Stamford Pride May 2019 by Pride Magazines Ltd

PRIDE

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STAMFORD

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Classic Racing Cars

Celebrating speed and handling...

Local Statues & Sculptures

Stamford’s present and past, carved and cast...

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WELCOME

t’s very much a case of ‘rough winds doth shake the darling buds of May’ as I write. It’s blustery to the tune of about 40 miles per hour with some squally showers and I can’t quite envisage that elusive summer we’re promised just yet. Though I’m assured it’s on its way.

When it appears, why not don your best bib and tucker and head to Nevill Holt? It’s one of the area’s finest opera experiences, beginning in the sculpture garden of businessman David Ross’s country pile then continuing in a beautiful new theatre. It’s our job, as a county magazine, to remind you of all the exciting things to do and see in our county to ensure you make the most of your summer... when it eventually makes an appearance. If you prefer your apparel a little more on the practical side though, you’ll approve of the garb that firefighter wear. I tried it on for size by spending a day seeing if I had what it takes to become an on-call crew member in Rutland and Stamford later on in this edition.

Also this month we’re meeting sculptor Tessa Pullan, previewing a beautiful new garden at Exton Hall, visiting South Luffenham’s Coach House for a dining out sortie, and we’re enjoying being in the presence of some jaw-dropping classic race cars thanks to the area’s Rob Hall. With best wishes for a great month!

Executive Editor rob@pridemagazines.co.uk 3

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CONTENTS NEWS & EVENTS

NEWS A roundup of good news stories from across the area in May.

WHAT’S ON Rutland and Stamford’s best events in May.

HIGHLIGHTS 24 34

147

SCULPTURES & STATUES

Landmarks and local sculptures and sculptor Tessa Pullen.

FIREFIGHTING Editor Rob Davis embarks on an ill-advised career change to sample life as a firefighter.

‘SERIA’ ABOUT OPERA A preview

of the summer season at Nevill Holt.

FOOD & DRINK 58 64

DINING OUT Summer dining at

HOMES & INTERIORS 70 78

WELCOME HOME An Arts & Crafts home with panoramic views of the town of Uppingham. KITCHENS Cooking up style.

OUTDOORS

102 GARDENS A new garden at Exton 110

Hall, opening this month for the NGS.

OUTDOOR FURNITURE Are you sitting comfortably in the garden?

114

WEDDING ALBUM An Exton wedding.

LADIES & GENTLEMEN 123 FASHION With Michaela Louise

OTHER

and Coco Chanel.

North Luffenham’s Coach House.

144 MISCELLANY Facts & trivia for May.

celebrating English Wine Week.

154 MOTORS Classic racing cars.

DINING IN Rhubarb recipes and

147 HIGH LIFE Social events.

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THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE AREA READ PRIDE MAGAZINE

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Pride Magazine is delivered free of charge, via Royal Mail, to high value homes in the county. Our circulation is to properties in the top three council tax bands - homes which are predominantly worth over ÂŁ300,000. This guarantees the magazine has an affluent readership commensurate with our content. In addition the magazine is also sold in supermarkets and newsagents including Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, WHSmith Tesco, Asda, Co-Op and Morrisons. Our in-house distribution team also works hard to hand-deliver the magazine to selected hotels and restaurants, doctors, dentists, executive motor dealerships and golf clubs. This helps to ensure we have a continued presence, right across our catchment area. Our magazines also have more social media fans than any other local magazine, and we are available to read free of charge, online on your tablet, computer, laptop or mobile phone via our website and via the Readly and Issuu platforms. If your business would benefit from being showcased to the wealthiest people in the area, please call our friendly sales team on 01529 469977.

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR HIGH QUALITY HOMES

In print, and to view on your computer, tablet or mobile device from www.pridemagazines.co.uk

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

THE PRIDE TEAM

Managing Director: Julian Wilkinson. Production Director: Ian Bagley. Sales Director: Zoie Wilkinson. Sales Manager: Charlotte Aiken. Executive Editor: Rob Davis. Editor: Tilly Wilkinson. Customer Care Manager: Mandy Bray. Distribution: Joe Proctor. Office Managers: Sue Bannister and Melissa Trestrail. Aftersales Manager: Carissa Clay. Sales Executives: Cassy Ayton and Emily Brown.

Pride Magazines Ltd., Elm Grange Studios, East Heckington, Boston, Lincs PE20 3QF

Tel: 01529 469977 Fax: 01529 469978

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NEWS & EVENTS

New Leisure Centre for Stamford

MULTI-MILLION-POUND PROJECT TO REVOLUTIONISE LEISURE PROVISION...

STAMFORD Plans have been unveiled for a new ultra-modern leisure centre in Stamford, with similar facilities in Market Deeping and Grantham and a complete refurbishment of Bourne Leisure Centre also planned. South Kesteven District Council wants all four leisure centres to be community hubs for health and leisure, providing services such as physiotherapy, GP referrals, and smoking cessation as well as housing state-of-the-art gym facilities tailored to each town and the surrounding areas. The council wants to replace the current Stamford centre with a modern, larger building and spa facilities. Proposals include increasing the number of gym stations, providing multi-purpose fitness studios and a 25m pool along with a café and possibly a spa.

The investment fulfils a commitment made by Councillor Lee to transform leisure facilities across South Kesteven, including the provision of activities in rural

Choral Evensong for County’s Lieutenancy

communities through outreach programmes run by the centres in its market towns. Councillor Lee said: “We want to provide first class leisure centres for all of our

residents; community hubs where families and friends can relax and enjoy the benefits of exercise, and the resulting physical and mental wellbeing. n

RUTLAND A Choral Evensong service was recently held in Peterborough Cathedral. The service was held to celebrate the life and community of the county of Rutland and to give thanks for the beauty of the environment we live in. The service was led by Peterborough Cathedral Choir, alongside musicians from across Rutland. Set in the context of Choral Evensong, a collection was held during the final hymn to be divided between the High Sheriff ’s charities, which include Cancer Research and Warning Zone.

The Mayors of Oakham and Uppingham, Chair of Rutland County Council, the High Sheriffs of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire, followed by the Police Cadet, the High Sheriff of Rutland, Cadets of the Three Services and the Lord Lieutenant of Rutland. The service also included performances by Katie Marshall and the Beaufort Wind Quintet. n Pictured, the 2018/1019 High Sheriffs of the five counties including Rutland’s own Susan Jarron, centre.

ARCHAEOLOGY FESTIVAL UNEARTHS PAST

RUTLAND On Saturday 29th June the Leicestershire and Rutland Festival of Archaeology - the UK’s biggest archaeology festival - will take place with 80 events planned over four weeks, this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than before. The Festival has something for everyone, with family friendly activities at museums, guided walks of our counties’ historic sites, displays and exhibitions, and chances to take part in a bit of excavation.

“We are extremely pleased with this year’s programme,” says organiser Peter Liddle. “There is something for all the family, from children’s craft events at museums around the county to serious lectures. “We are particularly proud of the guided walks programme that grows every year, giving people the chance to explore sites with a local expert who can explain its unique history.” n Festival leaflets are available from local museums libraries and TICs.

New Shops for Stamford

A TRIO OF NEW BUSINESSES IN TOWN AS BOUTIQUE, UPMARKET DELI AND FINANCE COMPANY ALL MOVE IN

Rutland’s RYA Sailability Team is named Team of the Year...

RUTLAND Sailability’s incredible 2018 has been recognised with the national Sailability Team of the Year Award. Rutland Sailability runs weekly Thursday and Saturday sessions for disabled sailors, with a peak of almost 160 sailors taking to water in the month of August. One of these, deafblind sailor Millie Moody, says; “My confidence and self-esteem has grown, I have developed a passion for sailing and hope to continue to take this as far as I am able.” n

STAMFORD When other market towns are floundering, Stamford is proving a success with three new businesses recently moving into the town. No14 St Mary’s Hill is a new luxury deli owned and run by Tracy Hayward and Keith Holmes specialising in organic drinks, fine teas & coffee and food from small artisan producers. Elsewhere fashion retailer Little House of Oasis has opened at 55 High Street in Stamford, the former home of Jones Bootmaker. Finally, Bishopsgate Corporate Finance has moved into King’s Mill on Bath Row. n

250 bikes

Dig up History...

RUTLAND’S MY BIKE PROJECT has handed over the first 250 free bikes to Rutland residents. The project is a joint initiative between HMP Stocken and Rutland County Council. Scrap bikes are repaired and restored by prisoners, then given away to individuals and families. 20-30 bikes each month are presented, rather than being discarded at recycling centres, providing prisoners with new skills and qualifications too. n

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LOCAL

NEWS In Brief STAMFORD

A NEW GARDEN TO EASE STRESS IN STAMFORD MindSpace, the mental health charity based in Stamford is inviting the area’s residents to have their say on a new community garden designed to promote mental wellbeing. The charity wants to create a garden on a plot near the Uffington Road allotments, which would be supported by The Rotary Club, Round Table, Kiwanis and Stamford Town Council. The charity’s Dr Dan Petrie says: “Keeping active is a key facet of wellbeing and to have the opportunity of a community garden will provide an opportunity for the people of Stamford to keep active whilst making social ties and connection.” The charity is being assisted in the creation of the garden by Chris Young, Editor of The Garden magazine. n See www.mind spacestamford.com.

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NEWS & EVENTS

Pure Entertainment in Rutland

‘PURE ARTISTS’ MUSIC LAUNCH AT BARNSDALE LODGE IS A HUGE SUCCESS... RUTLAND Crowds of musiclovers last month flocked to the sold-out Pure Artists Launch Party at Barnsdale Lodge, transformed for the evening into an über-cool performance space where the Pure Artists Acts appeared across two stages in a ‘Jools Holland Show’ format. The acts alternated between an acoustic and main stage. David Graham, Director explained, “Pure Artists is a new division of DG Music showcasing our exclusive and managed acts.” The DG Music production crew worked tirelessly over two days to create the two stages and an incredible lighting and sound rig, with one stage for acts like the eight-piece Funk Soul Brother and a smaller one for acoustic acts. Songwriter Calder McLaughlin wowed the audience with his incredible

LOCAL NEWS In Brief

stamford urban group reckons new tarmac plan is a lot of cobbles... (sorry, we meant cobblers!)

There’s a battle on the cobbles of Stamford’s Red Lion Square as town councillors seek to tarmac over the current Yorkstone cobbles. Stamford’s Urban Group want to keep the cobbles, restored 13 years ago at a cost of £1.5m. n

Image from Nick Caro Photography.

vocals and foot-stomping covers. The Houndogs enthralled with their usual tricks and stunning rockabilly show, while Eleanor Turner mesmerised the crowd with

her unique performance playing two electric harps simultaneously! Pop and Rock band, The Atlantics, melted hearts whilst the talented Monroe

A Swine of the Times...

WILDLIFE FAN IS HAPPY AS ‘A PIG IN MUCK’ FOLLOWING CHANCE SIGHTING OF WILD BOAR IN LYNDON WOODS

Duo, and guest artist, classical pianist Petra Milarova, also entertained guests during the event. n For information on any of the acts, see www.pureartists.co.uk. RUTLAND Perhaps it’s a swine of the times, but we’re playing piggy-in-the-middle between a wildlife fan and this little piggy, pictured left. Without wishing to boar you, Tom Stephenson was surprised to see what he believes is a wild boar snuffling around Lyndon Woods last month. The tusked wild pigs, which weigh around 150kg and have been known to damage property with their heft, were all but exterminated from Britain around the 1600s. Only 500 - 1,000 of the animals are thought to remain in the UK around Kent and Sussex. n Send your reports of the wild and wonderful to the Pride team via the usual email address.

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HigH Street St MartinS StaMford £1,100,000

The Gables is a distinctive and handsome double fronted Grade 11 listed property. Originally built by Joseph Corby, former mayor of Stamford and architect who also designed the Burghley Estate oﬃces and other prominent properties in the town, the house retains many splendid features typical of the period, including an impressive entrance hall with oak panelling, stained glass windows and ornate cornicing. The elegant formal reception rooms are ideal for entertaining whilst there are also practical family spaces including a sunny kitchen breakfast room which opens out into the enclosed and very private south west facing garden.

tel: +44(0)1780 750200 email: stamford@ﬁneandcounty.com

tel: +44( 0)1572 335145 email: rutland@ﬁneandcounty.com

ﬁneandcountry.com

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KingS Cliffe, nortHaMptonSHire £1,350,000

225 oﬃces across great Britain plus 75 oﬃces globally

Huskissons View offering 5281 sq. ft. of accommodation is an impressively designed barn conversion, which will be ﬁnished to the highest standard throughout. The current owner has preserved the architectural structure and style of the original stone building with features including exposed original beams, cornerstone and lintels. The property set in approximately one acre is accessed via an impressive sweeping driveway which leads to a large parking area with a detached double oak framed carport. The gardens at the front and rear, with spectacular views of the open meadows beyond, will be laid to lawn and ﬁnished with patios outside the kitchen, dining and sitting rooms.

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Guide Price £650,000

Guide Price £600,000

Manor Road, Stretton

East Carlton Park, East Carlton

A superbly built four bedroom stone village property offering light filled accommodation positioned on a generous plot with open views.

A four/five-bedroom, arts and crafts style property sitting on a generous corner plot overlooking the village cricket field.

Guide Price £599,995

Guide Price £525,000

Church Lane, Greetham

Main Street, Lyddington

A substantial, five-bedroom detached village home with generous accommodation, ample parking and a large south-facing garden.

A modern ironstone village home with generous three-bedroom accommodation and a large garden offering open countryside views.

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facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker

struttandparker.com

North Barn, Allexton, Oakham

A stunning converted barn designed for contemporary open-plan living with extensive accommodation, in a beautiful rural location, providing unrivalled views over the Rutland and Leicestershire countryside.

UPPINGHAM 3.5 MILES, OAKHAM 9 MILES,

Edward Brassey 01858 438 723

5 BEDROOMS | 3 BATHROOMS

Edward.brassey@struttandparker.com

MARKET HARBOROUGH 12 MILES, LEICESTER 15 MILES, PETERBOROUGH 26 MILES LIVING KITCHEN | SITTING ROOM | DINING ROOM FAMILY ROOM / HOME OFFICE | UTILITY GARDENS | EPC: D

Guide Price Â£750,000

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W E N

ASHWELL

W E N

£795,000

A beautiful Grade II listed detached Country House oﬀering extensive family accommodation with a wealth of character throughout and set within very private, glorious gardens and grounds of approx. 1.0 acre in the centre of this desirable village. 3 Rec. Rooms, Farmhouse Kitchen, 5 Bedrooms, 2 Bath/Shower Rooms; Dbl Garage, parking. EPC Exempt.

W E N

LANGHAM

£595,000

W E N

£445,000

A spacious and well maintained detached family home with dbl Garage and good sized gardens enjoying countryside views set in a premium Rutland village. The property originally had 4 bedrooms, one of which was converted into an en-suite shower room and dressing room to master bedroom. 2 Rec. Rooms, Study, Brkfst Kitchen, 3 dbl Bedrooms, 2 Bath/Shower Rooms. Energy Rating: TBC.

TEIGH

SOUTH LUFFENHAM

Substantial detached property, a former B & B, oﬀering beautifully presented, extensive accommodation with lovely gardens enjoying panoramic countryside views and set in one of Rutland's picturesque villages. 3 Rec. Rooms, Breakfast Kitchen, Utility, 5 Bedrooms, 5 Bath/Shower Rooms; single Garage, ample parking. Energy Rating: TBC.

£465,000

**RENOVATION PROJECT ** Attractive detached stone cottage occupying a large, unspoilt plot with ﬁelds on two sides set on the edge of this beautiful hamlet. The property requires extensive refurbishment but oﬀers immense potential for improvement and extension, STPP. 4 Rec. Rooms, 2 dbl Bedrooms, Bathroom; dbl Garage, parking. Energy Rating: F.

UPPINGHAM

£575,000

Beautiful period property with south-facing garden and oﬀ-road parking set in a highly sought-after location on the outskirts of Uppingham and providing elegantly proportioned three-bedroom accommodation with en-suite facilities presented in immaculate condition throughout. Energy Rating: C.

STONESBY

£550,000

Substantial Barn Conversion oﬀering spacious and tastefully presented accommodation with a wealth of character features set in a picturesque village location. 2 Reception Rooms, Garden Room, Study, Kitchen/Diner, Utility, 4 Double Bedrooms, Master Dressing Room, 3 Bath-/Shower Rooms, Dbl Garage, Parking, Enclosed Gardens. Energy Rating: TBC.

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D L SO

An exceptional, well equipped, Jacobean country house set in 19 acres • Reception Hall, Cloakroom • 6 Reception Rooms • Kitchen/Breakfast Room, Pantry • Laundry and Utility Rooms, Cellars • Principal Bedroom Suite, 8 Beds, 3 Baths • Attic Rooms, Oﬃce/Gym Suite, Dbl Garage

• 3 Bed Coach House, 2 Bedr Cottage • Swimming Pool, Tennis Court, Helipad • Walled Garden, Greenhouses, Stables, Stores • Orchard, Topiary Garden, Ponds, Parterre • Lawns, Paddocks, Riparian Ownership, River Frontage

STIBBINGTON – GUIDE PRICE £2,950,000

D L SO

An exceptional, neoclassical house constructed in 2006 to exacting standards, oﬀering versatile living space, and set within beautifully landscaped gardens. • Sitting Room • Master Suite • Dining Room • Five Further Bedrooms • Study • Family Bathroom • Kitchen/ Breakfast Room • Double Garage • Conservatory • Landscaped Gardens

FOTHERINGHAY – GUIDE PRICE £1,400,000

A Georgian former Rectory set in private landscaped gardens with apartment, stables and pastureland. • 4 Reception Rooms • Stabling, Outbuildings • Kitchen, Oﬃce/Playroom • 1 Bedroom Apartment • Utility Room, Boot Room, Cellar • Tennis Court, Paddock • Principal Bedroom with En-suite • Driveway and Garaging • 7 Bedrooms (2 En-suite), Bathroom • In all about 4.2 acres.

MEDBOURNE – OFFERS IN EXCESS OF £2,000,000

D L SO

A substantial Georgian Grade II listed country residence situated within 7 acres of landscaped gardens, equestrian facilities and paddock. • Reception Hall, Kitchen • Ironing Room, Laundry Room • Dining Room, Drawing Room • Games Room, Wine Store • Snug, Rear Hall, Cloakroom • Boiler Room, Stables • 8 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms • Tack Room, Gardens • Play Room, Store/Pantry • Paddock, In all Approx 7 Acres

CAREBY – GUIDE PRICE £895,000

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

You CAN Predict the Future! Retirement has come to be a word that divides us all. For some, the prospect of ﬁnally leaving work for good and focussing on the aspects of life they truly enjoy is a wondrous dream. Just imagine it now: leisurely days ﬁlled with holidays, quality time with your grandchildren and the ability to embark on whatever whim takes your fancy.

OWEVER, FOR OTHERS, retirement leaves them struck with fear. Imagine running out of money in your 80’s when you can’t return to work? Or leading a life full of monotony and tedium, because you’re too scared to spend your money on the things you love?

