Active Magazine // October 2014

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E E

Eat well on the bread line

FR

Bake fresh healthy bread just like our local bakers

ISSUE 28 // OCTOBER 2014

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

ISSUE 28 // OCTOBER 2014

How to Winter Well! er bett Our tips for eating gh rou and keeping fit th the colder months

Shooting star Become a mean shotgun-slinger www.theACTIVEmag.com 10

Cover Iss 28 .indd 116

Rugby preview

How will our local teams fare this season?

Five Alive

Local five-a-side football for the young at heart

17/09/2014 22:01

Editor’s Letter IF LIKE ME YOU’VE DROPPED A FEW DRESS sizes over the summer, now comes the dangerous bit. Days and nights start to get colder and darker, and whether its some primal instinct to stock up for the wintry famine ahead I don’t know, but suddenly lasagne and chips seems more inviting than a tuna salad and cosying up on the sofa more appealing than a calorie-burning run.

Add in the great nights in the pub rather than sunny riverside walks, and the spectre of that half a stone of largesse heading your way around Christmas and all that good work could be undone by the time 2014 has been put to bed.

So in this month’s issue of Active we’ve set out a plan to keep you going through to the fresh green uplands of next spring, to burst forth from hibernation in better shape than ever. Good luck – I’ll see you on the other side.

Also in this issue, I’ve been shooting things. Well, when I say that, I’ve been pulling the trigger of a shotgun and letting numerous clays escape to freedom unharmed. A lot of people at this time of year in Active country go shooting, but from the outside it seems that unless you own a set of tweeds, have the right social connections or a few thousand acres of farmland, it’s a fairly closed world to get into. Nevertheless, there are ways, and we’ve looked into it for you.

It was great to see Rutland Day so well attended last month: more than 5,000 people went to the event that celebrated all the fantastic things there are to do in the county.

So don’t let the changing seasons put you off, and if you’re thinking there’s not much to do but sit at home and mope, hopefully this issue will change your mind. Enjoy!

Publisher Chris Meadows chris@theactivemag.com Editor Steve Moody steve@theactivemag.com Deputy Editor Mary Bremner mary@theactivemag.com Production Editor Julian Kirk julian@theactivemag.com Art Editor Mark Sommer mark@theactivemag.com Contributors Martin Johnson, William Hetherington, Sandie Hurford, Jeremy Beswick, Julia Dungworth Photographers Nico Morgan, Harry Measures, Jon Clarke, Pip Warters, Andy Balmford Production Assistants Abigail Sharpe, Clare Smith, Gary Curtis Advertising Sales Rachel Meadows rachel@theactivemag.com Lisa Withers lisa@theactivemag.com Accounts Amy Roberts amy@theactivemag.com Active magazine, The Grey House, 3 Broad Street, Stamford, PE9 1PG. Tel: 01780 480789 A member of the Stamford Chamber of Trade and Commerce If you have information on a club then get in touch by emailing editor@theactivemag.com. If you would like to stock Active magazine then email distribution@ theactivemag.com. If you would like to discuss advertising possibilities please email advertise@ theactivemag.com Active magazine is published 12 times per year on a monthly basis. Distributed by Grassroots Publishing Ltd. ISSN 2049-8713 A Grassroots Publishing Limited company. Company registration number 7994437. VAT number 152717318

Thanks, Steve

Disclaimer

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

Copyright (c) Grassroots Publishing Limited (GPL) 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or be stored in any retrieval system, of any nature, without prior permission from GPL. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of GPL or its affiliates. Disclaimer of Liability. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, GPL and its affiliates assume no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of and, to the extent permitted by law, shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained in this publication.

Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of the advertising material which they submit and for ensuring the material complies with applicable laws.

GPL and its affiliates are are not responsible for any error, omission or inaccuracy in any advertisement and will not be liable for any damages arising from any use of products or services or any action or omissions taken in reliance on information or any statement contained in advertising material. Inclusion of any advertisement is not intended to endorse any view expressed, nor products or services offered nor the organisations sponsoring the advertisement.

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MAXEY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

£685,000

3 Woodgate Lane is a substantial detached property set in attractive, private mature gardens, with excellent access to the splendid open countryside that surrounds the village. The property itself dates from the 1960’s and a more recent extension has been added in the past twenty-five years to create a large, welcoming family home with spacious reception rooms and extensive day-to-day living space.

EPC Rating: D

BRIGSTOCK, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

£1,800,000

Set in around five acres of secluded grounds surrounded by ancient woodland and with excellent access to surrounding bridleways and woodland paths, Bushy Lawn Lodge is a handsome Grade II Georgian country residence with attractive landscaped gardens and superb equestrian facilities. The house itself is built of local stone with a steeply pitched slate roof and the classic frontage looks out over formal gardens whilst at the rear is a wide courtyard.

EPC Rating: Exempt

Fine & Country

2 St. Mary’s Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 2DE Telephone: (01780) 750200 Email: stamford@fineandcountry.com www.fineandcountry.com

SOUTHWICK, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

£675,000

Longwood House is a stunning and truly unique contemporary home in a peaceful rural location surrounded by lovely Northamptonshire countryside with views over Woodland Trust fields. Designed as a striking Modernist-style ‘cube’ and recently reclad in attractive Canadian Western Red Cedar, the house was built in 2002 and appeared on Channel 4’s popular ‘Grand Designs’ programme.

EPC Rating: E

MARKET DEEPING

£875,000

Peacefully located on the edge of Market Deeping, The Willows is a stunning, contemporary property with a sleek, modern interior and secluded private gardens. Set back from the road behind high walls and mature trees, the impressive house has a classic design with a double-fronted façade whilst inside the spacious interior features elegant reception rooms with high ceilings and many sets of French doors allowing the living rooms to extend easily outside.

EPC Rating: C

Contact us:

nortonrickett.co.uk

01780 782 999

GUIDE PRICE

GUIDE PRICE

£625,000

1,585,000

£

country

country

Glatton

Tinwell

A magnificent detached family home with grounds of approx 2 acres.

An impressive detached family home with large south facing garden.

• • • •

• • • •

4 Receptions, large kitchen/dining area, utility/bootroom.

Principal bedroom with dressing room & en suite, guest bedroom with en suite.

4 Further bedrooms, 2 family bathrooms. Pool house with entertaining area.

Outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, double garage. Energy rating D/63.

2 Receptions, kitchen open to family room, utility, study.

Principal bedroom with en suite, 4 further bedrooms, family bathroom.

Ample parking for several cars, large south facing garden with views.

Energy rating E/49

GUIDE PRICE

GUIDE PRICE

£325,000

£450,000

country

town

Park Road, Peterborough

Glatton

An elegant semi-detached Edwardian family home close to the city centre.

A delightful Grade II listed cottage near the village centre.

• • • •

• • • •

3 Receptions, large kitchen/breakfast room, utility.

Principal bedroom with en suite, 4 further bedrooms, family bathroom.

Garage, ample off-street parking, private enclosed rear garden.

Energy rating D/58

2 Receptions, kitchen/breakfast room, conservatory.

Ground floor bedroom with en suite, family bathroom.

2 Further bedrooms, shower room.

Single garage, enclosed garden. Energy rating exempt.

Leading Independent Estate Agents Paul Norton

Nick Rickett

Contents

ISSUE 28 /// OCTOBER 2014

NEWS 10 SPOOKY GOINGS ON

Stamford Gilbert & Sullivan’s new production

12 NEXT STOP... THE WORLD!

Triathlete qualifies for world championship

17 GIVE ME HOPE

Local charity plans two fund-raising events

18-19 HEALTH AND WELLBEING The latest on looking and feeling great

32

21 THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

All set for the Perkins Great Eastern Run

23 FROM HERE TO MONGOLIA...

The final dispatch from our intrepid adventurers

25 NATURE NOTES

Essential advice for your garden and allotment

46

28-29 KIT BAG

The latest gear and kit to help you get active

31 MARTIN JOHNSON COLUMN

The Sunday Times writer on football’s silly money

FEATURES 32-39 WINTER FITNESS

Our guide to keeping yourself active over the winter

55

40-45 SHOOTING

We try clay pigeon shooting, plus the best kit to buy

46-49 FIVE ALIVE!

Jeremy Beswick on friendly five-a-side football

REGULARS 51 SPORTSMAN’S DINNER

This month we try out the Blue Bell at Helpston

52-53 GREAT WALKS

Will Hetherington heads out to Teigh

55 DOG HEALTH

More great advice to make life with your pooch easier

56-57 SCHOOL SPORT

Our focus on the latest achievements from local pupils

58-66 ROUND-UP

How clubs in the Stamford and Rutland area are faring

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In Play

Brilliant Burghley The crowds were out in force once again to watch the world’s best three-day eventers in action at the Burghley Horse Trials. For more on the event, turn to page 66.

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JONATHAN CLARKE, JPC IMAGES

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Activelife GREAT THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO SEE, PEOPLE TO MEET // Edited by Mary Bremner

EVENT

Spooky goings on in Stamford Ancestral portraits coming to life? A group of professional bridesmaids?

Hornpipes, Gavottes and Scottish dancing? Doesn’t sound much like Gilbert and Sullivan, but it is!

This year’s Stamford Gilbert & Sullivan’s production is Ruddigore, also

known as The Witch’s Curse. The comic opera is on at Stamford’s Corn Exchange Theatre between October 8 to 11 at 7.30 pm, with a matinee on the Saturday at 2.30 pm.

Tickets are avalable from the Corn Exchange on (01780) 766455.

1 0 O C T OBE R 2014 ///

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EXPERIENCE? THE

pRaCtiCe

An INDEPENDENT boutique opticians in Peterborough's Westgate Arcade.

We have a fantastic collection of frames from mainstream brands and exclusive specialist engineered frame designers.

Rimless, lightweight, retro, geek chic you decide. An extensive collection of wrap around eyewear, children’s eyewear and contact lenses are also available.

GERRY SONDH

ROB GILBERT

HANNAH CASTLE

Combines his supreme spectacle lens knowledge with his eye for bespoke frame design to find you the “perfect” pair of glasses. Rob is one the UK’s leading TD Tom Davies bespoke frame designers so if you don’t see your perfect frame in the practice he will design it for you.

Clinical excellence and a flair for fashion is the basis of your style consultation with Hannah.

She will push the boundaries and get you trying new and innovative styles.

OPTOMETRIST DIRECTOR

Spends 40 minutes examining your eyes. He caters the eye test to address your needs. The test includes digital retinal photography, glaucoma pressure check, visual field examination as standard. Gerry concludes the examination by giving advice about the most suitable eyewear.

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Activelife SPORT

Angus set for world triathlon championship

SPORT

Hockey for all in Rutland Rutland Mixed Hockey Club has two teams (The Horseshoes and Oaks) that play competitive hockey on a Saturday in the Leicestershire and Rutland mixed league.

Last year the Horseshoes, led by veteran captain Phil Ash, once again came close to challenging for the Division One title only to fall at the last hurdle. The Oaks, marshalled

by Tracey Taylor, ran away with the Division Three title to gain promotion as well as winning a cup competition.

In order to take the next step up both teams want to encourage returning players back in to the game. Rutland teams have a long tradition of playing attacking, attractive hockey as well as for being a really friendly and social club that prides itself on its positive atmosphere and in developing players.

If you would like to be a part of Rutland Hockey’s push to improve on last season why not head down to training on a Tuesday night (8pm-9pm), or a Saturday morning at Oakham School Astroturf on Kilburn Road?

For more details follow the team on Facebook (Rutland Hockey) or contact Tracey Taylor on 07861 697430 or email tracey.taylor13@uwclub.net

CLIVE MCBAIN

Congratulations to Angus Smith who has just won the British Under 20 Standard Distance AG Triathlon Championships which were held in Liverpool in August.

Nineteen-year-old farmer’s son Angus, who lives near Melton Mowbray, le Stamford School in 2013. He started competing at school in his final year in 2012 and is now in his second season of racing having enlisted a personal coach to help with his training. Currently at Loughborough University studying civil engineering, he combines his studying with his training, which can prove tricky at times, so not much student partying for Angus!

Winning the British Championships means that he has qualified for the European Championships in Geneva next July and the World Championships in Chicago in September 2015.

To get there he will have to raise the money to cover his costs. If you would like to support Angus in competing for the GB team visit his blog at www.angussmithtriathlon. wordpress.com for contact details and more information.

THERAPY

Ease aches and pains Stamford and Oakham are now home to traditional Thai masseurs. Two and a half years ago Baan Sabai opened its first shop in Broad Street in Stamford and has now opened another branch in Market Street, Oakham.

Tanita Vichathum, who manages the Oakham branch, offers traditional Thai massage which is a combination of yoga and massage, deep tissue massage, reflexology, hot stones and foot massage.

All masseurs in Stamford and Oakham are Thai trained and know their stuff. They treat sports injuries and everyday stresses and strains. Prices start at £20 for a 30 minute treatment.

For details ring Tanita on 01572 729337 or go to www. baansabai.co.uk

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OUT AND ABOUT

Come and join us this October…

Five things to do in October

3 months for the price of 2!* With a £25 joining fee per membership.

