Active Magazine // Stamford & Rutland // May 2020 by Active Magazine

Store cupboard recipes How to stay fit and sane during lockdown What type of walker are you? VE Day celebrations Local Covid initiatives Cycle in New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Central Park I S S U E 9 5 | M AY 2 0 2 0

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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 Printed by Warner’s of Bourne

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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 views or opinions of T or its a liates. isclaimer of iability. Whilst every eﬀort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, 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. T 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 services oﬀered nor the organisations sponsoring the advertisement.

E DI TO R ’ S L E T T E R “Once I realised there was no point railing against what I’d lost and to embrace the slower pace of life I felt myself relax.” FOR THE LAST few weeks I’ve been watching a blackbird helping to tidy my garden as she gathers twigs for her nest. The pigeons are pairing up and seem to be getting fatter by the day and the sparrows and blue tits are continually chattering away whilst they dart about. I am enjoying the company of my feathered neighbours and am looking forward to meeting their offspring in the weeks to come. Something to look forward to, quite hard to achieve at the moment. We are lucky here, I can’t think of many nicer places to have to endure our lockdown period. Most of us can enjoy country walks, runs or cycles a few minutes away from our homes and many of us have gardens we can enjoy, thank goodness. Whilst you’re out on your daily exercise keep an eye out for one of the ‘walker types’ Will describes this month, with more to come next month. I haven’t recognised myself yet… After the initial feeling of having my life pulled from under my feet and the panic about livelihoods, health and isolation I have to confess, now I’ve got into the rhythm of covid lockdown, it’s not too bad, but of course I work from home, not on the front line. Once I realised there was no point railing against what I’d lost and to embrace the slower pace of life I felt myself relax and am now going with the flow. That doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy here at Active. We’ve been catching up with local communities, businesses and people to see how they have adapted and coped with the change in circumstances. It is humbling to see how people have got together to help those in need. And we’ve also come up with lots of suggestions of things to do during lockdown. VE Day is this month and there were going to be lots of celebrations locally. Instead we have looked back at how our area coped during that time. Kate has been learning how to do the Lindy Hop so join her in your kitchen by having a solo dance, you know it will be good fun. Enjoy the issue and, fingers crossed, next month we will be beginning to poke our heads out of the door again and able to resurrect our lives and businesses, here’s hoping. Mary - Editor

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May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Orbea Gain: E.Bike in disguise

GEORGE HALLS CYCLE CENTRE 10-12 Northampton Road, Market Harborough, Leics, LE16 9HE. 01858 465507 www.georgehallscycles.co.uk georgehallscycle@aol.com 04.indd 1

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I S S U E 95 / M AY 2020

Contents

ACTIVE LIFE 8 SOS STAMFORD

How Stamford and the rest of our area is volunteering to help others

9 LOCAL INITIATIVES

How our community has adapted and is helping out during the pandemic

12 RECIPES

Delicious store cupboard recipes

14 GARDENING

Gardening and eco tips

16 HOW TO STAY FIT AND SANE Tips and tricks on how to stay ﬁt, sane and occupied

20 VE CELEBRATIONS

We delve into how our region coped during WWII

26 WHAT TYPE OF WALKER ARE YOU?

Will Hetherington oﬀers a tongue in cheek view of diﬀerent walkers

ACTIVE BODY 30 PHYSIOTHERAPY

Sarah Babbs on how physios treat remotely

31 HOW TO FACE THE FEAR

Gary Trickett oﬀers advice about coping with anxiety and worry

ACTIVE SPORT 33 CYCLING

Cycle around New York’s Central Park

34 CHALLENGES

Our challengers reveal how they feel about their plans being scuppered

36 THE WOUND UP

News from our local clubs about the abrupt end to their sporting calendars

38 SPOTLIGHT ON BOWLS

Find out more about the craft of bowls

16 May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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WE CAN HELP YOU! Ideas, Inspiration and Individuality. Oh, and more plants than you ever dreamed of...

KIBWORTH GARDEN CENTRE

9am - 5pm Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm Sunday

(0116) 2792754

@KibworthGardenCentre

Tugby Orchards, Tugby, LE7 9WE I 0116 259 8063 I www.cafe-ventoux.cc By bike follow the Route 64 Cycle way

Cafe Ventoux is now a grocery store supplying local produce including fruit and veg, dairy and a selection of meats. We are also making our own bread, pies, special occasion cakes and much more. We have an extensive home made take away menu too - Wednesday is international cuisine night, Thursday is curry night followed on Friday and Saturday with our homemade pizza and burger menu. If you would like to pre order for collection please just give us a call during opening hours. OPENING HOURS Monday - Wednesday 9-1pm Thursday - Friday 9 - 1pm and 5 - 8pm (takeaway) Saturday 9-2 and 5 - 8pm (takeaway) Sunday 9-2

Bluebird Care Peterborough & Oundle Care Visits at Home – we care passionately For many people the questions about care don’t arise until suddenly, there is a need. At Bluebird Care we believe that the best care is delivered in the comfort of your own home, where you can keep the things that matter to you most, close by. Home care with Bluebird Care can be anything from a 30-minute care visit to 24 hours live-in care, supporting you to remain as independent as possible, living the lifestyle you choose. Together, we can arrange a care package that works for you.

How can we help you? Helping you start and end the day Medication and mealtime support Household; help you with keeping your home clean and tidy Shopping, prescription collection and appointment accompaniment Personal care Night care and support Live-in care

Contact our friendly team today to find out more about our Home Care service. Bluebird Care Peterborough & Oundle cover: Peterborough, Oundle, Elton, Wansford, The Deepings, Glinton, Ufford, Barnack and all surrounding villages and towns.

To find out more: Call 01733 459 907 Visit bluebirdcare.co.uk/peterborough-oundle

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ActiveLife Store cupboard recipes | Local Covid initiatives Dance the Lindy Hop | VE celebrations | What type of walker are you? E DI T E D BY M A RY B R E M N E R

How to stay fit and sane during lockdown p16 May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Your Country Needs You Residents and businesses within our area are pulling together to help each other, offering services to the wider community as well as vital keyworkers. We’re all showing our national spirit with offers to help, new initiatives and shielding the more vulnerable members of our society. We’ve found out a bit about what’s going on, and there are many people and organisations who need a massive pat on the back. Thank you Claire Maxstead

Stamford’s supporting each other Mary is one of hundreds of volunteers for Support Our Stamford, and finds out more about how the system works. SUPPORT OUR STAMFORD was formed in response to the outpouring of goodwill from the people of Stamford at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. ocal Facebook groups were flooded with posts from residents offering their time and various services, but as these requests were not being centrally co-ordinated nothing was happening. Andy, avid and ickie, three local key workers - two paramedics and a teacher - made the decision to unite to establish a network of volunteers across Stamford. espite having never worked together before they all shared the same vision: to support as many vulnerable people across Stamford as possible and for all volunteering to be completely free of charge. Conscious that restrictions to movement were inevitable from Monday March 23 and that many elderly residents do not have internet access, their immediate priority was to distribute flyers to as many households as possible. In the three days prior to lockdown, and just five days after the team first spoke, volunteers distributed 7,000 flyers across Stamford. This was a huge achievement and showed how determined the hundreds of volunteers were to support their local community. With just under 20,000 residents in Stamford, Andy, avid and ickie drew upon their military backgrounds to look at the logistics of serving a community of this size and decided the best approach was to split the town into five ones. Each one has two volunteer coordinators who manage the team of volunteers within their area. They then link a volunteer with the resident who has submitted a support request. People are then supporting those closest to them meaning travel is kept to a minimum. In the first two weeks, 280 residents registered with the scheme and volunteers have already responded to 152 (rising daily) support requests ranging from prescription collections and food shopping to dog

walking, as well as regular phone calls to those living alone. ‘It’s so reassuring to know there is help available if we need it, said someone who is having to self isolate and ‘I’m so proud of the volunteers pulling together and being the lifeblood of this fabulous community.’ olunteers are from all walks of life students, pensioners, young professionals, nurses, healthcare workers and even maga ine editors all with a common aim ‘to help those who need help and are vulnerable.’ The team have now begun to establish links with S C, Waitrose, Morrisons and Second Helpings meaning those most in need will always be able to access fresh food throughout this crisis. And thanks to an incredible anonymous donation, hundreds of free food hampers will be distributed to the most vulnerable in the coming weeks. To ﬁnd out more about Support ur Stamford and to volunteer or request help go to: www.SupportOurStamford.weebly.com

And not only Stamford of course… Stamford obviously isn t the only town with a volunteer group, virtually every community is doing much the same, from neighbours helping each other to more co-ordinated schemes, some run by local councils, others by individuals. Oakham Neighbours: Covid 19 is another initiative set up to help people who are having to self isolate. Founded on facebook and designed to help older people who would usually be independent but are now having to stay in, the initiative offers essential shopping and collection of prescriptions as well as phone calls to keep in touch. Again all done on a voluntary basis. Market Harborough has www.vasl.org.uk who are offering help and wanting volunteers, and virtually every village seems to have set up its own WhatsApp group offering help where it s needed. Well done to us all!

May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Active life

Claire Maxstead

Schools step up to help Many of our local schools have been getting stuck in to help supply PPE equipment to local hospitals, GP’s practices and keyworkers. Some of the schools were able to open up their DT departments to start manufacturing face masks whilst others donated equipment they already had.

