perched in!

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This month there’ s an opportunity to view Rutland’ s osprey population from one of the site’ s 30 hides, or from a live webcam feed...

Top; The site has led to Tim working with schools in Africa to develop a wildlife education programme.

Above; The Lyndon hide.

It’s possible to record, for instance, that one of the birds, AW, flew 3,277 miles over 14 days in 2011, at an average speed of 15mph flying at between 2,431 and 9,055ft. Sadly, on his journey back from his wintering site last February he died, but leaves behind the six chicks he raised right here in the county.

“The ospreys’ migration is fascinating.” says Tim, whose involvement in the project is also forming part of his PhD with Leicester University. “They appear to use geographical features to navigate. It’s a completely instinctual behaviour pattern. Being able to track the birds so accurately in unprecedented and it’s a great opportunity to study the birds in greater detail than ever before.”

Tim first came to the project in 1997 as a volunteer when he was just 15. He took over the project in 2006 and is now one of the UK’s leading experts in the species. He’s keen to ensure the facilities and interpretation at the Trust’s site

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enables as many people as possible to learn more about ospreys and has also co-authored a new book about the birds.

Tim’s involvement has also led to other opportunities too, the most recent of which was in January this year when Tim accompanied two volunteer groups to visit Gambian schools.

The group’s involvement has also developed a wildlife education programme in the African countries along the migration route, and has provided five schools with internet-capable computers to enable students to follow the birds’ progress.

This month is the ideal time to visit the Trust’s Egleton and Lyndon reserves and see the birds upon their return to the county. In addition, the nesting box cameras will be turned on for live feeds with highlights from the season available to watch again. “We’re really lucky here.” says Tim. “We’ve a superb site and unprecedented access we can also share with the public to gain insight into a really incredible species.”

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OSPREyS

£ Finding Out More...

The rutland osprey project has been an outstanding success, but is also a very personal project for everyone who has been involved in the ospreys’ journey, from scotland to rutland and then on to africa.

This new book is a celebration of the project and a chance for osprey fans to discover the amazing stories behind the rutland osprey project team’s efforts to re-establish these magnificent birds in england.

Useful Contacts Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, Brocks Hill Environment Centre, Washbrook Lane, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5JJ

Tel: 0116 272 0444

Visiting the Reserve The Lyndon Visitor Centre is open daily from 9am to 5pm. In spring the Nature Reserve remains open until 8pm. You need a permit to go out onto the reserve. These cost £5.50 for adults, £4.30 for concessions (senior, student, disabled, carer), £3.20 for children under 16.

Dogs on leads are welcome.

For more information on the project see www.ospreys.org.uk

This ground-breaking project was the first of its kind in europe. other osprey translocation projects in italy and spain have since come about as a direct result of it, and breeding pairs are also now established in Wales as a result of the work of the rutland osprey project team. stories reveal early disappointments, detail the ospreys’ incredible journeys as they migrate to africa, and convey the pride the rutland field team and many locals feel as ‘their’ ospreys return to the same nest year on year.

This project has been a long term commitment from anglian Water and the Leicestershire and rutland Wildlife Trust and the proceeds from this book will be used to continue and develop osprey conservation on and around rutland Water.

Written by Tim Mackrill with Tim Appleton and Helen Mcintyre, The Rutland Water Ospreys was released on 14th March and is published by Bloomsbury. The book has 160 pages and a hardback cover, and is priced at £18. It’s available to order directly from the project’s website at www.ospreys.co.uk.

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FiNDiNG OUT ABOUT

Cosmetic Surgery Everything you ever wanted to know about cosmetic surgery but didn’t get the chance to ask! This month we meet Rutland’s Graham Offer, the Spire Hospital Leicester surgeon is a Consultant specialising in Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery...

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HEALTH & BEAUTy Cosmetic

ith a huge smile and an enthusiastic demeanour, it’s impossible not to be charmed by Graham Offer.

The Rutland Consultant is a cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon working both in the NHS and at Oadby’s Spire Leicester Hospital. To say he’s passionate about his career is an understatement, but he’s also really approachable and keen to correct some of the misconceptions about his craft. Cosmetic Surgery is something that many are curious about, but often don’t get the opportunity to find out more about.

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Are procedures painful and how long is the recovery period?

Every procedure is different and another reason to meet your surgeon personally is to discuss levels of discomfort.

Generally breast augmentation will take up to two hours with a recovery time of two-six weeks. An uplift procedure is slightly longer on both counts.

That’s why Spire Hospital offers free 10 minute ‘miniconsultations’ for those who want to find out more.

The events are held regularly, with the next session on 10th April at the hospital. It’s a chance to meet Graham to personally answer questions like the ones we put to him:

Are more people having surgery these days?

It’s gained a higher profile recently because there are more providers and because it has more exposure. I had a great time appearing on Channel Four’s Embarrassing Bodies on 25th March performing a lower body lift for instance!

Is Cosmetic Surgery right for me?

There’s no simple answer to that. To me the skill of cosmetic surgery is balancing the artistry of sculpting a part of the body with what’s appropriate for the age, size and shape of a patient’s body.

The public is less judgemental, more accepting and more receptive to it these days. It’s also more financially accessible.

Spire Hospital Leicester use experienced Consultant surgeons and your safety is paramount at all times.

The most common forms of cosmetic surgery are breast augmentation or uplift, tummy tucks, rhinoplasty and facelifts. Usually, surgery isn’t about doing something more dramatic to the body, but often restoring the body part following weight loss, childbirth or to mitigate the effect of ageing.

A free, no obligation ‘mini-consultation’ provides you with an opportunity to meet your surgeon and find out more in a strictly no-obligation, pressure-free meeting Can I trust Cosmetic Surgery?

Every consultation we offer is competely unique. We offer a formal quote tailored to a patient’s operation. It’s important to be wary of larger companies which employ ‘sales’ staff.

These companies don’t encourage their patients to meet their surgeon before their operation.

Graham Offer is a Consultant specialising in cosmetic and reconstructive procedures for the NHS and at Spire Hospital Leicester.

Meet him at the hospital’s Open Events on 10th and 21st April at Spire in Oadby.

Surgery

It’s important that a surgeon meets their patient personally and that they discuss appropriate procedures. It’s vital, too, that a patient has realistic, managed expectations as to what their procedure will involve and what they will get out of it.

How much do procedures cost?

Every procedure is tailored, but as a guide price only, breast augmentation costs from £4,500. Rhinoplasty (‘nose job’) costs from £3,900 and abdominoplasty, costs from £5,570. A facelift costs from £5,700 and bariatric surgery (not plastic surgery) like weight loss balloons and gastric bands cost from £3,250.

Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) takes around three hours with a six to eight week recovery period and a facelift can take up to four hours with a six week recovery. We’d expect a patient to be ‘up and about’ long before our recovery times, but by our quoted time frames, we’d expect recovery to be complete.

How do I find out more?

Our ten minute ‘mini-consultations’ are free and provide a no-obligation opportunity to meet a surgeon personally.

You can ask all the questions you need to ask to make an informed decision as to whether you’d like to take your enquiry further.

If you decide to take an initial enquiry further you will need to book a full consultation which is normally half an hour long.

We will only propose a procedure if we think it appropriate, there’s no obligation and you’ll never feel pressured, which is the most important aspect of our work.

How do patients feel after their procedure?

They’re usually delighted but we manage expectations cosmetic surgery should never be undertaken lightly or sold as a ‘quick fix’ for underlying psychological issues.

Having said that, some patients are really emotional and really delighted when they see the results. Cosmetic surgery can address unhappiness with a part of the body that someone has felt for a long time and that can make them profoundly happy. It’s a great profession, a blend of science and art. I absolutely love it!

Spire Hospital Leicester provides self-pay and medical insurance treatment for a range of specialisms in the field of oncology, orthopaedics, bariatrics and cosmetic surgery. The hospital has four theatres, 71 beds in total and dedicated day care unit.

For more information on Spire’s range of available services and prices, including its range of cosmetic procedures under Graham Offer, call 0116 272 0888 or see www.spirehealthcare.com/Leicester.

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image of the Month

Beautiful

Music

This month we recognise the achievements of Oakham’s Elizabeth Bass. The 18 year old was recently the winner of a prestigious three day international harp festival... photo: Louise Hitchen

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akham School pupil, Elizabeth Bass, has won a prestigious European harp competition in Cardiff. 18-year-old Elizabeth was one of 39 harpists from around Europe to take part in The Lyon & Healey Award Competition.

Her outstanding ability was recognised and she became the youngest competitor to win one of the four awards of £2,000. She plans to use the award to further her musical education, including investing in additional tutoring with professional harpists.

The competition, which took place in Europe for the first time, was the centrepiece of a three-day International Harp Festival held at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

Elizabeth says; “It was a hugely inspiring three days, full of amazing recitals, lectures and master classes. Playing in the competition and in the final recital in front of a packed audience of professional harpists was hugely nerve-racking, but I was overjoyed to be chosen as one of the winners.”

“Elizabeth clearly has an exciting musical future ahead of her!” said Director of Music, Peter Davis. “We are extremely proud of all her achievements, which include her recent offer of a Scholarship to study at London’s Royal Academy of Music after she has finished her A-Levels at Oakham.”

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RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH

THE FINCHS ARMS on the Hambleton Peninsular

as The song says, everyThing sTops For Tea - and There are FeW pLaces iT’s beTTer To sTop Than a resTauranT WiTh sTunning vieWs over ruTLand WaTer. This monTh We enJoy The neWesT oFFering aT The Finchs arms in hambLeTon: a neW aFTernoon Tea menu provides an epic spread oF deLicious home made sandWiches, cakes and pasTries...

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Plump Victoria sponges and chocolate cake, sandwiches on tiered stands, meringues and colourful berries create a wonderful afternoon tea experience for Spring...

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RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH

Head Chef Mark Gough has a great CV which includes a stint at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons.

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pring has sprung, and that means a fresh new season of lighter dishes, and the beginning of the al fresco dining season. This month’s restaurant hopes to capitalise on both its location, overlooking Rutland Water, and the resurgence in afternoon tea as a fashionable dining experience.

The late 18th century coaching inn has a modern extension to the rear affording diners great views of the reservoir.

Recognised in the Rutland Pride Good Food Awards this year, The Finchs Arms on the Hambleton Peninsular has been a pub since the late 1700s, with a great location and a modern extension created a few years ago by owners Colin and Celia Crawford.

From the front, it’s pure country pub, but to the rear it resembles a boutique hotel and has 10 rooms, a contemporary dining room and doors that open onto a generous terrace.

When the weather proves more amenable this will be a great place to enjoy the venue’s newest addition - its afternoon tea menu.

Celia was just laying out the spread when we arrived, with cups and saucers in spotty pastels designs, pastel marshmallows, tiers of sandwiches, home made cakes and cake stands with chocolate cake and plump Victoria sponges. The afternoon tea menu will include a champagne option and was launched last month at £9.95 for one, £17.95 for two and £16.95 or £30 with fizz.

The menu will run alongside the two lunchtime provisions, a set menu with three options for starters, main courses and desserts, and the full à la carte menu.

Colin and Celia’s pedigree running pub restaurants is well-proven.

The couple came from Nottingham originally, and ran the Peacock in Redmile in the 1980s and 1990s before running the Blue Bell, then coming to the Finchs Arms and extending the venue to its current size.

Colin boasts that the Finchs Arms caters for between 700 and 1,100 covers each week, with a brigade of seven chefs working in a kitchen that has ensured the venue has been listed in the Michelin Guide for 16 years consecutively.

Menus change daily and are created by Head Chef Mark Gough, formerly of Hambleton Hall and Harts Nottingham. One of Mark’s previous appointments was Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, which says something about his pedigree.

