Stamford Pride February 2023

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As I write this, the whole Pride team is gearing up for a well-earned rest before regrouping in early January to get this edition to press, before beginning 2023 with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Our 2022 was very successful against a backdrop of otherwise gloomy headlines and generally low national morale. We attribute this to our team spirit here in the office, fantastic relationships with our many clients for whom we continue to have a great deal of respect, and to our commitment to producing for our readers the finest magazine in the county.

Already we’ve been entering into the diary a wealth of local events, live shows and future feature ideas. As we do so it’s clear that throughout 2023 there will be lots to entertain us all, and many ways to enjoy Rutland and Stamford.

In this edition we’re also meeting artist Angela Harding, we’re hitting the slopes at Tallington and we’re enjoying Stamford’s Paten & Co, recent winners of our Restaurant of the Year title. Our best wishes for a wonderful month!

Executive Editor

robin@pridemagazines.co.uk

This month’s covers show a sunny start to the year in Oakham’s Market Place and in the centre of Stamford... we’re looking forward to showing off the changing seasons on our covers in 2023! We’re always looking for scenes of Rutland and Stamford to feature on our covers and in the magazine. If you’re a budding photographer, email your pictures to the address above!

CONTENTS

NEWS & EVENTS

08 NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories from across Rutland & Stamford, including the recipients of 2022’s Rutland Multum Awards. 32 WHAT’S ON Live events, music and theatre productions this February.

HIGHLIGHTS

18 LOOKING FORWARDS Fed up of being indoors? We’ve some great ideas for enjoying Rutland & Stamford throughout early 2023.

36 ANGELA HARDING Artist, illustrator and printmaker Angela Harding on her brand new book, which follows nature unfolding throughout the season.

44 SLOPING OFF Invited to try out a newly resurfaced dry skiing experience at Tallington, Editor Rob Davis takes to the slopes... for the very first time. 98

NATURE A look at winter’s best highlights in Rutland & Stamford.

FOOD & DRINK

52 DINING OUT Celebrating the winner of our recent Restaurant of the Year Award at Paten & Co in Stamford. 56 RECIPES & WINE Valentine’s Day supper and some rosé wines to inspire a sense of romance.

HOMES & GARDENS

64 WELCOME HOME A brace of local properties from a quaint cottage to a traditional ironstone family home. 81 HOMES Fresh designs around a botanical theme from leading soft furnishing and interior designers’ collections.

LIFESTYLE

104 FASHION From skiwear to knitwear. 115 HIGH LIFE Fundraising for the NSPCC with Maragaret Wheeler’s annual concert in Oakham. 126 MOTORS Volvo’s all-electric EX90.

THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE AREA READ PRIDE MAGAZINE

Pride Magazine is delivered free of charge, via Royal Mail, to high value homes in the area. Our circulation is to homes in the top three council tax bands, which are predominantly worth over £300,000. This guarantees the magazine has an affluent readership commensurate with our content.

The magazine is also sold in leading newsagents and supermarkets and we also deliver the magazine to local businesses including selected hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, doctors, dentists, executive motor dealerships and golf clubs. This helps to ensure we have a continued presence, right across our catchment area.

Our titles also have more social media fans than any other local magazine. In addition we have over 45,000 online visitors viewing our magazines free of charge, online, on their tablet, computer, laptop or mobile phone via our website, our app, and via the Readly and Issuu platforms.

If your business would benefit from being showcased to the wealthiest people in the area, please call our friendly sales team on 01529 469977.

Amazing new app out now: You can read our magazines on any device anywhere.

THE PRIDE TEAM

Better Together?

Most people will have had several jobs before they retire, which means they may also have several pension pots. What are your options?

Image: Ellie Dean, www.ellideanphotography.co.uk.

PENSION CONSOLIDATION allows you to round up all of your existing plans and transfer them to a scheme where they sit together under one roof. This makes them easier to manage with less admin and paperwork which in turn reduces the likelihood that some of your savings will go missing.

Merging your pensions together could save you money on charges. If you have got multiple plans with different providers, you will be paying for the administration of each one which makes it difficult to keep track of the overall cost. It’s also not very cost-effective, especially if some of the providers are expensive, since fees eat into your investment returns and the amount of money you have when you retire.

Moving providers can help you make big savings if you’re cutting down on annual fees. It can also reduce the cost and improve investment performance along with potentially more flexibility. All this could result in a higher income and a more comfortable retirement. You might even be able to stop working earlier.

While it’s common for people close to retirement to think about consolidating their pensions, it’s also an option for younger workers who have accumulated a number of plans already. Combining your pensions might give you greater freedom and choice with your retirement savings.

Some schemes that were established before the dawn of pension freedoms in 2015 may not be as flexible as newer pensions.

Before 2015, the majority of retirees had to buy an annuity – or guaranteed income for life. Income drawdown, otherwise known as flexi- access drawdown, came into effect in 2015. This allows people to withdraw money from their pensions from the age of 55.

However, if you remain invested in an older pension, it may not have the option for income drawdown. This would mean that you’d need to transfer out of your pension in order to start income drawdown.

If you are transferring out of a final salary scheme worth more than £30,000, you have to get advice first from a fully qualified financial adviser.

Consolidating pensions can be a timeconsuming process and you will need to gather all of the plan details, contact the various providers, complete application forms and seek a new pension provider. BCM have years of experience in helping

clients’ consolidate and transfer their pensions and if you are unsure whether switching out of a scheme is the right move. A good place to start is with our review service, you can chat to our pension’s specialist team at BCM Wealth Management.

Our approach to planning your retirement is transparent, honest, and designed to meet your requirements. We want to support you with all your retirement planning needs and help you to maximise the potential growth within your pension funds over your chosen timescale.

BCM Wealth Management Ltd is an appointed representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management product and service, more details of which are set out on the group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products.

The ‘St. James’s Place Partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested. The levels and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation, can change at any time. The value of any tax relief depends on individual circumstances. n

BCM Wealth Management Ltd is an appointed representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management product and service, more details of which are set out on the group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The ‘St. James’s place Partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s place representatives.

You can chat to our pensions specialist team at BCM Wealth Management, based at 5 Ironmonger Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1PL www.bcmwealth.co.uk 01780 437500

Rutland community winners named

WINNERS & RUNNERS UP OF RUTLAND’S MULTUM AWARDS ANNOUNCED

RUTLAND & STAMFORD

Rutland County Council has named the winners and runners up of the 2022 Multum Awards, designed to highlight those who work hard in their communities.

Hosted by the Leader of Rutland County Council, Lucy Stephenson, the Multum Awards were held at the Rutland County Museum in December, when invitees were treated to tea and cake before winners were presented with their award.

“The Multum Awards has highlighted just how many special people we have living here in Rutland and whilst we were unable to select everyone as the winner, each and every nominee is a winner in their own right.”

“I already look forward to next year and hope that we can make the Multum Awards an annual event for Rutland.”

Public Servant: Winner: Ashley Smart. Unsung Sporting Hero: Winner: Claire Cox. Runner Up: Richard Auciello. The Creative: Winner: Debbie Frearson. Runners Up: Garry Rose & Ian Halcrow.

Celebrating local food

RUTLAND & MELTON MP CELEBRATES LOCAL FOOD & DRINK PRODUCERS IN PARLIAMENT

Good Samaritan: Winner: Lana Maiden. Runners up: Hope Stead & Katie Smit. Climate Change Hero: Winner: Edward Lever. Runner up: Mary Cade. Event Organiser: Winner: Sarah Bysouth. Runner up: Tracy Steward.

Wildlife Warrior: Winner: Uppingham in Bloom. Runner Up: Prickleback Urchin Hedgehog Rescue.

Inclusivity Champion: Winner: Tracy Steward. Runner up: Essendine Luncheon Club. n

RUTLAND

Rutland & Melton MP Alicia Kearns hosted 10 local food and drink producers in Parliament for ‘A Taste of Rutland & Melton.’

The event was an opportunity to showcase just some of the hundreds of wonderful food and drink businesses based in Rutland and Melton in Parliament.

It also gave producers the opportunity to meet with Trade Ministers to discuss trade priorities and raise any issues being faced in exporting products. Local business in attendance include Rutland’s Multum Gin Parvo, The Rutland Chef,

Brentingby Gin, Dickinson & Morris, among others.

Due to the size of the room available in Parliament only 10 businesses could be accommodated. But the MP is planning similar future events.

“It was an absolute pleasure to celebrate just a small number of our wonderful local food and drink producers from our wonderful communities. This event proved a huge success, showcasing and providing invaluable exposure for our brilliant local businesses and giving them the opportunity to discuss exports and trade with the relevant Ministers and Ambassadors,” said Alicia. n

Gates is the best!

GATES GARDEN CENTRE BEST IN EAST MIDLANDS AND AMONG TOP THREE IN UK FOR CHRISTMAS

Oakham School Raises £26,000 for Charities...

Gates Garden Centre has won an award for its Christmas displays in the Garden Centre Association (GCA) Christmas Competition 2022 for the second year running and has been voted in the top three across the entire UK.

The centre has expanded considerably in recent years, now housing over 12,500 square metres of leisure and retail facilities, including

garden centre, rural department store, farm shop and restaurants.

“We’ve always been proud of our Christmas displays and it’s wonderful to be officially recognised as the best destination garden centre in the Midlands region and one of the top three garden centres in the UK. Thank you to our team for all their hard work and passion!” n

Warm hub opens in Stamford

FOOD HUB FOUNDER GEORGE HETHERINGTON LAUNCHES NEW WARM HUB IN STAMFORD...

Image: Volunteers at George’s Food Hub and George’s Warm Hub.

OAKHAM

Pupils at Oakham School have raised more than £26,000 for local and national charities across 2022.

Over the course of the year, pupils and staff have led various fundraising projects supporting timely campaigns such as Children in Need, the Poppy Appeal and Macmillan Coffee Morning, whilst others have focused on supporting the local Oakham community. n www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk.

SOUTH KESTEVEN SKDC has shared official confirmation of its plans to invest £3.9m from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Levelling Up commitment will include improvements to high streets, investment in arts and heritage initiatives and marketing for South Kesteven. n

LOCAL NEWS In Brief STAMFORD Hardware store owner David Dunn meets King Charles III at Palace reception... Four candles, Your Majesty, or fork handles?

STAMFORD

The town of Stamford has always been known for the warmth of its community, but George Hetherington and his team are offering a warm welcome in every respect with the establishment of George’s Warm Hub at Stamford Free Church on Kesteven Road on Tuesdays from 12.30pm. It’s the sister project of George’s Food Hub, based at St Augustine’s School which serves soup to those struggling with the cost of living. “We are serving the community and saving surplus food,” says George. “The hub receives donations from Nisa, Today’s Local, The Cornish Bakery, Askers Bakery and Riverford Organic.” n

£3.9m Investment

Stamford’s David Dunn, co-owner with his brother John of Stamford & Bourne’s Harrison & Dunn hardware stores, met King Charles III recently at a reception held at Buckingham Palace. The British Independent Retailers’ Association nominated David to attend the reception at the Palace, the organisation of which had been requested by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Other guests in attendance include Peter Jones of Dragon’s Den fame. David & John took over the family business 25 years ago. n

OAKHAM

A happy outcome for labrador Thor

RELIEF FROM OSTEOARTHRITIS WITH NUPSALA MUSCULOSKELETAL CLINIC

RUTLAND & STAMFORD

2023 will be a great deal more comfortable for Thor, a six-year old labrador who recently visited Nupsala Musculoskeletal Clinic, which featured in the October edition of Pride.

As we reported, Nupsala specialises in working alongside your existing vet to diagnose and manage arthritis and similar conditions, otherwise considered a fact of life for older pets.

Diagnosed with Elbow Dysplasia at just seven months old, Thor underwent two surgical investigations, and one correction in his elbows before he was two years old. After the surgery, his gait returned largely to normal, but he was still in pain. His devoted owner tried everything from anti-inflammatories to physio and acupuncture, before visiting Nupsala, based in Melton Mowbray.

LOCAL NEWS In Brief

GLOBAL BIRDFAIR RETURN DATES CONFIRMED

FOR 2023

After a successful inaugural event at the Rutland Showground, it’s been confirmed that Global Birdfair, the huge conservation show, will return on 14th, 15th and 16th of July 2023.

News was shared by organiser Tim Appleton... in a Tweet, obviously! n www.globalbirdfair.org

File photo.