Oakham School Leicester High School for Girls Stamford Endowed Schools DT STAFF AT SES are making up to 200 protective masks a day for the NHS. Staﬀ worked hard to create a prototype and have now set up a workshop at the school to make the masks. Initially three teachers were involved but that has now risen to seven. After 10 days they had made 3,280 laser cut face masks and 88 3D printer face masks spending 90 hours 3D printing and 101 hours laser cutting. Masks have been sent to Peterborough ICU, Stamford police and Uppingham surgeries as well as the East of England Ambulance Service. Staﬀ were using materials they had in stock but will need to source a new supply soon. If you can help please contact the schools at ses@ses.lincs.sch.uk And Browne House, one of the boarding houses has also done their bit and donated 46 duvet sets to For the Love of Scrubs, Stamford so they can make surgical garments from them.

THE SCHOOL HAS donated their science goggles to Glenﬁeld at the request of a parent who works there. They also donated pens as they were short of them too. The school remains open for girls whose parents are key worker.

FIVE STAFF IN the DT department have also been busy working away making protective masks for NHS staff which have been sent to Lincoln Hospital, Peterborough ICU and eicester oyal Infirmary as well as further afield. To date they have made over 1,800 masks to be distributed to keyworkers. Again, they are running out of materials so if anyone can help please email them at FaceMasks@oakham.rutland.sch.uk or to supply funds to help them source products please go to www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ TimWeston4

Rutland Plastics

THE COMPANY BASED in Oakham and founded by two old Oakhamians has been busy working with Oakham School to help with the manufacture of the face masks. It has also been working ﬂat out to produce medical equipment for the new Nightingale Hospitals by adapting its plastic injection moulding company to make medical equipment.

Leicester Grammar School ANOTHER DT DEPARTMENT which has been working extremely hard to make masks is Leicester Grammar, helped by some of the pupils who are children of keyworkers. They have been supplying Leicester General, Kettering General and hospitals further aﬁeld such as Milton eynes, as well as some local pharmacies.

May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Not only schools are stepping up Many local businesses are doing their bit to help the public and keyworkers, and to survive the pandemic. Many of them have had to adapt amazingly quickly to change their business models whilst others are forging ahead and putting plans into action

Mediterranean Deli

Viridis Garden Services and Maintenance

DESPITE THE COVID-19 restrictions Viridis are looking to the future and continuing their plans for 2020. Gardening expert Teresa celebrates 10 years in the industry; she is still working on designs for projects they’ll build after the lockdown is lifted, and they are expanding their services. Viridis Garden Services and Maintenance will oﬀer post-build care and development on a regular basis, nurturing their clients’ new outdoor spaces through the seasons. They will be able to provide a weekly/ monthly service to existing clients and to those in the local area. You can contact Teresa on 07726334501 or via the website www. viridisdesign.co.uk

Café Ventoux IF YOU SEE a woman in Tugby pushing an eight-month-old baby girl in her pram surrounded by groceries, it’s probably Teresa from Caf entoux. She s part of the Tugby volunteer group who deliver supplies to people who are self isolating in the village, and she s also part owner of Caf entoux with husband Jonny. Having taken over the business last year, they re keen to help the local community through this crisis by providing takeaway food each morning from 1pm, although it s a good idea to check opening times as they may vary. They offer meat from Nelson s butchers in ppingham, local game, homemade soups, cakes and family meals, fruit, vegetables, eggs, fresh milk from local supplier roganics, pet food, pasta, flour, yeast and a small number of toiletries. On Friday and Saturday nights they’re continuing their popular pizza evenings, as a pick up and go service. pen from 5 8pm, simply phone in your order, then drop in to pick it up. They’ve found that their wholesalers are delivering little and often, so they tend to get fresh supplies in daily. Now the initial wave of panic has passed, their customers are moving away from buying staples like pasta to treating themselves to toasted sandwiches, cakes and traybakes, delicious coffee and, soon, local ice cream. www.cafe-ventoux.cc 01162 598063

SOMETIMES DURING TIMES of crisis you need to treat yourself, and that’s where the Mediterranean eli and Farm Shop comes in. Based at Wistow ural Centre and run by Trudie and Sefer Ustabas, they’re supplying eggs, fresh fruit and veg, artisan bread, local cheese, meat from local butcher oseph Morris, sauces, jams, chutneys and biscuits. And if that’s not enough, you can choose homemade baklava, sweet and savoury filo slices, stuffed olives, a huge selection of gins, whisky, ales and, best of all, Marshmallow moonshine! These are not your average veg boxes; you phone or text a bespoke order, so you get to decide exactly how many mangoes or pears you want, then you collect from the door. You can order and collect on the same day and Trudie is also delivering to people who are self isolating within a 15 minute radius of the deli. You can find the full list of products available on www.facebook.com/ Meddeliwistow1/ and phone or text Trudie on 07806 683095.

George Hall Cycles

WE ALL KNOW the government has recommended we carry on taking our daily exercise during the Covid-1 outbreak, and that could be walking, running or cycling in our local area, as long as it is done solo. Which means that bike shops can stay open to sell new bikes and accessories as well as carry out repairs. Neil from George Hall Cycles in Market Harborough has just spent time in India staying with a local family and has come home to what seems to be a whole new world. By trying to be very ﬂexible he s hoping to help his customers keep cycling during this di cult period by oﬀering to collect and deliver bikes for repair to vulnerable people in the local villages. He s closing early at 3pm most days to be able to do that. nfortunately the Friday Night Summer Series mountain biking racing he organises around Market Harborough, Kettering and Northampton is, like all other cycling events, being postponed until further notice. Ever the optimist, Neil feels sure the events will be back up and running soon. For more information on the racing visit www.facebook.com/groups/FNSSMTB/ and www.georgehallscycles.co.uk 01858 465507

May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Active life

T-Lab’s take on Working from Home BASED IN RUTLAND, T-lab is a small British clothing label inspired by art, design, sport and popular culture. Their WFH (working from home) t-shirt is a sharp looking typographic design which oﬀers a bit of light relief for home workers. Of course, working from home means you can wear whatever you want, but what should be chosen as o ce wear - business dress to put you in the mood? Pyjamas because, why not? Or this soft, sustainably made, organic, burgundy t-shirt which strikes the right balance between the two? And to put the cherry on the cake, for every WFH t-shirt T-lab sell, they are also donating £5 to Heroes - a charity that provides help to people who aren’t able to work from home - our NHS workers. As a small creative business, T-lab is committed to creating products that are made to last. They are produced in limited quantities in well-managed and responsiblyrun operations. They design and print in the UK and consciously try to minimise their carbon footprint. Short sleeve, Burgundy: £29.00; Long sleeve, Heather grey: £34.00 www.t-lab.eu

Rutland Sewing

LYNN VALE FROM Rutland Sewing has joined For the Love of Scrubs, a nationwide call for sewing enthusiasts to make scrubs for front line workers in the NHS. Lynn and her team have so far delivered 14 pairs of scrubs to Peterborough Hospital and 3 pairs to Uppingham Surgery. Customers who attend her classes are also on the case, having downloaded patterns from the Love of Scrubs facebook page. If the full set of scrubs seems too daunting, there are hats and hairbands with buttons to make too as well as drawstring bags. Everyone is very welcome to start sewing for this good cause. www.facebook.com/ groups/1500699350098765/

Anna Couture

WEDDING DRESS DESIGNER from Stamford, The House of Anna Couture, has been busy donating funds and fabric to help Lisa Mitchell with Help with Headbands and The Love of Scrubs Stamford and Rutland. Both entities are making products for NHS staﬀ and would be delighted to receive donations of fabric, particularly pillow cases, duvet covers and sheets so they can keep making as many headbands as they can.

The Larder, Oakham

THIS SMALL COFFEE shop was asked to stay open to supply takeaways but decided they wanted to help those in need more. Initially using their own supplies, and now receiving donations from local shops and businesses, The Larder in Mill Street is making and delivering free meals to those in need. Over 300 meals a week are being made and then delivered to key workers, elderly and those self isolating. If you wish to donate funds to help buy ingredients go to www. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/free-food-forrutland

The Old White Hart, Lyddington SIMILARLY THE OWNERS of the Old White Hart in Lyddington are cooking 300 meals a day through the Food4Heroes programme. Front line staﬀ at ettering General Hospital can now enjoy healthy and nutritious food prepared by chef Stuart East, his wife Holly and children George and Kitty. www.food4heroes.co.uk

Lisa Armitage Skincare LISA HAS DONATED 350 of her skincare products to the Royal Free, University College and Whittington London hospital staﬀ to help them ease any sore hands and faces they might have. www.lisaarmitage.com

Competition Win a WFH t-shirt TWO WINNERS CAN choose either a T-lab WFH short sleeve t-shirt or a T-lab WFH long sleeve t-shirt. For size details visit www.t-lab.eu (sizes subject to stock availability). No cash equivalent offered. To enter go to www.theactivemag. com/competitions. The competition closes on May 21 and the winners will be notified on May 22.

May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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RECIPE

Coronavirus scoff N

OW THAT WE are all confined to our homes for most of the day and encouraged to only shop weekly it s time to raid the store cupboards and get inventive with cooking. We all have more time at home so can concentrate our efforts on preparing meals rather than the usual grab and go. These recipes are very simple, delicious and nutritious. emember, be flexible and inventive. ecipes are only guidelines (in my opinion) so feel free to replace ingredients, or omit some bits if you don t have them improvisation is the secret of store cupboard cooking.