(will I have enough money to pay my out goings) and from an asset point of view (how much am I worth). Not only is every aspect of your finances today taken into account, hypothetical situations are also factored in from your likely future, along with assumed interest, inflation and growth rates. is means it becomes your unique Lifetime Cash-Flow Forecast that best reflects your future and can be adapted over time.

e thought of leaving behind a steady income, the inability to plan ahead and the potential of the great ‘unknown’ are quite frankly terrifying concepts. And that is not to mention long-term care fees, increasing inflation and poor performing pensions. So why is there such a huge disparity between the two views on retirement? e answer ultimately boils down to how prepared you are. It is a general misconception that those whose retirement is akin to a utopia are wealthy. ere may be some truth in this, but actually the people who can afford to live out their final years in comfort are simply financially prepared- ‘people do not plan to fail, they fail to plan’. e key to a happy retirement is knowing you have enough money so you can sleep at night, having a purpose so you get up in the morning, and having the wellbeing to support both. e question is, how do you know how much is enough money? Feeling secure about your future goes a little deeper than just planning, as life has a knack of throwing in the odd unexpected situation. No one knows what is around the corner. So how can you successfully plan for it? Crystal balls may help you to see into the future, but they are not always reliable! What you need is a mechanism that will set out multiple scenarios about what could happen to your money and where that would leave you. I am delighted to tell you that this tool

“

If you are looking for a sense of certainty over your own future or the decisions you can make today to achieve the future you want, we would be delighted to help. We are able to offer you a free conversation, either over the phone or over a coffee, with one of our Independent Financial Planners, where we can show you how we can help. You’ll also have the opportunity to understand how we work and decide if we are the best firm for you.

The key to a happy retirement is knowing you have enough money so you can sleep at night, having a purpose so you get up in the morning.

n To book your complimentary call, email hello@eﬃcientportfolio.co.uk or call 01572 898060.

”

does exist as we use it regularly with out clients. If you would like to know where you are heading financially, and let us be honest-who would not, Lifetime Cash-Flow Forecasting is the tool for you. So, what is it and how does it work? Lifetime Cash-Flow Forecasting is a tool that allows you to understand the impact that the decisions you make today will have on your future finances. Essentially, it provides you with a very visual display of how your future finances will look, both from a cash-flow point of view Charlie Reading created Efficient Portfolio to offer entirely independent financial advice and helping people clarify and realise their dreams and goals through financial planning.

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

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PROPERTY FINDERS

BEST FOR COMMUTERS Kate Vincent, local property ﬁnder at Garrington discusses some of the factors that are currently aﬀecting property prices around Rutland and Stamford. Call us smug but we all know that we live in a great area! The countryside is beautiful, the choice of schooling is excellent and there are some great market towns and villages in which to call home.

However, for many, one of the more mundane but highly important reasons for deciding to move into the Rutland and Stamford area is the fantastic commuter links. Indeed, there are on average 65 trains from Peterborough to London each weekday and with the fastest taking a mere 45 minutes to get to Kings Cross, buying a wonderful home in the area and daily commuting into the Capital is a genuine option – as long as the drive to the station is ideally restricted to say 15-20 minutes.

I often meet homebuyers who have decided to move here but are unsure where best to look to make regular travel to London a viable option. Of course, there are numerous reasons why one village or town may suit a family or couple better than another but here are some suggestions on places commuters-to-be may wish to consider. Best for commuting from Peterborough

If you are keen to keep your commute times to an absolute minimum, the villages of Castor, Ailsworth and Alwalton are appealing and around a 10 minute drive from the station. Some feel that they are a little too close to Peterborough to offer true village life, but their convenience is unquestionable and there are some attractive housing options. Further afield but still with very easy access to the station are Barnack, Bainton,

Southorpe, Ashton and Ufford, the latter being a particular favourite of mine with its Cotswold-look, popular pub and lively community. Wansford’s proximity to the A1 deters some buyers but once in the village, the road is barely noticeable and the main street with its impressive stone bridge over the River Nene looks like a set from an episode of Pride and Prejudice. There are also a few shops, a doctor and dental surgery, the popular Haycock Hotel as well as some impressive houses, several with gardens reaching down to the river.

An under-appreciated advantage of these villages is that a late-night taxi usually costs under £20 helping to make a night out in London a reasonable option. A few intrepid soles commute each day from Stamford (making the change at Peterborough). Whilst this clearly works for some, the choice of trains for the shorter leg is quite restricted and I have been told that on the few occasions that the connections have failed, the result is most inconvenient – wait for an hour, persuade a loved one to pick you up or get a cab.

For those who don’t need to commute everyday (or are hardier travellers!), the villages of Easton on the Hill, Empingham, Barrowden and Ketton are very popular Rutland villages but the drive to the station approaches thirty minutes, so are not ideal if you wish to be ‘door to door’ in under an hour and a half. In the same vein, Duddington, just south of Stamford is

Kate Vincent Garrington

popular with young families as is Greatford further north but growing in popularity. And whilst we are mentioning more northern villages high in demand, the beautiful village of Clipsham with its highly regarded ‘Olive Branch’ restaurant is very popular. Where to choose?

Whilst drive time to the station is very important for the person doing the travelling, the truth of the matter is that it is only one of many things homebuyers take into consideration when choosing where to live. This is never an easy decision, but it is made considerably harder if you are new to an area and have to weigh up a plethora of factors such as schooling, housing availability, local facilities, community spirit, future potential of an area to name but a few. A local property buyer who lives and works in this area can help you to prioritise what is important to you and advise which areas will match these most closely. We are not just about the number of bedrooms nor how much you wish to spend. We look to understand how you plan to live in this area and then help you find and settle in the most suitable option available.

If you would value some genuine local advice on where best to find your next home, contact Garrington, to arrange, please call:

Tel: 01780 408377 | info@garrington.co.uk www.garringtoneastmidlands.co.uk

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STATUES AND SCULPTURES

The Present & Past

Carved or Cast

Whether created in stone or timber, the area’s sculptures, statues and busts celebrate both the area’s heritage and its culture. This month we find out the story behind a few of the area’s most notable art installations... Later in this edition, we’re meeting sculptor Tessa Pullan, who creates sculptures in clay which are then cast in bronze and preserved for posterity. Indeed materials like bronze and stone are ideal for preserving the memory of a loved one or a historical figure for life. But how many of us know the origin of the statues, busts and works of art we already have in our towns and villages? The North Luffenham Cleric...

Take the stone façade of Uppingham School’s High Street West; Victoria tower. The building is watched over by Robert Johnson, Archdeacon of Leicester from 1591 to 1625.

Johnson was a Puritan minister in North Luffenham, and a canon of Windsor - an ecclesiastical appointment to Windsor Castle established under Edward III. Johnson was well-thought of in the court of Queen Elizabeth I and enjoyed the patronage of William Cecil, 1st Baron of Burghley.

He used his wealth and influence to establish not just one school, in Uppingham, but also one in Oakham.

Both were grammar schools which were given the responsibility of teaching Hebrew, Greek and Latin. These and the hospitals that Johnson founded received their charters from Queen Elizabeth in 1587. Uppingham School’s charter still hangs in the Kendall Room. Johnson died in North Luffenham in 1625, and a memorial to him is in the chancel of the village’s church.

Words: Rob Davis.

The Barnsdale Gardener...

A rather more recent but much beloved Rutlander was gardener Geoff Hamilton. The presenter founded Barnsdale Gardens in 1983, having presented BBC Gardeners’ World from 1979 until his death in 1996. The site’s 38 individual gardens are set over eight acres and were originally intended to help the broadcaster show off a wide range of different garden styles.

Following Geoff ’s death in 1996, his sons Nick and Chris wanted to preserve Geoff ’s legacy and Chris created a bust in his father’s likeness which is still on display at the gardens today, surrounded by David Austin’s ‘Geoff Hamilton’ shrub roses - the gardener’s other legacy. Rutland Water’s ‘Great Tower...’

Whilst Rutland Water opened in 1977, it didn’t reach its full capacity until 1979, and to mark that milestone, the International Arts Foundation commissioned the sculptor Alexander to create a large scale sculpture for Rutland Water at a cost of £50,000 on the site of what was then a pretty bleak picnic spot with none of the attractions and tourists who enjoy the site today. At the time, The Great Tower was the biggest single bronze cast sculpture in the world. Unfortunately its unveiling was somewhat overshadowed not only by Empingham Parish Council’s boycotting of the unveiling, but because the Australian sculptor Alexander was back in Oz, suffering from flu! >> 25

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Burghley House is also known for its Gardens of Surprise, which opened in 2007...

Lyndon’s Carved Osprey’s 10th Birthday...

Visitors to Rutland Water’s Lyndon Reserve in Manton are greeted by a carved eagle created and installed ten years ago.

Its sculptor Andrew Barton used Wellingtonia Wood - sequoia - to create the bird in 2009. Gamekeeper Andrew, grew up in Lancashire and Cheshire, then moved to the area in 1996 to work as a recreational warden at Pitsford Reservoir near Brixford, Northants.

Self-taught over 15 years, Andrew’s first sculpture was a frog he carved into a cedar tree. His other commissions include woodland sculpture trails, green memorials, and play areas for children. Burghley House’s Sculptures and Statues...

Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, the visionary landscape and buildings architect, designed the sweeping vistas of Burghley’s parkland and gardens back in the mid-18th Century. Today this scenic space is home to Burghley’s Sculpture Garden, and Garden of Surprises, and an inspirational collection of art within. The Garden welcomed its first sculptures back in 1994 when the land was reclaimed from Brown’s long-lost Lower Gardens. It has proven popular with people of all ages ever since, as they explore the winding pathways to make new artistic (and horticultural) discoveries.

Top/Right: The figure of a young Bacchus was moved from inside the House to the North Gardens.

Right: Burghley House’s Sculpture Gardens features around 20 large-scale pieces each year. 2019’s theme is Form & Function.

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Each year the Garden’s 20 or so permanent exhibits are joined by new pieces of contemporary sculpture for Burghley’s seasonal exhibition – this year entitled ‘Form and Function. ’Even more exciting works of art are on show, featuring a range of materials and techniques. One particularly compelling addition is the Garland Necklace by Owen Bullett, a vibrant string of painted wooden beads that captures both the eye and the views beyond. Another exhibit that’s due to arrive is Down Two Earth by sculptor Hex – the masterpiece of stainless steel is a life-size depiction of a German WWII Junker 87 airplane, and will strike a bold new form within the garden setting. This year Burghley’s Head Gardener Joe Whitehead and his team are working on some exciting new developments in the Sculpture Garden. These include the reinstatement of lost features – such as a Stream Garden with walkways and new planting, and ‘Capability’ Brown’s ‘cliff-face’ feature with a small lake-fed waterfall. There’s also a new Boathouse Terrace next to the lake, new beds and borders, and new features such as a cut flower garden.

Close by is the Garden of Surprises, a project initiated by Lady Victoria Leatham shortly before she retired as Director of Burghley House. Completed in 2007, the Garden takes its inspiration from the first Lord Burghley’s Elizabethan ‘tricks’ garden at his Herfordshire home. This aptly-named playful space has its own captivating collection of sculptures and statues, including swivelling replica busts of Caesar, a longitude sundial of sandstone and marble, obelisks, and various artistic water features. Jets, fountains and basins also make this garden a modern oasis of flowing water and a popular day out for children, attracting over 100,000 visitors each year. The immediate grounds of Burghley House itself has its own collection of statues, including the elegant marble statue of young Bacchus, bought in Italy in 1768, that takes centre-stage before the North range of the house.

Originally installed in an inner hallway, the 9th Earl moved the statue to its current location after the original north-west wing of the House was demolished in 1765 to open up the courtyard to views of the parkland. n 27

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Pros and Bronze

This month we debate the pros and cons of working with clay to create beautiful bronze sculptures of your most beloved animals. Meet Tessa Pullan from Barrowden, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading animal sculptors, this year celebrating 30 years in Rutland... Words & Images: Rob Davis.

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T H E

Below: Tessa Pullan was apprenticed to John Skeaping for three years and continued her studies with the City and Guilds of London Art School Diploma Course and a further three years as a postgraduate at the Royal Academy of Arts. She is now one of Britain's leading animal sculptors and this year celebrates 30 years in Rutland.

Below/Right: Basil the Jack Russell, limited to just eight pieces £1,204.

S C U L P TO R

All that glitters is not gold; not in Barrowden, at least. That’s where Tessa Pullan works in clay to produce bronze sculptures of dogs, horses and people which soon become more precious to their recipients than gaudy gold.

2020 will see Tessa celebrate her 30th year living and working in Barrowden, having moved here when her husband took up a position as Uppingham School’s librarian back in 1990. Originally from Kingston on Thames, Tessa was schooled at Banbury’s Tudor Hall where her headmistress and art teacher appealed to Tessa’s father to persuade him that his daughter should pursue a career as a sculptor, rather than venturing into nursing.

Whilst father was sceptical of his daughter going to art college to succumb to the dreaded permissive society, he allowed Tessa to take a month’s working holiday to the studio of Professor John Skeaping RA in Montpellier. It was a month-long sabbatical which ended up lasting 48 years. “John was a tremendous inspiration, and I was apprenticed to him for three years before continuing my studies with the City and Guilds of London Art School Diploma Course, then for a further three years as a postgraduate at the Royal Academy of Arts.”

Tessa’s commissions were more commonly equine in her earlier days and she worked both in bronze and timber. These pieces included a tribute to the horses and mules who were killed in the American Civil War which stands outside the Historical Society in Richmond Virginia. A resin coy of the sculpture displayed at Chelsea Harbour and later at Newmarket.Tessa also created a horse and rider sculpture which still stands in Bilston as a waypoint to mark the beginning of the Black Country Route. She has also completed a shire horse for a customer closer to home in Hambleton, as well as a life-sized stag in Clipsham. Today, mostly Tessa creates sculptures of dogs with horses and then people also among her common muses. These typically cost from £1,000 but increasing in size and in cost to a half life-size Horse and Rider at around £36,000. >>

Above: Arab Mare and Foal, limited edition number nine of nine, £6,930. Tessa was also commissioned to create the bronze rearing horse used by Lloyds Bank’s Cambridge branch.

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“My last canine subject was a dream!” she says. “He posed beautifully and patiently, which isn’t always the case! You’re trying to capture the expression, the essence and the dimensions, too.” >> “I don’t draw or paint. I only ever work in 3D,” says Tessa. “The difficulty is in reading the images you have as inspiration. You can’t simply copy a photograph, you have to bring an animal to life with a good working knowledge of anatomy too. The skill is in being objective, reading an image and bringing it to life.” Because of crucial nature of her starting point, Tessa prefers to embark on a commission with a visit and a photoshoot of the animal. Armed with her camera, the sculptor will typically take over 200 shots, ideally with the animal posed in their intended position. “My last canine subject was a dream!” she says. “He posed beautifully and patiently, which isn’t always the case! You’re trying to capture the expression, the essence and the dimensions, too.”

“In the studio I’ll select the best images and then I’ll create an armature. This is an aluminium frame which is robust enough to be manhandled, hammered and altered. It serves as a robust framework to give the clay strength. The clay over the top is then built up on layers. I work on the whole body and head simultaneously.”

Tessa prefers to work on just a single commission at once, and used to work to a 9-5 day. Now more established, she’s more able to take her time and work on a single commission in between running her Airbnb business, looking after her three dogs and tending her garden. With a lifetime of sculpture and osteoporosis & rheumatoid arthritis, Tessa finds that being able to work the hours which suit her life not only allows her to manage her pain, but also prevents sculptor’s block.

smoother ones because of the way that the light dances off the subject. However animals like horses or whippets with their smoother coats better suit the latter.

Finished pieces are first patinated for their characteristic shimmer then sealed and fixed with wax. Tessa prefers rougher finishes to

“It’s so lovely to think that my work will be enjoyed for years. I hope that immortalising someone’s much loved dog or horse in bronze will enable them to retain a connection to that animal forever.” n

A maquette takes at least a couple of weeks. Once the position is established the finished clay can take from 6 weeks to rather longer for her larger pieces - but once complete, it’s off to the foundry to be cast in bronze. Casting is an expensive, brutal and time-consuming process, which uses a rubber mould around which plaster is poured, before wax is painted in. Larger pieces have a plaster core which may or may not be removed depending on the design. Pins and runners (sprues) in the plaster core holds each part of the mould into place and molten bronze with a temperature of about 950°c is poured in.

Whilst Tessa’s work can be seen in London’s National Portrait Gallery, the National Horseracing Museum at Newmarket and the Fitzwilliam Museum and Clare College of Cambridge, her favourite commissions are those which help client to immortalise their own beloved animals.

Above: Tessa’s outside her studio in Barrowden, where the sculptor creates her bronzes, typically dogs, horses and portraits.

Find Out More: Tessa Pullan’s bronzes are offered for sale on her website from £1,000 to £35,000. The sculptor can also accept commissions with a lead time of approximately six months. For more information call 01572 747393 or see www.tessapullan.co.uk

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FIREFIGHTING

FIGHTING FIRE

WITH FIRE

WHEN THE WORST HAPPENS THERE’S A SERVICE WHICH IS WELL-TRAINED AND WELL-EQUIPPED; A SERVICE WHICH KNOWS THEIR PURPOSE OF SAFER PEOPLE, SAFER PLACES, COMPASSION AND GREAT TEAMWORK. TO FIND OUT IF WE COULD FIT INTO THE AREA’S REMARKABLE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE, WE JOIN AN ON-CALL FIREFIGHTERS’ RECRUITMENT POINT OF ENTRY SELECTION DAY... 34

Words: Rob Davis.

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“Goodbye my love,” I said as I kissed the present Mrs Davis goodbye at 7am on a bright, mild Saturday morning. “I’m leaving you as a hunky magazine editor and I could be returning as a hunky on-call firefighter instead.” “I doubt it.” she replied. ‘Why?’ I asked, understandably crestfallen. “Because,” she reasoned, “You hate heat and cramped spaces, you’re terrible in an emergency, you don’t like working outdoors, you can’t stand the sight of blood, you’re terrified of heights, you’re a bit weedy and you’re pushing 40.”

Whilst my wife’s words of encouragement brought me back down to earth, I’d be lying if I said there was any bit of that somewhat withering assessment I could disagree with. The trouble with the fire service after all, is their work doesn’t just begin and end with putting out fires and rescuing kittens from trees.

Firefighters in

Rutland & Stamford

I was travelling to the area’s Southern Fire Station to find out more about the modern fire and rescue service, but also to find out how essential on-call crews are to Wholetime and On-Call ensuring Rutland’s continued safety and to see if I firefighters across Leicestershire, could defy my wife’s expectations and make the grade Rutland and Lincolnshire respond to emergency calls as an on-call firefighter. There’s a total of 11 fire service 24/7 helping to create safer regions, and 52 services working within those regions. people, safer There are 400,000 firefighters across the UK, and between places. them, the country’s fire and rescue services attended over 582,000 incidents last year. And yet, no day will be the same. Fighting fires, attending road traffic collisions (RTCs), rope rescues, water rescues, carrying out inspections, community liaison and education visits - preventing, as well as dealing with emergencies - all mean a diverse, as well as a heavy, workload. Each area is dramatically different so training, the skills required and the demand of the job at different times of the year all differ accordingly. What’s more, given the rural nature of our area, it’s neither possible to staff many stations scattered across the county, full-time, nor to rely on fewer crewed stations further apart from one another. For that reason, our rural region is especially reliant on on-call firefighters, formerly known as retained firefighters. Working alongside full-time colleagues who are known as wholetime firefighters, on-call crews are an efficient way to ensure a healthy number of firefighters cover rural areas like Rutland and Lincolnshire.

Nationally, 63% of firefighters are employed on an on-call basis; whilst 37% are wholetime. In our area, a rural service with 20 fire and rescue stations strategically placed to cover a population of about 1,017,697, means the area is more reliant on the presence of on-call firefighters. Rutland’s two fire stations are Oakham and Uppingham. The former runs on a ‘wholetime day crewing plus’ system, supplemented by six on-call firefighters and Uppingham is crewed solely with 12 on-call firefighters. Oakham has a fire appliance and a tactical response vehicle and Uppingham has a fire appliance, incident support unit and a vehicle to serve as a first responder vehicle. Stamford’s on-call comes under Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service; other Leicestershire stations are available Top/Left: The ladder lift simulation and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) practice; one of 2,000 competencies that firefighters need to train for. Left: The casualty drag. You’ll be pleased to know the dummy survived... so did the casualty!