Nupsala has an Objective Clinical Outcome Measurement approach using an instrumented treadmill to provide gait analysis, and upon analysing Thor carefully, the clinic was

able to determine that injecting Thor’s elbows with Polyacrylamide Hydrogel would provide pain relief and increased mobility of the joint. Thor’s response was

A vision for Stamford...

remarkable and by his review one-month post-injection, he was a different dog! A happy ending and a happy new year for both Thor, and his owner! n www.nupsala-msk.co.uk.

STAMFORD

A development termed ‘Stamford North’ has been revealed prior to being submitted for planning permission by the Burghley House Preservation Trust for land between Little Casterton Road to the west and Ryhall Road to the east.

The development would provide 1,300 proposed homes and 70 acres of parkland, plus a medical centre, a new primary school and ‘local centre’ with convenience store and other amenities.

The Burghley House Preservation Trust is working with developer GummerLeathes to deliver the project. n

PEAKIRK

• An Iconic, Contemporary, Architecturally Designed Detached House • Centrally Located Within the Renowned Georgian Market Town of Stamford • Vaulted Reception Hallway, Open Plan Kitchen / Diner / Family Room • Utility Room, Larder, Study / Playroom / Bedroom Five Plus a Shower Room • Master Bedroom with En Suite Bathroom and Dressing Room • Three Further Double Bedrooms and Two Bathrooms • Electric Entrance Gate, Two Double Garages and Ample Off-Road Parking • Substantial Gardens, Terrace with Outside Kitchen Plus a First Floor Terrace

PICKWORTH

GREAT CASTERTON

MARKET DEEPING

EMPINGHAM

NEW NEW

BRAUNSTON

£800,000

A beautifully presented detached bungalow with good quality fittings throughout set on a large plot with glorious, mature, south-facing gardens enjoying countryside views and offering immense potential for extending, STPP. Open-plan Lounge & Dining Room, Breakfast Kitchen, Cloakroom/Utility, Conservatory, 3 Bedrooms, Bathroom, Twin Garages, ample Parking. Energy Rating: F.

OAKHAM

£730,000

A spacious property set on a generously sized and privately screened plot in one of Oakham's most desirable residential areas, just a stone's throw from the town centre and its amenities, and offering excellent potential for extending. The extended, flexible and tastefully appointed three-/four-bedroom accommodation features good quality fittings and includes three reception rooms, a refitted dining kitchen and four shower rooms. Energy Rating: C.

MANTON

£889,950

A substantial detached property with delightful gardens set on a large plot in the premium village of Manton, taking in panoramic views over gardens, adjoining fields and Rutland Water. Sitting Room, open-plan Living/Dining Room, Kitchen with AGA, Utility, Clkrm/WC, Studio/ Garden Room, 3 Dbl Bedrooms, 2 Bath/Shower Rooms, Dbl Garage, Ample Parking. Energy Rating: D.

BRAUNSTON OFFERS OVER

£610,000

A delightful character property set on a select development of seven mews-style houses set in the heart of a fine conservation village. The well-proportioned and tastefully appointed accommodation sympathetically combines period features and charm with modern high-quality fixtures and fittings. Sitting Room, Conservatory, open-plan Kitchen/Diner, Clkrm/WC, Master Bedroom with en-suite Shower Room, 2 further dbl Bedrooms, Bathroom. Energy Rating: E.

KETTON

£595,000

Stunning barn conversion providing stylish and well-proportioned accommodation equipped to an exceptional standard and situated next to the church in a much sought-after village close to the historic market town of Stamford. Sitting Room, Dining Kitchen, Cloakroom/WC, 3 Bedrooms, Master En-suite Shower Room and Bathroom. Picturesque Courtyard Garden. Energy Rating: C.

SEATON

£595,000

Immaculately presented barn-style character property with established gardens enjoying countryside views situated in a picturesque Rutland village. The property was built in 2008 and offers well-proportioned accommodation tastefully appointed and equipped to a high standard throughout. Sitting Room, shaker-style Kitchen/Diner, Clkrm/WC, 3 Bedrooms, en-suite Shower Room, Family Bathroom; off-road Parking, elevated rear Garden with views. Energy Rating: C.

Offers in Excess

Guide Price: £950,000

Royces Lodge, Church Lane, Seaton

A beautifully-presented, stone-built family home with four bedrooms, and generous living accommodation nestled into the popular village of Seaton with views over the neighbouring countryside.

Prices From: £390,000

Holme View, Main Street, Lyddington

A deceptively spacious and beautifully-presented, four-bedroom iron-stone property sitting in an elevated position located in the centre one of Rutland’s most sought-after villages.

Guide Price: £600,000

Farm Barns, Ridlington Road, Ridlington

A range of superb and contemporary Class Q barn conversions with modern open plan living flowing out to generous gardens overlooking stunning views of the adjacent countryside.

The Old School, Church Lane, Ashwell

The Old School is a unique and characterful, four-bedroom home, situated in an enviable raised position of the village with views of the church in the popular village of Ashwell.

Rutland & Stamford’s 2023

HIGHLIGHTS

As winter turns into spring, we this month highlight a few features of the area we’ll all be enjoying, and we’ll look at some of the live events at the area’s arts centres and theatres to enjoy over the next few months...

Words: Rob Davis. Image: Matty Graham.

n Rediscover Burghley House this Spring

IN THE SUMMER Burghley House is of course renowned for its open air cinema, classic music concerts, fine food markets and so on... but this season, too, you’ll find entertainment courtesy of Head Gardener Joe Whitehead’s snowdrop tours which take place in the South Gardens on 14th and 15th February from 11am, meeting in the Orangery Café. Burghley is a hive of activity right now as the team prepares to open its exciting new

adventure playground adjacent to the Sculpture Gardens. The multi-level play tower at its centre is topped with ‘copper pot’ roof somes, mimicking Burghley’s own roof and a maze of bridges, walkways and slides. The house itself opens on 18th March, with its magnificent state rooms, a renowned collections of fine art and its Verrio frescos from the Heaven Room to the Heaven & Hell staircase. n www.burghley.co.uk

THIS TIME LAST YEAR an announcement was made that archaeologists had successfully excavated the beautifully preserved 10 metre long fossilised remains of an ichthyosaur (from the species Temnodontosaurus trigonodon), 180,000,000 years old. The discovery put Rutland on the map across the world and the

fossil is currently securely stored in an industrial unit in Shropshire whilst continuing efforts are made to study, clean up and conserve the creature. The work is being conducted under the expertise of Nigel Larkin, who is keen for the creature to return to its home in Rutland, in a museum or visitor centre at the reservoir. n

n A Burns Night Supper in Rutland

THE BEST LAID PLANS of mice and men aft gan aglay, but the plan to enjoy great dining, poetry and the sound of bagpipes will go smoothly at two of the area’s Burns Night Suppers this month:

Oakham RFC: Oakham’s RFC is hosting its Burns Night supper on Friday 27th January from 7pm, tickets £40. Email burnsnight@oakhamrfc.com for details.

Grainstore Brewery: On Wednesday 25th January, Grainstore Brewery also presents its Burns Night with supper including the Selkirk Grace, followed by a Piper, piping in the Haggis, for details see www.grainstorebrewery.com.

MARCH sees Jill Collinge and her team resume their tours of Stamford... and new for 2023 is their sister tour around the town of Oakham.

Think you already know your home town? Even the most knowledgeable resident can still find some knowledge, trivia and fascinating insights into both towns, thanks to these well curated tours.

n March 2023 tours will re-commence Wednesday to Sunday at 11am with Friday at 2pm. Tours will start from the Stamford Town Hall.

TALKING OF FOOD, Clipsham’s Olive Branch is hosting its special cookery courses in 2023: Bread Masterclass on 19th Jan, Pasta Masterclass on 23rd February and 30th March, and its Butchery & Fish masterclasses on 16th Feb and 9th March.

n See www.theolivebranchpub.com

n Open Gardens in Rutland & Stamford

SPRING bulbs and brighter days in the area, with the first few NGS Open Gardens to enjoy:

Boughton House: The home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch. The garden opening on Sunday 19th February will bring opportunities to see the historic walled garden and herbaceous border, and the sensory and wildlife gardens.

Hedgehog Hall: Based at Tilton on the Hill, with half an acre of managed plant-lover’s garden, stone-walled borders and shrubs, perennials and spring bulbs. Open on Saturday 25th February and Sunday 26th February.

Westview: Organically managed small walled cottage garden with year-round interest. Unusual plants, many grown from seed. Formal box parterre, courtyard garden, alpines, herbaceous borders, woodland areas with unusual ferns, small wildlife pond, greenhouse, vegetables, fruit and herbs. Collection of Snowdrops. Open Saturday 25th Feb.

n All of the above events require pre-booking at www.ngs.org.uk.

n Enjoying Spring at Barnsdale Gardens

BARNSDALE GARDENS looks super, as winter turns into spring, and the place is open from 10am from January until March, with extended opening times thereafter. February sees 9,000 galanthus on display during Snowdrop Fortnight from 1st-12th and a Winter & Snowdrop Walk on 8th February with Nick Hamilton and the opportunity to enjoy a cooked breakfast as well as a garden tour.

Left: Stephen Hamilton, Barnsdale Gardens in summer, Discover Rutland.

n Lunch for Even Less this season in Rutland & Stamford

EACH YEAR some of the county’s best restaurants collectively decide to offer some winter warmth with discounted daytime dining in a promotion known as Lunch for Even Less:

Hambleton Hall: Two courses for £47.50, Monday 9th Jan to Tuesday 28th Feb, weekend excl. Olive Branch, Clipsham: Two courses for £27.50, Wednesday 11th January to Saturday 11th March. Hitchen’s Barn, Oakham: Two courses for £20.95, Tuesday 17th January to Friday 31st March. King’s Arms, Wing: Two courses £20, Wednesday 25th January to Saturday 22nd April. Wheatsheaf, Greetham: Two courses £19, Friday 20th January to Saturday 1st April. Stag & Hounds, Burrough: Two courses £21, from Wednesday 25th January to Friday 17th March. n

RUTLAND’S GOOD & NEW SALE takes place as usual this year, but in a brand new venue. With its usual venue, Barnsdale Lodge, undergoing refurbishment, the event will instead take place at Rutland’s Showground on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th March. It’s estimated that each year 114bn items of clothing end up in incinerators or landfill. The event instead sees donated items of clothing sorted, checked and presented to find a new home, with money raised from the sale remaining in Rutland and the surrounding area. “For Rutland is an outstanding organisation committed to raising funds for Citizens Advice Rutland to pay for Specialist Advisers. Since our launch in June 2014, these advisers have helped people with non-medical advice living with long-term health conditions access over £6.7million in grants, debt write-offs and benefit funding,” says Jeannette Warner, Chairman of the Fundraising Committee. n

Above: This year’s Good & New Sale organised by For Rutland will take place at The Rutland Showground.

The Olive Branch, Clipsham.

Quality pre-loved designer fashion at the For Rutland Good & New Sale. Image: For Rutland.

2023: Dates for Your Diary

n Nevill Holt Opera Festival: From May 31st, the estate of Nevill Holt hosts Leoncavallo & Puccini’s Pagliacci & Gianni Schicchi and Rossini’s La Cenerentola. www.nevillholtopera.co.uk.

n Stamford Shakespeare in 2023: This year’s productions at Tolethorpe Hall-based Stamford Shakespeare Company include Measure for Measure in 1900s Vienna, a groovy 1960s backdrop for As You Like It, a production of Alan Bennett’s The Lady in the Van, as well as Blue Stockings from TYD. www.tolethorpe.co.uk.

n The 2023 Rutland Show: Confirmed for Sunday 4th June 2023, The Rutland Show has a very traditional feel with livestock classes, horse and pony showing, British Showjumping and main ring entertainment as well as a host of other classic show attractions. Fabulous local food and drink, great shopping and entertainment coupled with free entry for children and free parking ensures visitors a fantastic day out. www.rutlandshowground.com.

n Global Birdfair: Taking place from 14th-16th July, Join a community of nature lovers and birdwatchers from around the world as attendees gather to make a difference to Conserving Nature Worldwide. Held at the Rutland Showground, attended by 11,600 and organised by Tim Appleton, 2022’s event contributed a €100,000 to worldwide conservation projects. www.globalbirdfair.org.

n Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials: On 31st August to 3rd September the parkland of Burghley House will welcome its annual five-star FEI fixture celebrating the very best international talent as horse and riders compete to be named this year’s winners. www.burghley-horse.co.uk.

Spring in Rutland & Stamford

1. Live with Blowers

VISITING STAMFORD to meet fans of cricket, Blowers invites you along as he recalls his work as a cricket journalist before finding his way into the Test Match Series box as a commentator. Backed by film and rare personal pictures on Stamford Arts Centre’s big screen.

n Friday 3rd February, tickets £25, see www.stamfordartscentre.com.