Sticky peanut butter flapjacks eally simple to make and utterly delicious

Ingredients

125g butter • 2 tbsp golden syrup 2 tbsp peanut butter • 250g oats 125 brown sugar (granulated will do) • Add sultanas if you have them, omit peanut butter if you wish

Method

reheat the oven to 180 degrees • Melt the butter, sugar, peanut butter and golden syrup together Turn oﬀ the heat and stir in the oats • Press the mixture into a greased and lined tin Cook for about 20 minutes, cool and then cut into squares

Lentil shepherd’s pie If you don t have mince use lentils instead for this vegetarian version of the ultimate comfort food

Ingredients for the mash 3 large potatoes • knob of butter pinch of paprika • 25ml milk 75g cheese

Ingredients for the lentil mix

1 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion 1 garlic clove • 1 tin tomatoes splash Worcestershire sauce • drop of Tabasco 85ml red wine • 100ml vegetable stock pinch of smoked paprika • 400g tin puy lentils And if available 1 chopped carrot and celery stalk

Method

Boil and mash the potatoes • For the lentil mix heat oil in a frying pan and gently cook onion, garlic, carrot and celery until softened Add the remaining lentil mix ingredients except for the lentils and season. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Then stir the lentils in • Spoon the lentil mix into a pie dish. Spread the mashed potato over the top and then sprinkle with cheese and paprika Cook in the oven at 200 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are a golden brown and crispy

May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Active life

Tuna and sun-dried tomato pasta bake The absolute classic. Tuna and sweetcorn pasta bake was a staple for many of us as students or young ﬂat sharers in London. Easy to make, cheap, nutritious and we usually had the staples in the cupboard. This recipe is slightly more sophisticated with the addition of sun dried tomatoes, but you are always welcome to omit them and just enjoy good old sweetcorn.

Ingredients

• 300g dried pasta • 1 large tin chopped tomatoes • 100g sun dried tomatoes, quartered • 200ml double cream (or replace with a white sauce if no cream) • small tin of sweetcorn 1 large tin of tuna, drained • salt and pepper • pinch of thyme • 50g grated Cheddar (or any hard cheese will do)

Method

• Cook the pasta • Make the sauce by simmering the tomatoes in a pan with the thyme and salt and pepper for about four minutes, then add the cream and simmer for a few minutes more. (If using white sauce don’t add it now). Then add the sun-dried tomatoes, sweetcorn and tuna • Drain the pasta and tip back into the saucepan. Add the creamy tomato sauce and stir together. (add the white sauce now if using) • Pour into an ovenproof baking dish, cover with grated cheese and pop under the grill for about 5 minutes until bubbling and golden

Rice pudding Another very simple recipe, just takes a while to cook; but seeing as we have all the time in the world these days…

Ingredients

• 40g butter • 100g rice (pudding or risotto best) • 75g caster sugar (granulated will do) • 1,100 ml milk (UHT is fine) • vanilla extract • nutmeg, freshly grated if you have it otherwise use powder

Method

• Preheat the oven to 140 degrees • Melt the butter in a heavy based casserole dish and stir in the rice until coated. Add the sugar and keep stirring until dissolved and the rice starts to swell and get sticky • Pour in the milk and keep stirring until there are no lumps. Add the vanilla extract and bring to a simmer. When this happens, stop stirring, grate a good lot of nutmeg over the top (or sprinkle powder) and then put in the oven and bake for 1-1 1/2 hours until there is a thin skin on the top and the pudding wobbles in the centre

May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Some local nurseries are delivering in the current climate: We are sure there are many more, but here’s a few.

ECO TIPS

Grow your own

Rassells, Little Bytham Rutland Water Garden Nursery The Plant Man, Market Harborough Wothorpe Nurseries, nr Stamford

Lizzie Davies gives some tips for successfully growing veg and herbs in small spaces WINDOWSILLS

Salad leaves and rocket

• Buy cut and come again seeds or plants • For a continuous supply, re-sow seed or buy plants every six weeks • Cut leaves when approx 10cm long; they will re-grow 2/3 times; stop using when the plant ﬂowers as the leaves will turn bitter

Herbs

From seed – basil, coriander and chives all give quick results; sow inside on a windowsill or outside from May

Supermarket plants –

To extend their life remove from the pot and gently split into a few plants taking care not to damage the roots then pot up separately. Alternatively, 1 Fill jam jar with tap water 2 Cut herb shoot just below lowest leaf 3 Gently pinch oﬀ or cut lowest leaves which would be below the waterline and rot 4 Arrange 3/4 stems around edge of jar so not overcrowded 5 Place on bright windowsill but avoid direct sunlight 6 Keep water level topped up 7 After a few weeks you will see a good root system develop 8 Plant cuttings on into individual pots of compost (and horticultural grit if you have it)

Kids’ corner Lizzie offers some fun activities using simple resources to help keep the kids amused

Hungry Caterpillar Kit: egg box, cotton wool, cress or alfalfa seeds, pens, pipe cleaners, clear plastic. 1 Cut bottom half of an egg box in half 2 Decorate the sides and create your caterpillar face on the end 3 Line the base with plastic and pop in some cotton wool 4 Dampen cotton wool and sprinkle on cress or alfalfa seeds 5 Cover with clear plastic until shoots

SMALL POTS - 20/25CM DEEP

• Spring onions, radish, beetroot, spinach and carrots can all be grown throughout spring and summer and you’ll get a crop in 6-10 weeks • Pick young beetroot and spinach leaves and baby carrots for salad and stir-fries • Grow perpetual spinach for a continuous crop • Strawberry plants work well – pop some membrane around plants to prevent fruit from rotting

BEDS, GROW BAGS OR LARGE POTS - 40/50CM DEEP

• Courgettes, dwarf French beans, peas/ mangetout • Pick these veg frequently • Pea and mangetout plants will need support • Courgette plants take up a lot of space, up to 1m sq

Welland Vale Garden Inspirations. They are now offering a free delivery service for purchases over £25 within 20 miles of Uppingham. This includes all Rutland villages - Stamford - east Peterborough villages, west Leicester villages, north Kettering and Market Harborough. Order in the morning and they'll endeavour to deliver the next day. Kibworth Garden Centre. They are busy delivering plants, compost and seeds within a six mile radius to include Market Harborough, Oadby, Fleckney and the Langtons. Email angelajeanholland@msn. com or ring 0116 279 2754. Deliveries will be left on your doorstep. Rutland Garden Centre, in Ashwell, are offering a free local delivery service of anything they have in stock including plants, seeds, compost and tools for customers who spend over £20. Those further afield pay a small fee starting from £5. Full details, and stock available can be seen at www.rutlandgardenvillage.co.uk or email your order to orders. rutlandgardencentre@gmail.com

TOP TIPS

Use plastic supermarket trays with drainage holes for salad leaves Buy vegetable plants for a quick start but protect them from frost as they will be tender Use compost, large delivery or building bags for extra space – cut out drainage holes in base; make planting pockets in sides; this works well for strawberries

appear; keep damp 6 After about a week, enjoy shoots in a salad or sandwich

Magic veg Kit: clean jam jar or yoghurt pot; root ends of spring onions or end of lettuce which is usually binned; water. • Place spring onion or lettuce in pot, root facing down

• • • •

Add couple of centimetres of water Place on a bright windowsill Refresh water each day Cut and enjoy new shoots when long enough

Discover more: try placing jars in different light conditions, measure and record growth, keep a photo diary, how long can you keep it going? What other veg works – carrot top, beetroot? More activities at www. countrysideclassroom.org.uk/resources You can follow Lizzie on Instagram @ lizcatalpa and on Facebook @catalpacloud

May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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GARDE NING

A pond is for life Garden designer Teresa Kennedy recommends the pond-life in your garden

VERY PROJECT I have worked on so far this year has involved a pond; cause to celebrate! It is wonderful to see the number of people who are conscious of how beneficial the pond habitat can be within an outdoor space. Of course it will bring in all manner of water wildlife, which is wonderful, but it also gives you a new design angle for your garden. Be inspired by the natural environment, seek out water and note how it fits into its setting, you will learn a lot by doing this. Start looking at rivers, streams, ponds and lakes and see how they are a seamless addition to the landscape. And then think of adding the following to fit in with your pond. Stone dry stone walls look beautiful with water, the textural contrast and reflection bring a new element to your outdoor space. A full circle such as a well, or a part wall, even tumble-down will all add substance. Stone additions offer great opportunities for planting moss, ferns and grasses within the nooks which also provide shelter for small mammals attracted to the water. Wild keep the grass long around the edges and the pond is then hidden within. You are creating a meadow scene. A fallen tree trunk bench is a fitting addition for natural seating. et your grass do what is natural to it, there’s no need to interfere. lanted working with different levels, create a wide pond which features stepped sides to suit water plants, bog plants and those suited to the water’s edge. There are so many options for each of these planted levels which will give you plenty of floral interest. ocks gentle flowing waterfalls are effective in small and courtyard settings. This is the vertical pond option, it is spacesaving while giving many ledges for planting. This also offers another opportunity to delve into the Japanese garden style using gravel, wood and intricately trimmed planting. iridis offers a varied service, as well as design, including maintaining your lawn and borders, they will create seasonal planted containers floral displays creative border planting vegetable gardens home grown produce and cut flowers. www.viridisdesign.co.uk 07726 334501

Open your eyes THIS MONTH, AS we are all going to be staying home because of the restrictions, get yourself out in the garden or out for a walk and enjoy Mother Nature bursting into life. It will boost your vitamin D and help your immune system. It’s amazing how such small pleasures can add substance to your day at the moment. Head across the fields and admire the hawthorn starting to flower and listen to the skylarks in full song. Look out for the last of the bluebells and

cowslips and enjoy the beautiful cow parsely, at its best this month. And the pleasure of spotting your first swift means that summer is really on its way. Closer to home in your garden keep an eye out for your first bumblebee and enjoy listening to the song thrush and the dawn chorus every morning. Mother Nature hasn’t let the coronavirus distract her, so let’s enjoy the distractions she has to offer, and there are many of them; all good.