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F I R E F I G H T E R

F O R

DAY

Clockwise: Preparing to enter the rat run. Southern Fire and Rescue, and my ‘look mum, no hands’ pose - designed to demonstrate a successful ladder lock and the ability to work with both hands free.

should they be called upon to further support, and resources are required to deal with emergencies within Rutland. That means a combination of wholetime firefighters and on-call firefighters are ready to respond to emergency incidents. Understandably, there’s always a drive to recruit on-call firefighters to ensure an appropriate number of recruits can be maintained.

That’s why I was travelling to Leicester - to see if I could join the service, and I wasn’t alone. Upon my arrival for an 8.15 briefing, I was joining about 15 others for one of the service’s assessment days. Vince Howard is a Watch Manager and On-Call Liaison Officer. Vince explained that the service also run recruitment events called ‘have a go’ days to encourage members of the local community to try the skills out with a series of tests. These can serve as an introduction to those who have never considered their ability or the opportunities to join the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service family, as an on-call firefighter before. If that inspires our local communities who have an interest, or the desire to join as an on-call firefighter, then

a total of seven of those same tests are undertaken on the assessment day. My task for the day was to undertake the seven physical tests and pass them. The recruitment process sees candidates taking part in an informal interview at the local on-call fire station - a chance to find out more about the service and life as an on-call firefighter.

Next there are the seven job-related tests, followed by the point of entry tests, a more formal interview, a medical and finally a selection test. Whilst the other candidates were undertaking their initial briefing for the day ahead, I had a chance to catch up with the firefighters of white watch. The number of firefighters on shift and the shift patterns themselves also vary from station to station, but at Southern Fire Station, there are four watches with seven staff on each watch; five of whom ride out during a shout. Four watches cover the shifts, with each shift lasting from seven until seven, working for two consecutive day shifts, two consecutive night shifts, then resting for four days. >>

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F I R E F I G H T E R

F O R

DAY

e best part of the job? “Going home at night knowing that you’ve made a diﬀerence at a time when someone is hurt or scared or in danger,” was the consensus among the watch. >> The station is also home to USAR and ISAR - Urban and International Search and Rescue services. The breadth of work that the station undertakes is especially diverse. Each of the firefighters discussed the best parts and the worst parts of the job. Each stressed that there’s absolutely no ‘us and them’ culture between wholetime and on-call firefighters, and each spoke about what the service has given them, personally. Tellingly, each one said that if they had to live their lives a hundred times over, they’d choose to do the same job every single time. The best part of the job? “Going home knowing that you’ve made a difference at a time when someone is hurt or scared or in danger,” was the consensus. And the worst aspect of the job? One firefighter recalls how they were called to attend an incident where the casualty was a former school friend. Sadly, the outcome wasn’t a good one, but even in such awful circumstances, to be there for somebody you know and to know you did everything you could to help them offers at least some degree of comfort.

I left the watch room and joined the other recruits to get changed into the thick, hot and quite baggy fire kit complete with helmet and boots. The first of seven challenges was one of manual dexterity. This equipment assembly test requires a candidate to follow pictorial instructions to assemble part of some hydraulic equipment, then disassemble it in less than five minutes. It’s a test of attention to detail and the ability to follow instructions. Test passed with time to spare, it was on to the next test.

Our second challenge was a simulated ladder lift, designed to replicate the lifting of a fire service ladder onto the rear of a fire engine. The task was to lift 25kg from 75cm to 180cm in a controlled manner, as a test of coordination, upper and lower body strength. The test represents an ability to carry a share of a 13.5m ladder along with colleagues.

So far so good, but carrying a ladder is one thing. Climbing one is another matter entirely and if the present Mrs Davis was correct about one thing, it’s my fear of heights.

Top/Right: Demonstrating to us the correct way to lower a ladder steadily. Its weight is about 25kg. Roundel shows the pump mechanism of a modern fire appliance.

And so, to the ladder test, and a good way of curing acrophobia. With a safety line attached just in case there was nothing to fear and so, as required, I demonstrated the starting position of a ladder climb then demonstrated a ladder lock and leaned back without holding on, safely and securely. Then, I climbed 13.5m and did the same again, able to work safely at height, hands-free. Back on terra firma, my next task was the casualty drag. Take that, wife.

Not exactly a cryptic description of the activity, I dragged the 55kg (one metric Rob) dummy to safety within the required 37 seconds by now, I was beginning to feel a small sense of achievement, but if one thing was going to bring me back down to earth it was the innocuous sounding ‘equipment carrying’ test. Pick up a pump’s hose reel outlet, then run it out along the 25-metre course. Then run back to the start. Pick up two large hose reels and run back and forth with them. Twice. Grab one and hold it at chest height then run back. Drop it, then run back and forth twice. Pick up a large filter and a length of hard suction hose. Run back and forth. Twice. Run back and forth again, and finally walk the course again briskly with a 25kg barbell. And did I mention, there’s five-minute time limit. My time was four minutes 37 seconds, but gosh, did I spend the next ten minutes keeled over by a fire engine in a state of breathlessness.

The penultimate test was a crawl through the station’s ‘rat run,’ wearing a blacked-out breathing apparatus mask. With my vision obscured I had to negotiate a crawl space maze in less than three >>

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FIREFIGHTING AND MORE IN RUTLAND Nationally, there were 582,551 incidents requiring the UK’s 52 fire service to be called out in 2018. In 2018, Leicester Fire & Rescue attended 15,000 calls, resulting in 8,000 emergency incidents. 37% were false alarms, 28% were fires, 8% were medical incidents, 8% were RTCs and 6% involved assisting other agencies. In April, May and June 2018, Leicester Fire & Rescue attended 339 primary fires (building or vehicle), 318 secondary fires (bins, bonfires) and 156 road traffic collisions. Fires that were started deliberately accounted for 27% of all fires.

The service also attended 540 jobs last April-June classified as ‘other’ including 24 floods, 34 animal rescues 87 ‘effecting entry/exit’ incidents and 25 lift releases. Leicestershireshire Fire & Rescue attended 1,285 primary fires in 2016/2017, there were 74,803 primary fires nationally including 10,618 in Greater London. Leicestershire Fire & Rescue has a £36.1m budget, 20 fire and rescue stations and 62 appliances with 400 firefighters in total and 700 full and part time members of staff.

This Page: Only half-way through the ‘equipment carry’ test. Still a couple of minutes left?!?

The summer months are among the worst for BBQs, grass fires and field fires, but also RTCs involving motorcycles. n

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This Page: Modern firefightersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; uniforms are designed to be as comfortable as possible and protect against the rigours of the job.

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F I R E F I G H T E R

F O R

DAY

“A memorial stone outside the station is a sobering reminder of the fact that whilst the profession is highly skilled and well-trained and whilst ﬁreﬁghters train diligently, they still deal with risky situations...” >> minutes, in a test designed to assess candidates’ confidence, agility and strength to negotiate a crawling gallery into a confined space.

The final test was designed to challenge upper body strength, with the task of using a line to lower a 25kg weighted ladder down steadily as the crew would need to do after a shout. I was the last of the 15 candidates to complete all of the tests and with photographs taken to prove I’d completed each, I joined Vince in the watch room.

“It was a really good day, really strong candidates,” he assured us. “But we are constantly trying to improve the on-call availability within Leicestershire and Rutland. As a service we are constantly striving to develop candidates to provide a greater level of cover with willingness to train and become on-call firefighters.” I must admit to being surprised that I passed each of the tests successfully. It shows that whilst being in sound physical condition is important, you don’t have to be an athlete - mere mortals like myself that can successfully pass the tests - and with no upper age limits or Above: The equipment carry test was, in fact, a five minute test which sees candidates walk at a brisk pace to carry equipment such as hose reels, and eventually a 25kg dumbell.

restrictions like height or gender Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service actively encourages all members of the local community to consider this as a potential career pathway. It’s a career open to more people than you might think. So, having passed, I must have felt pretty pleased with myself, right? No. In fact, I felt a bit fraudulent.

It’s one thing to put on the kit and pose for some photographs, but quite another matter to commit to a job that can expose you to any situation at a moment’s notice, day and night.

A memorial stone outside the station is a sobering reminder of the fact that whilst the profession is highly skilled and well-trained and whilst firefighters train diligently, they still deal with risky situations. But because of the awareness of the danger, risks are assessed, managed and each rescue is approached in a considered and methodical way.

Retuning to Vince, he explained in detail what it means to be an on-call firefighter, saying that on-call firefighters, who were traditionally called ‘retained firefighters,’ don’t work full-time, but are paid to spend some periods of their time available on-call to respond to emergency incidents. Many have full-time jobs, others maybe self-employed or stay at home parents, reflecting the communities Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service serve. >> 41

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F I R E F I G H T E R

F O R

DAY

“It’s one thing to put on the kit and pose for some photographs, but quite another matter to commit to a job that can expose you to any situation at a moment’s notice day and night.” >> The exact times an on-call firefighter spends on-call depends on their job, home life and other personal circumstances to provide a suitable period of time to be available to attend their local fire station. On-call firefighters are alerted, then respond to the fire station by a pager (also known as an ‘alerter’). Once at the station, the crews will then turn-out the fire appliance and proceed to the incident. Therefore, on-call firefighters are required to live or work near to the fire station they serve. This allows them to respond to emergencies within acceptable and strict attendance times.

Typically, on-call firefighters are employed in rural areas, in large villages or small towns. In Leicestershire and Rutland, there are on-call fire stations at Oakham, Uppingham, Melton Mowbray, Wigston, Billesdon, Kibworth, Market Harborough, Lutterworth, Ashby, Shepshed, Coalville, Market Bosworth and Hinckley. On-call firefighters are employed and trained by Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service. Unlike volunteer firefighters, on-call firefighters are paid an annual ‘retainer’ fee for being ‘on-call’ and they receive further pay for each emergency call and training they attend. Their role within the community - many people choose to become on-call firefighters to serve their community in which they live or work. Leicestershire’s on-call firefighters are responsible for undertaking community fire safety work alongside their full-time colleagues. This involves talks to local school children, home safety checks, and fitting of smoke detectors in homes.

Some on-call fire stations receive a large number of call-outs per year, other on-call stations receive a relatively small number of call-outs. On-call firefighters receive the same service level of training, but in a modular form rather than attending training school for residential training for a large period of time. They are trained to a very high standard of first aid and trauma care. On completion firefighters will then attend emergency incidents responding from their station. Over approximate period of three-years they acquire and develop their individual pathway within Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service to become a competent firefighter, they will intern receive a higher level of pay.

Vince added: “As well as responding to emergency calls and undertaking community fire safety initiatives, on-call firefighters attend weekly training nights of two to three hours per week to maintain competency levels. As well as this training period they must also undertake routine checks on their equipment and fire appliance, as well as test, clean and maintain the equipment to ensure it will work correctly when required during an emergency.” My aim on the day was to discover if I could become a firefighter and though the team were inspiring, welcoming and always keen

to talk about a career they all clearly have a huge passion for, the reality is my experience left me feeling more in awe of them. To give you an insight into what an on-call firefighter does, and the required strength, fitness and aptitude levels needed, the service is also running several ‘have a go’ days ahead of this next round of on-call firefighter recruitment. If you can’t make the set days, get in touch with your local on-call fire station. You may be able to attend their weekly drill night, where you will find out more about the role and meet your potential future colleagues.

Modern firefighters face more than physical challenges. Whilst fitness is important, the characters, calmness and personal resolve of both wholetime and on-call firefighters to find the best outcome in bad situations, day and night led, me to conclude that you don’t just have to be fit, you also have to be a pretty phenomenal person. And if that’s you, I encourage you to have a go yourself, because we can’t think of a more rewarding career, or a better team to work with. n

Above: The 15 candidates were given seven tasks to complete following a maths and English assessment and a memory test. Shown here is the ladder climbing test.

Find Out More: If you’re interested in finding out more about the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, the service is open to applications for their on-call firefighter roles from Wednesday 1st May. The deadline for submitting applications is Wednesday 29th May. To apply to become an on-call firefighter you must be able to reach your local fire station from where you live or work in four minutes. You will carry a pager and when ‘on-call’ remain within four minutes of the station to respond to incidents as and when they happen. For more information see www.leics-fire.gov.uk /recruitment or call 0116 287 2241.

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Life

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A V I S I T

be a

T H E

O P E R A

Dream could

nevill Holt opera prepares to host a season of stunning performances with some of the uk’s best young talent and a new theatre for its 400-strong audiences. is year britten’s midsummer night’s dream and mozart’s cosi fan tutte enter stage left. artistic director nicholas chalmers provides a pre-season preview... Words: Rob Davis.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a dinner at Hambleton Hall where patrons also

enjoyed pre-dinner entertainment in the form of a selection of arias by two of Nevill Holt Opera’s up and coming stars. e drawing room of the hotel fell silent and with no sound systems or artificial amplification, the whole room was filled with the sonorous pleasure of the human voice au naturel. It’s quite incredible that even with no instrumentation or amplification the human voice is still capable of creating such a strong and well-disciplined sound as our performers managed. No genre like opera showcases - and tests - that ability. Not withstanding Hambleton Hall serving as a sort of operatic outreach for the company, Nevill Holt Opera remains the best place to enjoy such performances with its annual festival of opera.

Local arts centres are good at hosting live screenings of the ENO or the Met, but live is always better. And for that, Nevill Holt is the best venue for opera lovers in our area. e company based in the sculpture gardens of businessman David Ross’s estate. It has a new 400-seater theatre which opened last year. ere’s a keen programme of education for youngsters among the company’s beneﬁciaries and it is hosting two excellent productions due to take place this year. For those reasons and so many more, we’re keener than ever to recommend a visit to Nevill Holt this summer. e company was founded in 2013. From 2013 began to create its own in-house performances under Artistic Director Nicholas Chalmers. Founder patron David Ross provides a stunning location but the company still relies on other sources of income - ticket sales, corporate packages, membership as well as trusts and foundations - to fund its work not just in hosting opera at the Grade I listed estate, but its work in education, too. David has always been a keen advocate of helping youngsters to achieve their potential, setting up programmes like e David Ross Foundation, which establishes educational initiatives in the arts, community, education and music sectors. >> 44

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Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream: The course of true love never did run smooth... unlike Nevill Holt’s performances, which always run smoothly and entertain!

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A V I S I T

T H E

O P E R A

“We’re fortunate to be able to create two stylised and rich performances which aspire to very high level production values...” >> Nevill Holt presents two productions each year, with a total of nine performances in June and July. e theatre seats 400, so the annual audience at Nevill Holt is about 3,600, but when dress rehearsal audiences, performances at Gateshead’s Sage with partner orchestra e Royal Northern Sinfonia and performances at venues like Hambleton Hall are all accounted for, the total audience for the company each year is in excess of 8,000. “During the season, the team will grow from four members of staff to include about 30 performers, 55 members of the orchestra and about 30 technical crew members,” says Nicholas. “e two productions this year will have a very different look and feel,” says Nicolas. “Midsummer Night’s Dream has been reimagined with last year’s new theatre in mind. e theatre’s biggest selling point is the audience’s proximity to the performances. Amid a crescendo, you can feel - not just hear, but feel - the sound and really experience every single second of a performance. But equally, during moments of silence you can almost hear the performers breathing, it can be really intimate too.” “e Dream will feature an orchestra of about 25 performers from Britten Symphonia, and it uses an open set so you’re surrounded by the original ironstone of the building, really encompassed by the theatre. Cosi Fan Tutte meanwhile will take inspiration for its mise-en-scène from the 1920s silent film era but with an art deco look, with filmic sets and with a larger orchestra from the Royal Northern Sinfonia. “We’re really lucky to have two female directors this year - Adele omas will direct Cosi; Anna Morrissey will direct e Dream. We’re also lucky that our really talented directors work alongside a cast of young artists and, in the case of e Dream, our fantastic NHO Children’s Chorus make a very welcome return as the Chorus of Fairies.” “With such a wonderful team we’re fortunate to be able to create two stylised and rich performances which aspire to very high levels of production values.” “In my work in my previous role at e English National Opera there was always a move to democratise the art form with dress down events and so on. at’s all well and good and I was on board with that but latterly I’ve changed tack. Nobody has ever been turned away from Nevill Holt because of a dress code, but actually people like to make it an occasion. ey like to dress up and make it special.”

“Similarly, there has been a move across the art form to simplify opera. I’m now moving away from that trend. e fact is, opera is a complicated high art form; a coming together of theatre, drama, movement and singing.” “When you aspire to create a production that’s faithful and has a high aesthetic value you can’t water it down. But also, the young people that we work with aspire to learn something that’s hard. ey appreciate it more and it’s a way for us to ensure a really good new generation of artistic talent; talent that will keep a 500 year art form alive!” n

Above: Conductor and Artistic Director Nic Chalmers with Rosenna East, General Manager of Nevill Holt Opera. Performances take place in a new 400-seater theatre adjacent to the sculpture gardens of Nevill Holt Opera’s founder patron, the Carphone Warehouse businessman David Ross.

n Nevill Holt Opera will present A Midsummer Night’s Dream from Wednesday 12th June to Sunday 16th June and Cosi Fan Tutte from Wednesday 26th June to Tuesday 2nd July. Tickets £95-£160. Dining & hospitality available. Call 0115 8467777 or see nevillholtopera.co.uk.

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WHAT’S ON

What’s On... OAKHAM

UPPINGHAM

all year round

wednesday 15th may

rutland farm park

sHeku and isata kanneH-mason

Rutland Farm Park is a place for families, adults and schools to come and enjoy a fun day out this summer. meet the farm’s lambs, goats and sheep and play with the fluffy rabbits and guinea pigs in Amy’s Farm Corner. Walk through the farm’s free range bird pen, feed the birds, and collect some eggs. The farm park is set in 19 acres of parkland, reopening in recent years with a woodland opening sometime in 2019.

Part of the Uppingham Young Artists Series for 2019, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Isata Kanneh-Mason perform on cello and piano respectively. Sheku is one of the brightest young stars on the classical music scene, became a household name worldwide in May 2018 after performing at the Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle, a performance watched by 2m people. Isata is a postgraduate student at The Royal Academy of Music, together they will perform works by Beethoven, Debussy Fauré and Mendelssohn.

n Entrance £6/adults; £5/child, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am, call 01572 722122 or see www.rutlandfarmpark.co.uk. DINGLEY

sunday 5th may & saturday 25th may

n Uppingham Parish Church, book on 01572 820820 or see www.uppthearts.co.uk.

The Game & Country Fair

ENJOY A DAY OUT AND CELEBRATE THE COUNTRYSIDE AS BURGHLEY HOUSE HOSTS THE 2019 LIVING HERITAGE SHOW

racing at dingley

STAMFORD

sunday 26th & monday 27th may

burgHley game and country fair

A large country fair with four main arenas presenting country sports and pursuits at their very best. Don’t miss the dog agility classes, steam and vintage machinery shows, chainsaw carving, ferret racing, angling village and historical re-enactments. Of course, there’s food glorious food and the chance to try your hand at country crafts too, plus lots of country sports from clay shooting, to airguns to archery. It’s a superb family day out. n For more information call 01283 820548 visit the event’s website at burghleygameandcountryfair.co.uk.

The Fernie and Fitzwilliam point to point meetings at Dingley Races take place this month and each consist of six or seven races ranging between two and a half and four miles in distance. The sport is effectively amateur horseracing over fences which are not quite as high as National Hunt steeplechase fences. The horses have had to qualify by having been hunted four or more times during the current season and successful young point to pointers often go on to win National Hunt steeplechases. The racecourse and viewing facilities at Dingley are almost unique and bookmakers, a Tote, refreshment and bar facilities available too.

n Gates 11am, races from 2pm, see www.dingleyraces.com.

