Active Magazine // Stamford & Rutland // July 2022

The one inevitability of life; death Tallington Lakes celebrates 40 years Travel to Northern Ireland Local business focus; The Salon, Oakham Manage your life; the new and used car market has changed dramatically recently I S S U E 1 1 5 | J U LY 2 0 2 2

!

E E R F Active marks a milestone -

10 YEARS

w w w .t h e a c t i ve m a g . c o m

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info@aspenmanorcarehome.co.uk I www.aspenmanorcarehome.co.uk Aspen Manor Care Home, Barleythorpe Road, Oakham LE15 6GL (next to Lidl car park)

E DI TO R ’ S L E T T E R Editor and Publisher Mary Bremner mary@theactivemag.com Deputy editor Kate Maxim kate@theactivemag.com Art editor Matt Tarrant Contributors Will Hetherington, Jeremy Smithson-Beswick, Advertisement Sales Director Lisa Chauhan lisa@theactivemag.com Production assistant Gary Curtis Accounts accounts@theactivemag.com Active magazine, Eventus Business Centre, Sunderland Road, Northfield Industrial Estate, Market Deeping, PE6 8FD If you have information about a club then please get in touch by emailing editor@theactivemag.com.

If you would like to stock Active magazine please email distribution@theactivemag.com.

Active magazine is published monthly 12 times per year.

ISSN 2059-8513 Published by Triangle Publishing Ltd

www.theactivemag.com

Disclaimer

Copyright (c) Triangle Publishing Ltd (TPL) 2019. 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 TPL. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the iews or opinions of or its a liates isclaimer of iability hilst e ery e ort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, TPL and its a liates 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. and its a liates 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 ser ices o ered nor the organisations sponsoring the advertisement.

‘We are all about ‘get out there, have a go and join in’ and long may that continue.’

THIS MONTH AT Active we are celebrating 10 years of publication which we are all very excited about. The three of us might not have been around for the ery first issue but ha e been associated with the magazine for many, many years and been proud owners for the last three. In that time we have taken the magazine from being a predominantly sports’ magazine to a lifestyle, health and wellbeing publication that focuses on local people, businesses and events. And that, of course, still involves sports too.

We are all about ‘get out there, have a go and join in’ and long may that continue. Thank you to all of you, our loyal readers who, without fail, pick up the magazine locally every month and thank you to our advertisers who have supported the magazine so enthusiastically over the years; without you we would not exist. Here’s to the next ten years!

There are two things that are certain in life; taxes and death. It would be very hard to avoid paying tax during your lifetime and we all know that with life comes death; and that can’t be avoided either.

We know that for every one of us death is inevitable and for many of us, dealing with someone else’s death is going to be something we have to face as well. Arrangements we need to make and how we cope with grief is something we wanted to cover this month.

Some other businesses celebrating milestones are Tallington Lakes who have made it to 40 years and the Salon, Oakham who have rebranded and relocated. It’s great to see businesses thriving and celebrating such longevity. Readers’ challenges are now being completed after the Covid lockdowns and, at long last the weather is playing ball too; long may it all last!

See you next month Mary - Editor

FIND US ONLINE

FACEBOOK theACTIVEmag

TWITTER @theACTIVEmag

INSTAGRAM theactivemaguk

WEBSITE theactivemag.com

July 2022 / theactivemag.com

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Ancaster House, Morcott £1,300,000 Ancaster House is situated in an elevated position with stunning views over the Welland valley. The property is approached via a gated gravel drive and is surrounded on three sides by formal gardens. Mature trees, hedging and a Victorian wall provide excellent privacy to this wonderful family home. There is a two acre paddock to the side of the property and a smaller paddock to the rear which are subject to a variety of different uses.

The original house was built as two Victorian farm workers cottages, which were later adapted and extended into the house as it stands today.

You enter the property via a welcoming entrance hall which gives access to a vaulted ceiling breakfast kitchen with stunning views over the gardens and open countryside beyond. A large sitting room with feature full height oak bay window, and cosy fireplace is the main reception room, as well as having a dining room and three further reception rooms that are currently set up as a gym, study and music room. A useful utility room, shower room and wc are also available on the ground floor.

To the first floor is a well appointed Master bedroom with a full height oak bay window that looks out over the formal gardens and country views beyond as well as an en-suite bathroom and large built in wardrobes. There are three further double bedrooms and a family bathroom on the first floor.

Under the Estate Agents Act 1979 please note that the vendor of this property is an relation of an employee of Sowden Wallis.

The property sits centrally within the formal gardens and benefits from an elevated position taking in the full countryside views. The gardens are well stocked with a variety of different flower beds, trees and shrubs. There are various different seating areas throughout the gardens to take advantage of the sun at different times of day and also a small pond.

The property presents a wonderful opportunity to acquire this extended Victorian family home in a rural setting with paddock land.

Casterton Road, Stamford £575,000 This three bedroom detached family home provides a spacious bay fronted dining room, a generous sitting room and does require some modernisation. There is plenty of potential for a new buyer to put their own stamp of the property, subject to planning, and allows for easy access to the town centre and local schooling.

The accommodation comprises: - Entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, utility room, garden room, landing, three bedrooms and a family bathroom.

To the front and rear of the property are mature lawn gardens as well as a separate garden with a garage and parking set off the lane to the rear.

8/9 Star Lane, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1PH I 01780 754737 I www.sowdenwallis.co.uk I info@sowdenwallis.co.uk

I S S U E 115 / J U LY 2022

ACTIVE LIFE 18 TRAVEL

Contents 34

Enjoy a driving holiday around Northern Ireland

21 CELEBRATIONS!

Active is 10 years old!

27 ECO BURIALS

Green burial sites are becoming very popular

30 THE DEATH CAFÉ

Talking about death can help put it into perspective and make it less frightening

32 THE SALON, OAKHAM

A local business has rebranded and relocated

27

34 TALLINGTON LAKES

Tallington Lakes are celebrating 40 years in business

42 WILL’S WALKS

This month Will explores Aldwincle and Wadenhoe

SERIES 40 Manage your life

Car sales have changed dramatically in the last few years

32

ACTIVE BODY 49 GLAUCOMA, THE FACTS

ACTIVE KIDS 52 SCHOOL NEWS

ACTIVE SPORT 54 READERS’ CHALLENGES

Our readers are able to rise to the challenge again

42 July 2022 / theactivemag.com

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Test Drive the Multi-Award winning Ford Puma at your local TC Harrison Ford

Drive the car that has received accolades from Autotrader, What Car?, Autocar, Parkers, Sunday Times, The Sun and Top Gear magazine.

Drivers will be subject to satisfactory DVLA checks. All test drives are accompanied by a TC Harrison representative and are limited to one customer who must be over 21. Drivers must also have held a full licence for a minimum period of 12 months. Test drives are subject to availability and must be pre-booked in advance. Participants may be required to complete a short experience questionnaire. T.C. Harrison in their absolute discretion reserve the right to decline test drive requests without reason.

Model shown is a Puma ST, models available for Test Drive may vary. T. C. Harrison Group Limited, Milford House, Mill Street, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1HH acts as a credit broker in relation to financial products and not a lender. We work with a number of carefully selected credit providers who may be able to offer you finance for your purchase. We are only able to offer finance products from these providers who may reward us for introducing you to them. T. C. Harrison Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Reg. No. 312522

ActiveLife Active is ten years old | Oakham’s rebranded salon | Tallington Lakes celebrates 40 years Rutland Water’s aqua park is teaming up with the RLSS | Will walks near Oundle Manage your life; the car market has changed dramatically recently E D I T E D B Y M A RY B R E M N E R

Forget me not; the one proviso of life is that death follows p22 July 2022 / theactivemag.com

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Unit 21B, Gwash Way, Ryhall Road, Stamford, Lincs PE9 1XP Tel: 01780 654321 Email: sales@classicstamford.co.uk www.classicstamford.co.uk

Be Inspired

Active life

Launde Abbey in the 70 Ancient Woodlands LAUNDE ABBEY IS delighted to announce that Launde Park Wood and Launde Big Wood have been chosen as part of a nationwide network of 70 Ancient Woodlands to be dedicated to The Queen in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee. The woodlands at Launde are under long term management as nature reserves by Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.

The Queen’s Green Canopy recently announced the network of 70 Ancient Woodlands and 70 Ancient Trees across the United Kingdom which will form part of the Ancient Canopy to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.

Made up of two of the most ancient woodlands in Leicestershire, stepping into Launde Park Wood and Launde Big Wood is like stepping back in time. Oak, ash, hazel and field maple dominate ig ood to the west, whilst Park Wood to the east was once a Forestry Commission plantation.

Revd Alison Myers, Warden of Launde Abbey, commented: ‘Walking in ancient woodland is, for me and for many, a spiritual experience - it connects us with the natural world, and life that began before us and will continue after us. The ancient

Launde woodlands go hand in hand with Launde Abbey’s long spiritual history, reaching back to the time of the monks of the original Priory and forward to the current Abbey and its grounds which are home to a praying community today. We are thrilled that Launde Abbey’s ancient woodlands are part of the Queen’s Green Canopy. When you next visit Launde Abbey, do include walking in our beautiful woodlands.’

Evidence of the woodland’s ancient past can be seen throughout both nature reserves, with massive boundary earthworks, century-old giant coppice stools, and many plants known to be confined or nearly so to ancient woodland sites. Established over hundreds of years, the chosen woodlands and trees represent the diverse canopy of the four nations, it is a celebration of our living heritage. All the woodlands and trees have a story to tell.

Some are famous specimens and others ha e a local significance These Ancient natural spaces hold significance and meaning for so many people in many ways. They are symbols of community pride, places to connect socially and vital spaces for health and wellbeing activities. By sharing the stories behind the ancient woodlands and trees, as well as the incredible e orts that are made to protect them, The Queen’s Green Canopy aims to raise awareness of these treasured habitats and the importance of conserving them for future generations. www.launde.org.uk

Brazenose Violins BRAZENOSE VIOLINS SETS a new standard for instruments for all musicians. These gorgeous instruments are handmade in selected luthier workshops, hand varnished in small batches and professionally finished and set up in Stamford Strings’ workshop in Stamford.

The brainchild of Libby Summers, violin teacher, luthier and violin shop owner, who has a vision to make high quality, professionally set up instruments accessible to a wider audience at more a ordable prices ibby is particularly passionate about the varnishing and set up process and has been developing unique methods at Stamford Strings since she opened the shop in 2020, enhancing both the appearance and the sound of the handmade instruments.