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This spread: Starter, Main Course and Pudding.

Our à la carte main course was Pan Fried Sea Bream with Scallops, Mussels and Tempura Vegetables.

One of our starters was this Ham Hock Ballotine, taken from the set lunch menu and served with Red Pepper Reduction.

Always a country boy at heart, Mark has latterly gone under the nom de plume of The Shooting Chef, writing game recipes for a well-known national fieldsports magazine.

Regional suppliers include Campbell John Butchers, Grasmere Farm for pork and Loughborough’s Veg Factor. The local theme continues with a cheese board featuring Melton Mowbray Stilton, and real ale from Oakham’s Grainstore Brewery.

Speciality bread at the venue is baked on site whilst the venue makes its own sorbets and ices, as well as the elements for its new afternoon tea.

During our visit, the venue served up a delicious starter of Ham Hock Ballotine with White Grape Chutney, as well as a smooth and delicious Chicken Liver Parfait.

The Hock was excellent, with careful presentation and added flair & flavour courtesy of a red pepper reduction.

Main course was Sea Bream with Scallops and Mussels, topped off with Tempura Vegetables. Basil Mash and Baby Chorizo added plenty of colour, whilst we were also treated to a

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The Finchs Arms offers both Ă la carte and bar menus, both of which comprise great looking dishes with wonderful flavours...

Strawberry Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Compote and Chocolate Quenelle.

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Sample M enu £ STARTERS Chicken Parfait chicken Liver parfait with crisp Toast and grape chutney.

£6.50

Scallops roasted scallops with parmesan salad.

£9.00

Goat’s Cheese crotin of goats cheese with Warm poached Fig.

£7.50

£ MAINS Beef sirloin of beef with Wild mushrooms and mashed potato.

£20.00

Spring Lamb Loin of Lamb with buttered cabbage and rösti potato.

£16.00

Sea Bass pan Fried sea bass with basil mash and baby chorizo sausages.

£13.50

Duck roast breast of gressingham duck with creamed cabbage and sweet potato.

£16.95

£ PUDDING Pannacotta vanilla pannacotta with mixed berry compote.

£6.00

Cheesecake strawberry cheesecake with mixed berry compote and chocolate Quenelle.

£6.00

Chocolate Brownie double chocolate brownie with home made pistachio ice cream.

£6.00

Cheese selection of english and French cheeses with traditional accompaniments.

£6.50

£ OPENING TIMES BAR OPENING TIMES MONDAy - SATURDAy 11.00 - 23.00 SUNDAy 11.00 - 22.30 FOOD SERvIcE MONDAy - SATURDAy 12.00- 14.30, 18.30 - 21.30 SUNDAy 12.00 - 20.00

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RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH

demonstration of the bar menu in the form of a Venison Casserole. In all cases presentation and vibrancy were spoton, portions were generous and the flavours worked well.

However, our favourite dishes were our two dessert offerings, a delicious Vanilla Pannacotta with Mixed Berry Compote, Crumble Topping and an especially delicious Strawberry Cheesecake with berry compote and chocolate sliver.

Of particular interest was the difference between the à la carte menu, usually served in the more contemporary dining room overlooking the water, and dishes from the bar menu.

The former comprises beautifully presented food with real flair, and though dishes on the bar menu are simpler, they’re just as satisfying and still manage to employ quality ingredients, albeit with simpler, more rustic presentation.

The bar menu features five options and additional Sharing Menu dishes, including assiettes of charcuterie and fish, as well as ciabattas. The difference between à la carte dining and the bar menu, then, is definitely stylistic rather than one being arbitrarily ‘better’ than the other.

With beautiful open fires and rustic tables as well as thick flagstones and beams all over, we think the bar menu is just as appealing if not slightly cosier if we experience a cooler spring. Otherwise, we’d recommend the afternoon tea menu and The Finchs Arms’s terrace.

Our interest piqued, we fluttered around the afternoon tea spread and discovered exceptional presentation and a wide choice of delicious looking treats.

A great deal of effort goes into ensuring the spread looks great, but the fact that every element is hand-made and laid out with such care is particularly endearing and demonstrates that the afternoon tea menu is definitely good value.

The Finchs Arms is a venue with real charm, and it’s clearly a restaurant staffed by owners, a head chef and a brigade who want to give patrons the best possible experience.

It’s a cosy looking venue in the cooler months - as when we visited - but for customers, the best is yet to come; warmer afternoons enjoying great views and a sublime afternoon tea experience.

Afternoon tea is laid out in the dining room, which overlooks Rutland Water.

THE FINCHS ARMS on the Hambleton Peninsular

Oakham Rd, Hambleton, Rutland LE15 8TL To book a meal call

01572 756575

From Oakham - Take the A606 signposted Stamford.

Turn right onto Hambleton Road signposted Hambleton Peninsular.

From Uppingham - Take the A6003 signposted Oakham, after six minutes, take the third exit at the roundabout signposted A606, Stamford. Turn right onto Hambleton Road signposted Hambleton Peninsular.

www.finchsarms.co.uk info@finchsarms.co.uk

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LITERARY LUNCH

MARQUESS SET LUNCH

With Tim Mackrill author of “The Rutland Water Ospreys” – includes a signed 1st edition, two course lunch, glass of wine and coffee, £39.95.

Lunch for even less may be coming to an end but we will be continuing our set lunch, Monday to Saturday £13.50 for two courses and £15.95 for three.

COOKING DEMONSTRATION

SUMMER SUNDAYS

Best Bank Holiday Barbecue, Monday 6th May at 5pm - a great one for the boys, includes dinner and a glass of wine, £35.00.

From April 28th, the last Sunday of the month we will be having live music and food throughout the summer.

52 Main Street, Lyddington, Uppingham LE15 9LT Call for bookings: 01572 822 477 www.marquessexeter.co.uk Lunch & Dinner 7 Days a Week | 17 Modern Bedrooms | Four AA Star Rated

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Leo Sugden was a Rutland Pride Food Hero in our 2012 Good Food Awards.

THE EXPERT

Smoked Fish The unmistakable richness and flavour of traditionally smoked fish, meat and cheese is available to everyone in Rutland thanks to Leo Sugden. The county’s 24 year old foody entrepreneur’s business is proving a massive success despite being just a year and a half old...

Words: Rob Davis

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THE EXPERT Smoked

L

eo Sugden and his family have always felt the lure of the sea. The family are members of an East Coast Yacht Club and have sailed extensively including across the Atlantic with an especially keen Leo spending his gap year full time on board.

A couple of years ago though, Leo decided to marry his love of sailing with his passion for food - specifically fresh fish.

The 24 year old Oakham man was approaching completion of his degree course at Exeter University where he was reading Geography.

A newly graduated Leo set about opening his smoked fish outlet and deli, Otters on Oakham’s Mill Street, the very next day after taking his final exam, deciding there was a gap in the market for a quality delicatessen in the town.

Within a year Leo had outgrown his original premises and moved to a larger shop just down the road. It’s a business that taps into consumers’ desire for the freshest food, sourced from the UK’s artisan producers, and it’s doing a roaring trade.

“Fish counters are common in supermarkets and other retail outlets but there were no artisan suppliers of smoked fish or delis in the town at the time.” says Leo. “We decided there was an opportunity for a business that would enable customers to enjoy the freshest food from small scale producers whilst offering the kind of choice that large retailers can’t match.

They may have economy of scale on their side but they can’t provide access to the niche produce that we specialise in.”

Otters stocks smoked fish, cheese and meat as well as sauces, pickles, jams and chutneys. Part of the business’s uniqueness, however, is its affiliation with an equally well-renowned but much longer established smokehouse run by the Pinney family.

Fish

Otters Smokehouse on Mill Street is just 18 months old, yet the shop has already outgrown its original premises!

“The smokehouse is amazing.” says Leo who has a great working relationship with the family and regularly travels to their Suffolk premises to see them.

“It’s accessed down a deserted track right on the coastal road surrounded by woodland. The third generation are now at work at the smokehouse and we’ve simply found nobody that can come close to producing the kind of quality smoked fish that the Pinneys create.”

The smokehouse was set up in the wake of the Second World War when Richard Pinney left the Blitz-ravaged capital to move to the countryside. The fisherman began experimenting with smoked fish from a disused barn next to his cottage and developed the method of dry-smoking using local oak that the family still uses today. A restaurant was added to the smokehouse in the 1960s and the family also cultivates oysters from their premises with Bill & Janet and Jodie & George Pinney now also involved in the business.

Leo works with the family to provide Rutlanders with freedom farmed Scottish salmon that has the correct oil content and has been hand-reared.

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THE EXPERT Smoked

The smokehouse works in the same way as it did 50 years ago when it was set up. Leo has tried his hand over the past couple of years but says he can’t hold a candle to the real experts!

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Fish

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The deli’s range of fish, meat and cheese is traditionally produced using a curing and cold-smoking process which can take up to 48 hours.

“The fish is filleted, cleaned and prepared for smoking using salt or brine. This is vital for flavouring and preserving it.” says Leo. “The fish is then hung in the smokehouse and a whole-oak burning stove cold smokes them for up to 48 hours. It tastes amazing with just lemon juice and cracked black pepper, or just a little dill and mustard sauce.”

The shop stocks hot-smoked trout and mackerel as well as providing shellfish like scallops, smoked prawns, oysters and fresh lobster at the weekend for a real treat.

Leo works closely with his smokehouse to retail the best quality smoked salmon, trout and mackerel as well as prawns, scallops, oysters, & lobster. There’s a good charcuterie selection and smoked cheese too...

In addition, Leo stocks around 65 varieties of English and Continental cheese - that number rises to over 100 pre-Christmas. Cheddar and Stilton are also available smoked, with artisan varieties of Wensleydale, Brie and Camembert always available.

The deli is also one of the few retailers to stock former-Blur guitarist Alex James’s range of award-winning cheeses including Little Wallop, Farleigh Wallop and Goddess.

Likewise, Sunday morning wouldn’t be complete without the shop’s sweet-cured smoked Suffolk bacon, and Otters has a charcuterie selection which includes organic duck breast, which makes a compelling starter when served as a spring salad.

“We’ve some really fresh smoked fish and meats that will make some really easy-to create spring dishes. The beauty of fresh ingredients with bold flavours is that you can let them speak for themselves in simple dishes. They work well with few additional ingredients and little preparation.”

Leo’s success has led him to open his second premises a larger shop on Oakham’s Mill Street in November 2012 just in time for Leo to enjoy a bumper Christmas.

The new deli also has a ‘Eat-In’ bistro and has helped Otters to affirm its position as a relatively new, but nonetheless fantastic, ambassador for good food.

“People come in and talk to us about food. They ask us how to make the most of our products and tell us how much they’ve enjoyed cooking with them.” says Leo. “It really is rewarding that we’ve become so well-regarded, so quickly!”

OTTERS SMOKEHOUSE AND DELiCATESSEN 19 Mill Street, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6EA Tel: 01572 756481 www.ottersdeli.co.uk Monday-Tuesday 10:00-17:30, Wednesday-Saturday 09:00-17:30

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TheWinecellar

Spring is here and something fresh and crisp is in the air... this month Ben Straw of Steep Hill Wines recommends aromatic wines to refresh the palate and ensure all of your senses are sufficiently stimulated...

Hope Estate verdelho, Hunter valley, Australia - £10.25 The Verdelho grape, originally from Portugal, was first used in the Hunter Valley for making fortified wine. When Hope Estate is used for table wine it’s a real winner. An unoaked wine with fresh, tropical and spice characters, a great alternative to Chardonnay.