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Send your press releases and events to: the Features Editor via editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

RUTLAND

PETERBOROUGH

SATuRDAy 4th MAy

TREASuRE FOR TREASuRE TV personality and auctioneer Charles Hanson is coming to Peterborough Cathedral in May to run Treasure for Treasure. At this free event people are invited to bring and donate unwanted items of jewellery or small, portable antiques. Charles and fellow experts from Hansons Auctioneers will

receive the items for sale at their next appropriate auction. Hansons kindly waive their sellers’ commission so that the entire hammer price can be donated to Peterborough Cathedral, or shared 50/50 between the Cathedral and a parish church within the Peterborough Diocese, chosen by the donor. Hansons’ will also offer valuations on the day, for items brought along but not for sale, for a cash donation.

n www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk.

Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet IMAGINE A TIME WHEN LOVE IS FORBIDDEN, AS STAR CROSS’D LOVERS FROM TWO HOUSES EXPERIENCE JOY, TRAGEDY, LOVE AND DEATH

ROCKINGHAM

saturday 18th friday 31st may

friday 17th may sunday 19th may

rutland walking & cycle festival

fairfax & favor rockingHam international Horse trials

The Rutland Walking and Cycling Festival is back for 2019 following huge success over the last 10 years. The festival is a fun packed celebration of Rutland and its glorious countryside and will host led walks and bike rides to suit all ages and abilities, perfect for a family day out. No matter what your fitness level you’ll find an enjoyable route during the festival. The first week of the festival celebrates the county by exploring around its perimeters and during week two of the festival you can walk the 65 mile Rutland Round across seven days with its author John Williams. n Further details including the festival programmes and how to register below and at www.activerutland.org.uk

LEICESTER

monday 13th saturday 18th may

mattHew bourne’s romeo & Juliet

Director and choreographer Matthew Bourne presents Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. A pair of star-cross’d lovers fall in love and take their lives in this a passionate and rather contemporary re-imagining of the classic love story, with new orchestrations of Prokofiev. Confined against their will by a society that seeks to divide, our two young lovers must follow their hearts as they risk everything to be together.

The seventh year of Rockingham International Horse Trials will feature dressage, cross country and show-jumping at BE100, Novice, Intermediate and CIC level as well as other top level equestrian disciplines. The event also features the Dubarry Burley Young Event Horse competition. There is something for everyone, whether it’s shopping in the trade stands, family entertainment or enjoying the equestrian competition, it’s sure to be a full day out!

n Tickets £3-£20. Family ticket for the weekend £45. Rockingham Castle, LE16 8TH, rockinghamcastlehorsetrials.com, call 01536 770240 for more information.

Bursting with youth, vitality and Matthew Bourne’s trademark storytelling, Leicester’s brightest young dance talent join the New Adventures company, with direction and choreography by Matthew Bourne, design by Lez Brotherston, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Paul Groothuis and new orchestrations by Terry Davies played live by the New Adventures Orchestra. n The Curve Theatre, tickets £10-£45. Rutland Street Leicester, LE1 1SB. Call 0116 242 3595 or see www.curveonline.co.uk.

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A PLACE IN THE SUN

(but closer to home than you might think!) Gain a better lifestyle, free up some equity and own a place to enjoy this summer… all without having to leave the area! If you’ve considered an investment or retirement property, look a little closer to home and enjoy the lifestyle that Tallington Lakes near Stamford offers… Words: Rob Davis.

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TA L L I N G TO N Large family homes are all well and good when they’re full of life, but when the children clear off to university or move to the city to pursue their own career, many local couples soon find themselves echoing in the drawing rooms and entrance hallways of the area’s grandest homes.

Below: An interior of a £250,000 Hampton lodge, offering two en suite bedrooms and open plan living. The lodges come fully furnished and enjoy lakeside views... just bring your suitcase and begin relaxing!

Alternatively, we become a slave to the acres as large gardens turn into large burdens, stealing away weekends, whilst peeling wallpaper and tired kitchens become bothersome.

It’s a time of life, too, that many would prefer to clear off on a decent holiday or two each year or help the kids get onto the property ladder, an occasion when freeing up a bit of equity would be handy, and a place in the sun begins to appeal.

But what if you could get away from it all without going too far? What if you could trade the work and running costs of a large property for somewhere newer, more manageable and more practical?

L A K E S

What if there was an option to invest in a local property that affords the opportunity of 365-days a year residency or buy-to-let use, or even employment as a holiday rental, with the option to hold for a few weeks a year back for you and your family to enjoy?

Look no further than the 205 acres of Tallington Lakes, just a stone’s throw from Stamford. “The site was established 35 years ago by its current owner,” says Claire Alsop, who looks after the site’s lodges under Tallington’s Goodlife Lodge Company brand. “Tallington is best known for its water sports - sailing, fishing, waterskiing and kayaking as well as its dry ski slope and climbing wall. But the site is also home to in excess of 350 lodges, of which 80% are occupied by locals - not tourists - 365 days a year.” Whilst the site’s leisure facilities are impressive, Tallington Lakes is not a holiday park. It’s more popular with investors seeking to free up some equity in their estate, keep a property foothold in the area, remain within an hour or so of London for work and leisure, and trade in larger older properties for modern, well-made, spacious and well-specified lodges. And oh boy… do you get a lot for your money! Buyers can purchase an existing property, purchase a newly built property - around 20 units are available at any one time - or choose a plot to design then commission their own bespoke property. >>

Top: Rooftop terraces are available, along with wrap-around decking and lakeside views on lodges on Tallington’s premium plots. Above: Features on most lodges include en suite bathrooms, open plan living areas, fully equipped kitchens and furnishings.

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The Kingfisher: £185,000 - £280,000

>> Prices range from £65,000 for a typical existing property with two bedrooms and an en suite bathroom. Brand new lakeside properties with decking, fully equipped kitchens and en suite bathrooms are priced from around £185,000, dependent on plot.

However, with an investment of around £250,000 you can free up equity from your larger property and secure a brand new two-bedroom or three-bedroom lodge with a couple of en suites, high-spec kitchens and bathrooms, fully furnished interiors with fireplaces, sofas & tables, timber decking, parking spaces and sheds.

The Kingfisher lodge is available in several different sizes, including 40ft and 50ft variations. Typical configurations include two or three bedrooms, en suite bathroom and dressing room to master bedroom plus separate family bathroom and utility room. A large open plan kitchen, dining and living area includes bifold doors which open out onto a

Top of the range lodges on Tallington Lakes can even include rooftop terraces and wrap-around glass balustraded balconies for uninterrupted views of the lakes. Prices top out at £400,000 for premium positions on the site with high spec bespoke options added to lodges. “Tallington Lakes is a real community, and has a population of around 700,” says Claire. “It’s occupied all year round, and there’s a swimming pool, restaurant with regular classes, social events and quiz nights. People love the fact that they can arrive, unpack and just relax, then lock up and leave knowing their investment is secure.”

weatherproof pressure-treated timber decking area. Lakeside and non-lakeside plots available, all appliances & furniture included. n

The Hampton: £250,000 - £300,000

“We’ve an older population than ever, and there’s a newly emerging demographic of fit and active ‘younger, older’ people from, say, 50-70. They’re ready to make their life easier with smaller gardens and homes that are easier to manage and they have more leisure time.”

“But this new demographic are not ready to downsize to really small properties. Nor are they ready to consider retirement homes. They’ve time; they’ve an estate from which they’re ready to begin to release equity; they’ve connections in the area which they’d like to retain. It’s exactly those people who have discovered Tallington not just as an investment or a new home, but as a new lifestyle opportunity and a new community, too.” They’re great party homes as well for spending time together as a family when the kids return for half term. Alternatively, new for 2019 is a buy to let option for the site too. So if you’re seeking to make an investment you can begin to get a return immediately. Either way the lodges afford both a great standard of living as well as being a financially sound choice.

A permanent place in the sun sounds evocative but typically puts one in mind of the travails of airport travel, questionable Balearic property developments with half-finished sites, and the odd bout of homesickness - to say nothing off the questionable merit of international property investment amid Brexit. A place in the sun closer to home, by contrast, is easier to reach, more versatile and affords the chance to make family memories all summer long, ensuring the sun shines even brighter on your new home.

Tallington Lakes’s Hampton Lodge boasts an even higher spec. Whilst specification and plots vary, typically there are lodges with lakeside views on two aspects, a wrap-around decking area over the water, with glass balustrading for uninterrupted views, plus high specification kitchens with stone work surfaces and premium appliances.

5454

Typical configurations include two bedrooms - each with en suite - cloakroom, utility room and bi-fold doors onto private terrace. n

n Tallington Lake’s Lodges are represented by Claire Alsop and Anneliese Cooper. For a no-obligation personal tour around the site and a look at the range of lodges, priced from £65,000 to £500,000, call 01778 381144 or see www.goodlifelodges.com. NB: All prices quoted are intended as a guide only and are subject to variations in plot location, bespoke specification etc.

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TA L L I N G TO N

L A K E S

Filling Your Time: Activities available on Stamford’s Tallington Lakes...

n Swimming: Tallington Lakes has a heated outdoor swimming pool, as well as dedicated areas for open water swimming. Lovers of watersports can also enjoy sailing, waterskiing, kayaking, paddle or wakeboarding and there are separate areas for fishing. There’s a pro-shop on site too.

n Lakeside Restaurant: With over 80% of Tallington Lakes’s lodges occupied by permanent home owners all year round, the 700-strong population is really sociable. There’s a village shop for essentials, plus the Lakeside Bar & Restaurant which hosts social evenings like quiz nights and other ‘village’ events.

n Dry Ski Slope: Tallington Lakes has a brand new Neveplast dry ski slope with areas for training, and freestyle skiing and snowboarding. It’s the ideal facility for getting in some all-year round practice before your skiing holiday and of course, expert tuition is also available courtesy of Chas Shrosbee and his team.

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MISSED MTD DEADLINE?

“Don’t Panic...!” Did you miss the 1st April deadline, don’t panic – get in touch, we will get you back on track, call us now

Payroll, bookkeeping, accountancy, tax services and business advice for individuals, sole traders or companies We’re human (well, apart from Barnstone here), so we promise to talk to you like a human, you know, in a jargon-free, no waﬄe way! We’re available during evenings and weekends too, and promise to respond to a client’s queries within 24 hours. We’re the approachable accountants that make your life easier... so give us a call!

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FOOD & DRINK

THE COACH HOUSE

at South Luffenham

A combination of more formally presented à la carte dishes and some really enjoyable quality pub restaurant favourites combine at South Luffenham’s Coach House to create a really compelling dining experience this summer... Here comes the sun, sang George Harrison. Indeed, it was attempting to show its face during our visit to this month’s dining out feature, but alas, it still managed to evade my camera. Never mind; we simply used our imagination to conjure up the requisite sunshine that would ideally have accompanied a special preview of South Luffenham chef Alec Stephens’ new menus, due to reach the pub restaurant as Pride goes to press.

Alec and I share a broad consensus on food in that neither of us believes that fussiness or that inchoate quality of ‘posh’ necessarily improves a dining experience. Sure, a smart dining room is nice, but a really good dining experience demands not style, but substance. By substance we mean technically good chefcraft combined with consistent quality of produce knowing that using flavours with simplicity will always produce a better dish. all of this is what makes a good dish great.

“AT THE COACH HOUSE, ALEC’S TALENT ENSURES A GOOD MEAL BECOMES REALLY GREAT...”

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

meet the CHEF ALEC STEPHENS, THE COACH HOUSE

Back when Alec wore a younger man’s shoes, he scored some brownie points when working on the pass; that’s the area where the dish is brought together on the plate before it is delivered to its intended diner.

A customer’s main course was almost ready when Alec noticed that the neat placement of the elements had gone awry in a culinary landslide of unctuous jus. It would do, surely, suggested the waiter. Not a chance. Alec insisted on re-plating the whole lot, much to the consternation of the waiter. His Head Chef approved though, and tipped Alec for great things early on in his career. Having taken the pub restaurant over in 2017 and refurbishing its restaurant in May 2018, Alec no longer occupies just the pass, as is the norm for many Head Chefs. Instead he likes to be at the stove where his real >>

Food History: Born in Nottinghamshire, first job was at a gastro pub in home village before working in rosette & Michelin establishments and as head chef in the East Midlands as well as France & Italy. Food Heaven: Anything Italian or classic French is right up my street!

Food Hell: Roast salmon... a legacy from when my father would cook it for Sunday lunch! n

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>> enjoyment is, and together with his sous chef Patrick, they still very much enjoy working together to present and finish their dishes rather than designate each a section to do alone.

There’s a single menu for lunchtime service and a single menu for evening service, plus a dedicated menu on Sunday for £18/two courses; £23/three courses. Also they have some great midweek offers at lunch and in the evenings, ‘Twosday;’ two steaks & bottle of wine for just £30 every Tuesday. Lunchtime dining sees a number of sandwiches available, as well as à la carte dishes, whilst evening service provides a choice of five starters, six main course options and six

OPEN FOR FOOD Lunchtime Dining: Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat 12 noon to 2.30pm. Evening Dining: Monday to Saturday 6pm to 9pm.

Sunday Service: 12 noon to 4pm.

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on the MENU FROM THE EVENING À LA CARTE MENU AT THE COACH HOUSE Starters

Peppered beef carpaccio with heritage beetroots, croutons and horseradish crème fraiche £7.50.

Moules mariniére with white wine and garlic cream £6.50/£12.

Wild mushrooms on focaccia with garlic sauce, rocket and shaved Parmesan £5.50. Main Courses

Pork loin Wellington with black pudding, Savoy cabbage, creamed mash, pancetta and pickled apples in cider jus £18.50. additional grill options. During both daytime and evening service, there’s also a choice of eight artisan pizzas. And that’s the joy of dining at The Coach House. If you fancy something... well, fancy, it’s there on the menu.

A delicious pork loin Wellington serves as the perfect example, with suet pastry instead of puff, sealed then oven baked for an amazing crust and rose-coloured pork loin. Alternatively, there’s a new Roast Mallard dish, one of Alec’s own creations and a personal favourite. With a confit leg spring roll and star anise infused squash, plus juniper & soy jus from the bones of the duck, it’s softly oriental but without the overbearing and umami bitterness that comes from a more classical oriental dish: a gentler, more floral, less spicy way to impart a modern dish using Great British ingredients. Equally, if you’re keener on a more casual dish - albeit flawlessly executed - there’s beer-battered haddock, a really good burger with brioche bun and Monterey Jack... more relaxed, but prodigiously not fast food.

Alec’s pizzas use the restaurant’s own handmade dough, and they’re stone-baked, an imperfect circle of imperfectly risen dough that’s all the better for it and for the range of toppings they’re offered with. The restaurant’s bread? Homemade. Desserts? Homemade.

Suppliers include Price & Fretwell and Owen Taylor Butchers; responsible for the 30-day hung steaks, dry-aged over Himalayan salt blocks. Fish is from UK shores, whilst veg is from Covent Garden via Loughborough’s Veg Factor.

And if you think the ingredients have provenance, wait until you catch a glimpse of the wine list. For a village pub The Coach House has some knock-out bottles. Topping out at about fifty of the Queen’s pounds, we’ll direct you to Fronsac Bordeaux, and a Premier Cru Moutard Chablis. For a village pub, The Coach House’s food output is really quite wonderful. if you’re seeking relaxed dining in a restaurant that values satisfaction and dishes with substance and style, it’s a distinct recommendation. n

8oz Denver steak with roast vine tomatoes, field mushrooms and dripping chips £16.

Artisan pizza e.g.: Maui with pulled ham hock, grilled pineapple and coriander £10. Dessert

Raspberry pavlova cheesecake, meringue, raspberries & raspberry sorbet £5.95.

Rhubarb & custard, frozen vanilla parfait, forced Yorkshire rhubarb, ginger oat crumb, lemon balm £6.50. NB: Featured dishes are subject to change.

n The Coach House Inn, Stamford Road, South Luffenham LE15 8NT. Booking recommended on 01780 720866 or via www.thecoachhouseinn.co.uk. 61

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In the KITCHEN

Field grown rhubarb is available from late April right through to September, and this delicious dessert will be one you’ll prepare as a family pudding all summer long...

RHUBARB & CUSTARD TART with Local Field Grown Rhubarb

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 45 minutes. Serves: Eight. • 375g pack ready-rolled shortcrust pastry • 800g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 4-5cm pieces • 340g golden caster sugar • 1 vanilla pod, split • 1 tbsp cornflour • 2 large eggs, beaten, plus 1 egg white, for washing • 1 x 300ml pot crème fraîche Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Roll out the pastry large enough to line a deep, 23cm round tart tin with a removable base. Trim the edges, then prick the base with a fork and chill for at least 30 mins. Meanwhile, arrange the rhubarb in a large ovenproof dish with 120g of the sugar and the split vanilla pod. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20-25 mins, until the rhubarb is just tender but still holds its shape. Drain the liquid and set the rhubarb and vanilla pod aside. Cover the tart base with a piece of nonstick baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Blind bake for 15 mins, then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 mins, until cooked but still pale. Immediately brush the base with egg white to seal.

Reduce the oven temperature to gas 3, 170°C, fan 150°C. Combine the remaining sugar and cornflour in a bowl and gradually whisk in the eggs and crème fraîche. Scrape out the vanilla seeds from the reserved pod and whisk in. Arrange the drained rhubarb in the pastry case and pour over the custard mixture. Bake in the oven for 30 mins, or until just set in the middle. Allow to cool in the tin before serving in slices. n

Recipes & Dishes: realfood.tesco.com.

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An English Rosé

Wine of the Month

Somerby Magna Carta 1215 Reserve Rondo

Based in Leicestershire, Walton Brook vineyard was originally planted in 2008 on a sunny South-facing slope consisting of clay with flint on limestone. The original plantation of 2,500 vines consisted of Seyval Blanc, Solaris, Regent and Madeline Angevine planted in two blocks by laser guided equipment from Germany. The following year, an additional several hundred vines of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay were planted, and again in 2010 a further 6,000 Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Bacchus completed the current selection. Try their Rosé; from pinot noir grapes, with fruity raspberry undertones.

UK, 2017 £12.99 / 75cl / 11% ABV

The Wine Cellar n £10 / 70cl / 11% ABV www.waltonbrook.com

RULE BRITANNIA! BRITANNIA RULES THE VINOCAVE! TO MARK ENGLISH WINE WEEK (FROM SATURDAY 25TH MAY) WE’RE CELEBRATING PATRIOTIC TIPPLES FROM OUR SCEPTRED ISLE! ENGLISH WINE WEEK: Three enchanting examples of Blighty’s finest fizz...

1. Nyetimber’s Tillington Single Vineyard is regarded as the UK’s finest sparkling wine. A previous Ritz Hotel ‘Champagne of the month,’ it’s reminiscent of English summer fruit and almonds. £89.90 / 75cl / 14% ABV. 2. Bolney’s sparkling offering is made from the vines of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. It offers a full-bodied, crisp and citrussy flavour with flavours of honeysuckle and elderflower. Made with the Methode Traditionelle. £32.00 / 75cl / 12.5% ABV.

3. Unique to the UK, the Wiston Estate’s traditional Coquard wooden press turns Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier into this 2011 vintage fizz with its peach, apricot and brioche notes. £42.50 / 75cl / 12% ABV.

Made in Lincolnshire on a 16 acre chalk escarpment producing white, red and sparkling wines as well as cider. Somerby is probably one of the most northerly vineyards for a red wine, this home grown hero is a rare rich red available from Somerby Vineyards or from Waitrose Cellar. Perhaps between a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Syrah, it’s an oak structured fruity wine, full mouth feel for an English red. Violet and Blackcurrant with a cedar finish all held by a ripe tannic structure which harmonises with the delicate oak base. Very punchy nose with vibrant blackcurrant and blueberry aromas accompanied with spiced cedar wood and floral notes.

www.somerbyvineyards.com www.waitrosecellar.com.

An English fizz for those in the pink...

An English rosé fizz, made using the traditional method to produce a quality sparkling wine with a fine mousse, tightly beaded. Bolney Estate was the sixth commercial vineyard planted in England. In 1972, Rodney and Janet Pratt planted 1.2 hectares of vines then some years later Bolney’s vintage won the Global Rosé Masters 2017 gold award.