2.

Fleetwood Back

FLEETWOOD BACK is the world’s first and best Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band, endorsed by Mick Fleetwood himself. Eagerly anticipated following the loss of Christine McVey last month. Expect Chain, Dreams, Go Your Own Way and Don’t Stop as the group appears at Stamford Corn Exchange.

n Friday 3rd February, from 8pm, tickets £21, see stamfordcornexchange.co.uk.

4. Easton Snowdrops

EASTON WALLED GARDENS is just a few minutes down the A1 from Rutland and Stamford. Your reward is an amazing display of snowdrops in the 12 acres of grounds of the former stately home now a restored garden brought back to life by Ursula Cholmeley and her team.

n From Wednesday 15th February, £9/entry, see www.visiteaston.co.uk.

3. Comedy Festival

LEICESTER comedy festival is back for 2023, the 30th event in its history, with comedy shows and events in venues across Leicester and Leicestershire including The UK Pun Championships and The Big Difference Comedy Fundraiser hosted by Milton Jones.

n Taking place from 8th February, see www.comedy-festival.co.uk

5. Lights Belvoir Action

BELVOIR CASTLE invites guests to enjoy its Spectacle of Light event from 27th January to 19th February, with a beautiful illuminated trail through the woodlands and around the glorious garden. Walk through the changing Light Curve, immerse yourself in the Carpet of Colour. n January to 19th February, £19.20/ad, see www.belvoircastle.com.

6. Twist & Shout

THE GREATEST DECADE for music is celebrated at Kilworth House in February as Twist & Shout brings 90 minutes of 1960s music to the stage. The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, Rolling Stones, Gerry & The Pacemakers, all present, and all groovy! Price includes three course dinner. n Friday 10th February, 6.30pm, tickets £70, www.kilworthhouse.co.uk.

7. I Love the 80s

FAST FORWARD a couple of decades and Stamford Corn Exchange presents the music of The Jacksons, The Human League, ABC, Marc Almond and many more. The Wild Boys is a 1980s tribute renowned for brilliantly recreating the 1980s in its neon extravagance!

n Saturday 11th February, £25, Stamford Corn Exchange, 7.30pm, 01780 766455.

8. Macbeth in Oakham

SHAKESPEARE brought to life, with a performance of Macbeth by the Suitcase Shakespeare Company –just two actors and a suitcase –group who present this wonderful 45-minute production for both adults and children at Oakham Castle this spring.

n Friday 14th March, Oakham Castle, see www.oakhamcastle.org.

10. Jacqui Parkinson

THREADS THROUGH CREATION is a new exhibition of 12 large textile panels retelling the Genesis Story by Jacqui Parkinson which will appear at Peterborough Cathedral from Wednesday 22nd March to Sunday 30th April. Her last work was exhibited at 14 other cathedrals and were viewed by 1,000,000 people! n www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk.

9. An Inspector Calls

LEICESTER’S CURVE hosts Stephen Daldry’s multi award-winning National Theatre production of JB Priestley’s classic thriller. 19 awards so far, more relevant than ever, this is brilliant theatre and still a wonderfully conscience-challenging story of many skeletons in closets.

n Tuesday 21st March - Sat 25th March. See www.curveonline.co.uk

What’s On...

STAMFORD WEDNESDAY

15th FEBRUARY

JAMES LEVELLE’S CLIMATE ADVENTURE

Fascinating talk by adventurer and filmmaker, James Levelle, likes to live life on the wild side, but a near death experience hurricane chasing for the BBC brought him face to face with the deadly side of climate chaos and set off from the UK on a 9000-mile race to document youth climate messages and deliver them in a film to the UN climate conference in Chile (later Madrid!). His challenge was to get there by any means possible, travelling thousands of miles across 16 countries, fossil fuel free.

n Tickets £14/adults, from 7.30pm, Stamford Arts Centre, call 01780 763 203 or see www.stamfordartscentre.com.

Fun & Games with Blowers

MY DEAR OLD THINGS! HENRY ‘BLOWERS’ BLOFELD COMES TO STAMFORD FOR AN EVENING OF CRICKET & REFLECTION

STAMFORD

FRIDAY 3rd FEBRUARY

MY DEAR OLD THINGS! AN EVENING WITH HENRY BLOFELD

Visiting Stamford to meet fans of cricket, Blowers invites you along as he recalls his days as a young England hopeful, how an Eton bus knocked him off his stride – and his bike –recoiling from a career in the city to work as a cricket journalist before finding his way into the Test Match Series box as a commentator. n Tickets £25/adults, from 7.30pm, Stamford Arts Centre, PE9 2DL, 01780 763 203, www.stamfordartscentre.com.

STAMFORD

SUNDAY 19th FEBRUARY, SUNDAY 26th FEBRUARY, SNOWDROP

WALKS AT DEENE PARK

Spring might feel like an age away during the short, frosty February days, but we can take some cheer from the abundance of snowdrops quietly announcing new life in the gardens of Deene Park, between Stamford and Corby.

n Admission £6.50, Deene Park, NN17 3EW. Call 01780 450 278, or see www.deenepark.com.

EXTON

TUESDAY 7th FEBRUARY MONDAY 27th FEBRUARY

SUMPTUOUS SNOWDROP AND WINTER SNOWDROP WALKS

It’s the perfect time to visit Barnsdale Gardens to indulge yourself in the garden’s excellent range of snowdrops planted throughout the gardens. Exclusive entry for the Friends of Barnsdale from 9am, with half-price breakfast from 14th-27th February. Gill Hadland will be in the garden studio from 25th-27th February giving short talks on snowdrops.

Winter & Snowdrop Walk with breakfast and guided tour on 16th February from 9.30am. 9,000 snowdrops to enjoy across Nick Hamilton’s eight-acre site.

n Call 01572 813 200 or see www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk.

STAMFORD

WEDNESDAY 15th FEBRUARY - SATURDAY 18th FEBRUARY

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

Stamford Showstoppers have the pleasure of bringing you a live musical version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, written by James Bond author Ian Fleming and made famous by the 1968 musical fantast starring Dick Van Dyke. Eccentric inventor Car-

actacus Potts, his two children, and his beautiful lady friend, Truly Scrumptious, go on a picnic at the beach in their Car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Oh, you pretty chitty bang bang... we love you! This is an amateur production by Stamford Showstoppers.

n Tickets £10-£18/adults, from 2pm and 7pm, Stamford Corn Exchange, PE9 1PX, call 01780 766455 or see www.stamford cornexchange.co.uk.

Let there be light at Belvoir!

A BREATHTAKING WINTER WALK THROUGH LIGHT, COLOUR AND FANTASY AT BELVOIR CASTLE...

LEICESTER

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

PETERBOROUGH

WEDNESDAY 8th FEBRUARY - SUNDAY 26th FEBRUARY

LEICESTER

COMEDY FESTIVAL

Time flies when you’re having fun, it goes even quicker when you’re laughing. Later this month the 30th Leicester Comedy Festival takes place, with the UK Pun Championships celebrating its 10th anniversary, and The Big Difference Comedy Fundraiser –headlined by Milton Jones as well as The Gala Preview Show, hosted by Seann Walsh. Leicester Comedy Festival returned to a live festival in 2022, which featured over 560 shows, over 800 performances and 64 venues across Leicestershire. n For a full programme of events, see comedy-festival.co.uk or call 0116 233 3111.

GRANTHAM

FRIDAY JANUARY 27thSUNDAY FEBRUARY 19th

SPECTACLE OF LIGHT AT BELVOIR CASTLE

A breathtaking walk through light, colour and fantasy will welcome in the 2023 season at Belvoir Castle, brightening the winter evenings with a magical after-dark experience for visitors.

Beautiful installations will showcase the Capability Brown gardens, its formal features and sculptures as well as lighting up the Regency castle exterior as never seen before.

WEDNESDAY 22nd MARCH

THREADS THROUGHOUT CREATION: JACQUI PARKINSON’S TEXTILES

Advance notice of an exhibition of 12 large textile panels retelling the Genesis Story. Jacqui Parkinson returns to the Cathedral to showcase her vibrant and stunning textile exhibition, Threads Throughout Creation. Jacqui’s previous exhibition Threads Throughout Revelation was exhibited at 14 other cathedrals across the UK between 2016-2018 and viewed by over one million people!

n Peterborough Cathedral, PE1 1XS, for details call 01733 355315 or see peterborough-cathedral.org.uk.

It’s also the first time the gardens have been opened to the public during early Spring as snowdrops carpet the woodland floor.

The trail around the Castle grounds will allow visitors to discover some amazing light installations like Curve, Carpet of Colour and Paraluna.

Hot chocolate and mulled wine will be available on the Castle terrace to enjoy along with street food and sweet treats.

n Tickets £19.20/adults, £9.60/child, entry slots from 5.30pm, Belvoir Castle, 01476 871001, www.belvoircastle.com.

Prints Charming by Angela Harding

A new book by Rutland printmaker and artist Angela Harding is a beautifully illustrated study of the natural world. Here, we find out what the third volume in the series will be about, and what holiday plans the artist has in store for late spring 2023...

IN A STUDIO, at the bottom of the garden, all is quiet. Relatively quiet. There’s a sleepy murmer from Oaty the whippet puppy, Radio Four is on in the background, and then there’s a near-silent rasping of a very fine chisel through lino as Angel Harding creates another example of her linocut artwork, celebrating the natural world just beyond her studio window.

“I’ve no digital skills, and there are no short cuts or ways to expedite the process,” says Angela. “But that’s the whole idea. It’s a slower, more considered way to work.”

Having said that though, there’s a gentle but satisfying irony that modern printing techniques are partly responsible for Angela’s traditional printmaking techniques being enjoyed by so many people.

Having signed to a couple of art publishers, Angela is now licensing her work for good quality commercial print purposes as well as satisfying her traditional markets of selling limited edition hand-printed work and working on commissions for publishers of books and magazines.

Speaking of which, you may have seen Angela’s trademark style of print on the cover of an early-November edition of Country Life, or on the covers of Raynor Winn – the long-distance walker and author’s – series of books. Among these is The Salt Path, which talks about how the natural world can have healing, life-affirming power.

Angela, too, believes there’s something redemptive about the natural world and she only has to look up from the desk in her studio in Wing at the ridge of countryside, beyond which is Manton and Rutland Water, to see the natural world evolving.

Angela was introduced to printmaking as a student of fine art and painting at Leicester Polytechnic, founding the Leicester Print Workshop for fine art printmakers working using silkscreen, lithographic, letterpress, etching and engraving techniques whilst creating a space for those artists to exhibit their work.

Angela’s technique of block printing was practised by the earliest publishers of illustrated books. >>

Words: Rob Davis. Illustrations: Angels Harding. Photos: Joanne Crawford.

Top Left: Harbour Whippets. Top/Right: Shooting Stars. Opposite: Church Cottage Morston.

>> The technique dates back at least a thousand years but was employed in Europe in the mid-15th century for botanical illustrations and arguably gave way to the engraving of 19th century newspapers and other periodicals prior to the use of printed photographs.

“I combine block printing with silk screen printing,” says Angela. “This is called relief printing, creating a white line as you work rather than a black line. The blocks I cut are usually lino or vinyl. I use a sharp chisel to cut into the surface of my block. Ink is then applied with a roller to the block’s surface.”

“The ink is transferred to paper by means of a press or by hand burnishing. So, when I create a line on the block surface, I am creating a white line – I am letting in light and printing shadows.”

“Once the detailed image is cut into the surface of a block, it is usually printed in

black. Silkscreen printing is used to create the colour areas. This is essentially stencil work. Stencils can be made photographically but I cut stencils by hand.”

Books for the Coffee Table

Angela’s latest book, Wild Light, is available to purchase now from www.angelaharding.co.uk alongside her first book, A Year Unfolding, published in 2021. Both feature over 70 original illustrations each.

Moving to Wing with husband Mark in 2006 and has since been joined by her daughter Holly and Angela’s two granddaughters.

Holly provides assistance with marketing, internet sales diary planning and office management, which is much-needed now that Angela’s work has been licensed to large retailers such as Waterstones, where you can find her signature style used on notebooks, bookmarks, and more recently an advent calendar which sold over 50,000 copies.

Those bigger clients, though, rely on commercial printing, but still for Angela’s

customers of her original prints – typically limited to about 75 copies –the artist produces prints from her vinyl relief-work on her Victorian-style Rochat press, a replica created in 2013 following a renaissance in traditional printing techniques, with prints onto 400gsm traditional Somerset printmaking paper.

