Active Magazine // South Leicestershire // August 2017

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ISSUE 28 // AUGUST 2017

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HOW TO… South Leicestershire’s sport and lifestyle magazine

Find sexy, but comfy, shoes!

Stay in a castle Catch and dress crab

Six Sensational Weeks of Summer How to fill the holidays with great activities ISSUE 28 // AUGUST 2017

Stars of tomorrow school sports focus

Holi-Days The benefits of holistic massage

www.theACTIVEmag.com 08

Luxury British-made Leather Bags and Furniture

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Editor’s Letter WHEN I WAS SEVEN, I BROKE MY LEG crashing a motorbike on the first day of the school holidays. The next six weeks were spent in a makeshift bed in the sitting room in front of the TV (in those days we only had one TV, naturally) but despite the pain and the hip-high plaster I got to watch a most remarkable summer, when Ian Botham put the Aussies to the sword in one of the all-time great sporting comebacks. He was a hero before that summer, but after that nobody could match him.

The memory came back to me while putting this issue together because of the impending school holidays and thoughts of what on earth we’re going to do with the kids for the stretch, but also because the issue of TV on sport has come up recently.

Both golf and cricket are reporting a stark drop-off in the number of kids participating. Clearly a wide range of social and economic pressures and influences come to bear, but without a doubt the fact that these sports are not seen on terrestrial television has a huge influence.

The stars of those games are hidden behind a paywall, which is great for the money coming into the sports but dreadful for them being woven into everyday lives. As a result of being subscriber only and buried in a menu of about 700 channels, they become events to watch rather than a passing interest.

When I was a kid, the TV might have been on in the background and with an attention span of about 30 seconds, I might have watched an over or a hole, but then it was out into the garden to re-enact these things in my mind for the next three hours. It was the same with football: I remember Spurs, my then-team, in the 1982 FA Cup final. I managed to watch about five minutes then spent the rest of the game in the garden with my cousin playing our own version.

TV coverage was the basis of a love of sport and the foundation of hero worship, but it was the catalyst, not the whole thing. So it’s great to hear that there will be more terrestrial coverage of cricket and golf in the next few years, because kids react to what they see and then take it, and shape it, in their own way. Only by seeing, being inspired, and then doing, will we get more children into sport.

Enjoy the issue! Steve

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

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, Jeremy Beswick, Julia Dungworth Photographers Nico Morgan, Pip Warters Production assistant Gary Curtis Advertising sales Lisa Withers lisa@theactivemag.com Amy Roberts amy@theactivemag.com Editorial and Advertising Assistant Kate Maxim kate@theactivemag.com Accounts accounts@theactivemag.com Active magazine, The Grey House, 3 Broad Street, Stamford, PE9 1PG. Tel: 01780 480789

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. ISSN 2059-8513 A Grassroots Publishing Limited company. Company registration number 7994437. VAT number 152717318 Disclaimer

Copyright (c) Grassroots Publishing Limited (GPL) 2016. 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.

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Contents ACTIVE LIFE

ISSUE 28 /// AUGUST 2017

22

11 WHAT’S ON

Great things to do locally for all the family

13 HOW TO...

Catch and dress crabs

16-17 RIVERFORD RECIPE

This month we cook a chilli with a twist

19 TRAVEL

Enjoy a Great British staycation

FEATURES 22-29 SCHOOL’S OUT!

The best activities to avert summer holiday boredom

31 MARTIN JOHNSON’S COLUMN

Why British sports fans beat the rest – come rain or shine

ACTIVE BODY 37 WATER BABIES

Get your children comfortable and confident in the water

38 KIT BAG

The latest essential running gear

42-43 THE FINISHING TOUCHES

Tips and products to help you look great on holiday

ACTIVE LOCAL

56

46 DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

Foxton Locks museum manager Penny Arscott

48-49 CHALLENGE UPDATES...

How our intrepid fund-raisers are faring

50-53 STARS IN THE MAKING

We report on the largest schools sport competition locally

54-55 ON YOUR BIKE!

A great cycling route from Rutland Cycling

56-57 GREAT WALKS

Taking in Buckminster and Sproxton

59-61 SCHOOL SPORTS

Successes on the field from our local schools

64-66 ROUND-UP

How clubs in the area are faring

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54

CHARTLANDS, BRUNTINGTHORPE

Guide £750,000

CHARTLANDS IS A PROMINENT VILLAGE HOUSE, SITUATED ON A GENEROUS PLOT IN THIS WELL REGARDED VILLAGE. ACCOMMODATION INCLUDES THREE RECEPTION ROOMS, KITCHEN/DINING ROOM, FIVE BEDROOMS AND TWO BATHROOMS. THE GARDENS ARE EXTENSIVE, PRIVATE AND IMMACULATELY PRESENTED WITH FORMAL AREAS, LAWN AND PATIO IDEAL FOR ENTERTAINING AND CHILDREN, AND A LARGE VEGETABLE GARDEN. A GENEROUS DRIVEWAY PROVIDES PARKING FOR MULTIPLE VEHICLES AND A DETACHED DOUBLE GARAGE. EPC: D

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Activelife

Activelife IT’S HOLIDAY TIME SO ENJOY THE DELIGHTS OF BRITAIN... CATCHING AND DRESSING CRABS, FIELD MICE GALORE, A DELICIOUS SMOKY SAUSAGE CHILLI RECIPE AND WHAT’S GOING ON LOCALLY Edited by Mary Bremner

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Activelife

FUN AT BLASTON There was much to celebrate at the 60th Blaston show. More than 3,500 people enjoyed a range of countryside activities from cattle and sheep displays to equestrian classes to vintage tractors.

Around 40 vintage tractors were on show along with much more modern equipment. There was terrier racing and tugs of war and a great time was had by all.

BOXERS’ BOUNTY The members of Kings Heath Boxing Club in Northampton have recently won best team at the Haringey Box Cup and took home five gold medals. The club is a very small one, run on a shoestring with two volunteer coaches, so their achievement is all the more remarkable.

As the competition was for amateurs there is no prize money so the club received funding from The Travers Foundation to help them attend the competition. The foundation is a volunteer led charity that helps 13-30 year olds living in Northamptonshire, Rutland or Leicestershire improve their skills in sports and the creative and performing arts. www.travers-foundation.org.uk

Like minded people Clikd is a new creative app for meeting people where you call the shots – photographic ones that is.

This app isn’t about looks but what you are interested in. Each user picks five things they are interested in, from arts to sports, and Clikd then send you daily recommendations of people who feel the same. You then answer three questions sent by that person and if you get two out of three right you are put in touch with each other to chat – you’ve ‘Clikd’.

Photography is a key element of the app that has been designed to appeal to people who love design, art and creativity. Why not give it a go?

8 A U G U S T 2 0 17 ///

Archway wins an award Archway Health Hub on Lubenham Hill in Market Harborough has been named as the best complementary health centre in Leicestershire. Archway came out on top in the Muddy Stilettos Awards that celebrates the most unique, interesting local businesses in England. Set up in 1997 by Harborough couple Alex and Stella Welton, Archway Health Hub offers a range of services including acupuncture, reflexology, reiki, chiropractic and much more.

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For a FREE valuation please contact us on 0116 222 7575 or e-mail us at email@readingspropertygroup.com

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48 Granby Street, Leicester LE1 1DH www.readingspropertygroup.com *Quote ACTIVE when you enquire. Ts&Cs apply.

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Activelife

WHAT’S ON There’s lots going on in your area this month, why not try some of these?

■ Leicestershire County Show will be held this year on August 26 and 27. Following the success of last year, when more than 12,000 visitors attended, the show will be held for the second time at the new 75-acre site just outside Market Harborough.

■ The Smartest Giant in Town is an outdoor theatre production by Folksy Theatre that is being performed on August 19 at 1am and 2pm at the Amphitheatre at Brocks Hill Country Park. Bring your own picnic, blankets and chairs to enjoy the show. www.folksytheatre.co.uk ■ There is a free public exhibition at Leicester University’s School of Museum Studies at 19 University Road of internationally celebrated artworks. All the artists have

loaned their works to the students who have put the exhibition together. It runs until October 27.

■ There’s lots going on at Brocks Hill Country Park in Oadby this month to coincide with the summer holidays. On August 16 you can go pond dipping to find out more about the amazing creatures that live in the water. www.brocks-hill.co.uk ■ The long summer holidays are bad for your children’s health apparently. To keep them moving and active, so keeping their fitness levels up, get them out and about this month. Bradgate Park in the Charnwood Forest just outside Leicester is one of many places locally to enjoy some active fun.

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Activelife

HOW TO…

CATCH A CRAB

Catching crabs on a line off the quayside in Norfolk is what childhood is all about. And who knows, you may catch one large enough to cook…

Tie your bait (raw bacon is good) to the end of your line.

Tie one end of a 5-6 foot line firmly to your stick.

Wait for the tug of the crab eating your bait.

Drop your bait into the water and hold on tight to your stick.

Swing the line out, be brave and unhook the crab, then drop it into the bucket of sea water you have alongside you.

If the crabs aren’t large enough to eat, return them to the sea to grow a bit bigger.

HOW TO…

How to dress a crab Once the crab is cooked and cooled, crack the claws and legs with a hammer or nutcracker then poke out all of the white meat into a bowl using a skewer. If you want to serve the meat in the shell break off the jagged rim from around the underside of the shell, remove and discard the small stomach sac to be found just behind the mouth, scoop out the brown meat and put in a separate bowl. Wash the shell well and dry it. Season both meats with salt and pepper and shred the white meat if necessary. Place a strip of parsley down the centre of the shell and place white meat on one side and brown on the other. Serve with fresh salad and mayonnaise.

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D A IS DV VA CO A ILA U N N C E BL T TI E CK ET S

TICKE AVAIL TS AB ONLIN LE E!

O

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BOSWORTH

MEDIEVAL 19 & 2

Launde Abbey

Open daily for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea

festival

0 August 2017

Visit our website for maps and routes at www.laundeabbey.org.uk Launde Abbey, East Norton, Leicestershire LE7 9XB T: 01572 717254 I E: info@launde.org.uk Charity No: 1140918

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9.30am to 5.30pm

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www.bosworthbattlefield.org.uk Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, Sutton Cheney, CV13 0AD 01455 290429

Cyclists and walkers very welcome Why not start your walk or ride at Launde then reward yourself with a delicious lunch at the end?

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Enjoy a great day out in the countryside

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11/11/2016 10:56

21/07/2017 10:12

Activelife

NATURE

THE WOOD MOUSE Our most common and widespread wild rodent, there is estimated to be one wood mouse for every two people in the British Isles. Not to be confused with the house mouse that has smaller ears, hind feet and tail.

Sandy brown fur with white/grey undersides, they have protruding eyes, large ears and a long tail.

Found mainly in woodland and fields but incredibly adaptable so often seen in gardens. Mainly nocturnal, but not unusual to see them in daylight. Heavily predated by owls, domestic cats, foxes, stoats, weasels and birds of prey most adults rarely survive a year. Prolific breeders with four to seven young born to successive pregnancies, from March to October.

THE GREEN WOODPECKER Our largest woodpecker, the size of a collared dove, is recognised by its pointed bill, short stout tail and undulating flight. It is dark green above with a yellow rump and pale green under parts. The crown is red with a black patch around the eye. A moustache like stripe is red and black in the male and black in the female.

The call, a loud ringing laugh (yaffle), draws attention to its presence.

The green woodpecker is a widespread resident of woodland, parkland, old pasture with mature trees and golf courses as well as large, rural gardens. Its range locally has doubled over the past 20 years as young plantations have matured and milder winters have enabled it to forage for ants – a favourite food, throughout the year.

A new nest hole is excavated each year, high in a mature tree. Wood chips scattered below show the progress of the excavation but until the young are well grown and calling for food many

nests remain undetected. Green woodpeckers are noisy birds, especially when they have newly fledged young. Juveniles look rather reptilian with a greyer, streaked and more mottled plumage. Quarry Farm at Stamford and Fort Henry usually provide good views of this species.

Terry Mitcham

Clover Clover is a member of the pea family and is found throughout Europe. Extensively cultivated as a fodder plant it is popular with farmers both as a grass crop or cover crop as it fixes nitrogen. White or red flowers are common which are very popular with bees; honey clover being abundant at certain times of the year. There is always a chance of finding a four-leafed clover, which is considered lucky. The shamrock, the traditional Irish symbol, is commonly associated with clover.

