COMPETITION

THE BONANZA OF equine sport, shopping and entertainment, all with the stunning backdrop of the beautiful Burghley House and parkland takes place from September 1-4. Sponsors Land Rover are still onboard but there are new faces on the team including event director Martyn Johnson who now takes the reins.

Obviously the three-day equine competition is the heart of the event but there are lots of other countryside related activities to enjoy as well including a dressage masterclass from Olympian Carl Hester and the ubarry Burghley Young Event Horse finals which are always very exciting and competitive.

The shopping, as we all know, is first class with over trade stands to browse through and is the ideal place to buy your Christmas presents. And, of course, the food! The Burghley food walk full of artisan producers selling their wares is not to be missed. Visiting the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is the perfect day out and we have a pair of tickets, a car pass and a food voucher courtesy of Freemans Event Partners for the Friday for one lucky reader to win so make sure you enter by visiting www.theactivemag. com/competition

If you aren’t lucky enough to win our competition you can either buy tickets on the gate or in advance from www.burghley-horse.co.uk 0121 796 6079

To win a pair of tickets for Friday September 2 at Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, plus a car pass and food voucher, courtesy of Freemans Event Partners go to www.theactivemag.com/competition Closing date www.burghley-horse.co.uk www.freemanseventpartners.co.uk

MINDSPACE STAMFORD, A local charity committed to improving the mental health and wellbeing of the whole town, want to e pand their remit to help people who live or work in the town to ourish.

MindSpace, teamed with Nuala orsey, an e ecutive coach, founder and managing consultant of Being the Change and Emma Ellis, a coach and wellbeing strategist from Redwood Ellis, etton, held their inaugural business meeting at Alltech, Stamford recently. r an etrie, who founded the Stamford Mental Health orum, said of the new venture As a charity we’ve encouraged conversations around mental health in homes and schools and would now like to work with local businesses taking a proactive approach to positive mental health and wellbeing.’

MindSpace have invited local businesses to engage in a conversation to e plore and pool ideas on how everyone can work together to make Stamford a community that is recognised as much for being one that works proactively to promote and support positive mental health as it is for its rich history, beautiful spires and golden stone and slate. f you are a business in the Stamford area, however big or small, and are wondering how to discuss wellbeing in your business, contact MindSpace at info@mindspacestamford.com

ADA GALLERY IN Market Harborough is celebrating this month! The uni ue jewellers and gift shop has won Best Jeweller for the second time in the Muddy Stilettos awards for eicestershire and Rutland.

Ada is a beautiful bouti ue style gallery owned by designer Ruth Wood. Ruth and the other designers featured in the shop are renowned for their contemporary jewellery and metalware. op in and have a look at The Courtyard, Bennett’s lace, Market Harborough. www.adagallery.co.uk

BRAMPTON VALLEY CYCLES have recently opened a purpose-built bike fitting studio with state of the art e uipment just outside ettering at Glendon odge arm. This runs alongside the shop which, of course, sells bikes of all shapes and si es including electric ones and all accessories as well.

Brampton alley Cycles o ers a bike fitting service to cyclists of all disciplines and abilities. t was established in by aniel o , who has been fitting since , and is an nternational Bike itting nstitute ( B ualified fitter.

They o er customers access to premium bike fitting services led by an e perienced and professionally trained bike fitter with a range of bike fit technology at their disposal including a Bikefitting.com pedalling analysis jig, Gebiomi ed saddle pressure mapping, and eomo motion analysis.

As well as bike fitting, Brampton alley Cycles also o er bike si ing, custom mouldable insoles from oot Balance, test saddles from i ik, ro, rologo, Ergon, Selle talia as well as cleat fitting and cycling shoes by ake. And, of course, will service your bike as well. rawing on their e tensive e perience of working with cyclists of all abilities from Northamptonshire, eicestershire and surrounding areas, including complete beginners to age group level athletes, Brampton alley Cycles aim to provide you with the best fit possible, advice and service to help you achieve your full cycling potential.