Angela’s work has also appeared on covers for many of the volumes published by detective novelists P D James and Val McDermid, and around 50 more books besides. It was during lockdown, though, that Angela was approached by her publisher with the proposition of writing her own book.

“A Year Unfolding was published in 2021 and was a visual perspective on the changing seasons as observed from the window of my studio and beyond,” says Angela. >>

>> “Autumn 2022 saw the release of Wild Light: A Printmaker’s Night & Day, which details 24-hours in nature over the course of about 70 illustrations.”

“Like many people I find the changing light from early morning and to bright midday and the way dusk turns into twilight – and then into night – really inspiring, but I’m as guilty as anyone of being too preoccupied to stop and look, to really notice it, rather than taking it for granted.”

Running to over 190 pages and with 70 original illustrations, Wild Light is a beautifully presented reminder to slow down and observe nature, and to appreciate the way diurnal and seasonal change is expressed as the days and month evolve.

Already there’s a new book planned, and Angela is looking forward to a trip to the island of Fair Isle in late spring.

The 1,900-acre Shetland isle, home to fewer than 70 people, is renowned for its bird life – puffins, terns, guillemots, for example –but also for being a true artists’ retreat.

It’ll provide inspiration for Angela’s forthcoming volume on different bodies of water around the UK, from remote islands to coastlines and inland waterways, and all of the species that live around each of the different environments.

The third volume in the series is not due to be released until November 2024, owing partly to the time it takes to produce a book and partly due to the amount of time it will take to produce the 70 anticipated illustrations that Angela will need to painstakingly chisel, stroke by stroke.

But in publishing, as in relief printing, as in nature itself… the best things come to those who wait. n

Above: Fishing Otter, 43cm x 37cm £175. Opposite: A Year Unfolding, on the cover of Angela’s book of the same name, £260 for a print, 42cm x 35cm;Avocets at Blakeney, 42.8cm x 46.5cm, £295; Church Cottage, Morston, 42.8cm x 64.5cm, £295. Limited edition prints on Heritage/Somerset paper. All available from Angela’s website, see opposite credit line.

Find Out More: The second of Angela’s three-part series on the natural world was published in November 2022 and is entitled Wild Light: A Printmaker’s Night & Day, £25. Over 190 pages, with 70 original illustrations, it’s available to purchase alongside limited edition prints, calendars, diaries and teatowels and jigsaws via Angela’s website at www.angelaharding.co.uk.

AFTERNOON SPENT

SLOPING OFF AN

A significant investment in Tallington Lakes’ dry ski slope has seen the facility resurfaced with a state-of-the-art surface that will benefit anyone, from an expert in the sport to... well, to a novice magazine editor who had never seen a pair of skis in his life. This month we test both the new surface and the patience of the facility’s instructors, too!

Words: Rob Davis. Images: Matt Nicholson & Lotti Abbott-Christie.

derision. After all, the place is known for being as flat as a pancake, at least in the south of the county. But since the 1980s Stamford has been home to Tallington Lakes which – among its other watersports and leisure activities – offers an excellent ski experience recently enhanced with a brand new surface...

‘I must be missing something,’ I reasoned. Each year, colleagues, neighbours, clients, even my in-laws all excitedly report that they’ve booked their annual skiing holiday.

Meanwhile I’d never even seen a pair of skis, let alone taken to a slope in this country or any other. Happily, Tallington Lakes’ Chas Shrosbree recently got in touch with Pride to report that the park had recently completed the installation of a brand new surface on its 120-metre dry slope. This, I reasoned, was the perfect opportunity to give the sport a go and find out what the fuss was all about.

Leaving the house in early December there was a final snarky comment from the present Mrs Davis to the fact that I’d return with a broken leg or two, whereupon her schadenfreude was replaced by the bitter realisation that with an incapacitated

husband, Christmas would be ruined and she’d be waiting on me hand and foot for two weeks as I recuperated on the sofa with a barrel of sweets and a little bell to ring for a fresh cup of tea.

The joke was no longer funny but fortunately for her, she needn’t have worried. Whilst Tallington Lakes is very well appointed for those with more experience in the sport – a very well-stocked pro-shop, new obstacles for ambitious skiers – it’s equally well suited to catering for those who have never tried on a pair of skis... like me.

I was introduced to instructors Lotti AbbotChristie and Matt Nicholson who assured me that even as a nervous novice, I could expect to see some progress after a taster session which would serve as a very condensed form of the tuition offered at Tallington.

Pro Shop at Tallington

Tallington Lakes also has a Pro Shop stocking walking boots, shoes, and technical clothing – ideal for walking the dog and for those who work outdoors, as well as the pursuit of winter sports.

Tell someone you’re going skiing in Lincolnshire and you’re likely to be met with

Above: Tallington Lakes’ pro-shop, with technical clothing and winter sports gear. Just as useful for those who work outside or walk the dog on chilly mornings.

Tallington Lakes is the site of a former gravel pit which ceased operations in the 1970s and was subsequently purchased for redevelopment into a leisure facility covering just over 200 acres, much of which is taken up by the clear, spring-fed lakes which resulted from the site’s excavation.

A dry ski slope was created in 1987 and when the current owner took on the site in 2008, it was decided that more investment in the site could realise its potential.

As a result, Tallington Lakes – actually, its proper name is Activities Venture – Tallington Lakes or Tallington is a mere colloquialism – gained a climbing centre with 15-metre tower, plus provision for waterskiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and paddle boarding, zorbing and open-water swimming... all potential material for future features, but first I needed to get my ski legs.

Chas and the team are rightly proud of their new surface. It is, they reckon, the closest representation of skiing on real snow. Perhaps more importantly, though, is the fact that the surface is so advanced that it will benefit both enthusiasts and novices alike. It would be, Chas reckons, impossible to spend any amount of money and get a better surface than that which Tallington can now boast. >>

Top: Pride Editor Rob Davis gets his ski legs. Apparently none of the photos of him falling over came out... camera glitch, perhaps?

>> There are around 200 Snowsport England-affiliated places to ski in Britain –including Tallington – mostly clubs with dry slope facilities, but 10 outdoor facilities and about six indoor snow venues.

Tallington Lakes enjoys its position as the exclusive venue for winter sports within a radius of two or three hours. A venue in West Yorkshire offers ‘real’ indoor snow, whilst two additional centres in Norfolk and Hertfordshire provide a dry slope experience albeit without the swish new surface that Tallington can boast.

As for the merits of ‘real’ indoor snow, it’s still not exactly like the sort of snow you’ll encounter on the mountain, and the fact that you’re indoor remains an oppressive experience, at least according to the more experienced skiers I polled.

We reckon, then, that Tallington is not only the nearest but also the best quality experience for those seeking to gain a realistic grounding in winter sports, an opinion underwritten by Lotti and Matt who both learned to ski at Tallington at the age of four and 12 respectively and have each worked at the site instructing others for over five years. It was also lovely and sunny during our Friday afternoon visit, and actually, quite warm and pleasant.

“We teach groups or on a one-to-one basis and we’ve a mix of abilities from complete novices to fairly experienced people, or those who want to finesse a particular aspect of their abilities, for instance, transitioning from skiing to snowboarding or visa versa.”

“My youngest student is four years old, my most senior is in their 60s, and we have a mix of abilities right up to those who want to ski competitively.”

Lotti and Matt reckon that four sessions of tuition can see a novice make significant progress. First on the agenda is to familiarise a beginner with ski boots and the skis themselves, learning how to take them on and off. >>

This lesson also covers the art of walking, in skis, traversing the nursery slope sideways and establishing one’s self in the ski stance. Evidently it also covers listening carefully and learning from Lotti’s years of experience, as evidenced in my first tumble. Remember she said to put my weight forward and lean into my boots? Exactly that.

It seemed almost miraculous, but Lotti’s advice immediately turned a stumble into a graceful glide. Her patience, combined with sufficient professionalism to stifle giggles at a 43-year old man who suddenly finds himself unable to stand up is nothing short of transformative. Within minutes I’d just about managed to stand, walk and almost stop. “Sliding down the nursery slope and stopping with the snowplough stance is the first and second lesson, alongside a general feeling of getting used to the sensation,” says Lotti.

“In a second lesson we’d introduce the lift, and get up onto the main slope, turning down into it and practising stopping.”

“By a third lesson we’d expect someone to be controlling direction and speed, turning and knowing a few warm-up exercises. It’s also the point at which we’d introduce poles.”

“We consider that recreational level skiing, and beyond that point it’s finessing skills, using the plough-parallel, Stem Christie and parallel turns, and increasing confidence.”

A natural? Hardly. But as a clumsy novice I really can’t praise highly enough the absolute patience and professionalism of Lotti and Matt and it’s easy to see why thousands of visitors enjoy Tallington’s winter sports facilities and its watersports each year.

“Generally speaking once people discover skiing they’re hooked,” agree Lotti and

Matt. “There’s something about it which is liberating, perhaps the way you have to combine the physical movement with the mental challenges it presents.”

“Even we’re always learning, and I suppose it’s a bit like driving a car, where some aspects become automatic but you’re always in a sort of meditative mindset, concentrating on what you’re doing to the exclusion of anything else.”

“It’s also one of the few sports that you can enjoy socially, and pursue alongside family and friends irrespective of age.”

“We’re biased, says Lotti, “I’ve been skiing here from the age of four and working here for years, so it’s natural that I have an enthusiasm for the place, but to introduce Tallington itself and snowsports generally to others is really very enjoyable! I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather work... or ski!” n

Find Out More: Tallington Lakes provides winter sports including skiing and snowboarding and climbing plus water activities like waterskiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, kayaking and windsurfing. It’s also home to lakeside lifestyle homes. Call 01778 347000 or see www.tallington.com.

Indulge

Our beautiful, iconic 400-year-old Hotel, sits beside the River Nene in the idyllic surroundings of the conservation village of Wansford, in Cambridgeshire. Throughout its history the Hotel has hosted an incredible array of famous and Royal guests including Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Victoria, Princess Diana and many others.

Having completed an extensive restoration, the Hotel has once again regained its reputation as one of the region’s finest. It now cleverly displays all its historic glory with luxuriously appointed rooms featuring painstakingly restored medieval fireplaces combined with all of the modern technology and conveniences we all enjoy.

With two restaurants to choose from we know our ‘foodie’ guests will be fully satisfied! Fine dining can be enjoyed in our Michelin recognised, 3 rosette awarded ‘Prévost’ restaurant. This showcases a contemporary Tasting Menu by our Executive Head Chef, Lee Clarke and Head Chef Sam Nash, all paired with the eclectic wine choices from our Sommelier.

Relax and unwind in our Courtyard Bar and Lounge, smile at its unique playful décor, enjoy the music and the warm friendly atmosphere. Even outdoors, if the weather suits, in the historic courtyard setting warmed by our open firepit.

Award-Winning Dining Out at PATEN & CO

It’s not been long since we popped in to Knead Pubs’ Paten & Co to present Executive Chef Nick Buttress and his team with our Restaurant of the Year title... but we thought a return visit is in order to remind ourselves why our readers voted the place their favourite local restaurant!

Words: Rob Davis. Images: Alexandra Wallace (www.alexandrawallace.co.uk) for Hue (www.wearehue.co.uk).

PROOF, if proof is needed, that great dining is about more than posh surroundings and fine dining aspirations. Proof, too, that hard work and effort will always be appreciated by your customers. Last month it was a pleasure to turn up at the doors of Paten & Co to present Executive Chef Nick Buttress and the team with our Restaurant of the Year title, as voted for by our readers.

If you look at the outside of the building –and if you consider the reputation that the place enjoys in Stamford – you’d think Paten & Co has been around for a century or two, never mind several decades. In fact the place only opened its doors five years ago, and has since become one of the most popular places for relaxed – but high quality and imaginative – dining in Stamford ever since.

Knead Pubs was established by local sheep farmer Michael Thurlby in 1993, and at one time, the company had no fewer than seven local pubs or restaurants. Today, the company is comprised of The Crown next door, which opened in 1999, and The Tobie Norris which the company acquired in 2006 as well as Paten & Co.

Paten & Co, meanwhile, takes its name from the eponymous wine and spirit merchant Alfred John Paten who set up in the area in 1838 having broken away from his parent’s London wine business, Bradings.

In the 1970s the place became a boozer and was first renamed The Marsh Harrier and latterly The Periwig, before closing in 2016. I must admit that initially I was sceptical of the decision to buy a second restaurant next door to an existing one, but Michael and the team have easily managed to make the adjacent The Crown Hotel and Paten & Co night and day in their offering of food.

