Active Magazine // Stamford & Rutland // November 2022

Pages and pages of Christmas gift ideas

The wonder of Wales; Kate goes surfing Meet Stamford’s chandler

The cabin in the middle of the woods; home to Fenland Adventures

Getting creative at the Crown in Uppingham

FREE!

Cocktail chemistry

The precision of a chemist with a touch of dramatic flair, Alchemy & Apothecary

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

Front cover image: Nadia Pistorius True North Photography

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Active magazine is published monthly 12 times per year.

ISSN 2059-8513

Published by Triangle Publishing Ltd www.theactivemag.com

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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 L or its affiliates. Disclaimer of Liability. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, TPL and its affiliates assume no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of and, to the extent permitted by law, shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained in this publication. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of the advertising material which they submit and for ensuring the material complies with applicable laws. T L and its affiliates are are not responsible for any error, omission or inaccuracy in any advertisement and will not be liable for any damages arising from any use of products or services or any action or omissions taken in reliance on information or any statement contained in advertising material. Inclusion of any advertisement is not intended to endorse any view expressed, nor products or services offered nor the organisations sponsoring the advertisement.

EDITOR’S LETTER

AND HERE WE are, the clocks have changed so winter is truly with us which means that Christmas is just around the corner. Therefore, we have our annual Christmas gift guide for you to enjoy which is packed full of gift ideas from local retailers. As ever, get out and support your local high streets and the independent retailers who desperately need your custom.

This time of year also means a new Will’s Walk book and we are delighted that our third volume is published this month. This third book in our trilogy can’t really be compared to JRR Tolkien’s masterpiece but Will is holding his own with the popularity of our walk book, hence number three is now available, due to popular demand. As ever there are plenty of new walks to choose from all within our beautiful area, ranging from a quick leg stretch to a much longer yomp across the countryside which will really test your stamina. Now is the time to get out and enjoy some fresh air and exercise courtesy of us and Will. Copies are available from local stockists or from www.theactivemag.com

Kate and I headed to Wales this month which was fascinating. Kate had a go at sur ng and ip wiring de nitely not for me , swinging from the trees whilst en oyed a heritage tour and nding out more about the area which is predominantly industrial but with stunning beaches de nitely a place of contrasts and worth a visit.

Candles and cocktails have been my go-to this month and I’ve enjoyed both. nd we will all remember our rst residential school trip so en oyed reminiscing about mine and nding out about the cabin in the woods. It’s been a busy month so now it’s time to enjoy some retail therapy and a few bracing walks as well.

Enjoy the issue

Mary - Editor

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‘This third book in our trilogy can’t really be compared to JRR Tolkien’s masterpiece but Will is holding his own with the popularity of the book.’

Dating from around 1840, this stunning stone-built four/fve bedroom family home offers beautifully presented accommodation across three foors, including two/three reception rooms. It benefts from gas central heating and double glazing to most windows.

The property comprises of entrance hall giving access to the two main reception rooms, both of which feature stone freplaces with ftted log burners. Off the dining room, double doors open into the kitchen, which in turn has French doors opening onto the South-facing courtyard garden. Stairs lead down to a basement which has a fourth bedroom, shower room and offce/family or ffth bedroom potential. On the frst foor there are three double bedrooms with an en-suite to the Master bedroom and a large family bathroom. Outside there is a South-facing walled courtyard garden with off road parking for one car.

This spacious detached family home has been extensively extended and provides versatile and contemporary accommodation. A superb open plan kitchen family room spans across the back of the property and provides a real focal point of the house. There are two further reception rooms, with the original parquet fooring and a wood burning stove. There are six bedrooms in total, with the Master and Guest bedrooms featuring en-suites, a generous family bathroom and a galleried landing that looks down onto the kitchen family room. The southerly views from the rear bedrooms are over Stamford and across to Wothorpe.

Lincolnshire,

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Retail Only. Finance illustrated is Ford Options and is subject to status; other finance packages are available to suit individual needs – ask in store for details . Guarantees may be required. Freepost Ford Credit. Privilege, Ambassador and D-Plan customers should contact their dealer to obtain a finance quote. Further charges may apply subject to mileage and condition if the vehicle is returned at the end of the agreement. Subject to availability for new vehicles contracted between 1 October and 31 December 2022, and registered by 30 June 2023. Failure to make payments on time may make obtaining credit in the future more di cult. Your vehicle may be repossessed if you do not keep up payments. Quotes for other finance packages and mileage bands are available on request – customers should consider all alternatives prior to proceeding with finance. Other terms, conditions, and exclusions may apply. Images shown are for illustration purposes only.Vehicles must be contracted between 1st October and 31st December 2022 and registered within 14 days of delivery to a T.C. Harrison dealership. Contact your local T.C. Harrison Ford Dealership for more details. Full written details are available on request. Freepost Ford Credit. These o ers supersede all previous. Finance is subject to status and available to customers over 18 – guarantees and indemnities may be required. A finance facility fee (where applicable) is an additional charge for the supply of credit and is payable with the first instalment. You will not own the vehicle until all repayments have been made. 0% APR applies to the following new vehicles; Fiesta, EcoSport, Focus, Kuga PHEV, Kuga Diesel, Kuga Petrol, All-New Tourneo Connect, Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD and Ranger MS-RT models. T. C. Harrison Group Limited, Milford House, Mill Street, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1HH acts as a credit broker in relation to financial products and not a lender. For customers requiring finance we can introduce you to a small number of carefully selected credit providers who may be able to o er you di erent finance products to suit your needs, subject to assessment of your personal circumstances. We do not charge a fee for our services but a lender we introduce will typically provide us with a commission for the work that we do, which is a percentage of the amount you borrow. The lenders we work with pay commissions at di erent rates and the amount of commission we receive from a lender does not a ect the amount that you pay to that lender under your credit agreement. Information on the amount of this commission is available on request. We are only able to o er

Harrison Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Reg No. 312522.

products from the providers we work with.

ActiveLife

Christmas gift guide | Meet Stamford’s chandler | Cocktail chemistry The cabin in the woods | Getting creative at the Crown in Uppingham

The heart of Wales

Kate and Mary head to Hollywood without getting on a plane p16

Tallington’s dry ski slope is rejuvenated

FORTY YEARS SINCE Tallington Lakes rst opened and years since the 1 0m dry ski slope was added to the growing leisure park, a brand new surface has been tted to it. roslope is the closest arti cial surface that mimics snow like conditions. Thanks to its matting and construction which includes a shock absorption layer, beginners to freestyle skiers and snowboarders can en oy the slopes safely without leaving the country.

nd with British ssociation of nowsports nstructors B and ones from nowsports ngland to coach and guide you, now is the best time to learn to ski and snowboard in style at Tallington. kiing and snowboarding provide an exhilarating way to exercise during the colder months with private or group lessons available.

The knowledgeable staff at the ro hop, located ust off the dry slope, will be able to help with all your winterwear needs including ski and snowboard boots. They also offer a tailored boot tting service. They will match you with the best boot to suit your re uirements, enhancing your ski or boarding experience with a custom t too.

The opening of the new surface will bring with it a host of organised racing, freestyle competitions, ski touring classes, as well as private and group ski snowboard lessons. ot forgetting day courses and the unior snow school. eep an eye on their website and social media for more information and look out for the hristmas freestyle open day in December. www.tallington.com www.tallingtonlakesproshop.com

A new book from Stamford’s John Daffurn

THE DISCOVERY OF the architect of Rock House and Rock Terrace by ohn Daff urn whilst researching for his book Stamford Tenants: a history of Rock Terrace and its occupants was serendipitous, and astonished rofessor ames tevens url, the eminent architectural historian.

url was aware of these tamford buildings which he considers to be ne examples of ictorian architecture, and believes that Rock House is one of the nest essays in lassicism of its time, anywhere. However, he was unaware of eorge lover, the architect in uestion, about whom little is known or written, and counselled ohn to nd out more. The result is a short biography detailing his life and known works, written by ohn, with a foreword by rofessor url.

lover was born in ork, the son of a whitesmith, and his sister married oseph Hansom, the well known atholic architect and inventor of the Hansom cab. He rst appeared in tamford in 1 as clerk of works for the rebuilding of t ichael s hurch, where he met Richard ewcomb, the proprietor of the tamford ercury, who was a member of the building committee. fter designing the cotgate buildings for ewcomb, lover moved on to Huntingdon, before settling in Lowestoft for the last forty years of his life.

George Glover (1812-1890): the unfulfi lled potential of a Victorian architect will be available from early November at Walkers bookshop or from www.johndaffurn.com. £11.99

Blue Aurora is purely and simply made from 100% English blueberries, handpicked from Lutton Farm in Northamptonshire. The blueberries are pressed and fermented to create this beautiful range of wines.

@blueaurorawine blueaurorawine.co.uk

What’s On!

JOIN THE STAMFORD anta fun run on unday, December at 11am when you can run, og or walk a km course within Burghley ark. ll entrants receive a anta suit before the event, with complimentary mince pie, mulled wine or soft drink available afterwards. ll money raised will be donated to ue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, ind pace tamford and The Rotary lub of tamford Burghley, which will distribute a share to other local causes. www.stamfordsantafunrun.com

THE RUTLAND WATER night walk takes place on November 11 at 5pm starting and nishing at ormanton hurch. The route is completely traffic free on well maintained footpaths and open to all. ou can set your own pace and walk up to 10km, the choice is yours. ntry is 1 and dogs are welcome. www.therutlandmarathon.co.uk/nightwalk

MINDSPACE IN STAMFORD are looking for people to oin their team for the night walk so do get in touch with them www. mindspacestamford.com

ARE YOU LOOKING to try new activities and meet new people Then Ladies ircle in tamford might ust be for you. t s a modern, vibrant club for women aged 1 to make friends, have fun, and support the community. The Ladies ircle organisation has been running for over years and has groups throughout the and all over the world.