Their philosophy is to deliver a multi-disciplinary evidence based approach, to continually self-educate, develop and improve their o ering to clients and they’re a friendly bunch too.

To make a booking please ring 01536 515241 or email info@

TOLETHORPE IS NOW in full swing for the summer season with the Stamford Shakespeare Company performing Romeo and Juliet and Spider’s Web by Agatha Christie in August. To book tickets visit stamfordshakespeare.co.uk/performance-dates/

The Shakespeare Catering Company run by local brothers Grant and Nathan Worthington is new this year at Tolethorpe so do book a pre-theatre meal as well.

RUTLAND OPEN STUDIOS will be holding their annual event over three consecutive weekends on 10/11, 17/18 and 24/25 September when local artists will open their studios to the public.

All information, including a full list of the artists exhibiting, where their studios are based and when and where they’ll be open is on the Rutland Open Studios website, www.rutlandopenstudios.co.uk Most studios will display signs and bunting outside too. THE BULL AND Swan in Stamford is running its pizza and film nights throughout August and September on Thursday nights and there’s lots of good films on o er. n August there’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Shrek, The Gentlemen and Grown Ups. September has Top Gun, American Pie 2, Green Mile, Shrek 2 and Cast Away. For more details go to

THERE’S LOTS GOING on at Grimsthorpe this summer. Join Mark raser, their resident storyteller, in the playground under the shelter on August 9 and 23 at 11.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm for approximately 40 minutes. This is included in your park and gardens ticket.

And on Thursday 11 August, 6pm-8pm there will be a performance of The Three Musketeers in the outdoor theatre, bring a picnic and enjoy dining al fresco. For more details and to book tickets go to www.grimsthorpe.co.uk

LEARN HOW TO play bridge and meet people at the same time. Stamford Bridge Club is starting some new courses in the next few months so do sign up for them as soon as you can. All courses run for 10 weeks.

Day Classes start on Tuesday 11 October until 13 December starting at 9.30 am.

Evening Classes take place on Thursday 29 September - 15 December at 7pm and 10 weekly lessons ( Tuesdays ) except and November, fi nishes ecember. All ten week courses are £65 with follow up transition and supervised play sessions so your hand is held all the way until you know exactly what you are doing.

Stamford Bridge Club, Exeter Gardens, Stamford PE9 2RN or email marcusstamfordwitt@gmail.com THE WELLAND VALLEY Wander will be held on Sunday August 14. It’s a scenic tour for vintage and classic cars which will start at Cottingham near Corby and journey through Leicestershire and Rutland to a lunch halt at Grimsthorpe Castle, near Bourne. The 110 mile route then continues northwards into Lincolnshire to pass the Heckington Windmill, before turning south to fi nish beside the River Welland on The Meadows at Stamford.

This year 100 cars will take part, the oldest being a 1915 Ford Model T Roadster, so do look out for them or pop down to the Meadows to see them once they’ve fi nished.

ENJOY THE FAIRY trail at Kelmarsh Hall this summer. This is fun for all the family; keep your eyes peeled to be able to spot the fairies that are hidden amongst the trees or behind little doors dotted around the gardens. You can either bring your own picnic or enjoy tea and cake in the Sweet Pea’s tea room.

Fennel and tomatoes are in season now so this dish is a great way to eat seasonally, which we should all be trying to do as it cuts down on food miles. The can of beans helps make a vegetable dish into a more substantial weekday supper.

• 2 fennel bulbs • 500g tomatoes - cherry or normal size,

• 1 large can white cannellini beans • 2 cloves garlic • 2tsp dried oregano • 1 tsp chilli flakes • salt and pepper • 25g grated parmesan • olive oil

• Cut the fennel into wedges and fry gently in olive oil until it starts to brown which takes about 10 minutes. Put in an ovenproof dish. • Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, chilli

• Add the beans and give it a stir. Sprinkle over the grated parmesan and cook for another 5-10 minutes. • This makes a really simple, delicious,

A walnut is not actually a nut, but can be banged against yours in competition if you are so inclined. Rowan Griffiths tells us more

A MINE OF useless information that I am, did you know that the most walnuts anyone has cracked against their head in one minute is 181 by one Muhammed Rashid of Pakistan in a competition on 17 April 2016?