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Activelife

1 6 AUGUS T 2017 ///

SMOKY SAUSAGE AND PEPPER CHILLI WITH RED RICE, SOURED CREAM AND CHIVES 1

INGREDIENTS

125g red rice 1 onion 1 red pepper 1 fresh chilli 1 large garlic clove 2 pork and herb sausages Oil for frying 15g fresh chives ½ tin red kidney beans Chilli spice pot containing 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp dried coriander, ½ tsp smoked sweet paprika 1 tin chopped tomatoes Salt and pepper 1 lime ½ pot of soured cream

METHOD

● Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water.

Transfer to saucepan and cover with plenty of water and heat until boiling, then simmer for 35 minutes until cooked. ● Peel and finely dice the onion. Cut the red pepper into 2cm dices then finely chop the chilli (leave the seeds in if you want more heat). Peel and finely chop the garlic clove. ● Remove the skins from the sausages and roughly crumble or chop the meat (1). Heat 1tbsp oil in a heavy based pan and fry the

RECIPE BOXES Riverford recipe boxes are a simple and inspiring way to cook. Every week, we deliver everything you need to make three tasty organic meals. Inside each box, you’ll find the freshest, seasonal organic produce, step-by-step recipe cards and all the ingredients in exact quantities.

The recipes are quick to cook and ideal for weeknights – most are ready in under

sausage meat to lightly brown it. Transfer to a plate (2). ● Add the onion and red pepper to the same pan, with a splash more oil. Cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes (3). Add a splash of water if it looks like catching. ● Meanwhile snip enough chives so you have 3 tbsp worth. Rinse the kidney beans in a colander.

2

● Add the chilli, garlic and chilli spice pot to the onions and peppers, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes, kidney beans and sausage meat. ● Season, stir and bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Stir often to prevent the bottom of the pan catching. Add a splash of water if necessary.

Drain the rice once cooked. Check the seasoning in the chilli once cooked. Squeeze in a little lime juice to taste.

3

●

● Mix the chopped chives with about half a pot of soured cream and serve with the chilli and rice, sprinkled with the rest of the chives.

Tip: If you have any leftover chilli save it to have with a baked sweet potato the next day.

45 minutes. Think well balanced and nutritious, with a few treats thrown in. Our cooks come up with nine new recipes every week, so there is always plenty of choice.

There are three different varieties of recipe box - choose from vegetarian, quick, or original. A box for two people ranges in price from £33 for the vegetarian box, to £39.95 for the quick and original boxes. Delivered straight to your door, with everything you need to cook

included, generous portion sizes, and three delicious meals per box they offer great value for money.

No waste. No missing the vital ingredient. All you have to do is cook.

Visit: www.riverford.co.uk/recipebox to

find out more or call 01803 762059.

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www.leicesterrunningshop.co.uk 21/04/2017 16:56

Activelife

TRAVEL

BEAUTIFUL BRITAIN August is the month of summer holidays with many people jumping on a plane and heading to the sun. The only problem with that is the hassle of hanging around in an airport for hours and the stress of delays and queues.

One option is to holiday in this country instead. Pack the car, grab the kids and the dog and explore Britain. What could be more delightful than a cottage by the sea, a ramble in the Lake District or exploring a city you’ve never visited before?

There are so many beautiful, interesting places to visit in Britain and (if the weather is kind) no better place to be. If you are interested in staying in architecturally interesting properties, many of which are off the beaten track, try The Landmark Trust – a charity which rescues buildings of historical and architectural interest and makes them available as holiday accommodation. For the more active with young children, Center Parcs is always a favourite.

Fancy a castle? We’ve found the perfect website where you can take your pick (see below). The beauty of a staycation in Britain is that there is so much choice, fabulous scenery and history and – yes - everyone speaks English!

USEFUL WEBSITES www.historic-uk.com www.landmarktrust.org.uk www.centerparcs.co.uk www.visitbritain.org

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12 St Leonard’s Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 2HN

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13/06/2017 11:17

Activelife

SEPTEMBER MEANS BURGHLEY The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials are galloping back into town next month. The trials, one of the best known three-day events in the country, will be held at Burghley House near Stamford from August 31 to September 3. More than 150,000 visitors are expected to attend the trials and enjoy the four days of competition in the beautiful parkland.

But the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials aren’t just about horses. There are more than 600 trade stands selling everything from cars to cashmere to jewellery, as well as everything an equestrian would need, a must for the early Christmas shopper and heaven for the keen shopper. And don’t forget the food aisles where there are many culinary delights on offer, as well as lots of catering outlets offering delicious delicacies.

The four days of competition is set to be fiercely contested this year with around 80 of the world’s best horses and riders competing for the £90,000 prize pot. The dressage runs over the Thursday and Friday, and is fascinating to watch. Saturday sees the ever popular cross-country phase with Sunday being show jumping day with riders heading to the main arena hoping to take the title of Land Rover Burghley 2017 champion.

Early bird discounts and flexi admission tickets are available for Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk to find out more.

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Feature /// School’s out

SIX SENSATIONAL WEEKS OF SUMMER How to keep your kids busy, not bored, over the summer holidays

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WITH THE LONG six-week summer holidays starting, the kids are usually very excited and looking forward to the break. However, the dreaded phrase “I’m bored” can soon rear its ugly head unless you’ve got plenty planned.

Charity Action for Children is highlighting the damaging effects that this extended annual break can have on children’s long-term physical and mental health if they don’t find ways to keep active.

The Government recommends that children get 60 minutes of physical activity every day – that’s exercise that will get you out of breath, not just a gentle stroll – but only around one in five children meet this target. Even this level of activity can decline when children are out of school, because they miss out on the structured physical activity that schools provide and spend an increased amount of time indoors and using technology such as tablets and phones.

Carol Iddon, managing director of children’s services at the charity, said: “Technology can be an amazing tool but it’s important for families to maintain a balance and include other activities – particularly if those activities also encourage quality family time. The positive physical and mental benefits that this can have on a child are huge - from helping to combat weight issues to building relationships where children can communicate more freely with their parents making them less susceptible to bullying or abuse outside the home.”

Researchers from the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR) at the University of Cambridge have studied how the amount of physical activity that children achieve in and out of school changes over time, and have shown how the structure of the school day can support physical activity in a way that is more difficult to achieve out of school.

The impact of a lack of activity has farreaching consequences beyond the obvious physical ones. Dr Esther van Sluijs, group leader at CEDAR added: “It’s very important that children regularly put down their screens and go out and do something physical. Physical activity during childhood is associated with better mental health, wellbeing and social skills as well as better academic performance.”

With nearly a quarter of parents admitting that they struggle to limit their children’s screen time what can be done to encourage children to drop their technology and join in with some family fun?

Action for Children has compiled a guide to six fun activities that you can do as a family:

WHY DON’T YOU…

Hold a family sports day In a recent poll, sport was one of the top three activities children said they wanted to do with their parents, so why not turn an area of your garden or your local park into your very own sporting arena? Hold a running race, beanbag throw, mini hurdles or go retro with a game of rounders.

take part in a dance off. Use a torch as a strobe light and boogie away.

WHY DON’T YOU…

Build a den Construct a tee-pee down the park from fallen branches or use trees in the back garden to hang some sheets off or just drag out a large cardboard box and some pillows. Either way construct your den which can then be home for a game of hide and seek.

WHY DON’T YOU…

Take a dog for walkies If you don’t have a dog of your own offer to walk one for your friends or neighbours then get walking. Who knows what new places you might discover?

WHY DON’T YOU…

Get on your bike Check out the National Trust website (www. nationaltrust.org.uk) for a list of family-friendly bike rides. Don’t have your own bikes? Borrow from a friend or hire from your nearest bike shop – try britishbikehire.co.uk.

WHY DON’T YOU…

Go on a nature treasure hunt Make a map with a list of ‘treasure’ on it that the family has to tick off and find – oak trees, a stream, daisies, fields of cows are just a few ideas – and then head off for a family hike and see who can be the first to find them all.

WHY DON’T YOU …

Have a dance off One for indoors when you inevitably have those rainy days. Everyone takes a turn to man the CD player and watch as the rest of the family

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Feature /// School’s out

FUN TO BE HAD NEARBY Our guide to the best holiday happenings in the local area

RUTLAND WATER

There is a lot going for kids at Rutland Water Park this summer holiday. This year there is cycling for the tots at Sykes Lane for the first time, either having fun on a themed balance bike in the Strider Adventure Zone, or learning to ride for the first time at Rutland Cycling, Whitwell, before heading out on a cycling adventure around the park.

Of course, as always there is a huge variety of watersports: even 10-year-olds can enjoy a powerboat course, while there is stand-up paddleboarding too.

And the expanded Aqua Park is once again a must not miss attraction at Whitwell – just make sure you book before you go to avoid disappointment.

For a more leisurely time, there’s mini golf at Sykes Lane, and the beach too, with the opportunity for a barbecue on the grass area behind it on a beautiful summer’s evening after a day in the sun. rutlandwaterinfo@anglianwater.co.uk

LEICESTER TIGERS

If you’re quick, you might be able to secure a place on Leicester Tigers’ summer residential camp.

Led by a top team of Tigers coaches, these

2 4 AUGUS T 2017 ///

residential camps are a must for any young rugby player.

Essential for any under 13 and under 18 age groups, the five-day rugby camp is designed to help young players improve in all areas of their game in a focused and dedicated rugby environment.

With players from around the UK and overseas joining it, participants will learn what it takes to become a professional player and discover more about the Tigers Academy and performance pathways.

Each day, players will receive up to five hours of training covering core skills, strength and conditioning sessions as well as food and entertainment throughout the week. It takes place at Bishop Burton College, Hull, from August 6-11.

If you can’t make that, there are plenty of other Tigers rugby camps offering tag rugby for U7s to U8s running for half-days from 9.30am to 12.30pm, and contact rugby opportunities for U9s onwards running for full-days from 9.30am to 3.30pm each day.

As part of the camp, kids get a Leicester Tigers rugby camp t-shirt, rugby ball and drinks bottle, free membership to the Junior Tigers Club and a free junior ticket to an allocated home game. Camps are taking place at:

South Leicestershire Market Harborough RFC – Aug 14-18 Lutterworth RFC – Aug 21-25 Wider Leicestershire Ratcliffe College – Aug 7-11 Coalville RFC – Aug 14-18 Outside of Leicestershire Lincoln RFC – Aug 7-11 North Walsham RFC – Aug 7-11 Market Rasen & Louth RFC – Aug 14-18 Trent College (Notts) – Aug 21-25 Leamington RFC – Aug 29-Sept 1

get involved in anything from campfire cooking and clay craft to jewellery making and shelter building. It’s a great opportunity for socialising, getting outdoors, having some fun and learning lots along the way!

Dates available are August 14-18 and 21-25 and prices and further information can be found on the Nene Park Trust website, www. neneparktrust.org.uk alongside a range of other events during the summer holidays.

FUNKY LITTLE FEET

OAKHAM CASTLE

Everyday throughout the summer holidays Oakham Castle has – in addition to its usual free dress up, toys and colouring in activities – water-themed free play.

It also runs daily miniature trails which are self-led tours of the castle in the form of a treasure hunt where children take a magnifying glass and solve clues written on tiny scrolls hidden around the castle and grounds.

On August 2 it has a wildlife themed play day to tie in with the national play day initiative, while on August 7 it will be running a filmmaking course in which children will make a stop motion film over the course of the day based on stories from the rich history of the castle.

On August 9, 16, 23 and 30 there are archery days, while August 11 is kids’ craft day with shield and crown making. August 17 sees a medieval obstacle course and games as well as horseshoe decorating crafts, August 21 is medieval tile making craft day, August 24 ‘all sheeps and sizes’, which is a day celebrating the humble sheep with rare and heritage breed sheep on show, wet and needle felting workshops as well as talks on textiles, dying and of course the sheep parade, and there is a family fun day on August 28 to round off a busy month at the castle. www.oakhamcastle.org

Funky Little Feet UK has created dance and fitness classes aimed specifically at families with a number of activities throughout August to go with its regular term-time classes.

On every Thursday in August it has teamed up with Fun Face Paints to run The Performing Arts Workshop for 5-11 year olds from 9.30-12.30 in Wittering, while every Friday throughout the month there are special Funky Little Families sessions in Wittering from 9.30-10.15am.