JOIN CINDERELLA ON her rags to riches ourney, outwitting her wicked stepsisters in search of her very own rince harming at Leicester s De ontfort Hall from Dec 10 to an 0 .

Dancing duo and urtis ritchard make their Leicester debut playing the roles of rince harming and Dandini, alongside Beebies vie ickerill in the title role of inderella.

omedian arred hristmas returns to the Hall for a second year to play Buttons West nd star adison wan is fairy godmother and a Leicester panto would not be the same without our favourite dame, artin Ballard. ou shall go to the panto www.Demontforthall.co.uk

This local group meets twice a month in and around tamford and eterborough for activities varying from dinner and drinks, walks and tness classes, to more adventurous things like tobogganing and roller skating. programme of events is lined up into 0 and they re open to suggestions.

They also meet up with other groups in Lincolnshire, ambridgeshire and further a eld and there is the opportunity to attend national and international events.

Their motto is fun, friendship and fundraising so if this sounds like something you would be interested in email ladiescirclestamford@gmail.com or visit Facebook, Stamford Ladies Circle

For those over wanting to be part of something similar try the sister groups Tangent and gora agoraclubinternational.com and tangentclubs.org

PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL’S POPULAR indoor hristmas craft and gift market is taking place on Friday 1 ovember 1 pm and aturday 1 ovember 10am pm .

et inside the beautiful athedral, it is an inspiring space in which to do your hristmas shopping. There will be a selection of gifts and crafts from local businesses with handcrafted ewellery, homewares, textiles, artisan food items and much more.

The Friday evening coincides with the hristmas lights switch on in the city centre, so it s a great opportunity to pop in after the lights to see what the stalls in the cathedral have to offer. There is good level access so is suitable for anyone shopping with a pushchair or a wheelchair.

Shoppers are asked to book a timed entry ticket in advance to minimise ueueing.

Tickets are per person, with under 1 s free of charge booking still re uired from www.ticketsource.co.uk/PeterboroughCathedral-Events  Any remaining tickets will be sold on the door.

RECIPE

Sausage and kale gnocchi

This is a simple one pot supper recipe which is warming and nutritious too; perfect as the nights draw in

INGREDIENTS

• 400g gnocchi

• 200g kale

• 1 onion

• 4 pork sausages (sliced)

• Olive oil for frying

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes or 400g passata

• Large handful of fresh basil (use dried if necessary)

• 100g mozzarella cheese

METHOD

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Boil a pan of salted water and cook the gnocchi and kale for about a minute. Drain.

• Chop the onion and gently cook in a frying pan along with the sliced sausages for about 7 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and basil leaves and simmer for a couple of minutes.

• Mix the gnocchi and kale with the sausage mixture. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish, tear the cheese and scatter it on top, add salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Going sloe

THE BLACKTHORN IS one of the commonest lowland British hedgerow trees, traditionally planted by farmers as eld boundaries to contain livestock because of the dense, thorny and impenetrable thicket a row of them will create. t is less favoured as a barrier now because it will uickly invade a eld with its suckers, but its presence is a good indicator of a hedge that is more than 150 years old.

The blackthorn is a small shrubby tree with thin and viciously thorny branches. The bark is dark, black almost and the leaves are small, oval in shape with serrated edges. t flowers very early in the year which is a risky strategy of other ature s because cold early spring weather can and often does affect pollination. The flowers appear as dense sprays of ve petalled white blossom in arch and the tree bears fruit, the sloe in early autumn.

The sloe is the ancestor of all cultivated plums in this country but you wouldn t think so if you tried to eat one raw. ne nibble will have you pulling a face like a gurning champion. But they make the most delicious gin.

Wearing sturdy gloves to protect against the thorns pick half a kilo, prick each sloe a couple of times and then pack into a ilner ar with an e ual amount of sugar. our in a litre of inexpensive supermarket gin and seal the ar tightly. tore in a cool dark place for at least two months, giving the ar a good shake in the rst few weeks to help the sugar dissolve. The gin uickly turns a pleasing purplish colour. The longer you can leave it the better it will be but can never resist for too long!

GARDENING

Hedgeography

Now is the perfect time to plant hedging so it establishes over the winter. Tessa Burns from Welland Vale Garden Centre offers advice

AUTUMN IS THE best time for planting as the soil is still warm from the summer and higher rainfall reduces the need to keep watering so new plants can establish good roots. ovember is good for planting bare root stock such as a new hedge or tree. f your garden backs onto elds a hedge of native species offers a good food source and shelter for wildlife. hoose from a mixture of hawthorn, dogwood, ha el, guelder rose, spindle, dog rose and blackthorn. s the hedge becomes established keep it trimmed to encourage strong thick growth.

Green or copper beech, hornbeam, holly, laurel, either green or variegated, are all good choices for taller hedges for privacy. For masking a neighbouring building or overlooking windows, a pleached hedge of hornbeam, beech or photinia where the stems have been stripped of branches and the top foliage is trained along a framework of canes above a fence or wall is ideal. nother option for privacy is conifers. Leylandii has a bad name because they can grow to an enormous height and width. But kept trimmed annually they make an excellent screen. Don t cut back into old wood because the only conifers which will regenerate this way are yew and thu a. thers will remain a sad patchwork of green foliage and brown wood. Brabant make fabulous hedges when trimmed.

There is nothing smarter than a beautifully cut hedge but like a more informal style which follows the natural shape of the plants. Whatever your preference, success will only come from watering young stock for the rst couple of years during dry spells, check regularly for bug or fungal infections and feed in early spring with an all purpose organic fertiliser.

For a lower boundary hedge try green or

golden privet, lonicera nitida Baggeson s gold, photinia red robin, little red robin or mandarino offer colourful foliage, spring flowers and berries in autumn and winter. Berberis darwinii or stenophylla create a prickly alternative. uonymus bravo will make a pretty variegated hedge while abelia and escallonia varieties are evergreen with lots of summer flowers. Lavender hidcote makes a fragrant informal hedge loved by bees.

For small formal boundaries sarcococca and box are popular. Box blight is still a problem so a good alternative is ilex crenata dark green.

ow that darker nights have arrived, how can we add interest and colour to our winter gardens Try topiary shaped evergreens a holly lollipop, various si ed box balls, pyramids, cubes, spirals or cloud trees. Box, yew, ilex crenata, lonicera nitida, privet or ligustrum ohandrum can all be trained into formal shapes. dd spotlights underneath these statement plants to extend en oyment during dark evenings. se solar lights or strings of fairy lights.

reate focal points to see from your windows. lant containers with winter colour and an evergreen. lump groups of pots together sharing colour coordination and use garden mirrors to reflect brightly coloured pots. ut containers by your front door with some evergreen fragrance. garden sculpture such as woven ha el, decorative metal border stakes of varying heights or bits of bric-a-brac add interest.

Finally, don t forget the birds. osition feeders and a bird bath to be visible from the house. Fresh bird feed offered regularly will soon encourage feathered visitors for you to enjoy.

Rowan Griffiths tells us about one of the most common hedgerow plants, blackthorn

The heart of Wales

Kate and Mary head to Hollywood without getting on a plane

WALES IS A popular holiday destination for many; renowned for its beautiful coastlines, fabulous beaches, scenic countryside, wonderful mountains and rich heritage. When you think of Wales you probably think of Snowdonia, the Gower, Pembrokeshire and the Brecon Beacons. You don’t necessarily think of South Wales and the industrial corridor that stretches between ardiff and wansea, home to many steel works and mines. This is industrial Wales which has been the lifeblood of our country for many generations starting with the Victorians who opened the mines, built the railways and started the steelworks.

And this is where Kate and I headed to enjoy some heritage tours, sur ng, ip wiring and beauty treatments. d known Wales was renowned for its surf beaches but had no idea one existed in this part of the country, in its industrial heartland.

The heart of Wales was our destination, Neath and Port Talbot, described quite aptly as the ‘dramatic heart of Wales’ with its stunning scenery, scenic views and rich heritage. And it’s the rich heritage which is the truly fascinating part. ou nd yourself on a stunning beach, with a backdrop of mountains a few miles behind.

But it’s what lies on the edge of the beach that is interesting; a massive steelworks and cranes on the skyline. Somehow it works; this is an unashamedly industrial working town but the contrast of miles of golden sands and smoking chimneys and cranes in silhouette is just iconic and all within an area called Hollywood Park.

As we wandered along Aberavon’s seafront we were told to keep an eye out for Martin Sheen who lives nearby and was home for a few days and often uses the beach. We didn’t spot him but could also have seen Anthony Hopkins or Paul Potts; they also hail from within a few miles of Port Talbot as well as the late Richard Burton, there really must be something in the water here.

Rapunzel in her tower

wansea Bay, more speci cally the ersey arine area, was our initial destination where we were being hosted by the Towers Hotel and Spa. This large hotel still has its original tower which was built as a vanity project by a Victorian industrialist with a camera obscura right at the top. Today it houses three suites, one on each floor and was in the top one, 94 steps up so the views across the bay were spectacular. We both enjoyed massages in the spa and the use of the facilities which went down very well after the drive down of well over 200 miles.