Sumptuous berry fruits lead to ripe red apple and delicate floral notes. A touch of yeast balances perfectly with bright raspberry on the palate. n £29.99 / 75cl / 10.5% ABV.

n Our featured wines are available from the best local independent wine merchants, supermarkets and online, prices are RRP and may vary from those stated.

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HOMES & INTERIORS

Quintessentially

ENGLISH

A country house in the town. A property in an elevated position with wonderful views over uppingham’s panorama of cricket ﬁeld, pavilion, school and the quaint market town itself. And closer to home? A thunderous roar from the classic Jag in the garage which, alas, Steve Matthews isn’t including in the sale. Still, Ashleigh House remains a quintessentially English property... Words: Rob Davis.

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Warm beer. Cricket. A classic Jag. They’re all justifiably described as quintessentially English and though ordinarily I hate the phrase - as its overemployment makes for a naff cliché I’d struggle to find any other way to describe Ashleigh House, this month’s featured property.

The house dates back to about 1910 and is Edwardian in age but created in a Victorian style, restored to reflect the style of the Arts & Crafts movement, with just a few concessions to modern life to ensure it’s fit for purpose as a comfortable family home. We joined ex-forces owner Steve Matthews, who took on the property four years ago and Main: The property has four reception rooms including a snug and cinema.

Right: The house is arranged over two floors and has four bedrooms and four receptions.

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embarked on a pretty severe restoration of Ashleigh Lodge, located on Uppingham’s Seaton Road. Having previously renovated an Edwardian house in the town - which then sold within six hours of being on the market - and having completed this project, Steve now finds himself with the kind of idle hands that the devil is happy to make work for. In between his property restoration projects, Steve also runs Forces Properties Direct, which assists military families leaving the services to find and buy their own homes. Already, Steve has helped over 1,000 families to find properties, bringing another previous career to bear, working for some of the county’s largest new homes developers. Steve completely redesigned Ashleigh Lodge, tearing down the overgrown gardens which

“Steve found two identical 120 year old fireplaces 80 miles apart and chose Morris & Co wallpaper, and Farrow & Ball paint shades.”

obscured views over Uppingham School’s cricket field and thatched pavilion. Other sites to behold from the property’s elevated position include sheep grazing on farmland and the town centre of Uppingham. With The Falcon, Don Paddy’s et al within a stone’s throw, the house can justifiably be described as a county house that’s also right in the heart of the town. Having reinstated the views, and having created an Indian stone terrace around the property itself, Steve turned his attention to damp proofing, rewiring, replumbing and

installing a new central heating system in the property, completing much of the work himself. Steve then turned his attention to losing all of the 1980s decor and purchasing two identical 120 year old fireplaces 80 miles and two months apart, choosing William Morris wallpaper, Farrow & Ball paint and reinstating details like cornices and mouldings to the reception rooms. Vintage cast iron bathroom fittings were re-enamelled and even the taps were wrapped in vinegar-soaked rags to achieve an aged patina. A hand-built kitchen was finished in French Grey, with integrated Neff appliances hidden away, and Victorian tiles sourced to complete the look. The property is arranged over two floors and has four reception rooms and there are >>

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>> four bedrooms on the first floor, with a slight concession to history made in the form of an en suite to the master bedroom.

Another concession to modern life is the use of the former pantry next to the old kitchen as a cinema room. This thoroughly modern room is hard-wired for the necessary HDMI cables and features an electrically operated Crosby & Brown cinema screen created with glass beads for more reflection and a full cinema surround sound system, squashy leather sofas avoid cinema fatigue and complete the comfortable casual room. Elsewhere, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a more formal drawing room, and the dining room and kitchen have been connected with the removal of an area of wall to create a living kitchen with dining Above: There are four bedrooms with art deco fireplaces, Morris wallpaper and an en suite to the master bedroom.

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area in a later addition to the property on the north-west aspect.

One of the challenges of the restoration was marrying the south-facing aspect of the house to the north-east aspect, which Steve achieved with a white stucco render and oak porch designed to match Steve’s double garage, created in oak to house the Jag. Elsewhere there are mature gardens, large terraces, specimen trees and of course those beautiful views over Uppingham.

“It’s been an amazing family home and my three children love it,” says Steve. “But I had lots to do with the restoration, then a great family Christmas, with lots of noise in the house. All of a sudden, things have become very quiet... a little too quiet for my liking!”

“I’ve found my next project which is rather smaller, Grade II listed, still in Uppingham but with a lovely cottage garden. I’m keen to get started but I’ll miss this place lots. I think the best compliment I’ve had is that it’s difficult to discern the original parts of the property from the new parts. I’d like to think that show it’s a really sympathetic and really successful restoration!” n

ASHLEIGH LODGE, UPPINGHAM Location: Uppingham one mile; Oakham six miles, Stamford 13 miles. Style: Beautifully restored unlisted Victorian villa.

Bedrooms: Four, one en suite.

Receptions: Four, arranged as drawing room; living kitchen, snug and cinema room.

Guide Price: £799,999. Find Out More: Ashleigh Lodge is currently on the market with James Sellicks, Catmos Street Oakham Rutland LE15 6HW. Call 01572 724437 or see www.jamessellicks.com.

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Main Image: 1909 kitchen in Old English White and truffle from PDA Kitchens, based in Peterborough

Cooking

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Style

In our part of the world, a functional, well-made and attractive living kitchen is essential to cope with the trials, tribulations and hard-knocks of family life. î&#x20AC;&#x20AC;is month weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve looked to local suppliers to suggest stylish solutions for family-friendly kitchens you can cook, entertain, live and work in... Words & Images: Rob Davis.

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Above: Laura Ashley’s Helmsley kitchen from Symphony, available at Oldrids and Jackson Buildbase Stamford. Right: White and blue in-frame shaker kitchen from Steve Hills Designs. Opposite Page, Top Left: Bespoke marble surfaces from Peterborough’s Olympic Marble.

Opposite Page, Top Right: Cashmere high-gloss kitchen with integrated handles from QKS Kitchens, Stamford.

Opposite Page, Bottom Left: Bespoke timber kitchen painted in your choice of colour from Stamford’s Fitted Furniture Company. Opposite Page, Bottom Right: Anthracite and copper kitchen from Steve Hills Design.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Opt for a supplier who can create bespoke cabinetry, or use factory-manufactured rigid carcasses for the best quality kitchen. Engineered stone surfaces are the most hard-wearing and practical for busy families and enthusiastic cooks...â&#x20AC;?

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Jackson Buildbase: Painted steel blue Sheraton kitchen from Jackson Buildbase.

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Above: Cashmere and sage Alchemy kitchen by PDA Kitchens. Bottom: Clean and crisp white Georgian kitchen by Moir Wade.

Local Suppliers...

Fitted Furniture Company: Easton on the Hill, Easton-on-theHill PE9 3NT, 01780 480080, www.thefittedfurniturecompany.com. Jackson Buildbase: Radcliffe Rd, Stamford PE9 1AP, 01780 764782, www.buildbase.co.uk. Moir Wade: Syston, Leicester LE7 2JQ , 0116 269 5915, www.moirwade.co.uk. Oldrids: A1, Grantham NG32 2AB, 01476 590239 www.oldrids.co.uk Olympic Marble: Peterborough PE2 7BU, 01733 687414, www.olympic-marble.co.uk. PDA Kitchens: Papyrus Rd, Peterborough PE4 5BH, 01733 894422, www.pdakitchens.co.uk. QKS Kitchens: Barnack Rd, Stamford PE9 2NA, 01780 756514, www.qksstamford.co.uk. Steve Hill: Bottesford, Nottingham NG13 0EG, 07812 389 869, www.stevehillsdesign.co.uk. n

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25 large room settings in our extensive showroom • Contemporary, traditional, modern & handmade bespoke kitchens • Design, supply, manage and install

• Affordable, quality kitchens and and the latest designs on display • Over 60 appliances on show

The best quality, best value and best service from a company fitting kitchens since 1981

Your local appointed Sheraton dealer and Neff Master Partner

Our customers can’t recommend our services highly enough, offering our vision and knowledge that becomes seamlessly transformed into a practical working living space.

THE AREA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT KITCHEN SHOWROOM The Maltings, Barnack Road, Stamford PE9 2NA T: 01780 756514 or 755855

E: sales@qksstamford.co.uk

www.qksstamford.co.uk

Open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. Sat, 9am-3pm, closed all day Sunday

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QKS KITCHENS

STAMFORD Quality Kitchens in

Unmistakably British with unmistakable craftsmanship. Creating rooms that look wonderful and function well through the year is what Stamford ﬁrm QKS has specialised in for 38 years, or 10,000 kitchens!

How do you calculate the success of a business? A local kitchen specialist, for example? The number of kitchens they’ve installed successfully; 10,000? The years they’ve been established for; 38? How about the combined years of experience the firm’s five kitchen designers have between them; 180?

Those are all very impressive ways to express the provenance that a company like Stamford’s QKS kitchens has in the industry, but the firm’s Malcolm Brandwood has a different way to calculate how successful it has been over the years; the number of satisfied customers that have happily recommended them to others. It’s a trickier number to calculate, but it’s certainly telling that QKS’s existing customers will so readily recommend the firm to their family and friends. As skilled craftsmen and suppliers of bespoke and rigid factory-built kitchens and ready-to-assemble ranges, the company can create stunning kitchens that look good and work really well for families.

“We can work with budgets from £4,000 to £60,000 and co-ordinate all structural and building work, plus plumbing, electrical and gas

contractors, plasterers, tilers and even the decorators, to offer a complete turnkey service,” says Malcolm. “There’s a misconception that using an independent kitchen designer will prove more expensive than a multinational DIY store retailer or builder’s merchant. In fact, when you compare like-for-like, we can offer a kitchen at very competitive prices but with better products.”

The firm specialises in traditional or more modern in-frame shaker styles of kitchens as well as the latest handleless high-gloss kitchens. Ranges include Sheraton and Chippendale, whilst the company has access to appliances from brands like Bosch, Neff and Siemens, plus sinks and taps from Franke and work surfaces featuring engineered stone brands such as Corian and Silestone, as well as traditional timber, quartz and marble. “Your kitchen is the most costly and disruptive room to change, and the most functionally important room in your home. It’s really important to get it right first time. That’s why using a knowledgeable, skilled and trusted firm like QKS will be a decision that you’ll never regret.” n

top/left: chippendale’s solo gloss handleless high-gloss kitchen in cashmere and ivory, or anthracite and grey. try a two tone look, white work surfaces in seamless engineered stone and integrated smart appliances. top/right: gladstone by sheraton features a matte oak ﬁnish with integrated handles with quartz work surface and integrated breakfast bar, ideal for casual dining. right: edwardian painted kitchen in light grey, with solid factory-assembled cabinetry. n For more information and a no-pressure-selling guaranteed discussion about your kitchen, visit QKS Kitchens at The Maltings, Barnack Rd, Stamford PE9 2NA, call 01780 756514 or see www.qksstamford.co.uk. 88

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AT THE AUCTION

30 Years of

AUCTIONS

In 2019 auctioneer Colin Young celebrates 30 years bringing the Golding Gavel down on pots of lots, putting art in the frame and discovering antiques aplenty. This month he shares the secrets of his success and reveals why the area’s auction houses are enjoying - not just enduring - the internet era... “Excuse the amount of items in the place,” says Colin Young as we walk past lot of lots towards the auctioneer’s office. We visited Golding Young’s Bourne sale room shortly before their monthly sale. As such, all of the lots that would feature in both the collective and Arts & Antiques sales were stacking up.

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

That means as a seller, you’re likely to get a better price, as a buyer, you’ve easy access to better lots than ever and as an industry, the likes of Golding Young are really prospering.

Hard to believe, but in a day or two, after the auction, the whole place would be empty. There was really no need for an apology. My eyes darted everywhere, over such a variety of furniture, antiques, art, household effects, vintage cameras, motorcycles and antique clocks. If it’s not in the room, you probably don’t want it! Does the company find it difficult to find stock in the internet era? Oh no. In fact internet auction sites as they’re known have created a whole new market for real auctioneers for products that previously failed to sell. Having sales like those hosted by Golding Young means a wider range of quality of stock, not only those you feast on glamorous results cherry-picked by experts like Colin, who also presents BBC programmes like Bargain Hunt, and won Young Auctioneer of the Year in 1996, but at the lower levels too. “You can pay a commission to online sites, and do all the work yourself,” says Colin. “Or you can pay us to do all the work; collect the item, photograph it, catalogue it, process the sale, publicise it and collect the funds with the security of RICS regulation.”

As well as improving auction rooms’ quality of stock, the internet has increased the audience of sale rooms well beyond buyers’ willingness to travel a particular distance, and made it possible for them to be in two sales at once. 94

and sales through the year for automobilia, ceramics, Asian art and so on. Each sale features about 1,500 lots, and they’re typically attended by an audience of about 200 people in person. But now, there’s a hidden audience of thousands online making bids too.

But where on earth does the auction room’s stock come from? “Oh that’s the easy bit!” says Colin. “Private individuals, liquidations of businesses, estate clearances... it’s a real misconception that you have to send off a huge amount to the auction room.”

“Each sale features about 1,500 lots and is attended live by about 200 people...”

“Previously we used a platform to sort of ‘piggyback’ on other auction technologies,” says Colin.

“But just recently we’ve invested in our own platform - technology that was previously the preserve of the World’s top few auction houses.”

The company has sale rooms in Bourne, Grantham and Lincoln, and hosts monthly Collective sales as well as Arts & Antiques sales Above: Colin has to work out the value of around 70,000 lots annually, and present auctions with charisma and professionalism.

“In fact, many of our lots are single items, and we’re always happy to visit those who are downsizing from large properties or redesigning their homes and want to have a single item or just a couple of bits valued for sale; we’re always happy to advise.”

Selling around 70,000 lots annually, Colin’s successes include a Cello which sold to a Canadian collector for £11,000, a sideboard which sold for a cool £135,000 and a James Campbell painting which was sold to the Tate Modern Gallery for £15,000. The firm’s antiques and fine art department has valued about £40,000,000 over the past five years or so. But what’s the secret of auctioneering? “It’s necessary to be technically brilliant,” Colin admits. “After all, you’ve live bids, phone bids and internet-bids all coming in simultaneously, so you have to be aware of what’s going on and count forward.” >>

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“I’m an auctioneer first and a businessman last. It’s important to engage with the audience, make them feel the atmosphere of the excitement of the sale!” >> “But honestly, the secret is that I’m an auctioneer first and a businessman last. It’s important to engage with the audience, make them feel the atmosphere and the excitement of the sale room. It’s a special and fun place to be, and the more of a buzz there is, the more of an exciting atmosphere, the better the reflection on the business. After that, achieving good prices for the seller will take care of itself and buyers will enjoy the experience.”

“Some people are still intimidated by the auction room, by the myth that you’ll scratch your nose and buy a Rembrandt, but the reality is we’re here for both seller and buyer, and it’s in our interest to make the experience fun and lively and likeable. The banter you can have, bringing people in, reading their body language and the humour are all part of the sale experience.” Another part of the fun for Colin is that you never know what lots are going to come through the door. Colin is a fan of vintage motorcycles and was delighted to see a Triumph through the door; it’s now parked next to a convertible Mercedes which will also feature in the next automobilia sale.

Valuation is interesting, but again, that’s all part of the job. With all items their values are dependent on age, provenance, condition and the ebb and flow of trends and fashions. What has Colin learned in his 30 years? “At 21 I knew everything there was to know about antiques & auctions!” jokes Colin, but adds, “and actually think I believed that? Now at 51, all I know is that I so want to be on the rostrum at every sale. After 30 years I really wouldn’t do anything else!”

n Colin Young has 30 years experience as an auctioneer based at Golding Young, established in 1864. The company has sale rooms in Bourne, Grantham and Lincoln, and offices in Stamford and Louth. For no-obligation advice, valuations and to view catalogues of future sales online, see www.goldingyoung.com or call 01778 422686. 96

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GOING, GOING, GONE: Recent lots...

from top: a signed, framed, coloured lowry print sold for £340 at the last collective sale. ese danish rosewood chairs date back from the 1960s and sold for £16,500. a mid-19th century longcase clock by James usher of lincoln sold for £360. wwii dfc memorabilia, with lots of provenance, sold for £2,000. a bang & olufsen beosound hi-ﬁ with cd and turntable recently sold for £950. n

GREEN

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With Envy...

ARTHUR ROMNEY GREEN (1872-1945) is high up the list of Arts and Crafts furniture designers, with his works becoming more and more desirable as collecting trends narrow.

Placing a name to a style is crucial in today’s market. It is names that sell and create appeal, whether it be a Lowry print, a piece of Lalique glass or silver bearing the name Omar Ramsden, names sell objects and furniture is no exception.

Romney Green closely followed the Cotswold style of production as seen by the heavyweight designers Ernest Gimson and the Barnsley brothers Sidney and Ernest.

All produced a style in keeping with that of William Morris. Romney Green a mathematician, poet and scientist produced useful furniture with visible joints and kept materials other than wood to a minimum. His style closely follows that of Gimson as he exposes wares and produces items with hand tools creating a high level of finesse, whilst juxtaposing nature with science in producing visually pleasing, useful furniture.

The cabinet illustrates the work involved: the shaped supports and

visible tooling marks show the amounts of work which went into these individual creations. It is functional, stylish and beautifully crafted illustrating the skill of the maker. It made £2800 and was keenly contested throughout the country by collectors of Cotswold School items and buyers of good things. Romney Green lived an interesting life, never a prolific seller, his wares were hit hard by the financial depressive years in the 1930s. However, his designs were often seen in Arts and Crafts magazines, winning him European awards in the 1920s. He moved from Hampshire to Surrey and ended in Christchurch, having to move to the countryside due to ill health, where he produced mainly dining room furniture in a most distinctive style. Commissions were never numerous and his work was brought short by a road traffic accident, eventually resulting in Romney Green’s death in 1945. Although he may be slightly overshadowed by the likes of Heal, Gimson and Barnsley his works were exceptional and are very in keeping with the styles of the Cotswold heavyweights. His tables and chairs grace some of the finer museums and he has a following: names sell pieces and Arthur Romney Green is one of the best. n

With best wishes, Craig Bewick, MRICS. Auctioneer Golding Young & Mawer, Grantham.

Find Out More: Craig Bewick is an antiques specialist with Golding, Young & Mawer: The Bourne Auction Rooms, Spalding Road, Bourne PE10 9LE, 01778 422686; The Grantham Auction Rooms, Old Wharf Road, Grantham NG31 7AA, 01476 565118; The Stamford Valuation Office, The George Mews, Station Road, Stamford PE9 2LB, 01780 751666 or The Lincoln Auction Rooms, Thos Mawer House Station Road, North Hykeham, Lincoln, LN6 3QY, 01522 524984. Alternatively, see www.goldingyoung.com.

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Your local cabinetmaker specialising in bespoke furniture commissions

www.simplywood.co.uk 07977 236353 sales@simplywood.co.uk

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OUTDOORS

EXTON A New Garden for

e housekeepers may have raised an eyebrow or two during the redesign of Exton Hall’s front terrace - perhaps for a slightly oﬀbeat reason - but it’ll be visitors who will raise their eyebrows, and also some money, for NGS when the gardens of the Campdens’ home opens this month... Words & Images: Rob Davis.

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The housekeepers wondered what was going on, says Zara Campden, reflecting on the planning stages of the couple’s garden redesign. “On the several occasions our designer Peter Eustance visited us we viewed the garden from every room, including most of the bedrooms. Carol and Mira kept finding Peter and I emerging from yet another bedroom each time he visited!

EXTON HALL Exton Hall has been in the ownership of the Noel family - the Earls of Gainsborough for over 400 years. It’s now occupied by Zara and Harry Campden.