Aimed at babies from 12 weeks upwards, the classes are an opportunity for children and grown ups to come together and find the fun in movement. Each class allows parents to engage with and watch as their child finds the joy of moving with imagination, develops their confidence and grows into their personality.

Each class is age specific, carefully developed by experienced performing arts and dance specialists to provide your Funky Little one with a chance to learn to move with agility, balance confidently and most of all to find the fun in being active.

Call 07833 551493 or visit funkylittlefeet.weebly.com

RUTLAND CYCLING

Cycling is a great way to spend a family day out, enjoying the peaceful waterside trails, taking in the stunning scenery and stopping for a picnic en-route.

Family-run Rutland Cycling has been hiring bikes since 1981 – in fact, the company has hired more than one million over the years, so you know you are in safe hands.

With stores located at Whitwell and Normanton on the shores of Rutland Water, and more centres at Fineshade Wood, Grafham

Water, Pitsford Water, Peterborough and Cambridge, Rutland offers the widest choice of hire bikes in Europe: electric bikes, mountain and hybrid bikes, children’s bikes, tag-a-longs, buggies and extras including, helmets, child seats and comfy saddle covers.

Pick up the free children’s activity sheet from Whitwell store and pedal the eight-mile family trail or take on the challenge of the full lap of 17 miles. If you’ve still got the energy it’s well worth taking a detour around Hambleton Peninsula, only adding an extra six miles to the full lap!

It is advisable to book in advance during school holidays: online at www.rutlandcycling. com, by phone on 0330 555 0080, or in store.

Cycle hire prices start from £14.99 for adults / £7.99 for children (or a special rate of £8.99/£4.99 at Fineshade and Ferry Meadows).

A family cycling ticket is great value at £39.99, including two adults and two children.

STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE

Enjoy the summer holidays even more with Stamford Arts Centre’s children’s workshop.

There’s Printmaking with Nadyam in whch kids can explore different printing techniques and create their own printing block, screen prints and press-prints using a combination of methods with Lincolnshire-based artist Nadya Monfinoli, on August 2 from 10am-12.30pm or 1.30pm-4pm, costing £8 per child.

Ever fancied creating a Hogwarts style character and following in the footsteps of Harry, Ron and Hermione? Join Bailey and Burns Theatre to explore new characters through acting and movement, using fun and dynamic creative workshops.

This week-long opportunity for 8 to 16 year olds will include drama and dance sessions aimed at developing performance skills, leading towards a short performance for family and friends at the end of the week. Aug 7-10, 10am-5pm and Fri 11 August 11am-7pm, £100 per child.

Then there’s Singing For Fun on August 18 (10.30am-12pm, £6 per child) and a Pirates and Fairies Workshop on August 23 (10am-12pm or 1pm-3pm, £8 per child) www.stamfordartscentre.com

NATURE KIDS

Nature Kids is a fantastic two-week programme at Ferry Meadows Country Park, designed to provide children with the opportunity to take part in a range of themed events for an entire day.

Taking place across two weeks in August, the education team will lead groups of seven to 11-year-old children through a number of activities. They can sign up for any number of days, from one to the entire week (Monday to Friday). Each day will have a different theme including topics such as Ancient Greeks, forest science, survival day, woodland animals and much more.

The day is then split into a number of sessions, from 9.30am to 3pm, where kids can

/// AUGUS T 2017 2 5

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At the end of the agreement there are three options: i) own the vehicle: pay the optional final payment; ii) return the vehicle: subject to fair wear and tear, charges may apply; or iii) replace: part exchange the vehicle. *Available on Solutions Personal Contract Plan. **Payable with optional final payment. Subject to agreed annual mileage, excess mileage charges apply (incl. VAT). Further charges may be payable if vehicle is returned. Indemnities may be required. 18s and over. Subject to availability. Finance subject to status. Terms and conditions apply. Offer available when ordered by 30th September 2017 and registered by 31st December 2017. Offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer and may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Image used for illustrative purposes only. Accurate at time of publication [07/17]. Freepost Volkswagen Financial Services.

Standard EU Test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Official fuel consumption figures for the new model range in mpg (litres/100km): urban 29.4 (9.6) – 68.9 (4.1); extra urban 44.8(6.3) – 74.3 (3.8); combined 37.6 (7.5) – 72.4 (3.9). Combined CO2 emissions 102 – 180/km.

Active Magazine Golf Ad.indd 1

17/07/2017 17:05

Feature /// School’s out qualified and are experts in their chosen field; many also teach at Uppingham School. Prices range from £230 to £620, depending on the course and whether attending non-residentially or residentially.

Popular courses include Young Musicians’ Week for young orchestral musicians, Jazz Big Band Week, Musical Theatre Week for those who enjoy singing, dancing and the glamour of the West End stage, and Rock Upp!, a week of songwriting, recording and gigging for aspiring rock and pop musicians.

Also popular is the From Page to Stage drama programme and Sensational Science course, Art and Write Away and Get Write In creative writing courses.

Its new course sold out within weeks of launch last year. Sport is definitely not forgotten, and it runs various cricket, tennis, netball, rugby, hockey and football camps too. www.uppinghamsummerschool.co.uk.

UPPINGHAM SCHOOL SPORTS CENTRE NENE VALLEY RAILWAY

Nene Valley Railway is perhaps best known as the home to a bright blue locomotive named Thomas. He was built by Hudswell Clarke in 1947 at about the time when Rev W Awdry wrote his second book in which Thomas appeared. Thomas spent his entire working life at British Sugar’s Peterborough factory before coming to the railway in 1973.

His busy 2017 schedule will see him hosting his summer holiday event on August 12 and 13 and his branch line weekend on September 23 and 24. A single ticket covers all including bouncy castle at Wansford, face painting, children’s entertainer, games and fun on the platform at Wansford and, of course, unlimited rides behind Thomas and Friends. www.nvr.org.uk

TOM FLOWERS CRICKET COACHING

Tom Flowers Cricket Coaching is offering several coaching opportunities for children across the East Midlands. The summer holiday camps run for three days from 10am-4pm at a variety of venues in the local area.

Courses are led by Tom and his professional ECB coaching staff, and include batting, bowling, fielding and wicket keeping skills, plus games, competitions and prizes.

Tom said: “Our professional staff are passionate about cricket coaching and are dedicated to meeting the needs of every individual we work with. Improvement is inevitable when in a fun, safe and competitive environment, and we strive to maximise any individuals potential, from beginner to advanced.” www.tomflowerscricketcoaching.com or call 07815647892.

ROCKINGHAM CASTLE

The Vikings of Middle England are set to return to Rockingham Castle this August Bank Holiday (27-28) to recreate their famous and realistic displays. Enjoy the thrill of a live battle complete

with crashing swords and authentic costumes.

The castle will come alive with battles, pageantry and a living history village providing an immersive and educational environment for all the family to enjoy. Experience the sights, smells and sounds of a Viking encampment, set against the thrilling background of a battle scene.

Step back in time while meandering around the village, and observe craftsmen making weapons and coins, weaving nets and the healer brewing medicines for all those gory battlefield injuries. Experienced bowmen will be on hand to teach their skills, preparing all members of the family to hold their own in a Viking invasion. Against all this excitement, a quiet moment can be enjoyed listening to the storyteller weave fascinating tales to spark the imagination.

The event is open from 12 noon until 5pm.

The castle will be open from 1 pm, and last entry is at 4:30pm.

Keeping children entertained throughout the summer is a difficult task for any parent.

Swimming at Uppingham School Sports Centre is one way to keep the children active in an enjoyable, safe environment and parents can come too.

With various fun splash sessions throughout the summer, adults and children can enjoy a fun filled session with various floats in the pool, and can take advantage of a family swimming pass for £12 to use at these sessions.

Why not book a water walker activity at the centre for a group of children? Usually a children’s party favourite, the walk on water fun sessions can also be booked for small groups of children age eight and over.

There are also various dry activities available at the centre for both members and non members including Badminton, tennis and fit kids sessions. www.sportscentre.uppingham.co.uk or contact reception on 01572 820830.

UPPINGHAM SUMMER SCHOOL

Uppingham Summer School has been running a programme of residential and day courses in the heart of Rutland during the summer holidays for more than 15 years now; courses cover a multitude of different interests including music, drama, sport, science and technology, art and creative writing, and are aimed at children aged from seven and 18.

Course tutors and coaches are all highly

/// A U G U S T 2 0 17 2 7

Come and view our stunning new show homes

An impressive collection of one & two bedroom apartments and three & four bedroom houses, there’s a home for everyone at Oakthorpe from Kier Living. This exciting new development is perfectly situated in the cathedral city of Peterborough, which boasts a variety of attractions and amenities, as well as being just 50 minutes from London Kings Cross by train*.

Prices from ÂŁ149,995

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07864 997591 oakthorpe.sales@kier.co.uk

01733 311022 CGI of Cedar House indicative only. For more information on Help to Buy please speak to our Sales Executives. *Train times from Peterborough station, taken from nationalrail.co.uk

Untitled-9 1

13/07/2017 15:25

Feature /// School’s out

KITBAG

3.

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KIDS IN THE SUN 1. Boden boys’ sunglasses

2.

Calling all surfer dudes – these sunglasses are great for catching rays (and waves). The double contrasting arms are super colourful to complete your beach outfit. They come in a durable, printed travel case with a lens cloth attached so that you can keep them sand-free.

Price £9.10 From: Boden

2. Boden girls’ round sunglasses

4.

These bright shades shout ‘bring me sunshine’ and will add a pop of colour to all of your warm-weather outfits, from dresses to jeans.

You can take them everywhere too – they come in their own travel case with a handy lens cloth.

Price £9.10 From Boden

5.

3. Gap Sea Life board shorts

These funky sea-life print shorts come with faux drawcord ties and a comfy, elasticized waistband, on-seam pockets at front and a mesh lining. Being UPF 40+ helps protect skin from sun too.

Price £12.95 From Gap

6.

4. Boden girl’s printed swimsuit

Now it’s finally time to head to the seaside throw on this pretty swimsuit. The bright colours and fast-drying fabric make it just as essential as a bucket and spade. It even has UPF 50+ sun protection to help keep your skin safe.

Price £10.50-£16.00 From Boden

7.

5. Peppa Pig armbands

Learn to swim with Peppa! These armbands are the perfect aid, designed for children aged 2-6.

They feature dual air chambers and easy inflate valves for inflating and deflating.

Price £8 From Zoggs

9.

6. Girl’s straw hat

Who said kids’ beach wear can’t be superstylish? This woven paper straw with a dimpled crown and pleated chambray trim with all-over polka dots will suit the most fashion conscious kid.

Price £16.95 From Gap

8.

7. Boy’s athletic logo baseball hat

Boys aren’t often fans of hats, but this simple and comfortable cap will keep even the fussiest protected thanks to its smooth cotton twill construction and hook and loop strap.

Price £7.95 From Gap

8. Sandy Kids beach cape

The Sandy Kids Beach Cape is an essential for your little one’s beachwear. Made in a soft cotton blend with a hood and a kangaroo pocket, the cape will keep your child warm and comfortable after an underwater adventure.

Price £7.99 From Mountain Warehouse

9. Tribord 100 bodyboard

Designed for children aged 6 to 12 years in small waves, this lightweight bodyboard comes in pink or green, with an ergonomic grip and preformed front area for hand positioning.

Price £19.99 From Decathlon.co.uk

/// A U G U S T 2 0 17 2 9

Thomas’ Summer Holiday 13th & 14th August

Ride the nd behi of the r sta how s as!

Thom

Bring your little Thomas fan to join him on his exciting holiday weekend.

Ticket price includes: • Free unlimited rides behind Thomas • Bouncy castle • Activities coach • Miniature railway rides • Railcar rides • Unlimited train rides

Book online

Fun... Fun... Fun Don’t forget your sunglasses!

www.nvr.org.uk 01780 784444

or call on

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01780 686800

21/07/2017 10:28

Guest column

The best fans in the world, come rain or shine Martin Johnson reckons no other nation can compare to Britain when it comes to travelling and supporting sports stars If you happened to be in Nottingham during the recent Test match, catching the bus home after a tiring Saturday afternoon’s shopping, it’s not entirely possible that you’d have found yourself sitting next to a giraffe. Or a traffic cone.