In the morning, after a night in an incredibly comfortable bed, it was time for ate to go sur ng and then to sample o pe whilst enjoyed the more tranquil but fascinating tour of Margam Castle. Set in 1,000 acres of glorious parkland the house dominates. It’s called a castle but it really is a rather grand Tudor revival styled late Georgian pile with the longest orangery in Britain, built in 1790 and now used as a popular wedding venue.

Haunted houses

Margam Park has been the site of a large mansion for hundreds and hundreds of years once owned by the Mansell family. It eventually passed to the Talbot family (by marriage) and the incumbent, Christopher Talbot, didn’t like the house so knocked it down. He had made his money on the railways and building the docks and was also a liberal MP for 60 years. He didn’t feel he had enough recognition – ie no knighthood - so built himself a castle in 1830 which took 10 years to complete. He did get the recognition though as Port Talbot is named after him.

The castle must have been quite a sight dominating the skyline and looking down on the docks towards the sea. Sadly the family have not survived the years and eventually the council bought the house and grounds in 1 0 and then in 1 there was a massive re which destroyed the house. Today it has been repaired with a new roof but there are no contents or many original features. It’s still well worth a visit though, but look out for ghosts as according to my guide it’s haunted…

This area of Wales is surprising. It’s unashamedly a working area and has been quite deprived. The steelworks used to employ 23,000 people, now it’s 3,000 so there has been some long-term unemployment but the towns of Port Talbot and Neath seem to be turning themselves around and with a spectacular beach like Aberavon to enjoy and the unpretentious friendliness of the locals this is an area which is well worth a visit for a value for money break. Kate and I certainly enjoyed ourselves.

Active life

Welsh waves

Kate had a go at surfing for the first time and managed to stand up

I’VE NEVER HAD a burning desire to learn to surf, probably because most of my family holidays for the last twenty years have been on the east coast where there is a lot of hard shingle to hit your head on. I’m not used to beautiful, long sandy beaches with barely a rock or stone in sight, and soft undulating waves that, at the beginning of October, are probably the warmest you ll nd off the British coast. beravon Beach in ort Talbot must be one of the most undiscovered beaches in the country as tourists normally shoot straight past on the M4 on the way to the ower or embrokeshire. ren t they missing a trick

The beach stretches out to face wansea Bay with the iconic cranes belonging to Tata teel in ort Talbot towering on the skyline to one side, and wansea off to the west. With so much space the beach never feels busy. Dogs were allowed back on the main beach at the beginning of October so there were plenty of dogs and owners enjoying themselves but in the summer loads of surfers comebeginners and experts alike – taking full advantage of such a wide, ha ard free expanse of surf and sand. nd competitors come to practice on the waves that break along the pier as they’re great practice for competitions all over the world.

f you imagine outh Wales to be constantly under a cloud of dreary

rain then let me disabuse you of that thought right now. We were lucky (and apparently it’s not uncommon at all) to pick some beautifully dry days in the early autumn with mild temperatures and, as say, fairly warm sea temperature too. That had been my biggest fear; that I would freeze to death while learning to surf, but as the sea is obviously warmer at the end of the summer than in pril and ay needn’t have worried.

d been invited by the urf chool Wales to beravon Beach to have a two hour beginner s lesson. The school is owned by local husband and wife team ick and Liane Thomas and run as a ommunity nterest ompany with the aim of connecting people socially, physically and mentally through sur ng in a safe, stimulating and fun

environment. My instructor was Alun who grew up locally and taught himself to surf as a little boy. Now, if he’s away from the sea for too long, he starts to get twitchy. He travels all over the world to surf and, as he says, the winter is the best time to do it as the wind and the waves are up. Teaching on Aberavon Beach is done mainly during the summer months.

I was fortunate to have a one-to-one lesson with Alun but instructors at the school can teach up to eight people at a time including children aged eight upwards. The surf school also welcomes large school groups, charities, community groups as well as their kids club. It’s also very popular with groups of friends and families of all ages, locals and visitors, who then go on to try mountain biking in the hills behind and Go Ape at Margam Park just six miles away.

But rst things rst and, as always, safety is paramount. We went over what hand instructions to look out for as the current can take you down the beach, and how to always cover your head when (not if) you fall off. The board is your buoyancy aid because, providing it doesn t break, it will float for ever if you ust hold onto it. lways tying the leash onto your ankle before you enter the water was solidly drummed in.

Then we waxed the board for extra grip. I ended up using the wider soft board as it was easier to learn to stand up on but I started with the narrower harder board when learning the sequence of moves on land. We ran through how to dangle your feet over the tail of the board when starting to paddle when the wave is a board’s space behind you, then how to know when you ve caught the wave and nally how to stand up.

I actually managed to stand up on my second and third attempt, and kept fairly steady for a distance before jumping into the water. But then it went to pot for a while which I found really frustrating. I was getting into bad habits like putting my hands too close to the rails at the side and unbalancing the board, or putting one foot too close to one rail and causing the board to lurch sideways. You do need to be fairly agile, but apparently once you learn and endlessly practice, your muscle memory kicks in and you do it automatically from then on. That’s how you get seventy-year-old surfers who may not look too steady on land still managing to surf.

Luckily with Alun’s tuition I managed to right the wrongs and I stood up again. The waves near the shore weren’t very deep but they were coming in much faster with the tide so I decided to call it a day and end on a high. t s de nitely addictive and, as lun says, sur ng should come with a health warning. You just want to get right back out there and have another go to try to improve.

I would love to surf in a turquoise sea with crystal clear waters and white sands and nice gentle waves, not the monsters people tackle in Portugal or Hawaii. But Aberavon Beach was the perfect place to learn in the and if m down that way again shall de nitely be having another go.

A two-hour beginner’s surf lesson costs £30 per person. www.surfschoolwales.co.uk

'I actually managed to stand up on my second and third attempt, and kept fairly steady for a distance before jumping into the water.'

Me Jane, you Tarzan

Kate takes to the trees and discovers she’s not afraid of heights

I’VE NEVER BEEN particularly bothered about heights but when you’re all harnessed up ready to cross from one high level platform to another far up in the treetops or about to step into the void on a Tarzan swing you do start to wonder. At the Point of No Return at Go Ape you are given the option to turn back and claim a refund as you’re about to take part in a ‘high risk activity.’ So this is when you need to be absolutely sure you want to go ahead as there can be no turning back after this.

Happily I did, not least because I was channelling my mother who is far more adventurous than I am having abseiled aged 60 and sky dived at 70. I wouldn’t have dreamed of turning back, but I did have to dig deep at times and just crack on with it!

Go Ape was founded in 2002 by Tristram and Rebecca Mayhew who had seen people swinging from the branches above them whilst holidaying in France. This inspired them to set up something similar here, the rst one being in Thetford Forest. There are now locations across the UK where you can take the treetop challenges, and the only one currently in Wales is at Margam Park six miles from Port Talbot.

The site is surrounded by 1,000 acres of parkland, Margam Castle and the largest deer herd in Wales. It is an absolutely beautiful spot but I’m afraid I didn’t notice any of it while I was on the course. I kept a soft focus vision most of the time, rarely looked past my feet and only occasionally did I look out towards the park while I was catching my breath. I was too busy concentrating. You do have to sign a disclaimer before you set off, and once you ve had the safety training which drums in how to attach yourself to the cables, you are responsible for yourself. If that sounds a little alarming, don’t worry. After a few minutes, you do soon get the hang of it, and the instructors on the ground shout out helpful advice too. There are also pictorial instructions attached to each tree platform. The key rule is to stay attached to the cables at all times, so you only detach and attach one cable at a time. And when you’re walking between the trees you are always attached to a pully.

Luckily I was doing it on my own so I kept talking to myself, reminding myself of the order of how to clip on and also chivvying myself to ump off into the void on the ip wires. This included the largest Tarzan swing of any of the Go Ape sites, with a six-metre free fall. ctually those bits weren t the worst found the different wobbly rope crossings the hardest to navigate. In some sites there are now nets adventures where you can bounce and slide in netted walkways 0 feet above the forest floor.

I’m not an adrenaline junkie so I can’t say I loved every minute but I

felt a great sense of achievement at having done it and not missing out any of the sections. In a few places there are alternatives to choose from, so I was able to refuse to cross the hoops towards the end, taking a slightly easier route. The hoops just seemed a wobbly bridge too far.

It took me about two hours to do and I did push on as I wasn’t distracted by friends. The groups around me were having a whale of a time judging by the squeals and laughter coming from them although there was one eerie moment when all was quiet and I thought I’d been left alone in the trees. It must feel just as spine tingling if you go to one of the sundown sessions that have now been introduced. You tackle all the different crossings, ip wires and swings at dusk which must add another sensory dimension into the mix.

It’s not an old man’s game - although one 106-year-old became the oldest person to do a zipline in 2018 – and I did ache for a couple of days afterwards. That was because I was clinging on to every tree and handhold I could, not like some people who were managing to take sel es while ipping along. hildren absolutely love it and, providing they are 1. m tall, children from 10 to 1 years old can take the treetop challenge if they are supervised by an adult. Some sites have treetop adventures which are more suitable for smaller children.

