Active Magazine // South Leicestershire // July 2015

!

E E

FR

Win! A brilliant kid’s Frog Bike Another great competition just in time for the summer hols!

ISSUE 3 // JULY 2015

SOUTH LEICESTERSHIRE SPORT AND LEISURE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 3 // JULY 2015

BE APPY!

The best 40 Apps for sport, fitness and health

Market Harborough CC

The 14 -year old biker

Fit and healthy at work

175 years young, and still going strong

Leicestershire lad dreams of being the next Barry Sheene

Don’t let the stress and strain beat you

COVER iss 37 SL.indd 116

www.theACTIVEmag.com 07

20/06/2015 14:11

BUBBLE FOOTBALL EAST MIDLANDS

BIRTHDAYS STAGS HENS CORPORATE EVENTS JUST FUN

bubble football.indd 1

FOR PRICES, VENUES AND MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

@Bubble_EM

www.facebook.com /BubbleFootballEM

Telephone: 07539 861 152 / 07739569198 Email: bubblefootballem@yahoo.com

21/05/2015 15:07

Editor’s Letter HUGE CONGRATULATIONS MUST GO TO Leicestershire County Cricket Club for finally, after two tortuous years, winning a game in the County Championship. What a massive relief all round it must be at a wonderful old club.

Grace Road has always had that lovely laid-back atmosphere of cricket grounds of the past, not some concrete modernist corporate megabowl like those counties chasing Test matches and crash-bang Twenty20 internationals. If you haven’t been for a while, I really suggest going: for on a warm summer’s day, it’s Middle England personified.

But it’s still all about winning isn’t it? And winning is a hard habit to acquire, and losing is a much easier thing to achieve. Many years ago, I played in a team where we lost the first three games of the season, a little bit unluckily it has to be said, and thereafter went into a downward spiral of confidence and form. Suddenly just bowling a ball in the right spot became difficult, a half volley had danger written all over it and a everyone looked on with a mixture of hope and despair as potential catches looped into the air…

We avoided relegation on the last day of the season by a solitary point. The next season, with the same group of players and same captain, we won our first three games and went on a run which saw us promoted. Work that out.

So much of sport is about confidence: you only have to look at the England cricket team, who have clearly been told not to worry about getting out, but given licence to smash the ball out of the ground at every opportunity. They have been transformed.

Of course, the Aussies arrive soon and they have the ability and hard-bitten character to see even a tiny crack in a player’s nerves and prise it wide open. Hopefully we shall stand firm, and hopefully the rest of the summer will be a great (and winning) one for England, and Leicestershire.

I hope you enjoy the magazine, 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, Sandie Hurford, 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 2049-8713 A Grassroots Publishing Limited company. Company registration number 7994437. VAT number 152717318

Disclaimer

Copyright (c) Grassroots Publishing Limited (GPL) 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or be stored in any retrieval system, of any nature, without prior permission from GPL. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of GPL or its affiliates. Disclaimer of Liability. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, GPL and its affiliates assume no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of and, to the extent permitted by law, shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained in this publication.

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

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

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5

3 SL ed letterOK.indd 117

3

21/06/2015 15:27

2092 GPL-SBC Double Page April Active Advert-Final-sp_GPL-SBC Double Page April Active Advert 19/03/2014 11:01 Page 1

NEW BUILDS

2092 GPL-SBC Double Page April Active Advert-Final-sp_GPL-SBC Double Page April Active Advert 19/03/2014 11:01 Page 2

We are general building contractors based in Stamford, UK that cover a wide range of building work and services, with many years experience in the building trade.

We have been in business since 2002 and are specialists in Building, Extensions, Lofts Conversions and Refurbishment services, Modern and Traditional Extensions, Kitchens and Bathrooms, Interior Design, Landscaping, Gas and Electrical Work.

EXTENSIONS

KITCHENS

BATHROOMS

OUR SERVICES Architectural Drawings | Basement Conversions Bathrooms | Kitchens | House Extension | Loft Conversions Project Management | New Builds | Renovations | Windows and Doors

Stamford Building And Construction 4 Silver Lane, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 2BT Tel: 01780 427 027 Email: sales@stamfordbuildingandconstruction.co.uk www.stamfordbuildingandconstruction.co.uk

Contents NEWS

ISSUE 3 /// JULY 2015

36

12 ACTIVE LIFE

Rugby World Cup theme at Wistow Maze

15 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

Leicester High School for Girls PE teacher Emma Martin

16-17 HEALTHY EATING

A tasty recipe from Riverford Organic

18 THE ARC

Focus on an idyllic hidden hideaway

21 COOPED UP

How to keep chickens in your garden

23 WHAT’S ON

Local events to visit this month

25 FIVE THINGS TO DO IN JULY.

Tennis, museums, gardens, the gym, city farms

48

50

33 MARTIN JOHNSON COLUMN The pressure of sports management

34-35 KIT BAG

Essential gear for the sporting summer

FEATURES 26-31 175 NOT OUT

Jeremy Beswick visits Market Harborough Cricket Club

36-41 GET APPY!

The best apps to help you get more active

42-48 HEALTH AND FITNESS

The latest on looking and feeling great

x

26

REGULARS 50-51 DOG HEALTH

More great advice to make life with your pooch easier

52-53 GREAT WALKS

Will Hetherington heads to Allexton and Horninghold

55 SPORTSMAN’S DINNER

We try out the Red Cow in Market Harborough

56-59 SCHOOL SPORT

Our focus on the latest achievements from local pupils

62-66 ROUND-UP

How clubs in the area are faring

6 J U L Y 2 0 1 5 ///

6 SL contentsOK.indd 6

21/06/2015 20:27

MMPS-February Full Page Active Advert_MMPS-February Full Page Active Advert 06/01/2014 14:16 Page 1

MM print services limited

A family run business based in the centre of Stamford, with over 60 years of combined experience providing print procurement solutions for clients worldwide.

