Active Magazine // August 2013 by Active Magazine

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A polo expedition to Oakham HOCKEY ON A HORSE: IT’S NOT JUST FOR THE VERY RICH ISSUE 14 // AUGUST 2013

STA M FOR D & RU T L A N D’S SPORT A N D L E I S U R E M AGA Z I N E

ISSUE 14 // AUGUST 2013

THE PERFECT ENGLISH SUMMER We celebrate this glorious season of winning at sport and endless sunshine!

CRICKET, LOVELY CRICKET

BOATING ON THE RIVER

MORRIS DANCING

Sixes champions and up and coming local star

Take a narrow boat up the tranquil Nene

An English tradition saved in Rutland

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EXE-Full Page Advert for Active_EXE-Full Page Advert for Active 09/07/2013 15:11 Page 1

New Chef at The Exeter Arms We are delighted to welcome Peter Lane as new Head Chef Peter Lane, formerly of The Plough in Great Casterton and The Olive Branch joins the team at The Exeter Arms as Head Chef. Peter’s new menu highlights his passion for using local, seasonal produce. He has also introduced a ‘Lunch for Less’ menu available Monday to Friday. Two courses for £12.95 and three courses for £15.00

Our Restaurant The Front restaurant is traditional in decor with dining room tables and chairs providing a relaxed atmosphere. The Orangery offers a light dining area looking out onto the terrace. The doors to The Orangery can be opened on warmer days.

Our Bar A cosy bar where guests can enjoy a drink or dine if you are looking for something more casual. Dogs are welcome in the bar – a great stop off from a country walk!

Accommodation We have six beautifully appointed bedrooms, all of which are individually designed and well positioned for both leisure and corporate guests. Complimentary WIFI is available in the rooms and throughout the pub. There is ample parking for all guests.

To make a restaurant or accommodation booking please call 01780 756321 or email reservations@theexeterarms.net

The Exeter Arms is also ideal for celebrations, christenings, weddings and anniversaries

The Exeter Arms, 21 Stamford Road, Easton on the Hill, PE9 3NS t. 01780 756321 e. reservations@theexeterarms.net www.theexeterarms.net

Editor’s Letter I DO APOLOGISE THAT THE ISSUE YOU hold in your hands isn’t surrounded by a couple of perpetually circling wasps, with sticky ice cream all over the cover and a plastic spade-load of sand grating between the pages. That would pretty much mean we had encapsulated everything that is great about a classic English summer. And we appear to be having one now. The sun is burning the grass for the first time in a couple of years, Australians are being beaten at all manner of sports, the Gentlemen’s Championship at Wimbledon has been finally claimed for the Mother Country, Chris Froome has crossed the line first in Paris to claim the Tour de France (even if he was born in Kenya), and we’ve been out visiting all those things that add to all that is fine in Middle England’s country garden. This includes Morris dancing. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that in my ignorant youth I might not have quite seen the point of prancing about with bells and hankies, but our writer Jeremy Beswick has been to meet the Rutland ‘Side’ and has uncovered a rather fun world full of wonderful people. It’s also one of those traditions we should hold dear, for you don’t know what you’ve missed until it has gone. We’ve also been messing about on the river, with our publisher Chris taking his girlfriend along the Nene, although he appears to have developed some sort of Nelson complex in the process. If you’ve got a surfeit of Pimm’s, then perhaps a trip to the polo might be in order, although taking part is easier than you might think as Georgie Fenn finds out. So polo, boating, Morris dancing, cricket, sunshine and plenty of other great things to do round our way: what a great time to be Active.

Publisher Chris Meadows chris@theactivemag.com Editor Steve Moody steve@theactivemag.com Deputy Editor Rich Beach rich@theactivemag.com Production Editor Julian Kirk julian@theactivemag.com Art Editor Mark Sommer mark@theactivemag.com Contributors Martin Johnson, William Hetherington, Dean Cornish, Jon Tyrrell, Alexa Cutteridge, Sandie Hurford, Jeremy Beswick, Georgie Fenn, Julia Dungworth, Richard Rae, Sophie Dorrington Photographers Nico Morgan Jonathan Clarke Harry Measures Production Assistant Abigail Sharpe Advertising Sales Rachel Meadows rachel@theactivemag.com Imogen McCann imogen@theactivemag.com Accounts Amy Roberts accounts@theactivemag.com Active magazine, The Grey House, 3 Broad Street, Stamford, PE9 1PG. Tel: 01780 480789 If you have information on a club then get in touch by emailing editor@theactivemag.com. If you would like to stock Active magazine then email distribution@ theactivemag.com. If you would like to discuss advertising possibilities please email advertise@theactivemag.com Printed in the UK by Warners Midlands plc. Active magazine is published 12 times per year on a monthly basis. Distributed by Grassroots Publishing Ltd ISSN 2049-8713 A Grassroots Publishing Limited company. Registration company number 7994437. VAT number 152717318

Disclaimer

Enjoy the issue.

Thanks, Steve

Twitter // @theACTIVEmag Facebook // www.facebook.com/theACTIVEmag

Copyright (c) Grassroots Publishing Limited (GPL) 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or be stored in any retrieval system, of any nature, without prior permission from GPL. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of GPL or its affiliates. Disclaimer of Liability. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, GPL and its affiliates assume no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of and, to the extent permitted by law, shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained in this publication. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of the advertising material which they submit and for ensuring the material complies with applicable laws. GPL and its affiliates are are not responsible for any error, omission or inaccuracy in any advertisement and will not be liable for any damages arising from any use of products or services or any action or omissions taken in reliance on information or any statement contained in advertising material. Inclusion of any advertisement is not intended to endorse any view expressed, nor products or services offered nor the organisations sponsoring the advertisement.

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CONTENTS

Issue 14 /// August 2013

NEWS 11 I WIN BURGHLEY TICKETS

Two season tickets for the horse trials up for grabs

14-15 I RAFT RACE RETURNS

Plans underway for historic Deepings event to run again

16-17 I BURGHLEY PARK CRICKET WEEK Annual Sixes competition proves to be a huge success

HEADS UP 18-19 I KITBAG

All the best gear and gadgets to help keep you cool

21 I MARTIN JOHNSON

The Sunday Times writer on a great British sporting summer

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FEATURES 22-27 I POLO

Georgie Fenn gets on her horse and discovers that polo isn’t just a sport for the rich

28-33 I MESSING ABOUT ON THE RIVER

Chris Meadows and girlfriend Lucy try out a narrow boat adventure holiday up and down the River Nene

34-35 I BRIGHT YOUNG THING

From Uppingham to potential England star... Leicestershire young gun Shiv Thakor is destined for a big cricket career

36-39 I MORRIS DANCING

There’s more to Morris dancing than strange routines and odd outﬁts. They like a beer, too, as Jeremy Beswick ﬁnds out

REGULARS 40-41 I HEALTH AND BEAUTY

The latest advice to help you feel ﬁtter and healthier

44-45 I GREAT WALKS

Will Hetherington and Ella stride into Burghley Park

47 I SPORTSMAN’S DINNER

The Exeter Arms in Easton-on-the-Hill

49 I GREAT RUN

Alexa Cutteridge heads out to Bisbrooke

50-51 I SCHOOL SPORT

Our focus on the latest achievements from local pupils

52-57 I ROUND-UP

How clubs in the Stamford and Rutland area are getting on

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In Play

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Cricket Week success

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Photography: Harry Measures

Burghley Park hosted its annual Cricket Week event in July, attracting record crowds. See pages 16-17 for more on the event.

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In Play

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Sun sets over Normanton Church Another glorious summer day ends in Rutland, as one of the hottest spells in years grips the county.

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News

Get set for Burghley! The countdown has begun to the famous Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in September and Active magazine has two season tickets to give away for this year’s event THE LAND ROVER BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS returns to Burghley Park on September 5-8 and the grounds keepers are busy irrigating and preparing the famous course ready for another spectacular equestrian event. But the trials are more than just a horse event and there is plenty to keep all spectators entertained. As ever there will be a huge selection of trade stands – over 600 selected retailers, selling the essential to the exclusive along the ever-popular retail avenues and speciality pavilions that include the popular Rural Cra s and Country Living marquees, the Burghley Foodwalk and the Green Lifestyle Pavilion. Burghley Park guarantees easy parking and a selection of on-site cafes offer breakfast, so you can get there early on dressage days – Thursday and Friday – and enjoy the arena displays or the finals of the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse competition. The heart-stopping cross-country event takes

place on Saturday, when approximately 80 horse and rider combinations test their skills and stamina around the cross-country course and its spectacular feature fences. Sunday sees the competition come to a rousing conclusion with the final show jumping phase which will determine who takes home the Land Rover Perpetual Challenge Trophy and the £60,000

INTRODUCING

RUTLAND CYCLING’S

FREE

COURTESY B I K E SERVICE FOR ALL BIKE SERVICE CUSTOMERS

first prize, played out with the help of The Band and Bugles of the Rifles. Get ahead of the game by booking your tickets early and online. The box office is now open and there are significant savings for those purchasing tickets in advance.  For information and bookings, visit: www.burghley-horse.co.uk

Free courtesy bike for the duration of your service All new 2014 Road, Mountain & Hybrid models

Brand new demo bikes also available Wheels, Lights & GPS units also available for demo Available 7 days a week all year round Easy to book with our workshops, call 01572 332032

D O N ’ T

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R I D I N G . . .

Rutland Cycling, Whitwell Leisure Park, Bull Brigg Lane, Whitwell, Rutland LE15 8BL 01780 460705 Giant-Rutland, Normanton Car Park, Rutland Water, Edith Weston Rutland LE15 8HD 01780 720888 Grafham Cycling, Marlow Car Park, Grafham Water, Cambridge, PE28 0BH 01480 812500 Fineshade Cycling, Top Lodge, Fineshade Wood, Northamptonshire, NN17 3BB 01780 440899

WWW.RUTLANDCYCLING.COM/COURTESYBIKE

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WIN TWO SEASON TICKETS TO THE LAND ROVER BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS Active has teamed up with The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials to give one lucky reader the chance to win two season tickets for this year’s event. To win, simply answer the question below:

Photography: Kit Houghton

Who won last year’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials?  Email your answer to bht@theactivemag.com by the closing date of August 30.

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Full details of the terms and conditions of Active competitions are available on our website www.theactivemag.com

Three ways to entertain the kids in August...  PICNIC WITH THE FAIRIES Come Sunday, August 18, Burghley Park will see hundreds of fairies and elves descend upon the grounds for The Big Fairy Picnic in support of the Anna’s Hope charity, which provides rehabilitation to young people in the area suffering with a brain tumour. The event is free for children and parents, and all who turn up dressed as a fairy or elf get half price admission into the Garden of Surprises. There will be a fairy treasure trail, storytelling, ponies, face painting and a best-dressed teddy competition, too. Last year the event claimed a Guinness World Record for the number of fairies in one place! This year they’d like to beat that record, so urge as many of you to come along and join in the fun. See www.annashope.co.uk for more information  GO BICYCLE BUG HUNTING! Anglian Water’s Birdwatching Centre in Egleton has teamed up with the folks at Rutland Cycling to offer two great days out for youngsters exploring the natural world and learning all about the creepy crawlies, birds and other wildlife. The two nature rides take place at Grafham Water on August 23 and Rutland Water on August 29, exploring the reservoirs on bikes stopping regularly to find and learn about the native bugs and birds. The rides are led by qualified ride leaders as well as the education centre team. Meet at Grafham Visitor Centre (Marlow Car Park) at Grafham Water on August 23 or Rutland Cycling, Whitwell, for August 29 (bring a packed lunch – but snack and ice cream provided). Limited places. Cost: £30. See www.rutlandwater.org.uk/events for more information  CELEBRATE DOCTOR WHO’S BIRTHDAY The Time Lord turns 50 this year, and the most famous characters from the history of the longest-running science fiction series are taking over

Peterborough’s museum on Saturday and Sunday, August 3 and 4. Vivacity’s Heritage manager, Stuart Orme, said: “This is going to be a really exciting event, with visitors having the opportunity to come face-to-face with some of the Doctor’s most famous enemies!” Characters will include K-9, Ood, Clockwork Robot, Weeping Angel, new Paradigm Dalek, and, of course, Davros – creator of the Daleks! Doors open from 10am-5pm. Special event day charges apply: adults £3, concessions £2, families £6. Under 5s and Heritage Pass holders go free. For more information, call 01733 864663, email museum@vivacitypeterborough.com or visit www.vivacity-peterborough.com

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News

Pack up and pedal Celebrate Rutland Cycling’s cycle touring season with a series of films and talks IF YOU’VE EVER CONSIDERED loading up some panniers and cycling off into the distance on an epic two-wheeled expedition, or even just a gentle cycling holiday, then you need to check out Rutland Cycling’s programme of inspirational talks and films, taking place throughout August, from those

who’ve been there, done that and got the sweaty T-shirt. The Whitwell cycle store and the Rutland County Museum Cinema will host talks and films from cyclists who have toured 4,000km across the antipodes, battled across the windswept plains of Patagonia, and one man who didn’t stop cycling round the world

for four years. Plus there will be a master class session on how to go touring, offering tips and advice for your first cycle tour.  To register your interest for all the events at Rutland Cycling in Whitwell, email rides@rutlandcycling.com or call 01780 460 705.