It’s a great way of literally stepping out of your comfort zone and being immersed high up in the trees which is obviously not a regular occurence. If you want to pretend you’re a monkey, that’s up to you!

One site closer to Active’s home is in Coventry which boasts the Plummet, a 12-metre vertical drop or there’s Sherwood Pines in Nottinghamshire or the original site in Thetford Forest.

For more information and prices visit www.goape.co.uk

Cocktail chemistry

Alchemy & Apothecary is the brainchild of Curtis Clissitt. Mary meets him and his business partner Zac Cotterell

OLD STAMFORDIAN CURTIS left school wanting to be an actor so did a degree in drama and theatre. He’s still waiting for Hollywood to come calling and after a few years running bars he retrained to be a primary school teacher. But he missed the buzz of hospitality and his transferable skills of theatrics and entertaining people; because we all know a good bar manager is someone who does just that. And Curtis did a bit more than that as he was perfecting his cocktail making skills.

During this time he was managing the Cozy Club in Stamford where he employed Zac and then moved to manage the Exeter Arms in Easton on the Hill. In the back of his mind all the time was that he wanted one day to work for himself and ultimately run his own bar. And it turned out that Zac had exactly the same ambition which they bonded over.

Curtis and Zac, along with their head barman Mark Szulc have a love of food and flavours, the environment, sustainability and helping the planet so have combined all that by setting up their own cocktail business, lchemy pothecary. This clever name reflects all that they stand for; mixing potions with the precision of a chemist all with a bit of dramatic flair.

The boys offer a mobile cocktail service within a 100 mile radius of Stamford. They will come to your house and run a masterclass for up to 1 people where you learn to make your own cocktails with a group of friends and have a lot of fun along the way. I know this is very popular for private parties, birthdays and hen parties and everyone loves it. They will also go to garden parties and serve cocktails to your guests, deliver cocktails to your door they were about to drop 0 off for a party when I met them) and will even post them. Weddings and corporate events are also on their radar and they offer a bespoke service; whatever you want they can do including running a bar and providing waiting staff, alongside the cocktail mixing. Because the service is bespoke you can decide on what cocktails you want and urtis and ac will suggest some too once they nd out your likes and dislikes; collaboration is key.

Curtis’ love of the dramatic really comes to the fore when you see the wonderful cocktails he produces; beautifully decorated and garnished and served with a flourish. But the flavour is what is most important,’ he says. And all this is done as sustainably as possible. Fruit and veg is sourced locally and sustainable alcohol brands are chosen. Recycled paper is used at all times. They make their own fruit syrups and coffee li ueur using spent coffee grounds and carbon negative vodka. I have visions of the two of them making syrups in their kitchen with their wi ards hats on, reflecting the name of the company, but maybe that’s just me…

Curtis and Zac are always keen to collaborate with local companies and are developing quite a name around their home town, Stamford. They work quite closely with Stamford Botanics for garnishes and decoration and run cocktail workshops at the Blonde Beet. The next one is on November 26 when they will collaborate with Verycraft tea and tickets are available now. And they have been doing foraging courses locally to source many of their own ingredients. It’s great to see local businesses supporting each other and working together.

They can make mocktails for the non drinkers and are even collaborating to make a healthy cocktail which will use CBD oil in the place of alcohol which sounds very interesting. If you look at their website you will see many of their own cocktail mixes are available as well as the more usual; spring garden is their best seller and I am determined to try their eucalyptus martini which looks amazing and has healthy properties too and should help clear the nasal passages!

Their cocktails are a premium product made with the best ingredients possible but they aren’t overly expensive; £14 for two portions by post. They are developing quite a name for themselves and getting lots of repeat bookings, always a good sign. It’s a niche market and Alchemy & Apothecary have certainly developed it. It would appear Hollywood can wait for a while, Curtis and Zac are creating their own magic right here.

www.alchemy-and-apothecary.co.uk @alchemy_and_apothecary

'Curtis and Zac are always keen to collaborate with local companies and are developing quite a name around their home town, Stamford.'

Images: Nadia Pistorius, True North Photography

Stamford’s Chandler

Covid lockdowns allowed Sasha Olsen time to perfect the art of candlemaking. Mary meets her

STAMFORD-BASED SASHA Olsen had become increasingly irritated when quite high-end candles which cost a lot of money didn’t burn well. We’ve all been there, we light a candle, burn it for a good few hours, but it still tunnels so you end up wasting half the wax along with your money. Or the wick suddenly disappears. Alternatively (or as well as) the scent can be so faint you can’t smell it or it’s so overpowering you can virtually taste it!

Yes, it irritates us but most of us just vow not to buy that particular brand again. Not Sasha, she decided to make her own candles and this has subsequently grown into a new company, The Wick and Wax Co. ‘I was sure I could do a better job,’ she says.

Sasha’s background is fashion, photography, graphics, design and creative marketing so she’s creative and artistic and confesses to having a strong sense of smell and taste along with an entrepreneurial nature. She and her husband run a successful marketing agency so she’s always really busy keeping clients happy, growing brands etc. But during Covid, as we all did, Sasha had more time at home unable to go anywhere which gave her a chance to think more about her work/life balance, candles and making her own; something she had never done before.

‘I do love a challenge and knew that making a candle wasn’t going to be simple but was convinced I could do a better job than many of the brands on sale. t s a scienti c process and you have to get the balance between the components just right. Wax isn’t just wax. There are many natural plant-based waxes to choose from such as soy, palm, coconut, rapeseed and beeswax and then there is paraffin, otherwise known as mineral wax, which still dominates the scented candle industry because it is cheap, easy to use and widely available. I discovered that although it’s more expensive and takes a lot more effort to create a good plant based natural candle, the bene ts are far greater for the consumer.’

Sasha knew that she wanted her candles to be sustainable and not harmful to the environment. She was determined to get the baseline candle technically correct rst which meant experimenting with different types of wax content and wicks to achieve a really good, clean burn quality before adding any scents. The scented candlemaking industry is highly regulated which I didn’t realise. Chemicals are being used so labelling is vital because of allergies and, of course, burning a candle can cause res.

To test how a candle burns and to get the most efficient burn it needs to be tested in four-hour stints which Sasha did twice daily. ach type of candle often re uires ve or more days for a full testing cycle so those eight hours of daily testing allowed her to make huge progress. And of course, ‘you can’t just wing it, wax content has to be measured exactly and recorded accurately, it’s a long drawn out process.’

This obviously took lots of trial and error but after nearly nine months Sasha had formulated a core of commercially viable candles. There were obviously mistakes along the way but the nal range comprises two different products one uses a natural soya wax, the second being her own blend of coconut and beeswax. ‘I watched closely how each candle burnt, how long it took, whether it smoked and left soot on the ar, that sort of thing. Lots of different waxes and wicks were tested but I’m really pleased with the result.’

And then, of course, you need to add the scents which can signi cantly alter the way a candle burns. There are two types of oils that are used in candle making, essential and synthetic oils. Essential

oils are extracted from natural matter such as plants and are known for their wellbeing properties; and synthetic oils, which are manmade, are more widely available and less expensive. Both types of oil can cause allergic reactions in some people so their use is strictly governed by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA).

Using only essential oils can limit your market because of the smaller range of scents. Combining synthetic oils as well means you have a broader palate to choose from. ‘I really enjoy experimenting with the oils to create different scents. m using a combination of both types of oil and in quantities that are well below the safety threshold which think bene ts the consumer whilst also helping to keep down the cost of production. I’m determined to be completely open about what ingredients I use, with clear product labelling and detailed information available on the website.’

Sasha’s friends and family have been a great judge of scents giving excellent feedback. ‘You can’t really just go on your own preferences as smell is so subjective.’ There are now 10 core scents in the range with a few seasonal ones added throughout the year – look out for the Christmas one, Noël, it’s gorgeous.

Once Sasha had her formulas correct and had built up some stock she had to sell them. nd that s the hard part. he got off to a flying start last year when she was asked to sell her candles at her son’s school Christmas Fair in November 2021.

‘I had the core range of six or seven fragrances as well as Noël so took about 60 candles with me. I had no idea how many I would sell, if any, but ended up selling over half of them and was delighted. That was it, I’d got the bug!’ Sasha’s marketing skills are coming to the fore now and she really enjoys actually being on the stands at fairs and seeing customers' reactions to her candles whilst chatting to them.

She now has a website which she has been able to do herself using her graphics skills and her knowledge as a branding specialist (she’s nothing if not versatile). And she has had a stand at Burghley Horse Trials and is attending many local Christmas Fairs including Witham Hall’s winter fair on November 12 (we’ll be there too).

As well as her everyday soy wax range of 10 fragrances in sizes from 75g to 500g Sasha has another luxury wax range which is highly sustainable and uses a coconut wax mixed with a hint of beeswax. All of her candles are designed to burn fully, cleanly and with the minimum of wastage, providing better value for her customers. Sasha is determined her candles are as sustainable as possible. Oils and wax are of the highest quality sourced from the UK and all glass and packaging is recyclable.

Her best seller is mint and honey and can de nitely vouch for that, it’s my favourite too closely followed by Tuscany. You’ll see Sasha at many local Christmas fairs in the next few months so go and have a sniff at her candles, can guarantee you ll like them.

www.thewickandwax.co Local customers are welcome to pick up their candles from Sasha directly from her home in Stamford.

Perfect presents

Christmas is coming so do get out and about and visit our wonderful local independent retailers. There’s a wide selection of attractive, innovative and tasty gifts to suit all tastes and pockets. Happy festive shopping!