Brazenose violins, violas and cellos come in a range of di erent models for di erent budgets to choose from rices start at £1,500. Trials are available in the music studio at Stamford Strings o find out more visit www.brazenoseviolins.co.uk

July 2022/ theactivemag.com

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Stunning Lakeside Wedding Venue in East Northamptonshire

Cromwells menswear

Rutland’s independent menswear shop

01780 784828 berryfieldsevents@gmail.com

Quality garden birdseed from our nature friendly farm Come and visit us: Monday to Saturday 9 am – 3 pm Sunday 9 am – 12 noon

Rectory Farm, Great Easton, Market Harborough, LE16 8SN www.eyebrookwildbirdfeeds.co.uk 01536 770771 Delivery charges will apply to Scottish Highlands and Islands and Northern Ireland. Please contact us for details. Offer ends 31/05/22.

17 High Street Oakham Open Tuesday to Sunday

Active life

Recycle, Refill, Replenish with Eyebrook Bird Feeds THE JOHNSON FAMILY at Eyebrook Bird Feeds have transformed their old tack room into a refill shop ustomers can now bring their old containers refill them with great birdseeds replenish their feeders in the garden and en oy the birds knowing they ha e sa ed money and packaging t yebrook ird eeds you can now purchase a selection of products by weight uying the nutritious bird seeds this way can sa e money and eliminate the need for packaging ustomers can simply scoop the seeds they re uire and en oy a look around the old tack room which still has items of old tack potions lotions and relics from the s onwards he ohnsons ha e farmed at ectory arm since and are passionate about farming conser ation and birdseed er the past thirty years the family has enhanced the en ironment to encourage more birds and wildlife as well as hosting farm walks and illage e ents on the farm hey di ersified into retailing wild bird seed in producing nutritious naturally balanced seed mixes with many of the ingredients grown on the family farm he distincti e birdseed mi es are packed with a range of wholesome seeds using as many home grown and ritish seeds as possible his ensures both an appetising and beneficial feed for garden birds to en oy all year round he farm surrounds the beautiful yebrook eser oir and is a ha en for insects birds and animals www.eyebrookwildbirdseeds.co.uk

What’s on MAXEY CLASSIC CAR & Bike Show, now in its st year will be held on ugust at its lakeside enue in the illage ast year it raised o er for local charities and they are hoping to do as well if not better this year great day out for all the family with li e music real ale and gin bar doughnuts obile Scale tric perience and lots of fun for all the family dmission is ust with free entry for e hibitors and under s

July 2022/ theactivemag.com

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LUXURY BATHROOM EXPERTS Let Baptist Bathrooms take the stress out of transforming your bathroom into a space you will love

www.baptistbathrooms.com Tel: 01572 444212 enquiries@baptistbathrooms.com @baptistbathrooms.com

Active life

From Still to Summit Last month we told you about the plans of from Still to Summit; well they did it!

ON SATURDAY JUNE 4 hundreds of people in Fort William decided to capitalise on the glorious weather and climb the 4,413ft to the summit of the UK’s highest peak, Ben Nevis. And the team of four from RAF Honington was with them. But they were also carrying a whisky barrel too to raise money for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

The team, Stu Clark, Campbell Steel, Bobby Holmes and Michael Smyth assembled in front of the distillery at am and set o to the bewilderment and beeping horns of tourists and drivers along the A82.

After around 40 minutes they reached the path at the foot of Ben Nevis and along with the throngs of slightly confused walkers steadily clocked o the distance and the climb to the summit Despite the heat and rough terrain the team worked slickly together changing o er on the barrel with an e ciency any pit crew would be proud of. After a couple of hours the meltwater pouring down the ed urn o ered a refreshing stop at around half

way before it was time to tackle the rougher, steeper path up the zig zags and scree to the top.

After approximately 4hrs and 50mins (and a particularly slippery patch of snow) the team reached the top, to enjoy spectacular views and a round of applause from everyone watching the strange sight of a whisky barrel arriving at the summit cairn.

After a rest and queuing for a photo by the trig point the barrel was hefted back onto shoulders for the descent. In some ways this was harder than the way up as trying to control a barrel that was keen to go down quicker than it went up took some doing. But steadily the bottom of Glen Nevis got closer and with it the distance to the Ben Nevis Inn and a well-earned pint.

The team covered the 13.12 miles, climbing 4,511ft, in 8 hours and 40 mins whilst carrying the 52kg barrel and frame. This was a unique achievement not to be underestimated and not attempted before (as far as a quick google search could tell). Their fundraising e orts ha e raised o er so far for and the ust Gi ing page will take donations until the end of the uly f you would like to donate go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stilltosummit.

Images and footage of the event are on Instagram, @fromstilltosummit.

July 2022/ theactivemag.com

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C

L I

Summer Holiday Clubs 2022

M B I

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Appointments in Stamford

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The White Horse Baston

Active life

RECIPE

Courgette pizzas Courgettes are in season this month and are delicious picked fresh from the garden or bought from the market. This recipe is really simple; you can pick your own toppings, it’s gluten free and slightly healthier than a normal pizza having a courgette base rather than dough - a good way to get your five a day in the kids!

INGREDIENTS • 4 courgettes • 1 tbsp olive oil • 75g diced ham or chorizo • 2 crushed garlic cloves • 300g cherry tomatoes, halved • 1 tbsp tomato puree • 150g mozarella • fresh basil • salt and pepper

METHOD • Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees. Halve the courgettes lengthways then scoop out the seeds and set aside. Brush courgettes with oil and bake on a roasting tray until just going soft, about 20 minutes.

• Meanwhile add the chorizo or ham to a frying pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the courgette seeds, tomatoes and puree along with salt and pepper and cook for a further 7 minutes stirring all the time until the tomatoes have softened. Add the fresh basil.

• Turn your grill on. Divide the tomato mix across the courgettes and then top with the mozzarella. Place under the grill and cook until cheese melts. A really delicious light supper.

July 2022 / theactivemag.com

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WINDOWS • DOORS • WARM ROOFS • BI-FOLDS • ROOF LINE • GARAGE DOORS • CLADDING & MORE

Tel: 01780 654321 sales@classicstamford.co.uk www.classicstamford.co.uk Unit 21B, Gwash Way, Ryhall Road, Stamford, Lincs PE9 1XP

Active life

Gardening jobs for July July can be a hot month so lots of watering needs to be done but there’s plenty of other jobs too FIRST OF ALL keep that hosepipe at the ready as even if it’s hot and dry for only a few days the garden, particularly pots, will still need regular watering. And hopefully it will be dry and sunny for most of the month. And whilst you’re watering, feed as well as deadhead the pots and planters which have summer bedding plants in them.

Keep on top of the weeds with a regular hoe in your beds and pulling them out of pots. Water and feed sweet peas regularly and keep picking the owers to encourage new ones a ender is ready to harvest this month so cut some of the newly opened owers and dry them. Hang them upside down in a cool place for the best results.

If you’ve got vegetables in the garden your courgettes should be ready to harvest now. Keep an eye on them regularly as they can grow prolifically in warm, wet weather and before you know it you may have a marrow! Your runner beans should also be ready this month.

Strawberries, cherries and blueberries are fruits to enjoy too.

GARDE NING

A date with a fig

M

Rowan Griffiths explains the complicated life of a fig; the fruit that’s not a fruit

ORE OFTEN SEEN in a park or garden than in the open countryside the fig is still a commonly encountered tree in southern England, in fact anywhere the summers are warm and dry and the winters mild.

Native to Asia Minor it is reputed to be the oldest cultivated fruit tree on the planet with evidence suggesting that they were planted by our ancestors up to 10,000 years ago. he fig is a small deciduous shrubby tree growing to a height of around 10 metres. It has large, glossy, bright green and deeply eined lea es which are lobed into fi e segments. The trunks and branches are often twisted, contorted almost, and the bark a matt silver grey colour.

Everyone will be familiar with the fruit but it is not the fruit of the tree at all. It is what is known to botanists as an in orescence or ower ut neither is it the ower he ower is actually inside the fig

and cannot be seen unless the fig is cut open. How does it pollinate then you might well ask he fig has a hole in the end known as an ostiole and in the wild a specialised wasp, the appropriately named fig wasp crawls inside and pollinates the ower ow then does it pollinate in countries that don’t have the wasp?

Something called parthenocarpy, whereby the fruit develops without fertilisation and results in a seedless fruit. Got it? Thank heavens that bit’s over. nyway the fruit which is not a fruit is small, pear shaped and grows upright on the stem t starts o green in colour and turns purple as it ripens, usually from August to October.

The sweet fruit is usually eaten fresh and is a source of iron, calcium, copper and potassium. The leaves too can be used beyond their biblical employment as they are edible and can be prepared in a number of ways.

July 2022 / theactivemag.com

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TR AV E L

Irish eyes are always smiling What better way to see Northern Ireland and Donegal than taking a road trip?

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Active life

I

F YOU WANT to get a proper feel for a country rather than ying in and sticking to the cities, hop in your car or a campervan and take a road trip. You can stay in a di erent location e ery night and go where the mood takes you in between.

Every mile of a tour around Northern Ireland and Donegal throws up an inspiring view: lush green meadows, pretty market towns and villages, breathtaking sea views or bustling cities like Belfast and (London) Derry. You do have to remember to keep your eyes on the road too!

The ferry crossing from Liverpool to Belfast takes eight hours so if that’s too long on the water for you, it’s worth sailing from Holyhead to Dublin which only takes three.

Then you can head north and start your holiday immediately immersed in the ever beautiful scenery. This way you can also add in a whistle stop ferry crossing across the lough from Strangford to Portaferry giving you access to the east coast, south of Belfast.

This will whet your appetite for the winding Causeway coastline in the north and the rugged Wild Atlantic Way through Donegal to the west. ut first you ll want to stop in elfast the birthplace of the RMS Titanic. Visit the Belfast Titanic Experience on the site of the former arland ol shipyard in the city’s Titanic Quarter and follow the legendary ocean liner’s fateful journey across the Atlantic. Then, visit the Peace Walls and learn about the Troubles which o cially ended with the Good riday Agreement in 1998 but, as we know, still reverberate through many aspects of life today. Lots of food for thought there. If you want to pick up supplies for your road trip, St George’s Market is the last surviving covered Victorian market in Belfast and well worth a pitstop.

Then it’s time to start your Causeway Coastal Scenic Drive which is 130 miles from Belfast to Derry and takes in various set locations for the Game of Thrones. There are some hair-raising twists and turns as you hug the coast but with designated areas of outstanding natural beauty along the way, the views are well worth it. The Torr

Head Scenic Route takes you past one dramatic headland after another including Murlough Bay and Fair Head which, at 600m above sea level, is a mecca for climbers. It is believed to be the biggest expanse of climbable rock in Ireland and Britain. If visibility is good, The Mull of Kintyre is only 12 miles across the water from Torr Head. e t up is orthern sland s first UNESCO Heritage Site, the Giant’s Causeway. Some people suggest it is underwhelming but we would disagree.