We can offer solutions for publishing, commercial printing, direct mail, storage and distribution.

One of our specialist areas is the production of catalogues and daily magazines at international conventions and exhibitions, where a distinct attention to detail is required.

We work with an added value approach to enable us to develop long term relationships with clients as well as our suppliers.

Services that we offer are: • • • • • •

Commercial Printing Magazine Design & Print Creative Design Service Warehouse & Distribution Direct Mail Book Binding

For more information, a quote or advice on your next project please contact us on 01780 751313 or email contact@mmprintservices.com

MM print services limited, The Grey House, 3 Broad Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1PG Telephone: 01780 751313 Email: contact@mmprintservices.com www.mmprintservices.com

In Play

Cricket season in full swing The cricket season is reaching its halfway stage.

To find out how your local clubs as getting on, see our roundup on page 62

8 J U LY 2015 ///

08-09 SL inplay.indd 8

21/06/2015 21:26

/// J U LY 2015 9

08-09 SL inplay.indd 9

21/06/2015 21:26

In Play

1 0 J U LY 2015 ///

10-11 SL inplayOK.indd 10

21/06/2015 20:28

Š EYE35.PIX / ALAMY

The Battle of Bosworth Want to find out more about the Battle of Bosworth, the death of King Richard III and the unlikely victory of Henry Tudor?

There are regular re-enactments and guided walks throughout the summer.

Visit www.bosworthbattlefield.com

/// J U LY 2015 11

10-11 SL inplayOK.indd 11

21/06/2015 20:28

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

OUT AND ABOUT

Tackle the maze To celebrate England hosting the Rugby World Cup this year, and that some of the matches will be held in Leicester, the Wistow Maze has created its labyrinth in the form of a player scoring a try. It opens on Saturday, July 18, until September 6. As well as the maze there are plenty of other attractions, reflected in it recently being named Leicestershire’s Best Visitor Attraction.

For more details visit www.wistow.com.

1 2 J U LY 2015 ///

12 SL Active life openerOK.indd 10

21/06/2015 15:28

Help for flat owners in South Leicestershire Sexton Property Management is a newly established business that is helping apartment owners to affordably manage the maintenance of their buildings.

We are currently responsible for

“

Harborough totalling 86 apartments.

alongside our residents association

By partnering with us, you can sit

back and relax whilst we take care of all your financial, administration and on site safety requirements.

Need help managing your apartments?

Get in touch by calling 07747 306095 sexton.indd 1

Sexton Property Management work and provide us with complete

piece of mind as they take care of all our day-to-day management responsibilities

“

three developments in Market

property management Sexton Property Management 1 Millers Yard, Roman Way Market Harborough LE16 7PW

24/04/2015 09:18

NOTTINGHAM BEESTON

M1

BOSTON

A1

A52

SWINESHEAD

A52

GRANTHAM

KEYWORTH

A17 KEGWORTH

A6

A

A16

A607

A606

A15

A46 MELTON MOWBRAY

LOUGHBOROUGH

HOLBEACH

A151

SPALDING

A1

BOURNE

A17

KING’S LYNN

M1 A1101

A606 A50

A606

OAKHAM

LEICESTER

STAMFORD

A6003

A47

MARKET DEEPING

A15

A10

WISBECH

A16

UPPINGHAM Enjoy a restful break at the Falcon Hotel, our stunning 16th century coaching inn.

Experience an innovative twist on brasserie food at A1DonPETERBOROUGH Paddy’s, or simply M1 relax with a local ale in our cosy traditional English pub, The Vaults.

A47

OADBY

WIGSTON

A1122

MARCH

A6003

MARKET HARBOROUGH

A427

A508

CORBY A43

A6003

A6

TO N O LOND

A6

LUTTERWORTH

DOWNHAM MARKET

A47

A47

A6116 A43

TO ON D LON

We are located just off theA14 A47 between KETTERING A14 Leicester and Peterborough, situated in M1 Uppingham’s historic Market Place.

A605

THRAPSTON

A6003

TO BIRMINGHAM

A508

A43

A509 A6

A141

A10

UPPINGHAM

A45

A

Falcon Hotel 01572 823535 info@falcon-hotel.co.uk Don Paddy’s 01572 822255 info@donpaddys.co.uk The Vaults 01572 823259 info@thevaultsuppingham.co.uk

A

Sat Nav LE15 9QH

A

A6003

T HE MARKET PLACE, UPPIN G H AM, RUTL A N D.

Advert Don Paddy Falcon Vaults 285x220v2.indd 1

23/01/2015 13:00:04

Activelife

A day in the life of

EMMA MARTIN

Leicester High School for Girls PE teacher and expedition leader

I

’ve been a PE teacher at Leicester High School for Girls for 17 years. I’m also the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) manager and the outdoor education co-ordinator.

We have 150-plus students that do DofE and I manage all the different sections and run the expeditions. I’ve built a model where the older students train and mentor the younger ones, so by the time they leave school they’re already experienced in instructing. A girl who has just left has already done her mountain leader training and one girl in year 13 has climbed to Everest base camp.

I’m passionate about women having opportunities and feeling they can do anything, and I love the outdoors, so the two things come together in my job and my outdoor activity company, First 4 Adventure. Seeing girls – who are often quite city based – having an amazing time outdoors is wonderful. They can go from not knowing what a stile is to camping in the Lake District on their own for four days while they’re completing their gold. It’s extraordinary.