Rutland Cycling cycle touring season programme  TUESDAY AUGUST 6, 6.30PM A ride around Rutland Water with touring legend Frank Burns (right), followed by a talk on his 4,000km solo end-to-end New Zealand adventure, and his Australian leg. Refreshments available.  SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 6.30PM Cycle Touring Masterclass, where you can learn exactly what kit you’ll need, how to pack it, use it and maintain it. Will include basic maintenance, plus tips on how to tour like a pro. There will be a group ride before the talk at 5.30pm.  TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 6.30PM Ciclismo Radical: Cycling the length of South America - a talk from Rutland Cycling’s own managing director, David Middlemiss (below), on his amazing journey from the hostile plains of Patagonia, across the Andes and through the Amazon. The talk will be preceded by a short ride out and begin at around 7.30pm. Refreshments provided.

WIN A RUTLAND CYCLING JERSEY If you’ve survived your own cycle tour or enjoyed an amazing pedal-powered holiday and have pictures to prove it, Active and Rutland Cycling want to see your cycle touring pics, with details of where and when. All photos will be published on Rutland Cycling’s Love Cycling blog on their website, and the best five photos win an official Rutland Cycling jersey.  Send your pics to rides@ theactivemag.com. And Active will print and announce the winners next month. Good luck. Your email will be sent to Active and Rutland Cycling. Full details of the terms and conditions of Active competitions are available on our website at www. theactivemag.com

 THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 7.30PM Janapar, the movie, will be screened at the Rutland County Museum Cinema in Oakham and is an award-winning film about Tom Allen, who le everything and everyone behind and set off on his bike around the world in an attempt to find meaning to his life, depicting all the struggles and drama that followed. Tom will be on hand to answer questions and sign DVDs and books. Tickets are priced at £6 and can be purchased from the Whitwell or Normanton stores as well as online at www.rutlandcycling.com/janapar

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Get bike fit at Windmill Wheels “It was Chris Broad’s idea!” WHEN HEIDI WALTON, a PE teacher at St John’s Primary School in Orton Goldhay, saw a presentation for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, she was compelled to support the cause in some way. Her decision was compounded at a dinner organised by The Broad Appeal when former England batsman Chris Broad suggested she cycle to each of the four cricket Test grounds being used for this year’s Ashes series. Heidi started her challenge in early July and headed to Lords. From there she rode to The Oval, Old Trafford, Chester le Street and finished at Trent Bridge for the first test on July 12. “It was an amazing experience,” Heidi told Active, “but by far the hardest week of my life!”  If you would like to donate to Heidi’s cause contact 01733 380541or email heidihepworth7@yahoo.co.uk

NE082 Active Mag advert 188wx125h v1:Layout 1

IF YOU SUFFER FROM any discomfort or even pain during, or a er, cycling, there’s a chance your bike isn’t set-up correctly for you or you’re on the wrong bike. At the Windmill Wheels bike fitting studio in Rutland, resident sports physiotherapist Alistair Dickson sees this a lot. “I see customers who have been experiencing some of the biomechanical problems that spending time on a poorly fitting bike can cause,” Alistair says. As a qualified bike fitter for the last four years Alistair has assessed and diagnosed a multitude of unnecessary aches and pains caused by mismatched bikes and riders. He adds: “When a customer comes in for a bike fit I carry out a full physical assessment. This process takes into account the person’s posture and flexibility, which can have an influence on how they ride their bike.

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“They’re then assessed on the bike and a number of objective and subjective measurements are taken to determine the most comfortable and efficient fit.” Alistair is able to diagnose the causes of cycling related injuries and improve competitive cyclists efficiency, while offering clients everything from specific strength training to sports massage and kinesio taping.  For more details visit www. windmillwheels.co.uk

Service with excellence.

25 years of passion, experience and commitment to Land Rovers make Nene Overland a global specialist business. 10 minutes from Peterborough centre we service, repair, tune and enhance all models of Discovery, Range Rover, Freelander, Defender and Evoque, new or old. We also offer a dedicated in-house body repair facility with courtesy vehicles or city collection and delivery. Servicing your Land Rover with us will not affect manufacturer’s warranty. We stock over 100 new and used Land Rovers for sale or hire, backed by a professional team that care about getting the job right. For your next Land Rover experience call or visit www.neneoverland.co.uk and explore your next adventure on or off road, anywhere.

www.neneoverland.co.uk sales@neneoverland.co.uk T: 01733 380687

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News

Raft Race returns Popular event in the Deepings is back and it promises to be bigger and better than ever ANYONE WHO’S BEEN to the annual Deepings Ra Race in recent years will know what a spectacular event it is, drawing huge crowds and an evergrowing number of participants. And it’s only likely to follow form and be bigger and better, and definitely hotter and wetter this year, as our lateblooming summer peaks just in time for the event’s ‘Hawaiian Beach Party’ theme. It’s too late to enter a ra team but be sure to wear your hula skirts and your lei (Hawaiian flower necklace) and get along to support the teams on their homemade ra s, fashioned together from barrels and wood in a Heath Robinson style, to the more serious boat-like outfits. Donations can be made on the day (Sunday, August 4) to help keep the annual event afloat, and most teams will be sponsored and supporting a worthy cause, so don’t forget your cash. Road closures will occur on the day, so check details at www.deepingsra race. co.uk beforehand.  For more information, call 0843 289 7064 or email info@deepingsra race. co.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF THERE’S A TURNER NEARBY...

Yes, an actual original watercolour landscape by the great master J.M.W Turner is hanging in Peterborough Museum. The painting depicts a view of Peterborough Cathedral from the north, painted c. 1795, when Turner was a young artist. This is a rare opportunity as for conservation reasons the painting cannot be displayed for very long, and as such it is only available to view from August 22-27. Admission is free, so don’t miss this. Peterborough Museum: 01733 864 663, www.vivacity-peterborough.com

DRINK MORE TEA As if anyone ever doubted a nice cup of tea is good for us, a new study reveals that black tea not only lowers blood pressure but also affects the variability of blood pressure, which, like high blood pressure, is said to increase the risk of cardiovascular problems. Commenting on the study, Dr Tim Bond from the Tea Advisory Panel (TAP) said: “There is far more to the nation’s favourite drink than we realise. “With its flavonoids, black tea packs a powerful punch with many health benefits particularly for the heart. Drinking four or more cups of black tea each day is quite simply very good for us!” And that’s with or without milk folks. BIG FAT NUMBERS A survey of 4,000 Brits reveals lots of facts about our dieting habits:  6.29 - number of months spent on a diet on average  70% - want to lose weight

 46% - want to just lose a few pounds  64% of men want to lose weight compared to 76% of woman  4% - amount of people who want to gain weight  90% have no idea how many calories are in everyday foods  7 out of 10 don’t know the recommended daily calorie intake RED WINE MAKES STEAK HEALTHIER Drinking red wine with your steak can lower your cholesterol, according to scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who found that compounds called malondialdehydes invade the bloodstream a er you eat red meat. These compounds raise your cholesterol and your risk of heart disease. But by giving half the diners in their study drinking water and the other half red wine, they found that those who drunk just water saw their cholesterol levels rise by 97%, while the red wine drinkers’ levels stayed the same or slightly decreased.

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You can take a dip at the new SES pool STAMFORD ENDOWED SCHOOL’S £6.1m sports centre off Conduit Road has had restrictions on its use li ed to allow a limited membership of local residents to make use of the facilities. Until now the centre has been exclusively for the use of staff and pupils but, despite planning officers and the Highways Authority recommending the application be refused on the grounds of increased traffic and parking issues, Stamford Town Council were in support and the development control committee approved the plan. Including current users, it is suggested there will be a limited membership of 300. The access gate will be replaced by automated barriers and members will be issued with parking badges.

Barnsdale Hall Hotel

Keep on riding

WITH RUTLAND CYCLING’S NEW courtesy bike scheme, which will keep you on two wheels while your own bike is in the workshop for repairs or servicing. You only need to put down a £5 deposit to secure one, and what’s more, if you decide you like the bike you borrowed so much, you can buy it at a discounted price. Rutland Cycling’s workshops, at Normanton, Whitwell, Fineshade and Grafham Water are open 7-days a week.

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Photography: Harry Measures

News

Burghley Park Cricket Week is best ever Sunshine, great cricket, thousands of spectators and plenty of beer make annual Sixes the perfect summer event BURGHLEY PARK has enjoyed one of the best Cricket Weeks in its history, with thousands of spectators, great weather, plenty of beer drunk and Castor winning the Sixes competition. The day games, hosted by a Burghley Park team but with many players from local clubs joining in on the action, were all played to a high standard. The Friday fixture against Leicestershire Gents was notable for Will Edwards’ century and also for the two wickets that fell in the final over to leave the scores tied on 307 all out. Josh Gallimore also scored a well earned hundred during the Wednesday day game versus Lincolnshire Gents.

Spectators flooded in throughout the week to watch exciting games, eye-catching performances and high scores in the evening sixes competition. Top scorers during the week were Barnack’s Akhtar, who hit a blistering 74 off 16 balls, Ketton’s Craig Wilson with 55, Stamford’s Chris Bore with 69 not out and consistent knocks from Wheat of Castor. But the champagne moment of the tournament must belong to Burghley’s Ben Slack for his four wickets in four balls in the first innings of the final against Castor, although it still didn’t inspire a Burghley win, with Castor taking the trophy. There were many people that played their part in making the week such a success as well as

Active contributor Dean Cornish, who once again entertained the crowds on the mic, helped on Friday evening by ex-England and Leicester Tigers player Tim Stimpson. David Billings, the club’s chairman, said: “It was a fantastic turnout, no doubt helped by the weather. We just about managed to keep everyone fed and watered, although we may have to look at getting more beer for next year! “I’d like to thank everyone that helped to make the event such a great success, and those players from other local clubs who played in the day games.’ The club is now planning next year’s Cricket Week, which will take place from July 7-11.

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Top and above The winning Castor team and losing finalists and hosts Burghley Park

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Feature /// Gear

Kitbag

It’s hot, hot, hot. So here are six ways to keep cool... Osprey Viper 5 men’s hydration pack

Mini Drive bike light The best way to stay cool while cycling is to ride in the evening. That’s when great lighting comes into its own, opening up a world of night-time routes and trails. This powerful little Mini Drive XL light from Lezyne can fix to your handlebars or your helmet, with the included mount, and provide a blinding 200 genuine lumens of light, which is enough to light the trail or path way up ahead while riding quickly. The rechargeable light can be topped up via USB, but includes a removable battery, so you can carry a spare and never get stuck in the dark. Now on offer at CycleWright. Price: £69.99 From: www.cyclewright.co 01778 560495

Osprey hydration packs are well regarded in the mountain bike world, but this, the Viper 5, is the most compact in the range making it ideal for trail running, trekking, road riding and a lot more. It features the new direct zip access making it easier to get to the included 2-litre reservoir, and has a number of wellconsidered pockets. Gender specific design equates to a perfectly snug fit, and with the Airspace back panel to keep you cool, you barely know you’re wearing it. A women’s version is available, too. Price: £54 (save £5.99) From: www.rutlandcycling.com

Peugeot 208 GTi It’s not going to take much to look cool in this, the latest Peugeot hot hatch. With its stylish sill skirts and bodywork spoilers screaming ‘GTi’, the new 208 returns to its playful roots by being a nimble 165kg lighter than the outgoing 207 predecessor, and with a frisky 1.6 litre turbocharged engine pushing 200bhp. But if the ability to completely switch off the electronic stability control gets you a little hot under the collar, you can turn up the dual-zone air con, or grab a cold drink from the refrigerated glovebox. Price: £18,895. From: Available for test drives at Hindmarch Stamford, 01780 755885.