Sterling silver bracelet

Simply stunning, handmade in the UK.

Price: £145 from www.tjthornton.com 01858 468858

STYLE

Christmas Gift Guide

Sparkly Galaxy Scatter Huggies by Claire Hill Designs

Made from 14ct gold vermeil and recycled silver. Perfect for multiple piercings, look great on.

Price: £58 (£52 silver) from www.adagallery.co.uk  01858 461896

Super skin care

Treat yourself to a treatment from Nu-U Skin specialist. Choose from a wide range of facials, lifts, peels, micro-needling, etc.

Price: £50 gift vouchers from www.nuuskinspecialist.co.uk 07368 971630

Party season

Gift vouchers for fabulous womenswear boutique Private Kollection in Market Street, Market Deeping. mart casual wear and for more formal occasions. 01778 346226

Dior sunglasses

Featuring a graceful and modern butterfly shape, enhanced by a gold nish D logo on the temples, the graphic form and soft curves reinforce an elegant allure.

Price: starting at £299.90, interestfree payments available. www.smithandhamylton.co.uk 01858 457307

Bronze candle lantern

Aston & Wold medium size bronze coloured lantern, perfect for candles or Christmas lights, 34cm tall (including handle)

Price: £19.99 from  www.thebarngardencentre.co.uk 01832 273310

Gift of nature gin set

Four delicious Warner’s gins including London Dry, rhubarb, elderflower and raspberry. Four x 5cl. Perfect for that discerning gin lover in your life.

Price: £21.60 from www.newlodgefarm.co.uk 01780 450493

Personalised treat jars and dog themed mugs

Add your dog’s name, only £9.99 Mugs in various designs, £7.99 www.barkers.pet 07572 863958

Blue Aurora English Blueberry Ice Wine

Intense, fruity and velvety smooth. Pairs perfectly with cheese boards, rich chocolate desserts or added to your favourite sparkling wine. 37.5cl bottle. 10.5% abv.

Price: £17.95 from www.blueaurorawine.co.uk 01832 273300

TASTE

Honey gift bundle

For the bee lover in your life, provide food and habitat for the bees in your garden, and enjoy Eyebrook honey from their conservation farm.

Price: £30.75 from eyebrookwildbirdfeeds.co.uk  01536 770771

Sausage, pork pie making and butchery courses

Spend a morning at Waterloo Cottage Farm and learn how to butcher. Gift vouchers available.

Price: £40-£99 per person from www.waterloocottagefarm.co.uk 07976 263311

Le Creuset pepper mill

Available in a range of colours, the ceramic Le Creuset pepper mill introduces quality, style and a perfect shot of colour to your kitchen. Buy two for £45 instead of the usual £66 from Stu Pots, 36 Market Place, Oundle. 01832 275414

Deluxe gift hampers

What could bring you more Christmas cheer than a whopping great box of goodies handpicked to get you in a jolly festive mood? Three ranges: the Deluxe, Luxury and Artisan.

Price: From £35-£110 from www.thepickledshop.com 01780 450774

Christmas Gift Guide

Biscuits from our home to yours

This gorgeous box of hand stamped biscuits is the perfect gift to send to friends and family as a thoughtful (and yummy) treat for them to share at Christmas. Handmade locally, using local ingredients.

Price: £26 from www.the-kitsch-hen.co.uk 07799 516179

Hydroponic Growing Kit

Grow organic herbs without using soil using recycled wine bottles cut and ground by hand and organic nutrient solution (kits contain enough for approx 2 years). Kits are available for basil, coriander, dill, sweet marjoram, mint, oregano, curly parsley, flat leaf parsley, rocket, rosemary and thyme.

Price: £19.50 from www.barkerfleming.co.uk  01858 469088

Gift Voucher

Peaceful bath time

Soak away the stresses of the day with these cleansing, restorative bath salts and transform your bath into a Mediterranean sea front. For those times when you’re feeling frazzled, tense or out of sorts. Price: £25 from www.reviveskinandspa.co.uk   07759 130108

COMFORT

Breathable bamboo socks

What can be more luxurious than the freshest socks? Made from bamboo, they are durable, breathable and super stylish too. Sold in single pairs or in gift boxes containing 2-4 pairs.

Price: £10 per pair or £40 for four-pair gift box from www.colinbell.uk 01780 757888

Spiritual medium reading

Looking for that perfect, unique present for someone special? A private reading with spiritual medium Alison Stead gives the gift of unending love. Gift vouchers also available for spiritual development and other services. www.alisonstead-medium.co.uk 07557 226759

Noël scented candle

With notes of crisp snow-capped pine trees, peeled clementines, sweet buttery gingerbread and warming vanilla this signature Christmas scent, Noël, is neither intense nor heady, but light and cosy. Handcrafted locally in Stamford.

Price: £32 for 175g gift-sized candle or £84 for the large 3-wick 725g candle from 07974 250791  www.thewickandwax.co and use code

ACTIVE15 to claim your 15% discount.

Shepherd hut stay

Treat a loved one to a peaceful and relaxing break away. Gift vouchers available for two or more nights’ stay at Berry elds hepherd Huts.

Email: berryfieldsevents@gmail.com 01780 784828

I Love You More snuggle blanket

Large enough to wrap around you and your loved one to snuggle on the sofa. In dark grey and cream, measures 139cm x 165cm. Free delivery on all orders over £40.

Price: £34.95 from www.thewhitecountrystore.com

Endura MT500 Freezing Point Waterproof Gloves

Winter warmth for sub zero rides with a waterproof, breathable internal membrane, PFC-Free, non-toxic durable water repellent nish and stretch, softshell backhand and ngers. vailable in six si es.

Price: £64.99 from www.georgehallscycles.co.uk 01858 465507

Lake CX332 road shoe and Kask Protone Helmet

A classic design with modern elements such as Dual BOA closure and a lightweight carbon sole system in the Lake road shoe and revolutionary design in the Kask helmet.

Price: £350.00 (shoe) and £219 (helmet) www.bvcycles.co.uk 01536 515241

21 more rambles around Stamford and Rutland

Enjoy some winter walks where it is drier underfoot during the bad weather, shorter walks of up to four miles and then some real leg stretchers which will tire you out.

Price: £9.95 from www.theactivemag.com

Portofi no 10ft Paddle Board

Top all-rounder lightweight SUP; an excellent choice for inexperienced and advanced boarders. Available in blue and red. Kayak converter kit available.

Price: £199 from www.trailoutdoorleisure.co.uk

ADVENTURE

YETI Rambler 20oz Nordic travel mug

In a range of colours this is an excellent way to keep your drinks hot and safe on the move. Yeti’s StrongHold™ Lid is leak-resistant and suitable for left and right-handed drinkers so you won’t spill a drop whether in the car or on a stroll around town.

Price: £34.99 from www.tallingtonlakesproshop.com   01778 381154

IF MONEY IS NO OBJECT…

Superyacht charters

Incredible yacht charters in the most sought-after locations.

Price: Each charter is tailor-made to match the preferences and budget of every client. 5% discount when quoting Active magazine. www.westnautical.com

And stretch…

With a choice of 0 different classes to choose from, rotated over approx 0 time slots each week, treat someone to gift vouchers from tamford oga. They can be used for Thai yoga massages too. o minimum spend. www.stamfordyoga.co.uk 07738 272 474

PASTIMES

Christmas

Museum & Galleries 1000-piece puzzles collection of designs for the family, made from responsibly sourced materials. Price: £14.99 from www.wellandvale.co.uk 01572 822729

Retro Sewing Kit

Lovely little handy box lled with a great selection of sewing essentials. Price: £22.50 from www.thestamfordfabriccompany.com 01780 753409

Upholstery and craft classes

Learn to upholster the traditional way using tacks, hair, hessian, etc. Buy gift vouchers for any amount, or for a day 0 or days 0 . www.joatno40.co.uk 07415 767826

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Why not make a date to visit your local hristmas shopping event this year. eet up with friends, sup a glass of mulled wine or two, listen to some of your favourite carols and, of course, stock up on hristmas presents from our local independent retailers.

Local Christmas shopping dates

tamford unday ovember 10am pm hop tamford aturday December ppingham Thursday 1 December . 0pm akham onday 1 December pm arket Harborough Friday December pm undle aturday December 1 pm

Getting creative at the Crown

Kate meets Laura Totten from the Crown in Uppingham who talks frankly about the hospitality industry

YOU’D HAVE TO be living on Mars at the moment if you hadn t noticed how difficult things are in the hospitality sector. But chances are, if you re the one running a pub, restaurant or hotel, you re pretty savvy and highly creative so you re able to offer the best service to your customers. Laura Totten is certainly all the above which is lucky as she s had to dig deep to get through a global pandemic and now a huge cost of living crisis in the rst three years of running the rown in ppingham. took over in ay 0 0 during the rst lockdown and opened in July that year,’ she told me. ‘We then closed in November and again from January 2021. I’m going into my third year of trading but I’ve not had a normal anything yet. This will be the rst hristmas without ovid bubbles or the fear of further lockdowns looming.

We are looking forward to this year s festivities with hristmas late night shopping you couldn t move in here last year and we also had an outside bar. This year late night shopping is on Thursday 1 December and then there’s the Fatstock show on Wednesday 23 ovember which is an incredible event in the town. ppingham is a great place to come for a wander, to meet up with friends or visit the market on a Friday. We’re a friendly bunch of businesses and we support each other.