Standing in the shadow of the hills surrounding the Causeway and amphitheatre, the atmosphere is thrilling as you follow in the footsteps of legendary giant Finn McCool and wonder at the 40,000 basalt columns created almost 60 million years ago here are also di erent cli top walks for all abilities to give a bird’s eye view of the Causeway.

Next up is the Old Bushmill’s Distillery, the world’s oldest licenced distillery, but do book ahead if you want a tour. Passing Portrush with its wide Whiterocks beach surrounded by limestone cli s and popular for its watersports and caves you’re on your way to (London)Derry.

This city is packed full of history and is one of the finest e amples of a walled city in Europe with the only remaining completely intact walls and seven gates. Derry has been put on the map more recently because of the popular erry Girls series ou ll find a mural of the girls (and the English boy, James) in Orchard Street but do also make a trip to see the Derry murals at the People’s Gallery in the Bogside.

'Next up is Northern Island’s first UNESCO Heritage Site, the Giant’s Causeway.

Some people suggest it is underwhelming but we would disagree.'

If you haven’t had enough of spectacular, rugged coastlines you may want to hop across into Southern Ireland and visit the county of Donegal. By a strange quirk of geography, Donegal is situated to the west of Northern Ireland and its tip is further north than the most northerly tip of Northern Ireland, Malin Head.

The Inishowen peninsula near Derry marks the start (or end depending on which way you approach it) of the Wild Atlantic Way. It stretches 2,700 km from County Donegal to Cork taking in the southern counties of Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick and Kerry in between. There are extra side shoots to take if you want to put even more miles under your belt. This route shows you the wild side of Ireland’s Atlantic coastline which is stunning on blazing summer days and even more dramatic during the inevitable rain storms you’ll drive through. The grass doesn’t grow this lush and green without plenty of water.

In terms of places to rest your head each evening, you’ll be spoiled for choice. There are hundreds of self-catered cottages to rent, B&Bs, glamping pods, campsites and rooms in the ever welcoming Irish pubs.

Just remember to take your time, watch the road, and enjoy the ride! www.ireland.com

July 2022 / theactivemag.com

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Ten years and counting

I

Active magazine is celebrating a big milestone this month!

T’S OFFICIAL, We are 10 years old this month! And I’m delighted to say that after ten years we are still going strong and are well known in the area as o ering good interesting editorial in a well designed magazine that is also full of advertising from local businesses; all of which we are extremely proud of. nitially launched to tie in with the ondon lympics Active quickly became established and very popular in the Stamford and utland area and rightly so cti e initially was very much a sports and leisure magazine telling you about all the local sports and encouraging you to get up o the sofa and ust have a go. hat is still our mantra today but we are no longer ust about local sport although of course that is still included as it s such a huge part of our community nor are we ust Stamford and utland but extend the whole of the way through the Welland Valley to arket arborough and beyond Since taking on the maga ine ust over three years ago we have moved it on to be a lifestyle and

wellbeing maga ine focusing on local people and businesses as there are so many interesting people in our community along with healthy living and lifestyles and everything that this incorporates. ur mantra is get out there ha e a go and oin in ife now is rightly putting more emphasis on maintaining our mental health and wellbeing and that can be done simply by going out for a walk and en oying the fresh air and e ercise nd we are proud that as well as taking the maga ine from strength to strength we ha e published two walking books featuring the ever popular Will’s Walks and there’s another one in the pipeline for this autumn. e ha e all en oyed meeting so many people trying new experiences and becoming a part of the community. Thank you to all our ad ertisers and supporters and especially to you our readers who I know look forward to picking up your free copy every month.

Here’s to the next 10 years!

Mary, Kate and Lisa

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THE ONE CERTAINT Y IN LIFE The one certainty in life is death. One day we will die.

Normally we don’t know when that day will be, but it comes to all of us. What happens then? Kate finds out more

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The one certainty

I

MET EDDIE Dorman and Margaret Dainty from E M orman uneral irectors in ppingham to find out what happens when a relative or friend dies. There are numerous things to organise at a time when, understandably, we are devastated and not thinking clearly. Unless you have, sadly, been through it before, organising a funeral can be a minefield of decisions to make. e meet the relati es in the first instance to go through the details of what they would like to happen and to give them options argaret told me t s ery di cult for people who have lost relatives, especially if they have no idea what that person would have wanted at their funeral.

It’s a big thing to choose for another person, especially something as important as the choice between a burial or a cremation.’

Eddie and Margaret both agree that it’s much kinder to your family if you make your wishes known beforehand if possible. It doesn’t have to be written down in a will, some basic instructions on a piece of paper will be helpful.

In many countries, death and dying are not the taboo subjects they now seem to be in the UK. But things used to be ery di erent istorically there was an undertaker in each village who was normally the local carpenter. When someone died their body remained at home far longer than they do now and half the village trooped in to pay their respects. Perhaps we prefer things to be more sanitised nowadays?

Eddie was, indeed, a carpenter and thirty years ago he was approached by the local funeral director and asked to take over his business. Fortunately, he agreed and has been a stalwart at thousands of local funerals ever since. In recent years he’s been joined by Tom Johnson, a young local man and, together with Margaret, they provide a welcoming and friendly first port of call in a time of great distress. eryone deser es a good send o ddie says e get to know people very quickly and they need lots of support and compassion.’

‘It comes naturally to the three of us,’ Margaret agrees.

‘It’s not forced, or a ‘job’. It helps if you also have a sense of humour.

‘If someone dies at home the family will phone to inform us and we fill in a first call form with general details ur phone line is open 24 hours a day. Then we go to collect the body and transfer them to our chapel of rest at our premises

in Uppingham. Generally, people prefer for the body to be moved quite soon although sometimes they like to wait for a relative to arrive who lives away. It’s always the same day though. If someone dies away from home we will go and collect the body for the family. We are occasionally asked to take someone to rest at home the evening before the funeral. When people are particularly religious the body may be taken into church the night before by the bearers.

‘If someone has died in hospital a Cause of Death certificate is signed by the doctor who attended and looked after the deceased, then the family has to make an appointment with the registrar to register the death before we can do anything as we need a green form to enable us to proceed nce that is done the body is released to us f there is to be a cremation, we also need the cremation papers signing.’

There is no set time between the death and the funeral. In general, the funeral is held within two to three weeks, but it can be longer if the family wish to avoid a birthday or anniversary, and some religions like their funerals to take place very quickly. Timing also depends on the availability of crematoriums, vicars, catering etc. ‘It is a jigsaw and we take the responsibility from families to ensure everything fits ccording to ddie we were ery fortunate in Rutland regarding the pandemic, and it hasn’t been as bad as we feared it might be.’

‘If someone dies at home the family will phone to inform us and we fill in a first call form with general details. Our phone line is open 24 hours a day.’

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The one certainty

I wondered if more people are cremated than buried nowadays? ‘Probably,’ Margaret agrees, ‘but there are still quite a few burials, often when someone has requested to be buried next to a partner. Crematoriums are not very green and we don’t have the space now to bury everyone.

You can have your ashes interred at the green burial site in Ketton or have a plot reserved there. Generally people still go for the standard oak eneer co n as they are the most economical but they are not permitted at an eco burial so people then choose willow or wicker.’

There are so many options to choose from regarding a funeral. You can have a church service and be buried in the churchyard or go to the crematorium for the committal of the body. Or the other way round. It could be church only.

Or crematorium only – with a vicar, celebrant or humanist attending. There may be a graveside service or a green burial.

‘Occasionally we’ve had families who have no celebrants at all, perhaps the son or daughter speaks,’ says Margaret.

‘And there are direct cremations where nobody goes as some people require no fuss at all. We’ve also arranged direct cremations as there’s been no family to pay for a funeral so the council arranges the funeral. In each case we show the same respect to the person as if we had all the relatives there.’ f people can t a ord to pay for a funeral they can apply to the government for assistance, and potentially may receive a Funeral Expenses Payment which helps pay for burial or cremation fees, travel to and from the funeral, death certificates and so on Babies and childrens’ funerals are provided by Eddie at a minimal cost.

Funerals can be expensive. Fees for the funeral director include the preparation of the body, the bearers, the hearse and the co n here are also the owers to take into consideration, refreshments after the service, printed orders of service. People sometimes wish to have bells. Then

there’s the church or crematorium fees to pay.

Many people plan ahead so they know they have covered the cost of their own funeral and don’t, therefore, leave it for relatives to pay for as well as organise. Dormans use the Golden Charter plan but there are other schemes. The Golden Charter plan grows over time as funds are put into trust.

Nothing is left to chance. Eddie, Tom and Margaret are very experienced and have seen everything. They are far too professional to divulge too many details but they did tell me that many people, whether religious or not, like to include the Lord’s Prayer ‘just in case.’ The most common hymns are All Things Bright and Beautiful and The Lord is My Shepherd. My Way is a common choice to walk in or out to and often people are more adventurous at a crematorium. Many relatives request that mourners wear bright colours, not black, but most men would still wear a black tie.

‘I have never had a problem talking about death myself,’ Margaret says. ‘I think the more we are all able to discuss what we would like for our own funerals, the easier it will be for those left behind as they know they are fulfilling the final wishes of their lo ed ones www.emdormanfunerals.co.uk

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The one certainty

ECO BURIALS The Ketton green burial site has recently been taken over by Tithe Green Natural Burial. Kate met manager Emma Stafford to find out more

W

E ARE EXTREMELY fortunate that for the last 20 years we have had a green burial site in the area. Other ones nearby are in Leicester, Sleaford and Huntingdon. Natural or eco burials are rapidly growing in popularity. One reason for this is that the setting is more relaxed and peaceful than a council run cemetery which is usually a lot more regimental. Councils have more health and safety issues to contend with in maintaining the headstones particularly as they are often hundreds of years old and often there are no relatives left to continue to maintain the plots. Funeral costs are generally lower than a traditional burial and, of course, natural burials are much better for the environment as there is no glue from veneers, no varnish or chemicals used.

At a green burial site families can arrange a graveside funeral or a cremated remains interment which can be tailored to each individual. ‘Not everyone is religious,’ Emma says, ‘and the relatives might want something low key and personal with no religion. Others want the full bells and whistles. t s a ery di cult time for people he burial is the final opportunity to do something for a loved one and it has to be right. Initially we meet the family and have a walk

round the site to get an idea of where they d like the final resting place to be.’ he site co ers acres with a mi ture of woodland and wild ower meadows hose who choose the woodland have trees planted directly on the burial or ashes interment plot. Burials obviously take place all year round but the trees dedicated to each individual are planted between November and February. he meadow option is in the wild ower meadow where adjacent plots can be reserved if required. Memorial trees can be planted close by, but not on the plots. Welsh slate plaques dedicated to the deceased are unobtrusively laid in the ground; from a distance you wouldn’t know they were there.