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Cannondale F29 2 mountain bike

Coleman Sundome beach shelter

How is this lightweight, hardtail mountain bike going to keep me cool, I hear you say. Well, because 29-inch wheels are where it’s at these days for hard, fast, gnarly trail riding, as they are much faster thanks to all that extra momentum. Er, and faster means more wind in your face, therefore cooling you more than a 26er. Ahem... The Canondale’s ultra light frame is ultra stiff too, making for a powerfully responsive ride, and the Speed Save micro-suspension front fork couldn’t really be described as a fork, as its a very cool looking single leg. Price: £1,799.99 From: www.oakhamcyclecentre.co.uk

These brilliant sun shelters from Coleman are made with clever fabric featuring a UV guard that stops the rays getting through, while also protecting the fabric from degrading in sunlight. The ground sheet also zips to the flysheet and can be fully zipped up to close the shelter for when you head down into the sea, keeping your belongings out of sight. It’s even coated in something called ‘aluminised PE’ which keeps the groundsheet from getting too hot in the sun for you to stand on with bare feet. Clever. Price: £34.99 From: GetLostinRutland.co.uk 01572 868 712

Pathfinder 3.0 child carrier Keeping little ‘uns cool and protected from the sun is vital, and US brand Kelty do just that with their top-of-therange Pathfinder 3.0 child carrier, which has a host of handy features including a sun hood. These are the Bentleys of child carriers and use an adjustable suspension system and five-point harness for comfort and safety, and also feature an auto-deploy kickstand, zip-off daypack and a nappy changing mat. And to keep adults cool there’s a bottle holder plus a pouch for a hydration system. Price: £249.99 From: www.kelty.com

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NEW peugeot 2008 crossover

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Guest column

Moaning, drinking, not walking and now winning – all great British sporting traits The Sunday Times’ Martin Johnson on how all this success means people are running out of things to talk about in the pub

ith 26 pubs closing in England and Wales every week, landlords are putting it down to a combination of the recession and cheap supermarket booze. Poppycock! It’s all to do with sport, and in particular, being good at it. Firstly we had the British Lions sticking it to the Wallabies on their own patch, followed by hysterical calls for Sir Andy Murray to arise after becoming the first British male to win Wimbledon wearing short trousers and, most recently, England winning the opening Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. Murray Mania is now an officially notifiable virus, and anyone who’s got it (symptoms include shouting “Hoot’s Mon!” at passing strangers) is ordered to stay indoors and paint a large red cross on the front door to warn visitors of the risk of contagion. Little wonder the bug is so virulent. It’s been so long between British winners that when Fred Perry won, it was probably the norm in the 1930s to have a cigarette between changeovers. And Fred may well have celebrated with a week in Skegness, where Billy Butlin had just opened his first holiday camp. It’s a moot point as to whether England’s cricketers bothered to celebrate at all after their breathless win in Nottingham, given that it’s now becoming old hat to beat Australia, but what, I hear you ask with increasing exasperation, has all this to do with pub closures? Simple. Wait until England win another Test, then pop down to your local and strike up a conversation. It’ll have to be with the landlord, or the barmaid, though, because there won’t be anyone else in there. We Brits, you see, only go down to the pub for two reasons. To talk about sport, and have a good old moan. If you don’t believe me, wait until we lose at something and then go down. The place will be packed. And you can choose your own topic of conversation. In the saloon bar: “that Kevin Pietersen is a flash harry.” In the lounge: “Stuart Broad? Doesn’t walk – disgrace to the game”. In the snug: “Trott? Fell asleep watching him.” I did take myself off to the pub after the Lions clinched the series in Sydney, as I was quite hopeful that the moan brewing up inside me might be shared by a few other drinkers. Namely, that the Lions tour was quite possibly the most over-hyped sporting event in

history, and the various correspondents who urged the boys to ‘go out and clinch immortality’ must have been on something a bit stronger than the liquid cardboard that passes for beer in Australia. What they might have written, but chose not to, was that the Lions scraped home 2-1 against a side that has unlimited talent in rugby – league that is – but who in union are comfortably the third best side in the southern hemisphere. It’s not that hard to do your bit to save the great British pub. England might have won at Trent Bridge, but you could still have got yourself down to the local to have a gripe about the umpiring, which was as bad as you’ll ever see. Back in Australia, the latest gimmick is for the bails to illuminate when they’re knocked off, but on the evidence of Trent Bridge it might be necessary to have them sing Waltzing Matilda to give Aleem Dar some kind of clue. How any umpire can fail to see, or hear, a ball hitting half the bat before looping to ﬁrst slip, as was the case with Broad, is hard to fathom, but the good news is that Broad’s refusal to walk, and the moral outrage it provoked, must have saved at least 13 pubs. No-one walks these days. Once upon a time, and not all that long ago, sticking around when you’ve hit it was so frowned upon that Sky commentator David Lloyd told me a story of one of his early innings for Lancashire, when John Murray, Middlesex’s England wicketkeeper, appealed for a caught behind. “I didn’t go, cos I didn’t hit it” said Bumble, but Murray complained to our captain, Brian Statham, and I was summoned to explain myself to both of them. Can you imagine that happening now?” Dar has been such a good umpire that the only interpretation you can put on his decision to give Broad not out is that there is so much international cricket these days, and so few umpires on the elite panel (only four of the required neutrality are neither English nor Australian) that their brains eventually get fried. Appropriately enough, the game ended on a mistake by Dar, when he gave Brad Haddin not out for a caught behind appeal off Jimmy Anderson, which was then overturned by the third umpire on review. So ended a remarkable game, and a squeaky bum victory for England. But the only hope for the pub trade was that all those home supporters ﬂocked to the boozer to moan about how England nearly blew it.

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1APIX / ALAMY

Feature /// Polo

A POLO EXPEDITION Think polo is a sport only for the rich? Georgie Fenn discovers it is much easier to get into than you might think Photography: Katie Ingram (www.katieingram.co.uk)

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Feature /// Polo

olo is often regarded as an elitist sport for the rich that is both expensive and hard to access. However, as I’ve recently discovered this isn’t necessarily the case. Fortunately for us Rutland locals, we have two extremely good polo clubs nearby in Langham: Ranksboro Polo Club and Rutland Polo Club. While for those in Lincolnshire there is also Leadenham Polo Club. So if you have been viewing these clubs with suspicion, or perhaps not even seen them as your type of place, let me assure you that you are wrong. My first experience with this terrifically traditional sport was with Ranksboro Polo Club and it was simply a case of ringing instructor Miles Underwood to organise a lesson. The club accommodates all abilities, from non-riders to experienced jockeys, with their three fully qualified instructors: Miles, Nick Winterton and Joe North. They offer one-on-one sessions for an hour for £45 and group sessions for £35 which can be for between two and four people. They even do stag and hen dos! You can turn up with no gear if you are non-riders and the club will kit you out. However, if you suddenly realise polo is your passion then they can provide detailed information into where the best places are to buy the essentials. This is where it can get a bit more costly: you are looking at £150-plus for a helmet, around £250-plus for the polo boots, £80 for knee pads and the crucial implement – the mallet – can be anything from £80. For the fully committed, a pony may come in handy, too. Below

Lessons begin with learning how to swing the mallet before progressing to hitting the ball. Ranksboro accommodates all abilities, from non-riders up

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The lessons begin with a go on foot at swinging the mallet to make sure you aren’t going to knock the pony out when you get on. Ranksboro believe that you have to start from the very beginning to get all these basics right, which is true because if you can’t hit a ball on foot you have little chance of managing on a horse. So before you even mount, you spend some time like a golfer, practising your swing. Along with some more frivolous terms, there are some words of wisdom thrown around the polo world to aid the movement of hitting the ball. For instance, when hitting the ball, if you keep in mind the ‘clock analogy’ you keep your eyes on the ball and move the mallet from 6 o’clock to 12 o’clock. Then it’s ﬁngers crossed that you might hit it. Now for the horse; I was put on the professional pony, a 20-year old mare called India. She was quite the veteran with an

uncanny ability to keep her eye on the mallet in case of a dodgy hit coming her way. Her on-going superb performance is due to Allen and Page feeds I am told. I have had the advantage of riding most of my life, however, this was the very ﬁrst time I had played polo and I’ve always thought of it as golf on a horse. But I haven’t played much golf either and so perhaps I’ll settle on equine hockey. We started off by walking end-to-end of the beautiful pitch trying to hit balls and then due to my expertise (well, more like India’s guidance) we gradually moved on to cantering from end to end trying to score goals. Miles stayed behind hitting the ball if I missed, and generally giving positive advice. One area I needed to work on was my ‘vice-like’ grip on the mallet. It’s difﬁcult not to want to pelt the ball from one end to the other but the danger is losing the technique the harder you try

‘BEFORE YOU EVEN MOUNT A PONY YOU SPEND SOME TIME LIKE A GOLFER, PRACTISING YOUR SWING’

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Feature /// Polo and hit it. Miles described getting the ball going as ‘caressing’ it down the pitch rather than my technique which was ‘Georgie trying to kill the ball’. Like a lot of sports, if you get the ﬁrst and last movement right and let your arm do the work it will all come together. A one-on-one lesson is perfect for amateurs like me as Miles was constantly able to focus on my movement and what I could do to improve my chances of a clean hit, and he could keep feeding me balls. There was one dreamlike moment where I hit the ball through the goal with a straight hit. In this instance I had actually relaxed, let India do her thing and kept my eye on the ball like Miles kept saying and it felt brilliant. The sport is addictive, and this is a warning. You can take in the beautiful surroundings, you have a lovely horse under you enjoying what they do best and the feeling of ‘getting it’ is just

superb. So I urge you to go along and give it a try, but be warned: you may regret it after getting hooked and having bought three ponies with which to play on. But even for those who are less sure of horses, the gentle and well-trained nature of India and their other polo ponies means anyone can get in the swing after a lesson.

‘THE SPORT IS ADDICTIVE... GO ALONG AND GIVE IT A TRY. ANYONE CAN GET IN THE SWING AFTER A LESSON’

SCHOOL POLO Currently, Ranksboro is training Oakham School’s Polo team. Like most school sports there is an A, B and C team with 12 children training at the moment ranging from ages 13-18. They train every Tuesday and Thursday evening. As well as playing polo they learn about tactics, the history behind polo and different hitting techniques. The team have reached the stage where they can all comfortably play in a chukka. There are fixtures throughout the summer with other schools including Uppingham, Stowe and Rugby. Alexandra Wood won Most Valuable Player at the last Rutland tournament so everyone keep an eye out for her! The club is looking to get more schools involved and also universities so they need ambassadors to spread the word and get more teams involved.