The Crown provides grill options and classics influenced by bistro dining, from really good pies to fish ‘n’ chips and a great selection of steaks, as well as baguettes and brioche rolls in the daytime.

That leaves Paten & Co to be a bit more playful with its menus, and offer dishes that take their influences from across the globe.

The US is represented by Mac ‘n’ Cheese and a sort of gourmet reboot of a hot dog, whilst a fish ‘n’ chip dish style has been given a tandoori spiced makeover. >>

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2022

Back in October, we asked our readers to vote for their favourite restaurants, coffee shops, local food heroes and local drinks producers. Last month we revealed that Paten & Co was given our 2022 Restaurant of the Year title by readers!

on the MENU

Starters/Sharers

Cheddar Cheese Melting Pot with garlic, herbs and crispy onions served with rosemary focaccia, £9.50.

Main Courses

Pulled Brisket Taco filled with charred sweetcorn, black beans, braised brisket and woodland mushrooms, finished with whipped apple sour cream and pickled red onions, £17.95.

Braised Lamb Masala slow cooked with aromatic spices, tomatoes and yogurt, smashed saag aloo potato, crispy fried onions and crumb, £18.50.

BBQ/Grill

Braised Brisket; Knead Farm beef brisket slowly braised for 12 hours in signature BBQ gravy with smoked cauliflower puree, fondant potato, seasonal greens and roasted carrot, £18.95.

Lincoln Red Cheeseburger Knead Farm burger cooked over African Marabu charcoal then cooked in a rich tomato & white wine sauce, rocket, American mustard and smoked applewood cheese with cheese dipping sauce and rosemary & sea salt fries, £18.50.

Desserts

Patens Affogato, espresso over amaretto gelato, £6.

Frozen lemon and white chocolate parfait served with freeze-dried raspberries and raspberry sauce, £8.50.

NB: This is a sample menu, and featured dishes are subject to availability and change.

>> There are Italian influences like the menu’s Osso Buco, Indian influences such as Braised Lamb Masala and Daal Gobi pie, as well as Mexican Tacos and African influences as seen in the Merguez Meatballs.

In short, anyone looking to pigeonhole Paten & Co will ultimately fail, the only thing you can say is that the place is unique... on second thoughts, that’s not the only thing you can say. Good thing too as there’s a few more column inches to fill up with copy.

Paten & Co is unique, but it’s also very well executed. With such an eclectic range of dishes and influences, the place might have seemed a bit disparate in its direction, but in fact everything hangs together really well, despite a menu unlike anywhere else locally and probably much further afield than that.

That’s undoubtedly because a restaurant can’t successfully express a point of difference if it doesn’t get the fundamentals right. Happily, underpinning all of Paten & Co’s dishes –all of Knead Pubs’ dishes, really – is the fact that as he comes from a farming background, Michael really does respect the use of good ingredients.

Just four miles from Paten & Co is the group’s 250-acre farm which is home to 450 sheep and to 100 heads of Lincoln Red Cattle which provide the beef used in the company’s signature burgers.

“It’s definitely an eclectic menu, with influences of street food and new interpretations on old favourites,” says Nick. “We’re keen to make the most of the right cooking methods to suit the dish we’re trying to create, which is why smoking and barbecue influences also

“It’s definitely an eclectic menu, but a great one!” says Nick. “We’re so happy to have the talents of Head Chef Matt George and Manager Lucy Bailey who help make the place what it is!”

make their presence felt on the menu to ensure we get some really mouthwatering flavours from our dishes.”

Alongside its dishes, Paten & Co is also keen to offer a good choice of drinks and on Saturday evenings there’s as much a feeling that you’re enjoying a wine bar or cocktail lounge as an interesting and well-thought out dining experience.

40 bins of wine, craft ales, an extensive choice of cocktails and gins help to create a relaxed vibe popular with those who have worked away in the city all week and want to ditch the shirt and tie on Friday evening. Backing up the food and drink on offer too, is the fact that Paten & Co has a quirky feel with industrial influences to the decoration and three floors to break up the total 140

covers of dining space, ensuring it doesn’t feel like a monolithic dining space.

Paten & Co definitely has a unique approach to dining, but it’s one underwritten by a sense of quality. You won’t find another place like it, and if you’re looking for a uniquely enjoyable experience, it comes highly recommended not just by us, but by our readers, too. n

DINING OUT AT...

Paten & Co, Stamford

The Pitch: “Situated right next to The Crown Hotel in a redesigned 18th Century building reflective of its merchant history but with a modern twist. Flavoursome seasonal menus, craft beers, select wine and specialist cocktails.”

Opening Times: Monday-Friday 12pm-2.30pm and 6pm-9pm Saturday/Sunday: 12pm-9pm.

Paten & Co, All Saints’ Place, Stamford PE9 2AG.

Telephone: 01780 408647. Web: www.kneadpubs.co.uk.

In the KITCHEN

What could be better on a winter evening than a dish inspired by the Mediterranean and with the smoky warmth of chorizo? This dish is a perfect Valentine’s Day treat with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc!

SPAGHETTI WITH PRAWNS, CHORIZO & FENNEL

Preparation Time: 10 minutes. Cooking Time: 15 minutes. Serves: 2.

1 fennel bulb, fronds trimmed, bulb halved and tough core cut out • 1 tbsp olive oil

1 echalion shallot, finely sliced lengthways • 1 clove garlic, finely sliced • 60g pack Cooks’ Ingredients chorizo crumb 180g spaghetti • ½ unwaxed lemon, zest and juice • 220g pack extra large king prawns

Finely slice the fennel bulb lengthways and put in a large frying or sauté pan along with the oil, shallot, garlic, chorizo crumb and a pinch of salt. Set over a medium-high heat, cover with a lid and cook for eight minutes, stirring regularly until tender. Uncover and cook for another 5 minutes until nicely caramelised and turning golden. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water for a minute or two less than the pack instructions. Scoop out a mug of the cooking water, then drain.

Add the lemon zest and juice to the pan with the fennel and chorizo, then tip in the prawns, cooked spaghetti and a glug of cooking water. Toss over the heat until combined and glossy, and the chorizo and prawns are piping hot throughout. Divide between plates and scatter with the fennel fronds to serve. n

Thousands of recipes can be found at www.waitrose.com/recipes.

In the KITCHEN

CHERRY & ROSE MERINGUES

Preparation Time: 25 minutes + 1 hour cooling. Cooking time: 1 hour. 150g caster sugar • 3 medium free range eggs, whites only • 1 tsp cornflour• 1 tsp lemon juice 2-3 drops rose water • 2-3 drops red food colouring • 150ml whipping cream • 150g Greek yogurt 1 tbsp icing sugar • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste • 180g cherries, halved and pitted 1 tsp Rose Petals (these can be purchased from Waitrose from the company’s Cooks Ingredients range).

Preheat the oven to 150°c, gas mark 2; line a large baking tray with parchment. Put the sugar in a roasting tin and warm in the oven for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put the egg whites in a large mixing bowl with a pinch of salt; using electric beaters, beat on medium speed to soft peaks.

One spoonful at a time, sprinkle the sugar over the egg whites and whisk on medium-high speed until dissolved and incorporated. Finish adding the sugar in small amounts and beat constantly until you have a stiff-peaked, glossy meringue.

Mix the cornflour, lemon juice and rose water; sprinkle over the meringue, then beat in for 30 seconds. Dip a cocktail stick into the food colouring; swipe through the meringue. Repeat 3-4 times, then use a metal spoon to mix the colour through the meringue (add more colouring if you wish).

Spoon 4 piles of the meringue onto the parchment; use a spoon to round the edges and make a dip in the middle (for the topping). Put the meringues in the oven, lower the temperature to 130°c, gas mark 1, and bake for an hour. Turn off the oven, prop open the door and leave the meringues to cool inside the oven for at least 1 hour.

For the topping, use a balloon whisk to whisk the cream, yogurt, icing sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. Spoon into the cooled meringues. Scatter the cherries and rose petals over the top and serve immediately. n

Thousands of recipes can be found at www.waitrose.com/recipes.

Rose meringues by any other method might taste as sweet but we think this tried and tested method marries the romantic flavours of rose water and cherries beautifully... ideal for rounding off a Valentine’s Day supper!

WINE, DINE & RELAX

ENJOY SOME OF LINCOLNSHIRES

FINEST DINING

Indulge in AA Rosette Dining, or relax with Afternoon Tea and a G&T on the Terrace overlooking our stunning award-winning Peto gardens. Petwood is the perfect location for celebrations, commemorations and making memories that last.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Call us on 01526 352411 or email hello@petwood.co.uk

La Hechicera Reserva Familia

Columbian Rum

If a barrel – or a bottle – of this rum doesn’t put a ‘yo’ in your ‘yo, ho, ho,’ we can’t think what will!

For those seeking a bit of Columbian warmth this month, we present one of the finest rums on the market in the form of La Hechicera. A bitter chocolate-led palate gives way to warming cinnamon, espresso and cracked black pepper spice for a naturally ‘unpolished’ rum, which has not been rounded up with additives or sugar. A smooth flavour and a lot of authenticity.

£42 / 75cl / 40% ABV, www.lahechicera.co.

The Wine Cellar

THIS

IN THE PINK: A trio of rosé wines to toast Valentine’s Day...

1. A go-to sparkling rosé for many aficionados, created by Domaine Laurent-Perrier. Created with pinot noir grapes, for raspberry and redcurrant hues across a vibrant palate, £65 / 75cl / 12% ABV.

2. Not only is Hindleap a sterling mid-range sparkling rosé, it’s one from our own shores too; Bluebell Vineyard in Sussex, specifically. Strawberries, and rose, with orange and peach to add complexity, plus a fine mousse, £27.99 / 75cl / 11.5% ABV.

3. And finally, a non-sparkling rosé option from Henri Bourgeois’ in the form of their Sancerre based wine ideal when paired with spiced Asian or Middle Eastern cuisine £23.99 / 75cl / 12% ABV.

Wine of the Month

Château Pichon Baron 2017 Pauillac, £150/75cl; £900/6 x 75cl, 13.5% ABV, from Bordeaux

region

A new release from the 2017 vintage, this flagship Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend is refined and elegant with supple tannins.

A complex nose of black fruits, combined with spice and notes of vanilla and coconut.

An intense show of dark juicy fruit, chocolate and a little bit of liquorice, this is beautifully in balance.

It’s the best from a vineyard dating back to 1694, creating wines from their 73 hectare estate.

Available from waitrosecellar.com

If your efforts to see Dry January through to the bitter end are holding up, nay we recommend Eceaux Vitalitem, which has all the energy of a Parisian evening full of promise, filling you with bonhomie, but with none of the guilt.

Ginseng, wormwood and other stimulating herbal extracts are great for reviving your spirit, with Eceaux’s invigorating herby citrus flavour. Enjoy a good squeeze of fresh lemon, top up with Tonic water, garnish with a slice of lemon. It’s low in calories, vegan, and gluten free.

£28 / 70cl / 0% ABV, smallspiritscompany.co.uk.

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

A non-alcoholic spirit to end Dry January!

BOX

CHARM CHOCOLATE

This month we’re enjoying a tour of Jane and Brian Carter’s beautiful looking cottage, dating back as far as the Elizabethan era. Happily, we discover a property that’s as spacious and practical as it is rich in character...

Words: Rob Davis.

THE DETAILS

The Cottage at Thurlby

Location: Bourne 3 miles; Stamford 9 miles; Peterborough 14 miles

Provenance: Grade II listed thatched cottage dating back to the early 1600s, restored in 1980s.

Rooms: Three reception rooms currently arranged as sitting room, snug and garden room, plus dining kitchen and 4/5 beds. Separate self-contained annexe.

Guide Price: £950,000.

Find Out More: Pelham James Saddler’s Court, Oakham, LE15 7GH. Call 01572 497 070, or see www.pelhamjames.co.uk.

THERE ARE PRETTY PROPERTIES and then there are properties like this thatched cottage, in the village of Thurlby, whose beauty is almost otherworldly. It’s charming and traditional from the outside, of course, but in fact surprisingly spacious and practical inside too, thanks to its canny owners and their efforts to update the property without ever sacrificing its character.

The owners in question are Brian and Jane Carter, who originate from Marlow in Buckinghamshire in Brian’s case, whilst Jane’s earlier years saw the family following her father all over the country as he pursued his career with the BBC in various technical roles.