Or Donald Trump. Attending the cricket in fancy dress has become such a tradition on Test match Saturday (and spreading so fast it will eventually embrace all five days) that the TV cameras spend more time on close ups of the crowd than they do on the players. “Eh up,” chortled commentator David Lloyd one day last summer. “I think I can see Usain Bolt with a giraffe’s head under his arm.”

You can still find small groups of hardcore traditionalists at Test matches, although they’re becoming a dying breed. There they are, sitting quietly in a flat cap, and opening the Tupperware container to tuck into a cheese sandwich while the players are trooping off for lunch, when some Roman gladiator falls giggling into their lap and slurs: “Go on, I give up. What have you come as then?”

The way the British deport themselves at major sporting events is pretty much unique. The French don’t behave the same way, for example. Anyone watching the Tour de France recently might have seen the odd beret in the crowd, but no-one would have spotted a Joan of Arc costume, or a bearded schoolgirl spilling his Pernod everywhere as the peleton blurred past.

Neither do you see, when the New Zealand rugby team runs out at Twickenham, an entire section of the crowd taken up with cheering Kiwis. However, when the Lions played the All Blacks in New Zealand earlier this summer, it was hard to tell at times which of the two teams was playing at home.

It’s the same with football. It goes like this. The England team releases a tuneless patriotic song before flying out to some distant place, performs like wallies, and when they’re 1-0 down to Baffin Land all you can hear is a massed chorus in homage to that well known Swedish barmaid “Inger Lund”.

The aeroplane, so it seems, was invented purely for the British sports fan. There was a time when a footie crowd consisted of people spinning rattles, drinking Bovril and throwing their flat caps in the air. But when the venues switched from Rochdale and Rotherham to Rome and Rio, the supporters changed too. So much so that wherever they go now, the local police reaches for the water cannon.

I

If you had to name one sporting event in Britain that couldn’t possibly be replicated anywhere else in the world, it would be Wimbledon. You get off the train at Southfields tube station, and you need all of Andy Murray’s delicate footwork to negotiate the mile walk to the All England Club, dodging all those sleeping bags and primus stoves. A night on the pavement is how far people are willing to go for a ticket, even if it ends up with them watching a Serb versus a Croat on court 15.

There’s nothing the British do better than queueing, and nowhere do they queue more enthusiastically than at Wimbledon. There’s always a queue to buy used tennis balls, which sell for some exorbitant price despite the fact that seven games of a men’s match will leave them balder than Andre Agassi.

A spectator’s willingness to endure hardship and deprivation in order to see one of their heroes in action is not just confined to Wimbledon. Another great British sporting institution, the Open golf championship, initially had an audience that consisted of a couple of blokes in tweed jackets and a woman holding a parasol, and they were never much more than a couple of yards away from the players. Now, they attend in their tens of thousands and, by the very nature of links courses, when you eventually get there, you can barely see a thing.

I once witnessed the breaking off of an engagement during a round at St Andrews, when I decided to put myself in a spectator’s shoes and walk the entire 18 holes with Tiger Woods. As I suspected, I heard him hit his ball quite a lot, but only once did I get a glimpse of him. Or to be more accurate, a glimpse of his visor.

We’d only gone four holes, when a young man was telling his fiancée: “Hear that? That’s an iron. It makes a totally different sound from a wood.” Amazingly, this failed to impress her. “I’m tired. I’m hot. I have stones in my shoes. I can’t see a thing. I’m leaving, and you can please yourself whether you come with me or not.”

Well, he did please himself. The young man remained with me, and around 20,000 other people for the rest of the round, clearly rating the sound of Tiger Woods hitting a ball as more intoxicating than the tune of the Wedding March. And that, in a nutshell, is what makes the Brits the sports fans they are.  Martin Johnson has been a sports journalist and author since 1973, writing for the Leicester Mercury, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times. He currently writes columns for The Rugby Paper and The Cricket Paper, and has a book out called ‘Can I Carry Your Bags?’.

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31 johnson OK.indd 21

21/07/2017 16:55

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ACTIVE BODY ARE YOU EATING THE AYURVEDA WAY? PLUS GET GREAT SHOES FOR SUMMER AND HOW TO MANAGE A WRIST INJURY

/// A U G U S T 2 0 17 3 3

Stay Fresh

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10/05/2016 16:17

ACTIVE BODY

WRIST MANAGEMENT Craig Mortimer, consultant musculoskeletal physiotherapist at the Ashleigh Clinic, on how to manage wrist injuries Do your wrists hurt when you’re on the computer? In the gym? Or even when just texting? Wrist problems are common and have many causes.

The most common is tendonitis. This is inflammation of the tendons around the wrist joint. Construction, administration and social work statistically suffer the biggest problems.

Obvious sporting problems are racket and batting sports.

The one thing in common with all is they involve repetition of movement.

The wrist is not just one joint. In the hand it comprises eight small bones called the ‘carpals’ and the two bones in your forearm are called the radius and ulna.

If you place your thumb and index finger around your wrist at the base of the thumb and little finger you will be surrounding the wrist joint. This tube like joint is called the ‘carpal tunnel’ which has tendons and nerves inside and surrounded by a ligament.

When we move our wrists in a repetitive manner the tendons become irritated and inflamed. This usually

happens over a period of time. They start to swell and thicken which can increase the pressure in the carpal tunnel which increases the pressure on the nerve. Pain increases and you may find you are unable to carry on with your activity.

Common symptoms of carpal tunnel • First symptoms are usually numbness or tingling in your thumb, index and middle fingers. This is due to pressure on the median nerve in the wrist • Weakness. You may have a tendency to drop things. Pressure on the nerve stops messages travelling to the affected muscles.

• Local heat around the joint. This is due to the acute inflammation.

• Swelling • Restriction of movement.

What can I do?

• Rest. The inflamed tendons will become more irritated over time if you carry on.

• Use a wrist support. They help you protect the injured tissues and allow the

tissue to recover quicker through the acute phase.

• Treatment. Physiotherapy has many different approaches to help the tissues repair and restore function depending on your presentation of symptoms.

• Injection. Sometimes a non steroidal anti-inflammatory will help settle the acute symptoms.

• Carpal tunnel decompression. This is a minor operation which helps to reduce the pressure in the area.

• Assess the cause. This is a must for everyone. You need to try and find out why you are getting the problem.

As with all injuries. I always feel it is important to find and treat the cause. It could be anything from a workplace assessment to changing your bat or even changing your technique.

The Ashleigh Physiotherapy, Back Pain and Sports Rehabilitation Clinic 26 Stoneygate Road Stoneygate, Leicester, LE2 2AD T: 0116 270 7948 E: info@ashleighclinic.co.uk

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35 SL BODY Ashliegh OK.indd 35

25/07/2017 15:47

Sir Jonathan North Community College

Community College

Principal: Alison Merrills

Innovation built on tradition

Open Evening

Thursday 14 September 2017 5.30 pm - 7.30 pm Principal’s Address at 5.45pm and 6.15pm

‘Girls at single sex state schools in England perform better at GCSE than those in mixed schools’ source: education data analysts ‘SchoolDash’, January 2016

Knighton Lane East Leicester LE2 6FU Tel: (0116)2708116 Email : sjncc@sjncc.leicester.sch.uk Website : www.sjncc.leicester.sch.uk

36.indd 1

21/07/2017 10:16

ACTIVE BODY

AN EARLY SWIM Chris Craven of Water Babies offers advice on getting babies and young children confident in the pool We’re all dreaming of a long, hot summer. And, of course, a perfect summer includes lots of water fun.

The swimming pool is one of the best places for both you and your little one to cool down and have some splashy fun together.

Your baby doesn’t need to have had their immunisations before you take them to the pool, but before you go, it’s a good idea to phone ahead to check the water temperature – it should be at least 30° for a baby older than 12 weeks (or heavier than 12lbs), and above 32° if they’re younger or smaller.

Start by holding your baby upright, facing you and bouncing them around in the water, gently splashing from side to side.

Keep lots of eye contact and gentle encouragement. You can try saying your baby’s name then “ready, go!” then wiping a palm-full of water down their face.

Let them kick their legs, and sit them on the side, gently splashing them in to the tune of ‘Humpty Dumpty’.

Take it slowly, keep the mood light

under six months, your older baby or toddler will love a splash in the surf!

Just remember to stay in your depth, avoid inflatables, and keep hold of your little one at all times.

While you’re both having a splashy time, why not keep up the momentum and think about baby swimming lessons?

Not only is it one of the best things you can do to bond with your little one, it also develops learning skills, boosts confidence, improves co-ordination and enhances wellbeing.

And just think of all the extra fun you’ll be able to have the next time you go on holiday with your little water baby, there’ll be no stopping them!

and let your baby dictate the pace of progress and how long you spend in the water.

A question we’re often asked at this time of year is whether it’s safe to take your baby in the sea.

While it’s too cold and salty for babies

Multi-award winning Water Babies classes across Leicestershire and Rutland are run by Chris and Charlie Craven. Their next term starts in September and places fill up quickly, so give them a call on 01664 567302 or email them at www.surfthewave.co.uk to find out more.

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37 BODY water babies OK.indd 35

23/07/2017 18:59

ACTIVE BODY

KITBAG

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THE LATEST ESSENTIAL RUNNING GEAR 1. dhb sunglasses

These women’s triple lens sunglasses have it all – stylish wraparound design, a strong yet lightweight frame and three different lenses to suit all conditions – all scratch and impact resistant UV400 polycarbonate lenses.

Price £15.99 From www.wiggle.co.uk

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2. Nike classic padded bra

With flywire-inspired overlays for excellent support just where you need it, the Nike Pro Hyper classic padded bra features a mesh racerback to keep you cool.

Price £27 From www.prodirectrunning.com 3. Nike women’s running shorts The Nike Dry Modern Tempo shorts feature sweat-wicking fabric for lasting comfort and mesh panels for breathability. Nike Dry Fabric wicks sweat away from your skin to help keep you dry and comfortable.

Price £26.95 From www.nike.com

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4. Rylinda t-shirt

The Rylinda running T-shirt is ideal for any athletic discipline – the DryPlus technology wicks away any moisture from the skin surface to aid the evaporation of sweat and therefore thermoregulation.

Price £11.99 From www.intersport.co.uk

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5. Delta sunglasses

Bloc’s hand-finished frames utilise tough, pliant Karbon TX core injected frames, with flexible, lightweight performance offering the best in comfort and fit. The virtually indestructible Karbon8 lens provides maximum UV protection, is distortion free and tinted to Category 3 for use in very bright conditions.

Price £35 From www.cotswoldoutdoor.com

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6.Adidas Duramo 5 shoes

The Duramo 5 Trail Running Shoes have been designed with mesh ventilation panels and heel cushioning for extra comfort, shock absorption and stability. They offer great traction and durability, a lace up front and padded ankle collar offer a secure and comfortable fit.

Price £36.99 From www.sportsdirect.com

7. Inov8 running jacket

The Inov8 Race Elite Raceshell is an ideal jacket for running in wet and cold conditions, as it’s fully waterproof while at the same time remaining breathable. The jacket can be easily packed down into a pocket, and is lightweight at 253g.

Price £117 From www.northernrunner.com

8. Quad Lock arm band mount

The Quad Lock sports armband is a convenient way to mount your phone, quickly and easily, whether you run, jog or go to the gym. With the armband you are only a click away from easy access to your smartphone.

Price £29.99 From www.rutlandcycling.com

3 8 A U G U S T 2 0 17 ///

7.

8.

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ife expectancy is increasing all the time. Over the last 30 years (1982 to 2012) life expectancy has increased by around eight years for males and six years for females to 79.0 years for males and 82.7 years respectively (Office of National Statistics December 2013). This means that someone retiring now will need to have accumulated a fund far greater than someone retiring in 1982 to generate the same income.

I believe in adopting an individual approach to help you make the best decisions for your retirement fund – decisions that are right for you now and in the future. I specialise in guiding people through the decision making process, so that they can make an informed choice.

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The Partner represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products.

The title ‘Partner’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

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21/07/2017 10:09

ACTIVE BODY

ARE YOU READY FOR AYURVEDA? Is it time to get your mind and body in balance through a way of eating that goes back thousands of years?

Ayurveda is the traditional healing method of the Vedic culture from India.

It is said to be 2,000 to 5,000 years old, and is a Sanskrit word that translates as “the wisdom of life” or “the knowledge of longevity”.