BOX OUT BASIC RULES OF THE GAME // A polo match lasts about one and one-half hours and is divided into timed periods called chukkas. There are six chukkas in a polo match. // Each chukka is seven minutes long. // A bell is rung to indicate 30 seconds remaining. // A horn sounds to terminate the chukka. // Breaks between chukkas are three minutes long, with a five-minute hal ime break. // The most basic concept in the sport of polo is the line of the ball, a right of way established by the path of a traveling ball. When a player has the line of the ball on his right, he has the right of way. This can be taken away by moving the player off the line of the ball by making shoulder-to-shoulder contact. A PLAYER CAN: // hook an opponent’s mallet // push him off the line // bump him with his horse or steal the ball from him. OTHER RULES: // The umpires’ primary concerns are right of way and the line of the ball. The line of the ball is an imaginary line that is formed each time the ball is struck. This line traces the ball’s path and extends past the ball along that trajectory. The player who last struck the ball is considered to have right of way, and no other player may cross the line of the ball in front of that player. Riding alongside to block or hook is allowed, as long as the player with right of way is not impeded. For more information, go to: // www.leadenhampoloclub.com/home // www.ranksboropolo.co.uk/ // www.rutlandpoloclub.co.uk/

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Feature /// Narrow boats

LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE

Chris Meadows and girlfriend Lucy explore the local Nene waterways aboard narrow boat Sammy Words /// Photography: Chris Meadows

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Feature /// Narrow boats

ammy is a big old girl, and I’ll admit trepidation at having to handle her. I spent many a weekend at Foxton Locks as a child, watching narrow boats tackle the two staircases and I was always intrigued as to what it would be like to have a go. At 57-foot and with little manoeuvrability, and little experience between me and my first mate Lucy of life on the waves (or ripples), sailing Sammy was a daunting task. We were wondering if we’d taken on more than we could handle, but fortunately Dan and Carol, the owners of Nene Valley Boats’ Sammy and sister vessel Sumo, made it all seem easy. Dan ran over the basics of the boat while we were moored up to the bank. There aren’t many controls so it didn’t take long before we were setting off on the Nene. The first task was to turn Sammy around, as Carol suggested we head towards Peterborough. Not an easy task made even more challenging with a bit of a breeze. Narrow boats don’t really do reverse very well but with Dan aboard to help guide we were quickly pointing in the right direction and set off towards Upper Barnwell lock, which sits right next to the recently reopened Oundle Mill. All the locks on the river are of the same design so once we’d grasped the concept we just had to replicate it each time. Heading downstream you need to moor up, shut the guillotine gate and open the paddles on the lock gates to let the water into the pound (the area in between the guillotine and lock gates) in order to equalise the water levels. Once the levels are the same either side of the lock gates, they can be opened to enable the boat to enter. The process then needs to be reversed to remove the water and match that of the water the other side of the pound. Simple. As part of our introduction Dan had told us that Sammy liked to cruise at 1,400rpm, which equated to 4mph. So we were going nowhere fast, and were never in danger of breaking the 7mph speed limit on the river. But that’s exactly the idea of narrow boating. The tranquility on the water is delightfully refreshing and with limited mobile phone signal around it made for a very pleasant time meandering our way along the river around the outskirts of Oundle, and were soon at our second lock at Lower Barnwell. Fortunately there wasn’t much traffic on the river so we were able to take our time for our first unaided lock. As Nelson would have said no doubt, it’s all about preparation and teamwork, and a captain having his crew in able condition, so I split up the tasks: Lucy would open the guillotine and I would man the boat.

This worked ﬁne on the electrically operated guillotine gates, but the manual ones took a little more effort with the opening wheel requiring about 150 turns to open. It is good etiquette to return the lock to the position that you found it (or should have found it) with the lock gates shut and the guillotine gate open, so the 150 turns have to be done again. Still, Lucy did a sterling job while I cruised through. Once through the lock at Ashton, the venue of the annual World Conker Championships, we passed under the stunning Oundle town bridge and alongside Oundle School Rowing Club. We continued up to Fotheringhay, passing through Cotterstock and Perio locks.

It was getting late at this point, and Lucy was tired from all her exertions and I was mentally drained from the pressures of command, so we moored up just downstream from the site of Fotheringhay Castle (there is a mooring charge here, but at £4 a night it’s rather reasonable), and took in a little history. While there is nothing left of the castle except the motte it was built on, there is a memorial of masonry from the castle keep. Richard III, whose remains were recently found under a car park in Leicester, was born here and Mary Queen of Scots was tried and beheaded in the Great Hall in 1586/7. We had decided that as we were on board for two nights, we’d eat in one night and go out the

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‘THE TRANQUILITY ON WATER AND THE LIMITED MOBILE PHONE SIGNAL MAKES IT DELIGHTFULLY REFRESHING’

other. The boat is well equipped so cooking dinner was a pleasant experience – Lucy did a ﬁne job of heating our pizzas although she did forget the family silver. You could even take a ﬁshing rod with you and catch your own dinner. Make sure you have a rod licence sorted before you go, though. Another great place to visit in Fotheringhay is the village pub, so after dinner we did just that, a style of expedition that was to become recurrent. The Falcon has a great local reputation, and for good reason: the food on offer is of top quality, and the bar staff are very welcoming, especially considering we’d walked in just before last orders on a Monday night.

Above

Sammy the narrow boat looks daunting to handle, but a er a quick lesson it’s plain sailing for Chris and Lucy. There are plenty of places to stop for a quick nibble along the way, such as the recently reopened Oundle Mill

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Barristers’ Chambers

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Feature /// Narrow boats After our quick nightcap we ventured back across the ﬁelds to the boat and Lucy wasn’t amused by my feeble attempts at ghost stories as we passed the castle remains in the dark. Back in the boat we headed straight for the comfort of the double bed as I had another long day at the helm in the morning, and Lucy had plenty of locks to open and close. Sunrise was worth the early start, with the view of Fotheringhay Castle in the foreground and the village church standing proud in the distance. Rather than continue towards Peterborough we decided to head back and make our way towards Wadenhoe. The King’s Head in the village had been recommended to us, which is all the excuse we needed. Heading upstream meant encountering the locks the other way round. Not a problem for us as we were now seasoned pros, but you do need to make sure the boat is securely fastened at both ends. The water rushes into the locks with a considerable amount of force and we didn’t fancy being responsible for taking a lock gate out of action. We swiftly found out the quickest way to get through them was to time leaving the lock with a vessel coming the other way. A 20-30 minute lock turnaround would only take 10 minutes and we were fortunate to do this on a few occasions. This saw us make great progress. The weather was also on our side. Not a cloud in the sky, and Lucy made the most of it by sun bathing on the roof in between holystoning decks, hoisting yard arms and other nautical jobs, while I quite happily manned the tiller arm, enjoying the ﬂora and fauna en route. Making our way through Wadenhoe Lock we were presented with the beer garden of The

King’s Head. A great spot to moor up, and no mooring charges if you use the pub facilities. We were lucky as there was one remaining spot, and an easy one to slip into at that, which I was relieved about as I wasn’t keen on parallel parking Sammy in front of dozens of drinkers in the garden. Moored up ship-shape and Bristol fashion we enjoyed the rest of the day’s sunshine, playing cards in the garden with Sammy sat patiently by. We stayed at the King’s Head for dinner too, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, returning to the boat to continue our hotly contested game. Waking up the following morning, we wandered around the village, buying a slice of cake from The Barn village shop to have with our lunch, before setting off towards Titchmarsh. We turned around before making our way through the lock near the marina as we had to head back, but if you’ve got more time then stop and have a look around. Beware the lock if water levels are high, as it can be a tricky one.

Making our way back to Nene Valley Boats, we stopped once more for a picnic in a ﬁeld, before returning Sammy to Dan and Carol. You get what you want out of a narrow boat holiday. You can do as much or as little as you want, as you are in complete control. You could hire a boat for a week or two and head to Cambridge or Northampton, or even longer and go further aﬁeld to London or Bath. Or simply do as we did and hire for a few days to take in the local sights. The few days were great, and we got very attached to Sammy, despite our early concerns over our sailing skills, and it’s a great way to recharge the batteries away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

WHY NOT TRY IT? For more details and hire costs for Sammy, Sumo or the 13 day boat, visit the Nene Valley Boats website www.nenevalleyboatholidays.com or call Dan and Carol on 01832 272585.

Below

Accommodation on board Sammy is basic but all you need. Lucy gets to grips with operating the locks (botom) – most of them are electrically-operated but some require a fair amount of elbow grease to open and close

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Feature /// Cricket

SHIV SHINES

Last year, Shiv Thakor was taking A-levels and playing for Uppingham. Now, he’s seen as a future England star after a stunning county debut Words /// Richard Rae

t has not been easy being a Leicestershire cricketer in recent years. True, the Foxes won the frenetic T20 competition in 2004, 2006 and in 2011, but the last time the county championship pennant – the ultimate mark of domestic cricketing prowess – ﬂew over Grace Road was in 1998. Which, given the county’s salary budget is currently less than half that of the likes of Yorkshire, Durham, Surrey and Nottinghamshire, is hardly a surprise. While work continues on increasing commercial income, however, what supporters can and do take pride in is the number of outstanding young players the club continues to develop. Current England internationals Stuart Broad

and James Taylor may now play for Nottinghamshire, but it was Leicestershire who brought them through and gave them an opportunity to play ﬁrst class cricket. Shiv Thakor, the county’s latest young batsman to show real potential, smiles when asked if he too will end up at Trent Bridge. “Well, I intend to give everything I have to Leicestershire over the next two years and what happens after that will take care of itself. “But I believe the side here is starting to develop, and as a Leicester boy who’s grown up here I’d like nothing more than to be with the club over my entire career, winning trophies. “It’s not as though Leicestershire are happy being in Division Two. This club has a long history of winning trophies against the odds,

including the county championship, and it is always striving to get back to that status. It would mean a great deal to me to be successful for the club which has given me my chance.” It is necessary to remind oneself that Thakor is still just 19 years old, and still turning out for Rutland League club side Tilton and Lowesby from time to time. Thoughtful and erudite, he appears possessed of a maturity well beyond his years, an impression reinforced by the manner in which he has established himself at Grace Road. The six ﬁrst class matches he played after taking his A-levels at Uppingham School last season saw him score four half centuries, including an impressive unbeaten 85 on a seaming pitch to help Leicestershire beat

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Hampshire, and batting for more than seven hours in two innings against Northamptonshire to help save a draw. With England U19 recognition as well, he was always likely to start this season in Leicestershire’s ﬁrst team, but even so Thakor insists it was not an easy decision to defer going to university and sign a two-year playing contract. “I thought about it very hard, but I love the game and after what happened at the end of last season I felt it was right to give cricket a proper go. It’s nice to have the cushion of university if I need it.” A century in Leicestershire’s opening match against Kent and four subsequent half centuries mean that at the half-way point of the season he had scored 419 championship runs at an average

of over 50, despite usually going in number seven. He admits he would like to bat higher up the order, though whether his seeing himself as very much an all-rounder will affect that ambition remains to be seen. Not at Leicestershire, perhaps, though he acknowledges perspectives are different in international cricket. “I think you have to be three dimensional in terms of being selected and giving your team the best chance of winning a game. “I enjoy bowling and I’d love to be seen as someone who can fulﬁll all three roles in the game, but it is a balancing act and in the end most specialise in one discipline while chipping in with the other. At the moment I

want to be like [South Africa all-rounder] Jacques Kallis and do both, and fulﬁll my dream of playing for England in that capacity.” Does it surprise him to be mentioned as an England prospect? “I try not to pay any attention to it. A lot of people will have their opinions, and if they’re good opinions I thank them for that, but for me it’s simply about going out there and doing what I love doing as well as I can. “I passed 1,000 ﬁrst class runs in the game at Northants in May and it’s only one small step. You have to constantly build, because if you become complacent cricket is a very cruel game. It’s just hard work, putting in performance after performance and hoping that takes you where you want to go.”

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Feature /// Morris dancing

‘THE DRY SPOTS OFTEN BECOME SPECTACULARLY WET TOO. SOME VILLAGES ARE INCREDIBLY HOSPITABLE...’

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Beer, bells and baldricks An Uppingham man saved Morris dancing from extinction and now the Rutland side is carrying on the tradition, as Jeremy Beswick discovers ///

Photography: Gordon Blunt, Sally Harnett & Rutland Morris archive

e’re all familiar with Morris dancing, of bearded men on summer evenings whacking sticks together, bells jangling. It’s one of those very English things that we often watch with a good-humoured smirk. After all, we wouldn’t be English if we took it too seriously. However, it’s a centuries-old piece of our national heritage, and it was once almost lost forever. By the late nineteenth century Morris dancing had all but died out but one Cecil Sharp, late of Uppingham School, recorded the dances and songs for posterity although, sadly, he removed many lewd double-entendres that offended his Victorian sensibilities. As interest grew again his “Morris Books” ensured that those ancient dances could be performed once more. But what do we know of its history before its rescue? It’s much debated and full of mystery. One might suppose it to be pagan in origin, yet it was well supported by the established church. What is indisputable is that it is ancient. The ﬁrst literary reference is from 1448 and you’ll also ﬁnd it in Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well, Henry VI, A MidsummersNight’s Dream and Henry V, Act II scene iv: And let us do it with no show of fear No, with no more than if we heard that England Were busied with a Whitsun morris-dance One thing most authorities agree on, however, is that the name is probably a corruption of “Moorish” dancing.