Esk valley verdelho, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand - £10.99 Established, as Glenvale, in 1933. It was purchased, and renamed, by Villa Maria in 1986. This Verdelho is highly aromatic and an intensely flavourful dry wine with a nectarine-like mouth-feel balanced by fresher notes of citrus and passionfruit leading to a crisp and clean finish.

Saint clair Riesling, Marlborough, New Zealand - £12.50 Made by renowned Kiwi winemaker Matt Thompson, this spätlesestyle Riesling has bright citrus aromas of sweet lime and mandarin, with subtle hints of fresh spring flowers. Light bodied and easy drinking displaying distinct Riesling characters of ripe lime and grapefruit.

Gustave Lorentz Gewurztraminer Grand cru Altenberg de Bergheim Alsace, France - £27.95 With old vines – between 30 and 50 years – that are hand-picked, this wine rests in vats for 10-11 months prior to bottling. A concentrated nose of exotic fruit follows through to the palate, with powerful and flavours and semi-dry finish.

Kilikanoon Mort’s Block Watervale Riesling, clare valley, Aus - £16.50 One of the cornerstones of Kilikanoon’s portfolio, with the first vintage in 1997, the Mort’s Block Riesling showcases the unique flavours and characters unique to the Watervale sub region of the Clare Valley. Aromatic and overt, the nose is a riot of lemons and limes, florals and delicate perfumes.

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TO ViEW AND PURCHASE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM ‘THE EVENT’ ViSiT WWW.PRiDEMAGAZiNES.CO.UK

THE EVENT Quorn Hunt Ball The Quorn Hunt held its annual ball at Wartnaby Castle last month with its attendees coming from Leicestershire and Rutland to support the hunt, which was established in 1696 by Thomas Boothby. Our images were captured by Rutland equestrian photographer Nico Morgan who follows the hunt and was described by eventing legend Oliver Townend as ‘my favourite photographer!’

Words and photos: Nico Morgan.

The event took place at Wartnaby Castle.

Feature your event in our magazine.

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call 01529 469977 and speak to our events desk...

Attendees enjoyed a three course meal and dancing.

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THE EVENT Quorn

Hunt Ball

The Quorn hunt was established in 1696.

The hunt has a thriving pony club for younger members.

The hunt is keen to stress that it operates within the 2004 Hunting Act’s restriction.

Purchase photographs from this event online. visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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WeLcome home

Contemporary Style

AT THE STONE BARN 46

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The interiors of The Stone Barn have been redesigned

by Stamford based NGI Design, who specialise in providing high-end contemporary interiors.

The sTone barn

MICHELLE ANd JAMES HAVE RESTOREd THEIR BEAUTIFUL BARN IN THE HEART OF THE RUTLANd COUNTRySIdE BUT INSTEAd OF A RUSTIC INTERIOR, THEy OPTEd FOR A TRULy CONTEMPORARy LOOK...

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T

hink of a modern barn conversion in the county and your first instinct is to instate period features, exposed beams and rustic floors. However, the abundance of natural light from floor to ceiling windows, and large spaces which flow into each other, lend themselves equally well to a stylish, modern interior design theme instead.

This month’s Welcome Home couple moved into their Rutland barn in 2008, and whilst it was nice, the style was traditional, rather than trendy. That’s why they enlisted the help of style consultants Darren Cherry and Neil Partridge of Stamford’s NGI. The company is a design-led interiors retailer and rather than stocking their premises with ‘shabby chic’ or rustic items, they decided to specialise in contemporary interiors instead.

“I’m a bit... OCD.” laughs Michelle. “I like a nice looking kitchen and living room but it’s important to me that surfaces are uncluttered and everything looks clean. It’s important that a house is comfortable but easy to clean and maintain.”

The couple said they wanted fresh ideas, with plush, tactile furniture in the living room - nothing too stark - and to make the most of the property’s light. The kitchen was a particularly important room for the two keen cooks, who entertain and supervise their children’s homework at the kitchen table.

“We weren’t sure the traditional looking building could take such a modern interior but it’s worked brilliantly. The kitchen is my favourite room; it looks great but it’s really well-planned too...”

At the same time the barn’s owners, Michelle and James, moved into The Stone Barn, NGI began offering high-end Italian kitchens and bathrooms. Having purchased furniture from the company before, the couple were keen to allow designer Darren free reign over the property.

Arranged over three floors with four bedrooms and a master which has an en-suite and dressing room, the couple had been searching for a property like The Stone Barn for around a year before finding the building.

The property’s interior was redesigned by NGI Interiors of Stamford.

The company specialises in high-end contemporary interiors and provides furnishings for reception rooms as well as designer kitchens and bathrooms.

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“It was structurally completed but hadn’t been occupied so it was a blank canvas for us to work with.” says Michelle.

“It was a great space with a good layout, and its location was perfect, close to civilisation but with great views over open countryside.”

“I love the fact that the kitchen has really clean lines.” says Michelle. “It has really tiny arrowslit windows so large French doors that open up onto the terrace make the space much lighter, and make entertaining easy. It really blurs the distinction between the kitchen and the outdoors in the summer.

“We were skeptical that a period property could take such a modern interior but NGI have reconciled the architecture of

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A high gloss porcelain floor, dining suite in dark wood & metal and designer lighting by Foscarini created a light, modern entrance vestibule.

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NGI pointed the couple towards a Cesar Ariel lava teak Italian kitchen with Blancho Zeus white quartz Silestone toppers and integrated Gaggenau appliances.

T h e s T o n e b a r n 51

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WELCOME HOME the building with our brief brilliantly and they contributed ideas that were unusual and fresh, nothing like we’d seen before.”

NGI project managed the installation of the kitchen, typically working with budgets of between £10,000 and £50,000 and favouring the Italian brand Cesar in the homes they design. All contractors were managed by Darren, who also sourced Gaggenau appliances and installed a Qooker boiling water tap which Michelle says is her favourite gadget in a kitchen which also boasts a steam oven, wine cooler, indoor barbecue and teppanyaki grill, as well as a double fridge freezer and underfloor heating.

The firm also supplied the property’s lighting, with a Twiggy by Foscarini floor lamp in the drawing room and Caboche in the hallway. The company sourced the living room’s Valentini sofa, Smoke chair by Moooi, Fiam Rialto glass coffee table with floral its indigo carpet and the reception hall’s high gloss porcelain tiles.

So far, the company has worked on the couple’s kitchen, drawing room, entrance hall and cloakroom. They have just completed the couple’s master bedroom suite with Presotto suite and are in the process of creating a new en suite and dressing room.

“We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend both Darren and Neil.” says Michelle. “They’ve provided the ideas, the creativity, but they also have the ‘hard’ skills - project management, a technical understanding and the ability to liaise with contractors.”

“Right down to the exact shade of paint on the walls, they’ve got it completely right. We’ve been really lucky and we have a great home to show for it.”

inspired Buys...

Twiggy by Foscarini lamp £1,058.

Smoke chair by Moooi £2,908.

Fiam Rialto glass coffee table £1,600.

Fully automatic iRobot 790 vacuum cleaner £699, www.irobot.com.

The property is arranged over three floors with exposed beams and a light full-height entrance vestibule.

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Unless stated, items available are from NGI Design, St Martins, Stamford.

Tel: 01780 766 899, ngidesign.co.uk.

Caboche by Foscarini light £837.

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How to make an open plan space work NEIL PARTRIdGE & dARREN CHERRy, OWNERS OF THE NGI dESIGN SHOWROOM IN STAMFORd, TELL US HOW TO MAKE OPEN PLAN LIVING SPACES WORK FOR yOU

G

one are the days when each room had to be separated by imposing walls and doors, now it’s all about creating a free flowing layout. Most of us lead hectic lives, so these unrestricted areas are great for getting people to come together.

The benefit of open plan living is to create an integrated environment; however you still need to create clear zones to separate the potential mess of the kitchen from the relaxing and dining spaces.

Here are a few things that you should consider. your kitchen units can have a major influence on the look and feel of the space, so it’s essential to consider the materials and layout. The units should blend seamlessly with the other furniture in the room, so you’ll find it reassuring to know that many contemporary designer kitchen companies such as Cesar now provide options for the connecting spaces such as Cesar’s C-day Living range. The living room furniture should echo the style, shape and materials used in the kitchen and vice versa, so try to choose complementary pieces to create a cohesive design.

A kitchen design which creates a visual break between the different spaces is ideal, so you could opt for a L-shaped layout, or add a kitchen island to create a barrier between the living, dining and kitchen areas.

If you’re fretting about dirty pots and pans being on show, a raised edge can be added to the outer worktop to keep these hidden away.

The most successful open plan layouts use a design theme or colour palette throughout the different zones to create a sense of unity.

Accentuate your design by choosing cushions, throws and rugs in complementary patterns or shades. you can also use vases, mirrors and picture frames to really tie the whole look together. don’t forget practical issues! Cooking smells can be eradicated before they disperse by simply installing an efficient extractor that is designed to cope with the volume of space. you can also check the noise rating of any appliance to make sure that your dinner parties aren’t overridden by whirring fridges, dishwashers and extractors.

NGI Design can be found at 4-6 High Street, St Martins, Stamford, PE9 2LF. For more information, contact NGI Design on 01780 766 899, email enq@ngidesign.co.uk or visit www.ngidesign.co.uk.

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CREATING BEAUTIFUL HOMES SPECIALISING IN HERITAGE ANd ARCHITECTURAL JOINERy ANd IN THE CREATION OF GARdEN ROOMS ANd LUxURIOUS BESPOKE KITCHENS, THERE’S LITTLE THAT CRAFTSMEN CHRISTIAN dALES ANd ROB WRIGHT dON’T KNOW ABOUT THEIR TRAdE...

For MG Dales’s MD Christian Dales and Manager Rob Wright, the mission statement is simple - create beautiful joinery items that are impeccably crafted, with service to match to ensure the business’s reputation continues to thrive throughout Rutland.

rooms, and has a multitude of experience working to create the interiors of day spas & shop fronts as well as kitchens covering any budget and complex curved staircases, doors, windows and garden rooms to compliment existing period properties or new builds.

No two days are the same for the architectural joiners, who work on domestic & commercial commissions, from single pieces to complete homes, with budgets from just a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pounds.

Working in timbers including mahogany, walnut, oak, cherry and wenge, and providing a full project management service including building works, plumbing & electrical works, MG Dales still makes every effort to ensure it provides customer satisfaction, as well as stunning joinery.

Christian leads an 11-strong team of experts from a purposebuilt 10,000sq ft workshop with the latest equipment, and personally oversees the architectural design and drawing of each project to ensure customers are happy.

Says Christian; “What’s important to us is that our staff are really well trained and take pride in their work. Each piece is hand-finished and our joinery items are customdesigned to ensure our customers are delighted with everything we do for them.”

The team has over 200 years of combined experience and offers a full fitting service. MG Dales can also undertake renovation work on existing buildings or

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“Heritage work is really important to us, we are genuinely interested in preserving the areas architecture” says manager Rob Wright. “We have completed projects on Grade I listed churches, stately homes, listed properties and modern homes. Everything we make is truly bespoke and we are passionate about quality and insist every job we install maintains our reputation” says Christian.

Over 40 years after its creation, the company’s reputation is impeccable, its joinery is beautiful and its ethos remains firmly intact, making MG Dales the county’s trusted family firm for beautiful, well-made joinery items.

£ MG DALES To find out more call 01205 760 275 or see www.dalesjoinery.co.uk.

£ MEET THE TEAM Above/Right; Manager Rob Wright and owner Christian Dales show the hand-finished quality of MG Dales’s bespoke joinery.

Above; Local authority award winning garden room.

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Business Feature MG

Dales

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Fly fishing instructor Rob Waddington (left) has been teaching novices and enthusiasts the secrets of Rutland water for over a decade.