In accordance with this definition, Ayurvedic medicine views health as much more than the absence of disease.

The wise seers and sages of the time, intuitively understanding the physiology and workings of the mind-body-spirit long before the advents of modern medicine, explained the basic principles of ayurveda as the mind and the body being inextricably connected, and nothing has more power to heal and transform the body than the mind.

In his book Cooking With Love, Vegetarian chef and author Keith Squires explains how Ayurveda can fit into a healthy diet.

Cooking with Love Before I start cooking, I always try to create a good intention. I take a few moments to focus on my breathing and think about the people I’m cooking for. I ask myself to add love and light to the food, then I light a candle and play some uplifting music.

In this book the most important message is all in the title, ‘Cooking with Love’.

Here I reveal everything you need to know about how to add that extra something to make your food unique and special. You’ll also learn fascinating facts about the nutrition, history, mythology and legends of my favourite ingredients.

A meat-free meal basically requires replacing meat with vegetable protein.

The best plant-based protein sources are pulses (beans and lentils), although many people tend to be a bit wary of them, thinking you have to be up all night soaking them.

Yes, some beans do need soaking but you don’t have to stand there watching them! In the Dru kitchen, we use mainly split pulses such as split lentils and split peas because they cook more quickly, or small pulses such as mung or adzuki beans.

Gut flora Gut flora are very important. The right

problems he encounters are caused by people simply staying up too late, eating at the wrong time or eating in a hurry. “I make my living from Westerners who skip lunch!” he joked.

With ayurveda, you can benefit a lot by just getting the basics right first.

ones help create a healthy environment in your digestive tract. But the wrong gut flora hinder digestion.

Undigested food creates toxins, no matter how healthily you eat.

Good gut flora are a bit like Scouts or Girl Guides on ‘bob-a-job week’. Keen and helpful, they will tidy up your digestive tract and help repair it, always putting your needs before theirs.

The bad bugs are more like unwelcome house guests who eat up all your nice food, create a mess and never clear up. Worst of all, they’re hard to get rid of!

Fats: the good, the bad and the ugly Knowing which fats and oils to eat (and which to avoid) has become ever more confusing with so many different opinions having been expressed over the last few decades.

I remember being told to eat margarine instead of butter. Then to avoid all saturated fats and to use refined, polyunsaturated fats instead.

But now we’re told that butter is better than margarine after all!

It might help to think of fats as the good, the bad and the ugly. Like the film of the same name, the good are not always well-behaved. The bad can sometimes be good, but the ugly can be relied on to be truly wicked!

Ayurveda Ayurveda is an ancient medical system used alongside yoga to create health and wellbeing, so naturally I use a lot of Ayurvedic principles in my cooking.

Some of these principles are quite simple, and just plain old common sense.

An Indian ayurvedic doctor once told me most of the western people who come to him want complicated herbal remedies, diet lists or in-depth therapies— when most of the health

The Three Doshas The idea of constitution types is not necessarily exclusive to ayurveda.

Indeed, traditional Chinese medicine has a similar system based on five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Until the 1800s, Western medicine was founded on the four humours, which originated in Greek and Roman philosophy.

All of these systems recognise that people are unique and have individual needs based on the balance of elements within them.

Know thyself Written in ancient Greek on the Apollo temple in Delphi, the dictum ‘know thyself’ is also crucial in ayurvedic healing.

An ayurvedic doctor can check your prakriti (ayurvedic type) from your pulse, or through vedic astrology.

Alternatively you can estimate it with questionnaires and checklists.

When you are healthy and wellbalanced, you are naturally attracted to the right foods and activities suited to your body type. However, when you are out of balance you will be attracted to the wrong foods and activities which make you worse. A perfect ‘catch 22’.

Ayurveda and yoga The main aim of ayurveda is to restore and maintain harmony in individuals so they can enjoy and offer their positive qualities to the world.

Unfortunately modern life encourages us to rush around, travel and eat at irregular times, all of which upset the delicate balance within us.

The good news is that yoga is the best way to balance all the constitution types. In fact it was designed to do just that! A good yoga session will have an activation and relaxation, a variety of postures and forward stretches balanced by backward bends. Yoga creates activity, but also inner stillness.

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22/07/2017 15:06

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21/07/2017 10:09

ACTIVE BODY

THE FINISHING TOUCHES This month it’s all about our feet – from massage treatments to the latest killer heels to complete your summer outfit Edited by Mary Bremner

SHOES, GLORIOUS SHOES I have to admit I’m a bit of an Imelda Marcos when it comes to shoes and I’m not the only one.

The female of the species, and some males too, are susceptible to fabulous footwear. A girl can never have too many shoes, whatever anyone says. They are a thing of beauty, and sometimes the more impractical the better. They can be incredibly empowering, intimidating or downright sexy, or all three at once, which can be ideal at times.

A woman in a pair of killer heels – as long as she can walk in them – can be a

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thing of great power and beauty. It always amazes (and amuses) me the number of people who comment on a certain pair of boots I have. They are low heeled, incredibly comfortable, and now getting slightly shabby from years of wear, but they are leopardskin print and I am stopped in the street by people when I wear them. Women often comment on other girls’ shoes – I am one of them – but men rarely do. But these boots always elicit comments from men too. They are fun, slightly quirky and elegant, and that’s what footwear should be about at times.

A good pair of shoes can transform an outfit. Sadly my days of killer heels are just about over. I usually walk everywhere and can’t be doing with not being able to stride out purposefully. I used to be able to do that in heels, but not any more. And the traditional market town cobbles aren’t always kind to high heels. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with your shoes.

Backless loafers, slides and slingbacks are what everyone is wearing this season; even the trainer is acceptable everywhere you go, and there are some fun ones to be had.

And finally...

Shoes for all occasions

Lois slingback heels £110 www.boden.co.uk

HOLISTIC MASSAGE A holistic massage is not like your traditional sports massage. Well it is, but it offers much more than just a massage to ease tight muscles. The holistic approach is much more personal. You meet your therapist and discuss your medical history – as per normal – but also discuss your lifestyle and mental wellbeing. A holistic massage is all about mind, body and spirit.

Your massage therapist is mindful of you as a whole rather than just a knot of aching muscles.

Emma Lannigan (Canham) works from her home in Market Deeping and offers many treatments including reiki and holistic massages and can combine the two. She is also a mental health first aider.

Emma is very well qualified, insured and a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists. She came to therapy after a successful, stressful career where she had experienced depression.

Deciding that she “wanted to be happy”, she realised she had a connection to reiki and it developed from there. She then became a trained NLP (neuro linguistic programming) and hypnotherapist practitioner and coach and ITEC holistic massage therapist and after seven years of being a reiki master she is now a reiki teacher, too.

And she’s also written a book, ‘belifehappy: give, play, love, learn, about finding happiness for a lifetime’. So she has lots of experience and empathy and is all about helping people and offers one-toone coaching.

Many of her clients just want to commit to self care and include treatments such as reiki and holistic massage to support their fitness and emotional wellbeing.

Back to the massage. A holistic massage is a treatment that is intended to make you relax mentally as well as physically. The

therapist makes it clear that you are ‘allowed’ to relax, this is ‘your time’. It is often the first time that many people allow themselves to relax fully. The massage itself can take from 30 to 90 minutes, but regular holistic massage treatments include a 60-minute full body massage and is based on Swedish techniques. Firm pressure is applied, but not deep. It’s nothing like a sports massage which can sometimes be painful, albeit beneficial.

I started by laying on my front and had my back and legs massaged while gentle music with the sounds of the sea played in the background – all very soothing. Then it was arms, hands and fingers. The neck massage was fabulous and the muscle stretching that Emma did was really beneficial.

She finished with the front of my legs and feet, which I could have had massaged all day. I don’t think I’ve ever had my hands massaged before and I can’t understand why not. They are the part of your body that probably work the hardest and need the most care. It’s also strangely intimate having your hands held, almost like being a child again.

At the end I did feel I had completely relaxed. Emma’s room is a haven, I felt safe and secure and let her work her soothing hands on my aching limbs. She found the knots in my neck and eased them. I certainly felt reinvigorated when I left and will be back for more. www.emmalannigan.com Back, neck and shoulders (30 minutes, £25), holistic full body massage can include scalp, face and feet (60 minutes, £38 to £53 for a 90 minute session), reiki (£35 for 60 minutes), 1:1 coaching (£45/ hour). Packages available for regular clients.

Silver leopard print backless loafers £30 www.riverisland.com

Annette silver court shoe £53 www.dunelondon.com

Marilo Knotch ankle boots £75 www.topshop.com

Superga 2750 trainers £55 www.superga.co.uk

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ACTIVE LOCAL A WALK ROUND BUCKMINSTER AND SPROXTON, ALL THE LOCAL CRICKET NEWS AS THE SEASON HOTS UP, AND THE LOCAL SCHOOL SPORTS WINNERS

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ACTIVE LOCAL

A day in the life of

PENNY ARSCOTT MANAGER OF THE FOXTON INCLINED PLANE TRUST BOILER HOUSE MUSEUM

M

y interest in museums started with my mother who has been involved in museums for much of her working life – I got the bug from her! I worked in the shops at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh as a student.

I’ve always loved museums and art galleries – I think they’re fabulous places – and once you know the history of the exhibits, they come to life.

At university I studied 3D design with the ambition to become a furniture designer. However, you have to be incredibly unique to be successful. Then I heard about a degree in museum and exhibition design in Hull.

Before my family arrived I worked in London as a museum and exhibition designer and I helped project manage various exhibitions including one in Malta and the Royal Welsh Fusilier exhibition at Caernarfon Castle, which I really enjoyed. Then when I moved to Leicestershire I changed direction and decided to follow my real love, to focus on working within museums, so I volunteered here at the Boiler House museum.

After four years I took over from Mike Beech who had set up the museum and now works part-time. Mike with his encyclopaedic knowledge of Foxton Locks, local canals and the surrounding area gives me great support, making my job that bit easier.

It’s my perfect job; it’s a nice little museum because you can get involved in everything. I get to deal with both the exhibits and customers.

In large museums you usually stay in one department, but here you get your hands dirty. When I arrive I switch on all the interactive screens, tidy up, get the till operational and put the signs out. During the day I spend a lot of time applying for grants and awards to look at developing the educational side. We mainly get primary school children in but I think it could be really interesting for older ones as well with all the engineering and science side of things. School groups are great fun – they really tire you out but bring a real energy into the museum.

I’ve just designed the summer exhibition. We usually have two exhibitions per season, and this one is about the ‘Women of the Cut’ (which is another word for canal). It gives an insight into their lives living in a tiny back cabin of a boat up to 70 feet long with some large families of up to 10 children!

It was a challenging life for the boat folks, with hard work outside in all weathers and the horse at the front pulling the boat led by one of the children. Some locks were unsuitable for horses so it was manpower rather than horsepower that kept the boat moving forwards. The canal people were frowned upon as they were nomadic and labelled outsiders. If the boats stopped somewhere for a couple of days the children would go to the local school but they would often be picked on. Discrimination seems to have been around for centuries.

Time out of mind Foxton Locks is a working lock group consisting of 10 locks on the Leicester section of the Grand Union Canal. It’s a very popular and busy section of the UK canal network, especially in the summer time, and there can be up to 40 boats coming through in a day. It’s a unique design as usually staircase locks have gaps between them, but here it’s lock after lock with a passing pond half way.

Foxton Locks opened in 1814 and the boatlift was completed in 1900.

Unfortunately the opening of the boatlift heralded the end of the canal boom as high volume freight cargo switched from the canal to the rail

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“I’ve always loved museums and art galleries – I think they’re fabulous places” network. The Foxton Inclined Plane Boat Lift was only open for about a decade.

The Foxton Inclined Plane Trust was set up in 1981 with a hut on the incline and in 2008 the Canal & River Trust won money from the lottery and cleared the site, which was covered in trees. The idea is to restore the boatlift but it will cost £20 million for the whole site including the local infrastructure. The Boiler House was restored in 1989 and built by volunteers to look like the original. The museum chronicles the history of the Foxton Staircase and the Inclined Plane Boatlift. We’re open seven days a week from 10am-5pm on weekdays and 11am-5pm at weekends.