Today, Morris is thriving with well over a hundred troupes, or sides as they are known, in the UK with proponents as far aﬁeld as Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. One such side, closer to home, is the Rutland Morris whose ‘Mouth’ is Uppingham’s current mayor, Dave Casewell. Watch them perform and you can tell at once that they don’t – how can I put it – feel the need to take themselves too seriously. They dance well and the musicianship is talented, but you can expect audience participation (sometimes the victims are willing, sometimes not), plenty of banter and omnipresent ale. During the spring and summer they perform two sets each Monday evening, eight o’clock at a dry spot (i.e. a village without a pub) followed by a wet one at nine. Fortunately, according to Dave: “The dry spots often become spectacularly wet too. Some villages are incredibly hospitable. One evening a village laid on a buffet with trestle tables groaning under the weight of food and drink. For some reason we were also doing two pubs that evening. The ﬁrst had laid on sandwiches and the second pizzas. The dancing was a little slower than usual by the end.” Alas, the hospitality is less lavish on May Day, when by tradition they dance at dawn. The audience for this is fairly described as small but appreciative. Each of the 50 or so villages in Rutland will host a performance about every two years and during the winter they switch from Cotswold Morris to Border Morris, with different costumes and a performance of the historic Mummers

Above

Morris dancing has hardly changed at all over the years, with familiar costumes and routines

Play, which tells the tale of St George and the Turkish Knights. I asked Dave what he enjoyed most about being a Morrisman. “Friendship. Both within the club and with other sides across the country. You’re joining a wider community. It’s also a brilliant excuse to get out and about to all the villages in Rutland and meet people. Keeps you active and moderately ﬁt – aerobics with bells on you could say – and I get a great buzz from carrying on a centuries-old tradition.” To ensure that tradition continues, the Rutland Morris is looking for new recruits. “It really doesn’t matter if you’ve two left feet,” says Dave. “Can you hop on your left foot? Can you hop on your right? Can you hop on one and then the other? “Two weeks’ practice should see you competent in a couple of dances and thereafter it’s as complex as you want to make it”. They’ll provide you with the necessary ﬁnery, including your very own baldrick (the sashes worn over the chest), so if your Monday evenings could do with perking up why not throw in your lot with a side that describes itself as “Mad but Happy”? They’re a good cross section of the community; painters and decorators, teachers, chartered surveyors. The youngest dancer, Ollie Simmons, has plenty of years left at school and the oldest – we’ll spare his blushes – is 70.

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Peterborough and Spalding

Gliding Club

Special Offer | £60 Trial Flight

This gets you a flight in a two-seat glider with an instructor, and will give you a taste of the sport www.psgc.co.uk

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Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September 2013  Discount Flights and Vouchers Available on the Day  Variety of Gliders on Display  BBQ, Refreshments and Stalls  Surprise Flying Attractions, incl. Battle of Britain  Dakota fly past Saturday 7th Sept; Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster fly past on Sunday 8th Sept Visit us at Crowland Airfield, Spalding Road (old A1073), Crowland PE6 0JW | Weekends & Bank Holidays

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Feature /// Morris dancing They’re an all-male group, apart from musicians, but would also be delighted to recommend one of the many women’s sides. Nick Taylor joined a couple of years ago. “I was asked to go by a friend and, being caught off-guard, couldn’t think of an excuse quickly enough. “We were met by several smiling men dressed in the usual regalia and before I could manage to do a runner I found myself with a stick in my hand.” You can tell Nick had approached this with a certain amount of scepticism. Yet a couple of hours later: “All the novices danced together outside the pub in front of a small crowd, who surprisingly seemed to enjoy our efforts. It was actually a very satisfying and rewarding experience.” Nick also picks up on the ‘two left feet’ theme. He says: “I’m hopeless when it comes to dancing, as my wife’s bruises from our brief attempt at ballroom demonstrate, but practice, perseverance and enthusiasm is all you need,” As well as touring the villages for free and appearing at special events, such as the Uppingham Feast, they’re ‘available for weddings, parties, funerals and bar mitzvahs’. The fees vary but are very reasonable and enable them to maintain the instruments (which include a wonderful contraption called a diatonic melodeon) and purchase costumes – those baldricks don’t come cheap you know! You can be sure that any surplus at the end of the year, and it’s often several hundred pounds, will be given to deserving local charities. The last word goes to Nick – a rallying cry to all you stout yeomen of England. “In its way, Rutland Morris Men is part of the hidden gem that is Rutland and, unless more people give it a go, its future could be in jeopardy.” A chance to continue a centuries-old cultural lineage, drink a lot of beer and jangle some bells? Sounds too good to miss.

Above and le

The Rutland Morris Men of today in their finery. The side have been running for years, as these historic photographs show

// For contact details and calendar of events visit: www.morrismen.org.uk

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Feature /// Health and Wellness

Health and Wellness

Everything a woman needs to be fit, healthy and fantastic. Edited by Sandie Hurford

Four out of five women wear the wrong-size bra Most women are making bra boobs, a survey has revealed

I The Belvia Bra from JML (pictured above), which uses a stretch fabric that moulds to the body and wraps around the chest without the need for hooks and underwire, has won the Product of the Year award in the Women’s Clothing Category of the the world’s largest independent consumer-voted Product of the Year survey.

SPORTS SUPPORT Quality sports bras are a must for anybody engaging in any regular sports as reducing breast movement delays long-term sagging. Breasts, whether large or small, lose shape over time because there is no muscle within them to maintain their structure and this deterioration is accelerated by unsupported exercise. Two important factors to consider when shopping for sports bras are the cup size of your bust and the nature of the workout. Exercise is divided into low-impact activities such as yoga and pilates, medium-impact pursuits like walking or cycling or high-impact activities such as running and gym sessions. As the degree of impact increases, so the need for greater support also increases. Sports bras can be divided into three general types. Compression bras are suited for medium-impact sports, though they can also be employed for high-impact sports for bust sizes of a maximum C cup. They work by pressing the breast into the chest and reducing movement and bounce. Encapsulation sports bras are ideal for larger cup sizes and high-impact sports. Much like a traditional bra, the breasts sit comfortably in a whole cup, supporting them during exercise. Combination sports bras are just that – incorporating an encapsulated cup, which pushes the breast into the chest for the firmness, hold and appearance of a compression bra. These work for medium or high-impact sports upon medium or large bust sizes.

T MAY BE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY of the brassiere, but the majority of UK women seem to be making a series of boobs when it comes to their bras. A study of more than 1,000 women found that there are seven common faux pas that British women are making: the Quadraboob, the Side Boob, the Ledge, the High Rider, the Big Stand Off, Saggy Cups and Super Drooper. In response to the findings, retailer Bravissimo is launching the world’s first Boob School to help women avoid falling into these booby traps. The most common faux pas experienced by women was the Side Boob (41%), where the wires in the cup of the bra sit on the boob rather than the ribcage, causing the boobs to spill out over the sides of the bra. This was closely followed by the High Rider (39%), where the back of the bra is too loose and rides up. The dreaded Quadraboob (36%) is caused by boobs spilling over the top of the cup, giving the impression of four boobs. The research revealed that four in every five UK women admit to regularly experiencing at least one of the seven bra faux pas, all of which

are a result of wearing badly-fitting lingerie. The likelihood of making a bra faux pas was also proportional to the size of women’s breasts, with bigger-breasted ladies experiencing more problems finding a properly fitted bra and dealing with the challenges of having more to handle in the first place! The Quadraboob was the biggest pitfall for bigger-busted ladies, with 53% of women who were above a GG cup size falling prey. Although all the faux pas identified could be avoided by wearing a well-fitting bra, only one in five women said they were extremely confident that they were wearing the correct bra size. This is unsurprising, as the study also identified several reasons why women continually experience such uncertainty about their bra size. Over a two-year period, three-quarters (77%) have lost or gained weight, 62% have changed their clothes size, 17% have gone through the menopause and 10% have had a baby, all potentially impacting upon their bra size. However, despite the shifts in size that women are experiencing, 24% of UK women admitted to

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THE CHAMELEON GUIDE ON HOW TO FIT Giselle Brannan says her Chameleon lingerie boutiques in Stamford and Oakham were ‘born out of the frustration of a lady with a larger than average bust who was fed up with the scant, fuddyduddy offerings of the larger retailers and the lack of proper fitting help’

Adele Sweet Perfume from the Marie Jo collection (Chameleon)

Marie Antoinette from French brand Secret D’Eva (Chameleon)

having never had a bra fitting and 21% haven’t been for a fitting for at least four years. Bravissimo’s Boob School will give advice on what women should be looking for in a perfectly fitting bra by following their simple lessons online, via a Facebook app or in store. Jo Lee, buying and marketing director at Bravissimo, says: “We’d noticed for some time that there were a number of booby traps women were falling into, normally because they’ve never experienced a proper fitting and they simply don’t know how to spot the signs that their bra is no longer giving them the support they need. “By identifying the seven classic bra faux pas and launching Boob School, we’re hoping that women everywhere can become more knowledgeable about what makes a really good fitting bra, so they feel more confident about their bra size now and into the future and our brilliant British boobs can finally get the treatment they deserve!” Other findings of the survey, completed by 1,155 women of all ages, included: ■ Around two in five women feel comfortable telling a friend that they’ve made a bra faux pas ■ Woman from the North West would be the most likely to tell you the truth about your boobs, with 50% saying they’d tell their friend if they made a bra faux pas ■ Women from the South West and those aged 51+ are the least likely to have a bra faux pas-making friend ■ A third of women have had a fitting in the past year. Half of those who are GG+ cup size have had a fitting in the past year, as have those aged 30 or under

■ A quarter of women who hadn’t had a fitting in more than two years feel they simply don’t need a fitting, whilst a fifth are too embarrassed ■ Four in five 5 women own more than five bras, but less than half wear more than five bras regularly ■ Three-quarters of women like the way their breasts look in their bra

TOP BRA FAUX PAS and the percentage of UK women who admit to having them:

■ The Side Boob (wires in the cup sitting on your breast rather than your ribcage): 41% ■ The High Rider (the back of the bra riding up): 39% ■ The Quadraboob (bust spilling over the top of the cup, giving the impression of four boobs): 36% ■ The Big Stand Off (front of bra doesn’t sit flat on sternum): 28% ■ The Super Drooper (not enough support, saggy boobs): 26% ■ Saggy Cups (too much fabric creating wrinkly cups): 24% ■ The Ledge (over upli , transforming bust into something that resembles a shelf): 12%

There is a lot more to fitting a bra than most of us realise. Like many parts of us, the breasts and rib cage are fairly unique to us. The shape of the ribcage determines how the breasts sit and how wide the breast root is (the root is where the base of the breast comes out of the chest area i.e. underneath the bust.) Fitting may be done in several ways, including the use of a tape measure. However, at Chameleon we like to be a little more accurate than this so we measure simply by fitting garments on to the individual. There is no such thing as a standard size in the lingerie industry – hence people’s confusion when they think they are a 34D in one brand and they buy a different brand and a 34D doesn’t fit. Each manufacturer has its own size patterns so it is important to accept that you may be fitted into different sizes from different manufacturers to get the right fit. “Then there is the matter of different styles of bras – you will come across plunge, t-shirt, moulded, padded, balconette or balcony, half-cup and full cup, to name but a few. Again, the styles which suit you will depend on your shape and not many people can wear all shapes so it is very important to make sure you do find those which suit you. Key aspects of a good fit are a firm but not tight fit around the chest. This band should be at least level all the way round; if it rides up at the back, then it is probably too loose. Once the band width is determined, then you need to make sure the cup fits. This is where it gets more tricky. Fuller busts don’t always work with a plunge and those with an open rib-cage and a defined gap between the breast o en suit a balconette style better. Full cups tend to let the bust sit heavy at the bottom and spread sideways (east-west in the trade), whereas those with a wider strap and a side sling help keep the bust forward facing. The best way to find out what suits you is to go to an independent retailer and get a proper fitting service. Allow yourself a good half an hour to be able to try a variety of garments and find those that suit your shape, flatter the figure and, most importantly, feel very comfortable. They will also advise on where the band should sit on you, adjust the straps for you and give you tips on fitting the bust into the bra cups. They can show you why a bra doesn’t really fit and why it feels uncomfortable – things which are not necessarily obvious when you try to fit yourself. Good-fitting, comfortable bras are not inexpensive but the cost per wear will usually even out the initial higher spend. In lingerie, you do get what you pay for.