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The one certainty

It is an extremely tranquil site with the river Chater running along the bottom. Paths are mown around the di erent areas and the aim is to create a balance between not having too many manicured areas but keeping the site well maintained for the relatives. ‘We want people to accept the biodiversity of the meadows,’ Emma says. ‘Dandelions, buttercups and grasses are ust as beneficial to insect life ‘We provide families with a mix of seeds to scatter on the plot in our meadow burial and cremated remains areas. We encourage families to come back at a later date to scatter them. This way they feel like they’re involved in producing the landscape and it’s a very nice way of getting children in ol ed eople often bring cake and a ask of tea; it s important for people to come and spend time with their lo ed ones f course you can lay owers but we ask that any plastic is removed. Then we leave them until they’re well and truly over before we remove them.’

‘The site covers 36 acres with a mixture of woodland and wildflower meadows.’

All the work they do above ground to sustain the environment is going to be ruined if man made products are used during the burial. Eco choices include wool, wicker and water hyacinth which is a softer plant than wicker. Soft woods like natural pine are allowed as they aren’t varnished or treated. Anything veneered is not allowed as it is essentially compressed board that is glued.

Cardboard is banned too. Shrouds are allowed but most funeral directors prefer co ns are used There is plenty of room to extend the current burial areas.

People can prepay for a plot and choose to be buried next to their loved ones. All the graves are plotted on a document that is regularly updated. ‘Sometimes it can be a bit disorientating locating a loved one,’ says Emma, ‘so we will always help isitors to find them For more information visit www.tithegreen.com

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DE AT H CA F É Sharing tea, cake and discussions about death is not something you do every day. Kate visited the Death Café in Stamford to find out how it can help

I

AM VERY open to discussing what I’d like to happen after I die; I’m not so open about discussing my actual death. In fact, I have regular nightmares about it. I’ve chosen a poem for my funeral, but not the hymns yet, and I know where my ashes are going to be scattered.

Although my family, who think I’m a control freak, joke and say maybe they’ll ignore my wishes and do it their way just to annoy me. At least we can laugh about it. But many people are frightened of discussing death and dying and, if you are ill or in pain, I can fully understand why.

How wonderful then that there is a place dedicated to ‘increasing awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their finite li es resumably if you are more conscious of your mortality then perhaps you will learn to live your life more fully. And by discussing all aspects of death, it helps to normalise what, inevitably, will happen to all of us.

There are Death Cafés all over the world; over 14,000 in 81 countries at the last count. Originally invented by Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz, the model was developed in the UK by a gentleman called Jon Underwood and his mother Sue Barsky in Hackney. It is a social franchise so anyone can set up a branch using the guide on the website.

Annie Hall founded the Stamford café a few months

‘If I felt some trepidation when I walked in, I needn’t have worried.

The conversation flows all over the place, with plenty of laughter.’

before the pandemic and ha ing tried out di erent enues settled on the room at Mindspace in Broad Street. The conversation is group directed with no agenda or particular ob ecti e o one is there to fi anything or counsel or analyse anyone eople come to listen as much as talk s facilitator nnie may introduce a topic to start o the con ersation asking for e ample if you had a choice how would you choose to die? Do you believe in something after death? Or how would you like to be remembered?

If I felt some trepidation when I walked in, I needn’t have worried he con ersation ows all o er the place with plenty of laughter. We ranged from symbolic robins and psychic e periences to scattering ashes in what turns out not to be a peaceful place to the benefits of bringing home the body of a loved one the night before the funeral. eople often superstitiously think if we talk about our own death, we’ll make it happen,’ says Annie. ‘Here we want to enable conversations about death and help make the topic less morbid. We give people the space and respect to talk about whatever concerns them. You don’t have to continue the previous person’s conversation. onfidentiality is key and we don t lead anyone to a particular conclusion or course of action.’

Talking openly about death can certainly generate plenty of emotions and everyone will come to the group for di erent reasons and at di erent stages in their life and grief, but it seemed to me to be a very positive and uplifting e perience Meetings last an hour and take place on the second Tuesday of the month from 2.30pm at the Mindspace Café in Broad Street, Stamford.

For more details visit deathcafeinstamford Facebook page or email thedeathcafeinstamford@gmail.com www.deathcafe.com

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The one certainty

G

RIEF COMES IN many shapes and sizes and a ects us all di erently erea ement doesn t always mean the loss of a person although it usually refers to this ou can be bereft by the loss of a belo ed pet or the breakdown of a marriage relationship or friendship e en redundancy or a life changing situation Grief is about loss and that comes in many di erent guises hey say there are di erent stages of grief; some say four others se en but the most common are denial anger bargaining depression and finally acceptance Some people manage to cope well and come out of the other side and are able to re ert to normal life whilst others

YOU’RE NOT ALONE Grief is something we will all probably experience at some time in our lives, often more than once.

Help is available to cope with it if you need it

understandably really struggle t is ery easy to get stuck in one or more of these stages and not be able to mo e on without some help Grief and loss often go together and sometimes can be almost too much to bear ut there is help out there Sometimes talking to a close friend or family member can be beneficial but at times more help is needed; professional help in some cases here are berea ement counsellors a ailable if you can a ord to pay for them see your doctor or charitable organisations o ering help hese counsellors help you deal with your grief and uite often can help you when you get stuck at a certain stage ften the first step is recognising that you need help and there is no shame in admitting that and thankfully those days ha e gone ne of the best known charities that o ers help without a long waiting list is ruse erea ement Support who ha e specially trained berea ement olunteers across ngland ales and orthern reland hese counsellors o er their ser ices for free and last year people recei ed indi idual support and helpline support ast year million people isited their website so the help this charity o ers people is in aluable t is reassuring to know that berea ement help is a ailable emember you are not alone www.cruse.org.uk

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Times, they are a-changing There’s no doubt the Covid pandemic changed many lives and businesses for ever. Mary chats to one business that has changed for the better

N

UMEROUS LOCKDOWNS LATER and the United Kingdom has emerged post restrictions as a di erent place eople s li es changed and there s no denying that many people ha e not gone back to the li es they li ed pre pandemic n some cases this has been a good thing in others far from it nd subse uently businesses ha e had to adapt and change as well hether lockdowns were a good or bad thing is academic and not for us to discuss here he fall out is what it is and not all of it is bad n fact for many it has been good ockdowns ga e many of us indi iduals and businesses time to slow down take stock and make decisions t allowed us time to plan ahead ne such pair who had time to do this are Simon Cawthorne and Jo ilmore who in early ay rebranded their business mo ed premises and started afresh bringing a whole new ibe to what was historically a well established renowned successful enterprise imes ha e changed and we ha e mo ed

with them says Simon efore o id struck we had been starting to rethink our brand and image ockdown ga e us a chance to do this e had time whilst the salon was shut to really think about our future and what we wanted to do any of you will remember the Simon awthorne salon on ill Street t was ery successful but had a slightly intimidating ibe; e pensi e and e clusi e that was the perception anyway and not somewhere you would feel you could walk into without an

appointment his wasn t necessarily the case but perception was all t was also a large space where many people did not feel o erly comfortable understand this completely; it s no one s fault but large spaces full of noise and supposedly beautiful people can be intimidating e e perienced it myself in many a salon o er the years t s a perception and often not really the case at all but it sticks Simon and o had started to realise this and subse uently were thinking of rebranding fter years on ill Street they ha e relocated the salon along with their fabulous loyal team to arket lace and rebranded at the same time becoming he Salon akham his smaller salon immediately feels friendly and welcoming as soon as you walk in ight and airy there s a really good ibe coming from the place wanted people to walk in and feel their shoulders drop knowing they could ust rela says o nd she s got it ust right t feels more intimate the smaller space feels much more bouti uey and far from intimidating nd you still get a really good hairstyling e perience as all the team came with them Simon and o know their stu ha ing worked in the industry for many many years oth from eicester where they trained Simon then mo ed down to ondon before returning to the city and worked for a ri al salon o specialises in colour Simon in haircuts oth had wanted to set up their own salons with Simon e entually doing so o oined him from the ri al salon which

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The Salon Oakham

'After 16 years on Mill Street they have relocated the salon, along with their fabulous, loyal team, to Market Place and rebranded at the same time becoming The Salon, Oakham.' amalgamated with him becoming Cawthorne and Wright. This was over 20 years ago, opening a second salon on Mill Street in Oakham 16 years ago. Simon then went out on his own, staying at Oakham with Jo as his manager. They are a good team and are now business and personal partners. So the ‘dynamic duo’ as they are known have worked together for 25 years in total so what they don’t know about hairdressing… ‘but we are constantly evolving and learning,’ they both say. And this is obvious with their recent move to the new salon and the rebrand. They are on top of changing trends, can think on their feet and move with the times. ‘The day of the

large salon has gone,’ says Jo. ‘And this is apparent throughout the industry. Times have changed.’

And times have changed again over the last few years. And these changes have marked a subsequent change in the service and hospitality industry. Newcomers to the industry have slowed down considerably.

‘We have always had apprentices coming through, learning on the job and becoming skilled hairdressers and stylists,’ both Simon and Jo say. ‘But today, this is no longer the case, or much less common anyway. We have always worked closely with colleges, training apprentices here and running courses but there are so few

coming through now.’

‘To get into the industry we have always advised people, and this is historically the case too says Simon to find a good salon become a liated with them and allow them to train you in-house. This was always the best way to learn. Start at 16, work your way up and by the time you’re 19 you are ualified and within fi e years really know your stu ou learn by osmosis watching learning and gaining experience as well as doing the college courses. And this is not only the case with hairdressing, caterers and hospitality are finding the same thing It’s a great pity really as not everyone needs, or should, go to university.’

Simon and Jo are very keen to speak to anyone who wants to get into the industry so pop in and see them. The days of the Saturday girl learning a trade have not disappeared. They are also looking for freelancers - full and part time - to join their friendly, small team so again, pop in and have a chat.

Simon and Jo live in a village just outside Oakham ‘and Rutland Water is our back yard,’ says Simon. So if they’re not busy making us look beautiful they are out riding, running, walking and cycling, in Jo’s case, ‘anything that involves being outside,’ and in Simon s case fishing cycling and walking; and both of them say ‘eating’ too.