Originally I employed lots of male instructors to organise the expeditions at Leicester High but found I was making the tea and driving the minibus. So I decided to do my mountain leader qualification and now I’m really keen to see far more women in the industry.

I set up First 4 Adventure with my friend Andy who is a freelance instructor as we decided we could do the DofE scheme better!

Schools either use their own staff to run expeditions or they can employ a company like ours. We wanted to take what we did at Leicester High to other schools as we have a great model that works. We now work with schools in Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Essex.

The other half of our job is taking people who don’t have the confidence or the kit on an adventure, whether it’s walking, mountain biking, climbing or wild camping. We offer a totally bespoke package.

We love working with families as it can be such an important time together, but we also enjoy taking groups of friends, teenagers and work colleagues. We can do anything that’s safe and viable and obviously with big groups we employ more staff.

My favourite place I’ve always been independent and being in the outdoors gives you a great sense of freedom. My favourite place is on a little-known mountain called Cnicht in Snowdonia. I’ve wild camped there and on a good day you can sit by your tent

‘I’m passionate about women having opportunities... feeling they can do anything’ and watch the sun go down over Snowdon. I find wild camping the most magical, fantastic experience of anything I do. I feel so incredibly privileged to be on my own in the mountains, like someone has given me a present. And even if the weather is bad, you’re generally all warm and cosy in your tent and when you wake up and there’s nobody there and the sun is rising, it’s an incredible feeling.

Life is always busy: I’ve got two daughters and, as a family, we do loads outside. One day I’ll be teaching and taking the children to football, cricket and gymnastics after school, and then I may be away for a few days on expedition. I’m also very involved in village life with my book group and film club. And my husband has just left a management role and is

about to open a micro pub on Allandale Road in Leicester. So I have to be super-organised and run everything with military precision. It’s the only way I can keep on top of it. And thank goodness for grandparents – that’s all I can say!

I try and run twice a week and cycle once or twice a week. I also do a sports conditioning class. If you’re leading groups on the hill, you need to be fit enough to cope with any situation.

Trail running is my real passion and my next goal is to run a mountain marathon. I read a book called ‘Feet in the Clouds’ which was totally inspirational. I keep it by my bed and even just looking at the cover makes me think, ‘come on, keep going’.  For more information about Emma’s outdoor activities, visit www.first4adventure.co.uk. /// J U LY 2015

15 SL life day in lifeOK.indd 26

15

21/06/2015 15:29

Activelife

1 6 J U LY 2 0 1 5 ///

16-17 recipeOK.indd 18

21/06/2015 15:30

CHORIZO AND SUMMER GREEN PAELLA INGREDIENTS

1 onion 2 garlic cloves 1 red pepper Oil for cooking 2 cooking chorizo 1 vegetable stock cube 1 tomato ¼ dried chilli 75ml white wine 1tsp smoked paprika Pinch of saffron Salt and pepper 200g calasparra rice 100g summer greens 30g parsley 1 lemon

METHOD

Peel and finely dice the onion and crush the garlic cloves. Cut the pepper in half lengthways, remove the seeds and cut into thin slices. Wash the parsley and shake dry.

Heat 2tbsp of oil in a pan. Remove the skins from the chorizo and crumble the meat into the pan in rough chunks (1). Fry until starting to colour. Remove from the pan but retain the flavoured oil.

Add the onion to the pan and fry gently on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic and pepper to the onion. Cook gently for a further 5 minutes until starting to

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-bystep recipe cards and all the ingredients in exact quantities.

The recipes are quick to cook and ideal for week nights – most are ready in under 45 minutes. Think well balanced and nutritious,

soften. While the onions and peppers cook (2), boil a kettle and tip 700ml of water into a measuring jug. Add the stock cube and mix well. Roughly chop the tomato and ¼ of the dried chilli.

Add the chopped tomato, chilli, paprika, saffron and white wine to the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes to allow the wine to reduce. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice, stir once or twice to coat and spread everything as thinly and evenly across the pan as you can. Tip over the stock and leave to simmer for 25 mins.

Check the rice every so often to make sure it isn’t drying out too much or burning at the bottom. Add a dash of water if needed but try to avoid excessive stirring or movement.

While the rice starts to cook prepare your summer greens. Wash them well and cut the leaves away from the tough central stalk.

Discard the stalks and shred leaves very finely.

After 25 minutes add the chorizo and summer greens to the pan, pushing them into the rice rather than stirring. Cook for 10 minutes, checking the rice as before. Cover the pan with a lid or some foil and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Finely chop the parsley leaves, cut the lemon into wedges. Add the parsley to the paella and check the seasoning (3). Serve with the lemon wedges.

1

2

3

TIPS

Use the largest frying pan/wok you have so the rice is spread thinly and evenly.

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.

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 1 7

16-17 recipeOK.indd 19

21/06/2015 15:30

Activelife

LEISURE

THE ARC

Self-catering cabin in idyllic countryside offers cookery workshops and retreats Welcome to The Arc. Tucked away in a hidden spot alongside the River Nene just outside the village of Elton, this self-catered cabin offers a safe haven away from it all.

It is furnished from upcycled and recycled furniture and fabrics that reflect the owner’s interior design roots. Owner Lotte, who is also a qualified nutritionist embracing the holistic life, encompasses her lifestyle in the delicious hamper she offers for all guests sourced from local suppliers. The Arc has a fabulously equipped kitchen offering plenty of opportunity to cook delicious food, inspired by Lotte.