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Feature /// Weddings

Wedding help Need some expertise for the big day? Try these local companies out NORMANTON CHURCH Steeped in history, Normanton Church retains a timeless architectural elegance. Deconsecrated in 1970, it offers a venue unique in its design and water front location and is now available for civil ceremonies. Its once threatened existence adds to the enchanting ambience of Normanton Church, which now stands as a surviving treasure of the past. Saved from the reservoir floor, the only thing flooding this venue is light. The many windows not only illuminate the arched interior of the venue, they offer picturesque views out across the water. Exquisite beauty radiates in waves from this grade II listed building, built in the classical style. The church, originating from medieval times, was redesigned in 1826-9 by Thomas Cundy and his son, surveyors to the Grosvenor estate in Westminster. A unique atmosphere emanates from Normanton Church and it provides an ideal blank canvas for wedding decoration and a perfect backdrop for photographs. Anglian Water’s wedding co-ordinator Jennifer Coates work closely with clients ensuring all negotiations are orchestrated flawlessly. A Rutland icon, Normanton Church is stylistically evocative and truly a novel civil ceremony venue, guaranteed to create cherished memories doused in romanticism. So, is it your dream to have a wedding on the water in one of the finest, most recognisable, buildings in the County of Rutland?  Call 07885 135627 or email: weddings@ anglianwater.co.uk

CHAMELEON When planning your big day there is an awful lot to remember and lots of decisions to be made. Choosing your dress is a big decision and to make sure it fits perfectly most brides have it made to measure. They will be told fairly early on to get their bridal underwear sorted so the dress can be fitted with it on. The most popular dresses o en require a strapless bra and that’s where we at Chameleon can help you. It is really important to get the correct style and shape of strapless bra to fit you properly and you can only get this by trying on a number of styles and sizes. Our staff are all trained to do exactly that! Chameleon o en fits its brides in a shop sample and then order a new bra for them in their preferred colour. The brands it stocks include Simone Perele, Chantelle, Marie Jo and Lise Charmel. These days with the innovation of textiles its lingerie is lighter and more comfortable and ranges up to much bigger cup sizes than in the past. F cup strapless? No problem. A bride’s trousseau however extends beyond the actual day to the honeymoon and good fitting lingerie to go under those new holiday outfits is also a must! Not to mention perhaps some elegant nightwear and fabulous fitting swimwear. It is just as important to get good fitting swimwear as lingerie so you feel good on the beach and don’t fear losing a top or bottom as you dive in to the pool! Try Seafolly, Moontide, Empreinte and Pain de Sucre to name but a few. Ideally make an appointment and allow yourself at least half an hour and they will help you with some of those key decisions.  Chameleon Stamford – 01780 755405, Chameleon Oakham – 01572 720222

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Feature /// Great walks

Burghley Park We are lucky to have access to this beautiful park and all it contains, as Will Hetherington reminds us Words & Photography: Will Hetherington THE ROUTE:

There are many different ways to enjoy Burghley Park but my favourite is to walk in via the entrance at the junction of Water Street and Barnack Road. This route takes you past the Princess Diana Memorial Garden and Burghley Park Cricket Club on the right. As you approach the house along the mile-long drive you can fully appreciate the majesty of the park with its ancient trees. These trees were originally planted in avenues in the 17th century under the instruction of the 5th Earl of Exeter. However, in the late 18th century the 9th Earl brought in Capability Brown, the most famous landscape gardener of them all, to shake things up. He created the Serpentine Lake and removed a lot of the original lime avenues, setting out the park as it remains today, using mainly English Oaks. On a hot summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day these broad-leaf trees offer vast areas of welcome shade to visitors and

of course the resident herd of fallow deer, who are so used to visitors you can almost touch them. When you get up to the house you can pop into the Orangery for lunch or a drink, or enjoy a picnic on the lawns in front of the house. Afterwards follow the ha-ha round, taking in the views of the house, the ancient large-leaved lime and the massive oriental plane in the same area. When you get to the Serpentine Lake go past the Lion Bridge and then make your way west and out of the park. There is tremendous freedom to roam the parkland and you will never be cramped for space. To enjoy a full loop leave the park via the Bottle Lodges and stroll back into Stamford down St. Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

THE HOUSE AND GARDENS

The house was built by William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, between 1555 and 1587, and is open to visitors. If you want to go straight there drive east from Stamford for one mile down Barnack Road and turn right into the visitor entrance. From here you can spend the day exploring the Garden of Surprises and the Sculpture Garden. The south gardens are also open at selected times of year for special events. For more information about prices and opening times visit www.burghley.co.uk

Difficulty rating (out of five)

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TOP STAT 6th David Cecil, the eter, won Marquess of Ex hurdles at gold in the 400m ics and the 1928 Olymp cter in the inspired a chara Fire. film Chariots of

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION Where to park For walking in the whole grounds, park before the cattle grid at the Barnack Road/Water Street entrance. For visitor attractions go straight to the visitors’ entrance a mile down Barnack Road. Or just walk in from Stamford. Clockwise, from top

The stunning facade of Burghley House is an awe-inspiring sight and it’s within walking distance of Stamford town centre; the impressive Lion Bridge; the gardens at the house are well worth a visit; the Bottle Lodges at the top end of Stamford are located on the road from the A1; there are stunning view across Stamford’s predominantly Georgian roofline from the parkland surrounding Burghley House

Distance and time If you walk in and out of the park from Stamford it’s about three miles in total and will take an hour and a half if you take time to stand and stare. If you take a picnic then relax and enjoy a whole day.

Highlights Space, the views of Stamford, the magnificent house, ancient trees, Lion Bridge and the Bottle Lodges. Lowlights Unfortunately this walk is not too dog friendly as you are not allowed to take the dog lead off due to sheep and deer in the park. Refreshments The Orangery at Burghley House offers refreshments throughout the daytime. Or pop into the William Cecil or the Bull & Swan in town.

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Feature /// Sportsman’s Dinner

The Exeter Arms This month JT and Dean venture up to picturesque Easton-on-the-Hill Dean I was looking forward to this assignment, Jon. A trip out to the Exeter Arms. Easton-onthe-Hill is far enough away to feel like we’re branching out, but close enough to Stamford to not get too nervous. When people talk about the beautiful villages near Stamford, I always think of Easton. Probably my favourite one. JT It’s a perfect English summer evening getaway, especially with the wondrous weather we’ve been enjoying at the moment. There’s a cosy stone restaurant, a delightful orangery and a spacious garden that’s ideal for those summer nights. Perfect as well for a bit of supper and a beer after doing one of the Active magazine walks through the Meadows and up to Easton. Dean Almost in celebration of the good weather, they’ve introduced a new summer menu as well, put together by new head chef Peter Lane, who’s previously worked at the Plough in Casterton and the Olive Branch in Clipsham. JT They’ve got a good selection of summer platters on the menu if you fancy it, but I went traditional. My pork plate starter was, as the name suggests, a whole smorgasbord of pork meats, crackling and my favourite, picalili. Dean Picalili?! That picalili was brighter than the evening sunshine. I needed to put my shades back on. I had the mackerel fish fingers. JT You and your constant hunt for fish fingers. They’re homemade ones here, not the frozen

ones you cook at home. For my main, I had the special squid ink risotto with calamari. A perfect summer dish. We could be sat out in Estepona rather than Easton. Talking of which, they’ve got San Miguel on tap here, as well as Harvest Pale Ale. Spain meets middle England! Dean I’ve always said you don’t need to go abroad to get all you need. I had the rump of lamb with a glorious chorizo gratin. A mix of English elegance with a Spanish twist. Like me all over. JT I’m not sure ‘twist’ is exactly the word I’d use, Dean. After my superb risotto, I reverted to a classic English staple of three English cheeses – Colston Basset, Westcombe cheddar and Elmhurst Hand. Dean You can’t beat a classic English dessert. The Spanish may have good chorizo, San Miguel and calamari, but they can’t touch us when it

comes to pudding. I had the classic strawberries and cream, sat outside in the late evening sun. Reminds me of my day at Wimbledon recently. JT Was that the one when it rained most of the day and the only tennis you saw was on the big screen on Murray mound?! Dean Possibly. As I said, a great English day out. Overall, we’d wholly recommend the Exeter Arms. Its a proper taste of England. An English summer menu, nice inside area, an orangery, large outdoor patio area, and friendly bar staff (Alex, Liddy and Linda all were super friendly and welcoming). It’s almost the perfect way to spend a summer evening.

The Exeter Arms

21 Stamford Road, Easton-on-the-Hill, PE9 3NS. 01780 756321

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Golf Day i

a t

in aid of the Matt hampson Foundation and Riding for the Disabled

friday 13th September 18 holes of golf at Burghley Park Golf club welcome drink and 2 course dinner Great prizes on offer ÂŁ340 per team of 4 (ÂŁ85 per person) To enter your team CONTACT Glynis Sullivan-Porteous golfday@theactivemag.com or 07715 100849

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Photography: Jim Cartwright/Alamy

Feature /// Great runs

North Uppingham loop Alexa Cutteridge heads out towards Ayston and Bisbrooke from Uppingham Start at Uppingham School Sports Centre and head out on to Leicester Road. When you get to the A47 turn right and run along the grass track at the side of it until you get to the round about ahead. Carefully take the ﬁrst exit up hill to Ayston. As you enter Ayston turn right and go along a back countryside road. Continue ahead and cross over the A6003 to join the footpath and head across open ﬁelds. At the end of the footpath you head downhill through an avenue of trees and meet a road. Turn right and join on to the road. Get ready for some hill climbs! Set a steady pace and head uphill for half a mile to meet the A47 again. At the top of the hill have a

stretch and recovery break whilst taking in the views! Then cross over the A47 and head downhill on Baulk Road in to the village of Bisbrooke. At the fork in the road, turn right and head uphill in to the village, then turn left on to the Inghams. Here you pass through an avenue of trees and then out on to a footpath between ﬁelds, taking you back towards Uppingham. Ahead is the cricket pitch on the left and Glaston Road on your right. Go over the roundabout and join on to the High Street West. Either stop for a drink in the picturesque market town (rude not to!) or continue ahead to join back on to Leicester Road where you started.

STATS NORTH UPPINGHAM LOOP DISTANCE 5.5 miles TERRAIN Road and footpath, one long hill, two short hills DIFFICULTY 3/5

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Feature /// School sports

Olympian presents awards to ambitious Bourne Grammar BOURNE GRAMMAR SCHOOL’S annual Sports Presentation Evening, held on Tuesday 9 July, saw guest of honour three-times Olympian and British Women’s Javelin record holder Goldie Sayers, present the prizes. She was making a return to Bourne Grammar, having last visited a year ago when she was part of the Olympic Torch relay as it passed through Bourne, using the Grammar School as its base. Goldie, who is based in Cambridge, spoke to the students who had come with their parents to receive hundreds of awards for their sporting successes over the year. She competed in the 2012 London Olympics, despite a ligament injury to her elbow. There were awards in netball, hockey,

basketball, football, girls’ football, cross-country, swimming, rowing, tennis, athletics, cricket and rugby at school, county, regional and national levels, such is the extent and level of achievement in sport at the Grammar School. Bourne Grammar’s headteacher, Jonathan Maddox, spoke of the school’s plans to extend and develop its sporting facilities, starting with an addition to the school’s playing ﬁelds next year and plans to extend the sports hall. He explained that the School is very keen to build a full-size all-weather playing surface on its ﬁeld and the project is beginning to take shape. The Bourne Educational Foundation, which has supported Bourne Grammar and all the

other schools in Bourne for many years, has released a considerable sum towards the all-weather pitch. This was revealed when school governor Bob Brown presented the school with a cheque for £92,216.32. Maddox added: “We are immensely grateful to our friends at the BEF for this enormous contribution to the all-weather surface. “The BEF governors know the school well so can be conﬁdent that the money will, hopefully very soon, enable hundreds of students every year, for years, to enjoy high-quality play without disruption due to the weather, and that the new facility will also be a wonderful and much-needed community facility, to be enjoyed by all.”