Single, couple and family memberships available, with the flexibility of either peak or off-

 Go to Apple Day at the Stamford Arts Centre on October 4, organised by the Stamford Community Orchard. The community orchard was formed to preserve the old orchards that still exist in the town, to establish new orchards and to rediscover old apple varieties.

Along with apple identification there will be numerous stalls and experts on hand to offer advice about growing apples. Also lots of fun and games for children.

Fitness classes included within all leisure memberships . (excluding Yoga classes)

 Celebrate Halloween. If you have friendly neighbours go trick or treating with the kids and indulge your creativity by making a lantern out of a pumpkin. And then make delicious pumpkin soup from the flesh.

call the leisure team today on:

01572 771314

 Continuing on the Halloween theme, enjoy a ghost walk around Stamford. They’re great fun, and guaranteed to make you jump. You’ll learn some grizzly facts and hear some chilling tales. Hourly from 6.30pm on October 31 and November 1, cost £6. For more details contact Stamford Arts Centre.

› 22 metre swimming pool

 Don’t forget to visit Corby Glen Sheep Fair on Sunday, October 5.

Activities kick off at 10am and finish at 4pm. There’s something for everyone, lots of stalls and games for the kids, a beer festival for the dads and bargains galore for the mums. There’s also a dog show, clay pigeon shooting, classic cars and bikes and a stage showcasing local talent. For more details visit www.sheepfair.co.uk

› Free studio fitness classes for members

› 6 Tennis Courts › Fully equipped gym with cardio theatre

› 2 spa pools, steam room and sauna › › Table Tennis

 Pull on your wellies and head to Sacrewell Farm for the legendary Riverford Pumpkin Day on October 25 from 11am to 4pm. Children’s activities include pumpkin carving, worm digging, face painting and vegetable games. Next up they can paint spooky pictures or make a googley-eyed worm in the creativity area, take a tractor ride around the farm to see where they grow the vegetables, or watch the children’s entertainer perform. There’s lots for the grown-ups too! Take a stroll around the farm and perhaps do a bit of wildlife spotting. For details go to www.riverford.co.uk/bed/aboutus/visit/pumpkinday/pumpkindaysacrewellfarm

› Snooker Room

Job Vacancies - Leisure Assistants Barnsdale Hall Hotel - Leisure Club are currently seeking both Full Time & Part Time, lifeguard qualified leisure assistants to join the team.

Celebrate Halloween and make a lantern out of a pumpkin

BRIAN PHIPPS

The Candidate: - Bright & outgoing personality with excellent customer service skills.

- Excellent team player.

www.barnsdalehotel.co.uk Barnsdale Hall Hotel, Nr Oakham, Rutland. LE15 8AB

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3 for £12

£5.99 each

Christmas Dinner At the Oasis Restaurant

Our menu is freshly cooked on site with locally sourced, fresh ingredients. Price includes a pot of tea or cup of filter coffee.

Starters Oasis Prawn Cocktail Served with fresh wholemeal bread and butter

Autumn Shrub Sale Any 3 selected shrubs for only £12 Selected shrubs 3 for £12 or £5.99 each.

While stocks last. Offer ends 31st October 2014

Brie Wedges Served on a bed of mixed leaf with our homemade cranberry relish

Homemade Butternut Squash & Parsnip Soup Served with a freshly baked bread roll

Mains Traditional Roast Norfolk Turkey With Cranberry Tartlets

Served with pigs in blankets,roast potatoes, honey roast parsnips and fresh seasonal vegetables

Lincolnshire Roast Beef & Horseradish Yorkshire Pudding

Served with roast potatoes,roasted parsnips, fresh seasonal vegetables and horseradish sauce

4 for £10

£2.99 each

Goats Cheese & Red Onion Tart

Puff pastry tartlet filled with caramelised red onion and topped with melted goats cheese

Desserts Traditional Christmas pudding Served with brandy sauce

Sherry trifle

Autumn Bedding 4 packs of autumn bedding for only £10

Decadent layers of sponge,jelly custard and raspberries topped with fresh whipped cream

Profiteroles & chocolate sauce

Our homemade choux pastry filled with fresh cream and topped off with our rich dark chocolate sauce

£14.99 per person

Autumn bedding packs £2.99 each or 4 for £10.

While stocks last. Offer ends 31st October 2014

Waterside Garden Centre Waterside Garden Centre, King Street, Baston, PE6 9NY Call: 01778 560 000 Website: www.watersidegardencentre.co.uk

Full Table Service. Pre-Bookings Only.

Available from 17th November 2014 until 19th December 2014 (excluding weekends) To book call: 01778 560 000 Book Online at: www.watersidegardencentre.co.uk

Oasis

RESTAURANT

shop in store or online at

Country Clothing

Waterside Garden Centre King Street, Baston , PE6 9NY

countryclothingdirect.com

Synthetic

Ice Rink Great Family Fun For All Ages

Waterside Garden Centre entrre

g n i m on o C So

rutland active fp_Layout 1 16/09/2014 19:41 Page 1

G N I D N U F GO GOLD 5 1 0 2 4 1 0 2 E M M A R G PRO um Level Funding The Go Gold Podi open 14 - 2015 is now Programme for 20 ramme The aim of the prog for applications. o are talented athletes wh is to help support l or g at Regional Leve currently competin d up to a uals can be awarde vid di in e es Th . er high a member m (ÂŁ750 if you are nu an r pe 0 00 ÂŁ1 maximum of instalments be paid in 4 equal ll wi is Th t). or sp of a team onth period in r once in any 12 m fo d ie pl ap be n ca and icant must line blog. The appl on an via ck ba ed receipt of fe gnised as a and should be reco n io at uc ed e tim ll be in fu lympic or ralympic, Special O future Olympic, Pa their National mes participant by Commonwealth Ga this funding ore information on m r Fo . es di Bo g Governin , or to submit an an application form ad lo wn do to e, m sche ort.org/gogold. sp .lr w w w it vis se ea application pl October tions is Friday 31st ica pl ap r fo te da The closing

I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE: Name: ..............................................................................

Address: .......................................................................... ..........................................................................................

Postcode: ........................................................................

!

CATEGORIES: Sportswoman of the Year Active for Life Award Sportsman of the Year Volunteer of the Year Young Sportswoman of the Year

Tel/Mobile: ......................................................................

Coach of the Year

Email:................................................................................

Young Sportsman of the Year

NOMINATOR:

Club of the Year Junior Sportswoman of the Year

Name of Nominator:............................................................................................

Community Award

Tel/Mobile: ..........................................................................................................

Junior Sportsman of the Year

Email:....................................................................................................................

Lifetime Achievement Award Disabled Sportsperson of the Year

PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO: Active Recreation Team, Rutland County Council, Catmose Street, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6HP Deadline: Friday 10th October.

Alternatively, you can nominate online at:

www.activerutland.org.uk/communitysportsawards

Sports Project of the Year Award On a separate sheet, please describe in no more than 200 words, the reasons for your nomination and attach it to this form

!

Activelife

NATURE

Auc tio n Sho w - Liv e - Ca twa lk - Bar er tai nme nt ues - Din ner - Ent hio n Bou tiq Fas s - Go od y Bag

Tic ke ts £2 5 £4 0 VIP pa cka ge

r sel f to a Or tre a t you

ann ema il adm in@ For tick ets

ash ope .co .uk

Big biology day returns

(7p m)

80 740 492 or cal l 017

EVENTS

Anna’s Hope fund-raisers It’s a busy month for Anna’s Hope in October. The charity, which raises money for children and young people with brain tumours is hosting two fund-raising events.

The first one is a Classy Celtic Ceilidh on 18th October at Wittering Grange near Wansford.

Held in the marquee there, Govannen one of the best Celtic music bands around, will be making sure that the evening goes with a swing. Tickets are £35 and will include a drink and hog roast.

Proceedings kick off at 7.30pm.

Or if barn dancing’s not quite your thing head to the Anna’s Hope Fashion Show which is being held at the Haycock Hotel in Wansford on Thursday, October 30.

The event starts at 7.30pm with a catwalk show, live auction, goody bags and fashion boutiques. Tickets are £25 which will also include dinner.

For more details about both events and to buy tickets email admin@annashope.co.uk or call 01780 740492.

OUT AND ABOUT

New business in Stamford It was a difficult choice for Krystyna Skypryt of Café au Chocolat to make. Did she take redundancy and relocate to Stamford to open her own business, or did she stay in the job she loved and take the safe option? Luckily for the residents of Stamford she stuck her neck out and took redundancy.

Café au Chocolat is based in the old Blockbusters premises but you wouldn’t recognise it. She’s stripped it back to its original condition and what a beautiful place it is, much larger than you think, seating 45. There’s an original stove along with many other original features.

Krystyna spent many years travelling to Africa and learnt a lot about cocoa and coffee whilst doing so.

She trained in Brittany to learn how to make the crepes which are delicious. Her signature drink is café au chocolat, which is actually coffee and ice cream.

Big Biology Day is coming back to Stamford! The aim of the day is to bring biology to life, and to the whole of Stamford.

A er last year’s successful inaugural event where hundreds flocked to find out more, the event is returning on Saturday, November 8, and will be held at Stamford High School. Whatever the weather, what could be better than dropping in to Big Biology Day to find out more about the best science in the world? It’s free, interesting, exciting and interactive.

There will be hands on activities for everyone. The hungry can model cells and pathogens out of edible components; the curious can extract DNA from strawberries, you can write your name in DNA or see how caffeine and nicotine affect the heart rate of water fleas. That’s just a few of the experiments, there are many more. Also, but not for the fainthearted, there will be an opportunity to observe a variety of dissections.

Star guest will be Dr Mike Leahy, who once infected himself with a tapeworm cyst washed down with a glass of red wine for the BBC. 12 weeks later he produced a 3m intact tapeworm - what people will do in the interests of science!

He will be present with his ‘Big Red Zoo Bus’, a converted double decker, which he now lives on…but not alone. His companions that travel around the country with him include tree frogs, bearded dragons, tarantulas, leeches and a boa constrictor.

That’s not all though – the Rutland Osprey Project will give a presentation and there will be representatives from all the local wildlife trusts. Our local company Alltech will be present as will Lincoln University and many others, all providing information and opportunities to get involved in hands on activities.

So, what’s stopping you? Put it in your diary: Saturday, November 8, 10am to 3pm, at Stamford High School (entry at back of SHS via Park Lane).

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Activelife

Health and Wellness Everything a woman needs to be fit, healthy and fantastic

// Edited by Sandie Hurford

BACK PAIN: Backcare Awareness Week Whatever you do it is very important to make sure that your work station area is set up correctly for you and simple changes can make such a big difference. We’ve all seen colleagues with their computer keyboards too far away from them, so their arms are really outstretched, or the keyboard has been balanced precariously on a pile of magazines with the worker attempting to type.

You can visit the Backcare shop and order their information packs, based on back problems found at home, at work and at play. They also have a selection of back-friendly bags to help ensure that you reduce the chance of any potential problems.

While we might all know the best way to pick up boxes safely, we tend not to think about the effect everyday tasks like picking up shopping or children’s toys have on our backs.

It’s thought that four out of every five adults will experience back pain at some point in their life, so why not get an information pack and find out what you can do to prevent it?

For more information visit the website and work out how best to deal with your aches and pains before they turn into something more serious.

■ For more information: www.backcare.org.uk

Photo: Andrey Popov

It’s Backcare Awareness Week from October 6-12, and this year the theme is ‘Back in the Office’, focusing on the back and shoulder problems office workers encounter which can seriously affect their quality of life and their ability to carry out their day-to-day duties.

The aim of the week-long event, which is organised by BackCare, the charity for healthier backs, is to raise awareness of the problems back pain can cause, as well as prevention and treatments.

One of the messages the organisers of the week will be putting across is to stand and not sit while you work. There was a recent news item about a school in Bradford, West Yorkshire, taking part in a seven-week pilot whereby Year 5 pupils were being taught while standing up, rather than sitting at a desk.

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Back pain is not only common in people doing manual work, many office workers also experience back pain. However, with the right measures, most back pain can also be controlled in an office environment.

Controlling back pain entails two things: first of all, reducing risk factors that may lead to back pain and secondly, reducing the impact of back pain when it strikes.

The measures below can be useful for both aspects.

Similarly to preventing back pain in other settings, good back care in the office should consist of a comprehensive set of measures.

These measures may not, on their own, prevent back pain but as part of a comprehensive programme can make a real difference to your health and wellbeing.

Your chair and desk should fit you and your duties, especially if you have to spend long periods of time behind your desk. Most people find that adjusting their work station using the following guidance reduces their chances of developing discomfort or pain. â– The height of your chair should allow you to have your feet flat on the floor and your upper leg horizontal or slightly sloping down. â– The back rest of your chair should give you sufficient support, especially in your lower back.

The back rest should not pinch into your shoulders. ■The height of your desk should be just below your elbows when you are seated with your elbows in a 90° angle. ■If you are using arm rests, make sure they do not hamper you in moving your chair close to your desk.

Bear in mind that these are just guidance notes and you should ensure you feel comfortable when seated behind your desk.