But The Arc isn’t just about a short break

away from it all. “Now that I have set The Arc up I want to make it available to the local community as well,” says Lotte. “I am going to be offering cookery workshops and well-being retreats and ran my first pop-up diner at the end of June. It had a seasonal theme, mixed in with a bit of Alice and Wonderland. All food is locally produced, we had a fabulous time and I can’t wait to do another one.”  To find out more about The Arc and the workshops and retreats Lotte offers visit www. thearccabin.co.uk or telephone Lotte on 07747 011701.

1 8 J U LY 2015 ///

18 SL Active lifeOK.indd 26

21/06/2015 15:31

MAMMA MIA HERE WE GO AGAIN!

Do you need a lawyer?

THE AUSTRALIAN ABBA SHOW TS SPECIAL GUES

D BROTHERHOO OF MAN

PLUS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR

SATURDAY 15TH AUGUST RUTLAND WATER (SYKES LANE ENTRANCE) Tickets www.livepromotionsconcerts.co.uk Stamford July ArtsAdvert-FINAL_GPL-GLR Centre Tel 01780 763203 2587 GPL-GLR May Active Half Page Advert 16/06/2015 12:32 Page 1

WIDE RANGE OF CAMPING, LEISURE AND TECHNICAL OUTDOOR CLOTHING We supply a wide range of tents and camping accessories. Leisure wear and technical outdoor clothing for adults and children.

Come and visit us in store or online today.

OFFERS

Craghoppers Pro Lite Half Zip £30.00

Hi-Tec Ezee'z Shandal £37.50

www.getlostinrutland.co.uk Visit our shop. Open Monday-Sunday.

Hi-Tec Mens Ezee'z £40.00

e. info@getlostinrutland.co.uk t. 01572 868712 Rutland Village, Ashwell Road, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 7QN – FREE PARKING! Vango Airbeam EpsomCapri 500xl £550

19.indd 1

20/06/2015 15:23

4421_HDLT STS Ad_Active Magazine_AW.qxp_188mm x 125mm 16/04/2015 09:20 Page 1

Shine this

Summer

with

memberships from

* £26.99 per month at Harborough and Lutterworth

Leisure Centres JOIN 1 USE BOTH

To join or find out more please visit:

harboroughleisure.co.uk

Harborough Leisure Centre Northampton Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 9HF Tel: 01858 410 115

SHARE THE FEELING

GymIn Harborough SwimIn Harborough

CENTRES

Lutterworth Sports Centre Coventry Road, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 4RB Tel: 01455 200 800

@GymInHarb @SwimInHarb

A PART OF

* Price relates to a gym and swim membership at both Harborough and Lutterworth Leisure Centres.12 month minimum term applies. Other memberships available, see online for details.

Hello

Sunshine

l l

l

l

l l

The Old Mill • South Street • Oakham • Rutland • LE15 6BG • www.cavellscountry.co.uk

20.indd 1

20/06/2015 15:23

Activelife

LIFESTYLE

COOPED UP

Editor Steve Moody is taking up the good life and keeping chickens. Month two: the chickens are in place, but where are the eggs?

S

o, then comes the wait. The chickens are in situ and seemed happy enough, clucking about, but of course the only true measure of contentedness is a steady stream of eggs.

All three are fairly young chickens and it takes them a while to settle in. That in itself was a task: we created a nice spot for them in the corner of the garden with plenty of ground to scratch around in and a tree and various other things to play on.

Of course, what we didn’t factor in was getting them to work out where their nightly roost was. After the event, we discovered the best course of action is to buy your chickens,

take them home and deposit straight into the coop for the night and shut the door, thus conditioning them to the fact this was their new home.

First night, they took a liking to the tree, and so we had to chase them round as they flapped and clucked, Hannah pinning them against the fence with a piece of cardboard before unceremoniously and noisily plonking them in the coop. Despite the fact they may well be the most stupid animals ever invented, they took the hint: from then on, every dusk they marched into the coop like well-drilled soldiers.

After about a week of fruitless searching,

we lifted the lid on the coop, and there it was – a perfect little white egg. Held triumphantly aloft by the kids like Indiana Jones finding some long lost relic of the Andes they marched into the kitchen to add it to the waiting rack. The next day, another white one, and a brown one too!

Thing is, we didn’t know who was the layer. Simply going on colour, we guessed the eggs matched their feathers. It took weeks to ascertain we were right with that assumption.

By then we had gorged on gorgeous fresh eggs – there’s no comparison with any shop bought ones. Yum!  Next month: The chickens attempt to escape!

GARDENING

Time to put your feet up and enjoy the fruits of your labours July can often be the hottest month of the year – here’s hoping – so make the most of it and enjoy sitting out.

It’s hard to beat a perfect English summer evening, sitting on your bench, gin and tonic in hand, admiring your handiwork whilst the sun beats down on you.

But you need to put in the hours before sitting back and admiring all your hard work.

Saying this though, July is often a month of maintenance rather than really hard work as the growing peak has passed.

Keep dead-heading fading blooms to encourage new ones. Keep the weeds under control with regular hoeing and, of course, water, water, water, if it’s dry, particularly newly planted plants and pots.

Hopefully your water butt will not run dry so you can use recycled water. If the weather is very dry raise the blades on your lawnmower to allow the grass to grow a little longer. This will help it retain moisture and stay greener. But don’t forget to get the deckchair out and enjoy your garden!

Allotment corner July is the time to reap what you’ve sown.

Keep watering and hopefully the long sunny days will encourage rapid growth.

Check the allotment daily as certain veg can grow rapidly. Pick your courgettes before they turn into marrows and harvest beans.