Oakham cricketers win Bows Festival OAKHAM SCHOOL won the prestigious Bows Festival at Brighton, capping a strong cricket season for the school. They defeated Brighton, Wellington and Sedbergh – teams considered to be some of the best in the country with strong cricketing reputations. Brighton were comprehensively defeated after some devastating quick bowling had swept away the opposition for 75. Tim Juggins and captain, Henry Foster, were the chief destroyers, ably assisted by Charles Hurley and James Ilott. Batsman Joe Kendall and Albert Radford enabled Oakham to cruise to victory by eight wickets. On the second day, after another ﬁne bowling display, the strong Wellington School side was bowled out for 225, with Henry Foster again to the fore. Off spinner, Ollie Elson, also ﬁgured

strongly with each bowler taking three wickets. Jack Crace (52) and Charles Hurley (48) batted with great composure in tense circumstances before Oakham won convincingly by four

wickets with three overs to spare. The scene was, therefore, set for the final showdown with Sedbergh, whom many had feted as favourites to win the tournament, and boasted a strong batting line-up. The opposition won a vital toss in cloudy helpful bowling conditions and the control of the game fluctuated from one side to the other. After Oakham had batted themselves into an extremely strong position, Sedbergh fought back strongly before finally amassing a reasonable working total of 215-9. However, in reply, Sedbergh’s commanding start was shattered by the hostile bowling of Jack Crace (5-24) and Elson (3-30) and Oakham won in a canter by 30 runs. Henry Foster, an inspiring captain, held the trophy aloft with pride and Jack Crace was nominated player of the tournament.

Stuart Broad returns to Brooke Priory OLD BOY STUART BROAD returned to Brooke Priory recently to give the kids some cricketing tips, with the U11 boys cricket team then beating Abbey School from Leicester to win the Leicestershire 6-a-side league. Headmistress Elizabeth Bell said: ‘We are all so proud of the boys, they set themselves the target of winning a trophy and they have secured arguably the most prestigious title in Leicestershire!’ The boys will be invited to pick up their trophy from County Hall in Glenﬁeld in October.

Pupils from the school took part in the Leicestershire and Rutland Schools Games with the U11 High Five Netball team winning the Spirit of the Games award for their sportsmanlike attitude and exemplary behaviour. Year 4 pupil Rachael Hancock won gold in the PAN gymnastics. Le

The squad with Stuart Broad: Freddie Scott (captain), Ruben Scott, Fred Johnson, Gabriel Tufail-Smith, Joe Rumble, Jacob Davies, Oliver Drakard and Oscar Bryan

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SES cadets challenged ELEVEN ARMY CADETS from Stamford’s Year 10 enjoyed a weekend at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, where they learned camp craft and tactics. They put into practice erecting a basha, attacking an ‘enemy’ position and springing a very effective ambush. Important lessons learned by cadets were how to create a shelter before it rained, and to understand the meaning of ‘reveille’; when told that for the ﬁrst morning it was 0630, it was interpreted as 0500 by some (which is admirable enthusiasm).

Tom’s maiden first-class 50 OLD OAKHAMIAN TOM FELL has made his maiden ﬁrst-class half-century playing for Worcestershire County Cricket Club, scoring an unbeaten 62 to help draw the four-day match against Australia. Tom left Oakham last year after captaining the 1st XI cricket team for two seasons and breaking all of the school’s batting records. He holds the highest aggregate of any Oakham batsman since 1884, having scored 3,463 runs in his four seasons in the XI, at an average of 60.75. He is regarded as being the ﬁnest batman ever to have attended the school, given that the next closest rival scored 2,500 runs (average of 45.45). Tom scored seven centuries during his time, more than any other batsman since 1884. As well as playing for Worcestershire, Tom also played in all matches for the Oxford MCC Universities XI this last term while studying at Oxford Brooks.

SES team excel at Feva THE STAMFORD ENDOWED SCHOOLS Year 8-10 sailors (Sam and Jem Leedham, Ed Whattoff, James Rigby, Rose Robson, Molly Naylor, Tom Proffitt and Will Speigl) competed with over 90 boats at the Feva Nationals at Southend during half term. The Feva Nationals is a three-day event attended by both club sailors and schools. The competition is physically and mentally challenging with sailors spending up to five hours out on the water, then packing away their boats and noting their positions before starting once again the next morning. After the qualifiers, the Gold fleet was dominated by sailing club boats. However, Stamford had a strong presence in the Silver fleet, with Sam and Jem holding second place for the first two days and Ed and James in fifth place. A weaker final day saw both pairs slip to finish in seventh and eighth respectively. The other two pairs also did well with Tom and Will finishing 39th and Rosie and Molly, who were let down by equipment failure on the final day slipped down to finish just behind Tom and Will. Andrew Crookell, SES sailing captain, said: “The team did extremely well and I am very proud of their performance at this major event.”

SUCCESS AT GAMES AROUND 100 CHILDREN from nine different schools represented Rutland at the School Games Summer Championships held at Uppingham School last month. There were also 45 young leaders from Casterton Business and Enterprise College who acted as officials on both the Tri-Golf and Tennis competitions, plus three Sports Ambassadors, from Uffington Community College (Megan Scott) and Catmose College (Francesca Kennard Kettle and Charlie Watt) performing the opening speech for the games. Amongst the winners were Oakham Primary whose Year 5/6 team won the Tri-Golf, and Langham and Brooke Priory who not only won the Inclusion Gymnastics but also the Spirit of the Games Trophy. more than any other batsman since 1884. As well as playing for Worcestershire, Tom also played in all matches for the Oxford MCC Universities XI this last term whilst studying at Oxford Brooks.

WILDCATS WILDCATS THEATRE SCHOOL and Academy have a bursting programme of activities throughout the school holidays. There are two week-long summer schools: gymnastics week (July 29 – August 2) and Matilda the Musical Summer running at The Cresset, Rightwell, Bretton (August 12 – August 16). Alongside the week long activities there are a number of one day workshops to choose from.  For information call 01780 762000 or go to www.wildcatstheatreschool.co.uk

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Roundup The scores, star performers and stats from a month in Stamford and Rutland sport

Cricket

Hurricanes, hangovers and hamburgers BY JEREMY BESWICK

o Burghley Park for sponsors’ day as they host Ufford Park, complete with wine tasting and canapés. I can recall arriving on a beautiful afternoon, a Hurricane ﬂying overhead and that the claret was particularly good, but for some reason have little recollection of the match itself. Furthermore, my notes seem to be illegible. Very strange. Anyway, according to the records Burghley lost, mustering only 93 in reply to Ufford’s 272. Maybe I wasn’t the only one on the claret..... but a great day. The bacchanalia continued with Burghley Park Cricket Week’s sixes tournament and its ever-popular beer tent, barbecue and live music. The weather was kind this year – unlike last when the rain never seemed to stop – and Burghley will have been delighted to raise a considerable amount of much-needed funds. Hundreds of spectators swelled the bar receipts each evening and not far off a thousand were there for the ﬁnal. Burghley’s performances on the pitch

were impressive,too. A win against Nassington in the semis saw them meet Castor and Ailsworth for the title. Despite the host’s Ben Slack taking four wickets in four balls – as far as I know there is no term for this, so I propose ‘a Slack trick’ – Castor eventually ran out winners, Burghley only able to reach 55-4 in reply to 68-4. Congratulations to Castor, who are ﬂying high just now as they also top Rutland League division 3 after victories against Yaxley and Ketton. Burghley were unlucky enough to lose a second ﬁnal, this time to Stamford Town in the Knock-out Shield. However this was only temporary respite for a Stamford side who’ve lost form in the league recently, dropping to fourth following losses to top of the table Boston and then second placed Billingborough, falling short of this last opponent’s 207 by just four runs – 10 runs closer than the Trent Bridge Test. A mixed four weeks for Market Deeping’s Saturday side; victories against Spalding and Hartsholme amongst defeats by Bracebridge Heath and Woodhall Spa.

The Sunday team were more consistent, in fact completely consistent, in the same period – just not in a good way. A match report of their game against Uppingham follows later. Laxton Park, once of the first division, are presently struggling in the fourth following the departure of five of their best players. In fact, they’ve yet to register their first win. Captain Adrian McCrone said: “We recognise we aren’t the team we were last season and it’s not been a good start for us. I fear demotion. We’re in desperate need of quality players, particularly batsmen. We haven’t scored over a hundred yet, so anyone who can shore up one end would be invaluable”. If this sounds like you – and you’d enjoy playing cricket in a picturesque setting – give Adrian a call on 07427 479188. Wakerley and Barrowden were promoted last year to Rutland League Division 6. As a true village side with a total squad of 15 they anticipated a struggle, but have won their last six games on the trot. “We’re as surprised as anyone,” admitted

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captain Chris White, “The extent of our ambition was just to stay up”. Centuries from Dale Howkins, Sam Hodson and Chris himself have helped, but spare a thought for Chris’s brother Jonny, who’s not scored a century but been out three times in the nervous 90s. “When he fell for 95 last weekend all our heads dropped for him,” said Chris. I’d offer Jonny some advice but have never been anywhere near that close myself (which will surprise no-one who’s seen me attempt to bat). Also to the fore was father Bob, who took eight wickets in a single innings. Deserving of a special mention is recent debutant Ronan Sillery – he’s 12 years old and ﬁelded like a pro. In fact, the whole squad is so young that the older guys, being in loco parentis, had to behave themselves on their recent tour to Swansea with early nights and cocoa. So they say, anyway. Oakham’s Saturday side has found life difﬁcult lately, losing to Kegworth Town, Montsorrel Castle and Cosby. Just as well that they also met Shepshed Messengers.

Batting first, Shepshed’s Kershaw hit a quick-fire 72 but the slow bowlers – captain Matt Osman and Jamie Oakley – took three wickets apiece to have them all out for 148. Jamie McMormack was the stand-out batsman in reply as his rapid 66 saw Oakham home by five wickets. The Sunday side face a fight against relegation and losses against Market Overton and Bretton sandwiched their visit to Newborough, where several drop outs saw them field a weakened side. A ninth wicket stand by Dave Falconer and Joe Lemon saw Oakham to 189 and then their bowlers performed well to clinch victory by 52 runs. Now no longer propping up the table, let’s hope Rory Brown’s merry band can continue the climb to safety. Uppingham moved to second in the Everard’s table with a creditable fourwicket win against close rivals Syston 2nds and reached the final of the Rutland T20 with victory over Market Overton where, as holders, they will meet Oakham as we go to press. Town had two local derbies in the

Sunday league, travelling to Market Deeping and hosting Ufford Park. Regular readers will expect the names “Dumford” and “Collins” to feature prominently in what follows and will not be disappointed. Winning the toss against Deeping they opted to bowl ﬁrst. Opening bowlers Max Collins and Danny Dumford caused Deeping no end of trouble as their innings nearly ground to a halt, and ﬁrst change Chris Howe kept the pressure up with four wickets including a spectacular catch by Ben Collins. Wicketkeeper and captain Jamie Dumford took the catch that ended Deeping’s effort on 102. In reply, openers Jamie Dumford (48 n.o.) and Max Collins (47 n.o.) saw Uppingham easily home. Ufford Park’s Ross Keymer held their innings together after they’d won the toss at Castle Hill. Danny Dumford took 2 for 7 off 12 overs but thereafter Ufford recovered, Roy Stevens (32) and Sandeep Dahiya (25) helping them to a total of 139. Uppingham’s openers departed cheaply but Jamie Dumford’s 52 turned things around and it was a comfortable victory in the end.