During the holidays we’re busy but the site is obviously weather dependent. I’m hoping to do a stargazing workshop in October and there’s so much we could do with the site, such as have an open-air cinema. We have a festival every year in June and I want to run workshops like lace making and crochet workshops and traditional washdays.

When I’m not at work I get involved with a lot of village fund-raising and I like walking with other women in my village. I’m not good at sitting still or saying no to people. You’ll enjoy a visit to the Boiler House – put it on your bucket list! www.fipt.org.uk

ZIP WIRE

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What’s your Challenge going to be?

Challenge yourself & raise vital funds for Lakelands Hospice in 2017 Contact the Fundraising Team on:

01536 747755

Charity Registered. 1062120

community@lakelandshospice.org.uk Supported by

With your help a cure is possible Join us in the 1st Phoebe 5K fun run for the Phoebe Research Fund Running from Sykes Lane at Rutland Water, up the dam and on to Whitwell and back!

Sunday 1st October 2017 Starts at 10am All finishers will receive a medal

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TO ENTER GO TO

www.phoebe5k.org.uk Entry fee – £10 for adults, £5 for children, under 5s go free

Hosted by Rutland Radio For more information about the charity call 07718 071645 or by email info@phoeberesearch.org.uk

www.phoeberesearch.org.uk ALL PROCEEDS TO GO TO THE PHOEBE RESEARCH FUND

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Registered charity number 1163875

21/07/2017 10:09

NICOLAS MILLET

ACTIVE LOCAL

UP IN THE CLOUDS Hillclimber Charlie Martin is heading on a busman’s holiday to Piles Peak, Colorado

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first third) and gravel until 2011 when it was asphalted all the way to the finish. As hillclimbs go it’s the grand daddy of them all. Words alone cannot do this place justice, with drops that don’t bear thinking about and a history steeped with winners’ names like Walter Röhl, Stig Blomqvist (the original, not Top Gear!),

Sébastien Loeb and a personal heroine of mine – Michèle Mouton.

It’s always been an ambition to go there and witness the holy grail of hillclimbing in person.

Who knows– I may manage to find a drive for 2018 while I’m there... www.gocharlie.co.uk

NICOLAS MILLET

NICOLAS MILLET

With four races in a little over four weeks, I’m already half way through my season and the pace of life recently has been relentless.

Abreschviller was a good test of my nerves and I managed a strong finish for a first visit, but it was the three rounds that followed in northern France where I really hit my stride, seeing two more visits to the podium.

All three saw us battling problems with the paddle shift gearbox, which was frustrating but the mechanics worked hard to find a solution each time. I stayed over in France for a week after La Pommeraye and managed to cram in four days of surfing at Tranch-sur-Mer, along with some well needed down-time before St Gouëno. Racing three consecutive weekends is tiring, but it does get you into a rhythm and at the last event I managed a top 10 overall finish as well as beating the more powerful cars.

With a month out of the hot seat until Vuillafans, you might think I’d be relaxing and mowing my lawn. Instead I’ll be jetting off to the biggest hillclimb of them all – Pikes Peak International Hillclimb (PPIHC) in the US, also known as The Race to the Clouds. You may have seen closed road racer and sideburn lover Guy Martin attempting to scale its 14,110 ft summit on a homemade motorbike. But just in case you missed that I’ll tell you what you need to know.

First held in 1916 and set in Colorado, USA, it climbs 4,720 ft from the start point at mile seven with no fewer than 156 turns making up its 12.4 mile length. It used to be both tarmac (for the

SEVEN GO TO SNOWDON Fund-raising group set themselves another seven challenges The 7events campaign ended in April with the London Marathon. The group raised more than £15,000 to buy equipment for Joe Humphries Memorial Trust, LOROS, The Teenage Cancer Trust and bone marrow transplant unit wards at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

But that wasn’t enough so they’ve decided to run another 7events campaign for 2017, this time supporting Coping with Cancer and CLASH (children and adults arthritis support group), both based in Leicestershire.

The Family Health & Wellbeing Festival and Summer Raas Garba were just as successful as last year’s and helped spread the word of health, well-being, music, dance and community.

The first event, which took place in June, was the trek up the Llanberis path in Snowdon.

Inspired and supported by Maju Giga, who is taking up the Ice Warrior Challenge in 2018, a group of 60 people took up the challenge.

The oldest challenger was over 60 and the youngest just seven years old. Most of the group had never done anything like this before so were advised and pushed by Maju who was the expert in the team. Through regular meetings and weekly early morning training sessions at Bradgate Park, the group were familiarised about the journey ahead, what to expect, and how to prepare.

With a very early start (5.30am) and a long coach ride to Snowdon the team were excited, and a bit nervous. The coach ride was an opportunity for any last minute questions and

preparation but once there you could see the willingness of to team to start. A last minute team talk and off they set.

Setting milestones of half way, three quarters and the final pinnacle, the team knew each one was a great achievement so there was no pressure.

The trek was difficult in many parts with lots of stops to catch their breath. The scenery was as majestic as they imagined and, towards the top, they were literally walking in the clouds

accompanied by the Snowdon Rockers who were with a group of 200 people singing their way to the top. It certainly kept their minds off the long walk!

56 of the group made it to the top, four made it half way and we were all in good spirits at the bottom and extremely proud of ourselves.

There were lots of “when are we doing the next one?” comments and more than £1,000 was raised. www.7events.org

FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER Meet Mark Smith, who has set himself an incredible challenge before he reaches the age of 50. Mark, who is 48, is planning to run from John O’Groats to Land’s End in September 2018.

Mark, who lives just outside Oakham and is a director of Stephen, George and Partners in Leicester, is intending to run the 904 miles to raise money for the charity Alex’s Wish. This is the firm’s designated charity for the next two years. A small charity, they wish to raise £1 million for research and development to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Mark is hoping to raise £50,000 himself.

Mark is reasonably fit, ‘no middle age spread as yet,’ he says, having run for most of his life and played football until he was 33.

He’s run the odd half marathon but has a long way to go to cover the 904 miles in 30 days.

He has just started training, running between 30 and 40 miles a week so it’s very early days yet. He is also planning his route. So far he

has only planned from John O’Groats to Shap in Cumbria, a total of 420 miles ranging from 25.2 miles to 40.5 miles a day. They have varied the daily distances to fit in with villages and towns for refuelling stops. He is going to be joined along the route by various friends and colleagues who will run alongside him for a day.

We are going to follow Mark’s progress over the next few months, learning more about his training, planning and the charity that he is supporting.

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ACTIVE LOCAL /// School sport

STARS OF TOMORROW More than 1,000 children from schools across the region took part in the Schools Games Summer Championships held at Uppingham, playing sports including kwik cricket, netball, hockey and tri-golf

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NORTH CHARNWOOD were crowned 2016/17 School Games Champions after an action-packed Summer Championships, which is part of the Leicester-Shire & Rutland School Games Programme.

Held at Uppingham School Sports Centre, more than 1,000 aspiring athletes represented their School and Partnership areas. The teams reached the championships after progressing through earlier partnership finals and found themselves battling it out in a range of sports and competitions.

Teams competed in quadkids athletics, kwik cricket, swimming, tri-golf, hockey, netball, sportsability and the Change 4 Life Festival.

The day kicked off with the energetic Rutland Youth Dance Academy, who got athletes, teachers and parents out of their seats and ready for the activities ahead. They were followed by GO GOLD funded 400m hurdler Ben Higgins, who is set to compete at the National School Games in August.

Three hours of high quality action followed,

with teams aiming to become county champions in their respective competition and give their partnership valuable points on the medals table.

North Charnwood emerged victorious following Super-Series Finals, the Spring and Summer Championships, topping the medals table with 245 points.

The Spirit of the Games Champions were Melton & Belvoir who showed most determination, passion and respect throughout the School Games programme this year, winning seven individual Spirit trophies.

Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport, in partnership with the School Sport & Physical Activity Networks (SSPANs), deliver the Leicester-Shire & Rutland School Games Programme, which is a unique opportunity to motivate and inspire young people to take part in more competitive school sport. It is open to all young people aged 5-18 years, of all abilities and backgrounds from every school.

Claire Jarvis, school games manager from Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport said: “This year

has seen another fantastic School Games Summer Championships, with over 1,000 young people attending and competing.

“The young athletes were inspired by GO GOLD athlete Ben Higgins, who started his journey at School Games Athletics and is now competing internationally in the 400m hurdles alongside studying for his GCSEs. “He is also set to compete at the UK National School Games, which take place in Loughborough again this year.”

The School Games fever sets to continue with the 2017 National School Games Finals taking place at Loughborough University from August 31 to September 3. The best young stars from across the country all come together to take part in the four-day extravaganza.

There are exclusive opportunities available just for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Schools, including £1 tickets via school group bookings. www.schoolgamesfinals.org/school-engagement To see who won which events, turn over...

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ACTIVE LOCAL /// School sport

2016/17 SCHOOL GAMES CHAMPIONSHIPS North Charnwood crowned ‘2016/17 School Games Champions’.

Melton & Belvoir crowned ‘2016/17 School Games Spirit of the Games Champions’.

Quadkids Athletics Year 3/4 Mixed Winners: North West Leicestershire Spirit of the Games Winners: South Charnwood Quadkids Athletics Year 5/6 Mixed Winners: West Leicester Spirit of the Games Winners: North West Leicestershire Kwik Cricket Year 5/6 Girls Winners: Blaby & Harborough Spirit of the Games Winners: Rutland Kwik Cricket Year 5/6 Mixed Winners: West Leicester Spirit of the Games Winners: Rutland Quicksticks Hockey Year 3/4 Mixed Winners: Hinckley & Bosworth Spirit of the Games Winners: Melton & Belvoir Quicksticks Hockey Year 5/6 Mixed Winners: Hinckley & Bosworth Spirit of the Games Winners: Hinckley & Bosworth Netball Year 5/6 High 5 Mixed Winners: Oadby & Wigston Spirit of the Games Winners: Melton & Belvoir Sportsability Key Stage 2 Mixed Pan Disability Winners: Hinckley & Bosworth Spirit of the Games Winners: Melton & Belvoir Swimming Year 5/6 Mixed Winners: Blaby & Harborough Spirit of the Games Winners: Hinckley & Bosworth Tri-Golf Year 3/4 Mixed Winners: Blaby & Harborough Spirit of the Games Winners: Hinckley & Bosworth Tri Golf Year 5/6 Mixed Winners: North Charnwood Spirit of the Games Winners: East Leicester Change 4 Life Festival Year 3/4 Mixed (non-competitive) Spirit of the Games Winners: North Charnwood

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ACTIVE LOCAL Ride-out

SUMMER RIDES Rutland Cycling’s Sally Middlemiss suggests some great rides for you and the family over the summer holidays The summer holidays are a great time to get out and about cycling with the kids, and we really are spoiled for choice with safe, traffic-free local cycle routes that are perfect for a family pedal.

I’ve picked my family’s favourites below – I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

HELP YOUR CHILD LEARN TO RIDE When: Friday, August 11, 1.30-3pm Where: Sykes Lane, Rutland Water Come along to this free, informal session led by Sally and Lizzy, both British Cycling ride leaders and local mums.

They’ll offer advice on how to help your child ride a bike, with plenty of encouragement and the opportunity to practice in a safe, traffic-free environment.

Places are limited for the event, so if you’d like to go along, email breeze@rutlandcycling.com

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RUTLAND WATER

Right on our doorstep, Rutland Water is perfect for kids of all ages, with up to 23 miles of trafficfree cycling. For the little ones, I’d recommend the surfaced section between Whitwell and Normanton (an 8-mile round trip; the flattest section is between Normanton and Sykes Lane).

For older, more adventurous kids looking for a challenge, the 17-mile circuit makes a great cycling day out. Add on the peninsula section around Hambleton for a 23-mile route – definitely worthy of a celebratory ice cream!

En route, there are plenty of refreshment stops, picnic areas and adventure playgrounds, as well as nature reserves and birdwatching hides at Lyndon and Egleton. Plus, if you’ve any energy left there’s also a climbing wall, Aqua Park, sandy beach, adventure playground, bug zoo, funfair and mini golf. Cycle maps and bike hire available at Whitwell and Normanton car parks.

BURGHLEY PARK, STAMFORD

Burghley Park is a great place to take younger children cycling.

There are a couple of miles of surfaced road, with a wide grass verge on either side, so it’s a good place to practise riding skills in a safe environment.