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Stay fit and sane during lockdown We find ways to help keep you active, motivated and relaxed during the crisis

May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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Active life

HETHER YOU’RE STILL in the workplace, working from home or have been furloughed, retired, caring for someone or home schooling your children, there are many hours in the day to fill and keep yourself healthy both mentally and physically. We’ve been looking at different ways to keep yourself fit and occupied at home. Going to your regular exercise or yoga class, and meeting your friends is unfortunately a thing of the past in this new normal we’re living in. But thanks to technology we can now access our favourite classes and instructors online. r even find new ones to follow. It s a different experience but still rewarding. Marcus Parr from Stamford Yoga is building up a large, and growing, library of videos to watch and work alongside at a time that suits you. And there are also real time online classes you can do through the Zoom app so you get to work with your regular class members, just from the comfort of your own home.

Zoom, zoom With eleven instructors altogether, there s a range of classes on offer from the most gentle to the strongest styles, to suit all needs and abilities. You could choose from beginner’s yoga, power yoga for weight loss, yoga to boost energy levels, seated yoga, yoga for shoulders, the list goes on. So there’s no excuse: sign up for a membership or buy some class passes at www.stamfordyoga.co.uk, receive the link to log on, and bingo, you’re away. Similarly, different instructors from Ironstone Wellbeing Centre in Kettering are recording their classes so that each day from 6am members and new users can access one, and sometimes two, new classes which they can work alongside, and return to again and again during the week. They’re building up a library of classes in yoga, ilates, tai chi, meditation, fitsteps and umba - the sort of classes we can all benefit from during this anxious time. All the classes are free, you just have to sign up to their private Facebook group linked from www.ironstone.club. From feedback it appears that members are really engaging with and enjoying the new style of teaching, and are very grateful to be able to keep up their yoga practice from home.

Home workouts Walking, running and cycling once a day is allowed but you can no longer go to a gym. If you don’t have access to a garden you can still do an exercise workout at home. You just need room to lay down on a mat and enough space to do star jumps and lunges without hitting the walls. According to personal trainer and owner of Tone from Home Cathy unn, the best thing to do is fill up your water bottle, blast out your favourite play list and start gently with a warm up. Try to incorporate as many body parts as possible. For example, light jogging whilst twisting your waist and upper body, dancing around the living room, or walking up and down the stairs increasing the speed as you get warmer. Once your heart rate is raised slightly it’s time to up the ante. Interval timer apps (many of which can be downloaded for free) are a useful tool as they take away the need to count repetitions but if you haven’t got access then start with 20 of each moves such as star jumps, squats, touching toes and jumping up. Follow this with a rest period (count 20-40 seconds) then repeat as many times as you either have the time or energy for. If you want to incorporate toning into your workout, grab household items such as cans of beans, water bottles and bags of flour or cat litter to add resistance to exercises such as bicep curls, tricep dips, leg raises and abdominal curls. If you prefer to free style your workouts rather than follow an online session with a qualified exercise professional, Cathy advises to always be mindful of your posture. Be aware of core muscles and perform exercises standing tall without rounded shoulders. Stop immediately if you experience any dizziness. If you’re new to this exercise trend then don’t go mad - start slowly and build up gradually from 10 minutes to half an hour at least five times per week for maximum benefit your body and mind certainly won’t regret it. To sign up for Zoom classes with Cathy visit www.tonefromhome.co.uk Claire Maxted from Stamford-based Wild Ginger Running has a running YouTube channel www.youtu.be/5D0C2bzm68o for trail and ultra runners to keep fit during lockdown, and it s good for walkers too. Her 20 minute leg strength and cardio workout involves 10 different moves for 30 seconds each with 30 seconds rest in between. To make it harder she suggests you grab some books, water bottles or tin cans to weigh your arms down or fill a back pack with bottles of water or books to make lunges and squats harder. Her other home workouts include a 100m stair climb and running 5km in your own home.

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Counting birds

Train the brain Once you’ve done your daily exercise you may want to exercise your brain. This is the perfect time to try a new skill: learn a language; dust off your old guitar learn to bake (if you can find any flour) or even sign up for an online distance learning degree. The Open University has around 120 undergraduate qualifications to choose from there really is something for everyone. Online sales of jigsaws and board games have soared in recent weeks but you can also make your own. Recreate your town or village on a Monopoly board or, the old favourite Guess Who, is easy to replicate. ust find photos of celebrities on the internet or use ones of family and friends, print off two copies and stick them onto pieces of card. Then start guessing! Alternatively design your own mini golf course using objects around the house, or make one with papier maché and wood. The themes are endless: choose from volcanoes; vehicles; famous buildings or fairground rides. There are always, of course, crosswords to do, and sudoku puzzles, chess and scrabble, all of which you can do online with friends, so you get some social interaction to go with it. And pub quizzes are happening nightly across the county. You can organise them yourselves with friends over Zoom or the Houseparty app gives you the questions so you don’t even have to make them up. Even better, the quizmaster from the Beerhouse in Market Harborough, Dave Hall, has set up a quiz via Zoom every Monday for his regular quizzers but anyone can join in. Just sign up at www. pubquiznight.co.uk, pay £2 per team member and you’re ready to go. Good luck!

A pastime which is growing in popularity, as we all try and increase our connections with nature, is birdwatching. Anyone can do it, just set up a feeder outside your kitchen window, make a birdbath out of a shallow bowl or dustbin lid, scatter some pebbles in it to give the birds something to grip onto, and voilà. And if you’re feeling adventurous you could even attempt a bird box to encourage more feathered visitors. The latest results from the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch have revealed smaller birds such as long-tailed tits, wrens and coal tits were seen in greater numbers than in 2019. Now in its 41st year, the Big Garden Birdwatch is a chance for people of all ages to count the number of birds that visit their garden, helping the RSPB build up a picture of how they are doing. This year, almost half a million people across the country including 380 in Rutland took part counting nearly 8 million birds. The event held over the last weekend in January revealed the house sparrow was in the number one spot in Rutland, whilst there was an increase in garden sightings of long-tailed tits, wrens and coal tits, three of the smallest species to visit our gardens. The milder weather we experienced at the start of the year appears to have helped populations of these species as small birds are more susceptible to spells of cold weather.

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Virtual reality ne way of getting out and about at the moment is by taking a virtual tour. Would-be visitors can still experience a visit to various attractions, albeit a virtual one either on a 360 tour or via blog posts. For example, you can walk round exhibitions at the Nottingham Contemporary Art Gallery and listen to artists interviews by logging on to www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/ record/virtually-visit-us/ eterborough Cathedral s volunteer tour guides have been writing a series of blog posts to highlight their personal favourite stories from the Cathedral s history. What is it that fascinates or pu les them What have they discovered, and from who The stories are published on Wednesdays (about places) and Fridays (about people) at www.peterboroughcathedral.wordpress. com/category/tales-from-tour-guides/ rdnance Survey have designed some games to help you get out and about virtually. They have map reading skills, colouring sheets and we particularly loved the tricky place names qui . isit www.getoutside. ordnancesurvey.co.uk/guides/ for more information. And when you feel in need of a rest, don t forget the good old fashioned book. A new channel nationalshelfservice has been set up on YouTube where professional librarians recommend their favourite books to read aloud with the family. You can download the e-books from your local library using apps like ibby, by verdrive but, just like physical books, libraries buy limited copies of them, so you may have to wait for them to be returned by other readers. r try meditation. Susan oyle from Tranquility Time etreats is oﬀering a free download via https://bit. ly/2VmPkiT and a series of paid-for guided meditations based around sleep at https t s.site soothing-you-back-tosleep

Learn to draw And ﬁnally, why not try your hand at drawing ocal artist and teacher ax Crew has devised a drawing exercise for us suitable for both beginners and improvers. As she s keen to point out, anyone can make a mark on paper and like all skills we learn during this period, with just a few minutes practice a day we ll see huge improvements over time and gain a wonderful sense of achievement and improved wellbeing. Contact her at jax.hives@gmail.com or jaxcrewartist on Instagram With the restrictions placed on us we are all looking for ways of lifting our creative spirit, and what better way to do that than enjoy the challenge that drawing can oﬀer, using just a simple HB pencil and paper. rawing can lead you away from everyday life and give you much needed headspace. Many people believe they cannot draw, but with practice and concentration you can produce a well observed drawing. Your drawings will have a bit of you in them in drawing you describe something you cannot quite describe in words, and you learn something about yourself.

Most people will know how to draw a line a dot with a continued mark after it - it does not have to be perfect, you can go back and alter lines as your drawing builds up and as you gain more conﬁdence. rawing also teaches you to learn how to appreciate the ordinary. So I have picked out of my kitchen drawer a garlic press, some cloves of garlic and a bowl. Three related objects the shapes all have curves so I am looking at how I can arrange them so they form a simple triangle, allowing my eye to follow an interesting, connected way around the objects. An odd number of items to draw can give a more satisfying balance. Before you start drawing, do some warm up marks, like an athlete about to run a marathon, this helps your mind to get to grips with the coming task. This is to draw • A tonal range from light to dark • Some curves • Some hatching marks

1 2

Initial sketch lightly mapping the outline, then deﬁning the larger shapes. Creating tone to give form Work out which direction the light is coming from as this will help you develop the light and dark tones which show the form of the object. emember to sharpen your pencil. rawing to a close. eveloping the objects, adding some shadows, and checking for accuracy.