Four out of every five adults will experience back pain at some point in their life

Photo: Jill Chen

BACK PAIN: In the work place

Failing to take regular desk breaks and using a laptop for long periods without a separate key board and mouse are a recipe for disaster

Computers The top of your computer screen should be at eye level at about an arm’s length distance.

The keyboard and mouse should be within easy reach. When typing, the keyboard should be placed so that you have your shoulders relaxed, your elbows at a 90° angle and your wrists straight.

When using a laptop, connect your laptop to an external keyboard and/or monitor.

Breaks However well set up your work place is, the best way to stay comfortable and prevent back pain is to get up regularly and move around. Get up from your desk and make yourself a cup of tea, go over to talk to a colleague instead of emailing your message – all these small breaks can make a big difference in your comfort. Try also to teach yourself to stretch regularly. BackCare has a fact sheet on exercises and stretches in the office.

Stress As a result of stress, your muscles become tense, you are less likely to take a break and you pay less attention to your comfort. All this can increase your risks for developing discomfort and back pain. Managing stress should therefore be part of any programme that is aimed at enhancing your health and well-being.

Working hours and duties Long periods of repetitive work can be detrimental to your well-being. Controlling long working hours is o en easier said than done, but should be taken seriously when you experience back pain.

Carefully planning your work and alternating various duties (eg. break up your desk-based work with doing some other duties) can make a big difference.

Physical activity Staying active and exercising is important in reducing your chances of developing back pain and many other diseases.

Increasingly, organisations offer employees the opportunity to take part in fitness or exercise classes. Take advantage of this when it is available or make your own arrangements.

Not everyone can get to the gym in their lunch break, but a brisk walk is easy to include in your daily routine. Walk or cycle to work, or take the bus, get off a stop earlier and walk the rest. To start, this may feel a big effort, but once it is part of your routine it’s a great way of getting exercise.

Ergonomical assessment A comprehensive ergonomical assessment of your work place can be useful when having to cope with back pain at work. Your HR department or occupational health department will be able to tell you how you can arrange an ergonomical assessment of your work place. If this is not available in your organisation, you could also seek the advice of a physiotherapist, occupational therapists or ergonomist.

ACUPUNCTURE

According to Stamford practitioner Corinne Alexander, acupuncture can help in the treatment of back pain by providing pain relief, reducing inflammation, improving muscle stiffness and joint pain and reducing the need for the use of medication for back pain. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends acupuncture as a first line of treatment for persistent, non-specific lower back pain, she says.

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Activelife NUTRITION

Tomatoes: a superfood?

Rutland-based nutrionist Imogen Shaw says we should look at tomatoes in a whole new way Most of us see tomatoes as just being a normal everyday thing to have in our fridge, but what if I told you they were actually a superfood?

Tomatoes have been referred to as a ‘functional food’ because they go way beyond providing only basic nutrition. As well as being super healthy they also help prevent diseases and promote lots of health benefits, hence being classed as a ‘nutrient powerhouse’.

Tomatoes have a very low energy density, which basically means that they contain lots of nutrients yet very few calories. In other words, you get a lot of ‘bang for your buck.’

Additionally, as tomatoes contain fibre they help to release energy slowly and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

One medium tomato contains just 22 calories and no fat. That means you could have 20 tomatoes for the same number of calories as just one 51g Mars bar. And that’s without comparing the 12 teaspoons of sugar (tomatoes don’t even have one spoon, and it’s all natural sugar) or 17.1g of fat (remember, tomatoes have none).

Furthermore, they are a rich source of potassium which helps with maintaining fluid balance as well as keeping your brain, nerves, heart, and muscles functioning normally – so, pretty important. Tomatoes also contain lots of super healthy vitamins. One medium tomato provides you with more than a quarter of your vitamin C for a day.

Tomatoes are also a very rich source of anti-oxidants, which include vitamins A, C and E, selenium and zinc. You have probably heard the buzz word ‘anti-oxidants’ recently but may not be sure what they actually are.

All you really need to know is that antioxidants are generally found in healthy, fresh foods, particularly fruits and vegetables.

We have some nasty things in our bodies called free radicals which are really bad for us as they can cause damage which can then lead to diseases. Think of antioxidants as being like ‘Pac-man,’ they go around your body and eat up all of these nasty free radicals so that they don’t get chance to cause any damage.

If you want to know more about what’s in your food and how to include more superfoods in your diet, book in for a consultation with Imogen.

Visit www.shawnutrition.co.uk or contact Imogen directly on 01780 490084 or imogen@ shawnutrition.co.uk.

ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET, GO! Active’s Chris Meadows and Lucy Eayrs are in training for the Perkins Great Eastern Run. This month it’s the final countdown to race day

2014

It’s now time to put all the hard work to good use. With the big day this month there’s only time for a few more training runs before we need to rest in the lead up to the run. But training for me has gone well, with Tim from Run4Fun increasing the long runs to include an eight and a 10-mile run in September, along with a secondary shorter but faster one each week. The free training sessions run

by Advance Performance have been incredibly useful, enabling us to run with the pacesetters, especially valuable if you’re aiming for a certain time like us.

The question now is, will I make the two hour barrier? Unfortunately it’s unlikely. A er a frank conversation with Tim, neither of us are optimistic and Lucy has recently picked up a knee injury so it looks unlikely for the both of us. But we’ll give it our best shot! And I’m certainly in much better shape since I started, so it’s been a great thing to do.

Race packs should all now be out, so everyone will know their numbers.

There’s still a bit of time to enter if you haven’t yet – entries close on October 6.

It’s important to make sure you’ve prepared for the race. Nutritionist Imogen Shaw, from Shaw Nutrition, Above has been advising us about The start line at last year’s event. A good viewing spot is at Cathedral Square. Make sure you take plenty of photos, and upload them to the Perkins Great Eastern Run Facebook page healthier eating since we signed up for the run. But in the build up to the run, and on the day, the rules change slightly.

Everyone, regardless of target time, needs to focus on pre-race energy. On the day of the event you must eat some breakfast, but obviously a full cooked breakfast 30 minutes before isn’t a good idea! A light breakfast (some cereal, a bagel or toast) two or three hours before the event is much better and kick starts your metabolism. It’s best to practice what you eat, and when, in your training runs pre-event to find out what works best for you.

Being a relatively small amount dehydrated has been shown to have a marked effect on endurance running performances so keep your fluid levels topped up before the race. Have an energy drink on hand to sip in the hours before and take advantage of the drink stations out on the course. If you are running a marathon, halves are great races to practice your re-fuelling and hydration strategies and the effect it has on your body. Use feed stations to practise drinking on the go.

It’s natural to feel nervous before the race when surrounded by other runners. The start line of any race isn’t renowned for being the most positive place as runners share injury and ailment sob stories and tales of how bad training has gone over the past few weeks. Lucy and I will no doubt be guilty of that too, but remember, all is not as it seems. Appearances can be deceptive, too much tight lycra and too tight shorts don’t necessarily make a great runner. Although we all like to be good listeners now is the time to block out the moaning and focus solely on your race. Clear your head and remember your reason for, and focus on, your target goal for that day.

We’re both running for Anna’s Hope, a charity which does fantastic work for children diagnosed with brain tumours. If you would like to sponsor us then please go to www.justgiving.com/pger2014 or text PGER77 £5 to 70070 (we won’t ask you to throw a bucket of water on yourself first). Any amount you can spare will make a huge difference and 100% will go towards the funding of much better specialist nursing support for children and young people in the region (Lincolnshire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire, East Anglia and Suffolk) who have been diagnosed with a brain tumour.

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This three bedroom detached family home is set in a popular location with good access to the town centre, local amenities and the Malcolm Sargent Primary School. The property has three bedrooms, a recently refitted bathroom and two reception rooms, as well as offering potential to extend subject to planning.

Ample off street parking is provided by the extensive block paving to the front, side and rear, along with a double garage which has power and light. There is a lawned garden which backs onto a playing field.

A stunning four double bedroom country farm house set in the popular rural village of Corby Glen. The property is finished to a high standard throughout and features four reception rooms, a garden room, and two en-suites. The country style kitchen leads to a generous utility room, the garden room and a secluded patio.

To the rear is parking for numerous cars , a double garage with Workshop, further outbuildings, and a landscaped garden, whilst To the front is a generous lawned garden with mature trees.

3 Star Lane, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1PH | 01780 754737 www.sowdenwallis.co.uk | info@sowdenwallis.co.uk | @sowdenwallis

Activelife

FROM HERE TO MONGOLIA

They did it... three ex-Stamford School boys – Andy Bichan, Rory Langan and Ben Lovell – have completed the Mongol Rally. Here they tell us about their last few days, the world of the supermodel and the long trek home We made it! A er exactly four weeks on the road we made it to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, relatively unscathed.

But before we got there we had to negotiate our way through Russia. Realising that our visas were running out rapidly (Ben and Andy had to drive back as well so we didn’t have much time) we took the longer but better northern road into Mongolia.

This meant that we had some very long days driving through Siberia. But we had to do it so pushed on from stereotypically Russian sounding backwater to another through the vast Siberian Taiga. All very dull, but there was one major plus point (well two in fact). In all of these towns there was a KFC franchise which seemed to be the favoured haunt of mind boggingly attractive Russian girls. So what more could three dishevelled ralliers want, fried chicken and supermodels to eat it with? It made Russia just that more bearable.

On our fourth day of driving we had breakfast overlooking Lake Baikal, the largest lake in the world which was stunning. Heading up the eastern shore we saw a sign to a beach so took it and had an early morning swim. Well it was freezing cold but a er two days with no showers we gritted our teeth and dived in.

The next morning we were getting close to the Mongolian border. This was only apparent as

there was a much higher level of Russian military radar positions and fortified tank parts. Once near the border we joined a queue. Well not much of a queue more of a free for all, so Rory stood in front of Mongolian queue jumpers and Andy squeezed Minty through. It took us a while to cross the border, security was tight but we eventually made it and were in Mongolia! Initially, and disappointingly, the Mongolian countryside was surprisingly lush but once we’d done about 100km it all changed to the beautiful mountainous steppe we had yearned for. Wild horses ran alongside us, it was jaw dropping. And then we spotted a yurt so had to stop and were made very welcome by the family living in it. But a er riding their horses and trying Kumis, the Mongolian drink made from fermented mare’s milk (an experience) we got back on the road and headed for the finish line.

And the next morning we made it. Three very excited boys, and one very tired car crossed the line. It took us four weeks to complete, but two years of planning. The only way to celebrate was the obligatory game of croquet, albeit played with a hammer rather than the mallet that got lost on the way.

So now it was time to go our separate ways.

Rory had to get back to start his term at St Andrews so Ben and I had to turn round and drive all the way back again! But before we did that we

spent a couple of nights in Ulaanbaatar and actually stayed in a hotel (wouldn’t recommend it though). We caught up with some more ralliers, had a few beers and reflected on the trip. It turned out that we were in the top 25% to complete the rally and the youngest team to arrive so far, not bad for three broke teenagers.

Looking back the trip went pretty well. No major damage apart from the broken window and steering column which turned out to be more serious than we thought and would cause a few problems for Ben and Andy on the way back. We didn’t have any punctures which was remarkable considering the terrain we’d covered (thank you Welland Tyres). But most importantly the three of us have survived and prospered. We learnt that you just can’t give up, trusted our instincts, made decisions and stuck with them, stuck together, gritted our teeth, endured and survived. And we did it!

So now it’s a big thank you to all those that helped us, our sponsors ActiveBP, Terravesta, AWSM Farming Ltd and Welland Tyres. Thank you to Mary at Active for putting up with our disjointed updates and, most importantly, thank you to all of you who have helped us raise money for CLIC Sargent. We’ve raised nearly £3000 so far. And now it’s off to uni to regale everyone with our Mongolian stories. But where shall we go next?

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Activelife NATURE

Know your crop: sugar beet

GARDENING

Allotment corner October really is the month of preparing the garden for winter and basically ‘putting it to bed’ until the spring.

If the weather holds do as much digging as you can. Soil that is dug over early in the autumn gets the most benefit from winter frosts being broken down into good condition ready for spring plantings. Clear away bean poles, canes and supports and keep them under cover so they don’t rot or blow all over the allotment.

Harvest your remaining squashes, pumpkins and marrows. Once li ed put them in the sun to harden off. This will make the skin tougher and

the flesh will ripen. It will also mean that they keep for longer. Finish picking tomatoes (make the green ones into chutney) and put the remains on the compost. Also pick any remaining apples and pears. Only store the perfect fruit as any blemished ones will quickly rot and infect the others.

Now is the best time to plant new, or divide old, rhubarb crowns as they are entering their dormant period. Again October is an ideal time to plant garlic as it requires an initial period of cold weather. Spring cabbages, onion sets and broad beans can also be planted this month.

NATURE

How to spot a fieldfare Large flocks of fieldfares, stripping hawthorn hedges of haws, are a sign that autumn has truly arrived. These large, striking thrushes breed in northern and central Europe but spend the winter in Britain and southern Europe.