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FLy FiSHiNG

Fish for Trout

Rutland Water is one of the UK’s most understated but wonderful venues for fly fishing. Whether you’re an enthusiastic novice or an experienced rod, you can trust Rob Waddington to be your guide to the water...

T

en years ago, Rob Waddington left his desk behind for the last time. He picked up his fly fishing rod, rowed out to the middle of Rutland Water, and he’s been there ever since... well, sort of.

The Yorkshireman (and former drummer with 80s band New Model Army) left behind a senior management position to set up a B&B by the reservoir, originally intending to fish the lake for pleasure. Eventually though, he ‘landed a big one;’ setting up a business teaching others the secrets of the water as a fly fishing tutor. >> >> Words: Rob Davis.

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Rob has been fishing the reservoir for over a decade.

It’ s a challenging venue for game fishing but one of the most rewarding, so his expert insider knowledge is something experienced rods are keen to capitalise on!

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FLy FiSHiNG

Even experienced rods rely on Rob’s knowledge of the water to judge which flies to use.

R

ob Waddington’s fly fishing business is 10 years old this month, but he’s by no means bored of the continual challenge Rutland Water presents. The reservoir, which covers 3,000 acres and has 26 miles of coastline is, according to every knowledgeable source, one of the UK’s best trout fishing venues, one that Rob is happy to introduce to experienced rods but also complete novices alike.

Leaving his previous life as a globe-trotting company director and weekend fisherman behind back in 2003, he moved to the very edge of Rutland Water to begin a new life as the owner of a waterside B&B and work as a fishing tutor.

It’s a sedate life, so it’s no surprise that Rob is one of the most ‘chilled out’ and lovely men you’ll ever meet.

He delights in his trade and is keen to show even a complete beginner that fly fishing is a peaceful, sedentary pursuit and prove that casting a line is the preserve of technique and grace rather than strength of power.

Rob’s fishing classroom is adjacent to his waterside lodge.

“I can teach individuals, couples or groups of up to 16, with half days from £75 and full days from £155, all inclusive. They’re popular as gift experiences and our customers are a half-andhalf mix; complete beginners, and those who know how to fish but are looking for a guide to a water which is renowned for being a challenging and diverse place to fish.” >> 67

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FLy FiSHiNG

>> For the uninitiated, fly fishing is an ideal introduction to game fishing. There’s no smelly bait, casting requires grace rather than power and there’s a reward of delicious trout at the end.

Rob’s teaching begins with a short Powerpoint presentation in his fishing classroom, which covers casting techniques and the different insect species that trout feed on. This leads neatly onto which flies best emulate those insects and where around the reservoir each species will appear.

“That’s why my guidance is as popular with experienced trout fishermen as it is with novices.” Rob says. “Game fishing is a real challenge, I’m tempted to say it’s a bit posher than other forms of fishing, and more cerebral. Half the challenge is reading the water, the wind conditions, judging the type of fly and so on.”

“For me though, the pull of the trout when they fight the line, their aggression and also the quality of the fish makes the sport really rewarding, especially around here.”

Participants are moreorless certain to catch something during a morning or day spent with Rob, and it’s likely your catch will weigh over two pounds, but Rob’s greatest Rutland catch was a huge 8 lbs, and the Rutland record is a monster 15lb trout.

Back at the lodge, Rob serves us up his delicious smoked trout - from his own smokery, near the classroom - with home-made toasted bread and tartare sauce.

“We enjoy spectacular sunsets over Rutland Water, and it’s a fantastic job in the summer, spending the day enjoying the view of everyone enjoying the place in their own way. Best of all i know i’m going back to shore to enjoy fresh fish and a glass of white wine!”

Needless to say it was delicious, and with sun beginning to set over the water, Rob delighted in showing me the views he and his guests enjoy from the B&B. “We’ve spectacular sunsets here!” he enthuses. “That’s what we’re all about; giving even those who have never fished before a feel-good experience. I’ve called my business ‘Rob’s Fly Fishing Adventures’ - because that’s what we do; take people on an adventure... it’s just great fun!”

“Plus, it’s a chance to enjoy one of life’s simple pleasures.

There’s nothing better than smoked fish from the reservoir, it has a really fresh, vibrant flavour.”

A feel-good experience indeed, time spent with Rob bucks all of the fishing preconceptions I harboured. It was a warm day in the fresh air enjoying the sights of Rutland Water.

With no smelly bait, and expert tuition it was definitely a rewarding activity that’s easy to start and one that’s going to be very difficult to forget!

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For more information on Rob’s Rutland Fly Fishing Adventures call 01572 722422 or see www.rutland waterflyfishing.co.uk.

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Rob’s customer base is split evenly between amateur and experienced rods. There’s a healthy contingent of corporate entertainment business too, and lots of women keen to try the sport.

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RUTLAND RETREATS

Home from Home...

After ďŹ shing on the reservoir with Rob Waddington - see our previous spread - why not retreat to your own home from home? Rutland Retreats are stylish, cosy, beautifully appointed holiday homes and, with property management available too, a great investment opportunity...

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A PLACE TO RELAX iN RUTLAND

£ WELL APPOINTED Enjoy a home away from home in Rutland with underfloor heating, log burner, integrated dishwasher and washing machine, wi-fi and two en suite bathrooms.

£ A GREAT INvESTMENT When you’re not using your Rutland Retreat, Barnsdale Lodge can rent it out and manage it on your behalf, providing a solid investment opportunity.

A beautiful home away from home in Rutland...

That’s what Ed Burrows of Barnsdale Lodge has created adjacent to the Exton boutique hotel.

This summer will see the completion of his select development of retreats ideal for second homes, country retreats, or with flexible property management a compelling investment opportunity with rental potential.

“Rutland Retreats is a brand new concept in lifestyle and an exciting investment opportunity.” says Ed. “They offer a rare chance to own a premium plot of land right next to Rutland Water, together with an architecturally designed property built of solid timber construction.”

“When you buy a Rutland Retreat, you have the freedom to use it as a hassle-free, ‘lock-up-and-leave’ second or holiday home – with the added benefit of a 24/7 concierge service at your beck and call.”

“Alternatively, you can treat it as a solid investment opportunity, whereby Barnsdale Lodge will rent and manage the property for you. Of course, for the best of both worlds, you’ve the

option of a combination of the two to bring you income which can cover the cost of owning a second home.”

The three-bedroom Retreats are impeccably appointed with two en suite bedrooms, log burners, underfloor heating, wi-fi and integrated appliances, and a week-long self-catering break starts from only £495, with short breaks also available.

Eco-friendly features include a moss sedum roof, sun-pipe lighting, comfort cooling and recycled wool insulation.

The lodges proved to be a perfect home from home after we’d enjoyed a day fishing with Rob Waddington of Rob’s Rutland Water Fly Fishing Adventures. Barnsdale’s Head Chef Steven Conway even popped in after work to prepare a delicious supper with our catch of the day, in our very own Rutland Retreat...!

For more information see www.rutlandretreats.com or call 01572 725971.

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Rutland Water Trout with Asparagus, Quail’s Eggs and Spring Salad Serves four; preparation time approximately 10 minutes.

Four freshly line-caught Rutland trout of approx 11/2 lb each, 2 bunches asparagus, 8 quail eggs, 2 tbs olive oil, 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind, Approx 60ml lemon juice Salad of Lollo Rosso, radicchio or chard and watercress

1 2

Fillet then barbecue or lightly poach each trout.

Cook the asparagus in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for one minute or until bright green and just tender.

Drain and refresh under cold water.

3

Meanwhile, place eggs in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water then bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for two minutes for soft-boiled yolks then cool in a bowl of cold water then peel.

4

Wash and drain salad leaves and place the trout on top. Squeeze lemon over to your taste.

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Steven Conway is Head Chef at Barnsdale Lodge and used the hotel’s new Rutland Retreats holiday homes to prepare a trout recipe taken from the hotel’s spring menus. For more info, see www.rutlandretreats.com or www.barnsdale lodge.co.uk.

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RECiPE with

Steven Conway

“After catching our trout with Rob Waddington we retired to our own lakeside ‘ Rutland Retreat’ where Barnsdale Lodge’ s Head Chef, Steven Conway, showed us how to really make the most of Rob’ s fresh trout...”

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SPRiNG HOBBiES

A Stitch in Time Needlework and patchwork were always popular in an era of make do and mend, but today needlework is even more popular than ever - just ask the county’s keenest ladies...

Quilters’ groups across the county enable hobbyists to get together to share advice and techniques.

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SPRiNG HOBBiES

S

ome years ago, needlecraft was regarded as something utilitarian, a means of ‘make do and mend.’ Its creative and recreational potential was only realised by wealthy families from the era of Jane Austen, with a British school for the craft established some 50 years later.

Whilst the potential to ensure the longevity of clothes remains, in these days of fast fashion it’s more of a hobby medium.

Needlecraft has great scope and nobody is more acutely aware of that than the group we joined in the county recently.

“It’s an informal group which is perhaps one of its biggest strengths.” says one member. “You can take along your patchwork, embroidery, crochet and knitting projects and just be around likeminded people enjoying your hobby.”

There are a number of needlecraft groups across the area, all of whom are united by the love of a craft they can pursue at home in between meeting fellow crafters to exchange techniques and ideas.

“i was looking for a hobby that can be pursued at home with Radio Four on in the background, but being with the ladies makes it more sociable...”

Sam Halifax of Art and Stitch works alongside Angela Watson to provide textile workshops for patchwork and quilting as well as free machine embroidery and other fabric techniques.

The company was established four years ago by Angela and has grown from strength to strength with over 100 regular attendees. There are four members of staff including Angela, who is also a guest presenter on Create & Craft TV. Particularly popular is the social stitching day held every Tuesday and Thursday, where crafty minded people meet in an easy going environment bringing along any projects they are working on, across a range of crafts to enjoy a relaxing creative session, with plenty of tea, chat and laughter also on tap.

“I think the real appeal of a group like ours is that they provide a good chance to socialise as part of what would otherwise be a quite solitary hobby.” adds Sam. “Many in the group have brought up children and have only just found the time to pursue a regular hobby.

For me, the chance to pick up whatever quilting project I’m working on is a chance to relax and put anything else to the back of my mind. I suppose it’s meditative in a way.”

“However, being able to join like-minded crafters and get help with techniques or just pursue your own project and have some company is great.”

Getting started in patchwork or quilting is easy - all that’s needed is a needle and thread, and an old shirt to cut up.

For those new to patchwork and quilting, patchwork is the technique of sewing pieces of fabric together - piecing -

Above: Sam Halifax loves the fact that she can pursue her hobby at home before joining like-minded crafters across the county.

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SPRiNG HOBBiES

to make a block then the blocks are sewn together to make a quilt top. The blocks can be as simple or as complicated as you wish considering your ability. Once you have created a quilt top, you now need to make it into a quilt.

This involves the layering of the backing, the wadding and the quilt top which are basted together allowing you to then quilt the three layers together in a design of your choice.

Ideal starter projects include a basic cushion cover using a basic nine patch block with which you can piece your chosen fabrics together to form a pattern and then quilt the block before finishing into a cushion cover. Other small starter items are simple bags where fabrics are pieced together, quilted and then sewn into a bag.

Bags can be finished with zips - for the more confident or with magnetic fasteners. Just by choosing different fabric combinations the same initial item can look totally different dependant on your choice of fabric.

“The beauty of quilting and patchworking is that it’s easily scaleable.” says Sam. “It’s important to learn the basics but once you do you can really develop your skills. A sewing machine helps to speed things up, for instance.”

More advanced projects include soft toys, knitted dolls and tapestries or wall art that can be entered into local exhibitions.