Plus, when you arrive at Burghley Park, there’s the added bonus of the Garden of Surprises and the café!

FERRY MEADOWS

On the western edge of Peterborough, Ferry Meadows Country Park is a peaceful haven for wildlife, including herons, otters and swans – you wouldn’t believe you were a stone’s throw from the city centre.

There are miles of flat, easy traffic-free trails to explore, with a couple of waymarked trails. The family trail is four miles long; the boathouse trail is 7.5 miles long, and you could further extend this to ride alongside the River Nene right into the city centre.

There’s certainly enough at Ferry Meadows for an active day out – adventure playgrounds, a couple of excellent cafes, birdwatching hides, picnic areas, a miniature railway, kayaks and

pedaloes, geocaching and skippered boat trips on the Captain Folly.

Another option is to take your bikes on the Nene Valley steam train – we like to park our car at Wansford, catch the train to Ferry Meadows with our bikes (plenty of room for them in the guard’s van), enjoy a pedal around the park, then return to Wansford, where there’s a great volunteers’ café at the station, serving kids’ lunchboxes and generous portions of cake.

Cycle maps and bike hire available at Lakeside, Ferry Meadows.

PITSFORD WATER

On the edge of Northampton in Brixworth Country Park, Pitsford reservoir makes a lovely family day out.

The scenic 7-mile trail around the reservoir is just right for younger kids, while families with older children can join the traffic-free Brampton Valley Way, which stretches for 14 miles between Northampton and the pretty town of Market Harborough.

There are adventure playgrounds, picnic areas and a great café with very good ice cream!

Cycle maps and bike hire available at Pitsford Water.

FINESHADE WOOD

Always popular with our children, Fineshade Wood is a Forestry Commission centre just 10 minutes from Stamford or Corby and suits kids of all ages.

For the younger ones, there are short loops that never stray too far from the café and the lovely wooden adventure playground at Top Lodge, and they’ll also love the Gruffalo Trail (you can pick up a Spotter pack at Top Lodge).

Older kids with mountain bikes will love tackling the longer five-mile cycle trail, including several singletrack skills loops – fun for parents, too!

There’s also an excellent adventure play area for kids aged 6+, located a few minutes’ pedal from Top Lodge, and plenty of den-building opportunities in the wooded areas alongside the trail.

Nature enthusiasts will enjoy spotting red kites overhead, deer and abundant wildflowers.

Cycle maps and bike hire available at Top Lodge.

particularly scenic section through the Wildlife Trust reserve, with lots of nature-spotting opportunities.

Along the cycle route, you’ll find plenty of picturesque picnic spots, children’s play areas at Marlow and Mander car parks, several birdwatching hides and an ornamental garden.

There’s also a visitor centre and café.

Cycle maps and bike hire available at Marlow car park.

GRAFHAM WATER

There are 10 miles of peaceful, traffic-free waterside trails at Grafham Water, including a

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ACTIVE LOCAL Great walks

BUCKMINSTER AND SPROXTON Visiting Buckimster is an experience in itself as many of the houses here are still estate-owned. The result is a distinctly old-fashioned village, says Will Hetherington Photography: Will Hetherington

Difficulty rating (out of five)

THE ROUTE

Park on the road near the main junction in the middle of Buckminster. There is plenty of space near the old police station, which is now an architect’s office. Walk north for 100 yards and take the left hand turn down towards the church.

It’s a well signposted path and once you have passed the imposing church on your right the route drops quickly down and out of the village.

You will soon find yourself in a large open grass field with a small stream running through it. Make your way diagonally across this field until you reach the tree line on the right hand side. Then head north-west along the tree line until you reach the end of the plantation on your right. There’s a footpath junction at this point so make sure you take the right hand option heading

5 6 AUGUS T 2 0 17 ///

steadily uphill over the fields towards Sproxton. I did this walk in early summer when the oilseed rape was waist high and wet from overnight rain so it was hard going. But the oilseed rape will have been harvested by the time you read this so it should be more enjoyable.

The path through the first field is about half a mile, then there is a smaller field before you come into the north east edge of Sproxton. Turn left here and walk down the road until you reach the T-junction at the bottom of the hill.

Go through the iron gate in the hedge opposite and you will come out in the cricket ground.

Make sure you keep right and you will find the right turn on to the path leading through a private garden.

Once you have gone through the garden you will be in The Nook. Turn left and head out of the village past an ornamental duck pond on your right. This footpath heads south over the fields for the best part of a mile before and from the high point there are some great views to the south. You will eventually join a very quiet

country lane for half a kilometre before the road joins the busy B676 for 100 yards. There are lots of heavy vehicles on the road but you will only be on it for minute or two so it’s not a problem.

You will soon see the clearly marked path on your left heading back to Buckminster over the fields. This path joins Sproxton Road on the outskirts of Buckminster so all you have to do then is walk into the village and stop at the Tollemache Arms for a pint and a snack if you fancy…

TOP STAT

the usoleum near The Dysart Ma s built wa ter ns mi ck church in Bu the trustees of around 1880 by l Tollemache, ne Lio of the estate sart, who Dy of rl Ea the 8th .

78 18 in d die

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION WHERE TO PARK Near the old police station or the Tollemache Arms in the middle of the village.

➛ ➛

DISTANCE AND TIME Four and a half miles/one and a half hours.

➛

HIGHLIGHTS Buckminster is a good example of an English estate village and much of it is still owned by the estate. The Tollemache Arms makes a great place to finish your walk. Some good high points offering distant views of an attractive part of the country.

➛

LOWLIGHTS There is a road section but the country lane is very quiet and you will only be on the busier road for a minute or two.

➛ ➛

START

➛

➛

REFRESHMENTS The Tollemache Arms in Buckminster and the village shop and The Crown Inn in Sproxton.

DIFFICULTY RATING Two paws; it’s a bit hilly but is mostly fine underfoot, as long as the oilseed rape has been harvested.

THE POOCH PERSPECTIVE: There’s a bit of a shortage of fresh water. Otherwise it’s mostly arable fields so not much livestock.

For your own safety and navigation make sure you have an OS map with you when you go out walking. You won’t regret it. ©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2017 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 044/17

Clockwise, from above

Mostly arable fields on this walk; St John the Baptist Church in Buckminster; the edge of Buckminster Park; The Tollemache Arms; estate houses and cottages are a common sight

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A16 SPALDING

ACTIVE LOCAL Schools

Inspiring six take awards A teenager who wants to share her sewing skills with the community, a budding digital artist and four talented young sportspeople are among the latest recipients of an Inspire Award.

Callum Twelves, Tia Bhatt, Muhammad Ibraheem, Alma Unsudimi, Curtis Scothern and Daisy Platts have all received the awards – totalling £1,000 – which are handed out by local charity the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT).

Inspire Awards aim to help inspiring young people fulfill their ambitions by giving them small cash grants. The JHMT set up the scheme in memory of Joe Humphries, 14, who sadly never got to achieve his goals.

Joe died of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) while out jogging near his Rothley home. It’s a heart condition that can affect anyone, at any time.

Racing cyclist Callum, 14, from Stapleton, will use his £150 Inspire Award to test his racing skills abroad, having already raced successfully in Belgium.

He said: “The Inspire Award will contribute to my aim of winning the regional U14 road race championships in 2018, when I am at the top of my age category.”

Tia Bhatt, 14, from Leicester, has been selected to represent England in an international rounders tournament in Guernsey. Her £200 Inspire Award will help offset some of the costs

of her forthcoming trip. “It means so much to me to represent my country at rounders,” said Tia, who is also a member of the under 16s Leicester City women’s football team. “Being able to compete at the highest level of your own sport is a great honour and will be a great experience for me.”

Talented hockey player Muhammad, 14, from Stocking Farm in Leicester, has already been spotted and invited to attend an England hockey performance centre.

Muhammad said: “My £150 Inspire Awards grant means a great deal to me as I pursue my goal of representing England. Also, as I lost my sister in tragic circumstances, an Inspire grant makes her memory stay strong in me. My sister loved sport and I know she’d be proud of me.”

Seventeen-year-old Alma Unsudimi, from Leicester, is very keen to pursue her ambition of becoming a fashion designer. Her current goal is to teach other young people in the community how to sew and develop their creative skills.

Alma will use her £150 Inspire Award to buy a new sewing machine. “This gives me no excuse to wait any longer in pursuing my dreams!” she said. “The Inspire grant makes me feel like somebody truly cares about me and wants to see me succeed.”

Curtis Scothern, 16, from Wigston, is an aspiring digital artist. He works closely with local charity Soft Touch Arts, and says: The

facilities at Soft Touch are great but I need a drawing tablet of my own so that I can continue my work in my spare time. I would like to share my skills with younger people at the Aspire Life Skills Learning Centre, where I go to paint.”

Now, thanks to a £150 Inspire Award, Curtis will be able to buy the equipment he needs.

Sixteen-year-old swimmer Daisy Platts, from Whetstone, will put her £200 Inspire Award towards the cost of a new racing suit, as well as towards the costs of competing up and down the country. Already a winner at the International Children’s Games, Daisy has swum alongside Olympians and is a role model to others, recently beginning to teach very young swimmers.

“This grant will give me the me confidence and belief to push myself further, which in turn will help me reach the next level in my sport,” she said.

Simon Taylor, Inspire Awards project lead for the JHMT, added: “The drive and determination of all these young people to succeed never ceases to amaze me. In some cases, they’ve overcome huge barriers to follow their goals – and in all cases, they’re incredibly deserving of the support we can offer. I applaud them all and very much look forward to hearing about their future achievements.”

To find out more about the JHMT and the Inspire Awards, visit www.jhmt.org.uk

ATHLETICS SUCCESS FOR WELLINGBOROUGH PUPILS A pupil from Wellingborough School took double gold and broke a national record at the National Preparatory Schools Athletics Finals.

The finals, which took place at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, saw pupils from preparatory schools across the country taking part in a number of athletic events.

Etienne Maughan, a Year 7 pupil from Wellingborough School, competed in both the 100m and 200m track events, which saw her achieving first place in both races and making her a double gold champion. Etienne also broke the national record in the 200m event as well as her own personal best.

The achievement makes her the fastest girl of her age group across Prep Schools throughout the country.

There was also success elsewhere at the finals, with Year 7 pupil Polly Ross achieving fourth place in the shot put event and Year 6 pupil Lucas Brazier taking sxith place in the 800m track, marking a strong Wellingborough School effort at the competition.

Sue Knox, headmistress at Wellingborough Preparatory School, praised the achievements of the pupils: “We are incredibly proud of the pupils who took part in their national athletics finals, and they should be proud of their own achievements too. Etienne’s achievement of double gold and a new national record is incredibly impressive, and we are sure this is just the beginning of a successful career in athletics. Well done to all the pupils for representing the school so brilliantly.”

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Brooke Priory School enjoyed great success in the swimming pool at the IAPS Gala. The years V and VI

21/07/2017 16:46

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ACTIVE LOCAL Schools

Olympian opens track Ratcliffe College welcomed Martyn Rooney, former European 400m Champion and current Olympian, who took time out of his busy schedule to officially open their new tartan athletics track.

Martyn ran a leg of a relay race with

Ratcliffe’s sports scholars, and cut the ribbon to declare the track officially open.

Amanda Stafford, director of sport at Ratcliffe College, said, “Sport is an important part of the School’s ethos and we are delighted with our new track which will help us to develop our

athletics programme over the coming years.

“We are also looking forward to opening our new astroturf in September, which will enable us to build upon the wonderful success of our hockey teams this year, and also the building of a new state-of-the-art fitness suite.”

LOCAL CHARITY PUTS CARDIAC HEALTH ON SPORTS AGENDA A heart charity has helped to put cardiac safety on the national sports agenda. The independent Duty of Care in Sport review, which was led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, advocates more training and better awareness of cardiac health to help protect people – especially young people – who play sport.

A section on safety, injury and medical issues has been welcomed by local heart charity the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT), which has been lobbying for better understanding of conditions like sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS).

It highlights the need for a greater all-round knowledge about heart conditions and symptoms that could lead to sudden cardiac arrest in sport.

The report also calls for more information and awareness about cardiac screening and for more club members to have basic hands-on CPR training and access to a defibrillator.