Limit tomato growth by pinching out the side shoots and keep them well fed. Also, keep an eye out for pests, particularly slugs if it turns wet. Black and white fly are prevalent now so keep them under control.

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5

21 SL Active life.indd 26

21

21/06/2015 15:32

PETERBOROUGH CITY COUNCIL PRESENTS

PERKINS GREAT EASTERN RUN

Organised by

Principal sponsor

SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER 2015

One of the UK’s top half marathons!

HISTORIC CITY CENTRE ROUTE

ANNA’S HOPE FUN RUN 10AM

FANTASTIC SPECTATOR SUPPORT

www.perkinsgreateasternrun.co.uk 1919 - GER Advert Active Mag.indd 1

HALF MARATHON 10:30AM BA

A

R

ENTER TODAY!

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

RR

E

FLAT AND FAST

CE

GRA

D

Gold Standard Event

@PERKINSGER PERKINS GREAT EASTERN RUN

21/04/2015 15:54

EVENTS

What’s on...

DISCOVER HIDDEN GEMS The third Welland Valley Wander will be held on Sunday, August 16. It features a new route through Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire finding hidden parts of the area that you never knew existed. Starting at Kilworth House near Lutterworth, stopping off for lunch at Oakham and finishing at Drayton House near Thrapston, it’s sure to be a fabulous day for all classic car owners. The event will again raise funds for LOROS – the Leicestershire and Rutland hospice. www.wellandvalleywander.co.uk RACING AND ROCKINGHAM The Classic Sports Car Club returns to the Rockingham circuit on July 11 and 12 for the first time since 2008. There are 12 races over two days offering an ideal chance to see classic sports cars at their best. www.rockingham.co.uk

SPORT

The Tigers came for tea Leicester Tigers players joined children for a tea party recently at Spire Leicester Hospital. The children, who have all been patients at the hospital, were joined by four Tigers (Brad Thorn, Jordan Crane, Matt Smith and Jamie Gibson) who played party games and, of course, had jelly and ice cream.

Spire Leicester Hospital offers private children’s services for babies and youngsters offering a wide range of treatments and have recently launched a Baby and Toddler clinic at the hospital. The hospital has recently opened the Spire Stamford Clinic at 12 Broad Street, Stamford, which helps provide fast access to private healthcare, including private GP services, whether you have insurance or choose to pay yourself.  To find out more visit www.spireleicester.com or telephone

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5

23 SL Active life whats onOK.indd 27

23

21/06/2015 15:32

racquet wess. en you

fitness ss so only in

ship s on five

ave ws, at’s d city day out

Activelife

OUT AND ABOUT

FIVE THINGS TO DO IN JULY It’s Wimbledon fortnight so dig out the tennis racquet and emulate Andy Murray – whatever his prowess. There’s lots of places to play in the area and then you can reward yourself with a very large bowl of strawberries and cream – delicious!

■

Too busy to go the gym? Not any more! Snap fitness in Market Harborough offers 24-hour gym access so there’s no longer an excuse. And it is not just in Market Harborough – become a member and you have global membership that allows the use of 1,500 Snap Fitness Clubs on five continents. 01858 455360

■

Visit Gorse Hill City Farm in Leicester. It has more than100 animals to meet including cows, sheep, goats, pigs and ponies.

What’s more it’s a Rare Breed Survival Trust-approved city farm.

You can also feed the animals – a great day out and it’s open every day of the year. www.gorsehillcityfarm.org.uk

■

Market Harborough’s museum has been revamped so pay a visit to see what they’ve been doing. Free to enter, there’s plenty to see including a collection of corsets (pictured above) as the museum is sited in the old corset factory, and a Roman helmet from the Hallaton treasure, as well as lots of Roman coins.

■

July is the ideal time to visit gardens and one of the best in the region is the University of Leicester’s botanic gardens at Oadby (pictured below). Free to enter, the gardens cover 16 acres and incorporate an arboretum, formal plantings, including herbaceous borders, and much more. They even have a café in the summer months.

■

Know your crop: barley When you’re out and about do you look at a crop in the field and debate what it is? Can you tell the difference between wheat and barley? This month we look at barley.

It’s easy to spot the difference between wheat and barley at this time of year as, before it ripens and turns golden, barley is easily identifiable as the lighter coloured crop.

It also has whiskery fronds if you get up close to it. It’s the fields that could be described as ‘rippling corn’ as when the wind moves through the crop the whole field seems to sway and move like waves in the ocean – a fabulous site. Ripening earlier than wheat, so harvested earlier, you will probably see the first combines in the fields in the middle of July.

Barley originated in Ethiopia and south east Asia and has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years. The word barn originally meant barley house.

In 1324 Edward ll standardised the inch as equal to ‘three grains of barley placed end to end lengthwise’. Used for feed for humans and animals, the malting variety (much of which is grown in this area) is made into malt using an ancient, traditional method and used for whisky and beer production.

Interesting facts about barley ■ Barley wine recipes date back to 2800 BC. ■ English settlers started cultivating barley in America to make beer.

■ Being high in fibre barley is known to protect against heart disease.

■ Pearl barley is a popular addition to many soups.

■ Barley is used in many recipes throughout the world and is highly regarded for its healthy properties.