Zara’s interest in gardening was first enlivened by her grandmother, Rosemary McCorquodale whose garden at Little Ponton Hall was beautifully curated and opened to the NGS several times each year. When Zara married Harry Campden, the heir apparent to the title Earl of Gainsborough, the gardens of their family home, Exton Hall, had been tended by Zara’s mother-in-law for over 30 years.

With the sad death of her grandmother just a few months after moving into Exton Hall, Zara decided to create a garden in her memory. “I had sought the opinion of my grandmother when I showed her around the house and gardens earlier that summer, so it felt lovely to carry out something we had discussed.”

“My grandmother was a huge support to me throughout my 20s and 30s and we spent so much time together, she inspired me to go off to Brooksby College and complete an RHS course.”

“By this time I knew that I would be taking on the gardens of Exton Hall and I wanted to do them justice and continue the wonderful custodianship of my parents in law.” “Granny helped give me inspiration when I said how I felt it would be lovely to have an informal parterre on the sunken lawn in front of the house where there had originally been a Victorian parterre.”

“It was the obvious place to have a formal garden as it is seen from all the main rooms in the house and has the backdrop of the house itself. I had previously met a man called Peter Eustance at a very wet

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picnic in a glasshouse at Grimsthorpe Castle walled Garden where the office of his garden design company Symphonic Gardens are situated. Peter had been in the process of designing a charity garden for Papworth Hospital at Chelsea Flower show.” “Peter was extremely down-to-earth and local, both very important factors to me as I felt comfortable that he would be capable of co-designing a garden with me without taking control.”

“When I say co-designing, I knew what I wanted but I didn’t know how to translate this onto paper and I definitely had no idea how to get the proportions right. When you take on your husband’s family home and garden, the last thing you want to do is mess it up!”

“In August 2017 plans were drawn up and signed off. In September the diggers moved in. In October we planted. None of the work would have been possible without the team of Exton Estate, Ramesh Gurung, ex-Gurkha and gardener, Stephen Mathers the farm worker, Robert Mathers the carpenter and Kevin Mathers the gamekeeper. Above all, though it’s Ramesh who deserves credit, he has worked tirelessly to plant, dig, water and weed.”

Main: Exton Hall’s terraces were mainly laid to lawn before Zara Campden redesigned them in conjunction with Peter Eustance.

Opposite: Shrub roses and yew trees help to define just two borders either side of a cascading ‘tableau’ water feature.

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“From October we coped with snow drifts, wind that knocked over the hornbeam and then the searing heat of the summer. Despite all this the garden is a triumph and I cannot believe that in its first year it has established so well.”

“I also feel I now have the credibility to take historic house and garden tours as I show off my bit of custodianship of the grounds. Every friend that visits comments ‘it looks like it was always there’ and to me that is the measure of not cocking it up!”

Peter wanted to create a spacious, uncluttered garden layout that related to the proportions of the hall and its setting, but which retained a simplicity to enhance the beauty but not compete. Two generous lawn panels on either side of a main central gravel path offer a simple balanced symmetry, enhanced by avenues of yew pyramids and hornbeam

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“There are just two large rectangular borders of ornamental planting in the centre of the lawns, intended as a pair of ‘tapestry panels!’” cubes. There are just two large rectangular borders of ornamental planting in the centre of the lawns. These were intended to be a pair of large tapestry panels rolled out in front of the hall, like exuberant carpets of floral embroidery. In effect they are inverted parterres, rather than enclosing them in hedges, a spine of yew flows through the centre of the beds in radial swirls; running stitches.

Peter and Zara designed a formal pond and central cascading ‘tableau’ water feature as well as two pairs of iron rose columns each of which reflect some of the architectural motifs such as the characteristic roof line and stone carving detail on the main front entrance columns. Despite the crazy, record-shattering weather patterns over the 12 months since commencing the project, the planting has established incredibly well during its first season. Less than a year after beginning work, the gardens are looking superb, and will this season open for the first time for the NGS. n Exton Hall will open for the NGS on 12th May 2019, 2pm-5pm, with parkland, lawns, specimen trees and shrubs, lake, private chapel, plus pinetum, woodland walks, lakes, ruins, dovecote and formal herbaceous garden. Admission £5/adults, for more information see www.ngs.org.uk.

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Making the most of your garden by creating new â&#x20AC;&#x153;living roomsâ&#x20AC;? for your relaxation & pleasure. We offer a full design across your entire garden, through to upgrading a bed or part of your outdoor space.

You get the garden you want, an investment in your property and improved well-being through the pleasure of your enhanced outdoor living areas and plants.

Call Soo on 07545 007323 for an initial chat. Email soo@soospectorgardens.co.uk See our portfolio of work and client testimonials at www.soospectorgardens.co.uk

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OUTDOOR FURNITURE

Are you sitting comfortably? This season, make sure your garden is about leisure, not labour. These comfortable sofas, dining tables and recliners will help!

Monte Carlo is a range of garden furniture that mimics a bar stool and poser table rather than a conventional table. Marine faux leather and powder-coated aluminium under the allweather wicker ensures lasting quality £1,249.

n Pouf Daddy: Bean bags for grown-ups. These thick, well-filled and hard-wearing bean bags can be lower down in position - the Jubbly - or more upright - the Peardrop as shown here.

n Curve is a bistro set including two chairs with glass-topped table and seat cushions £329. NB: Set excludes scatter cushion. 110

They’re available in a number of colours, form a supportive structure around your lower back and they’re water, stain, mould and fade resistant. They can even be jet-washed clean! £149.

n Geneva is a contemporary indoor or outdoor dining set with frosted glass tabletop and six round-back chairs, £799.

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n Panama is a modular sofa set that will provide the very ultimate in relaxation, creating a reception room on your terrace. All-weather wicker, season-proof cushions and footstools with fixed covers - no need to remove. £1,849. La Siesta’s Brisa hammock can be suspended on a spruce stand so there’s no need to tie it to a tree. Various fun colours ensure it’ll be the perfect place to read a copy of Pride, enjoy a glass or wine or simply soak up the sunshine this year £380, hammock also available separately £80.

The Sussex Dining Set provides plenty of space for six diners with a large table, high-back chairs with arms, cushions, a parasol and a base. There’s an optional lazy Susan for passing food and drink around too £1,799. n All of our featured products are available from Gates Garden Centre, Somerby Rd, Cold Overton, Oakham LE15 7QB. Call 01664 454309 or see www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk. 111

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WEDDINGS

Love Among the Dreaming Spires A romantic weekend break surrounded by the dreaming spires of Oxford saw the area’s childhood sweethearts Katy and Sam begin their wedding planning journey after nine years... Photographer: Barnaby Staniland, 07919 927105, www.bgsweddings.co.uk.

“I’d dropped hints, like most girls,” says this month’s featured bride, Katy Barker. “But when the proposal came it was definitely a surprise. In fact, I think Sam was surprised too... he was in complete shock and looked like he was going to faint when he went down on one knee!” Sam’s surprise proposal took place in October 2017, leaving just over a year to plan their wedding. Katy is from Ryhall and Sam is from Casterton.

WEDDING SUPPLIERS KATY & SAM BARKER

It was during a weekend break to Oxford that the couple returned from having a meal only for Sam to propose in their hotel room.

“Sam’s the youngest among his siblings and we wanted our day to be more low key after other family weddings. As it happens it turned out to be anything but low key!’

“I always wanted a spring wedding, but with Sam proposing in October there wasn’t enough time to organise and I wasn’t going to wait a year and a half !”

The first thing the couple booked was their photographer, but having been let down at the last minute by their original one, the couple were relieved when Oakham’s Barnaby Staniland agreed to cover the day. “He really was the hero of the day, stepping in and saving us from not having a photographer.

Next up was Katy’s wedding dress. It was a bespoke design named Luna from Stamford’s Wedding Room. The A-line profile dress had a fitted bodice and lace overlay. “I tried 50 on about before I chose it. I didn’t have a clue but you definitely know when you’ve chosen the one - it was beautiful and I loved it!” The groomsmen used Colin Bell in Stamford for their suits, accessorised by some tweed waistcoats. Sam’s older brother served as Best Man whilst Katy’s two younger brothers joined him to look after Sam throughout the day.

“We met around nine years ago at Casterton College. Sam was a ‘popular kid’ and I was a ‘nerd!’ We first started talking on good old MSN when he messaged me by accident. The rest is history.”

“I’m not the sort of person to have dreamed of my wedding day or to have created a scrapbook, but when we came to plan the day we realised that we wanted something a little different.”

His pictures are really lovely and we were so relieved that he was available!”

Wedding Ceremony Venue: Parish church of St Peter & St Paul, Exton, www.leicestershirechurches.co.uk. Wedding Reception Venue: Exton Hall, 01572 812208, www.extonpark.co.uk.

Wedding Marquee: Events & Tents, 0800 0274492, www.eventsandtents.co.uk. Wedding Catering: Whites Fine Food 0115 7270403, whitesfinefoods.co.uk. Wedding Flowers: 01780 480077, www.greensleavesflorist.co.uk. Wedding Cake: Danielle’s Bakes, 07590 296948.

Gents’ Suit Hire: Colin Bell, Stamford 01780 757888, colinbellmenswear.co.uk. Entertainment: Revolution Discos, Wittering, 01780 783443, www.revolutiondiscos.create.net. n

Sam’s buttonhole was an oversized sunflower, the favourite flower of Katy’s grandmother and grandfather. The former had been poorly and couldn’t attend the wedding, so it was the couple’s way of making sure there was a reminder of her at the wedding. Other flowers were created by Greensleaves Florist of Stamford. Katy meanwhile was looked after on her wedding day by her sister and sisterin-law, wearing dusty pink bridesmaids dresses.

Katy and Sam chose Exton’s 13th century St Peter & St Paul for their ceremony, followed by a reception in the grounds of Exton Hall. The Hall’s gardens are profiled earlier in this edition, and Zara & Harry Campden had only just finished the gardens before the couple’s wedding day. “It was a really hot afternoon! We were all baking!” says Katy. “We used Events and Tents for our wedding marquee and then had Whites Fine Food as our caterers.”

Sam created the cake stand himself. A top tier of naked sponge cake was created by a family friend whilst Danielle’s Bakes of Stamford provided several tiers of cupcakes. >> 115

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- WEDDINGS -

“The reception was really wonderful; the speeches were especially great, including a guitar solo from our best man!” >> Katy and Sam crafted their table runners and centrepieces themselves, and styled their day with a traditional and beautiful rustic country feel. Transport was taken care of ‘in house’ too with Sam’s family, the owners of local signwriting company Barkers. Sam’s grandfather still has his old Bradford van from the 1950s, and this proved to be beautiful wedding transport to ensure the couple reached the reception in a timely fashion.

An additional form of transportation was a surprise flyover that one of the couple’s friends performed in his plane, complete with daring loop-the-loop manoeuvres! “The reception was really wonderful; the speeches were especially great, including a guitar solo from our best man! We also chose Revolution Disco of Wittering as our entertainment. Everyone had a great time and the day went really smoothly.”

Katy and Sam enjoyed a two-night break in Yorkshire - a sort of minimoon - followed by a two week tour around Europe taking in Paris, Rome, Prague and finishing up in Lake Garda. “We both fell in love at first sight, and we’re just as much in love with our wedding. It was a grand occasion, different to what other family members had done so we knew we could put our own touches on it.”

“My advice to other brides would be don’t listen to anyone; do what you both want as a couple. Always budget for more than you think as the temptation is just too hard!” n 116

Photographer: Barnaby Staniland, 07919 927105, www.bgsweddings.co.uk.

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Take Me To Church LOOKING FOR WHEELS FOR YOUR WEDDING? WELL THERE ARE SO MANY OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO WEDDING TRANSPORT THESE DAYS. BY BOAT OR BY BUS, YOU’LL GET TO THE CHURCH ON TIME!

You Shall Go to the Ball

Arriving via horse and carriage will make quite the entrance and make you feel like a princess on her way to the ball of the century! Also a great idea for equine lovers. Photo: Jems Photography. Photo: Dottie Photography.

n If you have a large party of guests to transport and there just so happens to be a lake or reservoir between the two locations, the obvious choice would be to go by boat. You can get some really unique photographs and it’s something

n BUSTED Another way of transporting large amounts of guests is by double decker classic bus!

Photo: Dottie Photography.

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your guests will remember; just check beforehand if anyone gets seasick! If you aren’t so lucky to have this nearby but there is a small lake or boat, why not hire a small paddle boat for unique photos with just you and your new husband?

n Forget tradition and go for the amazing wedding photo by arriving on bikes! A fun introduction to a summer wedding.

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MOULIN ROUGE

Mike and Anna went for a classic Rolls Royce, the epitome of wedding transport. Photo: Sarah Vivienne Photography.

Graeme and Nina went for the colour of love and picked an MG classic car as their mode of transportation complete with bright red balloons to lead the way for the rest of the wedding party. Photo: S6 Photography.

Well there really isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a more dramatic way to show up at a wedding than by helicopter. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re adrenaline junkies, add a helicopter ride to the day as a surprise to the guests (or a surprise to the bride!). See your reception from the sky this way too! n For more information on wedding transport and to arrive in style on your big day, visit www.ukbride.co.uk. The number one wedding website in the UK also has a wide range of local venues to browse through as well. 119

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PLAN YOUR WEDDING PROPERLY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR 800,000 MEMBERS

We are the Number One wedding website in the UK -

Win a Â£25,000 dream wedding Browse through 14,000 wedding dresses Free wedding planning tools like our table planner Claim a free engagement photoshoot Win monthly wedding related prizes Talk to like-minded brides in your area for support

Join now for free at www.ukbride.co.uk To advertise your wedding business to 43% of brides-to-be in your area, call us on 0800 112 3 112.

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NOT JUST FOR WEDDINGS... From our Rutland base, Funky Tents can help clients visualise and create wonderful and bespoke marquee spaces for all occasions.

0808 169 1690 www.funky-tents.co.uk

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Printed Bodice Peach Skirt Dress with Pearl Neck Detail £245. Lined Short Jacket with Bodice Seam Detail £280. Ivory Peach Jacquard Dress with Beaded Lace Trim £170.

OCCASION

SUMMER STYLE for any THIS MONTH WE’VE FASHIONS FROM MICHAELA LOUISA, WITH PRETTY DRESSES AND TAILORED OCCASIONWEAR FOR ALMOST ANY UPCOMING SUMMER FUNCTION Words: Rob Davis.

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Black Peach Floral Jersey Dress with Fluted Sleeves Â£250.

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Coral Scalloped Lace Dress with Bodice Detail Â£140.

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Cream Multi Jungle Print Gusset Dress ÂŁ140.

For local stockists call 07966 764382 or visit www.josephhowe.co.uk. NB: Prices quoted are RRP and remain subject to variation depending on retailer.

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Ivory Multi Floral Jersey Dress With Chiffon Sleeves ÂŁ130. For local stockists call 07966 764382 or see www.josephhowe.co.uk. NB: All prices quoted are RRP and remain subject to variation depending on retailer.

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T H E

L U X U RY

B R A N D

As part of a new series in Pride, we’re looking at the fascinating stories behind brands. The story of Chanel and its founder Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel is our focus for May following the death of Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld...

The House of Chanel originated in 1909 when Gabrielle Chanel opened a millinery shop at 160 Boulevard Malesherbes; the ground floor of the Parisian flat of the socialite and textile businessman Étienne Balsan, of whom she was the mistress. Because the Balsan flat was a salon for the French hunting and sporting élite, Chanel had the opportunity to meet their demi-mondaine mistresses, who were women of fashion, upon whom the rich men displayed their wealth in the form of ornate clothes, jewellery, and hats.

Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel could therefore sell the hats she designed and made; she earned a living, independent of her financial sponsor Balsan. Coco Chanel befriended Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel, an English socialite and polo player friend of Étienne Balsan. Per the upper class social custom, Chanel also became mistress to Boy Capel. He perceived the businesswoman in Coco Chanel and in 1910, financed her first independent millinery shop Chanel Modes at 21 Rue Cambon, Paris. The First World War affected European fashion through scarcity of materials, and the mobilisation of women. By that time, Chanel had opened a large dress shop near the Hôtel Ritz. Among the clothes for sale were flannel blazers, straight-line skirts of linen, sailor blouses, long sweaters made of jersey fabric, and skirt-and-jacket suits. Sartorially, some of Chanel’s designs derived from the military uniforms made prevalent by the war, and by 1915, the designs and the clothes produced by the House of Chanel were known throughout France.

The Chanel dress shop at 31 Rue Cambon presented daywear dress-and-coat ensembles of simple design, black evening dresses trimmed with lace and tulle-fabric dresses decorated with jet, a minor gemstone material. After the First World War, the House of Chanel, following the fashion trends of the 1920s, producing beaded dresses. By 1920, Chanel had designed and presented a woman’s suit of clothes, composed

either of two garments or of three garments, which allowed a woman to have a modern, feminine appearance, whilst being comfortable and practical to maintain. It became known as the Chanel Suit.

In 1921, to complement the suit of clothes, Coco Chanel commissioned the perfumer Ernest Beaux to create a perfume. This included No.5, named after the number of the sample Chanel liked best. Originally, a bottle of No. 5 was a gift to clients of Chanel. Its popularity prompted Coco to offer it for retail.

The success of No. 5 encouraged Coco Chanel to expand perfume sales beyond Europe and develop other perfumes for which she required investment capital, business acumen, and access to the North American market.

To that end, the businessman Théophile Bader introduced the venture capitalist Pierre Wertheimer to Coco Chanel. Their business deal established the Parfums Chanel company. Wertheimer owned 70%, Bader owned 20%, and Chanel owned 10%; commercial success of the joint enterprise was assured by the Chanel name, and by the cachet of la Maison Chanel. Nonetheless, despite the success of the Chanel couture and parfumerie, the personal relations between Coco and her capitalist partner deteriorated. Coco said that Pierre Wertheimer was exploiting her talents as a fashion designer and businesswoman. Wertheimer reminded Chanel that he had made her a very rich woman. Nevertheless, Coco hired an attorney to renegotiate the 10% partnership. Negotiations failed and she kept the 10%.

During the Second World War, Coco Chanel closed shop at Maison Chanel, leaving only jewellery and parfumerie for sale, and moved to the Hôtel Ritz where she lived with her boyfriend Hans Günther von Dincklage, a Nazi intelligence officer. Upon conquering France in June 1940, Nazis established a headquarters in the Hôtel Meurice, around the corner from Maison Chanel. Occupied France abounded with rumours that Coco Chanel was a Nazi collaborator. Upon the

Chanel Fashions rough the Decades... 1900s - 1930s: COCO’S ESTABLISHMENT Millinery, sailor blouses straight-line linen skirts, beaded dresses for ‘flappers,’ the famed Chanel Suit and perfume No.5 and other perfumes. A new range of diamond jewellery was also launched in the early 1930s.

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1930s - 1970s: ELEGANCE AND THE WAR Leather handbags, pearl jewellery, summer dresses featuring contrast and luxury air hostess uniforms. A line for petite women. The first men’s perfume Pour Monsieur and the first non-couture prêt-à-porter line.

1980s - TODAY: THE POST-COCO ERA Range of perfumes including Chance. Chanel boutiques opened worldwide. Range of watches. Travel collection including sunglasses. Makeup and skincare collection grows. Karl Lagerfeld launches prêt-à-porter line.

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Lagerfeld Legacy

Karl Lagerfeld, who recently passed away, played a huge part in Chanel’s history...

Karl Lagerfeld was born in 1933 in Hamburg.