Once you have gained your confidence in the smaller items you can then also progress to larger scale items like full-size quilting projects. These do, however, take more time to complete so when learning the craft it’s always advisable to make a quilt to stick with basic blocks as this will make the piecing and quilting easier to come together in the long run.

When you’ve mastered the basic techniques of piecing and quilting you can then take your designs a step further to incorporate more cuts and therefore more complicated blocks further down the line. You can even pursue a formal qualification such as a City & Guilds, through craft venues like Art and Stitch.

it’s easy to get started creating cushion covers, bags and quilts - but the hobby is quickly scalable so you can soon more onto projects like soft toys...

Likewise, you can expand your interest through the many ranges of fabrics, threads and other materials at craft retailers.

These have a wealth of ideas and usually run both ‘social stitching’ days and more tuition led workshops for exchanging ideas and learning new skills.

“My husband can’t understand the appeal of cutting up a piece of fabric only to stitch it back together.” says one lady.

“But it’s an addictive craft, and before you know it you will be trying to design more complicated and individual pieces of work as well as becoming a hoarder of fabrics even though you don’t necessarily know how you will use them!”

With so many local groups and workshops across the county, patchwork and quilting is no longer a craft of ‘make do and mend,’ but rather an addictive, easy to adopt and really rewarding hobby that’s more popular than ever.

For more information and details of forthcoming courses, contact Art and Stitch (01733 230898, www.artandstitch.co.uk) or contact Rutland Quilters, who meet on the first Thursday of each month from 7.30pm-9pm at Uppingham Town Hall (07950 940496).

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£ ANyTHING GOES!

£ HUNTINGDON RAcEcOURSE.

, What s On in April £ AND THEy’RE OFF!

£ EASTER FUN

£ STAR cROSS’D LOvERS

get ready for the thrills of racing this season with huntingdon racecourse a great venue at which to enjoy a Family Fun day on 1st april and Ladies’ day, taking place on 22nd may.

enjoy a family fun day at rockingham castle this easter. From 31st march to 1st april, enjoy an easter egg hunt, children's ‘witches and wizards’ games and family quiz with Wentworth the griffin.

With a free fairground, inflatable zorb balls and swingboats, fairground stalls, food stands and much more, there’s so much to do on the 175 acre course’s family fun day. you’d be forgiven for having to be reminded that there’s also seven great races to have a flutter on! gates open from midday with the first race at 2.10pm; £22 per family.

www.rockinghamcastle.com

Following on from the success of macbeth, the highly acclaimed icarus Theatre collective returns to Leicester’s de montfort hall to present a bold and exciting new production of shakespeare’s most tragic tale – romeo & Juliet. appearing from 16th-17th april, the adaptation is one of the most fearless and dynamic, described by Time out as a true critic’s choice. Tickets are £17/adults, £11/conc, with early booking highly recommended.

may will then see Ladies’ day - a chance to dress up and enjoy cupcakes & clarins, a glass of champagne and of course, there are prizes for the best dressed ladies!

demontfort hall will also host sleeping beauty on ice from 10th-14th april and will welcome big names like madness’s suggs, mcFly and The specials, plus comedy from micky Flanagan, and Julian clary later in the summer.

www.huntingdon-racecourse.co.uk 0844 579 3007

www.demontforthall.co.uk 0116 233 3111

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WHAT’S ON WHAT’S ON

Coming Soon

Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra...

Get ready for the smoothest boogie woogie boy in town on 8th June, as former Squeeze musician and Hootenanny host Jools Holland comes to the area with his rhythm and blues orchestra.

Jools is appearing in concert with Roland Gift of 1980s group The Fine Young Cannibals, and specials guest vocalists Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall. Also appearing with be Gilson Lavis, with whom Jools has performed for over 25 years.

From playing pubs in the East End docks as a teenage greaser, to leading his rhythm and blues orchestra and selling millions of records this century, it is his passion for music that has made Jools into a doyen of the rhythm scene.

£ ROMEO AND JULIET

Star Cross’d Lovers appearing at Leicester’s DeMontfort Hall.

Jools was awarded an OBE in 2003 for his services to the British music industry. He is married with four children and lives, well, in a world of his own.

The event will be organised by Live Promotions, whose Colin Ward says; “We’re delighted to be featuring Jools Holland and his orchestra together with such fabulous guests this year. Burghley House makes such a spectacular backdrop, and this is one concert not to be missed this summer!”

£ ANYTHING GOES!

£ DECORATING TRENDS

In Uppingham, Anything Goes, especially this month when the Cole Porter musical comes to Uppingham Theatre courtesy of the Rutland Musical Theatre group.

Enjoy a fascinating talk and workshop all about the latest decorating trends with Oakham’s Elizabeth Stanhope Interiors this month.

1920s glamour and a Cole Porter score both turn PG Wodehouse’s story of a stowaway on board an ocean liner bound for London, who’s hopelessly in love, into musical theatre heaven, with notable songs including the titular Anything Goes and I Get a Kick Out of You.

You’ll gain lots of expert advice on the latest decorating trends and find out how to create inspiring rooms like a professional interior designer.

Billy Crocker is aided in his quest for love by nightclub singer Reno Sweeney and Moonface Martin.

Evening performances from 8th to 13th April and matinee performance on 13th April from 2.30pm. Tickets from £12-£15. www.uppthearts.co.uk Tel: 01572 820 820

The event, from 10am-1pm on 25th April, features an inspiring talk, with storyboard presentation and workshop, hosted by Colefax and Fowler.

There’s also an anti pasti lunch courtesy of Otters Smokehouse and Deli, and the whole event will raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Tickets are £35 and are available from the Mill Street interior design retailer. www.elizabethstanhope.co.uk Tel: 01572 722345

“The public are recommended to book early to ensure that they get tickets, which are bound to be in big demand.”

Tickets cost £37.50 and are available by calling 01780 752451 or via www.burghley.co.uk.

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Pansies and Lobelia are good hanging basket mainstays for traditional, formal gardens. Plugs should be planted directly into baskets from late April after frost risk has passed.

iN THE GARDEN

Hanging Baskets Brighten up gloomy corners of your garden or transform a stark patio with a shock of colour.

Hanging baskets are a practical and easy to create method of adding visual interest at a higher level in your garden...

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gardening

C

reating a really great looking hanging basket is a skill that’s worth learning because their creative potential is practically limitless. They can brighten up any area, adopt a formal or informal look and even offer colour in the autumn and winter seasons too. With such versatility, it’s worth getting to grips both with the basics of hanging basket techniques and advanced ideas for creating both variety and individuality.

The Basket Conventionally, hanging baskets are plastic covered wire frames, and that’s fine for formal baskets, but being a little more imaginative can yield impressive creations too. Requisition vintage kitchenalia like colanders, old milk jugs and old wicker shopping baskets, they can all look great.

Old leather boots with shoelaces have a ready-made way of being hung!

The Lining Avoid plastic liners, and use sphagnum moss-liners. Liners are necessary to retain some water but also provide drainage - so colanders are ideal, but plastic or other materials will need drainage holes installing.

Preparing Your Basket Use hanging basket compost and always mix in a slow-release fertiliser and water retaining granules such as perlite, or Miracle Gro All-Purpose Continuous Release. Give the basket a thorough soaking before planting.

Top; Diarmuid Gavin’s wicker planters utilise giant geraniums ‘Octavia Hill,’ which will flower in May and June, lasting throughout summer.

Above; Symmetry and consistency works well when creating ‘formal’ hanging baskets, whereas old or repurposed containers with plenty of foliage spilling over can create a more rustic look.

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Right; Requisition an old colander as a quirky planter.

Strawberries and mint make a great combination for a kitchen garden themed hanging basket.

Hanging Basket Mainstays Fuchsias, lobelia and sweet peas all create trailing colour.

Use petunias, begonias and primroses, pansies and geraniums to create a block of bold, imposing colours.

One-colour schemes look just as effective as multi-colour ones.

Our suggestions include giant pelargoniums and petunias with a single colour or single colour with white accent.

Kitchen Garden Baskets Strawberries make a beautiful and delicious hanging basket addition; summer fruiting berries produce a flush from early-summer, Alpine strawberries are a little later. An ideal filler plant is mint which, when otherwise free to grow in borders, can overtake other plants. Alternatively, plant hardy herbs like parsley, topiary bay or lemon balm in your hanging basket. You can also grow cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets for a quirky twist on a kitchen garden basket theme.

Made For Shade Create a Japanese themed basket with painted fern, hosta or heuchera - these also work well as hanging topiary style ‘balls.’

Autumn and Winter Baskets Don’t restrict your hanging baskets to just the summer months. In winter, use conifer, chrysanthemum and hebe or coloured heather as ‘filler’ foliage. Ivy can be used to trail over the edge of your basket, and colour can be created with winter flowering pansies, violas and primroses.

Right; Always use slowrelease fertiliser and water retention gels or beads when preparing your hanging basket.

Underplanting for Year Round Colour If you’re planting a winter basket, underplant dwarf bulbs of narcissus, tulips and irises for a spring display too.

Far right; Use filler foliage around key flowers as your source of colour.

Think differently with your hanging baskets both in terms of your container and your chosen plants - strawberry and mint work well and herbs will grow brilliantly in a hanging basket...

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gardening

Petunias are a hanging basket mainstay and work great with single-colour planting schemes.

You should budget one plant for each inch of your basket’s diameter.

in The garden

Jobs for April £ Feed roses, borders and shrubs with general purpose fertiliser. Spring clean borders of weeds using a hoe and prepare your borders for summer bedding plants.

£ In the kitchen garden, sow crops like summer cabbage, brussels and early peas, cauliflower and broccoli, salad crops, carrots and onions.

Plant early and main crop potatoes, earthing up shoots of early potatoes to protect them from frost.

Create beds in which to plant your asparagus crop and sow hardy herbs.

£ Plant spring bedding plants for your borders and plant summer bulbs in pots. Plant compact evergreen trees, conifers and shrubs.

£ Look after your lawn by treating moss and weeds with three-in-one treatments. This will also patch-in sparse areas of lawn.

£ Tie-in climbing and rambling roses and wall-trained shrubs, pruning spring shrubs and winter jasmine.

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This month, the real life ‘Tom and Barbara Good.’ The couple grow their own veg and rear their own meat... but also hold down full-time professional careers!

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kiTchen garden

Self-Sufficiency

The Good Life

Ever wanted to step out of your back door and pick your own vegetables, harvest your own fruit, collect your own fresh eggs? It’s easier than you think...

O

n Tom Good’s 40th birthday back in 1975, he and wife Barbara decided to become self-sufficient. They packed up work to follow their dream and had a great time doing so. Despite Richard Briers’ death last month the much-loved Tom lives on in popular culture - but how easy is it - really - to become self-sufficient? We decided to ask a local couple who have done just that! >> >> Words and Photos: rob davis

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The couple have created a kitchen garden which is easy to maintain but productive. They grow their own vegetables and keep their own animals...

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kiTchen gardening

Self-Sufficiency houses on the site. However, the developer changed his mind and instead offered the land for sale with one of his properties instead.

The second surprise, then, is the fact that rather than the charming old cottage we were expecting when we pulled up to the couple’s home, the property is actually just the kind of immaculate, newly built detached executive home you’d expect a professional to live in.

It’s smart, with formal planting and block paving to the front. Even to the rear of the property a conservatory leads to a clipped lawn with pond and neat borders. Beyond this is a beautiful rose garden and only behind the ‘pretty’ part of the garden is the plot’s true kitchen garden purpose apparent.

The Victorian-style orangery was an investment but it’s practical and warm, enabling the couple to extend their growing season throughout the year.

W

hat will you be doing this weekend?