Be kind to yourself and be pleased with what you have done, we are far too judgemental. The important thing is to try you have succeeded purely by attempting to draw something.

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Victorious not Vanquished This month we celebrate 75 years since VE Day, but sadly not perhaps in the way we expected

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Stamford

ICTORY IN EUROPE occurred on May 8 1945, 75 years ago this month. After six years of intense fighting and hardship the Nazi government in Germany finally surrendered and victory in Europe was ours. f course the fighting was still going on against Japan and it was to be another few battle-filled, harrowing months before the apanese also surrendered. But May 8 1945 is a day to be remembered and celebrated. And celebrated it was going to be with church services, street parties and celebrations throughout the region. But who would have ever imagined that exactly 75 years later our country would once again be on a war footing Not fighting a visible enemy this time, but the invisible coronavirus which might strike anyone at any time without us seeing it coming. Once again we are all in it together fighting to keep the virus under control. nfortunately, due to the nature of the pandemic we cannot physically unite in our battle but have to do it in isolation, a very hard thing for us to do as there is great comfort to be had from others in times of hardship. But fighting it we are by staying at home to stop the spread of the disease, and we will win, eventually.

Rationing then and now During WWII residents were encouraged to grow their own food and be as self su cient as possible, something many of us are doing again, preparing our vegetable plots and keeping chickens. Ration books were issued and who would believe that supermarkets have needed to revert to rationing customers today. During the war rationing was due to terrible food shortages, not because of panic buying. Communities united and shared rations for parties and weddings and neighbours swapped vegetables and food. A strong community existed, again as it does today with people volunteering to help those in need. To mark the momentous occasion of VE ay we intended to bring you all that is going on locally directing you towards the many celebrations. Instead we have delved into the history books, spoken to people who remember the time and listened to many stories of what went on in our region during those years of war.

This whole area, particularly Stamford and utland, was surrounded by airfields during the war, many of which still remain, albeit not all actual airfields now. Wittering, Cottesmore and uffenham all played their part during the war and are still active now. ohn avies, secretary to the Stamford and istrict ocal History Society, grew up in Stamford and remembers rift oad being bombed. ‘They were aiming for the Blackstone s factory on yhall oad which was making munitions at the time. Thankfully they missed and no one was killed, but homes were destroyed. itto the very lucky lady who was in bed when a very large bomb fell on her house in Cornstall Buildings off St eonard s Street but didn t explode. Goering had supposedly earmarked Burghley House for his British residence so not many bombs were dropped on the town itself. But that didn t stop the fighter pilots of the uftwaffe targetting the area. They reportedly followed the railway lines from uffenham to etton into the town strafing bullets as they went. Some very unfortunate pupils from Stamford High School were being escorted to the station at the time and were shot at. They managed to hide in the waiting room at the station but as the plane spun round it caught the walls of The George, where bullet holes are still visible today. And one of those girls was recounting the story last summer at a SHS lunch. Many more townsfolk can recall the plane strafing the town and many had some very lucky escapes. As well as dodging German fighter planes local residents talk about hearing the ancasters and spitfires flying out at dusk and returning at dawn, some of them flying very low over the chimney pots often practicing, says ohn. As we know, our area was full of airfields. With the main airfields being supported by smaller ones such as Woolfox, Spanhoe and Scampton to name a few plus of course AF Market Harborough where part of the site is now home to HM Gartree. Apparently many of the planes were stored at the smaller airfields to protect them from bombing. And of course 617 squadron, the Dambusters, were based at Scampton and reportedly used Eyebrook reservoir and its dam for practice for their bouncing bombs, with many of the locals watching before they set off on their mission in May 1945.

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The Home Guard and the Women’s Land Army Hostels were built for the Women’s Land Army - with one in Lyddington up Scales yke oﬀ Main Street - to accommodate the girls who came from the cities to join the Land Army, and another purpose-built one at Lubenham for the girls working in the Welland alley. Many local girls joined up too and kept the country fed by helping to grow food. 90,000 women were in the Land Army, many conscripted. The Dig for Victory campaign meant the rugby pitches at Uppingham School were dug up and planted with crops, as were many other playing ﬁelds and parks. Every town had a Home Guard, often, unfairly, the butt of people’s jokes, which was responsible for the defence of the town and the surrounding villages. The threat of invasion was very serious so all towns had their signs removed, including at stations to confuse the Germans if they did invade. Uppingham Home Guard were kept very busy watching over the Welland viaduct and Gretton tunnel.

Uppingham

Uppingham was never actually bombed, not being on a ﬂight path, but surrounding villages in Rutland were not always so lucky. During the Blitz someone was killed in Easton on the Hill after two bombs were dropped. A landmine fell on Barrowden, and Empingham had many incendiaries dropped on it. When nearby Leicester was bombed in November 1940 the residents of Uppingham were able to see the glow of the ﬁres. By 1942 Americans started to appear in the region. Many of the troops had s (post exchanges) commandeered mainly by the Americans in Stamford with social clubs appearing throughout the town. Rock House was a billet for the olish arachute Brigade. In Uppingham there was a weekly dance held in the Church Rooms when RAF, US, olish and Canadian troops stationed locally would get the chance to meet the locals.

Market Harborough The town was allocated 3,000 evacuees, as were many of the rural towns. These children were sent by their parents away from the cities to be safe from any future bombings. The 3,000 children that came to Market Harborough were dispersed among the town, Kibworth and surrounding villages; many of them spending up to six years in the area; most making friendships that lasted for life. One of the mainstays of the town, R & WH Symington, aka the corset factory, made parachutes throughout the war keeping people in employment and contributing hugely to the war eﬀort. The Harborough Aircraft Construction Company increased its workforce to over 600 working

round the clock to make aircraft undercarriages, pilot seats and frames for the Lancaster. A large bomb was dropped between Kibworth and East Langton, aiming for the railway line, but missing.

Prisoner of War Camps

W camps were at Woolfox where there were German Ws and the Stamford Camp on the Empingham Road, near where the Danish Invader now is. This housed Italians ﬁrst, then Germans with a subsidiary camp at Collyweston. These Ws worked on local farms and many stayed after the war. There was also the Harrington Camp at Farndon Fields Farm in Market Harborough with others at Billesdon, Stoughton, Quorn and Loughborough. VE day itself does not appear to have been celebrated in a huge way. Church bells were rung ‘but, remember we were still at war in Japan,’ says John, ‘and all the men were still away so celebrations took place in 1946 really.’ War weariness had taken its toll but that did not mean that the occasion wasn’t marked. Rations were pooled and neighbours got together. There was dancing in the Market lace in ppingham and schools were closed for the day. The residents of our area had prevailed, toiled and supported each other during six grim long years and came out victorious at the end, helped in many ways because of the strength of the local communities. Many losses and scars from those years were left behind. We hope we will not bear as many scars or losses after this battle we are ﬁghting now.

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The Lindy Hop hopefuls Hundreds of vintage dance enthusiasts were looking forward to the VE day celebrations for the opportunity to strut their stuff and show off their moves. Hopefully events planned for later in the summer will still go ahead. Kate Maxim finds out more.

ACH YEAR THERE are loads of events and festivals around the country where enthusiasts of all things vintage gather in their hundreds to listen to jazz and swing bands, big bands, early R&B music and rock & roll. They dress in vintage clothes – think tea dresses, 1950s skirts, headbands and flowers in the hair for the women, and snappy shirts, braces and trilby hats for the men. The biggest event around here is Twinwood in Bedfordshire which, at the time of writing, is still scheduled for August. This is where Glenn Miller played the night he took off in his plane and disappeared, never to be seen again, so it’s an iconic venue. As well as listening to the huge line-up of bands, you can take dance lessons in retro, swing and rock & roll and even learn to jive in an hour. And you can spend all day shopping at the various stalls to kit yourself out as a land girl, 1920s flapper, or top to toe in vintage denim. Closer to home, a vintage fair was scheduled at the Wigston Liberal Club at the end of May. Harborough at War - a 1940s living history and WWII re-enactment with the Rutland Big Band playing on the Saturday night is booked for August 8 and 9; the Festival of Vintage EAST will be held at the East of England Arena, eterborough on September 26 and 27 and there are often 1940s tea dances taking place at Oakham Victoria Hall organised by Kavanagh’s Tea Room and Oakham Swing Dance, with full afternoon tea, prizes for the best dressed and, of course, dance lessons.