As a child, he showed great interest in visual arts, and former schoolmates recalled that he was always making sketches no matter what they were doing in class. In 1955, after living in Paris for two years, Lagerfeld entered a coat design competition. He won and befriended Yves Saint Laurent, soon hired by Pierre Balmain. He worked as Balmain’s assistant and apprentice for three years. In 1958, Lagerfeld became the artistic director for Jean Patou. In 1964, he went to Rome to work for Tiziano, but was soon designing freelance for a multitude of brands including Chloé, Charles Jourdan and Valentino. In 1967, he was hired by Fendi to modernize their fur line. Lagerfeld’s designs proved groundbreaking, as he introduced the use of mole, rabbit, and squirrel pelts into high fashion. In the 1980s, Lagerfeld was hired by Chanel. A year later, he began his own ‘Karl Lagerfeld’ brand. Lagerfeld was recognised for his white hair, sunglasses, fingerless gloves, and high collars. He had a relationship with the French model and socialite Jacques de Bascher for 18 years. Lagerfeld owned a red point Birman cat named Choupette which he indicated he would marry, if it were legal.

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liberation of France, Chanel was arrested for having collaborated with the Nazis. In September 1944, the Free French Purge Committee summoned Chanel for interrogation, but without documentary evidence or witnesses, and because of Churchill’s secret intervention, they released Coco from arrest as a traitor to France. Despite having been freed, the strength of the rumours of Chanel’s Nazi collaboration had made it impossible for her to remain in France. Coco and her German lover went into an eight year exile to Switzerland.

his business interests threatened and commercial rights infringed. Nonetheless, he avoided a trademark infringement lawsuit against Coco, lest it damage the commercial reputation and artistic credibility of his parfumerie.

In Switzerland, the news revived Coco Chanel’s resentment at having been exploited by her business partner, for only 10% of the money. She established a rival Swiss parfumerie. Wertheimer, the majority capital owner of Parfums Chanel saw

Upon returning to France, Coco found the fashion business enamoured of the ‘New Look’ by Christian Dior; the signature shape featured a mid-length, full-skirt, narrow waist and a large bust. To regain the business primacy of the House of Chanel,

During this time, Wertheimer returned to Paris and regained administrative control of his family’s business holdings including Parfums Chanel.

Wisely, Pierre Wertheimer settled his quarrel with Chanel and in May 1947, they renegotiated the contract. She was paid $400,000 in cash, assigned a 2% running royalty from the sales of No. 5 parfumerie, assigned limited commercial rights to sell her ‘Chanel perfumes’ in Switzerland, and granted a perpetual monthly stipend that paid all of her expenses. In exchange, Gabrielle Chanel closed her Swiss parfumerie enterprise.

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T H E

L U X U RY

B R A N D

Booming Success

Post-Coco, Wertheimer turned Chanel into a billion dollar company and hired Lagerfeld... In 1983 Karl Lagerfeld took over as chief designer for Chanel. Like Coco, he looked into the past as inspiration for his designs. He incorporated the Chanel fabrics and detailing such as tweed and gold accents. Lagerfeld kept what was signature for Chanel but helped bring the brand into today. In later collections Lagerfeld chose to break away from the ladylike look of Chanel and began to experiment. During 1980s, more than 40 Chanel boutiques opened worldwide. The 1984 launch of a new fragrance, in honor of the founder, Coco, continued the label’s success. In 1986, the House of Chanel struck a deal with watchmakers and in 1987, the first Chanel watch debuted.

“The only brand able that was able to compete with Chanel at the time was the Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli...”

Coco approached Pierre for advice and capital. Wertheimer’s negotiations to fund the resurgence of the House of Chanel, granted him commercial rights to all Chanel-brand products. Throughout the 1950s, the sense of style of Chanel continued undeterred. Pierre Wertheimer bought Bader’s 20% share of the Parfums Chanel, which increased his percentage to 90%. Later, in 1965, Pierre’s son, Jacques Wertheimer, assumed his father’s management of the parfumerie.

Coco Chanel died on 10 January 1971, at the age of 87. She was still designing at the time of her death. After her death, the leadership of the company was handed down to Yvonne Dudel, Jean Cazaubon and Philippe Guibourgé.

After a period of time, Pierre’s son and successor Jacques Wertheimer bought the controlling interest of the House of Chanel. Alain Wertheimer, son of Jacques Wertheimer, assumed control in 1974. In the US, No. 5 was not selling well. Alain reduced the number of outlets selling it and invested millions of dollars in advertisement for Chanel cosmetics. The exclusivity for No.5 meant that the sales rocketed back up. He used famous people to endorse the perfume from Marilyn Monroe to Audrey Tautou.

Maison de Chanel increased the Wertheimer family fortune to $5bn. In 1994, Chanel was the most profitable French fashion house. In 2002, Chanel launched the Chance perfume. A prêt-à-porter collection was designed by Karl Lagerfeld. In 2018, Chanel announced it would be moving global headquarters to London. Lagerfeld sadly passed away on the 19th February following complications with pancreatic cancer.

Looking for a designer who could bring the label to new heights, he persuaded Karl Lagerfeld to end his contract with fashion house Chloé.

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ADVERTORIAL

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MBST therapy is a pioneering form of treatment for musculoskeletal problems. We use MRT technology to communicate with the affected cartilage, bone, ligament, tendon and muscle cells and encourage

them to regrow.

This method offers long-term pain relief and improved mobility for numerous afflictions, including: • Osteoarthritis • Osteoporosis

• Intervertebral disc problems • Sports injuries

• General wear and tear that happens over time. 132

Once the affected area or injury has received enough MBST treatment, the cells will

continue to grow and develop by themselves. HOW DOES IT WORK?

MBST is similar to MRI technology (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), but instead of using magnetic resonance (MRT) to generate images of the body, MBST uses magnetic resonance (MRT) to stimulate specific cells at a molecular level, encouraging the degenerated cells to regenerate more quickly, so as to better replace the lost ones. This non-intrusive treatment offers both anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, which enables a comfortable, uncomplicated

and sustainable treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, without the need for surgery.

Your closest health professional providing MBST is Clare House Physiotherapy Tinwell, Rutland. 01780 238 084.

Please visit www.mbst-therapy.co.uk or email/call the friendly and helpful Cell Regeneration team info@mbst-therapy.co.uk to enquire now.

n Would you like further information, to make a booking, or just have a question to ask? Then please do contact our experienced and friendly team at Clare House Physiotherapy and Cell Regeneration LTD. Call 01780 238 084 or email info@mbst-therapy.co.uk. TREATING PEOPLE, NOT PATIENTS.

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BEAUTY

PRETTY in PINK

AS THE MAY BLOSSOMS BEGIN TO APPEAR, YOU’LL LOOK PRETTY IN PINK TOO, WITH THIS SELECTION OF PREMIUM COSMETICS HAND-PICKED FOR SPRING AND SUMMER...

1. Mon Dieu! Miss Dior!

A new fragrance from perfume house Miss Dior, perfect for spring, this eau de toilette is a heady and refreshing floral whirlwind. A mad waltz dances around Grasse Rose and a veil of Lilly of the valley as light as a tulle petticoat. Centifolia rose and Lilly of the Valley scent with the sparkling zest of Mandarin top notes. £94/100ml.

3. Achieve Perfect Legs

Perfect Legs Gradual Tan from This Works is an easy to apply tanning serum that gradually perfects and repairs as its colour builds. Instantly enhances legs and combats skin imperfections as well as building a beautifully golden, natural-looking tan. £38/120ml.

4. Berry Boost

Superfood Berry Boost Face Mask from spa-favourite Elemis is a smoothie-inspired purifying mask featuring Brazilian Purple Clay and an Omega-rich SuperBerry Complex to balance the skin and mattify the T-Zone. Delicious! £70/75ml.

5. More Volume

Estée Lauder’s Pure Colour Envy Lip Volumiser, is like a magic wand for the lips, with a thrilling plumping effect. Lips look more sculpted and feel moisturised and nourished. Applies easily with the built-in wand applicator. £25/7ml.

2. HOLOGRAPHIC

HIGHLIGHTS

Guerlain present this new Météorites Highlighter Duo with its holographic rose and lilac shades enabling you to capture the light to brighten up and enhance your natural complexion. Adopt a light and subtle look with these silky rosy highlighter shades. Nestled inside a cushion style case, with its integrated mirror, it’s the perfect companion. RRP £45.

6. Cellular Life-Lotion La Prarie’s Platinum Rare Cellular Life-Lotion is the first step in a new beginning for skin. An unparalleled formulation drawn from the source of life that regenerates to rejuvenate. Boost skin renewal from within with three key detoxification processes at the cellular level. Enriched with the peptides and powerful detoxifying ingredients, Cellular Life-Lotion infuses the skin with essential nutrients and helps protect it from stress factors. RRP £500/115ml.

n All our beauty products are available from local high quality independent stockists unless otherwise stated, prices are based on RRP. Visit each makeup brand’s website for up to date information on local stockists. 135

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PRIVATE HEALTHCARE AT THE CUTTING EDGE of

Words: Rob Davis.

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P R I VAT E H E A LT H CA R E

A personal visit from the Executive Director of the hospital in which you are being treated in is something rarely seen. But it’s now the norm at BMI The Park Hospital, thanks to Amanda Dorkes... ...that’s because the private healthcare hospital has recently welcomed a brand new Executive Director, Amanda Dorkes, who is doing things a little differently.

Both BMI The Park Hospital in Arnold Nottingham, and sister hospital BMI The Lincoln Hospital in uphill Lincoln work together in synergy to provide independent diagnosis and treatments to those in Rutland, Stamford and the rest of Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Nottingham. BMI Park Nottingham is one of 59 hospitals operating in the UK, with 65 private en suite bedrooms, 16 consulting rooms and five operating theatres plus minor treatment rooms and intensive care facilities, plus a dedicated endoscopy suite. Unlike some other private healthcare facilities, the hospital also has a private cancer centre and offers paediatric care too.

Working alongside the NHS and offering pathways for all major insurance companies and those wishing to pay for their own private treatment. Park Hospital has access to over 290 consultants in 33 different specialisms from general medicine and general surgery to orthopaedics, ENT, gynaecology, cardiology with a new £1.2m cardiac cath lab and cosmetic surgery.

The hospital has a state-of-the-art imaging wing with onsite MRI, CT, X-Ray, ultrasound and digital mammography suites.

BMI Lincoln is an easily accessible hospital providing convenient appointments for both diagnosis and treatments. With 18 bedrooms and two theatres its specialisms include orthopaedic surgery, ophthalmology, ENT, cosmetic procedures and varicose vein treatment.

Both hospitals also offer a private GP service for consultations and the treatment of minor illnesses and conditions or the management of chronic illnesses.

Investigations and imaging procedures following an appointment can usually be carried out on the same day or within 72 hours, and being part of the BMI group, the Lincoln hospital works closely with the company’s Nottingham based hospital for complex surgery requirements. The Park employs around 300 members of staff and feedback from patients at The Park has shown that 98.1% of those who received care there would recommend the hospital to their family and friends.

Appointed in June last year, the hospital’s Executive Director Amanda Dorkes is already making a positive impact, helping the hospital receive a ‘Good’ in a recent unannounced Care Quality Commission assessment – a crucial assessment framework for healthcare services in the UK. The rating is a reinforcement of the staff ’s commitment to putting their patients at the heart of everything they do.

Amanda has solid plans for the hospital’s future as well. “I was extremely proud of our ‘Good’ rating, but now I am determined to turn it into an Outstanding’ on our next CQC assessment. Very few hospitals in the country have managed to achieve an ‘Outstanding,’ it’s very difficult to do, but I have every faith that our fantastic hospital can absolutely achieve that.” “Receiving great feedback is really important because it provides us all with the reassurance that our patients are receiving excellent care at BMI The Park Hospital.” n

AMANDA DORKES: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BMI THE PARK HOSPITAL

Amanda Dorkes, who is a pharmacist by trade, took on the role as the new Executive Director in June 2018. Her previous career path has seen her work for some of the country’s biggest pharmaceutical names, Boots and Lloyds to name two, as well as small, independent pharmacies. But, this move into the Executive Director role is an entirely new and exciting realm. Amanda is responsible for the daily running of the hospital, including managing the wellbeing of the staff, consultants and anaesthetists that work there, but she is taking a fresh approach to this management. “I have lots of experience but have never run a hospital. I see that only as a positive though because I take a different approach to management.” Amanda said. “Rather than me managing from a computer, I am always out and about talking to people. I like to learn how we do things. I like to stand and observe an operation in theatre. I want to visit patients on the ward. I want to talk to consultants.” “It is all part of my passion to make sure this is a positive place to work and to be a patient in.” “It was when I was a patient at BMI’s Park Hospital that I witnessed firsthand the excellent treatment and care the hospital provides. I was really impressed and that’s what inspired me to become part of the team!” n Find Out More: BMI’s facilities are available to those with most health insurance policies or for those wishing to pay for their own treatment. For a no obligation chat, call 01159 662000 or 01522 578000 or visit www.bmihealthcare.co.uk.

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PRIVATE HEALTHCARE WITH AVICENNA

DR HANY ELMADBOUH, SENIOR CONSULTANT, AT AVICENNA CLINIC EXPLAINS PAIN IN THE METATARSALS AND TOES

The forefoot includes the metatarsal bones, phalanges (toe bones) and their soft tissues. Many conditions can cause pain in the metatarsals and toes.

Metatarsalgia is a collective term for pain and tenderness in the ball of the foot. Symptoms may also include numbness and tingling in the toes. The pain usually gets worse when standing, walking or running and especially intense when walking barefoot on hard surfaces. There may be a sensation as if walking on a pebble.

Most metatarsal problems occur due to poor biomechanics of the feet that affect the way weight is distributed on the foot.

Often more than one factor contributes to metatarsalgia but sometimes it is caused by a single cause such as Morton’s neuroma or stress fracture. If the specific causes are excluded the diagnosis is often referred to as capsulitis, bursitis, synovitis or predislocation syndrome. Factors that may cause metatarsalgia include: • Intense training or activity particularly in runners and those who participates in a high-impact sport.

• Some foot shapes such as a high arch or having a second toe that's longer than the big toe. Foot deformities secondary to wearing poorly fitting shoes such as too-small shoes, high heels and athletic 138

shoes that lack support and padding, a downward-curling toe (hammertoe) and swollen, painful bumps at the base of the big toe (bunion).

• Overweight,

• Inflammatory arthritis such as gout and rheumatoid arthritis. • Stress fracture

• Morton’s neuroma. It is caused by a pinched nerve resulting in nonmalignant growth of fibrous tissue around the digital nerve. Morton neuroma usually develops in the third webspace with pain in the third and forth toes. On examination, the tenderness of Morton’s neuroma is not localised over the metatarsal head but is present between the bones (the heads of the metatarsals).

Diagnosis of Morton’ neuroma is usually confirmed with an ultrasound, which also provides information about its size and location. Metatarslgia diagnosis may be helped by biomechanical study of the foot to analyse foot pressure distribution while walking and running.

Left untreated, metatarsalgia might lead to pain in other parts of the body, such as the low back or hip, due to altered gait (limping) from foot pain. Conservative treatments such as ice, rest and

anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen can often relieve metatarsalgia symptoms. Offloading of the joint with a metatarsal pad may be helpful and if there is instability of the toe, then digital splinting is effective. A hammertoe splint may also be effective.

Treatment for Morton’s neuroma can include an injection under ultrasound guidance of cortisone to reduce inflammation, together with the numbing agent, lidocaine. If pain relief is short living, surgical removal may be recommended. However, if there is no pain relief at all from the injection, an MRI may provide information to exclude other causes of the pain. Corrective surgery of the foot deformity called metatarsal osteotomy may be required in selected cases. At Avicenna Clinic, we have a range of specialist consultants, operating theatre for surgical procedures and superior in-house imaging facilities – including state-of-the-art MRI, ultrasound and X-ray scanning equipment. We can assess and diagnose all cases of acute and chronic pain quickly and deliver comprehensive treatment plans tailored to you. n To book a consultation or for more information on treating your pain and explore the other available services to help you, contact Avicenna Clinic on 0330 2020597 or see avicennaclinic.com. Or visit North Street, Peterborough PE1 2RA.

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MAKE TIME FOR YOU IN 2019!

Take back your body and mind with a health and wellbeing break. Yoga retreats, Spa and tranquillity await you.. switch off and relax.

At Clare Lockett Travel Counsellors we will shape the perfect break for you. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re feeling a little more adventurous, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll tailor you an amazing adventure to create memories that will last a lifetime

Call 01778 338530 or 01733 210687 www.travelcounsellors.com/clare.lockett clare.lockett@travelcounsellors.com

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PIRRIE OPTICIANS

AN EYE FOR DETAIL

Pirrie Opticians has a clear vision for the future of patient care In a world where our vision is more precious than ever, Nancy and David Guttridge-Smith of Stamford’s Pirrie Opticians have a strong focus on clinical excellence and lifelong care for patients and their families...

A window to the soul is how Roman philosopher Cicero described the eyes. These days though, eyes are a window to so much more. They are indicators of your overall health as well as being a sensory asset. That’s why using an optometrist who can care not just for your vision, but for your overall health, has never been more important.

As our overall life expectancy has increased, so too has the occurrence of conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (the gradual deterioration of central vision) and of glaucoma, which can cause deterioration in the periphery of your vision. The general health of the eye can be used to flag up conditions ranging from diabetes to hypertension and even some forms of cancer. Nancy worked at London’s Moorfield Eye Hospital before moving to Stamford in 1997 to work with

Stamford’s Christine Pirrie Opticians, having recognised the role that a well-qualified local optician can play in ensuring patients maintain a good overall standard of health. She took over the business with husband David upon Christine’s retirement in 2014.

Nancy is highly qualified with a PhD, plus an independent ophthalmology prescribing qualification and diplomas in specialisms like glaucoma. She heads up a team of three optometrists at the Maiden Lane practice. Nancy and the team invest in the latest equipment to concentrate on clinical excellence and they aim to form lifelong relationships with patients. Pirrie Opticians is a provider of both contact lenses and spectacles too, including the latest specialised lenses for high astigmatism, and glasses frames from dedicated eyewear brands. Dispensing optician Helen Rogers is an expert in many brands, including bespoke frames from Tom Davies and rimless designs from Silhouette. The practice remains family-run, progressive and professional with a strong clinical focus and the latest technology. Eyecare experts for the whole family, Pirrie Opticians offers 21st century eyecare with an eye for detail and a clear vision for the future of patient care. n

Find Out More: Pirrie Opticians is based on Maiden Lane, Stamford. For expert eyecare diagnosis as well as contact lens & spectacle dispensing for the whole family, call 01780 753488 or see www.christinepirrie.co.uk.

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

Railway chuffed with investment...

LOTTERY FUND AWARDS NENE VALLEY HERITAGE RAILWAY SITE WITH £50,000 NENE VALLEY Local heritage railway Nene Valley has received £50,000 of National Lottery money ensuring it can steam into 2020 entertaining and educating over 70,000 visitors annually. The money will support a 12-month Strengthening Good Governance at the Nene Valley Railways’ project 12-month under NVR’s General Manager Sarah Piggott, who oversees the railway’s operation. The attraction runs between Peterborough and Yarwell and covers 7.5 miles on standard gauge tracks which follow the old London and North Western branch line. The railway has 16 paid staff but depends on 250 volunteers to look after visitors and host school visits for around 2,000 children each, serving as a working museum. “To secure the grant from the National Lottery is a real

boost for the Railway,” says Sarah. “We have worked hard in recent years to get Nene Valley Railway on the map for tourism and as a key museum and heritage site in the east of

SKDC Invests £9,000 in the area’s heritage projects

ECONOMIC GROWTH & REGENERATION COMPANY MAKES FIRST FIVE AWARDS...

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England. The grant will enable us to afford much needed expert advice, to look at the organisation as a whole and to ensure we are on the right track.”

“Everyone at the railway works so hard day to day, so to have this support to help secure our future is so important and really exciting for us,” says Sarah. n See www.nvr.org.uk.