Head of the family wondered what had led Laura to opening the rown and it all started from her rst ob at Barceloneta, an independent panish restaurant in Leicester. he then spent 1 years working for ando s in different roles and restaurants, ending up as atrao which means father or captain. The ethos is that as leader, you re the head of the family rather than being the bossy boss in the office, says Laura. t was all about working hard playing hard and the idea of the team as family was important. That s what aim for here growing a team that fosters that family feel means that the customers feel that family vibe too. We all spend so much of our time at work it needs to be a happy place and a well looked after team is a happy team. Which is why am proud to be able to say am not a minimum wage employer and

have made sure that whatever the business pressures are am continuing to invest in my team, with four of the ve full time team developing new skills through apprenticeships and other personal development opportunities.

But to recap a little rst, Laura told me that after 1 years at ando s, she had wanted her weekends back so she oined verards Brewery in a training and recruitment capacity. he uickly realised she didn t like working in an office, as the area of hospitality she en oyed most was getting to know the customers and working with the team.

t the same time as starting to work for verards she moved to Belton in Rutland and her children started at ppingham ommunity ollege. That s when she became aware of the rown which is right in the centre of the High treet. Laura knew that starting your own business independently re uires massive amounts of resources but doing it as a tenant of verards Brewery was much more achievable and still gave her the freedom of running her own business. t s their building and their beer so pay them rent and buy beer from them and that s it. They re responsible for the bricks and mortar and am responsible for everything within the look, style, people and so on.

big fan of a statement bar with attractive bottles of spirits, Laura has revolutionised the place. t had dropped off many local people s radar, they ust didn t even notice it while walking past. The big challenge was to keep our locals who did fre uent the pub happy while making it more welcoming to other residents and the passing trade who visit the town.

Back on the map

We wanted to put it back on the map and extend the range of food that ppingham has to offer. y family love cooking and eating together and we found ourselves driving to Leicester, eterborough or tamford for tasty but casual dining. We were travelling uite far for something in between sh and chips and white tablecloths, so that s what we now offer here.

We like to bring in different trends from around the world. We run street food menus on different days, we have local catering companies who come to our kitchen, we do lots of different themed stuff to keep it interesting. ur unday lunches are very popular, and we ve ust introduced orkie burritos which is a unday lunch in a orkshire pudding wrap so it s smaller but you still have all the different textures and taste of a unday roast.

‘We had to be creative during lockdown – I didn’t ever intend to have an online ordering platform in the rst few months of opening, but every couple of months the rules changed and we had to turn on a

Uppingham’s First Doggie Shop selling…

Weigh your own dog food, wet food, doggie treats, collars, leads, dog toys, beds, accessories, gi�s for the dog lover. Barkers for all things dog. Pocket friendly prices.

Open Wednesday Saturday 10am 5pm.

Located at 34 High Street East Uppingham, LE15 9PZ. Next to Culpins family butchers, look for the Pink Flag.

Upholstery workshops

Street

Upholstery Workshop Dates

9.30-4pm each day £70

January 6th, 7th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 25th, 26th, 28th

Learn traditional upholstery, breathe new life into old pieces, in a fun environment with like minded people

February 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd, 25th

March 4th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd

April 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th

40 High Street East, Uppingham 07415767826 joatno40@gmail.com www.joatno40.co.uk

To Book ring Jo now on 07415767826 or email joatno40@gmail.com joatno40.co.uk

penny. That’s very much the case now too because, as an industry we are having to be evermore inventive, evolving our offer at pace to keep up with the changing world around us.

‘This cost of living challenge feels more scary than Covid because then there was very much a feeling of community and looking after each other, and the government was much uicker to recognise the jeopardy that businesses were in and put things in place to support us. But since early spring we ve seen the cost of basic goods like cheese, butter and cooking oil rocket, not by pennies but by 00 00 since the Russia kraine war started and trade routes were impacted. But because we were cushioned by still quite high customer con dence we didn t worry too much as we were still trading well, but once customers wallets started to be impacted by inflation and the energy crisis it’s now hitting us; the volume of sales go down and our margins vanish. We fully appreciate that the supermarkets and big chains can often offer better value deals and discounted prices on alcohol but with pubs and restaurants closing at an alarming rate I feel like we really need to drive the shop local, shop independent message again, if not our high streets will look very different next year.'

Meals that won’t break the bank

There does seem to be more interest in event led evenings with bands and quiz nights. People want some light relief turning away from the news We ve ust had our rst unday comedy night following live music on the aturday night. We re trying to in ect the lighter side of life and give people a reason to come out and have a good time and we re offering meals that won t break the bank.

But you can never sacri ce uality or range in order to be as cheap as people who have learned to cook better at home during the lockdowns. t s about balancing the volume with the cost so if we can ll the pub on unday lunch by offering a good price point then that s great; a full pub is a warm pub!’

When asked Laura if she was glad she d made the ump and opened the Crown during such momentous times she smiled and said n the future know ll look back and go wow, look at what managed to achieve. ve made a difference to the building and the

Active life

business and the people I’ve employed. We won the Rutland CAMRA pub of spring summer 0 , ve transformed the upstairs into six bouti ue bedrooms. y full time team are all employed here on apprenticeships with a good standard of earnings and quality of employment. It’s really important to me we don’t cut corners in the wrong places. o long as can keep the people happy and not lose the shirt off my back then we ll be alright. know that everything is a cycle and this too shall pass. People who survived and thrived Covid were the ones who innovated and took it as an opportunity to try something different and this will be the same.

IT SEEMS TO be a rite of passage for virtually every child get towards the end of your primary school years and then the whole year goes off on a residential adventure where they try activities such as rock climbing, ip wires, go karting, orienteering, cooking over open res and even target shooting and axe throwing. remember going away to France when was in my nal year at unior school many, many years ago and my daughters heading off to orfolk and coming back full of it and even years later still reminiscing with friends about their trip. t my daughters school, the year trip to orfolk became a bit of a legend anticipated for months and then talked about for many more months afterwards with the younger years desperate for their turn to come round asap.

For many children it s their rst time away from their parents so

The cabin in the middle of the woods

Every adult remembers their fi rst residential school trip, however long ago it was. Mary meets Matthew Lea from Fenland Adventure who is running them

de nitely a time to remember. ome are nervous about it but most are ust thoroughly excited and those that wobble soon get over it. nd for some parents it can be uite stressful for the same reasons. omeone who understands this very well is atthew Lea because he is running a similar business right on our doorstep. Fenland dventure offers an affordable outdoor learning experience that encompasses the physical, educational and fun complete with a residential stay in an off grid cabin near to Rutland Water. atthew, along with his team, has over 0 years experience of outdoor education and is a great advocate of getting children outside to experience nature rst hand. They gain con dence, learn a lot including problem solving and resilience and, of course, for those on the residential courses gain and develop essential life skills.

Fenland dventure offer different products mainly to schools but occasionally take their e uipment to large external events. They can bring their gear to a school and run an activity day so the children from a year group will have the day set aside to en oy orienteering, air rifle shooting, archery, bushcraft and even climbing as they have a mobile climbing wall. nd something to note is that all their e uipment is child si ed so scaled down to suit up to 1 year olds. any schools start with a day s activity and then uickly book a residential course as well. The site that Fenland dventure use is an off grid cabin in the middle of woodland that can sleep up to 0 children plus teachers in dormitories. There is a kitchen, a mess hall and toilet facilities as well as plenty of land to run the activities on. ore children can be accommodated by using tents as well so there is space for 100 children at one time. s the site is off grid power is supplied by a generator which is turned off at night an adventure in

itself. The cabin is an old WWll hospital with a corrugated iron roof so can be pretty hot in the summer and chilly in the cooler months –resilience is the key but it makes it much more fun too. There are beams in the mess hall and the whole cabin creaks as it warms up in the sun and is pretty noisy when it rains. ‘The kids love it and it is certainly quirky,’ explains Matt.

ur aim has always been to provide affordable outdoor activities and a residential option as well,’ says Matt. ‘And today this is vital as families face the cost of living crisis. We feel it’s important that children get the chance to try different outdoor activities particularly at such a young age. Some children will never have been orienteering,

many more won t have shot with an air rifle or bow and arrow and many will have never lit a re or gone climbing. t s vital to push them out of their comfort zone particularly at this age. And this also includes spending a couple of nights away from their parents with the chance to enjoy a midnight feast along the way.’

Most of the children coming on these activity days are aged between seven and 12 but it is mainly the year 6s who experience the residential visits and love every minute of it. expect most of us can still remember the anticipation, sweets for the journey and goodies for after lights out as well as strong friendships made and adventures shared.

A typical day on a residential visit consists of four x 1 1/2 hour sessions followed by an evening session such as capture the flag, camp re with marshmallows, scavenger hunt and the very popular water slide.

Every child will be challenged and encouraged to have a go at everything but no one is forced. Matt and his team are very experienced in getting children to face their fear and participate. Challenging yourself is a great lesson to learn at a young age and that challenge might mean getting ust off the ground on the climbing wall. For some that will be much more of an achievement than the child who shimmies to the top without a care in the world. But, of course, that child might struggle with another activity that the unwilling climber excels at – all good life lessons.