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5

25 SL Active lifeOK.indd 26

25

21/06/2015 15:33

Feature /// Cricket

2 6 J U LY 2015 ///

26-31 SL LOCAL FEATUREv2 OK.indd 26

21/06/2015 20:31

175 NOT OUT Market Harborough has a cricket, squash and social club with a long tradition.

By Jeremy Beswick Photography: Pip Warters

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 2 7

26-31 SL LOCAL FEATUREv2 OK.indd 27

21/06/2015 20:31

Feature /// Cricket

2 8 J U LY 2015 ///

26-31 SL LOCAL FEATUREv2 OK.indd 28

21/06/2015 20:31

Far le and le

The club boasts excellent cricket and squash facilities; history stretches back 175 years; plenty of juniors turn out for the club, but more are always welcome

THERE ARE MANY cricket clubs in South Leicestershire with a long and distinguished history, but none more so than Market Harborough. This year it is celebrating its 175th anniversary and as I arrived at the pretty Fairfield Road ground on a sunny Saturday afternoon the sense of tradition was underlined by a ceremony before the day’s play to dedicate a new pavilion clock to former player, captain, chairman and president Les Tobin.

Les passed away in 2013 and, according to the dedication speech by his son Andrew, ‘lived and breathed MHCC’. He started playing for the club in 1957 and his off-spin took more than 2,000 wickets including those of Graham Yallop and Wayne Larkins. A generous benefactor, he is still very much part of things here, as The Tobin Cup (for the associated squash club on the same site) and the scoreboard bear his name as well as that new clock.

I think it’s fair to say that his passing left something of a vacuum and administratively the club was in disarray for a short time. Eleven players left along with most of the committee, but they are now back where they should be and making excellent progress under a new team.

One of that new team is club secretary Alison Avil. Although Alison originally came to the club through the squash side, she was no mean cricketer herself and played for Leicester Women in the 1980s.

In fact, when players were hard to come by last season she turned out for the seconds. How had she done? “Well, the impressive part was I

shared in a stand of 37,” she said. Then after a smile, “But it’s only fair to tell you that my batting partner got 36 of them.”

Alison’s been the driving force, along with other squash members, behind the raising of funds for an additional two squash courts and the building works are now under way. What are her ambitions for the cricket club? “We really want to improve our links with the community, particularly through the juniors. There are so many fantastic people at this club, there’s enormous potential.”

The land is owned by The Market Harborough and The Bowdens Charity which has at its heart the provision of facilities for local people, so an objective to be more closely connected to the townsfolk is absolutely appropriate. The squash club has its own cosy bar and lounge but now the objective is to make it ‘one club, with combined social events and volunteers’.

On the pitch, local rivals Kibworth are fielding so I have a chance to chat to club captain Joe Gordon as he waits to go in. Joe’s a local lad whose father also played here and will be delighted to see it emerging from its travails in good shape again. Indeed, he was central to holding the team together in the difficult times.

Coach Laurence Perry embarrasses him by telling me: “Joe’s got the biggest heart in Market Harborough. He’s been the most important person in the whole club for the last two years.”

Joe swatted that aside easily like a slow long hop. Looking around the ground, he said: “This

is a fantastic place to play cricket. Our facilities are easily good enough for the Premier League.

We’ve got a really young side that will only improve – as skip I’m one of the oldest at 28.”

The quality of the ground is such that Leicestershire seconds play here and send their young players to turn out for Harborough.

Zak Chappell is one of those here today. The county won’t let him bowl, which frustrates him,

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 2 9

26-31 SL LOCAL FEATUREv2 OK.indd 29

21/06/2015 20:32

An eye for winners Thoroughbred Purchase, Management and Consultancy

Blandford Bloodstock has helped their clients achieve international success on the racecourse, at public auction or creating a bloodstock portfolio.

We have the knowledge, experience and expertise to guide you through the thoroughbred industry to help you achieve your goals.

Call us today and see how we can help.

Blandford Bloodstock 6a Rous Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8DL

www.blandfordbloodstock.com

Tom Goff: +44 (0)7720 879 034 Richard Brown: +44 (0)7733 122 007 Stuart Boman: +44 (0)7980 461 814

SHORTEN YOUR ODDS OF SUCCESS R A C E H O R S E

O W N E R S H I P

Established as one of British racing’s top trainers 90 domestic winners in 2013 Ownership options to suit all budgets

F O R

28% winners to

A L L

Consistent top UK trainer

runners in 2014

The Office, Trillium Place Stables, Birdcage Walk, Newmarket, Suffolk, England, CB8 0NE Tel: +44 (0)1638 662968 | Fax: +44 (0)1638 663888 Email: david@davidsimcock.co.uk | Web: davidsimcock.co.uk

30.indd 1

20/06/2015 15:23

Feature /// Cricket

but he said: “Hopefully I can get Harborough some runs today. This is a really great place.”

Joe continues and, echoing Alison’s sentiments, said: “We just need to market ourselves better and connect as closely as we can to the local community. With a town the size of Harborough we really should be putting out more than two sides.”

Coach Laurence, together with junior cricket co-ordinator Ian Milne, is at the centre of that drive as he also coaches the youngsters.

Increasing the numbers of local children playing junior cricket is seen as key to making that connection.

Currently they have 50 or so junior members from six years old upwards playing cricket here on a Sunday morning and are obviously keen to recruit more. At £50 for 18 sessions it’s a real bargain so, if you think you might be interested, Ian can be reached on 07990 712778. There are three groups on a Sunday ; 6-11 years, under 11s and under 13s and in addition around 20 under 15s and under 17s players come to net sessions on Thursday evenings.

As Joe strides out into the middle to start his innings I sit down to watch with father Philip, who still plays occasionally, and trustee Terry Brutnall. As the innings progresses it emerges that they’ve been involved in a few – they made their debut here together in 1977.

Cricket secretary Peter Davis joined us. He’d lived just across the road until the age of five and remembers coming to a game featuring Dennis

‘THERE’S A GREAT TRADITION IN THIS PLACE BUT WE’RE ALSO FRIENDLY’

Compton and Godfrey Evans. He returned in adulthood to be club chairman – twice. “When the sun is shining why would you want to be anywhere else?”