STAMFORD InvestSK, South Kesteven District Council’s economic growth and regeneration company, has made the first five awards under its Heritage Alive! funding programme. Grants totalling £9,200 have recently been presented to community groups, charities and places of worship across the whole district. The first five groups to receive funding for their projects are: The ChristChurch Community Project, The Lincolnshire Rivers Trust, Grantham Civic Society, Stamford Community

Orchard Group and The Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society. “I am delighted to see such a fantastic range of Heritage Alive! awards being made in this first round,” says Councillor Matthew Lee, Leader of South Kesteven District Council. “These grants provide very practical help to community groups and charities that work tirelessly to conserve South Kesteven’s heritage and I would urge other local groups working within the sector to consider applying for funding too.” n See www.southkesteven.gov.uk.

STAMFORD SCHOOL PUPILS’ SUCCESS...

STAMFORD Four Year 12 economics students from the Stamford Endowed Schools emerged triumphant in the first Inter-School Target 2.0 Economics Competition held at Uppingham School against Sixth Form economists from Oundle & Uppingham. The Inter-School Target 2.0 Economics Competition, previously known as the Bank of England Target 2.0 schools competition, saw the three

teams from Stamford, Uppingham and Oundle tasked with presenting their own detailed forecast of inflation in the UK over the next 18 months. The teams were then asked to make their recommendation for interest rates and monetary policy in order to achieve the target of 2.0% inflation (hence the name of the competition: Target 2.0), as the Bank of England does.

Gates Garden Centre raises over £1,700 for sepsis survivor Tom Ray...

RUTLAND Throughout 2018 Gates Garden Centre and its customers have been raising funds for quadruple amputee, Tom Ray, who lives locally and is a Sepsis survivor and the subject of the recent feature film, Starfish. Recently a cheque for over £1,700 was presented to Tom at the Garden Centre in Cold Overton near Oakham. n

n See www.ses.lincs.sch.uk.

For Rutland In Rutland

ANNUAL GOOD AND NEW SALE ATTRACTS 300 PEOPLE WITH A COMBINATION OF FUNDRAISING & FASHION

OAKHAM The first night of Rutland’s Good & New Sale was a roaring success with over 300 people visiting to get first dibs on a wealth of designer fashions. Champagne and canapés were supplied by Hambleton Hall, whilst Barnsdale Lodge provided the venue for the sale. Over 700 people helped to raise around £42,000 for the charity For Rutland In Rutland, which funds specialist advisors for the area based at the Citizen’s Advice Centre in Oakham. Hegarty Solicitors and John Porter Dry Cleaning also help to sponsor the event.

n We’ve images from the VIP Friday evening sale event later in this edition.

£174,000,000

Target 2.0 triumph

a new district tourist information point has opened at Downtown Garden Centre at Gonerby Moor. South Kesteven’s Nick Robins said “The value of the visitor economy to us cannot be overstated. South Kesteven attracts 3.5m visitors every year, which is worth a staggering £174m in terms of spend and provides around 2,500 jobs.” n

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BUSINESS

NEWS In Brief RUTLAND

boosting business broadband from barrowden & brooke to braunston A new video and community workshops will highlight the benefits of faster broadband for Rutland and Stamford’s businesses. Presented by independent broadband expert Rob Kirwan, and produced by the Digital Rutland partnership between Rutland County Council and Openreach, the short film features business owners who’ve already upgraded to a superfast broadband connection, and encourages others to do the same. More than 96 per cent of homes and businesses in Rutland can already upgrade, and more than six out of ten – the highest in the country have already done so. But it’s thought many people might not be aware it’s available, think they’ve automatically been upgraded or mistakenly think it’s going to be too expensive. n For more information see www.rutland.gov.uk

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Miscellany

Waste some time this month with our merry May mix of slightly useful and utterly pointless information.. Edited by: Rob Davis.

BLuE pLAQuE

Sir Malcolm Sargent Musician (1895 – 1967):

BOOk OF THE MONTH: In Sat Nav We Trust Technological trials and tribulations for travelogue which takes place in the county. But just what does author Jack Barrow think of Rutland’s ‘waddly birds?’ Sat nav: I’d be lost without it. Literally, in fact. And author Jack Barrow is similarly equipped, but shares a rather more contentious relationship with his device. In his new travelogue, Barrow trusts Kathy, his Irish sat nav, to direct him towards all sorts of adventures.... sort of like a technologically facilitated Russian Roulette of tourism. One of the venues in which he’s compelled to make camp

We all love the pomp and ceremony and spectacular orchestrations of the BBC’s Proms. Well, between 1948 and 1967, it was Kent-born, Stamford-raised Malcolm Sargent who commanded the baton. After studying at Stamford School and joining the choir of Peterborough Cathedral, he worked as an organist in Melton Mowbray, with a hiatus to serve in WWI. Proms founder Sir Henry Wood visited De Montfort Hall in Leicester where Sargent performed Impression on a Windy Day. Recognising his talent as a conductor, his piece made a public debut at the 1921 proms. Sergent worked as a broadcaster during WWII, unable to serve his country after an attack of TB. He would take over the Proms upon Wood’s death in 1944. Sargent’s soubriquet referred to his smart appearance and his quick temper! n

May in e Garden: “Plant out summer bedding, plants, lift and divide spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils and snowdrops. Sow a wildflower meadow in an area to attract bees and butterflies, and sow biennials like foxgloves and wallflowers...” Dan Hancock, Plant Area Manager, Gates Garden Centre, 01664 454309 www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

SIMpLy QuACkERS: Rubber Duck Racing in Braunston... The Rutland village of Braunston will host its 30th annual May Fayre on 6th May 2019 with its street market, fairground and maypole dancing, plus the crowning of the May Queen at 3pm. As well as craft market and classic cars, you’ll also enjoy Braunston’s rubber duck racing tradition. Funds from the day will go to the village hall and church but also to Dove Cottage. Rubber ducks were invented by sculptor Peter Ganine in 1947. He patented them and subsequently sold over 50,000,000. In 2001 The Sun reported that the Queen has a rubber duck in her bathroom - and that it wears an inflatable crown - sales of rubber ducks in the UK increased by 80% for a short period. n

Quote of the Month 144

is Rutland where the two arrive and pitch up in one of the area’s campsites. Barrow muses upon the flooded village of the county, and ‘all sorts of the waddly birds, many of which were in the habit of squawking raucously at every opportunity,’ in this offbeat travel book. n See www.unbound.com/ books/in-satnav-we-trust, for more information.

“He was somewhat of a loner by temperament - because though never wholly happy when alone, he was usually slightly more miserable when with other people...” Stamford author Colin Dexter on his irascible detective Morse. e last Morse novel was completed 20 years ago this month. It ended with Morse’s death. His ﬁnal words were ‘ank Lewis for me.’

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MISCELLANY: WASTE SOME TIME

MAy DAy, MAy DAy: your monthly brieﬁng...

You can celebrate May Day in Braunston this month, but first, let’s investigate the tradition of may poles, silly dancing and Beltane...

May Day marks the beginning of summer and is actually the convergence of Beltane - the Pagan ceremony half-way between the spring equinox and summer solstice - as well as the Roman celebration of Flora, goddess of flowers whose arrival also marked the beginning of summer and Walpurgis, when in German folklore witches met to hold revels with the devil. Today, May Day has become a historical and cultural mish-mash of pagan, Anglo-Saxon, celtic, Christian and DIY traditions. The legacy of dancing around the maypole is around 2,000 years old and is thought to have been rooted in a pagan tradition of cutting down trees and pushing the sticks into the ground to mark the arrival of summer.

Naming a May Queen is an 8th century legacy of the tradition of a Green Man or Jack O’ The Green who would proceed through his village wearing foliage. Morris dancing on May Day is thought to date back to the 1400s and has always been closely associated with the festival, as has well-dressing - more popular in Derbyshire, to bless water deities - and the creation of flower garlands.

Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans tried to ban May Day celebrations in 1660 with an act of parliament, describing maypole dancing as ‘heathenish vanity.’ It was repopularised by Charles II who erected a 40-metre pole on The Strand in London, which remained in place for over half a century.

Make your Own RHuBARB GIN Earlier in this issue we presented some really great ideas for using new season rhubarb. Here’s another idea; make your own rhubarb gin!

Wash and cut 200g rhubarb the pinkest you can find - into 2cm pieces. Pop into a kilner jar with 250g caster sugar and 750ml dry gin. Seal the jar, shake well and leave in a cool dark area for two weeks. Strain and enjoy with ginger-flavoured tonic. n

Around the same time the tradition of Oak Apple Day or ‘Pinch Bum Day’ was established. Folk would pin apple or oak tree leaves to themselves to celebrate the king’s narrow escape from Cromwell’s soldiers. Until well into the 1900s, anyone caught not wearing a leaf in public could be kicked, abused or have their bottom pinched! n On 6th May 1840, the world’s first postage stamp, the Penny Black went on sale. Today, one would be worth around £4,000.

Other significant May happenings include the death of King Arthur in 542 and of Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake in 1431. It was on 28th May 1908 that James Bond creator, the author Ian Fleming was born. On 8th May 1945 VE day was celebrated and on 18th May 1991 Helen Sharman became the first British woman in space.

e traditional Jack o’ e green is a tradition superceded by the crowning of a may Queen.

e Best Selling Cars in the uk, in the world and in history! Later in Pride we explore some beautiful classic cars, but which cars have outsold all others..?

In the UK, the best ever selling car is the Ford Fiesta. Launched in 1976 its seven generations have sold 4.1m cars. In 2014, it overtook the 4m-selling Ford Escort to take the title. The Vauxhall Astra (2.8m), Ford Cortina (2.5m), Vauxhall Corsa (1.82m), Vauxhall Cavalier (1.81m), Volkswagen Golf (1.8m), Ford Focus (1.7m), Mini (1.5m) and Austin/Rover Metro (1.4m) have also been top sellers historically. The world’s best selling car is the Toyota Corolla (40m), followed by the VW Beetle (21.5m) and Lada Riva (17.7m) followed by the Ford Model T (16.5m). In 2018, the world’s best selling car was the Ford F-Series pickup truck (1m). In the UK, it was the Ford Fiesta (95,892 registrations). n

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PRIDE MAGAZINES

THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE AREA READ

RUTLAND & STAMFORD PRIDE MAGAZINES ARE DELIVERED FREE OF CHARGE, VIA ROYAL MAIL, TO HIGH VALUE HOMES RIGHT ACROSS THE COUNTY... Our unique circulation is to properties in the top three council tax banded homes which are predominantly worth over Â£300,000. This guarantees the magazine has an affluent readership commensurate with our content. In addition the magazine is also sold in supermarkets and newsagents and our in-house distribution team also works hard to hand-deliver the magazine to selected hotels and restaurants, doctors, dentists, executive motor dealerships and golf clubs. If your business would benefit from being showcased to the wealthiest people in the area, please call our friendly sales team on 01529 469977 or email sales@pridemagazines.co.uk. Alternatively, you can view our media pack online at www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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E MA GA Z I N

ThIS monTh: SIlly hATS & wIGS To rememBer jAmeS wIllIS In UppInGhAm

to feature your event call 01529 469977. our magazines are free to read online, so you can share the magazine with your friends. visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk. 147

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REMEMBERING JAMES A ball which raised over £7,000 for Sarcoma UK was held at Uppingham’s Falcon recently to remember 29-year old James Willis. The theme was ‘silly hats and wigs!’

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to feature your event call 01529 469977 to speak to our events desk, or email editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

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to feature your event call 01529 469977 to speak to our events desk, or email editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

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GOOD & NEW SALE

For Rutland In Rutland recently hosted their annual Good & New clothing sale at Barnsdale Lodge. Here weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve exclusive images from their VIP opening night...

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to feature your event call 01529 469977 to speak to our events desk, or email editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

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1998 Ferrari 125-166 (1949) reconstruction: Introduced at the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Circuit of Florenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in 1948, the Ferrari 166 F2 was fitted with a two litre V12 engine. Unlike its F1 counterpart, the engine was not supercharged but was enlarged to the F2 capacity limit of two litres. Hall & Hall built this replica of the 2-litre car during the early 2000s.

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C O V E R S T O RY

Behind the

Wheel

If you’re in the market for a new car, it’s unlikely the examples we’re looking at this month will dispatch the school run and supermarket shop with any degree of anonymity. Nor are they likely to return good miles per gallon or have decent boot space... they are, however, a real part of motoring history! Words & Images: Rob Davis.

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C OV E R

S TO RY

“These local motor racing enthusiasts and mechanics oversees a team responsible for keeping grand old girls alive for their well-heeled owners all over the world...”

“I’ll get the lights.” Chunk. Chunk. Chunk. Successive fluorescent tubes clunk into life and each one gradually unveils at an increasing distance from us the contents of Rob Hall’s premises a modest journey from his workshops. As each bank of cool blue strip light spreads out into the distance, a little more of motor racing history is revealed. The place is then eerily quiet except for my own gasps as famous Formula 1 cars, a Ferrari 250, and a brace of Lamborghini Countachs sleep among an AMG Mercedes, a Xenos, numerous BRMs, a lot of Lotuses and a couple of Cobras. Rob is a very calm and matter of fact counterbalance to my obvious excitation as my eyes grow wide and my mouth falls open at the sight of this pride of sleeping lions. Rob’s laconic is juxtaposed by the iconic. We’re in a secret location surrounded by… how many? “A hundred and thirty… thirty-two… no, three. One hundred and thirty three,” of the world’s most expensive, exotic and precious motor cars. Dormant and immaculately kept in the dark, in a silence broken only by my footsteps over the pale grey painted concrete floor, each one is worth between £50,000 and £10,000,000.

Some are for sale, some are being stored for clients. They’re remarkably silent given that any of the engines surrounding us could potentially be called upon to roar into life and tear away from the starting grid of Silverstone or around the highest of apexes of the Nürburgring. Bourne’s affiliation with motor racing began with the establishment of BRM - British Racing Motors - in 1949. The firm endured until

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1977 but finally folded under the name of Stanley BRM following financial difficulties. It was the firm Rob’s father Rick Hall worked for. He and Rob Fowler then established their new business, Hall & Fowler, in 1977. It eventually became Hall & Hall in 1999 when Rob Hall brought Rob Fowler out.

To call Rob Hall a ‘car dealer’ would be like describing Michelangelo’s role in creating the Sistine chapel as ‘painter and decorator.’ In fact, the local motor racing enthusiast and mechanic oversees a team responsible for keeping grand old girls alive for their well-heeled owners all over the world.

The team at Hall & Hall specialises in the storage, race preparation, maintenance and repair of historic racing cars, sports cars and in particular Formula 1 cars. Rob also serves as a sort of concierge service for his racing customers, arranging transport to races, booking hotels or yachts and transporting cars to races where he’ll then provide trackside technical support. Hall & Hall’s main premises are back in Bourne and that’s where the firm’s workshops are based.

They’re not open to the public, partly because of the rarity of the cars, partly because the team are too busy working on customers’ cars and partly because there’s nothing to see except a busy workshop where a team of around six mechanics are surrounded by about 12 cars in various states of undress. >>

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Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, or 250 TR, is a racing sports car built by Ferrari from 1957 to 1961.

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“Whilst some of the cars that roll in and out of the company’s workshops are ‘just for show,’ the majority are in race-worthy condition and are actively used on UK tracks...”

Below: The company’s workshops are unusual in that there are few off-the-shelf parts and workshop manuals. It’s all down to expert knowledge and engineering expertise to keep them running.

>> Each mechanic is quietly working on very specific engineering challenges, some work paused awaiting the fabrication of bespoke components. This isn’t a workshop as you know it; nothing is standard except for the basic principle of an engine.

Underneath Rob’s office is the dynamometer, where newly refurbished engines are powered up and calibrated. Opposite the engine room is a fabrication facility where custom parts can be made according to specifications from the firm’s in-house library. The team also has the ability to commission a completely new engine block to their specifications. Typically, it would be cast in steel or aluminium off-site but still, the ability to perform a heart transplant on some of the world’s most valuable cars is something to be admired.

From November until March, the team is especially busy with race preparations, getting each client’s car ready for a racing season. Whilst some of the cars that roll in and out of the company’s workshops are ‘just for show,’ the majority are in race-worthy condition and are actively used on UK tracks. 158

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C OV E R

S TO RY

Main: Hall & Hall have a unit located a modest journey out of Bourne in which they store 133 historic and sports and F1 cars.

Others are used in film and TV work. “Our main market is cars from the 1950s to the 1970s,” says Rob. “We’re just beginning to see cars from the 1980s. Predominantly we specialise in Formula 1 racers, but the work we receive is quite varied.”

Rob spends about 32 weekends trackside each year. He glances at his wall planner. “Goodwood. Three member meetings; Festival; Revival. Masters; F1 Series; Monza; Silverstone; Brands Hatch; Nürburgring.” The majority of Rob’s clients used to be UK customers, but now about half of all his business comes from outside the UK. US and Continental customers - Italians especially - make up a significant quantity, with many of his cars’ owners seeking to

drive their pride and joy on the very tracks upon which they made history the first time around.

What about modern F1 cars, or the new breed of Formula E vehicles? “You can’t hate it. And you won’t halt it,” says Rob, philosophically. But you can sense that he’s a fan of mechanicals, not electronics. “1998, the Festival of Speed,” he recalls. “A McLaren Peugeot stalled on the starting line. 10 people were trying to get it going; one engineer and three people on computers. It’s becoming too clinical, more electronics and fewer mechanics, smaller tolerances and people looking for hairline improvements.”

“As for electrification, one of the things I love is the sound. There’s something about the sound of a car’s engine that connects you, viscerally, to its power.”

Whilst the majority of Hall & Hall vehicles are post-war examples, they see their fair share of pre-war vehicles with lots of power, little braking and skinny tyres. You had to be made of stern stuff, Rob observes. “Later Formula 1 cars were different. They still gave you a workout but in a different way,” he says. “It’s easy to make a car fast in a straight line but making a car that’s fast around corners is much more difficult.”

“Rules on what is permitted in motorsport have gradually been tightened up, but there was a time in the 1980s when there were bigger grids and more diverse cars. V12s; V6s; flat 12s.”

So what has been Rob’s most memorable motor? “A 5.8 litre straight-eight supercharged Mercedes W125 from 1935.” >> 159

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C OV E R

“When the average car was doing 30mph 60 if you were lucky - this thing did 180mph. It must have seemed like a space rocket!”

As for the value of each car under Hall & Hall’s charge, they vary enormously. A car’s livery, previous driver and any previous wins in the vehicle can all separate two otherwise mechanically identical cars of the same type and age. Needless to say, the engineering challenges are reflected in the cost of maintaining such vehicles, too. A strip and service of an engine? You’re looking at £15-£25k. New tyres? Well the good news is that they are available from stock. The bad news is you’re looking at £1,000 for a tyre.

But for the cars’ owners, money is of little concern when set against the pleasure of racing such machines and set against the knowledge that the cars are being preserved for the future, appreciating in value certainly intrinsically… but hopefully financially too.

S TO RY

Business, Rob says, is quieter than usual for the time of year. Doesn’t seem like it in the workshop, but apparently some customers are keeping their precious assets on the continent just in case Brexit hinders their ability to transport their assets without tariffs.

With such a specialist service though and with few firms around the UK able to offer such a high standard of care for their clients’ priceless assets, Hall & Hall will endure for decades yet, regardless of what happens with Europe, with electrification or with motorsport. And as for Rob and his team, their business is neither a job nor a career; it’s a vocation.

Without experts like Rob and his team, the latter half of the 20th century would be an era of mechanical achievement which fades into obscurity, rather than remaining a part of British sporting history, when the roar of a turbocharged V16 Formula 1 engine served as a clarion call to champion the good old days of mechanics over electronics. n

n Hall & Hall has sold, restored and maintained racing cars and F1 cars for over 40 years. Based in Bourne, their premises are NOT open to the public. Their collection of vehicles is kept at a separate secure location. For more information call 01778 392562 or see www.hallandhall.net. 161

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