Straggling flocks of several hundred birds moving west across our area are a common sight from mid-month, announcing their presence with loud ‘chack, chack’ flight calls.

Fieldfares are handsome birds, the size of a mistle thrush, with a chestnut back, buff dark-spotted breast, grey rump and dark tail.

They appear wherever hawthorn hedges and scrub provide food and safe roosting sites. A favourite location is the valley of the North Brook, upstream of Horn Mill, where birds are usually present into December if the berries last. The large haw crop this year should ensure many opportunities to watch these winter visitors.

The birds move on to pasture, where they take earthworms and other invertebrates, once the berries are finished. In hard winter weather most migrate further west and south to Ireland or Spain but a few remain with us, feeding in orchards or gardens on windfall apples.

Remember the distinctive smell there used to be when you arrived at Peterborough on the train? That was the smell of the sugar beet factory, now sadly long gone.

Sugar beet is the short green crop that is starting to be li ed now. The sugar beet grown in this area is a plant whose root contains high levels of sucrose. It is grown for sugar production. It is a root crop that has a conical, white shape with a flat crown. There is a rosette of leaves on the top which is what you can see in the field. Sugar is formed by photosynthesis of the leaves that is then stored in the root. Levels of sugar density depend on the weather.

Sugar beet is only grown in temperate climates, in direct contrast to sugar cane which only grows in sub-tropical zones.

Sugar beet needs moisture retaining, fertile soil that is level and well drained.

Planted in the spring and li ed in the autumn the crop is normally grown on a three-year rotation with cereals.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that sugar beet was grown on a large commercial scale in Britain. Seventeen factories were built (Peterborough being one of them) because of war time shortages of imported cane sugar. Until this time Britain had relied on importing cane sugar from the Empire.

In 1927, a er many years of doing battle with the government the British Sugar Beet Society succeeded in procuring subsidies in line with the rest of Europe to make the British market more stable. Subsidies have been reduced in recent years and the Peterborough factory shut making transport costs higher so not as much beet is grown locally.

But it is still quite a common crop in this area and you will o en see sheep grazing on the beet tops once the crop has been li ed. Britain was still one of the top ten producers of sugar beet in the world in 2011.

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Wholesale and Retail Bakers and Confectioners Established 1927

Tel: 01780 481933, Address: 5a Red Lion Street, Stamford Lincs PE9 1RP

Activelife FOOD

FABULOUS BAKING BOYS Stamford had 35 bakeries in 1835 but now there are just two. We talk to Askers and Hambleton Bakery Stamford had 35 bakeries in 1835 but by 1939 there were only 17. Today there is only one still baking in the town and that’s Askers, based in King’s Mill Lane with a shop in Red Lion Street. They’ve been cooking from the same oven and serving the town well since 1927.

Luckily for Stamford, Hambleton Bakery opened in 2008 and now has a lovely shop in Ironmonger Street so there’s enough bread to go round. But you still need to get to both shops promptly as they quickly sell out.

Despite being very different, one working from ancient premises, the other from very modern ones, both Askers and Hambleton have a common cause.

They bake delicious, traditional bread made from good ingredients with no additives or preservatives. There is no comparision between their loaves and the type that you buy in the supermarket. Both use traditional bread ovens fired by solid fuel. Askers use a coal-fired 250-year old oven and Hambleton a wood fired Spanish oven.

Hambleton’s Julian Carter, who recently won Baker of the Year, and comes from generations of master bakers, told us ‘if you squash our loaf lightly it will make a cracking sound and bounce back into shape. This is because it is made traditionally with less water and no preservatives.

A modern sliced white loaf that takes an hour to make in a factory, from start to finish, if you roll it up between your fingers will form into a glutenous, doughy ball. Imagine having to digest that – no wonder so many people complain about being wheat intolerant. I think sometimes it might have something to do with the type of bread they’re eating. “ Both Julian and Kerry Asker (the fourth generation of his family to be baking) believe that if you put good things into your bread you get a good end product. Kerry told us: “Our bread is based on ‘hot bread sales’, i.e fresh every day and still warm when it reaches the shop. No preservatives are used. To make a good loaf you should use the best quality flour and take your time.

“I make bread in exactly the same way as my grandfather. You need to allow the dough the right amount of time to relax, you can’t hurry breadmaking. “ Julian agrees – they take 24 hours to make a loaf in their bakery at Hambleton.

As well as having their own shops, both bakeries have a thriving wholesale trade as well supplying local hotels, pubs and shops. Both also make a range of breads ranging from the traditional white and wholemeal to sourdoughs and olive breads. Both also cater for the gluten-free market.

But don’t think that both bakeries just make bread, they also make cakes and have separate teams preparing them. Hambleton now have nine staff working in the bakery and eight making cakes. They use free range eggs from their hens and any food waste goes to a local pig farm.

A baker’s lot is obviously a happy one. The shortest serving member of staff at Askers has been there for 11 years, many for over 20, and the staff at Hambleton are all passionate about baking and many have been there since it opened. And what better place to work. A er toiling away within the bakery, absorbing all the tastes and smells you can enjoy your lunch on a terrace overlooking the Rutland countryside.

So why aren’t Kerry, Julian and their staff all enormous as surely temptation would be hard to resist? “You binge for three weeks and then you just get on with it,” says Kerry.

Above

Kerry Asker

Above

Julian Carter

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Feature /// Gear

Kitbag

The latest kit to keep you active this autumn

Exposure Joystick Mk 9

The original cable-free helmet light has been improved once again. Exposure’s Joystick Mk 9 now has 750 lumens with the same great design and burn times, making it the essential do-it-all light for any sport.

Price £139.95 From www.rutlandcycling.com

Nuts-‘N-More peanut butter

Nuts ‘N More peanut butter is made from only the freshest peanuts and packed with whey protein and flax for added protein and Omega 3s. Created with a unique recipe for fortified butters and made in a natural process that simply involves crushing the nuts and blending the ingredients in a way that achieves the finest texture of all natural butters.

Price from £7.99 From www. stamfordsportsnutrition.co.uk

Peak Performance Helium jacket

Park chain tool

This small chain tool goes anywhere and actually performs like a shop quality tool. The fine thread, special V-shaped handle and super strong replaceable pin make chain removal and installation a breeze. It’s the perfect take-along chain tool at only 77 grams.

Price £12.99 From Cycle Wright, Baston

The Helium Hood may be one of Peak’s lightest down jackets, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a lightweight: no matter how low the temperatures go, it will always make sure you don’t get le out in the cold. It features ultra-light resilient fabric with 700-fill feather down and Thermocool padding for warmth and breathability. Cosy enough for snowy action, yet cool enough for autumn fun.

Price £250 From www.peakperformance.com

Trek Domane 4.0 carbon road bike

Trek’s Domane 4.0 is a seriously comfortable endurance road bike, with unprecedented compliance over the roughest surfaces. Same design as Trek’s pro Tour bikes, with OCLV carbon frame, IsoSpeed for comfort and Power Transfer Construction for speed.

Price £999 From www. rutlandcycling.com

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Craghoppers Dovedale parka

This Dovedale parka is full-length, feminine and eminently warm for use all winter long. Synthetic insulation is paired with a Sherpa fleece lining and faux-fur hood ensuring its suitability for use in the coldest temperatures. The addition of AquaDry Membrane technology ensures it’s waterproof.

Price £150 From Get Lost in Rutland 01572 868712

LAS Asteroid helmet

Cube Aim Disk SL bike

For 2015 the Aim Disc series gets a completely new frame in a choice of 27.5” or 29” wheel sizes. With features not normally found on such a bike and a quality component spec the Aim disc easily competes with other bikes in its class and offers exceptional ride quality.

Price £449 From Cycle Wright, Baston

The LAS Asteroid helmet’s 25 vents contribute to a cooler environment, making sure there is a continuous air flow throughout the helmet, while the inner bamboo padding insures excess moisture is absorbed. So all in all, not only will you look cool, you’ll stay cool too.

Price £54.99 From Cycle Wright, Baston

Polarn O. Pyret Kids Rain Trousers Keep little legs dry during the rainy season with these waterproof rain trousers from Polarn O. Pyret.

Cra ed from a highly durable fabric with fully taped seams to keep wind and rain at bay. The high-waist design and braces provide complete protection and the elasticated cuffs with stirrups ensures a secure fit.

Price £19 From John Lewis

American Crew hair gel

Callaway Supersoft golf balls

The two-piece Superso ball is the so est golf ball Callaway has ever made. The Zero Compression Core has all of the attributes you need to keep your ball long and straight!

Price £19.99 per dozen From To Golf Club

Once the game’s over, it’s time to get ready to go out and American Crew hair gel is ideal. Create styles never before possible with high hold, high shine and high definition straight from the ’50s.

Price £12.50 From Melvyn Patrick in Stamford are stockists of American Crew products

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WWW.RUTLANDCYCLING.COM/BIKESALE

KINGS head 1 9 M a i d e n L a n e , S ta m f o r d P E 9 2 A Z 0 1 7 8 0 7 5 3 5 1 0 C l o s e d S u n day e v e n i n g a n d a l l day M o n day

H Real Ales H Great pub lunches H Evening Steak and Seafood Menu H Traditional Sunday Roasts H Heated Courtyard Garden H Available for Christmas Party Bookings H Bookings Recommended Trip Advisor Reviews Lovely pub

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The pub is very nice and well kept, the staff are friendly and prompt.

The food is great and the selection of beer and cider is great. Nice place to stop for a snack and pint.

Fantastic

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Best place to eat in Stamford, have eaten here many times now and not been disappointed , can recommend the steak offer and Sunday lunch.

Good Food and Service

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From all the places available to dine in Stamford I'm glad we found this place!

We had the steak deal and two of us had the whole deal to ourselves, good quantity of beautifully cooked food and two drinks for a reasonable price.

Guest column

The price of everything and the value of nothing The big football clubs have lost the plot, reckons Martin Johnson recently got to thinking about the extraordinary amounts of money sloshing around in football, a subject brought about by a chum giving me a nudge when we were having a quiet drink at the pub. Through the door, along with his wife, came a middle aged chap whose Canute-like determination to stave off complete baldness for as long as possible manifested itself with just a single remaining strand of hair, plastered down with gel.

“Blow me down” whispered my pal. “It’s Ralph Coates.”

I don’t know what the average age of the magazine’s readership might be, but I’m guessing that a fair percentage might never have heard of Ralph. So for those who don’t go that far back he was a left winger for Tottenham Hotspur, whose hair, all one strand of it, would fly from side to side like a windscreen wiper.

Our conversation then spread to wondering what would happen if Ralph were playing in today’s Premier League. “Can you imagine the carnage?” said my companion. “These days, players go down in agony when no-one’s come anywhere near them, so can you imagine one of today’s defenders trying to tackle Ralph and getting a flick from that flying strand of his? He’d have spent a month in intensive care.”

Coates, who was 64 when he sadly died four years ago of a strokerelated illness, played hin an era when no-one fell over unless they got properly clogged, and when the money involved in professional football involved figures most of us could comprehend.

In 1971, Coates was transferred from Burnley to Tottenham for a then record fee of £190,000, which at today’s prices works out at roughly £2.5 million. When informed of the fee, Ralph said: “don’t be stupid. No player is worth that.”

So how on earth have we now arrived at the point where English football is so hopelessly awash with money that the price for Coates – a record in 1971 don’t forget – works out to, taking inflation into account, £57.2 million less than Manchester United paid Real Madrid for another winger, Angel di Maria?

It’s mind blowing, as indeed is the news that Chelsea are now paying one of their players, a Belgian midfielder by the name of Eden Hazard, £200,000 per week. It is a sum so vast that you can’t really begin to grasp it. If weekly wages were still paid in cash, as indeed was the case for most people when Coates joined Tottenham,

I

you’d need several large suitcases to cram it all into. If you buy a premium bond, there is a 24.7 billion to 1 chance of it earning you a million pounds. If you play in midfield for Chelsea, you can earn that in five weeks.

It’s not all that long ago that footballers – the top ones - earned the same amount of money as the bloke you’d found in Yellow Pages who’s come round to fix your central heating boiler. Twenty quid was the average weekly take home pay in 1961, which until that year was the maximum amount footballers – were paid.

It’s changed a bit since then, and not necessarily for the better.

Who, for example, could claim that either Manchester United or Manchester City have anything to do with Manchester? The players mostly speak Spanish, Dutch or Portuguese, and live in large gated mansions well away from the people who are charged increasingly silly sums of money to go along and watch them.

Back in Ralph’s day, football clubs were still a part of the local community. In fact, when I grew up supporting Newport County in what was then the bottom tier of the football league, you would be quite likely to bump into their record signing – who would have cost about a fiver and a bag of cheese and onion crisps – pushing a trolley around the supermarket.

Newport’s star player when I was growing up looked (and smelled) as though he’d just come from the pub, and signed autographs with one hand while smoking a fag with the other. He scored a lot of goals, so I guess he was on a halfway decent wage, but seriously – can anyone get their heads around £200,000 a week?

And where does the money come from? Sky TV, which forks out enough for the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool to be required to play at a time dictated by the potential armchair audience and bugger the paying supporter, and the owners, who are increasingly turning out to be wealthy foreign businessmen who treat English football clubs like expensive toys.