We retire to the bar to sample a special ale Langton’s brewery have launched to honour their anniversary (at £3 a pint it’s a bargain not to be missed) as volunteer Fiona Sadd helps prepare the all-important afternoon tea while her son Patrick bats outside.

Chairman Steve Avil takes up the story: “We’ve got superb facilities here and the only squash club for miles around. There’s a great tradition in this place but we’re also friendly and welcoming.”

If you’re lucky enough to live in this lovely part of the country why not stroll down to the ground one Saturday afternoon? If you get the bug and want to go regularly, social membership is only £10 a year. Details of fixtures and social events can be found at www.harboroughcsc. co.uk/cricket or, if squash is your thing, www. harboroughcsc.co.uk/squash.

Alison added: “We’re playing a match against the MCC on July 23 and it would be great for people to come along and watch.” Steve added: “We just want to provide something for the people of Harborough to enjoy. Come and watch and join in.”

Le

Langton’s brewery has brewed a special ale to commemorate the club’s 175th anniversary – why not pop in and try a pint?

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 3 1

26-31 SL LOCAL FEATUREv2 OK.indd 31

21/06/2015 20:32

Specialists in bespoke construction projects, from extensions to entire new builds as well as period property restoration. Working with a trusted team of local craftsmen to create the property of your dreams

Thorpe Construction Ltd Tel: Stamford (01780) 749599 l Email: info@thorpeconstructionuk.com l www.thorpeconstructionuk.com Find us on www.facebook.com/thorpeconstructionukltd Company registered in England No. 8917848

thorpeconstruct 1.indd 27

17/04/2015 11:15

Guest column

The sensational news that’s in no way sensational Martin Johnson is not surprised by the FIFA corruption scandal ot long after the sensational news broke, I wandered into the golf club bar, all the thirstier for having spent the previous four hours thrashing around in the undergrowth, and the steward said: “Amazing story isn’t it? If there’s been a bigger one in sport this year – no, make that this century – I haven’t heard of it.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” I replied.

“993 days is a long time between county championships. Good old Leicestershire. I wonder if the players will get some kind of honour, the freedom of the city maybe?”

“Eh?” he said. “What are you blathering on about? I’m not talking about cricket, I’m talking about this football scandal. Bribes and such like. You know, backhanders in return for world cups.”

I gave him what I hoped was a pitying look, accompanied by a weary shake of the head. “Listen,” I said. “There are at least two men and a dog who would argue that Leicestershire is a far bigger story than FIFA, not least because you can’t really call a story a big one without at least some element of surprise. Like Leicestershire winning at cricket.”

The only genuine surprise about the FIFA executive committee flying around the world to inspect the various bids, and being asked whether they’d like to be shown around the building work for the new stadium, or the teams’ hotel accommodation, would have been the chairman replying: “Love to old boy.”

As opposed to: “Stadiums? Hotels? Can we get real? Where’s the bloke in charge of organising secret offshore bank accounts? And when it comes to sorting out handbags for our wives, no cheapo stuff. It’s Louis Vuitton, or the tournament goes to Tierra del Fuego.”

If there is anything the FIFA revelations tell us, it’s nothing we didn’t know already. Corruption in high places? Let’s face it, wherever sport and big money collide, it doesn’t take long for sleaze to come bubbling to the surface.

Take rugby union. Not so long ago, you’d turn up to a game to discover about half a dozen AN Others on the team sheets, and the 60-year old secretary pressed into emergency duty at loose head because no-one had spotted that they were one short when the team bus returned to the motorway after stopping at the services.

Then it all changes. You’ve got some chap in a joke shop saying to his assistant: “I wonder why we don’t get much call for the fake blood capsules any more…” and no sooner has he said it than a bloke with a Harlequins badge on his blazer comes in and orders half a dozen.

Same with athletics. When Alf Tupper was pulling on his spikes

N

in the Victor comic years ago, he’d been up all night welding, and run five miles to the stadium because he couldn’t afford the bus fare.

And it was only slightly different in the real world, but now we’re into mega money, it’s one long drugs story and we get to a situation where some athlete breaking a world record doesn’t so much fill us with admiration as suspicion.

The most remarkable aspect of the FIFA business is that it was America who ended up exposing a cancer that all those countries with a proper history of playing the game were apparently unable to get to the bottom of. Some say the FBI got involved only to get one over on Putin, with the award of the 2018 tournament to Russia now under investigation. It looks very much now as though the game is up for people such as Jack Warner, who apparently went unsuspected for years despite a lifestyle somewhere between Elton John and the Sultan of Brunei.

It now turns out that FIFA coughed up five million euros to keep the Irish FA from taking legal action against the Thierry Henry handball that kept their team out of the 2014 finals, which is the kind of cash FIFA keeps in a biscuit tin compared to the sums being bandied around in connection with Qatar’s 2022 World Cup. “Let’s see now, you want to stage the world cup in a country with no grass, and in temperatures of 50C? Sorry, you really must be joking, and, er, pardon, what’s that? Oh, a luxury apartment in Monte Carlo and a no limit credit card at Harrods? Well, what’s a few deaths amongst stadium workers. Leave it with me...”

If there is an amusing side to the saga, it’s the fact that they’ve made a film about themselves, which is right up there in the propaganda stakes alongside those German newsreels of the Fuhrer back in the 1930s. Or the North Korean leader who only played golf once, and got so bored after 18 consecutive holes in one, that he immediately retired. Rumour has it that it is impossible to watch it without blubbing through several boxes of Kleenex, and emerging determined to launch a ‘Blatter is innocent’ campaign.