Perhaps spending a little time in the garden? Colin and Janet Johnson will be doing the same, only their efforts in the couple’s three acre plot, created in 2006, hold a rather more practical purpose than the efforts of most gardeners.

The couple have been self-sufficient for a number of years, and designed their plot to be both manageable and productive whilst remaining pretty, too.

The obvious comparison is to the late Richard Briers’ character, Tom Good, in The Good Life. It’s a lifestyle to which many faintly aspire, but shy away from because of the obvious amount of work involved.

We joined the couple on a nippy March morning one Saturday. It had to be a weekend appointment because both Colin and Janet work throughout the week as a Management

With three acres of land the couple are entirely self-sufficient in terms of vegetables and meat.

They keep chickens for eggs, rear their own pork and still have enough space for a pretty garden... consultant and Legal Secretary respectively. The fact that the couple could find the time to maintain a three acre plot whilst holding down demanding jobs was to be the first of several surprises.

“It’s all about being organised.” says Colin. “We kept chickens before and moved here in 2006 hoping to grow our own produce. The plot was fallow grass so essentially it was a blank canvas.”

“That enabled us to plan the garden from scratch to make it as productive - and as easy to maintain - as possible.”

The plot was originally much larger, and the property developer who owned it intended to create several more

The couple, then, haven’t given up their right to a nice garden in which to sit in the summer months. However, beyond the rose garden are 11 veg plots, a small paddock for the pigs with electric fencing, the Victorian-style greenhouse, a small paddock for the couple’s goats, a fenced chicken area and the couple’s orchard.

The vegetable plots were the first areas to be instated, created in January 2006. Sheep followed in April before Colin and Janet brought their pigs to the plot in June and created their pond that summer.

Today, the couple have six Lincoln Longwool sheep, 40 chickens, a couple of Sebastopol geese, three turkeys, three pygmy goats, three hives of bees and they are currently awaiting delivery of their four Old English rare breed pigs.

To ensure maximum productivity from their vegetable beds, the couple rotate their crops and are able to produce potatoes, carrots, parsnips, swede, leeks, sweetcorn, beans, various pulses and peas at relevant times throughout the year.

Salad crops are a mainstay of the couple’s diet throughout the warmer months, and the couple freeze anything they don’t eat immediately to use later.

Fruit was a disaster last year, and the couple’s apple and pear crop gave a poor yield. Strawberries, rhubarb and soft fruits are a treat in the summer and excesses of these, too, are frozen.

With the purchase of a fruit press, Colin has been producing his own apple juice as well as a particularly special cider, and their new hives yielded 15lbs of honey last year too.

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The couple keep three pygmy goats as well as a flock of Lincoln Longwools, 40 chickens and four or five pigs.

You’d think, with such a productive plot, that the couple would be unable to hold down full time careers. In fact, Colin and Janet have taken every possible opportunity to make their lives as easy as possible.

“We’ve planned the plot so it’s easy to manage.” says Colin.

“All of the gaps between borders need just one pass with the mower, and the animals keep the grass in the paddocks down with their grazing.”

The couple spend a total of an hour each day looking after their livestock and enjoy spending time together at the weekend to work on the vegetable beds and maintain the plot itself...

The couple have also employed permanently plumbed-in drinkers for the animals which keep themselves topped up, and duskactivated doors for the chickens coops to automate their animal husbandry as much as possible and this year the sheep lambed themselves, which helped.

Every morning Janet is out by 7am. Her routine is the same each day and it’s well-rehearsed to ensure maximum efficiency. “I feed the goats, sheep, geese and turkeys, then feed the bantams and muck out the hen houses. I water the plants in the glasshouse and feed the doves.” says Janet.

“After that it’s a simple matter of having my own porridge, feeding the dog and heading off to work!”

Janet says her morning routine takes no longer than 45 minutes, and in the evening a further 30 minute routine takes care of feeding the goats, the sheep, putting the ducks to bed and collecting the eggs from the hen houses. Maintaining the whole plot takes just over an hour a day, plus time spent together at the weekend to give the fruit and vegetable beds some attention.

“It’s a common interest we share, but it works well for us as a couple because we can both spend time working together on something, but equally, we can spend time working on something on our own if we want our a bit of space.”

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kiTchen gardening

Self-Sufficiency

“We love rearing our own animals, but it’ s important to make the garden as easy to manage as possible... a lot of thought has gone into planning the plot.”

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kiTchen gardening

Self-Sufficiency

Recent food scandals have made the issue of knowing where our food comes from ever-more important.

It’s interesting to note, though, that whilst self-sufficiency is more labour-intensive than a trip to the supermarket it isn’t necessarily more expensive.

The couple says they spend around £100 a month on feed and hay, and find that the chickens cover their costs with a good surplus for family and friends. Janet and Colin’s pigs cover their costs and yield pork throughout the year, being butchered locally.

“We’ve worked it out and we don’t think we spend any more than we would on groceries..” says Janet. “A trip to the supermarket once a month is still necessary for cleaning products and toiletries, but overall we think we have a better diet and a better standard of living for being self-sufficient.”

“We do eat well.” adds Colin. “There’s absolutely nothing like being able to tuck into a Sunday lunch and know that everything on the plate has come from your own garden.

It makes all of the hard work worthwhile!”

“It’ s possible to start small and gradually take on more responsibilities On our scale it’ s harder work but it’ s still perfectly manageable. What’ s more, we believe that we spend no more than we would do shopping for groceries...”

The couple’s orangery allows them to get a head start on their growing whilst rotation of beds enables them to be completely self-sufficient for both vegetables and fruit.

The couple have 40 chickens and ease the job of keeping them with self-filling drinkers and dusk-sensitive automatic coop doors.

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“We eat really well and have a great standard of living.

We’ re not martyrs to the plot either - both of us are itching to get into the garden by the time the weekend comes along!�

Colin and Janet open their garden and smallholding as part of the National Garden Scheme to raise money for charity, this year they open on the 23th June and 7th July more information is available from their website www.thehawthorns rarebreeds.co.uk or from the National Gardens Scheme website.

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On The FarM

BarrY POSTOn Inclement weather and cool soils are encouraging the crops to stay in the ground... Barry Poston this month wonders if their human custodians should do the same!

T

he type of soil on a farmer’s land determined how much outside farm work took place in the county during early March.

On lighter, sandier soils and heathland farmers were able to proceed with spring cereal and vining pea sowings. However, on heavier and silty soils, very little work was able to take place.

I am certain these farmers are waiting for dry, warmer weather and it’s hoped this arrives before this article is read although as Pride goes to press we’re experiencing an unexpected dusting of spring snow! Great patience is proving an essential quality in getting seed beds ready for successful sugar beet and potato crops this spring!

A lot of spring barley will be sown this year on those fields that were badly damaged by the harvesting of potato and sugar beet in a previous wet autumn. The chances of selling for malting will be low, so growers must opt for the highest yields of feed barley. I suggest that two cultivations will be best; one to open the soils to allow drying more easily into the wetter soils below, this will allow the soil underneath to dry out before a second cultivation takes place.

There is no doubt that the recent discovery of horse meat in various processed food products has helped to increase the price of home-grown meat. All British cattle and sheep are carefully marked and their full history can be traced.

Words: Barry Poston

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This has clearly meant increased meat prices, but most purchasers are happy to pay for British assured produce as a mark of quality and a guarantee of good animal husbandry.

This is generally indicated by the little red tractor sign, and I hope households do not mind paying a little extra for assurance from where their product came. One penny in a pound can amount to several pounds per ton for most agricultural products.

Some early vegetable crops such as planted cauliflower, onion sets and onion seed have been planted by mid-March and these are generally covered by plastic.

Prices for over-wintered produce have been variable as supplies from Spain, Italy and Cornwall have been arriving steadily over the winter period. The county’s early vegetable crops will need considerable warmth to ensure higher soil temperatures if planting and sowing is to take place.

Daffodil flowers are about four weeks late this year and were in short supply for Mothering Sunday. The same will probably be true of Easter.

I always feel that these give a very good indication to what growing conditions for other crops are like. I have also noticed how slow seed potatoes are chitting in the seed store - this is another indication of later planting dates.

Perhaps these crops are telling us something!

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On The FarM with

Barry Poston

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Watercolour artist

sandra Peck

Sandra teaches people how to paint watercolour flowers across the county with regular classes for up to 15 people.

Words: rob davis

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a rendezvOuS wiTh

Watercolour Artist Sandra Peck If you’ve ever admired the beauty of a flower growing in your garden and found yourself wishing you could capture it forever, artist Sandra Peck may have a way.

For over 20 years Sandra has been teaching both novice and experienced painters the art of capturing nature in her preferred watercolour medium...

T

here are few things as beautiful as the flowers growing in our garden in spring and summer. For watercolour artist Sandra Peck though, preserving them in watercolour paintings adds an extra dimension to the pleasure of growing and appreciating flowers.

Working across both Lincolnshire and Rutland at venues including Burghley House and Barnsdale Gardens, Sandra teaches both novice and experienced painters how to paint in watercolours using a wet-into-wet technique.

“Anyone can have a go, with no experience necessary.” says Sandra. “All you need is an appreciation for the flower you’re working with, and a bit of patience. Your technique can be learned and with a bit of practice, refined.”

Growing up in Northamptonshire on the family farm, Sandra loved sketching and painting at school and a move to the county in 1973 when she married her husband Steve would see a resurgence in her artistic efforts.

“With lots of enthusiasm and constant experimentation I developed my own technique of controlled wet-into-wet, which works particularly well for petals.” says Sandra.

“I allow colours to mix on the paper, with attention to both wash and more defined brush strokes, so that each petal appears not only translucent but are also more lifelike when introduced onto the wet paper.”

By the early 1980s Sandra was exhibiting her work and hosting live demonstrations, teaching her technique to others.

“Whilst my exhibitions were on, I was frequently asked if I could sit in the gallery for a few hours to chat to visitors and to demonstrate and so I soon became accustomed to people watching me paint.”

“anyone can paint if they want to. it’s just a case of giving yourself time to practice. You’re bound to make mistakes at first, but don’t worry and don’t be put off; the more you do the better you will get.

Just relax and enjoy the creative process...!”

“When my children were very young I enjoyed drawing portraits of them - mostly when they were asleep, as any mum knows this is the only time that they keep still and the only opportunity you have for such things.” says Sandra.

The artist was, back then, an enthusiastic amateur but felt she could improve with some tuition. She attended a class at her local Riverbank Studios and gained some tuition under the guidance of John Gray.

“ I was asked if I would teach how to paint watercolour flowers at Riverbank, which I did for a number of years. I have always worked freelance and had no career plan, but fortuitously, I found that I received offers to teach from many different places, so each week I found myself in a variety of locations.”

“It was an invaluable introduction to watercolours and other mediums and brilliant instruction in figurative drawing and portraiture at his life drawing classes.”

“Some of these were initially booked as one-offs, but have then become a permanent fixture, as people were so keen to come. I am now extremely fortunate to paint in two of the loveliest locations, Burghley House, in Lincolnshire and Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland, where I have been Resident Artist for 12 years. I was also invited by the Royal Horticultural Society to tutor classes for them at Wisley.”

“After trying various different mediums, I became enchanted by the way watercolours interact with the paper you’re using and all the glorious possibilities that they offered.” says Sandra.

“I’ve also partnered with the RHS; Two of my painting days each year at Barnsdale are run in conjunction with the Society so there is a concession for members on those days.” >> 97

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rendezvOuS

>> Sandra’s next Barnsdale Gardens lessons take place on Tuesday 16th April with a theme of Tulips in Soft Focus, and on Thursday 23rd May with a theme of Watercolour Cards.