Chair of the JHMT, Steve Humphries, said: “This report seeks to embed the provision of defibrillators in new sports facilities and recognises that all those responsible for the health and welfare of young people participating in sport need to be better informed about specific symptoms that can lead to cardiac arrest. This is long overdue. Joe’s Trust has demonstrated over some considerable time that education, awareness, CPR skills and quick access to a defibrillator are key to increasing the chances of survival in the event of a cardiac emergency.”

The JHMT offers free training in CPR and how to operate a defibrillator for sports clubs. It also helps to provide funding for defibrillators to be fitted in places where they can be accessed by the public at all times. To find out more, visit www.jhmt.org.uk

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Brooke Priory School enjoyed great success in the swimming pool at the IAPS Gala. The years V and VI

21/07/2017 16:47

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22/06/2017 17:44

ACTIVE LOCAL Schools

Cycling tour route announced The organisers of the Tour de Leicestershire are on the lookout for cyclists for the fourth year of this highly popular event.

Organiser Neil Tansley said: “This is the fourth year we will circumnavigate the city of Leicester on beautiful roads for a local Leicester charity. Each year we find a new route. This year we stop at Hungarton and Arnesby. We try to keep our event as inclusive as possible with 56 mile and 80 mile routes.

“The route starts and ends at Desford. We raise funds for the Leicester based charity Open Hands which helps some of the most vulnerable adults and families in Leicester, and we were awarded a Queens charity award last year.”

The Tour de Leicestershire usually attracts between 100 and 200 riders.

Two rides are available this year - the main sportif at 80 miles, and a shorter route of 56 miles. There are three feeding stations on route, staffed and sourced by volunteers, and all riders receive a ‘goody bag’ at the end.

Entry is £30 via the British Cycling website and more details about the ride can be found at www.openhandsleicester.org.uk

Archway named as top health centre A complementary therapy centre in Market Harborough has been announced as the best in Leicestershire at a leading county awards show.

The Muddy Stilettos Awards operate in counties across England and aim to celebrate and support the most unique, interesting local businesses.

Archway Health Hub on Lubenham Hill has won the ‘best complementary health centre’ category of the Leicestershire awards, beating off

competition four other practices in Leicester, Braunstone and Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

Over 250,000 votes were cast across the 27 categories and the Market Harborough practice was a clear victor in their respective category.

Archway Health Hub received 46.4 per cent of the vote compared to second-placed Healing Works Reiki, Leicester who received 26.4 per cent.

“We’d like to thank everyone that voted for

us,” says Alec Welton, owner of Archway Health Hub. “There’s a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes and we’re pleased to find that our visitors believe that our dedication makes us the best at what we do in Leicestershire.”

The centre moved to their larger, current site on Lubenham Hill in 2010. The move meant that they could extend their services and create more treatment rooms, a gym/rehab space and two exercise studios.

BIRDFAIR RETURNS TO RUTLAND WATER Described as the birdwatchers’ Glastonbury, Birdfair – at Rutland Water this month from August 18-20 – encompasses the whole spectrum of the birdwatching industry whilst at the same time supporting global bird conservation.

This is the event of the year if you’re into birds and wildlife with hundreds of stands selling the latest products for wildlife enthusiasts.

You’ll find everything, from scopes to sculptures, binoculars to bird food, eGuides to eco-holidays.

Every day there is a packed programme of events, with three separate timetables that boast a fantastic variety of lectures. The Events Marquee hosts quiz shows, question and answer sessions, exclusive book launches and family-based entertainment.

The Birdfair Auction offers you the chance to bid for a whole host of lots, donated by our exhibitors, ranging from holidays, to artwork, to unique one-off experiences, with all the monies raised going directly to this year’s Birdfair project.

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Brooke Priory School enjoyed great success in the swimming pool at the IAPS Gala. The years V and VI boys

21/07/2017 16:48

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

Cricket

Kibworth steady the ship after an uncertain start

BY JEREMY BESWICK

K

ibworth looked to be steadying the ship this month after an uncharacteristically uncertain start to the season in which they didn’t record their first outright win for seven matches.

A key late-June victory over Kegworth (Petrus Van Biljon top scoring with 57), who had topped the table early on, seemed to be a precursor of a return to the natural order of things – i.e Kibworth sweeping all before them for another season – but there was to be another twist.

Playing at Market Harborough and winning the toss, they put the visitors in and soon had them 70 for 5. Harborough’s middle order and tail fought back however to post a respectable, but eminently achievable, total of 192, Max Levine top scoring with 55, coming in at number seven.

The home supporters were certainly still expecting a defeat, honorary club treasurer Tim Neal remarking that “with a stellar batting line-up the pessimism of the locals around the score box was surely justified in the view that the home side had only succeeded in making the game longer rather than influencing the result”.

That pessimism wasn’t dispelled early on as opener and captain Sunny Patel crashed three boundaries in the first over, but wickets fell regularly at the other end and when Patel himself was out for 34 Kibworth found themselves 52 for 5.

Charlie Paige-Norris and Bhavik Patel dug in to put on 37 runs for the sixth wicket but it

wasn’t enough – another collapse took them to 101 for 9 and despite a brave rearguard action from last pair David Whitmore (33 n.o) and Matthew Bashford they were eventually all out for 129.

Neal commented that they “ended up well beaten and Harborough thoroughly deserved their victory”.

He was nevertheless defiant, going on to say: “Sport is not an exact science and some days you have a bad day at the office and some perspective is needed.

“Obviously to lose is disappointing but we are still second in the league and in both cups and so the fate of the season is very much in our own hands.

“If you couple that with the juniors who are getting regular first team experience this season it is hardly a crisis… and if it is, any club in the league would like to experience it!

But we are Kibworth, we don’t do transition seasons and so let’s hope for a positive backlash.”

He was to only partially get that wish, Leicester Ivanhoe hanging on for a losing draw at Fleckney Road seven days later. They still currently sit second in the table, but a full 42 points behind Sileby.

Market Harborough are in sixth, a respectable position after last season’s flirtation with relegation, but will be sorry to see the departure of Kevin Innes, formerly of Northants and Sussex.

Director of cricket Rob Taylor led the plaudits: “He’s had an excellent career with us and done brilliantly well.

“In 10 years at the club his statistics speak for themselves.

“I wouldn’t think there has been anyone on the league who has been a more consistent run scorer or wicket taker.”

His last match was a win against Barrow.

Sadly, Lutterworth have again been the victims of vandalism. During the night of July 14, the perpetrators slashed the covers so extensively that this time they are irreparable, leaving the club with a bill for around £1,000.

It’s one of many such incidents over the years that have also included damage from motorbike riding.

A strong community club with around 250 juniors and altogether five teams including a women’s side, they give a lot of pleasure to the local population so this is particularly frustrating.

As the club put it on its Crowdfunding page (www.justgiving.comcrowdfunding/ lutterworthcc-covers): “This type of damage is really difficult to swallow for the wonderful volunteers... the club provides amazing facilities and coaching for children, young adults, women and men.

“Cricket is a great personal development tool, promoting respect for officials and others so people don’t fall into this type of behaviour and are not tempted by these mindless acts.”

Although I’m sure yet more contributions would be useful and well spent, the rather more heart-warming ending of the story is that more than 44 donations have already been received, and the total now just exceeds the original £1,000 target.

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Grace Notes Leicestershire has had a terrific start to its NatWest T20 Blast campaign with three wins out of three. Head coach Pierre de Bruyn is warning against complacency this early in the tournament, but there are encouraging signs of a new competitive edge to the side with close season signings and young players to the fore. One who fits both of those descriptions, only 20 and having signed from Derbyshire at the end of last season, is Callum Parkinson, who’s played in all three matches.

I caught up with him between innings while he was a late replacement as twel h man for the seconds. Callum’s from Bolton and identical twin Matt plays for Lancashire so I started by asking how he’d ended up at Grace Road.

“I decided I’d get more game time at Derbyshire than at Lancs and saw a clearer path to move forward and the opportunity to play at the highest level. Then at the end of last season I had offers from both,” he told me.

He’d certainly caught the eye of the Fox management team with his performances last season – a year ago he’d made his debut against them, taking seven wickets as well as scoring a crucial 48 with the bat at number 11. “It was a no-brainer really with the offer Leicestershire made me,” he continued. “We’ve started well in the T20 and we’ll be hoping to push on and make the final now.”

However, his preferred format is the four-day game – just like his peer Zak Chappell who told us as much in last month’s column.

“I prefer the red ball,” Callum said. “As a spinner you can be the match winner on day four when the pitch is turning. I do enjoy the white ball though – more and more as I learn the ropes.”

Twins such as the Waughs and Bedsers have an honourable place in the annals of cricket but identical ones are rarer. For the statisticians, the first pair to play test cricket were Hamish and James Marshall in 2005, for New Zealand against Australia. How about the prospect of the Parkinsons being the first to do so for England? “Anything’s possible. You never know if we both keep working hard,” said Callum. “It would be nice but that’s getting far too much ahead of myself at present. I’m just concentrating on holding down my place in the side here.”

As young Callum embarks on what may be an exciting career, another has drawn to a close. Charlie Shreck has decided to call it a day at the age of 39 due to injury. He’d been the club’s joint leading wicket taker in his first season and went on to finish with a career total of 577 plus 103 in limited overs.

Chief executive Wasim Khan said: “Charlie’s been an outstanding servant for Leicestershire CCC. I’d like to thank him for his huge contribution to the club both on and off the field and we wish him all the very best for the future.”

Charlie himself signed off with: “Unfortunately all playing careers have to come to an end and my time is now. I look back with fond memories of my time and feel very privileged to have been a part of the cricket community for so long. I would like to thank everyone that has helped along the way, the umpires for putting up with me and the supporters that stay with you through thick, thin and rain.”

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ACTIVE LOCAL Round-up

Equestrianism

Hot weather and busy eventing

BY JULIA DUNGWORTH

I

t has been another busy month for the eventers, starting with Buckminster running over the first weekend in July.

They picked one of the hottest weekends of the year, unlike last year where it was one of the wettest.

With temperatures soaring up to nearly 30 degrees the ground became a little hard in the show-jumping arena and with a very ‘up to height’ course, consequently not many clear rounds were seen.

On the cross-country the ground had been well spiked and ran really well all day. On the Saturday they ran a very full section of KBIS 5 Year Old BE100 which is a qualifier for Osberton in October, although lots of good local riders were well placed in the very competitive section, including a second place for Caroline March, a third for Emilie Chandler and an eighth for Alex Dance. It was Hector Payne, who had driven down from York who took the win.

Heidi Coy from Melton Mowbray also had a great run; she was second on two of her rides – Russal Z in the BE100 Under 18 and Carrigsean Tigerseye in the Novice Under 18 event.

Burghley Pony Club ran their annual One

Day Event in Burghley Park; they yet again had bumper entries and ran well into Sunday evening. It was a great day for the Burghley Pony Club excelling themselves on their home turf, winning the Open Area Eventing and qualifying for the Pony Club Championships at Chomondeley.

A special well done to team member Di Bevan, who also became the Individual Open Area Champion on her horse Roberto II. Louise Bodily also finished second on Jardo S, Alice Turner was seventh and Lucy Daly unplaced but posting a good dressage and clear cross-country.

The smaller 80 and 90 sections were very popular within the pony club and also within our local eventing community with the lorry park packed full of huge horseboxes, people would have easily thought they had their dates mixed up with Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials which is set to start on August 31.

The Burghley Pony Club then followed in their good fortune at Area Dressage the following weekend at Kirby Bellars. Cecily Hopkins and Tabitha Leicester both produced sparkling tests resulting in Cecily winning her section and qualifying for National Pony Club Championships and

Tabitha came second and also gained a well deserved ticket to champs.

Next came the Regional Team; they all looked stunning and both Harry Lee and Sophie Johnson finished second in their sections.

Di Bevan’s purple patch continued, she not only qualified she smashed the class to win it on Houli. Last to go in the day came the Intermediate Team, they too produced the goods – Lilly Dodds wowed the judge and claimed fifth place, Lucy Daly sat very still to contain the exuberance of Honey and claimed fourth place; Louise, fast becoming the most dependable of team members, rode a lovely test on the huge Noddy to get fourth place in her section.

Claudia Campbell pulled it out of the bag on the hunter Tommy – for a 77 mark and a win her section. Even more satisfying though was the team result, as they finished second resulting in all four members qualifying for championships.

A truly wonderful day for Burghley with seven members going to championships and four to regionals in dressage; every member placed in every class either individually or in a team.

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