Originally known to the British as the wealhnutu (literally ‘foreign nut’) and introduced to these islands by those Romans again, the walnut is a short trunked though large and broad crowned deciduous tree that can grow to a height of 80-100 feet. The bark is silver-grey in colour and smooth textured, although fissures develop with age.

The large, elliptical bright green leaves which are pinnate (split like a feather) grow in alternate pairs of 2-8 with a terminal leaf at the end. In the spring the male trees produce drooping catkins and the female, small budlike clusters of 2-5 owers.

You will all be familiar with the fruit which, although culinarily referred to as a nut, is not actually so but a seed masquerading as one. I won’t bother you with the botanical niceties of the di erence but su ce to say the oval and eshy fruit appears in June and is soft to begin with but by the end of July the shell around the seed will have hardened inside its soft green casing. This outer casing rots away and the familiar ‘nut’ falls to the ground in October and November.

Aside from smashing them against your noddle, walnuts have many uses. n June they can be harvested whilst the shell is still soft and then pickled (my favourite). Caution is advised here as, unless you are wearing your Marigolds, the esh of the unripe fruit will stain your fingers to resemble someone with an 80 a day cigarette habit. Once ripe though they can be eaten as they are or added to a variety of sweet and savoury dishes. Indeed, Mr Rashid probably needed a refreshing and nutty cold pressed walnut drink after his record breaking endeavour. I would not recommend you try to emulate him. WE ARE FORTUNATE to live in a beautiful part of the country but one of the driest parts too, so this does mean we need to conserve as much water as possible. So where do we start?

First, collect rainwater in butts and try to use a watering can instead of a hose to reduce waste. Water the soil at the plant’s roots, not the leaves. It is better to water less frequently but give a thorough drenching rather than little and often. Prioritise keeping any new plants watered first.

For fast-draining soil dig in lots of organic matter. Remove weeds to reduce competition when water is scarce. Plant in groups to create self-supporting colonies. Mulch thickly over damp soil to retain as much moisture as possible, choosing a suitable mulch such as bark chippings.

If we turn to the Mediterranean for dry garden design inspiration there are no lawns, and plants used thrive in hot, dry conditions and extended periods of drought.

Succulents such as sedum, aloes, and agave store water in their swollen leaves. Small and finely cut leaves lose less water through transpiration. Artemisia has finely cut silvery leaves with aromatic stems, grown for its attractive foliage. Agapanthus, with owers ranging from white to pastels to deepest blue make a glorious display in pots. Achillea, echium, stachys, verbascum and cistus will all add variety in form, texture and colour.

The herbs we associate with the

Mediterranean such as sage, lavender and rosemary remind us of holidays with their evocative scents. Thyme planted in a pathway release powerful memories as they are stepped upon. Rosemary ‘Pointe du Raz’ is low growing, spreading and aromatic with grey green leaves and deep blue owers. t’s frost hardy and was named after the cli s in western Brittany where it was discovered.

Erigeron Kervinskianus, the Australian daisy, is a delight growing in clumps of tiny white owers turning to pink and purple and ideal to grow from walls. Oleander is a very tolerant shrub with colourful owers. t’s best grown in pots so it can be moved indoors as it’s not frost hardy.

Cordyline and phormium make great statement plants or for containers. Cordyline ‘pink passion’ and ‘Charlie boy’ are just two colourful combinations. Clumped together in di erent si es and variegation, they make a dramatic impression.

Specimen plants in containers need more frequent attention. Porous terracotta dries out more uickly than fibre, clay or recycled plastic. But porous pots can be improved by lining with plastic liner, piercing drainage holes in the bottom. Mulch with a grit mixture.

If you’re going away clump your pots together in a shady spot, or use saucers beneath to retain moisture. That way you’ll return to a happy garden that doesn’t feel neglected.