Fenland Adventure had quietly got established and building a solid reputation before Covid hit. This scuppered things for a while obviously but now att is nding they are extremely busy. etting their name out there is what it’s all about and word of mouth has proved great for their reputation and business growth. Once a school has booked them once they are always booked again, which says it all really. And many more children are now able to look back with fond memories of their time staying in the off grid cabin in the middle of the woods.

WILL’S WALK

The Hambleton Peninsula

Great views of Rutland Water, a picture perfect village and a well-maintained path make this an ideal winter stroll, as Will Hetherington discovers

This walk offers great views all the way around.

Images: Will Hetherington

Walk

Difficulty rating

The route

The reservoir known as Rutland Water was created in 1975 and, apart from supplying the East Midlands with the wet stuff, in the intervening years it has also become a leisure centre offering all sorts of different experiences. From sailing and shing to cycling and bird watching, there is a vast array of activities on offer, but one of the best ways to see it is to take a stroll around the Hambleton eninsula.

f you go during the week you should be able to park on the road in the village but it does get busier at the weekends. Look for the footpath sign in a gateway on the left-hand side about 100 yards after the Finch s rms, turn right at the bottom and and head off. This will take you on the well signposted clockwise route around the peninsula, so the water will always be on your left hand side. t s mostly signposted as the cycling route but it makes for an excellent walk too. lthough it can be uite busy with cyclists at the weekends so another reason to do this walk during the week if you can. There are plenty of gates and cattle grids on the way round, as there are a lot of sheep.

ust after you head inland briefly at Barnhill reek, at the halfway mark, you can take the shorter easier route back along the road to Hambleton village if you want. But the track back down to the waterside on the southern edge of the peninsula is much more interesting. There are lovely views across to the south shore and plenty of undulations and pleasant woodland. ust before you get back to the village you will have a great view of the stunning acobean ld Hall, which was built in 1 11 and sits right on the shores of the reservoir. This is the only remaining building from the village of iddle Hambleton, which was submerged on the creation of Rutland Water, and it serves as a poignant reminder of what lies beneath.

ACTIVE INFO

The Anglian Water region is one of the driest in the country, with just 600 millimetres of rain each year, on average a third less than the rest of England. In fact, some areas have a lower annual rainfall than Jerusalem.

ust after the ld Hall you will come to a junction with a clear signpost to the steep hill back to the village. This is the only strenuous part of this walk but when you get to the top you can go to the pub.

It doesn’t get much more English than this.

START/ FINISH

The path is like this all the way around so it’s a great winter option.

Essential information

WHERE TO PARK

On the road in the village but it can be busy at weekends.

DISTANCE AND TIME

Four and a half miles/hour and a half.

HIGHLIGHTS

The views all the way round, the beautiful Jacobean Old Hall on the south side of the peninsula, and Hambleton village itself, and excellent underfoot conditions.

LOWLIGHTS

You won’t feel much like an adventurer or even a rambler as this walk is part of the Rutland Water Cycle route so it’s a wide path all the way round. Also, it’s really not that great for dogs.

REFRESHMENTS

The Finch’s Arms is a lovely country pub, which does excellent food. Former hunting lodge Hambleton Hall is one of the finest hotels in the area and boasts a Michelin-starred restaurant. But you would need to book and take a change of clothes if you are planning on eating here.

THE POOCH PERSPECTIVE

Unfortunately there are a lot of sheep on this walk and consequently you will have to keep the dog on the lead pretty much the whole way around. Also dogs are not really allowed in the water and if you factor in a stream of cyclists I’m afraid this is not a great option for the dogs. You can take them but don’t expect them to be able to run wild.

DIFFICULTY RATING

Two paws; a few more undulations than you may think and a steep hill to finish.

For your own safety and navigation make sure you have an OS map with you when you go out walking. You won’t regret it.

Will’s

Active Kids

Award for Oakham teacher

OAKHAM SCHOOL’S HEAD of citizenship, Viv Lamb, has received a prestigious award from the Association of Citizenship Teaching (ACT) for her contribution to the subject after teaching it since its inception 20 years ago.

Viv said: ‘I’m very proud to have received this award. There has been a big team effort across the country in creating a citizenship programme which works for schools, and it’s been very exciting to be a part of this.

‘I firmly believe every child should leave education knowing something of the political and legal systems of the country they live in. The GCSE allows students to explore that in more detail – and many enjoy the practical, up to the minute nature of the subject. It also has an emphasis on getting involved in society locally, nationally or internationally to raise awareness or bring about a change by working with decision makers or presenting your case to them. Ultimately citizenship is about empowering young people to take their role in society and knowing how to have a voice.’

Stamford play hosts

STAMFORD

ENDOWED SCHOOLS have recently been hosting a series of rugby and hockey festivals for schools within the local area. Over 1,600 children attended over four festival days in September and October with 20 different schools enjoying the sporting fixtures.

The festivals, designed for Year 3 - 6 pupils have offered pupils from Copthill, Witham Hall, Ratcliffe College and Bedford Modern as well as Brooke Priory and LGS Stoneygate to name a few, the chance to meet and compete with their peers.

The rugby matches took place on the SES main fields and the girls’ hockey games were held at the new Wothorpe Sports Centre with the school’s new astro pitches in full use. Mr Williams, Head of PE at Stamford Junior School, commented: ‘Over the last four weeks we have seen some incredible moments of skill, resilience and sportsmanship on show at all ages. We are delighted to have given so many children the chance to compete in a friendly and welcoming environment with some great sport played.’

Well done Ophelia

OPHELIA, A PUPIL at Witham Hall School, recently competed in and won the Darley Moor Junior Duathlon. She is now the top ranked TriStar (8 year-old) female in the British Triathlon East Midlands series for 2022, as she won every race she competed in this season. Congratulations Ophelia!

West End star returns to Oakham

A PACKED OAKHAM School chapel was privileged to enjoy a fabulous evening concert given by two West End musical stars. Old Oakhamian Katie Hall, who has starred in West End and touring productions of The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, returned to her old school in the company of her friend and fellow West End actor/singer, Earl Carpenter, with whom she has regularly appeared on stage.

They offered a delighted audience a whistle-stop tour of both songs and stories covering their life in musicals, blending amusing anecdotes of stage mishaps and audition calamities with rst class performances of famous songs from a wide range of shows.

Katie was particularly keen to collaborate in this concert with the current generation of Oakhamian singers with the chamber choir excited to join forces with the visitors.

New artificial sports facility at Brooke Priory

EXCITING TIMES AT Brooke Priory School in Oakham where work has recently started on its new multi-use games area. This development has been two years in the planning phase and work started during the rst week in ctober so it s on track to be completed by Christmas.

Duncan Flint, headmaster says: ‘The multi-functional space will allow pupils to play a variety of sports during playtimes, in PE lessons and during competitive xtures. The physical bene ts of sport are considerable, but the social bene ts are perhaps e ually as important.

ActiveBody

EDITED BY KATE MAXIM

Linking the Chain

Physio Sarah Babbs explains how one injury can cause a chain reaction in another part of the body

AFRIEND RECENTLY asked me whether her recovering fractured toe could be contributing to her hip pain. Well, the answer to her question is probably yes, but maybe not for the reasons we may at rst think.

Do you remember the old song ‘the hip bone’s connected to the …. knee bone?’

When looking at injury and performance we look at what is known as the kinetic chain, a term rst coined in mechanics as a chain reaction of events in machines that have stationary or xed end points. ore recently the term has been applied to the body where the energy generated is transferred from one part of the body to the next.

Picture a tennis player. When they strike the ball, the force or energy, starts at the feet connecting to the ground, passes up through the legs to the torso, on across the body through the shoulder, the arm, into the racket via the wrist and hand and onto the ball as the racket strikes it. That force carries the ball hopefully to a winning point. If any part of that chain is affected by pain, weakness or poor control the ball may well fly in an entirely unplanned direction.

In clinic I quite often see tennis players with shoulder pain. When assessing their tennis stroke it often shows they are not transferring their weight through their legs and are compensating by using the shoulder to manage the force. The shoulder becomes overloaded and hence injured. If only the shoulder is strengthened the problem would return. The correct management would be to correct the force transference further down the chain maybe with balance exercises. Simply raising awareness to the problem and making changes to that can also help.

Back to my friend. It may be that she has been limping to reduce pain in the foot. This will have altered how she lifts her non

injured leg as she will want to reduce the time on the sore foot. Shortening the stride on the sore side will mean less weight being transferred through the hip. However, she has had previous problems with the hip and may still not have been using the hip muscles effectively. By compensating for the shortened stride she may be dipping down at the pelvis on the opposite side and putting extra force through the hip making it sore.

When assessing someone in clinic, often regardless of the area of pain, we look at how they move, walk, balance on one leg with eyes open and closed (much harder than many think) and lunge forward and back. This can show up many small problems such as shoulder pain in someone who does a lot of walking but doesn’t rotate their body and swing their arms as they move.

Poor balance with eyes closed means people may be less steady when running in poor light or even when getting up in the night to use the loo. Poor balance means older people are more likely to fall over. I often suggest as an aside, as well as obviously improving balance, a night light in the corridor can help enormously with vulnerable older people. Lunging looks at both force transfer and balance. We also check there is no restriction to the range of movement in the joints and, of course, whether any movements cause discomfort.

We then work on improving any anomalies, including making sure the joints have enough range to complete the movement, the foundation of support through the feet and transfer of energy or force through the body. Strength and balance complete the work. The aim is to return to full tness and en oying life without the in ury and any effects it has had on different and unexpected parts of the body.