They have, by and large, no regard whatsoever for tradition, which is why we have the complete nonsense of Cardiff City playing in blue for over 110 years, and then being required to get kitted out in red because some bloke from Malaysia with pots of money prefers the colour.

Then you have the owner of Hull City, who have been Hull City for 110 years, attempting to change the name of the club to Hull City Tigers, purely for commercial reasons. If ever a sport fitted Oscar Wilde’s lament of people who know the price of everything and the value of nothing, it’s football.

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Feature /// Winter fitness

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SUPERSTOCK / ALAMY

WINTER WELL! Sandie Hurford reveals how to keep fit and healthy as the seasons change

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Feature /// Winter fitness

Eating better Exercise and physical activity is only part of the full picture; you need to ensure that the other side of the equation is balanced.

The fuel you put into your body needs to be good, healthy, clean food in order to ensure that your body receives the nutrition it needs to repair, fuel activity and build new muscle. Feeding yourself foods low in nutrition – such as crisps, cakes or processed food – means you need to eat a higher volume to extract the nutrients your body needs.

That is what we mean by ‘empty calories’ – calories which the body isn’t able to use.

Experts at the Porsche Human Performance lab at Silverstone have shared some simple rules on how to shop for food wisely: 1. Don’t eat foods with more than five added ingredients. The more products a food contains, the more likely that the food is highly processed.

The less processed your food is, the better.

the way to the end of your workout.

Or change your routine to work out in the morning - you’re more likely to opt out of exercising if you’re tired and stuck in traffic because of bad weather. Exercising in the morning gets your workout out of the way so you can relax at night and cosy up on the sofa.

3 INDOOR SPORTS Join a team or individual sports program. Levels range from recreational to expert. The most cost-effective courses are usually run by local authorities at schools or community centres where people drop in for a game of basketball, five-a-side football or badminton. You can also sign up for any number of aerobics classes, dance classes or other group fitness sessions. If you have access to an indoor swimming pool, jump in and notch up some lengths – just ensure you don’t make it too easy.

3. Don’t eat food that claims to be healthy. The only food products that claim to be healthy are those that are in fact far from it. Vegetables or fruits do not have such claims, but you should make these the mainstay of your food intake.

4. Don’t eat food labelled as ‘low-fat’, ‘non-fat’ or ‘light’. Products that have their fat removed taste pretty awful. Food companies counteract this by adding sugar, which brings us back to the above rule.

5. Eat animals that have eaten healthily too. You are what your food eats. What the animal eats affects its nutritional value – the better it eats, the more nutritious it is. Ideally, your meat (and dairy) should be grass-fed (when available) and pasture-raised.

TONY TALLEC / ALAMY

S

ir Ranulph Fiennes is alleged to have been behind the saying ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing’ and, as the holder of several endurance records, the renowned explorer should know.

It’s a mantra worth remembering as we head into winter. There’s actually no real excuse to ditch your exercise regime to take up knitting by the fireside even if the heavens open and the temperature plummets. When it’s cold and dark outside, get creative with a winter fitness programme rather than resigning yourself to piling on the pounds as you catch up on all those box sets.

As a bonus, it’ll also boost your mood. Exercise has been proven to help people combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (studies show that one hour of aerobic exercise outside, even with cloudy skies overhead, has the same benefits as 2.5 hours of light treatment indoors). Keeping fit increases your energy levels, and you’ll sleep better too.

2. Don’t eat foods with added sugar. Consuming too much added sugar has been linked with the development of degenerative diseases (such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease), weight gain and malnutrition. Sometimes, sugar is confusingly labelled on food products; these forms include high fructose corn syrup, maltose, brown rice syrup, glucose, sucrose, fruit juice concentrate, and more.

10 TIPS TO GET MOTIVATED 1 CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE If you’re someone who loves to exercise outdoors, use the change of weather as a time to try something new and change your own workout plan. Map out a new routine at the start of the season and find a different way to stay in shape. Prepare for winter by buying a package at the local yoga studio or purchase some personal training sessions at the gym.

2 GO STRAIGHT TO THE GYM AFTER WORK If you train in the afternoon or evening, plan your day so that you don’t have to go home before visiting the health club or gym. It’s really difficult to leave the house once you get home and comfortable - the fireside can be very alluring when it’s wet and windy outside. Pack your exercise gear in the morning, along with a light afternoon snack to keep you energised all

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Feature /// Winter fitness 4 SNOW SPORTS Snowy weather offers a host of fun activities that can involve the whole family. Try a new winter sport such as ice skating, skiing, snowboarding or even toboganning, whether as part of a holiday abroad or at an artificial ski centre or indoor ice rink.

5 THE RIGHT CLOTHING Be prepared for the winter worst with appropriate clothing for your chosen activity layer up and, when necessary, wear waterproofs, hat and gloves. For many people, cold air can trigger chest pain or trouble breathing. If you have any medical conditions or concerns about exercising outside, check with your doctor beforehand.

7 MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT Do you find the morning is too cold, and by evening you’re too tired? Look for ways to integrate exercise into your day. At lunchtime, go for a brisk 20-minute walk. If you have a meeting with a colleague planned, consider taking it to the streets for a ‘walk and talk’. Try a lunchtime boxing or yoga class. These breaks will warm you up and are a great way to revitalise your mind and get you ready for a productive afternoon. Even running or walking up and down the stairs in your house or office building can be a great high-intensity cardio and leg workout. Try climbing two steps at a time, sprinting a few flights or doing jumping jacks between floors to raise the intensity. When walking outdoors is not an option, do laps inside your local shopping mall. For the average person, a brisk one-hour walk can burn 300 to 400 calories.

‘TRY A LUNCHTIME YOGA CLASS. THESE BREAKS WILL WARM YOU UP AND GET YOU READY FOR A PRODUCTIVE AFTERNOON’

DCPHOTO / ALAMY

6 HOME WORKOUTS A workout DVD or even a quick YouTube search to find indoor aerobic routines can pay off when you have limited space. If you have weights, resistance bands, a skipping rope, a stability ball, trampoline, or other equipment, you can incorporate those into a great full body workout. Experiment with mixing and matching workouts. For the best fat-burning

workouts, mix some resistance training with some high-intensity cardio. In 20 or 30 minutes you could easily burn more calories than you would on a treadmill at the gym. For even more fun and less structure, turn up the volume on some of your favourite songs and simply dance.

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Feature /// Winter fitness

8 DON’T LET A COLD CANCEL YOUR ROUTINE Illness is a common setback to maintaining a winter exercise routine. One of the many benefits of regular exercise is a healthy and resilient immune system, which helps you recover faster, and makes you less likely to catch a cold in the first place. If a cold does catch you, try gentler activities such as stretching to maintain good habits. Keeping your routine will make it easier to get back into your regular program when you’re feeling 100 per cent again.

9 BOOK AN ACTIVE MIDWINTER ESCAPE A short trip to somewhere sunny can help you beat the winter blues and offers an excellent chance to get active as well. Find some fun activities to include in your trip such as snorkelling, mountain biking or learning to kayak. Revel in the winter chill and hit the slopes on a skiing or snowboarding escapade or how about trying a cycling tour or hiking adventure? The possibilities are endless!

10 BE POSITIVE Most important of all is to approach your winter exercise routine with a positive mindset. After all, there are some excellent advantages to exercising in winter. Winter is an ideal time to lose weight as your metabolism naturally speeds up to help keep you warm. Keep moving through winter and you’ll be a step ahead when the warm weather arrives.

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Feature /// Learn to shoot

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HOW TO BE A SHOOTING STAR

Steve Moody visits Kibworth Shooting Ground to learn how to handle a shotgun, and maybe hit a clay if he’s lucky Photography: Nico Morgan

T

his time of year, if you’re driving around Rutland, you might occasionally come across strangely dressed men in misty fields hanging around cars. There might well be women there, too. Hopefully, they’re out shooting rather than anything else untoward, but if you are curious and want to join in, it’s not a past-time that is easy to break into if you don’t know the right people, or have a fair amount of spare cash hanging about to buy a day’s shooting.

Not owning tweed plus fours of a couple of thousand acres of prime pheasant-rearing countryside, or a gun for that matter, it’s not something I’ve ever had a go at either, but ever keen to get some sort of feel for what they are up to, I headed to Kibworth Shooting Ground near Leicester.

No flat cap was needed, I left the labrador at home and the hip flask went unfilled.

Handling a gun can be a pretty intimidating experience if you are not used to it, so a centre such as Kibworth is a good place to start, not least because you get an instructor and little orange clays to hit instead of standing in a field with pheasants whizzing about.

It’s also a very relaxed atmosphere, more like a golf club than what you might imagine a gun range to be. My instructor, Al Nixon, first sizes me up and works out what my eyes do. I thought they were just for looking out of, but it seems that you need to test their strength to see which one leads, which is why I’m looking at a telegraph pole holding a piece of paper with a hole in it out in front of me and bringing up to my nose while keeping the pole in the

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Feature /// Learn to shoot

Clockwise from right

Novices start off trying to hit ‘rabbits’ on the ground before progressing to clays; finding out which eye is dominant helps with your stance.

‘IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE PHEASANT POPULATION OF RUTLAND CAN COUNT THEMSELVES SAFE FOR A WHILE’ hole, so to speak. Amazingly, as the paper slightly ends up in front of my left eye, it is that one which ‘leads’, which I was informed is less easy as being right handed I’ll need to keep it shut or my aim will be askew. It will anyway, I think.

There then follows a briefing on how to stand, an introduction to the gun, the basic technique, health and safety and where to shoot as various clays head in various directions. It’s quite a lot to take in, and I’m thinking point at it, pull the trigger and job done. If only it was that simple.

We head out onto the range, which has 14 clay stands offering all sorts of flights and types of ‘birds’, but we start with a rabbit, being rolled at speed along the ground.

Al explains what I’m supposed to be doing.

“You get yourself in the right position, weight forward on your left foot and as the clay comes across, just use your left hand to draw the gun across it in one smooth motion. As you get very slightly ahead of it, squeeze the trigger.”

Easy. We’re using an under and over eight pound gun (basically the barrels stacked on top of each other, rather than side by side in more traditional shotguns), with lighter shot than you might when shooting game, so the recoil shouldn’t be too vicious. ‘Bloody hell, it’s heavy’, is my first thought just as the ‘rabbit’ comes bounding across. I follow it smoothly, think ‘now’s the time to pull the trigger’, which makes me stop dead and fire, sending a plume of dirt in the air as the rabbit heads off unscathed into the bushes.

Second time I try to not stop at the point of firing and lo and behold it explodes in an orange shower. I think I might be getting the hang of this after a few, but then we move on to pinging clays into the air.

This is much harder, although Al is giving good clear advice and after a while of missing clays, I start to hit a few. With practise, you can feel the swing coming together and the point at which you fire becomes more instinctive.

But the ground is not just for beginners. They can put on events for parties or stag and hen dos, and at this time of year do a lot of one-onone coaching for experienced shots.

Al explains: “A lot of people haven’t shot all year and then the season starts, they’ve paid a lot of money and they just go out and do it, and wonder why they don’t hit much. Shooting is just like any other sport: you need to fine tune your technique from time to time as bad habits can creep in, and you need to warm up and get back in the swing of it.”

I’ll definitely be back. Plucking a few clays out of the air is immensely satisfying, and like that great shot in golf, when you do it once, you want to do it again. I think it’s fair to say, though, that the pheasant population of Rutland can count themselves safe from me for a while longer…

Surefire success Top tips for buying a shotgun from Marcus Simpson of John Bradshaw Guns 1. Start with lessons with a qualified coach and they will be able to advise on your gun selection.

2. Don’t rush in to it – just because you have your licence and want to buy a gun doesn’t mean the first gun you see is the right one for you.

3. Make sure the gun fits you, as a poorly-fitted gun will not only reduce your chances of success it will also frustrate you and may add recoil to the user.

4. Set your budget and stick to it – a lot of the time you do get what you pay for.

5. Don’t buy blind – it is important to get a feel for the gun before you buy it. Just because the price is right on the internet doesn’t mean it will feel the same as a similar one you have seen.