Jane is a horticulturalist by trade and was tending to the grounds of the 1930s Dorneywood, when Lord and Lady Whitelaw were in residence. Now a National Trust owned property it’s typically occupied by a senior Government minister. Previous occupants include John Prescott, Alistair Darling, Anthony Eden, Alec DouglasHome and James Callaghan, and more recently George Osborne, Philip Hammond, Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak... it’s just as famous, though, for being the place that Jane and Brian first met.

Top/Main: Low ceilings, exposed beams, a great inglenook fireplace and thatched roof. But The Cottage also has five bedrooms, a separate annexe and lots of space too!

The two founded their business, Carter Engineering Supplies, 35 years ago, and moved into the area in 1987, renovating a few homes before they quite understandably fell in love with The Cottage, on Thurlby’s High Street.

“We’ve never been the just move in sort, and I take particular pleasure from knocking down walls,” says Jane. “But even so, we weren’t quite prepared for what The Cottage began to yield when we started work.”

“There’s no short cuts or quick fixes for a property this old, and by its very nature – its look and feel – it necessitates love and respect.”

“The roof had recently been re-thatched in Hungarian reed, so that was one job that didn’t need doing, but otherwise we spent the necessary time, money and used the best people possible to make sure everything we did was in the building’s best interest.”

The property dates back to between 1590 and the early 1600s, and would most likely have been two properties, probably with a single storey, extended in the Victorian era to include what is now the study.

Built from local stone, the timber frame and all of its beams are still visible, freshly replastered in lime mortar with bright white paint designed to make the most of the cottage’s natural light though the bespoke timber windows the couple commissioned by local firm Willow Tree Joinery.

On the ground floor there’s a large reception room with an Inglenook fireplace and wood burner. Adjacent is the snug and in the west wing of the cottage is the study, with a second staircase leading up to a fifth bedroom.

The kitchen was replaced by the couple with sage green and cream in-frame shaker style cabinetry and timber surfaces, with oven,

hob and space for a US-style fridge freezer, whilst a dining area makes it a more versatile space and a separate utility room hides away family clutter and white goods. Upstairs are four further bedrooms including an en suite bathroom to the master suite. The self-contained annexe features a mezzanine level bedroom and adjacent is a garage with additional storage on the first floor. In the south wing of the cottage, too, is a garden room with French doors out onto the cottage garden, which Jane reckons is at its best from March right into late May, with the spring bulbs visible now, gradually giving way to roses, agapanthus, clematis and lots of shrubs and hostas.

The garden also has a covered aluminium gazebo with soft seating overlooking the gardens, and a swim spa which is very popular with the couple’s grandchildren in the summer months. Jane, however, is happier in the potting shed and labouring over her raised beds. “It’s a really amazing place to live, and a great village,” she says. “We’re looking to retire, downsize a bit, but hopefully not move too far because we love the village. It has everything you need; shop, pub and dog walks just out of the gate. It’s been a great home, and the children and grandchildren love it. We’ll be sorry to leave but we hope its next owners will love it just as much as we have!” n

n Moonacre House, Wothorpe Guide Pride: £1,400,000

Constructed in 2000, Moonacre House is an imaginative modern property a stone’s throw from the A1, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and large drawing room plus a substantial living kitchen. Landscaped gardens, terrace and raised beds. www.fineandcountry.com

n The Old Greetham Inn, Stretton Guide Price: £1,800,000

Substantial three storey six bedroom country family home, large open plan living kitchen, four reception rooms, plus spa complex and sauna with basement gym and swimming pool. www.mooresestateagents.com

n St. Mary’s Street, Stamford Guide Price: £1,700,000

Substantial 18th century, grade II* listed, stone under Collyweston slate property. Flexible accommodation across four floors. Two reception rooms to the first floor and one to the basement. Principal bedroom with ensuite, a further three double bedrooms to second floor. www.kingwest.co.uk

New year, new home?

Professional property finder Kate Vincent discusses why the early months of 2023 could be the best time of year to purchase your next property.

For many people the new year is a special time filled with resolutions and hopes for the year ahead. It’s often also a time when plans are hatched for moving house. Property portals experience some of their highest levels of visitor traffic over the Christmas break and at the start of the year; a trend that keeps rising every year with millions flocking to websites such as Zoopla and Rightmove on Boxing Day alone.

Due to wider factors some home movers chose to temporarily put their plans on hold in the final months of 2022, but as activity in the property market returns in the first weeks of the new year, buyers should be alert to the fact that waiting for the spring market could mean they may miss some of the best buying opportunities of the year.

Ahead of the crowd

Many people incorrectly assume that the property market does not really offer much in the way of opportunities until the spring and may hold back with their moving plans for several months. However, with the increasing prevalence of discreet, or ‘off-market’, property sales this is no longer the case.

Whilst the UK property market has been less frantic in the months leading up to the festive break, off-market property transactions continue to be active with sellers preferring

to take a more private approach to marketing their home to ‘test the water’. Agents across the country are reporting that up to 50% of their sales are currently taking place in this way.

In the prime local markets there remains to be a shortage of homes available to buy meaning these off-market opportunities are often quickly snapped up. Those who are searching in the earliest part of 2023 will be ahead of the crowd should something suitable become available.

The hidden market

The early months of the year are often some of the busiest in terms of ‘off-market’ activity, as discreet sellers explore whether there is a sales opportunity available to them without the need for a full-scale marketing campaign. The current climate is only fuelling this further.

With off-market property sales it is ‘who you know’ that matters. These opportunities are not listed on portals or agents’ websites, meaning buyers must actively be in regular contact with selling agents to ensure their interests are registered. In many cases offmarket opportunities come from varying sources, whether it is an introduction from an architect or a wealth manager. It is a buying agent’s relationships with all manner

of local industry professionals that often gains access to exclusive properties.

Buying with confidence in 2023

Despite the new year offering fresh opportunities, there are nonetheless fresh challenges for buyers wanting to move in 2023. The often-conflicting data in press coverage, fast moving mortgage market and now quite complex localised markets, can leave buyers confused and lacking confidence when searching for a property. A full understanding of what’s really going on in a local property market, together with the right connections, are pre-requisite to making a well-informed and successful property purchase this year.

If you are thinking of moving in 2023 and would like further information on how Garrington can provide guidance and assurance when finding the right property, please do get in touch without obligation

Tel. 01780 408377. Email info@garrington.co.uk www.garringtoneastmidlands.co.uk

Kate Vincent Garrington

STONE NO PLACE LIKE

A beautiful ironstone property in the heart of Lyddington, currently home to Derrick Webb, but now on the market, offers style, space and a super location in a desirable village for its next custodians...

Words: Rob Davis.

THE DETAILS

The Mullions, Stoke Road, Lyddington

Location: Uppingham 1.7 miles; Oakham 8.5 miles; Stamford 13 miles.

Provenance: Ironstone country home dating back to 1550, sympathetically modernised and carrying a Grade II listing.

Rooms: Three reception rooms currently arranged as sitting room, dining room, music room/snug. Five bedrooms two bathrooms.

Guide Price: £1,125,000.

Find Out More: Savills, High Street St Martin’s, Stamford PE9 2LF. Call 01780 484696 or see www.savills.co.uk. n

THE HISTORY of Lyddington’s Mullions is coursing through every block of ironstone, and through Derrick Webb’s family, as his aunt and his own parents are previous owners of the home that he then took on for his own family in 2000.

“I was raised in the area and went to Oakham School, then worked abroad, returning to the area around the millennium. The children are now in their 20s but they were raised in the house, and my wife and I married at Lyddington St Andrew’s church before returning here for a wedding reception in the garden. So there’s lots of family history to the property.”

It’s believed that Mullions is one of the oldest houses in the village, dating back to 1550, before chimneys were added to domestic properties in the mid-C16th. Coking on the medieval roof’s transverse timbers suggest that it was an open hall, with an upper storey and chimney added later. Further additions were made in the mid-C17th with an additional extension in the late-18th or early 19th century.

Top/Main: The property was originally believed to be a medieval hall, before a second floor was added. A 2005 extension has brought the property right up to date.

From the 1960s the family had also worked hard to relandscape the grounds, so when Derrick arrived in the house, they were well established, with lots of year-round interest across a plot which extends to about a third of an acre, just off the main thoroughfare of Lyddington, overlooking the village green.

Derrick’s background is in manufacturing design-led products, which led him to create the luxury men’s shaving accessories brand Bolin Webb in 2010. The brand’s products were immediately spotted and adopted by several high-end retailers – including Harrods – where they’ve been sold ever since.

In 2005, Derrick turned his attention to turning the property’s existing single-storey extension into a two-storey wing, incorporating a new living kitchen and adding extra space on the first floor for a laundry room and a new family bathroom.

The property has three reception rooms currently used as a sitting room – the heart of the home according to Derrick – with its oak flooring and inglenook fireplace plus a music room with log burner and its eponymous mullion windows to two aspects, and finally a dining room with French doors leading to the terrace.

The kitchen features bespoke cabinetry and is solid oak with integrated appliances, a Mercury range cooker and granite work surfaces. Planning permission is already in place, too, for a further extension of the kitchen which would allow a larger living kitchen to be created.

To the first floor are five bedrooms including a log burner, en suite and storage area to the principal bedroom. The property also includes a large garage and plenty of private, off-street parking.

>> To the rear, there is a wonderfully private garden with mature trees, shrubs and seating areas with a large proportion of the garden laid to lawn. Throughout the year they’ve a really nice mature look and feel which evolves with the seasons,” says Derrick.

“There are some super trees including Bramleys and a Medlar. It’s nice garden but it’s also served as a garden for family life too –somewhere for the children to play, with the odd cricket ball through the greenhouse window, that sort of thing. It’s one of my favourite things about the house, the other being its flow and the way it hangs together.”

“The village is really friendly, too. There are about 30 members of Lyddington Tennis with a court on the playing fields, where a children’s playground with swings and climbing frame are also to be found on the village green, which is also home to the village fête.”

“We’ve agonised long and hard over whether to stay and do more to the house or embark on a new adventure. And ultimately, with just the two of us in the house now, we’ve chosen to move on because it’s a great family home in a lovely location, but it’s just a bit too large for us. We’ll miss the place enormously though, and we’re hoping that the next family that comes to live here will make just as many happy memories as we have done!” n

n Park Barn, Burley, Oakham

Guide Pride: £1,425,000

Handsome converted four bedroom stone barn in a delightful setting just outside the village of Burley, Oakham. Four good sized bedrooms, principal with balcony, over an acre of grounds, four reception rooms including living kitchen. www.savills.co.uk

n Main Street, Lyddington

Guide Price: £950,000

Deceptively spacious and beautifullypresented, four-bedroom ironstone property sitting in an elevated position in one of Rutland’s most sought-after villages. Two reception rooms, dining kitchen. www.jamessellicks.com

n St. Mary’s Street, Stamford Guide Price: £1,700,000

Substantial detached, individual property with private, mature, south-facing garden. Four bedroom including en suite and dressing room to master. Three reception rooms currently arranged as living kitchen, lounge and dining room. Built 23 years ago by Paddy Brook. www.kingwest.co.uk

Quality

BOTANICALS A NEW SEASON for

Inky shades from indigo to botanical are on-trend for spring 2023, so we’ve chosen our favourites from leading designers’ new collections...

To make the best of these fabrics, seek out one of the county’s leading interior design specialists to create bespoke soft furnishings and decoration for your interiors...

Top: William Yeoward cushions, Somerley and Paddy Velvet.

Top/Right: Silverwood fabric in navy from Jane Churchill.

Right: Emerald Forest bedding, Clarke & Clarke Wedgwood.

Malacca, marine fabric from Manuel Canovas.

Stamford & Rutland Interiors: Broughtons: Leicester, 0116 2341888,www.broughtons.com. Delcor Interiors: Stamford, 01780 762579, www.delcor.co.uk. Elizabeth Stanhope Interiors: Oakham, 01572 722345, www.elizabethstanhope.co.uk. H-Works: 01780 754605, www.hworksdesign.co.uk. Hunters of Stamford: 01780 757946, www.huntersinteriorsofstamford.co.uk. Sarah Harding Interiors: Uppingham, 01572 823389, sarahhardinginteriors.co.uk.

Please note availability of brands and ranges at the above design studios subject to variation.

Exotica Passiflora from Clarke & Clarke, in Midnight & Spice colourway.

BETTER BESPOKE DESIGN

Create a new space for your home, and add style and value to your property... this month we meet the team at Bespoke Design in Rutland anticipating a very busy year indeed!

T is the beginning of the season for planning your new orangery. An orangery is perceived as one the most important additions to your home to add luxury, comfort and a permanent space for use all year round. It’s a room that lets in plenty of light, brings the garden and house together and becomes the main relaxing area enjoyed by the family.