The new salon welcomes walk-ins and re ects the di erent ibe that the arket lace in akham o ers which fits in well There’s a bit of a buzz in this part of town, lots of coming and going and a renewed energy. The new concept for their business that Simon and Jo have developed is working. The Salon, Oakham, fresh and new, is a relaxed, happy place. Everyone is welcome and will feel comfortable here. I certainly did. www.thesalonoakham.com / 01572 722774

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Terrific Tallington Tallington Lakes celebrated its 40th anniversary this May and Mary was one of its earliest skiers

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Tallington

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ELL IT’S OFFICIAL; I am old. I knew it anyway (well, had a strong suspicion) but to find out that allington akes is years old has ust nailed the last hammer in the co n of my lost youth hirty eight years ago used to water ski at some old gravel pits which were the fairly newly opened allington akes here was nothing there but large expanses of water. You towed your boat to the lake edge and launched it from its trailer here were no changing rooms or anything like that. You used to put your wetsuit on hiding behind your car. e weren t the only friends doing this here were uite a few people up there skiing ha ing fun and hanging out here was no landscaping then, no trees (or if there were they were very newly planted) or anything like that and nowhere to get a cup of tea afterwards to warm up. But we were the avant garde (although we didn’t know it at the time) and enjoying the vision of Gordon Young and Stan aters who had bought the old gra el pits in wo very keen local water skiers, they scraped together the asking price of and bought the acre site with acres of spring fed lakes hey had real ision and could see the potential in those newly filled gra el pits hey got the water skiing up and running with skiers coming from all over the country and a camp site very uickly followed A few months later my water skiing days were over when I umped on a plane to head own nder ittle did know that years later I’d be sitting interviewing Activities Manager Chas Shrosbree and experiencing deja vu.

Forty years later you would not recognise the place. First of all the grounds are landscaped with large mature trees and established plantings here are permanent structures of wooden lodges a caravan park, swimming pool and large clubhouse he place has been transformed and matured into a lovely leisure area. And that’s not even mentioning the large pro shop, ski slopes and climbing wall.

Gordon and Stan were able to use their passion for water skiing to develop the lakes and were uickly oined by local skier Ernie Ward who worked with them running the business and before long Local skier Ernie Ward

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Tallington championships were being held there. It quickly became known as a world class lake for skiing. It is quite shallow and sheltered so ideal.

A local speedboat company was based there and then Wentworth Action Sports in Peterborough opened a water sports shop.

Momentum was now growing and the Peterborough sailboard club relocated to the lakes so it was now a centre for wind powered sports as well Sailing kayaking and windsurfing all took place there; particularly windsurfing as it was ery popular in the s he clubhouse was built in the mid s and et skiing introduced for a while as well. allington akes was ery firmly on the map nd more and more people were staying on site as well Some mo ing in permanently was another milestone for the comple as it was the year the ski slope was built y now the clubhouse was firmly established and many leisure homes had been built. Personnel were changing too a e and aggie right from the eterborough limbing shop oined forces with entworth and the pro shop became much larger selling climbing and ski gear as well as watersports kit. And once the ski slope opened the business ust grew and grew with toboggan parties for the youngsters and ski lessons for people wanting to learn. n the current owners bought the business and de eloped it further he outdoor pool was built along with the climbing wall y now more leisure homes had been built and many people li e on site as well as those who ha e second homes here en oying their time on the water and using all the facilities; it seems to be a good mi of people. er the years the sports o ered ha e e ol ed S paddle boarding is ery popular and open water swimming well established here is a m circuit that is open usually from arch to October, depending on demand. he business has grown from those early days of irtually no sta to now ha ing o er people Some are seasonal workers but there s a hard core of year round sta many who ha e been working here for many years particularly the grounds sta nd has Shrosbree is in charge of many of them. has oined allington in as the website manager is background is mountaineering and in he became the acti ities manager for the whole site. So anything to do with any sport and acti ity along with the shop is down to has e is a keen climber snow skier and water sporter, ‘anything that isn’t motorised I’ll do.’

And it’s the perfect place for him because he can swim after work, get in some weekly climbing practice and take out a paddle board whene er he has time ut he doesn t ha e that much time as he s pretty busy s well as being in charge of all the acti ities he s also in charge of the pro shop nd that is really worth a isit t s ast and stocked with e erything from hiking gear to wet suits to leisure gear ski and

'I always describe Tallington as the perfect place to be introduced to the great outdoors,' walking boots nd they really know their stu able to o er an e cellent fitting ser ice for boots ski and walking as well as all the other sports you need equipment for. always describe allington as the perfect place to be introduced to the great outdoors says has ou can come and ha e a go at skiing or climbing and then go o and ski in snow or head to the Alps, or the Peaks to climb.’ he ski slope is currently being refurbished and allington is constantly keeping up with changing demands he refurbishment after years will feature a new surface that is conduci e to snowboarding and freestyle skiing which is popular now ou can come and practice your umps and tricks once the refurbishment is complete this winter. e are so lucky to ha e such a facility on our doorstep o ering so many sporting opportunities. And it all came from Gordon, Stan and rnie s ision all those years ago ere s to the ne t years www.tallington.com www.tallingtonproshop.com

July 2022 / theactivemag.com

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Aqua park

Lifeguard training boost The RLSS UK (The Royal Life Saving Society UK), has joined forces with Aqua Park to help save lives this summer

I

N 2021, 341 people lost their lives in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds and canals in the UK. The partnership between the RLSS and Aqua Park Association UK and Ireland is aiming to reduce that number by increasing training for lifeguards who work at outdoor water venues.

The partnership has created a new training module that has been added to the RLSS UK’s current three-day course provided to lifeguards to help train more people to educate the public about being safe in and around the water.

The RLSS UK has trained a number of Aqua Park Group’s lifeguards to be ualified SS rainer ssessors who will deliver the training to all lifeguards at its four outdoors water parks, including the one at Rutland Water which is now open for the summer and also o er it to members of the public Helen Bowker-Steer from the RLSS UK said: ‘There are too many incidents where people get injured or drown in the UK every year, and our mission is to prevent as many of these as possible, through both education and training. The partnership with Aqua Park Association UK and Ireland which include the Aqua Park Group will help equip more people with the ability to pass on the lifesaving skills re uired to help people who find themsel es in di culty in open water.

‘We know the summer weather attracts many people to take a dip, but we want everyone to enjoy water safely and the more highlyualified lifeguards we ha e the safer people can be

The RLSS UK’s new Aqua Park training module is an additional ualification to the current three day pen ater ifeguard course which sta do and will pro ide all lifeguards working at ua ark s four enues with the highest le el ualification a ailable in the UK. It represents an investment of six hours additional training per lifeguard, with a key element of this training based around safety, first aid and using rescue boards increasing the skills of all the water safety team.

Conor from Aqua Park says, ‘we have four water parks in the UK, which will welcome tens of thousands of thrill-seekers this summer, and we’ve worked with the RLSS UK to put in extra training for our lifeguards to help keep everyone as safe as possible.

‘The new course we’ve developed with the RLSS UK means we ha e some of the highest ualified outdoor lifeguards in the looking after people at our parks.’

Aqua Park Group was started by watersports enthusiasts in 2016 at Rutland Water. As a family run business, it wanted to create a place full of joy that would connect families with the open water and share the many health benefits of embracing the great outdoors with people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

Aqua Park Group has operated water parks since 2016 starting with utland ater before akeside ardi and the latest addition Aqua Park Grafham Water, which opened in summer 2021.

Fast forward to 2022 and this original vision is still anchored at the heart of e erything ua ark Group does er the years tens of thousands of friends, families, teams, and colleagues have visited Aqua Parks. All of whom have shared endless laughs and conquered a physical challenge, helping restore people’s mental and physical health and boost their wellbeing. www.aquaparkgroup.co.uk

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Manage your life

E YOU R AG

since ark s tenure here started and he has had to adapt and use all of his years e perience to ensure the dealership continues to ourish ‘We have 30 years of history here with a very loyal customer base and that has really helped us recently ark e plains Online car sales have now become a big part of the market t s ery easy to sit on your laptop at home and browse cars, picking the one you want and getting it deli ered on the back of a lorry; ne er ha ing seen it So are the days of places like T C Harrison numbered? e can definitely compete price wise with the online sales says ark ut more importantly we can o er what online sales can t the personal e perience of being able to talk to someone face to face and gi e the consumer the level of customer service you

LI F E

T

C HARRISON on Wharf Road has had a presence in Stamford selling Ford cars for over 30 years and is now the only main franchised car dealership left in the town. It is part of a family run business celebrating its 90th year, started by Thomas ‘Cuth’ Harrison in She eld in who uickly established a link with ord which still e ists today ow there are seven car and commercial branches; along with a long standing a liation with ark enson oined the company in as an accounts assistant in Peterborough. He soon oined the sales team as he has a friendly personality which suited the sales en ironment e worked his way up to a usiness anager and eight years ago took over as Sales Manager at Stamford. He has been revelling in the ongoing success ever since. ut times ha e changed dramatically

MAN

The new and used car market has changed dramatically recently. Mary chats to Mark Henson, Sales Manager at T C Harrison Ford, Stamford about it all

would e pect from a successful family run business. Sometimes it has been proven that paying a few hundred pounds more initially can save you thousands in the long run. We have long established relationships with most of our customers so we will help them if things go wrong; which they can do. We only sell cars where we know its history ost of the ones we sell here we initially sold new and ha e taken back as part e change f you buy from a main Ford dealer, which we obviously are, you get competitive prices and the Ford dealership back up e know most of our customers well and it s a tight knit friendly environment. We pride ourselves on our customer service and because of this people keep coming back ou only ha e to look at our trust pilot reviews.’ ew car sales are a huge part or were of

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MANAGE YOUR LIFE

their business and this often involves finance which arrison are able to o er PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) deals are popular with the ma ority of new cars being bought this way giving the customer the ability to change their car more regularly.

Service and maintenance are vital for your car; we all need a well maintained, reliable ehicle arrison o er ser icing from £99 on all makes and models so the myth that main dealerships are very e pensi e is ust that a myth arrison also o er competiti e ser ice plans where

you pay a low monthly figure so the cost of your annual service is covered. Pop into the branch to find out more But, we all know times have changed dramatically when it comes to the car market, new and used. And Mark and his team have had to move dramatically with the times. Pre-Covid, if I wanted a standard brand new Ford Fiesta, Mark could probably have got me one within a week from their large compound in Peterborough which was full of new cars. Well, not any more.

At the moment Mark has two brand new

‘But more importantly we can offer what online sales can’t, the personal experience of being able to talk to someone face to face and give the consumer the level of customer service you would expect from a successful family run business.'

cars in his showroom. But these are for display purposes only, not available to be sold until the replacement display cars arrive. The waiting list for a new Ford is between six and nine months. And that is good in the current market with other well known brands having waiting lists of well over a year. Why? First of all, Covid. Many dealerships struggled through the pandemic. Mark had to think on his feet Some of the sales sta were furloughed as car dealerships had to close their doors in March 2020 and production at factories worldwide stopped.