Contact: John Bradshaw Guns, Perio Mill Farm Fotheringhay, PE8 5HU. Tel: 01832 226376 Email: marcus@johnbradshawguns.co.uk Web: www.johnbradshawguns.co.uk

Introductory lessons cost from £45 and one-to-one coaching for experienced shots costs from £55. For more details go to www. kibworthshootingground.co.uk

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Beetro o t catering & events Professional Catering, Locally Sourced Keith MiCKLeburgh oundle • northamptonshire

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Available for:

•weddings •corporate •private dining “ Many guests commented on the food and the attentiveness of the waiting team”

G&L Sports, Bretton Gate, Peterborough PE3 9UZ t. 01733 264 405 e.sales@gl-sports.com

TURKEY HAMPER - only £40 4kg Fresh Lincolnshire Turkey (4-4.5kg = 8.8-10lb) 1lb Sausagemeat Stuffing (sage & onion or cranberry & chestnut)

Please order as soon as possible to ensure availability and size of the items you require, especially poultry. Saturday 6th December is the last day for placing orders

Feature /// Gear

Shooting Kitbag Look the part on the field or at the shooting ground Seeland Woodcock Jacket

Browning Range Kit

Price £50 From www.browningint.com

Price £149 From John Bradshaw Gun Shop

Croots Canvas and Leather Cartridge Bag

Price £75 From John Bradshaw Gun Shop

Schoffel Ladies Ptarmigan Tweed Coat

Price £549.95 From www.schoffel.co.uk

The Knightsbridge Price £18,000 From www.rayward.co.uk

Aigle Parcours ISO 2 boots Price £169 From John Bradshaw Gun Shop

Bettinsoli X Trail Sporter

Price £695 From John Bradshaw Gun Shop

Harkila Torridon Cap

Price £49.99 From John Bradshaw Gun Shop

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Feature /// 5-a-side football

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FIVE ALIVE

Football isn’t just a game for super-fit youngsters, as Jeremy Beswick and his local pub’s five-a-side team can testify Photography (and missed open goals): Andy Balmford

A

n unusual feature this month as, for once, it covers a sport I actually know something about, having been a footballer of sorts all my life. Many have been the lager-fuelled evenings in the pub when I and fellow middle-aged reprobates swapped tales of youthful prowess, with idle talk of trials for professional teams and even taller stories such as playing in the early rounds of the FA cup.

Doubtless many of these were of “the older I get, the better I was” variety – I know some of mine were – but when we heard that local side Oakham Hotspurs were looking for opponents, beer bravado got the better of a group of us and so it was that the galactico-laden vehicle that is the Wheatsheaf five-a-side team was born.

Now it has to be admitted that, in the cold light of day, the next morning some of our party had decided that discretion was the better part of valour. That they were feeling an old injury, were due to be having a headache on the fateful day, or any one of several other transparent excuses not to be seen to have their actual skills compared to their imaginary ones. However, one cold winter’s night

Above and le

The Wheatsheaf team, for whom author Beswick (le , in black) plays.

around three years ago a motley crew of impossibly overweight, grossly unfit fifty-somethings turned out to play a Hotspurs side that averaged about 25, played every week, actually had training sessions and were without an ounce of fat amongst them. Think Barcelona versus Bradford Park Avenue Veterans and that’s pretty much the scenario. Having carefully checked the location of the nearest defibrillator we kicked off. I don’t remember much about the game to be honest but, of course, we got absolutely hammered.

Maybe it was the sight of our now 60-year-old opponents’ manager, John Cook, coming on for a cameo in the last 10 minutes that encouraged us, or perhaps the craic in the bar afterwards, more likely just plain old-fashioned stupidity, but we agreed to a return match and we’ve been playing them a couple of times a month ever since, admittedly now with the occasional 20-something added to our team.

I asked John about his football career. “I retired from Oakham United when I was 30 and then played five-a-side until my 40th birthday, when I stopped for good. I don’t know what possessed me but I decided to start again at 58

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www.stamfordsportsnutrition.co.uk

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06/12/2013 11:54

Feature /// 5-a-side football

‘THE GAMES, THOUGH FAST AND SKILFUL, TEND TO BE LOW ON PHYSICAL CONTACT’ and played the whole hour”. Any after-effects? “I got out of bed the next morning and immediately fell over. I then had to limp down to Boots to get some pain killers and wondered why everyone was staring at me until I noticed the bandage round my ankle was unwinding as I hobbled down the High Street and trailing behind me for several feet. I must have looked like an Egyptian mummy with a very bad limp”. What did wife Teresa think? “She said I should pack it in at my age. But then she’s been saying that for 25 years.”

Doubtless we should all know better, but as captain Mark Gough says: “It gets your heart pumping and there aren’t many sports we can still do where you really get a sweat on and feel good about yourself afterwards, win or lose”. (Yes, reader, believe it or not, we have since won on a few occasions - although admittedly this represents a rather small proportion of the matches played).

“Feeling good about yourself afterwards” is a great way to put it. There’s nothing like an hour or so running about Catmose College sports hall, albeit in a way somewhat redolent of headless chickens, to get those endorphins to kick in. Team-mate Chris Clarke, who used to play the other game professionally for Bridgend (which may explain why his every shot at goal clears the crossbar by 30 feet) said: “I’m thinking about playing rugby again and it’s really helping me to get somewhere near the fitness level I need to attain. But the best thing about it is the humour.”

It’s true that what we lack in athleticism we make up for in banter, although we now have a team training plan of our own. This strict regime consists mostly of walking between pubs rather than catching a taxi and adding salad to those late night doner kebabs.

Fortunately, the version of five-a-side that we play allows for rolling substitutions which means you can come off if exhausted, recover and then return later to give someone else a rest. Generally this implies that however incompetent or unfit you are your presence is helpful to the team, although it is true that we once famously had someone who lasted only three minutes. Also, there’s no need to pick the side beforehand, so people can just roll up and be sure to get on at some stage. Gavin Martin, who’s a relative youngster but whose face still goes as red as his hair when he plays, said: “It’s always fascinating to see who shows up on the day and to find out whether we’re going to be pretty good or useless”.

Other active local teams include The Lord Nelson, the support staff of Oakham School and The Railway. Most have a more sensible demographic in age terms than ourselves but the games, though fast and skilful, still tend to be low on physical contact – which is one reason we wrinklies are able to hack it. As John says: “With a family and mortgages to pay, we’ve all got to go to work tomorrow so no-one wants to see someone end up with a broken leg.”

If you think you can get a few like-minded work colleagues or friends together and fancy a game contact me at jeremy@theactivemag.com and we’ll see what we can do. All it’ll cost you is £3 per head for hire of the sports hall and don’t worry – even that’s only payable if you’re still alive at the final whistle.

From top

Games are high on skill and fun, but low on physical contact. All ages can play. The Oakham Hotspurs team

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THE BLUEBELL at HELPSTON Are we the only pub to have two different images on our pub sign?

We like to think we’re different for other reasons too – we’re a proper village local with a really warm welcome to all. We serve great local cask conditioned ales - always a choice of 4 (including our own bitter) some great lagers and cider. (We also stock a range of non-alcoholic drinks and brew a good cup of tea!) Serving fresh, seasonal, locally sourced produce, our menu offers something for everyone. We hope you’ll visit soon.

The Bluebell, Woodgate, Helpston, Peterborough PE6 7ED T 01733 252394 E hello@bluebellhelpston.pub

Feature /// Sportsman's Dinner

The Bluebell, Helpston Julian and Steve unearth a hidden gem serving good quality pub food favourites Steve I don't often go through Helpston, unless the traffic on the A1 is tailed back and I'm on the way back from Peterborough. So I would have had no idea about The Bluebell, and I'm not sure I would even if I was a regular through the village, because its tucked up a road off the main drag. You'd have to actively go looking for it.

Julian I know, I didn't realise there was more than one road in Helpston. It was quite a revelation to turn down Woodgate and find a lovely stone-lined street. The pub is about as traditional looking as you can get with its honey coloured stone and sash windows and a sweeping gravel drive up into the car park.

There's plenty of outdoor seating too, so you could just enjoy a pint and watch the world pass by (not that there's too much passing by in Helpston). But it's lunchtime, I'm hungry and you're paying, so let's get inside.

Steve Inside, the bar area is a classy affair, with bare brick walls and a bar sticked with real ale.

The dining area out the back is lighter, but still a rustic style, rather than fancy. It's a pub that does food, rather than a gastropub where drinkers aren't weclome. The menu reflects that: good solid pub staples such as pies, burgers and gammon alongside some fancier fare – no doubt your sort of thing, with your fine upbringing and delicate palate.

Julian Indeed, one does appreciate the finer things in life (as long as one's not paying). But you're right, this menu is full of good, hearty pub food staples. Too often a pub gets carried away with thinking it's a bistro and the result is over-priced, underwhelming food. The opposite is true here – a sensible menu with good variety, and well priced, too.

Steve I went for the mackerel pate starter that came with thick, toasted bread, a chutney and lemon and I have to say, it was out of this world.

I'm a bit of an expert on all things mackerelese, as I spend a lot of time down in Cornwall, but this was as good as anything I've had down there. Strong flavour, creamy pate, with the chutney giving sweetness and the lemon a spot of tang, too. I'll be honest, I expected the food to be good, but this was top drawer.

Julian I'll take your word for it – mackerel is a bit too 'fishy' for me. Saying that, I went for a smoked haddock and leek gratin, topped off with gruyere cheese and served with a wedge of crusty bread. This was delicious, with the cheese balancing out the smokey haddock. It was also just the right size – not too big to leave me unable to tackle the main course...

Steve I usually find it hard to choose a main course, but I could have closed my eyes, stuck a

pin in the menu and ended up with something I like. I saw a chap on another table having a piece of gammon nearly the thickness of a house brick which was tempting, but as it was, I went for steak and kidney pie, mainly as it was made on the premises by chef Dan Roche.

Julian The range of home-made pies looks tempting, but I was in the mood for burger and chips... and when it came there was a huge slab of peppery beef and some chunky chips. You could tell this burger wasn't bought in.

Steve Being a Great British Bake Off afficionado, I checked for a soggy bottom and it came up trumps. In fact the whole thing was excellent: crisp pastry, the iron tang of good quality liver, succulent steak and gravy in a little pot too to pour over. All washed down with chunky chips and peas. This is top quality comfort food done with a dash of elegance. I didn't even have room for pudding, and that's unusual.

Julian Yep, I'm full too, not even the apple crumble can tempt me. A quality lunch at a decent price.

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Feature /// Great walks

A treat in tiny Teigh An idyllic village is the base for this peaceful stroll which works best in the early afternoon – just in time to get to the pub, as Will Hetherington discovers Photography: Will Hetherington

THE ROUTE

Tiny little Teigh is easily overlooked, lying as it does between Market Overton, Wymondham and Ashwell.

This quiet corner of north Rutland is not really on the way to anywhere, so Teigh really does take some finding. Even when you get there you can easily miss it as most of the village is set back from the road, but once you have finally found it you won’t look back. Park on the grass by the surprisingly large church for such a small village, with the equally impressive Old Rectory next door. Once you have gazed enviously at some of the impossibly idyllic houses opposite the church, it’s time to start walking.

For best results I would suggest this is a clockwise walk, so back track out of the village to the main road and turn right. Follow the road round to the right and turn right down the track behind Yew Tree Farm. This farm track meanders along through a couple of field boundaries before you come to the bridge over a stream, which is a good spot for the dog to have a refreshing dip, if

it’s agile enough to get up and down the steep banks underneath the now lying branches that is!

Carry straight on from here and when you come to the next field boundary turn right on to what is a rather charming bridleway bordered by low trees on both sides. The bridleway crosses the Oakham to Melton Mowbray railway line, but if you get there you have gone too far for this walk. Some 50 yards before the railway there is a footpath on the right heading back towards Teigh over the fields. Take this path as it heads diagonally across the first field to re-cross the same stream as earlier in the walk; another convenient refreshment point for the dog.

The path then clings to a field boundary for another 500 yards or so, passing the footpath up to Teigh Lodge on the left on the way. You can take this path if you want to lengthen the walk a bit but you will miss out on the enchanting view of the village across the meadows if you do.

Shortly after this junction there is a gateway into the open meadows which lead up the very gentle slope back towards the village. There is a large

Clockwise, from above

One of the highlights of this walk is the view of the church in Teigh all the way back from the railway line. Teigh Lodge sits atop a small incline to the north of the village. If it’s a warm day there a few places where the dog can cool off. There are a number of impossibly idyllic houses around the church in Teigh

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TOP STAT

urch in Teigh Holy Trinity Ch t the pews is unusual in tha the aisle on either side of rather than face each other the altar.

pond here on the right, which again is handy for the dog to have a dip if it’s warm, although there may well be sheep in this field so take care.

All the while Holy Trinity Church in Teigh is the obvious target and the sheer rustic charm of the view as it grows on the horizon makes for a highlight of this stroll. Before long you will be back at the church, but the blend of farm track, ancient bridleway, arable field and meadows makes this walk a real treat.

And when you are done you can either drive straight up the hill to the Black Bull in Market Overton for a smashing pint of Black Sheep and some well cooked pub food or, if you want something a bit more ambitious, the Berkeley Arms at Wymondham is only a couple of miles to the north. Sheer rural bliss which ever way you look at it.

Difficulty rating (out of five)

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION Where to park By the church in Teigh.

could add an extension here or there if you wish.

Distance and time Two and a half miles/ 50 minutes.

Highlights The peace and quiet of this rural paradise and the views of Teigh church on the home straight.

Refreshments You can’t go wrong with a pint of Black Sheep in the Black Bull at Market Overton, and the food is excellent too. Meanwhile The Berkeley Arms at Wymondham is well worth travelling to for lunch or dinner at any time.

Lowlights If only it was a bit longer, but you

The pooch perspective Two streams and a pond mean

there is plenty of water. There will probably be sheep on the grazing fields leading up to the church so take care.