Estimates suggest that a high quality orangery built with the right features can add 20% or more to your home’s value. An orangery will always add value to your home which is why it’s important to find a professional and creative partner to work with; one that you can trust implicitly.

Bespoke Design in Rutland is a local business, working to these exact standards. The company is run on a daily basis by Managing Director Faye Vaughan. Having recently celebrated the company’s fifth anniversary, Faye leads a 20-strong team which includes in house architects, technical designers and experienced carpenters that pay attention to the smallest of details to ensure everything is finished to their high standards.

“January is the time to start planning ahead if you want to enjoy your new orangery for summer” says Faye.

BESPOKE DESIGN

Words: Rob Davis.

Knowing the potential of our orangeries we’re proud of what we do, but also of the way we work and the service that we offer...

Above/Right: Bespoke Designs’ orangery structures have a 70-year life expectancy and are maintenance free.

“Unfortunately, people do not realise that with such a large project – one that warrants careful consideration and planning – the process is often longer than expected.”

“A good rule of thumb, though, is to plan six months ahead and be patient for a really good collaborative design process. I’ve worked in the industry since the age of 18 and established Bespoke Design in Rutland to provide a really welcoming, professional service with a single point of contact, where everything is managed in house.”

“Creating the right design and a perfect service is essential, and working with a client enables us to work within their expectations and ensure that what we propose is suitable for the house and for the client’s lifestyle. Our customers come first but it’s our job to guide and direct them to get the most beautiful orangery at the end of the day and to work within their expectations.”

“I know from my own experience that a good open-plan kitchen with sitting and dining areas can make a huge difference to family life. We now tend to spend most of our time in our open plan living kitchen because it’s just so light, spacious and practical. If it’s well designed, such a space can have a transformative effect not just on your home, but on family life, too.”

“Adding an orangery to your home is inevitably going to entail some disruption, but we manage that expectation and mitigate it as much as possible, so right through to manufacturing – a process that alone can often take three months to complete – and install, the client is enfranchised in an honest, professional and hassle-free experience that yields a great new space for them to enjoy.”

“The majority of our orangeries are built in hardwood with a traditional feel, but we also provide maintenance-free modern aluminium orangeries which are very popular if you have a taste for something slightly different. Coming this year in 2023 is their new traditional hardwood orangery finish inside with a maintenance free aluminium external finish in any RAL colour you choose.”

“These new composite orangeries can be built with traditional features that replicates timber structures on a listed building. The new orangery structures have a 70-year life expectancy and are maintenance free. This is something new for Bespoke Design and this has been in the making for a few years now.”

“Knowing the potential of our orangeries we’re proud of what we do, but also of the way we work – the service that we offer putting our customers first with a relaxing and pleasant working relationship. Creating a really stunning space for your home and for your family might take longer than a few months, and that’s something we can’t and won’t compromise on, because the best things definitely come to those who wait... or rather, to those who entrust a local company with a customer’s utmost satisfaction in mind!”

Bespoke Design in Rutland offers a full turnkey service for their customers in house which includes a complimentary design service at your home. n

Find Out More: Bespoke Design in Rutland specialises in creating stunning orangeries from around £50,000 in hardwood or aluminium. For a complimentary discussion or design service, telephone 01780 722401 or see bespokerutland.co.uk. There showhome is open by appointment only and is located in the village of Ketton.

David Hunt Lattice Table Lamp Base Black & Gold £282.

Athena

David Hunt Athena wall light, 23 shade colours, £450.

BROUGHTONS LIGHTING AND IRONMONGERY

Smithy’s Lamp

Created by the Lamphouse Light Company, copper, brass detail £1,022.

Planet Four

David Hunt Planet Four, 24 colours, shown here is Inky Blue, £810.

SEEING the LIGHT

This month, we showcase new season lighting with fresh design-led products from Broughtons of Leicester...

For more information visit Broughtons on Cropston Road, Anstey, Leicester LE7 7BP. Call 0116 234 1888 or see www.broughtons.com.

Boavista

Volcanic table lamb designed by David Hunt, £342.

Laguna

Elstead Lighting’s eight light pendant in brushed gold, £1,050.

Victorian Globe

Designed by Kansa, with hand-blown glass and antique brass, £2,287.

Apollo

David Hunt seven light pendant in Antique Brass, £870.

Parisienne

Extra large hanging lantern, solid brass, from £2,092.

A SEASON of WILDLIFE

Rutland and Stamford comprises towns, villages and vast expanses of countryside in-between, in which a diverse amount of wildlife lives. And the best time to enjoy the natural world? Winter, unfortunately, so wrap up warm and take a flask of coffee on your nature walk!

THIS JANUARY what could be a better antidote to all that shopping, wrapping, cooking and cleaning the house ready for family to visit, than enjoying the stark, crisp tranquillity of the new year, and watching the natural world go about its business.

Mammals, birds, they’re all oblivious to the festivities, as each species adopts its different techniques and strategies to survive the winter. It’s a sort of silent wonder, going on all around us, life or death for so many creatures, and yet we’re busily oblivious to it, unless we make time to notice nature this month.

At least, Stamford and Rutland’s countryside, towns and villages are ideal places from which to enjoy observing the natural world, and there’s so something mindful about watching animals with more to concern themselves about than all of the self-induced stress of festive preparations.

Hedgehogs

It’s widely stated that hedgehogs hibernate. In fact, their state is more accurately one of torpor. The creatures build thick-walled nests known as hibernacula and rather than

sleeping, lower their body temperature and slow their bodily processes to enter a sort of silent running state. Hedgehogs will, occasionally, venture out of their hibernacula, especially if it’s particularly cold, and they will sometimes relocated to a warmer place. Hoglets are typically born in midsummer but can make an appearance as late on as mid-autumn. That being the case, the race is on for hoglets to reach about 750g, the weight that experts reckon is sufficient to allow them to survive in the winter.

Badgers

If there’s one species akin to humans in their winter habits, it’s badgers.

Whilst they don’t really hibernate per se, badgers nonetheless put on weight around Christmas and then live off that bloat during January and February. Living with their kin, a badger’s sett can be shared by anything from three or four to 15 badgers.

Foxes

Whilst many mammals take it easy during the cooler months, though, vulpes are very much up and about during the winter months, even in daylight.

>> > There are about 350,000 foxes in the UK and their sense of derring do often leads them into urban areas as much as the countryside. The winter months are mating season for foxes and so they’re more vocal than at other times of the year in winter.

A vixen during heat will make the most extraordinary and blood-curdling screech, usually late in December and into January before she retreats to a den or ‘earth’ to give birth typically to four or five cubs in March or April. Foxes may look cute but can, of course be very territorial and vicious!

Deer

October and November mark the deer rut, so in December, they tend to be a little calmer, making spotting deer a little easier. The best time to see deer is early morning or late evening, and the area’s estates are the best places to observe deer. Photograph them with a long lens and keep at least 50 metres from them.

Starlings

The collective term is a murmuration of starlings. But the sight is extraordinary. The flock can number up to 100,000 birds and later November into February is usually the most prolific time for murmurations of starlings, most of which are native, although some migrate to the UK from Northern Europe, arriving via the East Coast.

Owls

Barn owls are the UK’s best loved owls, seen at dusk around farmland and woodland. You’ll see them more often during winter given that their prey tends to be less active

and therefore trickier to hunt. Meanwhile barn owls are poorly insulated and require extra energy to survive over winter. Starvation for barn owls peaks between December and March.

Garden Birds

Every January, the RSPB launches its Big Garden Birdwatch campaign, one of the UK’s largest surveys of native birdlife.

This year’s survey asks members of the public to spend one hour counting the number of common bird species observed in their garden, park or local woodland.

sive… to another bird they’re hardly the friendly little fellow we’re used to seeing on our Christmas cards!

Wildfowl

Rutland Water is one of the UK’s most unique bird habitats, and quite aside from its well-known osprey population, it’s eight lagoons have all been designed to suit different species such as the 25,000 ducks, geese, swans, wintering grebes, divers and egrets who create a winter spectacle for birders.

Insects

People often question what happens to spiders during the winter, having seen so many during the autumn. Most simply die.

Those that do survive the ravages of winter will either do so in a comfortable nook in our houses or outbuildings (some that live in our centrally-heated homes may continue to be active if there’s sufficient food) or in torpor in the leaf litter.

Flora and Fauna

Last year’s survey revealed that the region’s top five bird species are the House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Starling, Blackbird and Woodpigeon. Among our most conspicuous garden birds this month is the robin, which is far less tolerant of others as temperatures drop.

Despite their demure appearance, robins are territorial birds and can be highly aggres-

If you’re handy with a camera, winter interest isn’t simply limited to mammals and birds… the area’s patches of woodland will enable you to appreciate the range of under-appreciated mosses and lichens that create startling displays on the forest floor.

Finally, for a great winter walk, Clipsham’s 200-year old Yew Tree Avenue comprises 150 clipped trees tended by the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue Trust. n>

Find Out More: The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch takes place from 27th to 19th January 2023. See www.rspb.org.uk.

Every January, the RSPB launches its Big Garden Birdwatch campaign, one of the UK’s largest surveys of native birdlife in England...

JUMPERS FOR JOY

A stylish way to step into February, this month we’ve selected some knitwear from our favourite designers...

This Page: Brora mohair ribbed jumper, £179, www.broraonline.com.

Reiss Heidi cashmere jumper, crewneck, in teal, £228.

Hobbs Dahlia cashmere roll neck jumper in oatmeal, £189.

Top/Left: Barbour Stavia knit jumper in rosewater £99.95, www.barbour.com. Top/Right: Gant wool ribbed v-neck sweater, £125, www.gant.co.uk. Above/Left: Reiss Sasha merino wool split sleeve jumper £88, www.reiss.com. Above/Right: Brora cashmere cable polo neck £545, www.broraonline.com.

SKI

FASHIONS

Look great and stay warm on the slopes with a selection of technical skiwear

Prtpeonies Ski jacket, £139.99. www.protest.eu.

Bunny Slope Printed Ski Pants, £268. www.freepeople.com.

1. Prtmoorena Leopard anorak ski jacket, £169.99. www.protest.eu.

2. Rossland Insulated Jacket, £260. www.volcom.co.uk. 3. Cozy Sound - Technical Ski Jumper, £90. www.roxy-uk.co.uk. 4. Porter Jacket White, £427. www.goldbergh.com/en-gb. 5. Blizzard Snow Jacket, £126. www.dopesnow.com.

A Triumphant Return for Rutland’s NSPCC Carol Concert

A TRIUMPHANT RETURN for one of the area’s best-loved charity events, the Rutland NSPCC Carol Concert held in Oakham’s All Saints Church. The event was the 14th to be held since the concert began in 2007, and it has since raised an impressive £300,000 for the NSPCC. Performing were Foresters Brass and Rothwell-based chamber choir Rowell Camerata under the baton of David Bravan. Interspersed with carols were guest speakers including Hambleton Hall’s Tim Hart, fitness and wellbeing expert Rosemary Conley, antiques expert Lars Tharp, gardening broadcaster Nigel Colborn and barrister David Farrer. Compering the event for was Caroline Aston, and the event’s organist was Andrew King.

A Fortnum & Mason hamper helped boost funds, and the NSPCC committee provided a splendid hamper for a free draw. The decorations for a beautifully styled church were supplied by Gates Garden Centre. n

Images: Rob Davis & Richard Adams.

Winter Wellness

Coco Mademoiselle is the essence of a bold, free woman, according to the PR material. We say it’s an oriental scent with an ambery woody fragrance and an extreme character.

Patchouli is warmed by an accord of vanilla and tonka bean, with a heart of rose and jasmine followed by a contrasting freshness from citrus elements, £91/50ml from www.johnlewis.com.

2.Shade &

A cosmetic alternative to lip fillers, this superstar from Le Mer instantly plumps, hydrates and softens the appearance of fine lines around the lips, leaving behind a rich, smooth gloss that can also serve as a primer underneath colour, £70/7ml.

3. Shade & Illuminate

Tom Ford’s premium Shade & Illuminate Soft Radiance Foundation provides medium to full coverage, designed to diffuse light and reflect soft light to create flawless skin. Provides SPF 50 and utilises a trio of naturally derived oils to calm the skin, £112/30ml.