And then there was the problem with supply from a Japanese factory that made semi-conductors for all new cars; worldwide. This has held up production of all new cars. And then, thanks to Mr Putin, there was a further knock on e ect to supply chain logistics.

So new Ford car production has almost ground to a halt but there are signs that this is starting to ease and Mark is now taking reservations for new cars, but of course there’s still a bit of a wait. his has all had a knock on e ect; not ust for ord and not ust for the his is a global phenomenon and the prices for second hand cars have sky-rocketed which is down to supply and demand. There are fewer cars on the second hand market as the rental companies have lost their normal supply from the manufacturers. T C Harrison in Stamford are now, rather than only selling cars under fi e years old with the rest going to auction, selling cars up to nine or 10 years old; still with warranties though and that excellent customer service.

Throughout this situation T C Harrison ha e communicated with their sta and ensured that they returned to work as quickly as possible after the lockdown rules were rela ed ne of the benefits of working for a well-established, family run business,’ says Mark.

So what is Mark’s advice? ‘We are contacting our customers who we know will want to change their car within the next 12 months. We are getting them to think ahead and place an order as, at the moment, new car prices haven’t risen dramatically - yet.

And supply of new cars is not going to change rapidly. But used car prices have, so our customers will be getting a much better price for their part exchange. It’s all down to supply and demand.’

Ford’s best seller always used to be a Fiesta. Not any longer. Now it is a Puma mild hybrid which is a cross o er S irting with the electric car market; but that’s got to be another article. www.tch.co.uk 01780 758050

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W I L L’ S W A L K

Aldwincle and Wadenhoe A charming woodland walk on the north bank of the river Nene and a very special village.

By Will Hetherington Images: Will Hetherington

The river Nene between Aldwincle and Wadenhoe.

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Will’s Walk

Difficulty rating The route

You can park in tiny Wadenhoe in the village hall car park but it s easier to find somewhere convenient on the street in Aldwincle or in the car park for Titchmarsh ature eser e o owick ane to the south of Aldwincle. Head north on Main Street in Aldwincle past the primary school and the church on your right. Turn left on to Cross ane and after yards look out for the stile on the right just after the last house on that side of the road. Cross the stile and head out west across a pasture first and then three small arable fields with a stream on your right. When you reach the bridleway turn right and stay on the track between the two high hedges for one kilometre.

When you reach the barrier at the end turn right and then left on to Wadenhoe oad after another metres ithin ACTIVE INFO a minute you will reach the right The Wadenhoe Trust owns turn on to the track to Wadenhoe 30 domestic properties in the church. Follow the track and arrive village as well as the King’s Head at the church with its imposing and Home Farm Close. The trust position above the Nene. Pass the was established by George and stunning sundial and head Edna Ward Hunt to preserve it as a living village but not a museum, downhill towards the illage and visitors can still reap the where it s worth taking fi e minutes benefits of their foresight to explore this beautiful collection of today. limestone houses with thatched and Collyweston slate roofs. You are now more than halfway into the walk so don’t be scared to take a rewarding refreshment in the stunning King’s Head garden which slopes down towards the river.

Once you are refreshed turn left out of the ing s ead and towards the church but after the first pedestrian gate make sure you bear left to pick up the Nene Way. This peaceful route then goes through the woodland on the north bank of the Nene and a couple of open fields on the way back to Aldwincle. Along the way you will get glimpses of the river but for much of this path woodland serenity dominates. Stay on the path for just over a mile and you will be back in Aldwincle before you know it.

Wadenhoe is a beautiful old stone village which has been carefully managed by the Wadenhoe Trust.

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BIKE FIT STUDIO

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Will’s Walk

You will be on the Nene Way for nearly half the route.

Essential information WHERE TO PARK You can park in Wadenhoe but it’s a lot easier to find somewhere in Aldwincle. ©Crown copyright 2022 Ordnance Survey. Media 023/22

DISTANCE AND TIME Four miles/an hour and a half.

HIGHLIGHTS Wadenhoe village, the church, sundial and the King’s Head. The woodland path between the two villages and the long bridleway out on the west of the route.

LOWLIGHTS Despite being on the Nene Way there is limited access to the river bank.

START/ FINISH

REFRESHMENTS The King’s Head in Wadenhoe.

DIFFICULTY RATING One paw. There’s nothing much to cause a sweat on this route.

THE POOCH PERSPECTIVE Despite being on the Nene Way there aren’t really any easy access points into and out of the river along the route.

But you can take the dogs down to the bridge over Harper’s Brook on the south of Aldwincle for a paddle if necessary.

Otherwise there may be sheep in occasional fields along the way For your own safety and navigation make sure you have an OS map with you when you go out walking. You won’t regret it.

Peaceful woodland provides some shade in the summer months.

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Visit our luxurious salons with ample parking at 11 Hope’s Yard, Uppingham, Rutland. LE15 9QQ Phone: 01572 823370

Come for the food, stay for the ambience!

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1 Alexandra Road, Stamford, PE9 1QR. Phone: 01780 238280 www.goodhairdaysstamford.co.uk

Menus from £15.95 per person or à La Carte available, booking in advance recommended.

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ActiveBody E D I T E D B Y K AT E M A X I M

Left, right, left right, left right Repetitive movement such as marching, or of course running, can cause injury if you’re not prepared. Physio Sarah Babbs explains

W

ATCHING THE PLATINUM Jubilee celebrations this weekend and especially the pageant on Sunday with the soldiers marching made me think of the di culties of in ury again; specifically bone in ury Recent work is showing more about how bone tolerates adapts and benefits from e ercise to maintain its integrity bane of many new soldiers’ lives has been a propensity to get lower limb stress fractures, from the metatarsal bones in the feet to the femoral neck or ball and socket in the hip Women are twice as likely to get fractures with some papers reporting a 5% incidence in all male and in female recruits hose who have these fractures, on average, have to have 62 days away from training under rehabilitation and some will have to leave training and find a di erent career hese in uries most often occur during basic training when new recruits undergo the rigours of intense physical activity such as marching and carrying large packs, both of which they may not be accustomed to ur bones change as we grow his seems obvious as we grow from baby to adult but this continuation of new bone formation is an ongoing process through adult life too ur bone naturally has areas of microdamage or small cracks, to which the response is to repair and strengthen his allows us to adapt to demands made on the body ew bone is laid down according to those stresses, also helped by good nutrition, general health and sleep one in ury occurs when the load is too

great for the current tolerance of the bone, similar to tendons and muscles in other musculoskeletal in uries t the point of o erload the micro damaged areas oin to become a weakened part of the bone where a stress fracture can occur his is similar to a fracture which can be caused by something like a fall with the bone usually being kept in line but in some cases displaced he signs are pain and swelling at the site, sometimes with an inability to weight bear he symptoms may come on gradually, are often mild at the beginning of an exercise session or run but worsen during it t may be that the following morning, more pain and swelling is noted Management is to stop the aggravating acti ities n some cases especially around the hip to completely o load the structure using crutches or a boot for up to six weeks and then to gradually reintroduce exercise with planned progression, all the while watching for symptom aggra ation Interestingly bone does respond well to loading but only for the first cycles ie the first steps of a run after which the bone becomes blind to the stimulus t this point it is better to do something di erent in an alternate direction to change that blindness

ry side lunges or backwards skipping his challenges the bone cells at a slightly di erent angle and impro es the response Similarly, doing a few lots of 100 cycles throughout the day seems a better way of managing reco ery ry steps o er the day Being better prepared, as always, reduces the risk of in ury emale recruits and those with a poor nutritional status are at a higher risk for bone in ury so impro ing diet and activity before starting military training (or trying for longer distance running like marathons is ital a ing calcium in the diet and Vitamin D to help absorb the calcium is important ur climate does not give us enough Vitamin D so supplements are recommended, especially during the winter Sleep too is important study by the Israeli army showed a sharp improvement on stress fractures by making sure their recruits had at least six hours sleep a night during basic training s always preparation is key; sleep nutrition and gradual loading of tissue will help a oid the risks of bone in ury To contact Sarah ring 07780 900201

July 2022 / theactivemag.com

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Priors Hall is an 18-hole course

set in the scenic North Northamptonshire countryside

A demanding challenge for all levels of golfers which is accessible to members of the public via a Pay and Play offer. Open 7 days a week. Course is undergoing maintenance and refurbishment including some bunker renovations.

The bar and restaurant/function room are open every day and the function room can be booked for private events, such as parties and meetings. We can provide catering and refreshments.

Priors Hall Golf Course, Stamford Road, Corby Northants, NN17 3JH

For a more regular visitor there is a discount card scheme on offer.

Contact for more information.

For more information, please call and speak to a member of staff on 01536 260756.

Telephone: 01536 260756 Email: priorshallgolf@northnorthants.gov.uk www.corbyleisure.co.uk/priors-hall-golf-course

ActiveBody

Glaucoma; the facts Glaucoma is a relatively common eye disease which initially displays no symptoms. This is why it is important to have regular eye tests

L

INA OSMAN, A Consultant phthalmologist at the ni ersity Hospitals of Leicester NHS trust and The Stoneygate Eye Hospital, explains about glaucoma, including commonly asked questions and treatment options.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that can cause irreversible damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve connects your eye to the seeing part of the brain. Having high pressure in your eyes is the most significant risk for developing glaucoma, although glaucoma can occur with normal eye pressure.

Vision loss from glaucoma occurs normally in the outer edge (peripheral) part of the vision and then progresses to the centre. If left untreated it can cause irreversible loss of vision. In most of the types of glaucoma the disease shows no symptoms until later on.

Possible symptoms are often non specific and include blurred, patchy or misty vision.

What should I do?

A check up at the optician is vital to screen for glaucoma and to be referred promptly to the specialist if there are any early signs. This is more important - and strongly advised - if a family member has already been diagnosed with glaucoma. If picked up early, treated promptly and followed up regularly, almost all types of glaucoma can be prevented from causing irreversible loss of vision and patients can keep good vision for life.

How is glaucoma treated?

Treatment options are individually tailored. The main aims of all available treatments are to reduce the eye pressure.

This remains to date the only risk factor that we can alter.

Whilst the most common type of treatment is eye drops, there are other treatment options that can be explored when eye drops are not suitable or not e ecti e ther options include laser treatment (selective laser Trabeculoplasty, laser peripheral iridotomy, cyclodiode), minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries, minimally invasive bleb-forming surgeries, trabeculectomy and glaucoma drainage devices or tubes. Cataract surgery can also be a treatment

option for some types of glaucoma. Research into neuroprotective treatments is still underway and is not yet conclusive.