Similar courses at Burghley House on 10th April and 8th May provide the opportunity to paint Dover’s White Cliffs and the Chimneys and Cupolas of Burghley House but classes with floral themes on 12th June focus on Flag Irises and on 31st July painting the house’s hanging baskets.

The courses cost from £57 and run from 10.30am until 4pm with a break for lunch. Typically the format is one of tuition in the morning and a chance to practice in the afternoon.

“I think that everyone learns more easily from watching, so I demonstrate each stage of the landscape or flower subject for the day.”

“I have everyone sitting round a table with me so that they can watch the demonstration close-up and are able to ask any questions. I always include extra tips and techniques that might be helpful. They then have go themselves and I give

“I begin with a demonstration then offer people the chance to practice the various techniques.

In the afternoon they can create their own watercolour.

It’ s easy to get started and rather addictive!”

98

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Sandra begins each piece with a study of the subject, sometimes preserving the background, sometimes isolating her subject.

Above; Sandra’s Daffodils.

Below/Left; Afternoon tea by the wisteria at Burghley House’s Orangery restaurant.

Right; Sandra’s technique is ‘wet onto wet’ allowing colour to bleed into the page for subtle variations in tone.

Artist Sandra has been teaching novices and experienced painters her watercolour technique in the county for over 20 years...

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rendezvOuS

TrY iT YOurSelF

Paint Your Own Daffodil Painting from fresh flowers is always the most inspiring. Before you begin take a good look at your subject to select the best angle, often a slightly turned, or downward facing view is more interesting than head on. Notice how the light is falling on to the flower and try to capture this. I have given a step-by-step demonstration below, which you may like to follow...

1.

2.

It is worth spending a little time on your drawing, notice how the petals are turned a little, which will help to ‘lift’ them, so that they don’t appear pressed on to the page. Wet each petal and paint with lemon yellow, making sure that your brush-strokes follow the shape of the flower and leaving some highlights. Paint the trumpet in a similar way. >> individual help and encouragement and am happy to do extra demonstrations, or to help to rectify any parts of the painting which aren’t going to plan.”

3.

4.

Sandra says she hasn’t tired of providing tuition over her 22 years, and has clique of regulars as well as novice students who enjoy the experience and find themselves quickly gaining the skills they need to practice back home.

“Anyone can paint if they want to, you just have to give yourself time to practice... you’re bound to make a few mistakes at first, but if you’re diligent and aren’t put off, the more you do the better you will get.”

For Sandra, it’s a great opportunity to combine the pleasure of growing beautiful flowers in her cottage garden with the pleasure of painting and teaching others to paint too.

Opposite, we’ve provided the opportunity to sample Sandra’s tuition for yourself, but if you’d like to learn more, visit her website at www.sandrapeckwatercolours.co.uk or call 01775 761375.

All pictures from originals by Sandra Peck.

Whilst this is still wet, build up the tones with a rich buttery yellow, such as new gamboge or cadmium deep, dropping in some extra little touches of sap green, at the base of the petals and cadmium orange inside the trumpet. Add the stalk and finally the sheath, keeping this delicate and translucent.

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PLATINUM

DESIGNS FOR HIM, FOR HER AND FOR ETERNITY Moore & Scrupps offers a range of beautiful designer jewellery on both traditional and contemporary styles, to suit all budgets.

Visit us in store for a personal consultation.

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The FaShiOn PageS

Fashions For All Seasons whEthEr wE ENjoy a warm, Balmy SPrINg or ExPErIENcE aPrIl ShowErS, StEIlmaNN wIll ProvIdE FaShIoNS For all SEaSoNS...

Steilm ann’ s transparent rainc oat will show off an outfit worn below

The blue an d ‘n autic al ’ look nevewr hitdaetes .

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£ When iT rains: Versatile steilmann rain jackets in four different styles and colours.

R

emaining true to its values of being both poised and authentic yet continually breaking new ground. This is the ethos with which German brand Steilmann’s new collection is reflecting the spring season.

Steilmann this month puts an emphasis on modern prints especially for tunics and dresses but the print is also featured in its trousers.

Colour blocking stays important and is shown in all ranges; the styling is clean and chick.

Coloured blazer and chinos imply freshness and colourfulness. Bold geometric prints which have become established in blouses, light jackets and new shirt styles are particularly eye-catching.

The brand’s collection shows a reduced frock coat, simple trouser as well as shift dresses and a-line tops with colour blocking effects.

>> 103

FaShiOn

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Main: £ LiGhTWeiGhT jackeT Mint coloured showerproof jacket worn with a pair of floral print trousers and bright cerise cardigan. Finished off with a pair of colourful wedge sandals.

Above: £ fLOraL Floral t-shirt and matching cardigan, white trousers accessorised with a bright cerise clutch bag and fashionable wedge sandals. >> Above, designer glasses frames

by Gucci £225 and Max Mara £160. £O’Briens OpTicians 01652 653 595, www.obriensopticians.co.uk

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Brighten up spring with a combination of floral prints and blocks of bright colour - this practical jacket is weatherproof, light and versatile!

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<< £ circLes & sTripes Bold, retro design is the theme for this colourful dress. the bright cerise blazer jacket and stylish pink platform heels finish off the outfit nicely. an ideal outfit for day or night.

£ sTOckisTs karen’s Market Place, donington; 01775 820808. eve & ranshaw Market Place, louth; 01507 602902. www.eve-ranshaw.co.uk.

Obsessions crown street, town centre, oakham; 01572 770457.

Sally’s swaton, near sleaford; 01529 421335.

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>> £ COLOUR BLOCKING 1970s inspired red, black and white block colour dress.

Accessorised here with black sandals featuring red wedges.

£ STOCKISTS Karen’s Market Place, Donington; 01775 820808.

Eve & Ranshaw Market Place, Louth; 01507 602902. www.eve-ranshaw.co.uk.

Obsessions Crown Street, Town Centre, Oakham; 01572 770457.

Sally’s Swaton, near Sleaford; 01529 421335.

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t p rint s ilk s h if.. . n r e t t a p s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; n d S teil m an t c o lou r o f re en c c a n a h it d res s w Beige dress with sli mm ing sid e panels, in navy and roy al blue.. .

th e Wear th is den im sh irt kn otted at ski rt. . wa ist with Steil mann â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s pattern ed

t b louse in r p ic r t e m S trip e d g eo s h a d es o f b lue .. . in va ry in g

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The FaShiOn PageS

<< £ Main iMaGe Pretty black and white spotted dress with leopard print panel adorning the front. teamed here with chunky red earrings and black sandals featuring chunky red heels to pick out the highlight colour of red in the dress.

£ sTOckisTs karen’s Market Place, donington; 01775 820808. eve & ranshaw Market Place, louth; 01507 602902. www.eve-ranshaw.co.uk.

Obsessions crown street, town centre, oakham; 01572 770457.

Sally’s swaton, near sleaford; 01529 421335.

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Classic Clothing for the Modern Lady...

Smart Casual Wear from every-day brands like Steilmann and Sandwich... gift vouchers available

Swaton, near Sleaford, Lincs NG34 0JP

Tel: 01529 421335

Opening Hours: Monday 11am – 3pm, Tuesday – Sat 10am – 4.30pm

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Seeing contact lenses clearly... acT YOur age, wiThOuT cOMPrOMiSe! vision shouldn’t be a barrier that prevents you from enjoying sport and leisure, and age is no barrier to wearing contact lenses.

Jackie lansell is a contact lens optician, and says she has an increasing number of older clients curious about wearing contact lenses. they’re slightly sceptical, having used the first generation of lenses some time ago with varying degrees of success.

“People are often surprised at how lenses have progressed since earlier products.” says Jackie. “i have customers as young as eight and as old as 90. anyone who can physically handle lenses can wear them, it’s just a matter of confidence.”

Whilst permanent lenses are still on the market in gas permeable form, these are smaller and lighter than ever before, and easier to insert and maintain. over 80% of wearers, however, opt for disposable lenses, with monthly variants from as little as £7/month. daily disposables are an additional option and are ideal for occasional

its easy to act your age with contact lenses that provide perfect vision no matter what your time of life. Jackie lansell talks us through the latest contact lens technology...

use or for those looking for wear a lens for sports of leisure. “in particular, they’re really popular with golfers and those who want a lens for occasional use — on the odd night out for example.” says Jackie.

“Modern lenses can also boast varifocal properties, and are popular with wearers who don’t like having to swap glasses for close-up or distance purposes. they’re ideal for driving as they make the dashboard and road ahead equally clear.” spalding’s eye care centre has two full-time contact lens opticians, each of whom can see patients who have an up-to-date prescription.

Beginning the consultation process with a chat about the patient’s requirements, Jackie then talks through the different options and measures the eye using spectral topography before selecting sample lenses for the patient to try out. “our patients are invariably really pleased with the result.” says Jackie. “We offer clear vision, convenience and peace of mind.”

More information: to discuss contact lenses or arrange a full consultation with experts Jackie lansell or Geoff eastwood, call into the eye care centre at 6 sheepmarket, spalding Pe11 1BH. alternatively, call 01775 722 141 or see www.eyecarecentrespalding.co.uk.

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Win - an amazing wedding worth up to ÂŁ25,000. simply join www.ukbride.co.uk for free.

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} Weddings }

The wedding alBuM

Naomi and Tom Gawne... this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bride and groom enjoyed a wedding featuring vintage style with beautiful english roses and a classic car. Meet the couple whose blind date was a resounding success, resulting in a surprise proposal and a happily ever after for naomi and tom Gawne...

Photos: contact:

aMBa Photography 07790 581333, www.ambaphotography.co.uk

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lous flo ra l We ha d a vinta ge ca r an d fa bu d as deco rati on s both on th e ta ble piannk ro ses! hand -t ie d po sies featu rin g lig ht

tu re d s o me p a c a b m A A n d y fro m a g es o f ou r d a y ! stun n in g i m

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The wedding alBuM

“I brought a dress on impulse and immediately regretted it, so I had to sell it and buy another one!”

“Our honeymoon to Koh Samui was absolutely amazing; both the hotel and surroundings were really beautiful!”

W

e first met on a blind date.

Tom’s sister Hayley was a friend of mine and she was adamant that she was going to set us up.

We met for a meal, followed by a movie, and we just got on so well that the relationship grew from there.

absolutely beautiful the church looked all decorated, with flowers everywhere and flickering candles.

On our first anniversary we celebrated by going to a posh restaurant. I giggled and said; “This would be a great place to be proposed to, wouldn’t it Tom! Go on you may as well propose now!” So he did!

As a honeymoon, we went to Koh Samui in Thailand, and it was absolutely amazing... they look after you so well and the

I actually bought two wedding dresses! The first was an impulse buy, which I immediately regretted! I sold it and found my wedding dress at another shop! It was made out of a beautiful satin fabric which was layered and gathered.

Our wedding photographer andy Mcrobbie from amba, We quickly found the venue and a church. We also decided our florist lynda hymas, and our party band, the love on Andy, the photographer, as Boat captains were all amazing... it was a fabulous day! we knew him from doing nearly all of our friends’ weddings and hotel and surroundings were beautiful! have seen what beautiful pictures he takes.

Married life is perfect! We did things a little differently as Planning the day was so enjoyable; if I could be a professional wedding planner, I would! Tom also enjoyed the planning... especially the sampling and picking of the wedding menu!

I remember feeling so nervous about walking down the aisle as me and my dad drove to the church, but also how

we didn’t actually move in together until after we got back from honeymoon. That may seem a bit old fashioned but it gave us something to look forward to once we came back from Thailand! Being married has been an amazing experience so far... we are loving every minute of it!