To contact Sarah ring 07780 900201

Will’s Walks Volume 3Volume Will’s Walks Volume 3

It’s here, volume 3 of our walk book, 21 more rambles around Stamford and Rutland.

Due to popular demand, Will set out again to find more walks and here it is, the third book to add to the trilogy!

Enjoy some winter walks where it is drier underfoot during the bad weather, shorter walks of up to four miles and then some real leg stretchers which will tire you and the dog out. Get out there, enjoy the fresh air and exercise which will warm you up and, of course, walking is free!

Available at www.theactivemag.com or from local stockists

ActiveSport

Lesson 2 Driving school

Spending more time looking for his ball than hitting it, Matt Tarrant needed some lessons to sort out his driving, so off to Woolfox Country Club he went...

HAVING PLAYED LOCAL par 3 courses regularly for a few years, I’d forgotten how much you have to use a driver on the larger 18-hole courses, 14 of those holes sometimes. So what is important is being able to consistently hit your driver straight and long. But neither of these were happening for me. One shot might head where I intended it to go, but the next four would disappear off at right angles with a huge slice.

Mark Underwood, the pro at Woolfox Country Club, had sorted out some swing issues I had and my game was going ok, so now it was time to work on hitting the driver. We started with a little warm up and then I started to hit a few balls so he could see what was going wrong. Mark had set up his launch monitor to measure swing, ball speed and spin rate, all elements which are key to ring the ball down towards the hole.

We looked at the set up with me standing feet together opposite the ball. Then the right foot steps back, leaving the ball at the front of my

stance. We looked at my grip too, making sure my left hand was a bit further around the grip to help counteract the slice. Then it was time to have another go. Initial measurements came up as 86mph club speed and 120mph ball speed but it was spinning a bit too much. This was giving it a flight a bit like a sharp wave where the ball stalls at the top. What we’re looking for is a rainbow trajectory.

Mark set some targets he wanted me to achieve. Increase club speed and reduce spin rate. For the spin I had to lean right slightly from the waist, hit up through the ball so the club head speed just swung harder! Mark said you get around three or four yards’ extra distance for every extra club head speed mile per hour.

We got up to 96mph and leaning further back stance-wise was working too. The ball was flying off straight with a lower spin rate in a nice curved trajectory. This all added up to a more consistent and measured swing too. We’d gained 20 yards of carry too, so the ball was going a lot further.

I’ve put these tips into practice on the course and worked a lot more on driving at the range. Once I’ve run through the little tick sheet in my head, the tips have cured the aggressive slice which means I’m hitting straighter and closer to the hole than before which is exactly what we set out to do.

The driving range at Woolfox Country Club is open from 7:30am to 9:30pm. There are various courses for beginners and lessons for regular players. For more information, contact mark@woolfox.uk www.woolfox.uk or follow on Instagram @woolfoxgolf

IF, LIKE ME, you’re a rugby fan who lives in Oakham and your loyalties lie with that town, then you’ll have to eat humble pie with me for a while yet when encountering any denizens of Stamford because their rst team have ust beaten us again – 15 to 29. In what is their centenary year, I would have wished for more heroic things from my home town but it does seem that, alas, the side is destined for a long struggle against relegation again this term.

Nevertheless, 100 years as a thriving club is a fantastic achievement. It was enthusiastically celebrated by all at a black tie dinner at the club with speakers including John Inverdale and former Leicester Tigers and Scotland lock Jim Hamilton, and I understand there were more than a few sore heads the following morning. That’s what happens if you nish the bottle of port before the meal starts, chaps!

That derby game against Stamford was played on the sixth anniversary of the tragic death on the eld of their comrade avenaca ‘Tu’ Koroibulileka, which is honoured impeccably by the club every year. The trust fund for his family had been, together with the Matt Hampson Foundation, the bene ciaries of donations at the centenary dinner and Tu’s sons led the teams out for the game with a Fi ian flag in an emotional moment for all. Perhaps fortunately, any tears were conveniently hidden by heavy rain ust before kick off.

Savenaca ‘Tu’ Koroibulileka was a member of the Royal Anglian Regiment latterly based at Kendrew Barracks Cottesmore. On the 24 September 2016 whilst playing rugby in a cup match for akham, having ust scored a try, Tu collapsed on the eld. aliant attempts were made to revive him on the pitch and he was then taken to Peterborough City Hospital where sadly he died. Tu left a wife and four young boys.

The club set up a trust fund for his dependents with donations received from clubs across the country. The fund still runs today and any donations can be sent to Oakham Rugby Club, Rutland, LE15 TW.

That rain did lead to a few handling errors, however, and tamford scored rst as aks, true to their traditions, tried to run the ball from deep in spite of the conditions. Those included a strong gale at Stamford’s back and, following some more fumbling from the hosts, they were to reach the break 0-22 up.

The home side valiantly fought back in the second half but the hill proved too steep to climb and the nal score was 1 . tamford are now third in the table.

Things are pretty bright for Stamford as a club as a whole at the moment I’m pleased to say with a strong second team now being elded every weekend and the women s side sweeping all before them in their inaugural year playing in an organised league. After

winning their pre-season games by 64-12 and 1 10 they kicked off the season proper with a 41-5 victory over the long-established Deepings Devils and then went top of their league with a ubilant points away to Gainsborough. Still recruiting, by the way, if any of you would like to oin them.

They’re not the only women’s side on the hunt for new talent either. If you live in Stamford, Rutland, Oundle, Market Harborough or the surrounding environs, I wonder if you can guess how far you’d have to travel if, one day, the random thought came into your head, ‘I think I’d like to have a go at playing American Football?’

Should any of you be faced with this

There’s been a local derby in the rugby and a centenary to celebrate, women’s’ teams are flourishing and lots more local sports news. Jeremy Smithson-Beswick tells us more

Picture This Photography

conundrum you’ll be encouraged by the fact that the answer isn’t California or New York but… Peterborough.

The club based there is called the Royals and has been thriving since their inception in 2016. Last year they were NWFL Division 1 Central Champions – their second title on the trot so this is a royal family that s rmly established.

Their Jessica Liddiard has been in touch to say they want to expand and any potential new players or coaches would be most welcome. Any woman over 16, whatever their size or sporting ability, is warmly

encouraged to attend their forthcoming rookie days which are on 5 November, 4 December or 7 January. As they say on their website ‘there truly is a position for everyone’ and they can be contacted at peterboroughroyals@gmail.com, so why not give it a go?

tamford Daniels moved into the play off spots in football’s Northern Premier League with an away win at Shepshed Dynamo and have since cemented that position with a further two victories, against Coleshill (in which two players from each side were sent

off and hasetown, meaning they are now second, one point behind Halesowen Town with a game in hand. ack Duff y has left the club for personal reasons but may return, the club saying in a statement, ‘it’s best for him to focus on this away from the sport. Jack will always have the support from management, the squad and the whole club. We wish Jack all the very best and we all hope he isn’t a stranger at the Zeeco - we hope to see you back soon.’

Harborough Town, having progressed further in both competitions than ever before, has recently had to wave a reluctant goodbye to both the FA Cup and FA Trophy having lost to clubs higher up the hierarchy. They were well beaten by Alvechurch in the cup but held Basford United to a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes in the trophy, eventually losing 3-5 on penalties. Boss Mitch Austin was undaunted though saying: ‘It was pleasing that we learned the lessons from the rst game we had against a tep side . They can now concentrate on the Premier where, after promotion last year, they’ve made a creditable start and lie in eighth.

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Horticultural and Agricultural Repairs

Lawnmower and Chainsaw Repairs

Should any of you be faced with this conundrum you’ll be encouraged by the fact that the answer isn’t California or New York but… Peterborough.

CASTERTON COLLYWESTON

BELMESTHORPE

LITTLE CASTERTON

ROUTE

BARHOLM

START / FINISH

STAMFORD

EASTON ON THE HILL

PILSGATGE

BARNACK

On your bike!

This month Gary Waterfall rides a gentle 26 mile route with only 1,000 feet of gentle climb, but it will still challenge you

START AT STAMFORD Garden Centre, turn right into Great Casterton and then right out of the village towards Ryhall. This takes you along a gently undulating road apart from the climb out of Little Casterton which is a challenge. But then enjoy the reward on the descent into Ryhall and then onward to Belmesthorpe.

From here the route is mostly flat for the next 10 miles. Head over the railway crossing towards Greatford where you turn right just before the village then left through Barholm to the Kings Road. Turn right to West Deeping. Long straight and flat, this old Roman road is a good ride with the wind behind you, but watch out for crosswinds and overtaking traffic.

Head through West Deeping then turn right and follow the road through Bainton, Barnack and Pilsgate before turning left into beautiful Burghley park. The easy part is now complete so with 10 miles to go you may wish to stop for coffee here and a much needed breather.

BAINTON

WEST DEEPING KETTON

Leave Burghley and cross the A1 and then follow the path and turn right on Racecourse Road until you reach Easton on The Hill. Head along the A43 until you reach Collyweston and then turn right down the hill into Ketton. Make sure you take in the fabulous view across the valley.

Head through Aldgate and into Ketton. Turn right at the crossroads and leave Ketton before turning left and up the only major hill on the route which is challenging. Once at the top, cross the road and follow the route back into Great Casterton and the garden centre – their sausage sandwich is a particular favourite. https://www.strava.com/ routes/3013128876854186186

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