Can you cure glaucoma?

Most types of glaucoma are conditions that require lifelong treatment and monitoring.

As the disease does not show any symptoms early on, you will need to be monitored in the clinic to pick up any early changes to the nerve. By having a regular check-up, prompt treatment can be advised and progression of the disease can be halted. It is important to have regular eye tests when glaucoma is often tested for at the same time.

Can I still drive with glaucoma? ertain types of glaucoma can a ect both eyes. In such situations your glaucoma specialist will advise you to inform DVLA as it is a legal requirement. Having glaucoma doesn’t mean you cannot drive, however you will be assessed periodically to ensure you are safe to do so.

To find out more or to book a no-obligation private consultation with Lina Osman, please contact The Stoneygate Eye Hospital on 0116 270 8033 or visit www. thestoneygateeyehospital.co.uk

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ActiveBody

Sweet tooth no more Gary Trickett suggests ways to slay your sugar dragon for good

A

CRAVING IS not hunger but dri en by your brain s need for reward as opposed to your body s need of food nd sugar cra ings are one of the most common and one of the main reasons we can find it so hard to stick to a healthy eating plan f you can work out why and understand your cra ing you can a oid your triggers nd when it comes to sugar there may be se eral Stress and low mood can push us to comfort eat; physical fatigue can demand a uick boost of energy and lack of sleep can upset the hormones that regulate feelings of hunger and satiety making us more susceptible to cra ings en dehydration and thirst can manifest as hunger and stimulate cra ings his is because your body needs an ade uate supply of uid to help metabolise glycogen stored sugar and if this isn t happening your body will start to trigger sugar cra ings to gi e itself a uick energy boost f you are to outsmart your cra ings you ll need to take a look at your diet arbohydrates form the bulk of our diet and range from simple sugars such as white sugar through to comple and slow to digest ones like grains and fresh green foods hese foods ha e a much kinder slow release e ect on the body hey do contain sugars but the sugars are locked up in the comple nature of their structure and it takes the body longer to access them our blood glucose re ects this by not displaying the ups and downs we get with simple sugars and refined foods eep your blood sugar le els balanced by a oiding or at least reducing all of the ob ious culprits such as cakes biscuits sweets and sugary drinks ncrease your comple carbs by eating more brown rice beans oatmeal peas broccoli and cooked spinach oods rich in protein are also important as they can help keep you fuller for longer nd fibre soluble fibre in particular can help to slow down the absorption of sugar Good protein sources include eggs nuts beans and

‘Keep your blood sugar levels balanced by avoiding (or at least reducing) all of the obvious culprits such as cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks.’ lentils and for fibre black beans butter beans and russel sprouts top the list ou should aim to eat a meal e ery three to fi e hours ertain nutrients may also help to keep sugar cra ings in check including chromium hromium is a trace mineral that is needed for the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates because of its e ect on insulin hen you eat something sweet your blood sugar le els rise uickly triggering a release of insulin to help bring them back to normal f your body is releasing insulin on a regular basis you may become insulin resistant which is where diabetes comes in nce your blood sugar le els ha e spiked there comes an ine itable crash when you start to cra e sugar

hromium is belie ed to enhance the action of insulin and reduce insulin resistance t is also an acti e ingredient in Glucose olerance actor G a dietary component that increases the action of insulin Good food sources of chromium include wholegrains rewer s yeast broccoli and lentils or you could try a chromium supplement s with any healthy diet balance is really important utrient deficiencies can sometimes arise when you re dieting and doing your best to a oid sugar making you more ulnerable to cra ings ow le els of calcium magnesium and inc can sometimes contribute to sugar cra ings inc especially as it helps to support your production of insulin mineral supplement like ogel s alance ineral rink can help you to stay topped up t contains calcium magnesium and inc as well as natural itamin here are also many ways to sweeten food without adding sugar innamon is naturally sweet and delicious added to porridge oconut palm sugar is a low G alternati e to cane sugar with trace le els of phytonutrients inc and iron t also contains insulin to help support friendly gut bacteria and of course there s manuka honey rink plenty of uids to help metabolise your e isting sugar stores ou should be aiming for to litres of plain water a day Visit Gary and his team at The Health Store, West Bridgford or call 0115 9814080.

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Active Kids Levelling up the cricket playing field at Spratton Hall SPRATTON HALL IS proud to be one of the first schools to offer mixed cricket teams across their whole prep school (children aged 8-13). Until 2021 their sporting offering was divided, with different sports for boys and girls. The school made cricket the main summer sport for girls in the summer of 2018, which was so well received, they have created 25 mixed teams this year.

Parents have whole-heartedly embraced this change, and support for all teams has been fantastic this season. The school’s commitment to cricket and sporting success has been an important factor in their recognition by the Cricketer magazine, as one of the Top 50 Cricketing Prep Schools, for three years running.

National Teaching Award for Steph the Chef WITHAM HALL’S VERY own Steph the Chef has been awarded the 2022 Pearson National Teaching Award for the ‘Unsung Hero.’ Steph is much loved by pupils, parents and staff alike and this is a fitting accolade for the leader of the Witham Hall Catering Team.

Entrepreneurial Oakhamians OAKHAM SCHOOL ENTREPRENEURS have been selling products to staff and pupils as part of a new business-led activity set up in memory of a former student.

Year 12 pupils created businesses, came up with ideas for a product to sell and then marketed it to the school ahead of the marketplace event. They then set up stalls on the school grounds in their teams and sold their chosen products to their audience.

The stalls included jewellery, fidget spinner pens and sticky ceiling balls, all of which were very popular with their target market.

The pupils taking part in the activity had all studied the newly-launched Freddie Groome Enterprise Challenge, which pays homage to late Old Oakhamian Freddie (’13) and was set up in his memory after his death in 2020.

As a lover of all things business, Freddie’s family, along with his former classmates, wanted Freddie’s legacy to live on at the school and have funded the project to give pupils the opportunity to thrive in the world of enterprise. Over the past academic year, pupils have developed their business-building skills by learning how to prepare, develop and review their own business ideas.

Throughout the scheme, pupils demonstrated a range of enterprising skills including teamwork, leadership and innovation. The course will now finish with a review of the success and profit of each business.

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Active Kids

Oakham’s athletics success OAKHAM SCHOOL ATHLETES competed in the County Championships at Saffron Lane in Leicester recently, winning 31 medals, 21 of which were gold, eight silver and two bronze.

Highlights include earning gold in the Senior Girls’, Inter Girls’ and the Junior Girls’ relays, with the Inters leading the way to the finish, just 10m ahead of the Senior Girls. Oakham School’s head girl Izzy Skelton, who progressed to the semi-finals in the 400m, as a senior in the British Indoor Athletics Championships, has handed the baton on and left an incredible team of athletes in her wake.

Meanwhile, Lower School athletes also impressed at the IAPS Athletics Championships held at Bedford Stadium recently. One pupil won gold in the U13 Girls 100m and another got silver in the U14 girls’ hurdles, leading to selection for the East Area IAPS at the Nuneaton National Championships.

Cricket at Lords

STAMFORD GIRLS’ U13 cricket team had a wonderful experience when they competed in the Indoor National Final at Lords Cricket Ground, where they came 4th out of five teams on the day. A whopping 944 teams started off in the competition.

Stamford gymnastic gains STAMFORD DID WELL at the Midlands Independent Schools’ Gymnastics Championships. Held at the Junior School, the U9 Advanced, U11 Advanced and the Stamford School team all came second with the U7s, U8s, U10s Advanced, and the Senior A and B teams coming in first place. Stamford hosted the MISGA (Midlands Independent Schools Gymnastics Association) championships recently and achieved several gold and silver medals in both team and individual events in all age groups.

Witham Hall Scholarship Success WITHAM HALL IS proud to celebrate the 2022 Leavers who have secured an extraordinary 18 Scholarship awards to senior schools out of a cohort of 39 leavers. Between the Year 8 pupils and one Year 6 pupil there were scholarships for art, sport, all rounders, drama and academic.

Witham Hall Leavers this year have passed Common Entrance and entrance exams to a number of schools including Ampleforth, Downe House, Gresham’s, Millfield, Milton Abbey, Oakham, Oundle, Rugby, Stamford and Uppingham.

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ActiveSport Julie’s long walk for charity MindSpace Stamford volunteer Julie Lunt is in training to walk the length of The Camino de Santiago Trail later this year to raise funds for the charity

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ULIE’S EPIC 400-MILE seven-week walk will begin on August 25. She’ll be taking part in a centuries’ old pilgrimage to the shrine of the apostle Saint James in the cathedral of Santiago in Galicia, Spain, where the apostle’s remains are believed to be buried.

‘I’ve always been someone who’s enjoyed walking and more recently started to do long distance walks,’ says Julie, who lives in Stamford. ‘I have known about the Camino de Santiago for some time and in 2018 a friend and walked the final kilometres loved it, the people, the places and the beautiful landscape. After that, I knew I’d like to walk it all in one go and get the feeling of what it’s really like to walk it as a pilgrim.’

Julie researched the pilgrimage and the various routes to the city of Santiago de Compostela and began to put her plans in

place over a year ago. She’s chosen the Portuguese Way (Caminho Português de Santiago), starting in Lisbon and walking via the Portuguese town of Fatima, another important pilgrimage site.

Julie will be doing most of the walk on her own, with friends joining her for a couple of sections. She says: ‘I consider myself humanist more than a religious person, but it will definitely be a pilgrimage for me gi ing me time to think and re ect away from the normal routines of day-to-day life.’

Long training walks are now part of Julie’s weekly routine. ‘In May, when I could comfortably walk 10 miles in a day, I set myself a target of 18 miles a week. I am now undertaking walks of 13 miles and more, and plan to do some 15-mile walks in August. On the Camino I’ll be walking day after day, typically 12 to 15 miles, with a few long, 15 to

18 mile walks, close together.

‘I am now in my 60s and could never call myself athletic, so it is important I carefully prepare for the walk and ensure that I am doing it in a way that suits me. Thousands of people embark on the Camino every year and some don’t put any preparation into it, ending up with blisters, painful shin splints and much worse, and as a result are forced to give up after a matter of days.’

Following ancient yet well used and well-maintained routes and tracks through Spanish villages and towns, the route Julie has chosen is relati ely at compared to other routes. She’ll be staying in albergues (hostels) and basic hotels along the way.

Julie has been walking with The Stamford Ramblers as well as walking on her own, increasing her pace to over 5km an hour. She began her training carrying 2 litres of water in her daysack on local walks and is working her way up to 8 litres which is equivalent to 8kg, the approximate weight of the backpack she will carry en route.