Swing time Oakham Swing Dance is organised by Diahann and Mark Berridge who teach Lindy Hop classes on Thursday nights. Lindy Hop was introduced to the UK by visiting American forces in 1941, but originated in the 1920s and 1930s in Harlem, New York, born from mixing African rhythms and movements with European structured dance. The Savoy ballroom in Harlem was one of very few racially integrated ballrooms where white and black people could meet and share moves. Jazz was in its heyday and the various band members would improvise as much as the dancers, creating an electric atmosphere. Dance marathons were popular and it was at the end of one in 1927 that the dance got its name: a brilliant dancer George ‘Shorty’ Snowden, was asked what ‘this crazy dance was called’ and as Charles Lindbergh had just completed the ﬁrst solo ﬂight from New York to aris, George quickly replied ‘the Lindy Hop’, and that’s what it’s been known as ever since. It is similar to the Jitterbug and Swing Jive and consists of both 8 and 6 count steps which are borrowed from the Charleston and Tap. It’s fast, furious and loads of fun. I know, because I spent an evening with Diahann, Mark and about 30 dancers one Thursday night at Victoria Hall, Oakham. It’s a partner dance but you don’t need to bring a partner, in fact swapping partners every few

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minutes is positively encouraged! uring the first part of the evening we were taught - or reminded of - the steps, with added variations, and often in the second half, they teach a choreographed move like the Shim Sham, or Shorty George, or Tacky Annie. It is quite technical and you do have to concentrate I was told to keep my head up, and remember I was a follower, not the leader (something I found quite tricky) as the leaders decide the moves. I was too busy chanting to myself five, six, seven, eight, rock step, triple step, step, step, triple step” to be really getting the hang of it, but talking to many of the people there, it doesn’t take long to master the general idea. As one participant said if you miss a step, carry on, and see if it works the second time. And if you do each move a hundred times, it should become a muscle memory. I was fine doing the very basic steps but once a turn or extra step was introduced, that s it, I was lost! Thankfully the atmosphere was really friendly and inclusive. Everyone was smiling and tapping their feet, and once the music started, keen to get onto the dance floor to practice what they d learnt. iahann and Mark demonstrate the different techniques and many people video them so they can practice at home, perfect for the situation we find ourselves in currently. It s a great way to exercise your brain as well as your body. A lot of people find when they come to the class after a stressful day any troubles fly out the window as you can t possibly think about anything else but the dance moves.

“It is similar to the Jitterbug and Swing Jive and consists of both 8 and 6 count steps which are borrowed from the Charleston and Tap.”

Lindy strolls Outside tutors come on a rotational basis to give workshops and Jenny Thomas from Strictly Come Dancing was due to come in May. Diahann and Mark teach groups in other areas too; it’s a very sociable world and dancers make friends all over the country. One member of the group, Jenny Williams, started learning to dance the Lindy Hop when she lived in Essex and, with a couple of friends would dance non-stop for three hours twice a week. She soon caught the bug so wherever she moved, she would seek out classes. Now, with partner Simon, she teaches Lindy Hop strolls in Drayton village hall near Great Easton in Leicestershire. With strolls you don’t need a partner, it originated in the 1980s when people much preferred to dance on their own, rather than be confined to doing what their partner did. It s a bit like line dancing, with a whole host of different steps. It doesn t take too long to master the basic or Charleston stroll but then you have to put different variations on it you might decide to put in a flourish of the arms in one stroll, and do a windmill effect like a flapper, on another. And the music can be really modern which is fun, it just needs to keep to the beat. Lindy Hop is danced all around the world, from Japan and China to oland, Italy and Spain. It s now not just GIs and the Brits who love the fun, physicality and sociability of this dance and I can see why. And it s heart-warming to know that people are putting on some swing music and dancing in their kitchens during lockdown. For more details about Diahann and Mark’s classes visit www.facebook. com/events/victoria-hall-oakham-rutland/oakham-swing-dancers and visit www.facebook.com/groups/1057303501296790/ or call Jenny on 07506 771588 or email traxx@hotmail.co.uk for info on strolls classes. www.festivalofvintage.co.uk

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What type are you? We may be temporarily restricted but we will be able to walk together again one day. Will Hetherington identifies some typical characters in this two part series from any given group of walkers. Do you recognise yourself in any of these?

26 May 2020 / the activemag.com

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THE TORTOISE I have done plenty of walking, but the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain in 2018 was by far my longest journey. I started in the Pyrenean foothills in France and walked 500 miles in just over a month, with a few rest days along the way. In that time I got to observe a lot of different attitudes. For instance I met David from Dublin, who really was from Dublin – in that he had walked all the way, from Dublin. Obviously not over the wet bits, but he had taken a ferry to Cherbourg in northern France and walked down through that giant country before crossing the Pyrenees. So he had already walked at least 500 miles before I even met him. David was 77, tall and friendly. And he walked incredibly slowly. Most people on this ancient pilgrimage walk between 4-5km an hour (bear in mind the weight of the backpack), but David did well to average 3km an hour, with his one walking pole. It meant that during a typical day maybe 100 other pilgrims would pass him and chat for five minutes or maybe longer, but most would eventually leave him behind and walk on to the next village or town with hostels and lodgings. There they might do some laundry, write some notes, say some prayers, and then enjoy a cold beer. Then, a few hours later, at some point in the late afternoon or early evening, David would amble into town without a care in the world, find a bed for his weary head and prepare for the next day on the road. He knew he would get there and he had faith it would all turn out well in the end. Incredible really. > Advice: slow down and chat. You never know what you may learn.

THE HARE Everybody knows Aesop’s famous fable about the slow but determined tortoise (David from Dublin) and the impetuous hare, so it won’t come as a surprise how the hare ends in this story either. On the aforementioned Camino de Santiago I met a German lady just after the halfway point of the 500-mile walk. The route is broken down into manageable daily sections by a number of excellent guidebooks. But there are also legitimate detours, which are longer but might be more scenic or just help to avoid a stretch by the side of a busy road. On one particular day I took a detour via an appealing sounding place called Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, which led to me walking 32km in isolation along a dusty track with barely a contour or landmark to liven the journey. And that appealing sounding place turned out to be a dreary if not downright sinister backwater. You know - the sort where you can hear banjos playing before you see the ﬁrst rickety house or hear the ﬁrst swinging gate It was tough on the mind and body, but I did meet said German lady who told me she had attempted the pilgrimage the year before, but had succumbed to injury not far from the end so was back to do the job properly this time. She then told me she liked to walk 45km a day. Now, anything over 30km is rare and not desirable, anything over 40km is getting close to exceptional, but to try and walk 45km a day for 800km is extremely unusual to say the least. As fate would have it I ended up in the same dormitory as the Teutonic marcher that night in a hostel in a Spaghetti Western type village called Reliegos. This was no Hollywood movie night of laughter and music. And then, in the gloom of the morning back on the road, she stormed angrily past me shouting something about snoring and I never saw her again. I often wonder if she found what she was looking for. > Advice: do not try and keep up. Oh and detours are for sociopaths. Next month Will will have some more stereotypical walkers you might recognise; don’t take this article too seriously and if you don’t recognise yourself (or your fellow walkers) yet, we are sure you will next month. And hopefully we will all be out there again soon enjoying mixing with some of these characters.

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ActiveBody E DI T E D BY K AT E M A X I M

Hands on at home Physiotherapist Sarah Babbs can still offer patients’ appointments, albeit remotely

E SEEM TO be facing the biggest challenge of our lives at the moment. The coronavirus outbreak and subsequent restrictions has caused us all to react differently, which is very interesting. Some are watching every news channel, posting and reading social media constantly while others are listening only to the urgent news bulletins and trying to avoid all bad news. I find myself, surprisingly my friends would say, in the latter camp. I normally have the radio on at all times, but now am preferring the quiet around me. I’m beginning to look less at social media after a first flurry as I find it increases anxiety and lessens my resilience. Talking of resilience, we of course are not able as physiotherapists to see patients in a face to face capacity at the moment. We are now doing remote consultations over video link. This is not so new to us but it may be to patients.

Rather than being in the same room we can see you over the internet, rather like GPs are doing with their Q-Doc service. We are able to take a good history, hear your story about the problems you are facing and then decide what examination needs to be done. Even in clinic, without putting our hands on you most of our assessment is done looking at how you move, carry yourself and how you tell us that feels. Over the screen we can look at your strength and range of movements by clearly instructing you. We can work out a solution together and as you already know, exercises to strengthen, move and gain conﬁdence are the mainstay of treatment. We can therefore help you ﬁnd the solutions, demonstrate the best movement and exercises and watch as you learn how to work with them. We can then follow this up later as we would normally do in clinic. I was pleased that when the government

announced the lockdown, they put in a proviso that we could have a run or walk away from people each day. Exercise is so important for both our physical and mental health. Thank goodness for the sunshine and good weather we are currently having. Reading the rugby player Ed Jackson’s blog he wrote of having spent eight weeks in hospital following his spinal injury: “It wasn’t until I rolled out into the hospital garden for the first time, felt the sun on my face and took a gulp of fresh air that I truly realised what I had been missing.” As well as walking outside in the fresh air there are many ways of keeping fit under these lockdown conditions. The resources put out online by my colleagues in the physiotherapy world as well as fitness and strength gurus are wonderful. Joe Wicks, the Body Coach, has over a million people joining in his daily PE class and not just children! He also has videos on YouTube for older folk which require a little less jumping around and are good for those with poorer balance. Doing your own boot camp either alone or, even better, with others in your household is a great way to keep fit. This can be a circuit around the house with stations near a staircase, a couple in the sitting room, the kitchen and even the garden. Ideas for each station could be a sequence of step ups on to the bottom step, sit ups, press ups, dead bugs, squats, lunges, more step ups but sideways on, heel raises, jogging on the spot, bicep curls or overhead lifts with small weights or filled bottles of water, the list is endless. Mix cardio exercises to get the heart rate going with strengthening and choose about eight exercises. Do 30 seconds of each before moving on. Do a couple of rounds of the circuit as you build up strength, it doesn’t take long to improve and you ll be chuffed with the progress. Keep safe and well both physically and mentally through this extraordinary time. If you need advice or help, please do contact me on 01780 480889 or 07780 900201.