4.Bigger & Brighter

A sublime eyeshadow quad for spring 2023, from Charlotte Tilbury. Champagne gold, copper-gold, dark chocolate brown and deep brick-red shades, ideal when paired with the brand’s Legendary Lashes Volume II mascara, for some truly incredible eyes, £43/5.2g

There’s little to do at this time of year but snuggle under a duvet and enjoy an early night... and whilst you’re catching up on your sleep, Neom’s Perfect Night’s Sleep overnight facial cream will be helping to provide nutrition for your skin, plumping, restoring and nourishing it. Powered by hyaluronic acid and with a natural fragrance to help you sleep, it’s the ultimate overnight facial.

£45, from John Lewis.

6.Radiant colour for nails from Hermès...

Hermès brings to bear its expertise to create this fine, smooth nail colour, available in 24 shades including this one, Rose Porcelaine. Provides radiant colour and a long-lasting lacquered shine thanks to its formula, composed of over 71% natural origin ingredients, £42/15ml.

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

1.A bold scent from Chanel to set you free in 2023...

5.Don’t lose sleep over healthy looking skin...

THIS MONTH, A SELECTION OF PRODUCTS TO KEEP YOU FEELING GOOD AND LOOKING GREAT!

At Market Place Dental Practice, we are an independent local dental practice situated in the heart of Rutland, Uppingham established in 1994. We are focused upon providing holistic and preventative treatments to all our patients whilst using the latest in innovative technology. We pride ourselves on being a long-standing member of the local community and this is evident in our ethos to promote good oral health and hygiene.

TEETH STRAIGHTENING IN UPPINGHAM

With continuous advances in technology, orthodontic treatment is becoming more popular amongst all ages. The traditional fixed braces in silver, gold alloy and ceramic as well as plastic aligners such as Invisalign are popular choices for straightening teeth.

FIXED BRACES

Fixed braces are made up of small brackets attached to each tooth and connected by a wire. Different wires are placed and adjusted over time, creating gentle pressure which aligns the teeth accurately into the desired position.

INVISALIGN

Invisalign uses removable plastic aligners that are taken off for eating, drinking and tooth brushing. They have a very subtle appearance, are comfortable and convenient. A series of these aligners, in combination with attachments on the teeth, gently move the teeth over time to improve alignment.

FACIAL AESTHETICS IN UPPINGHAM

Sometimes just a subtle change can make all the difference. At Market Place Dental Practice we offer facial aesthetic treatments to rejuvenate your appearance to bring back your smile.

ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS: The toxin is known to help your body ‘naturally’ retrain itself to help further reduce such things as frown lines.

DERMAL FILLER INJECTIONS: When injected with a very fine needle into the crease line, the gel creates volume under the wrinkles, lifting up and smoothing out lines.

WEIGHT LOSS AT THE FITZWILLIAM HOSPITAL for HEALTH & WELLBEING

Why Peterborough-based Ramsay Group Fitzwilliam Hospital's Weight Loss service is more in demand than ever...

LOCATED in Peterborough and with Boston West Hospital as an outreach clinic, Ramsay Group weight loss service at the Fitzwilliam Hospital has seen demand for its advice grow almost four-fold over the last five years. Recent analysis suggests more than 21 million UK adults will be obese by 2040 which is around 36% of the adult population. Most worryingly, if this rapid upward trend continues, the number of people who are obese could overtake the number who are a healthy weight in the UK by 2040.

UK obesity is growing

The reasons for the rise in obesity include diet, lack of exercise, environmental factors, and genetics. The imbalance between food and activity is the greatest contributor to weight gain. Environmental factors such as a lack of affordable gyms and leisure facilities, oversized food portions, increasing costs of living, and food advertising have an impact. In addition, genes can also directly cause obesity in some conditions and may contribute to a person’s susceptibility to weight gain.

The NHS works hard to treat weight loss patients through a tier treatment system but waiting lists are long. Locally, patients may wait two to three years on the NHS to get the weight loss surgery they need.

Unfortunately, obesity is linked with several other health conditions. These include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, and acid reflux. This has been highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which showed people with obesity have higher rates of death involving COVID-19 than people without obesity. Patients who undergo bariatric surgery and lose weight

are also less likely to die from heart disease, type two diabetes, and cancers.

Fitz’s best practice weight loss surgery

We have a dynamic multi-disciplinary team that includes a staff nurse and bariatric lead, two weight loss surgeons, two dieticians, and a secretary. The team can also call upon other specialists as needed such as a psychologist.

Jaco Buckby-Smit, known as Jaco, is the staff nurse and bariatric lead. He specialised in Fitzwilliam’s weight loss team since 2017. He enjoys the psychological and multi-faceted aspects of bariatrics. He is the patient’s main point of contact before and after surgery. The bariatric surgeons are Mr Andrew Tsang and Mr Farrukh Bajwa.

Both consultants are members of the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgical Society (BOMSS). They have vast experience and have worked in the NHS and keep abreast of the latest techniques in weight loss surgery.

Our two dieticians provide nutrition guidance, dietary recommendations, and counselling to our weight loss surgery patients to support them through their journey.

Working with the psychologist means that a patient’s relationship with food can be identified and supported. If patients aren’t suitable for weight loss surgery, they may be recommended other options such as seeing a dietician.

Why do our patients have weight loss surgery? Many of our patients with obesity have tried to treat it on their own, with diet and exercise. They may have had some success but then regained the weight. Other patients through no fault of their own have little to no success with diet and exercise alone.

Unfortunately, people with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35, have a less than 1% chance of reaching a normal body weight for a lasting period of time.

Our obese patients may have lifestyle drivers for weight loss surgery such as wanting to play with their children/grandchildren, being able to get up the stairs, a desire to control comorbidity conditions such as diabetes, enjoying a better way of life, or wanting to get pregnant.

We have seen more younger people coming to us following the pandemic, as they have reassessed their life and want to deal with their obesity-related issues.

Qualifications for bariatric surgery

We see all patients on an individual basis and use standard bariatric guidelines to guide our patients.

To be eligible for weight loss surgery you will have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, or a BMI between 35 and 40 and an obesity-related condition that might improve if you lost weight (such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure). You will have tried all other weight loss methods, such as dieting and exercise, but struggled to lose and keep weight off. You will also need to be ready to make healthy lifestyle changes and attend regular check-ups after surgery.

What weight loss surgeries do we offer?

Fitzwilliam offers a range of weight loss surgeries from the least invasive gastric balloon through to gastric band, gastric sleeve, and gastric bypass. Your Fitzwilliam bariatric surgeon will discuss with you the most appropriate weight loss surgery options for you. n

Find Out More: For more information please visit www.ramsayhealth.co.uk/weight-loss-surgery/hospitals/fitzwilliam-hospital or call 01733 842304.

MAKING A DECISION A real experience...patient’s

“Making the decision to opt for bariatric surgery was one of the most difficult that I have faced, the primary emotions for me were guilt, shame and fear.”

“Mr Bajwa was there to support me from the beginning, I had multiple questions about the procedures available, he was patient and took his time to explain everything, and I felt like I was in safe hands throughout.”

“The surgery, as expected, was challenging and the recovery gruelling. However, it has been an incredible journey.”

“One year on I am almost 10 stone lighter, I have developed a passion for running (which came as a surprise to me), but most importantly I have experienced a freedom from the shackles of obesity.”

“I’ll always be grateful to the team for the support that they have offered throughout my journey.” n

FITZWILLIAM HOSPITAL...

Fitzwilliam Hospital is one of Cambridgeshire's leading independent hospitals with a reputation for delivering high quality healthcare treatments and services since 1983. The hospital is situated in the quiet landscaped grounds of the Milton Estate in Peterborough and has 47 single bedrooms and two twin-bedded rooms all with en suite facilities. n

Growing Pains for flagship Volvo EX90

Volvo’s big seven-seater family SUV, the XC90, gives way to an all-electric successor: the EX90. But along with a modern electric drivetrain comes an eye-watering price that will see the car go head-to-head with Range Rover...

SINCE ITS RELEASE in 2002, Volvo’s XC90 has taken just one new generation model and a couple of facelifts in between to remain one of the most dependable and desirable family cars on the market.

Over 108,000 XC90s were sold in 2021, making it the third best selling model behind the XC40 and the XC60. It’s easy to see why.

As a mild hybrid from £62,000 or a plug-in hybrid from £71,000, the car offers plenty of metal for the money, lots of standard kit, seven seats, Volvo’s reputation for safety and a bit of Scandi-individuality too.

But with a push towards electrification, the XC90 must give way to the all-electric EX90, and to a huge hike in price to £96,225 for the Twin-Motor version and £100,555 for the Twin-Motor Performance variant... and that puts it in Range Rover territory.

We can very easily discount the Performance version. The regular model produces 408hp, it has a range of 363 miles combined, and zero emissions from the tailpipe, reaching 60mpg in 5.9 seconds, with top speed limited to 112mph. We see no point in opting for the Performance version to shave a second off the car’s acceleration.

Seven seats are standard, and Volvo’s seats are regarded as the most comfortable car seats on the market. Luggage space is an OK-ish 310 litres with all seven seats, a more than decent 655 litres in five seater configuration and a whopping 1,912 litres with just the two front seats in use.

Also standard is a huge amount of kit, from a 14.5” touch-screen to built-in Google and 5G, a panoramic roof, 360° camera, blindspot assist, four-zone climate control, massaging heated seats, cabin pre-heating, adaptive cruise, automatic parallel and perpendicular parking, a Bowers & Wilkins stereo, wireless phone charging and a power tailgate.

The cabin has a lovely Scandi feel to it, with artificial leather or tailored wool blend upholstery and light ash wood trim. We like it best in the lighter Nordico colourway, though.

Off-road, the EX90 won’t get near a Range Rover, and the six-figure price tag puts it within sniffing distance of some seriously desirable competitors. But there’s no denying the subtle, tasteful and really very beautiful execution Volvo has achieved with the EX90.

Price: £96,255 (on sale now).

Powertrain: All electric, 408hp with front and rear motors, and automatic gearbox.

Performance: Top speed 112mph, 0-60mph 5.9secs. Range 363 miles.

Equipment: Artificial leather, heated massaging seats. Seven seats, 14.5” screen, Google and 5G connectivity, adaptive cruise, 360° camera, Bowers & Wilkins stereo, power tailgate, panoramic roof, wireless phone charging. n

The VW ID.Buzz

Remember those old Volkswagen Kombi campers, with their split screens and fold down beds? Now, the company has given the vehicle a hippy-hippy-shake-up with a 21st century reboot...

THIS MIGHT BE A TOUGH SELL, for one of two reasons. Firstly, Volkswagen faces the same problem as Land Rover when it reinvented the Defender, and Mini when it reinvented its beloved small car from the swinging sixties.

Volkswagen’s classic campers and Kombi models are synonymous with hippies, surfers, and those who enjoy a bit of retro camping. Fans of the original are likely to draw comparisons, and it probably won’t be pretty. Secondly, though, even without us making reference to its forebear, the ID.Buzz is still a bit of a Marmite car; you’ll either love it, or hate it, looks-wise.

The company says it’s a ‘visual homage’ to the original camper, which is marketing speak for ‘we’ve not actually made it into a camper, yet.’

A camper will inevitably follow, but for now, there’s a van-based ID.Buzz, with just under four square metres of cargo space, and then the passenger version, in Life or Style trim, costing £57,115 or £61,915 respectively. Both are fully electric, powered by a 77kWh motor with 204ps of power and a respectable electric range of 258 miles.

Brisk? It is not. 60mph is reached in 10.2 seconds, top speed is 90mph. More than plenty for safe and legal drivers, in fairness. Spacious? It is. Just the five seats, but decent headroom and 1,121 litres of boot space with the seats in place. Fold the rear seats

down, and there’s 2,205 litres of space... which is positively van-like.

A sliding door adds practicality, and aids egress for passengers in tight car parks. And that’s just the beginning of the car’s list of standard kit. A heated front windscreen, heated seats and steering wheel keep you toasty in winter. Adaptive cruise control, a rear view camera and Park Assist all help with manoeuvrability, and there’s sat nav, Apple CarPlay and ambient lighting.

Modern? Definitely. Has it lost a bit of character when compared to the old one? Certainly. Are we crying out for a camper van version? Absolutely. However, as a family car proposition, The ID.Buzz is spacious, practical and well-equipped. Unusual, but not bad at all. n

A Volkswagen for the 21st Century, it’s

Price: £57,115 (On sale now).

Powertrain: 77kWh electric motor, generating 204ps, RWD. Performance: Top speed 90mph, 0-60mph 10.2secs. WLTP range 258 miles combined.

Equipment: Electric windows, mirrors, two-zone climate control, sat nav, DAB radio, adaptive cruise, heated seats and steering wheel, Apple CarPlay, Park Assist Plus (automated parking), and sensors 10-colour ambient lighting. n