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Roundup

Golf

Burghley ladies march on in Daily Mail Foursomes

urghley Park’s Hannah Vaughan and Gill Bedford continued their march towards the finals of the national Daily Mail Foursomes knock out competition with a stunning 6&4 away win at Northampton County last month. Both played solid golf throughout the match and have now reached Round 6, the furthest any Burghley team has gone for many years. Burghley Park’s Ladies’ A Team claimed their first win of the season, with a 3-1 win over Boston in the Lincs Ladies League. It has been a struggle this year, but the spirit amongst the squad never wavered, and they fully deserved their first success. It could have been even better, as the first pair lost out on the final green, but the team were just happy to take the points, and look forward to further successes before the season is out. The Seniors were on both ends of 5-3 results recently. They welcomed St Neots and ran out 5-3 winners, whilst at Peterborough Milton the result was reversed. Dave Devlin proved the most consistent player for Burghley, being the only person to win both of his matches. Captain’s weekend at Burghley was blessed with scorching weather on both

days, which tempted so many members that the turnout was the highest ever. In total 254 players took part, with 179 men on Sunday and 75 ladies on Saturday. Club captain Richard Gilbert said: “I’m delighted by the support which ladies’ captain Janet Duff and myself have received from club members over the weekend, and for their great generosity. “Their donations to our captains’ charities (Mencap and Thorpe Hall Hospice) came to more than £1,400, and the atmosphere on the course and in the clubhouse was fantastic. “We both want to thank the many people who put a lot of effort into making sure the weekend ran so smoothly.” On ladies’ day all the players threw themselves enthusiastically into the ﬂower power theme, a some of the interpretations will live long in Burghley folklore. The format of the day was a variation of a Yellow Peril team competition, played in teams of three, with the “ﬂower ball” scoring on every hole. Scores were impressive, with victory going to Beryl Burrows, Lynn Collen and Mary Dooley, whose 86 points pipped Pam Barton, Pauline Crampin and Becky Ferguson by a single point. Sue Churchill, Hannah Vaughan and Jo Bell claimed third with 82.

The juniors competition saw a memorable day for the Mayman family. Brothers Adam and Jordan Mayman took the first two places on 38 points, with Adam winning on countback. However, that was not the end of Adam’s celebrations – he also got a hole in one on the 16th to make it truly a day he’ll always remember. Sunday was blisteringly hot, and most of the 179 players who took part (except those who went out at the crack of dawn) welcomed the shade provided by Burghley’s trees. Scoring was good, with 12 players going under par in the Stableford competition, and five shooting 40 points or better. As ever, the final positions were decided on countback, with Anton Wells’ better back nine giving him victory and the captain’s prize with 41 points, shading out Jim McGhee in second spot. Darron Russon took third on 40 points, on countback from Adrian Crowson in fourth. Perhaps the happiest person on the day was Derek Clarke, one of the captain’s guests, who holed in one on the 13th to secure his first ever ace; his misfortune was that it was the one par 3 without a nearest the pin prize! Joe Lippett, the assistant pro at Burghley, claimed his first win as a professional in

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July, in the Lincolnshire PGA Assistant Pro’s championship at Kenwick Park. After a steady morning round of 77, Lippett caught fire in the afternoon session to card a 68 and take the title by two shots from ex-England international and Europro Tour player Adam Keogh from Boston. NORTH LUFFENHAM Alan Barwell shot a hole-in-one at the par three 141-yard 16th hole at North Luffenham last month. He achieved this during a recent match against Stoke Albany which he and his partner went on to half. As Alan is not particularly a big hitter, he achieved this magnificent feat using his trusty three wood, even though all his group at the time thought his drive had gone through the green. This is Alan’s first ace at the age of 70. In the recent match against Stoke Albany, North Luffenham seniors avenged their only defeat so far this season coming out on top 4-2. Results were: Malcolm Hird/Don Lambert halved, Ken Jones/Alan Barwell halved, Alan Swindley/Jim Ashworth won 3&1, Stan/Chris Lee lost 3&2, Steve Moss/ Alan Smith won 3&2, Charles Cade/David Scotchmer won 5&4.

GREETHAM The July medal was played on the Lakes course in very hot conditions. In Division One three people were tied on 73 points and were separated on count back. Nine handicapper Dave Pusch was placed second, John Simpson, also off nine took third and plus one golfer Jordan Burdall was pushed back into fourth. Jordan at least had the consolation of winning the lowest gross with a 72. The winner of the division and the competition, Nick Cunnington, got off to a good start with a par on the first then took a step backwards when he moved the ball while removing his marker – as a result he called a one shot penalty upon himself. Having thrown away 25% of his handicap a lesser man may have wilted, but Nick put it straight out of his mind and birdied the next two holes and didn’t drop another shot until the eighth, unfortunately, he then dropped another on the ninth. This left him at one over for the front nine, he got back to level when he birdied the tenth. Nick dropped just two more shots for the rest of the back nine to finish with a two over par 74, nett 70. The ladies scratch team got off to a good start winning their first match of the season, and then played Stoke Rochford away. The

in-form Emma Tipping beat Pam Watson six and five to get them off to a good start. Sophie Beardsall played in match two and she beat June Miller by three and two. Team captain Gilly Grant won the final match one up against Chris Rowley to make it a clean sweep and full points. The first team welcomed fellow title contenders Blankney on possibly the hottest day of the year, but unfortunately it was the home team that wilted in the heat of battle. The father and son combination of Paul and Adam Clegg started the ball rolling with a narrow one up victory, however, Chris Steele and Fraser Denholm struggled to hold off the visitors and finally lost out three and one. Andrew Frisby andBen Gasson were taken all the way to the eighteenth but finally saw off the visitors with a two up win. Neil Harris and Ben Easson trailed at the turn two down despite playing level par golf, however the visitors continued to make birdies and ran out four and three winners to level up the match. In game five club captain Trevor Smith and Bob Green went all the way to the final hole with the Greetham pair just failing to reverse the trend, finishing one down. However the contest was all over by then and a four to two assured victory for Blankney.

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Roundup

Equestrianism

Hard going at Buckminster BY JULIA DUNGWORTH

uckminster Horse Trials ran over the first weekend in July and was one of the first events to take place during our heatwave. The organisers of the event had done plenty on the cross country course to make the best of the ever-hardening ground, and even though they had nearly 500 competitors competing over the two days they all seemed very happy, if not a little red-faced. The novice track slightly changed this year with a first gallop straight up the hill, which was quite hard work given the weather, but generally, the courses rode very well, with most people just keen to get home to see Andy Murray in action in the final at Wimbledon. In fact, on Sunday late in the afternoon I have to say the lorry park was much more sparse than usual! Richard Jones was feeling the heat with five rides over the two days; he procured a win on Laughtons Hero in the BE100. The hotly contested open novice, with several advanced horses competing in it, had a more international feel and was won by the Irish rider Fred Scala on Kilteay Brief.

JumpCross at Wittering held their second Mini JumpCross in July. Following training in the morning, the competition, which featured two height classes, ran in the afternoon. Katie Mulhearn won the 2ft section while Maddie Young was the winner of the 2ft3 competition. This popular new addition to the calendar provides riders who are looking to compete in a more ‘low key’ way with the opportunity to compete over a shortened version of the JumpCross course with just 12 fences and extensive water complexes to negotiate. JumpCross unfortunately had to cancel their next bigger competition on July 20 due to the hard ground. Due to this, Robin Dunlop and his team have started digging out an all-weather surface so that they can run all-year round and it will be ready in time for their next show. The following weekend saw the Burghley Pony Club holding their annual Senior One Day Event in Burghley Park; the event is open to non-Pony Club competitors too, with three course heights from 90cm to 1.10m.

On the day more than 200 horses took part with nearly all completing. The show jumping takes place on the Burghley Horse Trials all-weather surface and proved popular as ever. The cross country course rode well, where the ground had been aerovated and the going was good for yet another scorcher. Lucy Daly won the novice section on her own Frances and Beth Fitt riding Gilbert won the Intermediate class, both of whom are in the Burghley Pony Club. Burghley Pony Club also has a Junior One Day Event, which is taking place on August 13 at Pickworth, with heights of 60-75 cm. Your Horse magazine has teamed up with Equine Sport UK to create a new unafﬁliated championship at Arena UK near Grantham held from August 2-4. There will be Showing, Show Jumping, In-hand and Retrained racehorse classes, for horses and ponies, plus a dog show! There is also Grantham Beer Festival next door should the weather stay hot and refreshment is needed. For more information go to www. equinesportsuk.co.uk

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Fishing

Tom breaks Rutland record

he Brown Trout record at Rutland Water was well and truly smashed last month when Empingham’s Tom Cooper landed a fantastic Brown of 17lb 6¼oz (pictured right).. The record stood for 20 years when, back in 1993, Stephen Rose caught a Brown of 14lb 12oz. The record toppled as Tom’s namesake, the late Tommy Cooper, would have said ‘Just like that!’. Tom was sharing a boat with his elder brother Richard and the pair ventured up the North Arm. The excitement built for Tom as the fish followed his top dropper to the boat, then turned and took his humungus on the point, went on a 40-yard run, boiling on the surface as it went. Fifteen minutes later, the fish was beaten and in the net. Not only did Tom break the record – he also had two other fish, one 7lb Brown that was returned and a 5lb 8oz Rainbow – making it three fish for nearly 30lb! It was a memorable week for the Cooper family with dad Gary managing the best Rainbow of the week at 8lb 14½oz while he was competing in the Tuesday Night Boat League. This fine specimen was the biggest fish ever taken in the League and a personal best for Gary. Tom’s brother, Richard, fished in the Anglian Water Airflo Northern final at Rutland Water on July 8 in Iain Barr’s Team Costa, and ended up as the top individual on the day. Finally, don’t miss Rutland Rod and Reel Demo Day on Saturday, August 3, from 10am to 3pm. There will be a selection of rod and reel suppliers giving customers the chance to try and compare several different outfits while getting bespoke advice from the manufacturer. They will be offering a 20% discount on all rods and reels purchased on the day.

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Show your support for local sport and advertise in our classifieds Email advertise@theactivemag.com or call 01780 480789 /// AUGUS T 2013

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Get lost in the Fens EAST ANGLIA’S largest maize maze is at March. It covers more than 12 acres with three kilometres of twisting, turning pathways designed to baffle and bamboozle even the most determined of pathfinders. This year you’ll go nuts for its jungle safari-themed maize maze. Play the Jungle Bungle game around the maze, find the monkey nuts and you could win a prize, but watch out for the cheeky monkeys! There are also many other family activities including; giant inflatable slides, pedal go-kart track, play areas and more, and a cafe which has been recognised by the Guild of Food Writers as a “special place to stop for a super snack”. // www.skylarkmaizemaze.co.uk

Celebrate this great summer of sport with this great English BBQ! BARBEQUED MINT AND GARLIC LEG OF LAMB // Mix together four or ﬁve chopped garlic cloves, freshly chopped mint, two tablespoons of lemon juice and 100mls of olive oil in a large roasting tin. // Season both sides of the lamb (de-boned and butterﬂied – your butcher can do this for you if you ask) with salt and pepper, score the skin diagonally and cover in the marinade. Cover with foil in a dish (non-metallic if you are going to oven cook) and put it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, or overnight if possible for the best results.

// If you have a gas BBQ with a temperature gauge and a cover get it to 180C and roast for one hour, with the foil still on. Alternatively cook in the oven. Then, remove from the dish and ﬁnish on the BBQ. // The lamb should be crispy and full of ﬂavour on the outside, and pink inside. // Serve on a board and slice chunks in front of your guests, with new potatoes, BBQ sweetcorn cobs with lashing of butter and salt.

Get behind the Daniels AFTER THEIR STRONG season last year, why not go and watch the Stamford Daniels in the early season games? Here are the home ﬁxtures for the ﬁrst couple of months: Aug 17 Aug 26 Sept 3 Sept 7 Sept 17 Oct 5

Frickley Athletic 3pm League Grantham Town 3pm League Rushall Olympic 7.45pm League Worksop Town 3pm League Buxton 7.45pm League Chorley 3pm League

// For more information on the Daniels, visit www.stamfordafc.co.uk

HAVE YOU TOLD US WHAT YOU’RE UP TO? We’re always keen to hear what your club or team have been up to, what you are planning or if you want new members. Please get in touch at editor@theactivemag.com

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Peterborough

Perkins Great Eastern Run

Sunday 13 October 2013

Principal Sponsor

Organised By

One of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top half marathons Principal Sponsor

Half Marathon 10:30am Fun Run 10am

Enter today! perkinsgreateasternrun.co.uk UK Athletics - Licence No. 2013-105896

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