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Feature /// Dog health

TOTAL RECALL: TEACH A VOICE COMMAND

The second part of our four-step series on how to make your dog come back every time START BY DECIDING what word you are going to use as a voice cue. Begin training by asking an assistant to hold your dog by the collar and show him you have some of his favourite food.

Move a short distance away and call your dog enthusiastically, opening your arms and crouching down to invite your dog to come to you. Ask your assistant to let go of his collar as soon as you call. As your dog runs to you, hold the food out and lure him close in towards you.

Hold the other hand lower so that as he moves towards you, you can take hold of his

collar underneath his chin. When your dog gets to you, hold his collar, feed the food, then praise him warmly and enthusiastically for a while so that he learns to enjoy being with you and will come to you again next time.

Repeat every day, several times a day, for a week. Eventually, you won’t need to use an assistant to hold him, or show him the food first, but just call him from where he is resting.

Eventually, once your dog is coming to you every time you call, progress over several sessions to calling when your dog is just out of

sight. Aim for success and try to only call him when there is a reasonable chance that he will respond immediately so that he gets into good habits.

Tips for success: • Always reward him when he comes back when you call and this can involve playing a game with his much loved toy.

• Don’t call too often once he knows what to do.

Call only when you have something worthwhile for him to come for.

• Always hold your dog’s collar when he comes to you before you feed the treat. This will avoid you grabbing at him as he runs past and having him learn to avoid you because he does not want to be held.

• Call consistently: Try to always use the same tone of voice when you call so it becomes a sound he can recognise. Try to keep the call consistent in tone and volume. Try to remember this sound when you call in an emergency as this is the voice cue you have trained your dog to come back to. If you usually call in a happy voice, and then call in a deep or angry voice because he is heading for the road or quarrelling with another dog, he may take no notice of you because he doesn’t recognise the cue.

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Feature /// School sports

South Africa sports tour success More than 120 of Oakham School’s netball, hockey and rugby players have hit the ground running this term, after three weeks of pre-season training and tournaments in one of the world’s sportiest countries; South Africa.

The three-week tour was split into five parties, according to age and sport.

Most of the teams began in Johannesburg playing school teams in the north of the country before travelling south to Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

The Junior Boys Rugby team paid a visit to the famous Loftus Versfeld stadium, home of the Blue Bulls rugby union team. The team were the delighted victors of 3 out of the 4 fixtures they played against schools around Johannesburg and Cape Town. Meanwhile the girls’ 1st XI hockey players notched up an impressive five wins out of seven, with one particularly notable 4-0 victory over Wynberg Girls’ High School in Cape Town.

In between matches and training, students also managed to find time to visit Table Mountain, Robben Island and the Lesedi Cultural Village. The teams were also able to experience a game drive at the Kariega Game Reserve.

PUPILS REACH UK SCHOOL GAMES FINAL Two pupils from Oakham School had the honour of representing their region at the UK School Games held recently.

The four-day event, held in Manchester, is a national multi-sport competition for elite young athletes from across the UK. Sam Clarke had a fantastic end to his athletics season, taking home a bronze medal in the hurdles.

Sam, who is 16 and lives in Oakham, was ‘delighted’ to claim the bronze medal, and to take his first major podium finish of his young sporting career.

Sam’s success follows on from a fantastic result at the England U17 National Athletics Championships, held in Bedford two weeks ago.

He qualified for the final by running a new personal best of 13.77.

He then went on to break his personal best again, by running 13.75, which placed him sixth in the final.

Annie Dalton, a centre half hockey player, had the added challenge of joining a team who had never played together before the event.

“It took us a couple of games to work together,” says 17-year-old Annie, from Spalding.

“We lost in the last 30 seconds against Scotland, who then went on to win the competition. The results really didn’t reflect our performance, not until the last game where we won convincingly, 4-1, against Wales.”

As well as playing at Oakham School, Annie also plays weekly for Beeston Hockey Club.

Winning start for Stamford Stamford School First XV made it two from two after defeating Oundle School recently.

The icing on the cake came from scrum half Davies who made a cracking break, fixed the full back and put George Cox away to take the final score to 31-8.

The previous weekend Stamford overcame a strong Stowe side albeit in the last five minutes of the contest.

Captain Charlie Dunbar was full of praise for his troops; “We let ourselves down last week, so the boys were determined to get it right. Oundle is always a tough game but we fronted up and made some significant improvements this week.”

Hockey stars coach youngsters Three members of the England & GB Senior Women’s Hockey squad, who recently won silver medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, visited Oakham School to run a hockey coaching session.

Ellie Watton, Maddie Hinch and Lily Owsley (pictured) were the special guests at Oakham School’s under-11 girls hockey coaching session, which was run by hockey coaching company MT13, along with Oakham Sports staff. This was a particularly significant visit for Ellie, who is a former teacher at Oakham, having recently made the transition to playing hockey full time.

Over 160 girls from Brooke Priory School, Witham Hall, Copthill School, Spratton Hall, Orwell Park School, and Stoneygate School joined the young Oakham hockey players to enjoy an afternoon of expert training and matches.

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Teddy is UK kart champion Young Rutland racing driver Teddy Wilson held his nerve at the weekend in a nail-biting finale at the Super One British Karting Championships to become the 2014 MSA British Cadet Kart Champion.

Thirteen-year-old Teddy, from South Luffenham, started Round Six of the national Super One Series, held at PF International Circuit near Grantham, with only a single point lead over his nearest rival, Kiern Jewiss. The pair held a comfortable lead in the Championship table over the rest of the field going into its final round.

With everything to race for and showing some great pace and ability, Teddy stayed cool, calm and collected to produce four mature and calculated performances, increasing his points lead with every race, to secure the prestigious championship title.

Teddy said: “To win the British Championship was one of my goals when I started racing at eight years old. To have done it is a dream come true. All of the hard work over the last few years to achieve this has finally paid off.”

Brooke challenge Brooke Priory pupils started their new academic year with a whole school challenge day.

The boys and girls enjoyed an array of activities which were designed to push their personal boundaries, nurture camaraderie and encourage them to work as a team.

The theme was Native Indians and every task had a ‘Wild West’ flavour. Wigwams were created, colourful headdresses designed and worn and totem poles erected.

Probably the most popular challenge though was the assault course, which was run by Dan from ULTM8 Warrior; the children went under cargo nets, over hurdles, through webs of string, balanced across see-saws, clambered over blocks and aimed arrows into buckets.

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

Cricket

Local sides enjoy a bumper season

BY JEREMY BESWICK

W

hat a season we’ve had!

Celebrations galore at Bourne, Uppingham, Oakham, Stamford and Ketton. Bourne landed the Lincs Premier, Uppingham the Leicester Division 3 title – with second-placed Oakham joining them in promotion to Division 2 – while Ketton romped to victory in Cambs League 2 with what will surely be a record points total by the end. There are treble festivities in Stamford, champions of Hunts League 2, favourites for promotion from Rutland League 2 and fighting a rearguard action in the Lincs Premier.

They will be popping champagne corks at the home of Stamford’s Zak Chappell as well at the terrific news that the 18-year-old has deservedly landed a professional contract with Leicestershire.

The season-long tussle between Uppingham and Oakham went right to the wire, with both sides playing their final

game hoping to land the title. Oakham did all they could, achieving a maximum 30-point win against Kegworth Town.

Calvin Flowers starred again with another unbeaten century but Uppingham were not to be denied as they too took maximum points from their fixture at Ilston Abbey, Jamie Dumford plundering 26 in a single over to win the league by 13 points.

Amongst the first to sportingly congratulate Uppingham’s skipper Dumford was Oakham’s chairman Nick Begy, who will be looking forward, as I am, to these two sides renewing their rivalry next season in the higher league.

“What I’d love is for both of us to go up again on the bounce – but in the reverse order obviously!” he told me, going on to highlight the performances of Market Overton, Barrowden and Empingham as well in what has been a terrific season for Rutland cricket.

Merrily humming the theme tune from

The Great Escape will be Stamford’s Lincs Premier side, who looked dead and buried a few weeks ago but finished their season with four wins to reach safety whilst the Sunday side beat promotion rivals Castor to go top with one game to play.

Bourne were confirmed champions of the Lincs Premier by gaining five batting points against title rivals Lindum, Conrad Louth top scoring with 49 closely followed by captain Peter Morgan on 45. Knowing they could not then be caught the side enjoyed a particularly refreshing tea and went on to narrowly lose the match but didn’t appear too unhappy as a result.

Three years ago Ketton’s skipper Rob Vitas won the Cambs Division Two title with a record points total – with Castor – and now looks set to notch up a unique double, only needing eight points from their last fixture to do so with the Lions and their bevy of professionals. Robert Woolley has had an unbelievable season with the

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bat, so much so that a big total in the last game could see him average over 100 – those nine not outs helping him along.

Plaudits too for Uffington who raised a magnificent £50,000 to build their recentlyopened clubhouse, much of the money raised by a sponsored bike ride to all the traditional Test grounds including a surprise appearance on Test Match Special with Aggers and Michael Vaughan. They’ll be hoping for better things on the field next year, where injuries took their toll and mid-table mediocrity in Rutland Div 3 ended up looking a good result.

So now to the Active magazine cricketing awards for 2014.

Stamford ran them close, but team of the season has to be those cavaliers of Castle Hill, Uppingham Town. Not only for beating Oakham to the top spot in Division 3 of the Leicestershire League – and grabbing the bragging rights by doing the double over them in the process – but also for leading Rutland League 1 for most of the season, needing only a result at Peterborough to win it at time of writing.

They could be forgiven for wondering

aloud “Who was it that was supposed to be Rutland’s pre-eminent side again?” But not too loudly please lads.

The hard-luck story award goes jointly to Uppingham’s Scott Green and Burghley Park’s Nick Cowley. Green returned career-best bowling figures of five wickets for a paltry four runs against Ketton Lions in the T20 final, only to see the rain come down and wash his figures away as the match was abandoned, but wasn’t excused from buying his team-mates the statutory jugs of beer for a five-for.

The equally unfortunate Cowley thought he had narrowly escaped a ‘duck’ phaal but hadn’t. It’s a tradition at Burghley that the season ends with a team curry, and anyone registering a duck has to eat several spoonfuls of this impossibly hot concoction that burns at both ends, so Cowley was relieved that he’d flicked a ball off his legs for a single before being out next ball. What he’d not noticed, alas, was the umpire had wrongly signalled a leg bye, so an official duck it was. Hope you’ve recovered by now, Nick.

Burghley figure again, as winner of the

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most unlikely result award. Playing the last first team match of the season against Ufford Park, and with nothing at stake for either team, Burghley drew their batting order from a hat and were duly all out for 90 as a result, Ufford chastising them for their light-heartedness by reaching 63 for 3 by tea. Nobody’s quite sure exactly what happened next but Ufford’s last seven wickets fell for seven runs to give Burghley a comfortable 20-run victory.

“Both teams just stood around stunned at the end, not quite believing what had happened” said Park’s Chris Meadows.

Lastly, player of the season is a golden envelope that could only possibly contain one name. With a first team average of 97 at a run rate of 170 – and 39 wickets at 17 with the ball – how could you not win?

Step forward the wonder from Wymondham... Calvin Anthony Flowers of Oakham Town.

By the way, a heads-up to all you bowlers out there. His equally-talented brother is due to join him at the Lime Kilns next season. Be afraid, be very afraid. See you next spring.

New classes in November

across Leicestershire and Rutland

16/07/2014 09:22

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Football

Daniels go from underdogs to top dogs (but only briefly)

BY DEAN CORNISH

I

t’s been a strange start to the season for Stamford AFC. They started the season as 66/1 outsiders to win the league, but amazingly started the season so well that the bookies must have been thinking of sending in the dubious results panel to Wothorpe Road.

The Daniels started the season more like top dogs rather than underdogs, prompting some Daniels fans to start dreaming of promotion, which is always dangerous when you’re still in August.

David Staff’s side won their first five games of the campaign, starting off with a good win over Workington, and then cracking wins away at Matlock, Nantwich, Ashton, and a superb Bank Holiday comeback win over local rivals and big spenders King’s Lynn Town.

The win at Ashton was even more remarkable considering that kick-off had to be delayed by 25 minutes to wait for the Stamford team to turn up in taxis after the

team bus broke down on the M6. Those five wins put the Daniels four points clear at the top of the table, looking down over bigger footballing names such as FC United of Manchester, Ilkeston Town and Skelmersdale United.

Much of the early season form can be put down to some great form up front of Ryan Robbins who banged in six goals, in spite of starting the majority of games on the bench.

You just know that there’s a ‘but’ coming soon, and indeed you’re right.

Daniels fans were then given a stiff dose of reality when they were then stuffed 4-0 at home by Ilkeston Town, followed by a 2-1 away defeat at Ramsbottom United. As if that wasn’t bad enough, there followed a depressing 2-0 loss at home against league strugglers Barwell.

The Daniels will still undoubtedly be happy with picking up 15 points from their first eight games, but they will need to pick

their form back up if they’re to stop the slide back down the league.