30 May 2020 / the activemag.com

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Staying safe, calm and connected The anxiety is real, but focusing on the things we are in control of can help us to keep our emotions balanced a little better. Gary Trickett explains how

ITH ALL THE news about the coronavirus outbreak it’s only natural to worry about your and your loved ones’ well-being. Around the world, people are afraid, not knowing where the virus will show up next or how long it will continue to dictate our movements. Acknowledge emotions and fears but try to share these with a loved one or friend. Humans need to see other faces to feel right; it’s perfectly natural to want to see and hug and comfort in person, but it’s of paramount importance we observe the government’s social distancing guidelines. But this doesn’t mean you can’t speak to your relatives face to face – you can still do this via Skype, Facetime, Zoom and WhatsApp or there’s always the good old-fashioned telephone. To help manage uneasiness, try to keep to a routine. Our bodies operate on a series of cycles, most of which we are unaware of. Having a regular time for getting up, eating, going outdoors (or staying in) for exercise, and going to bed will help reassure your

body on a subtle but important level, as well as assisting your circadian rhythm to settle. Keep an eye on your diet. When feeling stressed it’s all too easy to grab a quick snack on the go when really your body is crying out for the nutrients it needs to help it cope with extra pressure. Wholegrain carbohydrates will give long-term energy without causing sugar highs and lows and cravings. Stimulants such as tea, coffee, refined sugar and alcohol can agitate the nervous system. Try chamomile, lemon verbena and green tea instead and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. As far as specific nutrients are concerned, B vitamins help to support the nervous system and vitamin C the adrenal glands (which help you to cope in times of stress and distress). The B vits are found naturally in potatoes, bananas, lentils, peppers, tempeh, beans and brewer’s yeast (Marmite and Vegemite are excellent sources), and vitamin C is of course found in most fresh

fruit and veg. Other essential nutrients include magnesium (found naturally in pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts and spinach) for the nervous system, and iron for energy (sardines, figs and apricots are good alternatives if you’re not a fan of liver). Herbals can also help. assiflora has been used for centuries as a mild sedative and is particularly beneficial when mixed with other restorative herbs such as Avena sativa. Together they help to combat both the physical and mental symptoms of stress, helping to prolong sleep, relieve muscle tension and alleviate mild anxiety. If anxiety is having a knock-on effect on your sleep, try Valerian; it is recognised for its calming action and is thought to inhibit the breakdown of GABA, a chemical transmitter that enables you to ‘cross over’ into sleep. A perfect partner to Valerian is Hops, as it exerts a gentle sedative action on the nervous system. You may also wish to try Jan de Vries Emergency Essence, which uses a variety of flower extracts to help bring the emotions back to a balanced state. Finally, try to remain grounded. This is a period in time; at some point we will look back and reflect upon how a nation pulled together during a di cult period in history. It won’t be like this forever and we will get through this. For further advice from Gary and his team at Healthy Route natural health store, call 0116 253 9097.

May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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ACTIVE RUTLAND Please note the upcoming Active Rutland Walking and Cycling Festival event for 2020 has been cancelled. If you were planning to take part and would like to receive details about the event in 2021, please contact us on activerutland@rutland.gov.uk. To find out more about Active Rutland and what we offer, please visit our website on www.activerutland.org.uk. For hints, tips and resources to support you to be active at home, please visit our partners website ‘Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport’ on www.lrsport.org/HealthyAtHome. There’s lots on offer for all ages including children, families, adults and older adults as well as information on working, learning and wellbeing at home.

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Reader challenges fall by the wayside | Spotlight on bowls The wound up; Jeremy catches up with local clubs as everything grinds to a sudden halt

ActiveSport

On your bike! This month Gary Waterfall embraces technology to be able to keep cycling in isolation but with company - during the current coronavirus restrictions

HE NEW WORLD we are all slowly adjusting to has forced me to blow the dust off my direct drive turbo trainer and take to Grand Central Park in New York. As the picture testifies I m not alone, but the two metre social distancing doesn t apply in the virtual world. I use wift as my companion with my Tacx Neo trainer, and whilst no substitute for fresh air in the lungs, I find myself quickly immersed in the virtual world. There is always something to motivate a rider ahead that needs passing, completing the next mile, earning the next reward, climbing another 10ft, achieving a level of watt effort, or just the thought of that cold beer at the end. I ve also now branched out into their structured training and it has made a real difference to my level of fitness. And why not hook up with friends and join together for a virtual ride just last weekend I rode around Grand Central ark again with a really close friend and we even video called each other so we could ride and chat as we would on the roads. I was training for the oyal Air Force s Association 100 mile charity ride on une 13 which has now obviously been cancelled, but I m enjoying the turbo training so much I m now considering doing it virtually. I ll keep you posted.. http://www.strava.com/routes/24803579

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CHALLENGES As expected virtually all of our readers’ challenges have had to be put on hold for now. Here they update us on how they feel about it; if they are carrying on with their training and are they going to aim to complete their challenge at some point.

28 still not out Rachael Templeton is forging ahead with her 28 mile run, even if she has to do it alone

Everest no more As expected Delia Calder’s trek to Everest’s base camp has been put on hold but it’s not goodbye to her plans, rather see you anon SADLY, THIS IS my last article for a while as our trip to Everest Base Camp has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Having sent my passport off to the Nepalese Embassy to apply for my visa it was then announced that no more visas were being issued and all treks had been stopped with immediate effect. We were told by our tour company to ‘sit it out’ and wait and see until early May when we were due to travel. But we knew it wasn’t looking promising. And even if the mountain was opened in time to start our trek, would it be safe to put ourselves at risk health-wise with limited intensive care beds in Nepal? The decision was taken away from us as two weeks later we were contacted by Evertrek to reschedule our trip. As many of our trekking team are employed in the aviation business the risk of job losses was a big consideration when looking at a date to rebook. After lots of group chats we are now signed up for May 2021 and awaiting airline dates for next year. Although extremely disappointing after so much planning we all feel grateful that we still have the opportunity to fulfil our ambition, even if a year later than planned. For now I am attempting to keep my fitness going with solo walks and runs within government guidelines, but obviously all other training activities have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. Everest Base Camp we promise we are climbing mountains to get to you, just don’t go anywhere in the meantime.

WE ARE CLOSELY following Covid-19 government guidelines to monitor whether #28NOTOUT can go ahead in its original format. If social distancing restrictions are still in place in early July, we will be encouraging virtual and solo challenges within the 28 hours instead. It is therefore full steam ahead with training for me. I’m currently up to 12 miles for the 28 mile run which is providing welcome relief to the working from home cabin fever that so many of us are experiencing. Another of the organisers of the 28 Not Out event is Francesca Martin who is taking on a cycling challenge and tells us all about it. ‘It was a few weeks after Max died that I was thinking of things to do for him, and came up with TRACKSFORMAX. I have always loved cycling because it seems a lot easier than running, you can go further and it’s quite cool! I on the other hand have all the gear and absolutely no idea. Max would be laughing. I chose cycling as Max loved to cycle and took part in one of the Mintridge cycling challenges last summer. I will be making tracks for Max on July 9 starting at 9am from imbolton rep School and hopefully ﬁnishing at Rutland Water Golf Club (otherwise at home if restrictions are still in place) To ﬁnd out about 28N T T and donate towards the fund, please visit: https:// themintridgefoundation.charitycheckout. co.uk/cf/28-not-out---the-max-hunter-fund.

Ultra no more 16 weeks, 714 miles, five marathons, all of this training for two ultras that have now been cancelled. Steve Cole reflects on his own running now he has no events to train for IT WILL COME as no surprise that the Manchester to Liverpool 50-mile Ultra Marathon has been cancelled and I fully expect July’s Race to the Stones 100km race to follow suit. I’m gutted but in the current climate it’s the right decision. Since my last article I ran the Rutland Water Parkrun with a small group from Natural Bourne Runners before running home to Bourne, my fifth marathon distance in just six weeks. I’m not going to lie, I was absolutely knackered but it gave me the confidence I needed for the ultra. I did a further 20-mile run the week after before the race s cancellation was confirmed. I don t think I ve ever been fitter. I m not the fastest I’ve been but my ability to comfortably run longer distances has improved massively. It gives me hope that my training plan was right and that come April 2021 I ll be outside ld Trafford, on the start line to run M2L! Since the race has been cancelled, I’ve lost my mojo a bit and decided to have a few weekends doing more ‘sensible’ distances of 13-15 miles, observing two metre social distancing with a group of friends as per the photo which was taken before stricter rules came in. We’ve had to stop the NBR group runs too which has given me a chance to run more with my wife, venturing off the main tracks in Bourne Woods which has been great. ust remember, whilst fitness remains incredibly important throughout the Covid-19 isolation period obeying the rules to keep us all safe is more important. If you go out running with others (something I’m only doing with my wife) please stay two metres apart. Stay safe everyone.

34 May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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ActiveSport

Still stays put Stu Clark updates us about having to put his From Still to Summit challenge on hold IN THESE STRANGE times it seems nothing is certain and even the best laid plans have been derailed by the Covid-19 situation. One of these plans is our fundraising event From Still to Summit. With no end in sight it seemed wise to delay the event until a more opportune time. But they say every challenge is an opportunity, so we’ve decided to make the most of this extra time to keep training and promote From Still to Summit through some training events. Hopefully once we’re all allowed outside

And one challenge that is going ahead in January 2021 that you can join...

again we can get out into the countryside and get ready to take on the UK’s highest peak, Ben Nevis. I’m sure that this extra training time will be welcome come the day of the event and it gives us the chance to come up with some interesting ideas for practice runs. Maybe a tour of some diﬀerent peaks is in order, who knows Once we have a new date we’ll keep our social media updated so you can follow our progress, and in the meantime we’ll be doing some socially distanced training.