Photographer andy Mcrobbie, aMBa Photography 07790 581333 ambaphotography.co.uk Florist linda hymas Floral designs cake - Yellow Bellied Bakery hair Stylist decadence hair design Makeup artist Stacey Stainton entertainment love Boat captains

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For a Lifetime of Special Memories

All Inclusive Packages available from ÂŁ2000 Catering upto 150 guests Beautiful Landscaped Gardens Bridal Suite Taking bookings for 2013/14

120

Riby Road, Grimsby N/E Lincolnshire DN41 8BU.

Tel: 01469 561302 www.stallingboroughgrange.com

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T H E W H I T E H A R T , B O S T O N • T H E A D M I R A L R O D N E Y, H O R N C A S T L E

T WO B EAUTIFUL V ENUES, O NE U NFORGETTABLE DAY

• Riverside Location with beautiful Boston Stump as your backdrop.

• 24 well-appointed rooms.

• Courtyard Bar and Riverside Restaurant for exceptional dining.

• The Boston Suite - Lincolnshire’s premier function room.

THE WHITE HART, 1-5 HIGH STREET, BOSTON PE21 8SH TEL: 01205 311900 www.whitehartboston.com

• Personal Wedding Coordinator to help you make the very best of your special day.

The Admiral Rodney Hotel • Luxury and style in the heart of historic Horncastle.

• Lots of character in a 17th century former coaching inn with 31 en suite bedrooms.

• Courtyard Restaurant and Rodney Bar, function room and more.

• Recently refurbished.

THE ADMIRAL RODNEY, NORTH STREET, HORNCASTLE LN9 5DX TEL: 01507 523131 www.admiralrodney.com

• Personal Wedding Coordinator to help you make the very best of your special day.

C A L L E AC H O F T H E V E N U E S A B OV E F O R A N O -O B L I G A T I O N G U I D E D T O U R A N D P E R S O N A L I S E D W E D D I N G C O N S U LT A T I O N BROUGHT

T O YO U B Y

THE BULLDOG HOTEL GROUP

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Stacey and Tony stacey and tony were married in the county recently, and left the cool climate of the uk behind for a sunny honeymoon in Florida! dean’s Street Photography Studio – Tel: 01572 757643 www.andycrossphotographer.com

K im an d A nd y B ent

kim & andy are huge notts county fans, so their engagement shoot was hel d at the team’s ground... their wedding reception dec or theme was all about their team too! their speeches inv olved lots of cardboard cut-outs made by one of the ushers... it was very funny! ali lovegrove Photography - Tel: 07735 974799 www.alilovegrovephotogra phy.com

} Weddings } Rebecca Rushton and Gareth Alcock rebecca and Gareth enjoyed a honeymoon to Majorca after marrying in the county recently.

John denton wedding Photography - Tel: 07971 147804 www.jdenton-weddingphotography.co.uk

Con gra tul ati ons ...

...to all couples marrying in the county this month .

To have your wedding featured here email – weddings@pridemagazines.co.uk or ask your photographer to contact us directly on 01529 469977 Planning a wedding? You can have free wedding planning tools, a free engagement photoshoot, you could win a £25,000 wedding and you can plan your wedding properly with...

visit www.ukbride.co.uk to see why we have over 300,000 members and over 25,000 Facebook Fans!

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TO view and PurchaSe PhOTOgraPhS FrOM ‘The evenT’ viSiT www.PrideMagazineS.cO.uk

Guests were made up of members of the CSHC.

thE EvENt Cottesmore Hunt Ball The annual Cottesmore Hunt Ball was held last month. A strictly black tie dress code was in place and guests enjoyed a three course meal as well as a live band, disco and raucous entertainment courtesy of a bucking bronco! The hunt’s territory extends from Uppingham and Oakham into Bourne, Spalding and Stamford, bordering the territories of the Quorn, Fitzwilliam and Belvoir packs. The Cottesmore can trace its history back to 1666 and was established by Henry, Viscount Lowther.

Photos: nico Morgan.

Entertainment at the event was courtesy of a live band, disco and bucking bronco.

feature your event in our magazine.

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call 01529 469977 and speak to our events desk...

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The evenT Cottesmore

Hunt Ball

The huntâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s territory includes both Lincolnshire and Rutland.

The event was held at Keythorpe Manor.

Around 200 supporters attended the event.

purchase photographs from this event online.

Visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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MOTOring newS

Perfect for Spring meet the world’s fastest four-seater convertible Bentley’s new continental gt Speed is the firm’s flagship tourer that aims to offer cosseting luxury, a sporty drive and the surefootedness that comes from a wealth of roadholding technology...

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car to the edge of its already pretty impressive limits to notice and exploit its mechanical upgrades.

Far easier to enjoy, however, is the car’s sumptuous interior. Standard equipment is plentiful, with 17 colours of premium hide available to complement seven interior colourways, and four veneers.

The car’s seats are electrically operated, with electrically adjustable steering wheel and memory function.

Windows, mirrors, and roof are all electric, and there’s sat nav, DAB radio, climate control, parking sensors and a Breitling clock.

Delve into the options list and you can also specify TV tuner, heated steering wheel, massaging seats with air conditioning and neck-warmers, rear view camera and adaptive cruise control.

The cabin features a number of styling tweaks over the conventional GT, with aluminium finish, and diamond quilted hide.

B

eastly performance from the world’s fastest four-seater convertible.

Bentley’s Continental GT Speed is a mechanically revised version of the Crewe company’s grand tourer which will create a new flagship sports car for the firm, boasting a wealth of styling tweaks too.

Most notable is the car’s monstrous engine. With six whole litres, 12 cylinders, 48 valves and over 616bhp on tap, it’s a seriously powerful car.

The car will reach 60mph in a whisper over four seconds and has a top speed in excess of 200mph.

Even more impressive, though, is how easily such a reserve of power can be accessed and tamed.

The standard 4x4 system and eight speed gearbox makes the powertrain more tractable than ever, and a sport button offers faster gearshifts still.

compared to rolls royce’s £300,000 Phantom drophead, the Bentley is a bargain: powerful and luxurious, with a glorious 6.0 w12 engine and four wheel drive Bentley Continental GT Speed Price: £167,900 Engine: 6.0 W12, 48 valve Performance: 0-60mph 4.1seconds top speed 202mph Fuel Economy: 19.5mpg combined Equipment: Quilted hide, sat nav, four wheel drive, air suspension, eight speed automatic transmission

For a premium over the ‘standard’ car of nearly £20,000, the car features quilted leather upholstery aluminium dashboard inserts, and an uprated engine management system. The car’s suspension has been lowered by a centimetre, and Bentley has recalibrated both the car’s steering and chassis.

Whilst these sound like only minor tweaks for such a monetary premium, in context it’s fair to point out that if you can afford a Continental GT convertible, you can probably stretch to the Speed derivative.

The reality is, however, you’d have to really push the

Build-quality is impeccable, the materials are lavish, and the car is beautifully styled with no garish wheels or spoilers to ruin the car’s handsome, muscular proportions.

Moreover, there’s room for four to enjoy a cabin that has been tested in climates from -30°c to 50°c.

The car’s climate control has been beefed up to ensure it’s comfortable in all weathers and when the British climate is not so enjoyable, this - together with a four-layer hood and surefooted 4x4 handling - makes snowy or wet months a pleasure.

However, with spring here and summer around the corner, let’s put cooler weather to the back of our mind and embrace the fact that this is a car for long hot days!

Ideal for the county’s poorer back roads with pliant air suspension, and for its fast A-roads with monstrous acceleration and effortless cruising, the Bentley is a sports car that’s surprisingly easy to live with on a day-to-day basis.

Enough room for four, a boot that can comfortably accommodate a set of golf clubs and fuel economy of 30mpg on a long run all make the GT Continental Speed a flagship that’s practical and luxurious.

Compared to Rolls Royce’s Drophead Phantom, priced at £300,000, the Speed is great value, truly luxurious, powerful and stylish... in other words, pure Bentley.

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HANDY SIZE EDITION

2013 SPRING APRIL

APRIL

LincolnshirePride T H E

E R N U M B

O N E

T Y C O U N

SPRING 2013

Z I N E M A G A

The Expert

RutlandPride

THE NU MBER O NE COU NTY MA GAZINE

Grow Your Own

SMOKED FI

Cook Your Own

FL Y FI SH IN G

FRESH FOOD

Catch Your Own

29 ISSUE 1

ELLA SEAFOOD PA Keep Your Own

CHICKENS

BR OW NL OW

AR M S

Supper

Meet The Cou nty’

SH

OSPREYSs Bentley Conti nenta Hanging Baske l ts Needlecraft

ROYAL VISIT SOCIETY EVENTS

ISSUE 1 29

the Month Restaurant of

HANDY SIZE EDITION

£3.70

Royal Visit Food Fashion

{Page 102}

High quality spring dining {Page 28}

The Duchess of Cambridge {Page 8}

The Event The county’s hunt balls {Page 44}

Harpist

Oakham’s Elizabeth Bass

{Page 27}

Fashion

Spring style from local retailers {Page 102}

advertise in the number one county magazine. to discover how we can boost your sales, call our friendly team now.

01529 469977 www.pridemagazines.co.uk

128

£3.70

from Spring style local retailers

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Country Workshops Independent Landrover Specialists Bespoke Vehicles & Accessories.

Restorations and Manufacture.

Parts From 1948 to date. Retail Trade Export.

Tel/Fax 01775 750223 Risegate, Nr Spalding, Lincs PE11 4EZ

www.british4x4centre.co.uk

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Crosswords crYPTic crOSSwOrd test your lateral thinking skills with lovatts cryptic crosswords. each puzzle has a set of perplexing clues to unravel, and as every lover of logic knows, the frustration is all part of the fun!

acrOSS 8. View in all directions or in canal country (8) 9. some Mexican vase used for painting (6) 10. a long bit initially forming part of vestments (3) 11. Badly curse the final release (6) 12. First lady put secondary industry on level pegging (4) 14. Fire-lover needed to occupy romania, chiefly (10) 17. i hit bin and upset hamper (7) 18. doctors can peek at patella (7) 19. tour leaders have queue rules (10) 22. 500 romans ate fruit (4) 23. southwestern paradise in scandinavia (6) 24. life's simple when he's your uncle (3) 26. Grinned sneeringly, made Mr trevino angry (6) 27. rushed to organise aged poll (8)

dOwn 1. ambushing method, delivering eggs (9) 2. Hoodwink section of congregation (3) 3. countenance putting aside money and maintaining one's reputation (4-6) 4. a chit i used for relaxation routine (1'2,3) 5. coach eager to hide pain (4) 6. General loss of feeling? (11) 7. turned up and started off guest spot (5) 13. Becoming despondent over donating cardiac organ (6,5) 15. erin called, confused - the poor, neglected girl (10) 16. Meet carol, disorganised tardy visitor (9) 20. cold stretch experienced inside a service agency (3,3) 21. tip out crate to provide food (5) 23. team sighed audibly (4) 25. snake weaves oddly through baobab (3)

no 0289

Quick crOSSwOrd

acrOSS

dOwn

1. extremely (jealous) 5. list of meals 7. stone fruit 8. action-packed 9. scolded 12. Genetic mixes 15. depleted 19. stoat-like animal 21. losing hope (6,2) 22. Prepare (the way) 23. Wrath 24. renounce throne

1. affect, ... on 2. Bearing weapons 3. stopped 4. annual 5. More spiteful 6. stomach sores 10. tiny amount 11. equal 12. Hushed up 13. Be an omen of 14. debtor's notes (1,1,2) 15. 2-edged knife 16. Goad 17. Puzzle 18. cuff attachment 19. dried with cloth 20. savoury jelly

no 0073 this article was downloaded from http://www.freefeatures.com.

crYPTic anSwerS

Quick anSwerS

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