If you would like to support Julie on her mission, donations can be made via her page at gofundme.com – search ‘Walking the Caminho Portuguese for Mindspace’.

MindSpace aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Stamford residents, helping them to ourish through get togethers and shared activities, including a Night Light Café, running, yoga, walking, and craft, as well as a community garden. www.mindspacestamford.com

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Ain’t no mountain high enough You may remember that Delia Calder and friends were planning a trip to Everest Base Camp and then Covid struck

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GLOBAL PANDEMIC meant that our big adventure to attempt Everest Base Camp was delayed by two years, but in ay finally found myself at eathrow with nine friends en route to Kathmandu ready to start our expedition. ur first day included a guided tour of athmandu that took us to onkey emple and the umari har before we gathered for our brief and collected kit bags mountain ackets and sleeping bags hat we were about to do suddenly became ery real e reported at am the ne t day for our dangerous but e hilarating ight to ukla ur water bladders were filled for the first of many times and we were immediately on our way trekking to hakding ur first day was supposed to be an easy up and down cobbled pathway before reaching our first tea house and night stop n the trek up to the Gumela onastery it soon became apparent why we trek high and sleep low where possible to help acclimatise to the altitude. he second day took us along the udh osi i er and o er many suspension bridges e ascended m and entered the Sagar atha ational ark e also crossed the famous illary suspension bridge before reaching amche a aar at m n our third day we were meant to catch our first glimpse of erest but sadly cloud put a stop to that.

he fourth day took us around the long path towards the ri er with ama ing iews e isited the famous and ery beautiful engboche onastery m before descending to aradise odge for the night which was anything but its namesake ay fi e to ingboche eight miles through the forest with a steep climb after lunch e spent two nights here to acclimatise ay si was our second acclimatisation day where we climbed to m to the angkarlshang eak e had a couple of hours in a co ee house where we were oined by three rench anadians who had ust summitted e asked many uestions and were in total awe of their achie ement Sadly on the se enth day one of our group was helicoptered down with altitude sickness his unsettled the rest of us as it was really upsetting to lose her but struck us how serious the reality of the altitude really is here are tombs and monuments on emorial ill to commemorate those who sadly didn t make it and there are uite a few of them ay eight was our big day e had a hard trek across large boulders o er the glacier and had our first ama ing iew of base camp which was still a few hours away fter lunch in Gorak Shep there was more trekking before we finally hit base camp at a height of m here were smiles and tears and lots of photos; we had done it e then had the long trek back to Gorak Shep where we were all uite subdued o celebrations ust an early night as we were all e hausted Most evenings we had an early dinner in our various tea houses before a few team games of and bed by pm and we were up by am most mornings e had ery little access to hot water so wet wipes were our best friend am hoping that my merino base layers did what they were supposed to and not smell t took us eight days to get to base camp and we came down in three which was tough a total of miles o er di cult terrain and in tricky conditions uckily only e perienced the odd altitude headache whilst others were not so fortunate and su ered much more ach day we had a uote of the day to help moti ate us and we also chose a word of the day each e ening to sum up that day e encouraged each other and this helped keep us moti ated he whole ad enture was tough but ama ing and am incredibly proud of our achie ement did it

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Jeremy Smithson-Beswick catches up with what’s going on this month in the world of local sport

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E REPORTED LAST month on Oakham Cricket Club’s di cult start to the season and in the weeks since, apart from a morale-boosting 132 run victory in the local derby against Uppingham, I’m afraid it’s been more of the same with defeats against Rothley Park, Langtons and Loughborough Town. The table makes for uncomfortable reading if you’re a Rutlander with Uppingham (who are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year) bottom and Oaks just two places higher. At least ppingham ha e now registered their first win of the competition, against fellow strugglers Lutterworth.

Things are brighter for them in the Sunday Rutland League however. They’re placed third and scoring runs aplenty, including an ama ing against ngton that s from an allotted 45 overs, by the way). Sam Hodson was the star on this occasion with a double century and his opening partner, George orley also reached three figures In contrast to Oaks and Uppingham, over in the Lincs Premiership Bourne’s Saturday side continue to sweep all before them and have an unblemished record so far, a record they share with second placed Sleaford.

Stamford Town chose to play in the Cambs & Hunts competition rather than the Lincs one but they’ve had a Rutland-esque start to their campaign and currently sit in the relegation spots.

You’d have to be something quite special to beat Burghley Park to the title of most picturesque ground, but Market Harborough’s isn’t far behind and is well worth a isit t s fair to say their first has had a torrid few seasons but now seem to be stabilising in Division 3 East and they are currently comfortably in the middle of the table.

been eyeing up their players. One such is Sam Preston who, according to Austin, ‘played a huge part in the campaign…we know there was interest from other clubs so I am really happy to get another deal done.’

The same goes for striker Tendai Daire who was signed at Christmas but hardly played due to injury. Austin said: ‘The Harborough supporters haven’t seen what he can do yet. I am so excited to get him re-signed.’ Once the existing squad is secured Austin has promised some new signings pre-season.

We’ll bring you that news when it happens.

Stamford Daniels, in contrast, have lost a couple of players but both for personal reasons. Dan Haystead, who boss Graham Drury described as ‘by far one of the best I’ve worked with’ goes with his ‘full blessing’ after work commitments meant he was unable to train regularly and James Hicks, whose ‘touch is out of this world’ is moving to a club closer to his home as the family are expecting a happy event in August. That the side were somewhat unlucky to miss out on promotion in the lottery that was the play o s last year was underlined by no fewer than fi e of them being picked for the independently chosen ‘Ultimate Team’ representing the best of their division. Their first pre season friendly sees ushden and Diamonds visit on 9 July followed by another

home fi ture against lackstones on the evening of the 13th.

It’s been all change at that Blackstones side in the close season with a new management team arriving from Netherton United in the form of John Harrison and Ryan Wood.

Chairman Gary Peace expressed himself confident that the pair will bring success to our great club’ and it’s fair to say they had an impressive record over several years at Netherton.

Fancy ‘trying a tri’? Although my own triathlon days are not behind me (as they’ve ne er been in e istence those of you fitness fiends who are into hard core might be attracted by the local elland alley outfit who’ve been busy in the press with a recruitment drive. Based in Market Harborough and Corby they boast 19 trained coaches and a membership of both genders totalling over 120. They do have an elite side to the club, with some members who’ve ‘competed in full and half Ironmans, swum ten miles across Lake Windermere and trekked across Panama’ but also welcome newbies of all abilities including those who don’t want to compete but ‘enjoy meeting up with others to exercise. We encourage people to just come along and have a go’. Details can be found at www.wvtri.com or just email hello@wvtri.com. Best of luck!

It’s the town’s footballers who have the bragging rights of course, completing the treble last year and a posting promotion league statistics of played 38, won 33.

Preparation for life at the higher level is well under way with manager Mitch Austin so far successfully fending o other sides who e

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ActiveSport

‘They’ve been in touch to tell us about the 21 medals they won at the recent Fenland Open, including no fewer than five for nine-year-old Ashton Hunter.’

Show your support for local sport Email mary@theactivemag.com

Equally praiseworthy in the face of di culties and hurdles to o ercome as a triathlete are eepings Swimming lub who continue to achie e great things despite ha ing their pool at the leisure centre semi permanently closed with all the implications that has for maintaining training schedules hey e been in touch to tell us about the medals they won at the recent Fenland Open, including no fewer than fi e one gold and four sil er for nine year old shton unter s all the competitors at this particular e ent were youngsters think we should gi e each of them a mention don t you So well done too to li ia aud ucy enkinson ydee hil ers ieke c onald sobel ause

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endra Greenwood o ell and ames ash inally the good folks at cti e ogether the public sector organisation that e ists to make sport and physical acti ity more accessible for the people of eicestershire and utland has launched itcation an initiati e to encourage families indi iduals and groups to include physical acti ities when taking a short break here are o er forty bookable o erings grouped under the headings drenaline Sporting and cti e amily Some of them sound a whole load of fun such as uad bike safari learning to dri e a ho ercraft or a tank skydi ing not all of them are fun gliding kayaking and roller discos to name ust a few www isitleicester info fitcation has all the details

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ActiveSport

HARRINGWORTH

ROUTE 1 Distance: 30.49km Elevation: 286m Moving time: 1:15

THORPE

BY WATER LAXTON

BULWICK START / FINISH

ROUTE 2 Distance: 27.79km Elevation: 264m Moving time: 1:09

GRETTON

CALDECOTT

DEENE

ROCKINGHAM

On your bike!

This month Gary Waterfall takes a shorter ride but don’t worry, it's quite a challenge. Almost 20 miles and ‘only’ 1000 feet of climb. But…

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TARTING AT BULWICK this is a stunning ride with some beautiful views. Head north west, gently uphill for the first three miles before coasting down the steep hill through Harringworth and into the river valley and the amazing viaduct. Go over the bridge and turn left towards Thorpe

by Water and on to Caldecott. Ahead you will see the steep hill through Rockingham. Be careful on the hill as it keeps going around the corner but you will have completed 500 of ascent at the top, and believe me you will know you’ve done it! Go over the roundabout and then left to enjoy the gentle downhill all the way home from the 10 mile point.

Take a sharp left before Deene then turn right just before the small Spanhoe airfield and follow the road back

Use it or Lose it, keep your brain and body active

Second helpings, a group helping reduce food waste

Winter walks with Will

We try out a ‘god pod’ Find out about girls’ and women’s cricket at Leicestershire CC

Are diamonds a girl’s best friend?

We find out more about gem stones

Bourne has a new running club

Meet fly fishing guide Nick Dunn

Brentingby Gin, the local company foraging for botanicals ISSUE 92 | FEBRUARY 2020

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Will walks in South Africa

Don’t feel up to tackling the hill at Rockingham? Then turn left before the village and follow the other side of the river valley back. It’s not quite as much of an overall climb but there are still two testing hills; the first into Gretton and the second after you turn right and retrace the route back up the Harringworth hill. https://www.strava.com/routes/2969529347378277632 Or scan the QR code

Meet superfood skincare expert Lisa Armitage

Meet the founders of WildDog Events

Find out about social prescribing Meet Tom Bourne, director of sport at Uppingham Community College ISSUE 91 | JANUARY 2020

to Bulwick. Lodge Farm or the Pickled Village are both great places to enjoy some exceptional food and drink, both with plenty of outside space to sit outside if the weather is suitable. https://www.strava.com/routes/2969526515492003598 Or scan the QR code

Local walks with Will ISSUE 93 | MARCH 2020

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July 2022 / theactivemag.com 58

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