Wood Green needs you! Wood Green, The Animals Charity is offering the adventure of a lifetime, to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and raise vital funds for pets in need.

Stamford2Swansea, but later The team’s challenge is postponed, but can see the event on the horizon WE AT Stamford2Swansea have also had to put our event on hold, as has virtually everyone else. But we’re still training (solo) and already have plans around the rescheduled event! The Swansea Half Marathon has a new date, just not in sunny June, but the possibly colder, November 1st 2020. Meaning that our 3-day ride across England and through Wales may need more clothing layers than initially thought! Our fundraising events have also moved dates, so keep in touch via our social media pages @stamford2swansea

THE 12-DAY TREK will take place in January 2021 in partnership with Charity Challenge. You will follow the uncrowded Lemosho route to the peak, where you will marvel at the stunning sea of clouds below and bask in your triumph. By joining Team Wood Green support will be available every step of the way. The charity will be in regular contact with advice about preparation and training, plus tips on reaching your fundraising target. Wood Green helps thousands of pets every year. Some of the most vulnerable need life-saving medical treatment whilst others simply need care and comfort until they are found a new home. The charity is there for pet owners too giving them expert advice and support. By taking on this extraordinary challenge and raising vital funds you will help Wood Green give more pets a second chance at life. The registration fee for the Kilimanjaro Challenge is £595, which is payable on booking. Wood Green is also asking participants to raise £5,650 for the charity. To ﬁnd out more or to sign up, please go to woodgreen.org.uk/kilimanjaro. For questions about payment options or fundraising support, or if you would like to speak to someone before making a decision, please contact Cheyenne Smith on cheyenne.smith@woodgreen.org.uk or 07961 058099.

May 2020 / theactivemag.com 35

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The Wound Up Jeremy Smithson-Beswick finds out how local teams are coping with Covid

E’VE CHANGED OUR title this month from Round Up to reﬂect the fact you might be feeling a bit Wound p about the sports season being, well, wound up. But this is still the column for all you participants and enthusiasts, not least because there s much to catch up on as the various governing bodies try to decide how to resolve their interrupted campaigns, with widely diﬀering options being selected. The decisions vary both between sports and within them as contrasting approaches for the professional game and community teams have been taken. The F , for example, still harbours hopes of completing the remiership, but all other leagues have been terminated. nlike the lower tiers in football (where the season has been declared null and void) local rugby s promotions and relegations still take place. So it s good news for Stamford and akham who go up - and bad for Melton Mowbray, who go down. Stamford are champions despite being level on points with and losing both their derby matches to - akham, whose eith Crellin told me We had a wonderful run of victories and considered ourselves as the

form team going into the last four matches of the season but are delighted, having been relegated last season, to have bounced back quickly. A disappointing end just when the league position could not have been tighter. However in a sporting, rugby manner we congratulate Stamford as eague Champions. The nion used some complex algorithms to determine the ﬁnal positions but Stamford also had the tougher run in, so the ﬁnal positions are slightly pu ling. Nevertheless, whatever the decision or method there were bound to be winners and losers and it s great

“Stamford are champions despite being level on points with – and losing both their derby matches to - Oakham”

that their derby will continue next year at the higher level, which is one small thing to look forward to amongst all the gloom. It s been a fantastic first season for head coach Au Schwar who says We re excited for the challenge ahead. It s been a real group effort so let s see what we can do next season. And we look forward to celebrating with everyone when it is safe to do so. Stamford are always looking for new players, of all abilities, so do email play stamfordrugby.com to join them. ike rugby, football hopes that the top flight can be completed albeit most likely in empty stadia and possibly with contrivances such as playing three matches a day at Wembley or at St George s ark, the FAs centre of excellence, and they too have terminated affairs at lower levels. But unlike rugby s Stamford and akham there will be no happy endings for local sides sitting pretty atop their divisions, as in contrast to the F the FA has decided that the whole season is to be binned. Stamford aniels and AFC Cottesmore feel the frustration badly, having looked fair set for promotion. aniels are in second, a full 13 points clear of their closest rivals, and were challenging for the

Stamford 1st XV, league champions.

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ActiveSport Uffington Cricket Club, hoping to see some action later in the summer.

“The decision has been taken to cut it in half meaning each side will play each other once rather than the usual twice.”

what the choice of words would be from manager Jurgen Klopp. Let’s hope he uses his native German to protect the ears of sensitive children.

Image: Matt Tarrant

Cricket, of course, saw its opening day postponed but has the advantage of knowing about the disruption in advance. This means Uppingham, Oakham, Stamford, Market Harborough et al will go into their season (assuming it starts) knowing what the situation is. The decision has been taken to cut it in half meaning each side will play each other once rather than the usual twice. An eminently elegant solution and the fairest available.

top spot with a run of seven straight wins. Manager Graham Drury confessed himself “devastated” but generously accepted the decision, saying it would have been unfair to see lower clubs relegated whilst they still had a fighting chance to survive. Cottesmore were also second in their league with two games in hand. Manager Rich Giblin opted for the word “gutted” rather than “devastated” but I think we can infer that he and Drury are in pretty much the same place emotionally. He differs though by feeling the league should have been decided on an average points per game basis saying “the FA have gone and done the unthinkable” and “my lads didn’t deserve that.” A valid point of view, but the many differences in opinion just underline there wasn t a way to finish things without controversy and that no perfect solution

exists. Spare a thought for keeper Jonny Hotson however, injured early in the season and unable to work for his living since - and all for nothing. It could only have been worse if he’d been in possibly the unluckiest side in England – South Shields. A full twelve points clear in the Northern Premier when the decision was announced their chairman, one Geoﬀ Thompson, chose not devastated, nor gutted, but “exasperated” to express his feelings (at least in print). If the Premier should eventually end up being voided too that accolade of most unfortunate club would pass to Liverpool who last won it 30 years ago when Mo Salah was two years from being born, Margaret Thatcher was rime Minister and Tim Berners-Lee published a proposal for something called the Internet. They are a whopping 25 points ahead so one wonders

So what are the rest of us to do now that our Saturday afternoons are suddenly free and with no Wimbledon or Euros 2020 to look forward to? Armchair athletes at least should be well catered for with the BBC showing classic games on Match of the Day, rerunning the London Olympics and Wimbledon highlights including, of course, Andy Murray s win, with IT pitching in with Euro 6. There are also a host of virtual reality events – both participatory and spectator oriented. Apparently ﬁve million watched the pseudo “Grand National” and the “Grand Prix” series on Sky is also proving popular. What s perhaps more important is to ﬁnd imaginative ways to keep active whilst cooped up at home. Stocks of weights, home gyms and exercise bikes are selling fast and they’re becoming as scarce as toilet rolls were. The best source of ideas I ve found is Sport England’s website which has plenty of suggestions and videos for all in its “Stay In - Work Out” section. Whatever you do, I hope you do something, both physical and mental to stay sane. Even writing this column has helped, so my thanks to you for reading it.

May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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ActiveSport

Spotlight on bowls Bowls is a ball sport where men and women compete on equal terms with no difference in equipment. Bob Warters tells us more

ADLY, DESPITE ITS healthy beneﬁts - and an average age of 35 at international level - both outdoor and indoor participation in the ﬂat green game is going through a crisis period because of an ageing community and the retirement age seemingly stretching. But anyone can play, and does, aged from eight upwards.

The Rules

The game is as simple in theory as it looks. Basically, alternately from a mat a player smoothly rolls a bigger ball towards a smaller ball (a jack) set on a centre line at least 23 metres away within a rectangular rink approximately 6 x 35 metres. The player must have at least one foot on the mat to avoid foot faulting. When all bowls have been delivered, the one nearest the jack scores a point

(known as a shot). Whoever gets the nearest shot delivers the jack on the next end, in the opposite direction. Apart from singles, the game can be played in pairs, threes (triples) and fours. Team members are identified as lead (first bowls delivered towards the jack), No 2 or No 3 and skip, usually the most experienced or most assertive player, who directs the pattern of play. In singles and pairs, players usually play with four bowls each and use three or two in triples and two in fours. In singles the first to reach 21 shots is the winner. In any other format anything between 16 and 21 ends is pre-decided. The skill of the game is to deliberately draw (place) your bowls accurately with a near perfect line and length to stop as close to the jack as possible. You may also be required to wrest an opponent's nearest bowl away and stop in its place or, in extreme circumstances, fire one, or several, opposition bowls off the rink. It gets very competitive!

The playing surface

Most clubs play indoors on a smooth carpet, outdoors on grass or synthetic grass, and have six rinks. There is a compulsory ditch at

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each end of the rink roughly 20cms deep by 25cms wide to stop any balls. If the jack is driven directly into the ditch it is still live with the nearest bowls on the green still counting as shots. Subsequent bowls must stay on the green to count.

Join in

Following a recent report that the average age of bowlers has increased in the last 30 years from 61 to 73 and that the number of women bowling has fallen dramatically, Stamford Indoor Bowls Club in Exeter Gardens, has embarked on a campaign to boost its membership back beyond the 600 mark it boasted in 2018. Hundreds have discovered locally that not only does bowls extend an active lifestyle but it really gets those competitive juices working again. It is also introducing Women Can sessions to recapture dwindling numbers and provide an active outlet particularly for those seeking companionship as well as competition. For further information visit www.stamfordindoorbowls.co.uk There are many local clubs across Rutland and Leicestershire seeking members. Look online to find your nearest club.

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38 May 2020 / theactivemag.com

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