Away from the league, Stamford have progressed in the FA Cup to the second qualifying round where they’ll face local rivals Grantham Town at home. The Daniels won their first qualifier away at Lincoln United with goals from Jordan Smith, Ryan Robbins and Nabil Shariff.

Grantham will pose a tougher test though, and they’ll be looking for revenge for being dumped out of the cup at the first stage last year by Stamford, who then went on to reach the fourth qualifying round in a memorable run.

Can the Daniels defeat Grantham again, and go one better this year and reach the first round proper?

What a great way that would be to open their new ground, which is nearing completion and should be open before the Christmas decorations go up.

If you’re interested in having an early

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look round, the club is opening the ground for visitors on the evening of September 26.

It’s been a difficult couple of seasons for Blackstones meanwhile, and they’ll be desperate to finish higher than their lowly 20th spot in Division One of the United Counties League last season.

Overall, they’ll be pleased with their start to the campaign although there have been some bizarre scores along the way.

Stones started the season losing 4-1 at home to Raunds Town, before beating Rushden & Higham 5-0, then losing 7-1 at home to Bugbrooke, then losing again 4-1 to Northampton Spencer before finding their feet in the league at about the same time the Daniels lost theirs.

Stones then won three games on the trot, including thrashing opponents away at Stewart & Lloyds Corby and at home to Irchester United.

Adam Scotcher has been in top form for Nick Andersen’s men, including four goals

Above

Nabil Shariff celebrates scoring against Lincoln United

in the game against Irchester. Stones are currently seventh in the league, with 12 points from eight games.

In the Peterborough League Premier Division, it’s been a mixed start for our local sides.

Oakham United have so far fared better than county rivals Uppingham Town who you’ll remember had a great start to last season, while Oakham most certainly didn’t.

They currently lie sixth in the division with four wins, a draw and two losses from their opening seven games. They won their opening four games, but lost their way slightly in September.

Uppingham are languishing in the bottom reaches of the division meanwhile, with just two wins from their opening eight league games. Their wins have come at

home over Leverington, and a great away 4-0 win over Peterborough Sports reserves.

They’ll hope to improve their form in the busy coming weeks, with some big games on the horizon at Todd’s Piece.

In Division One, both Ketton and Ryhall have started well. Ketton are currently third having won five of their opening seven games, whilst Ryhall are fifth with four wins from six games.

Both will be gunning for promotion to the Prem this season. The big game between them both should have taken place in Magaluf rather than Ryhall, having taken place on August 12, but it was Ketton who were celebrating in Central rather than BCMs after their 3-2 away win.

Meanwhile in Division One, the relegated Stamford Bels have lost their opening two games away at Thorney and at home to Spalding reserves. Let’s hope the Bels can find their form and bounce back to Division One.

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Rugby

Oaks stake a claim for a strong future

BY JEREMY BESWICK

S

ome illustrious names from Oakham’s past came to share in what promises to be its bright future at a ceremony to mark the official opening of the new clubhouse and ground. Lewis Moody, Rory Underwood and Matt Hampson were there, together with stalwart ex-players in a total attendance of around 300.

I dragged myself away from the canapés to collar Lewis – 71 England caps and a World Cup winner – and asked him about his time playing for the Oaks, for whom he’d started as a 14 year-old. ”My fondest memory is of the camaraderie. They were a great bunch, a good cross-section of people and this has always been a community club. It was a completely different proposition from playing in the school side – they really helped me as a young man and made me what I was both as a player and as an individual”.

Praise indeed. It was a theme he returned to in his speech, recounting a time when the club entered a sevens competition with only eight players in the squad and reached the final despite losing one to injury in the early rounds, and were soon down to six in that final due to some badly torn ankle ligaments. “But we still thought we could win it with only six – that’s how strong the esprit de corps was. In fact, I don’t remember if we did prevail or not, but it was never just about the result but the taking part”. He then raised a round of hearty laughter with “Also, after about 20,000 concussions in my rugby career sadly my memory’s not what it was”.

Rory Underwood, 85 caps in the era before professionalism and – here’s a trivia question for you - still England’s all-time record try scorer, had helped out at the club with the mini and junior section after leaving RAF Cottesmore. He looked around him and told me “This is some step up. The

changing rooms are absolutely fantastic. I know they still have hundreds of kids running around here on a Sunday. It makes a huge difference to any club.”

Doubtless some of us will miss the venerable but shabby Portakabin and the communal bath at the old ground, but if you haven’t been down to Showground Way yet get yourself there one Saturday afternoon soon. As chairman Simon Harries says: “This place is very special and we’re looking forward to the many exciting years here to come.” President Keith Crellin, who is a key driving force behind the club’s progression, was similarly upbeat. “All our lunches and games for this season are already sponsored. We’re one of the best supported clubs in Leicestershire.

Let’s shout it out - come on the Oaks”.

Will their performances on the field this season match the quality of the facilities?

Having reluctantly agreed to transfer to the southern division of their league as part of

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Tigers talk A sense of déjà vu at Richard Cockerill’s first press conference as injuries are first up on the agenda. Ed Slater has had surgery on a torn anterior cruciate ligament and, according to Cockers, “If you’re a betting man he’s going to miss the whole season”. A blow for Slater, who’d been appointed Tigers captain.

Do Tigers have enough cover? “Yes, if the others stay fit. If we need to go into the marketplace we will.” Let’s hope this isn’t the beginning of another season like last when the injury toll seemed never ending.

With his peerless talent for mixed metaphors, Cockers went on: “We do seem to keep getting the muddy end of the stick but we’ll play the cards we’ve been dealt as best we can.”

On a brighter note Tom Cro is fit again a er a minor blip when he hurt his shoulder, and All-Blacks legend Brad Thorn will be ready in October. Will we be seeing that other new signing, the huge and Mohican-

haired Laurence Pearce, in the side anytime soon? Cockerill had previously said “Laurence Pearce is an ambitious young back-rower who we feel can benefit from our environment and realise his potential working with a group of quality forwards here.” But, clearly feeling this was a somewhat less formal interview, said: “I’ve told him he needs to do two things before he plays. Lose 5 kilos and get a hair cut”.

Glad to see the injury worries haven’t

a rebalancing exercise by the RFU, their opponents this term remain largely an unknown quantity. However, Oaks put down a marker by hiring Ian “Dosser” Smith as coach. The former Tigers flanker will surely be looking to improve Oaks’ scrum, an area which has sometimes been their Achilles’ heel, especially as the likes of Leicester Forest and Peterborough have formidable packs. If only he can get his son Matt to make the odd guest appearance...

That scrum stood up well in the first game of the season against Market Harborough. As Harborough finished mid-table last year, this was always going to be a revealing pointer to the strength of this division and it turned out to be a positive result for the Oaks who ran out 20-10 winners.

It’s all change at Stamford, too. Alas we won’t be seeing them play Oakham this season – at least in the league – so there’ll be no repeat of last year’s closely-fought derbies.

Coaches Richard Mardling and David Laventure also left during the close season

and have been replaced by Stef Arlow, latterly of Peterborough Lions, so we have another compelling story to watch unfold at Empingham Road. Pre-season was not reassuring, with losses to Melton and Oundle in friendlies and Nottingham Casuals in the cup, but with so many changes to personnel and a new system of playing perhaps that was to be expected, and as Arlow pointed out many key players had been missing. They will have been immensely reassured by beating Ashby 36-25 in their opening league fixture.

Stamford College Old Boys lost both their first two games, 14-32 away in a friendly to Bingham and 5-46 at home to Brackley. Bingham, who play in the league above College, was a physical affair and the Old Boys lost captain John Hickman to an ankle injury in the first half, but there were encouraging signs as Carl Walker scored a great team try and, with an eye to the future, youngsters Dan Smith and Elliot Moss impressing in their first senior game.

Deepings got what can only be described as a good old fashioned tonking at St Neots,

affected his sense of humour – as yet. It’s another tough start to the season but as he said: “It’s OK really, better than being a journo anyway”. Thanks Cockers.

Later I sat down with Aussie flanker Julian Salvi (pictured) and asked him how pre-season had been: “The new guys have gelled quickly. Brad has fitted in really well.

It’ll be a massive achievement for him to make his Premiership debut at 39. Having played against him I know what an asset he’s going to be.”

What were his aspirations for this year: “We haven’t been given an objective for the season – although playing for Tigers you know you’ve got to win trophies – but Cockers is playing it game by game. What’s important is he sees improvement every time.” And for him personally? “Keep the jersey. Consistency. Stamp your mark on each and every game. What I do as a flanker o en goes unseen, but hopefully not by the coaching staff.” I remind him that it can’t be that unseen, having been the supporters’ player of the year two seasons ago.

by 60-0. They’ve lost a couple of players in the close season but veteran Nick Coupland has returned to the side, contributing his fair share to the combined age of their front row – 110, since you ask.

With so much change before the new season only an idiot would be tempted to make any predictions for the coming year.

Therefore, I have no hesitation in offering the following forecasts: Oakham to finish second and Stamford fourth. Stamford College Old Boys and Deepings will both have challenging times and do well to reach mid-table, but they’ll have enormous fun doing it. Stoneygate, who at time of writing were yet to play their opening league fixture, will finally lose a league match after five years – having been given a double promotion – but still manage a top-four finish.

Last but definitely not least, the women who are Deepings Devils – having been promoted for the second time in a row last term – started their campaign in Championship Midlands 2 with a highly creditable 32-17 win against Worcester.

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19/09/2014 17:25

Roundup

Equestrianism

Burghley: amazing and entertaining as always

BY JULIA DUNGWORTH

W

What an amazing Burghley.

Andrew Nicholson was never going to leave without a fight and he won and in style. Andrew was fourth after the dressage and he must have been a little worried, as his previous week’s team-mate from the World Equestrian Games, Jock Paget, was in the lead. The New Zealander didn’t have the best time at the World Games and Jock, as with many others, entered Burghley as a back-up in case anything went wrong.

Sam Griffiths, fresh from a Badminton win, and William Fox-Pitt were also in front of Andrew after the dressage and to be honest, it was just the four of them fighting it out all the way.

All four of them put in exemplary cross-country rounds, with William being slightly slower than usual and although it caused its usual problems, it was almost a race to make the time between the top few.

Both local riders Simon Grieve and Kerry Varley however also pulled off clear rounds, but both had time penalties in the 50s.

Show jumping day almost lulled you into thinking they were all going to jump clear if

you just watched the top 10, with some early classy clears, but as it got nearer the climax, the tension mounted and poles started falling, namely for Oliver Townend, who dropped from third to eighth with four down. Sam also had one down, but both Andrew and Jock jumped a clear.

Burghley also played host to the Dubarry Young Event Horse classes and Pony Club jumping on the Thursday and Friday. The Pony Club jumping attracts clubs from all around the country. This year was a very popular win for the local Belvoir Pony Club.

The Burghley Pony Club was represented and Rachel Dinwoodie from Tallington was the only one in the team to jump a double clear. Rachel has been on flying form and the weekend before she ran her new horse Lisfrank in their first BE90 at Keysoe and finished a very respectable third.

The Belvoir Hunt also kicked off the Team Chasing season at Garthorpe. They were over-subscribed on entries with more intermediate entries than ever before. They run a fun class and a pairs in the morning, then the bigger classes operate from lunch time, and with four in a team going pretty

much flat out over some very formidable hedges, it’s fast becoming a good spectator sport too. There are horses literally everywhere and as you can imagine they also get there fair share of fallers. Luckily they mainly have a soft landing due to it running over the wetter part of the year.

JumpCross had a competition the same weekend and hit the headlines for a different reason. Regular competitor Margo Sly from Deeping had a fall on the flat and lost consciousness. The air ambulance popped in to to see if she was OK – I think Margo was hoping to see Prince William!

Margo’s fall did give Rebecca Bullock another win in the group 3, and JumpCross then decided not to run the Group 2 after a long hold. They also ran a very popular grassroots section, which was won by Chloe Jones and the junior section by Charlotte Rathbone. Katie Webster won both the Junior Intro and Junior Group 3 Class.

Wittering Riding Academy also started its winter dressage league and it’s not too late to join in the action with many more competitions planned. For more information, go to www.witteringacademy. com for the rest of the dates.

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5,000 visitors enjoy Rutland Day Five thousand people headed to the Sykes Lane shores of Rutland Water last month to make the most of the fresh air and enjoy a family day out at the sixth annual Rutland Day. This year’s event, hosted by Anglian Water, was more popular than ever, attracting visitors from the local area as well as Cambridgeshire, the Midlands and further afield, to enjoy the live music, activities, entertainment and cooking demonstrations.

The shores of the water park were busy throughout the day as crowds soaked up the music from local bands.

The introduction of the new sports arena was a great success with demonstrations of rugby, judo, nordic walking, zumba, netball, fly fishing and football throughout the day. There were plenty of other activities to keep everyone entertained with the speed gun challenge proving popular for all ages.

The event also showcased the very best of Rutland’s produce with the Food and Drink Festival, including over 20 different stalls and producers selling everything from sweet desserts to wonderful game pies and local meats.

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19/09/2014 18:18

Are you ready for the game season?

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20/07/2012 09:20 12:37 22/07/2012

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