The movie opens with kids playing football, and the accompanying theme is that they’re all running round joyously expressing themselves thanks only to FIFA. And an early line is of the new president of FIFA being told by an old hand: “I warn you.

This job will bring you neither glory, nor money.”

There’s also a long sequence devoted to the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, when the hosts’ defeat in the final is portrayed as a stain on the beautiful game, perpetrated by their nasty neighbours from Uruguay. Given what we know now, you’d have to assume that poor old Uruguay ended up with the villain’s part not because they’re a bunch of cloggers, but because they forgot to bribe someone.

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 3 3

33 johnsonOK.indd 21

21/06/2015 14:46

Feature /// Gear

Kitbag

The latest kit to keep you active this summer Personalised picnic crate

This lovely personalised apple crate makes a stunning picnic hamper. Not only is there plenty of room for your picnic but by adding a lid you can use the crate as a table or a seat once the picnic is set up. Carrying handles makes it easy to transport and it looks fantastic, in 10 different colours with personalisation on the side. Add wheels, a lid or a hessian liner to make it even more useful.

Price £39 From www.notonthehighstreet.com

Telic Z-Strap sandal

Called ‘America’s best recovery shoe’ and winner of the ‘Readers Choice Awards’ for Best Comfort Shoe, Telic is a revolutionary new product with unparalleled comfort. Telic uses body-heat activated, waterproof, feather-light material that is elastic, durable and pillow-so – perfect for long days on your feet or the perfect recovery shoe a er strenuous activities.

Price £32.50 From www.getlostinrutland.co.uk

Forme Axe Edge Sport 2.0 LE Compact Carbon Road Bike

Forme’s Axe Edge Sport 2.0 LE proves that a performance carbon bike doesn’t need to cost more than £1,000. With its LDC High Modulus frame and fork combination, combined with excellent geometry, the Axe Edge Sport 2.0 LE is light, responsive and fast.

Price £749.99 From www. rutlandcycling.com

3 4 J U LY 2015 ///

Kitbag 37.indd 34

21/06/2015 21:10

Sevylor Riviera inflatable kayak

This brilliant two man kayak is ideal for both adventuring or relaxing on the water. Made from a lightweight construction, this inflatable kayak also fits into an innovative backpack system for easy transportation. Don’t be fooled by the Sevylor Riviera lightweight feel: it is made from heavy duty PVC with Boston valves, and comes complete with an aluminum paddle.

Price £110 From www.neneoutdoors.co.uk

Merrell Chameleon Shift Ventilator

Merrell have recently released their latest walking/hiking shoe, the Chameleon Shi . The shoe features a Vibram outsole to keep you sturdy, protected and balanced on long walks and up steep rock faces while a GORE-TEX waterproof membrane will keep your feet dry if the weather takes a turn for the worse. There’s also an air cushion in the heel for supreme comfort.

Price £100 From www.merrell.com

66Fit EVA Foam Roller

The 66Fit EVA Foam Roller can help smooth out those tight spots and niggles whether you’re at home or in the gym. Excellent for helping stretch out tendons and muscles ‘foam rollers’ have become an excellent tool for the prevention and treatment of injuries.

Price £28 From www.rutlandlifestyle.co.uk

Cool-Lite Sphere Short Sleeve Crewe

Stay cool and dry all summer with the Sphere Short Sleeve Crewe, our best hot weather tee ever. Combining 65% merino with 20% plant-based TENCEL® and 15% Nylon, we created Cool-Lite™, Icebreaker’s lightest, most breathable fabric.

Cooler and faster drying than pure merino, Cool-Lite™ still retains Icebreaker’s signature odor resistance and so feel. We use a heathered version, with casual set in sleeves and understated tonal logo to create Sphere, the summer shirt that’s equally at home on a long hot climb as it is on a really slow, deserted beach.

Price £55 Contact uk.icebreaker.com

Jaques Great Exhibition deluxe croquet Sset

There’s nothing that says English summer more than a game of croquet on the lawn and this is the ultimate set: introduced to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of croquet, this superb deluxe set has all of Jaques’ finest competition components for play of any style. Beautifully finished mallets in varying sizes, every piece of equipment you might need and even a gold-lined finishing post, all in a deluxe stained pine box with leather Jaques logo label and brass lockdown catches.

Price £999 From wwww.johnlewis.com

/// J U LY 2015 3 5

Kitbag 37.indd 35

21/06/2015 22:56

Feature /// Fitness apps

Fit, healthy and Appy!

pojoslaw

There are now thousands of apps for sport, fitness, health and better living. Here are our favourites...

36-41 FEATURE Apps OK.indd 36

21/06/2015 20:36

SPORT TACTICALPAD PRO £29.99

TacticalPad Pro might be expensive, but the ability to show your team animated moves, put names and numbers on the field and email them your plays and masterplans makes this the ultimate tool for an ambitious coach or manager.

BBC SPORT FREE

BBC’s sport app keeps you up to date with everything that’s going on, including radio and TV coverage, live scores and alerts for your favourite teams.

GBH007

Take the hassle out of managing your teams with Teamer, which automatically sends out notifications for games as well as charting who is available for matches, plus their availabiity through the season.

AARON_BELFORD

TEAMER FREE

COACH’S EYE £2.49

Analysing your golf swing, bowling action or kicking technique allows you to improve hugely, and Coach’s Eye uses a phone’s video camera to film action, which can then be drawn over and slowed down, just like the experts do on TV.

DIVE BUDDY PRO £11.99

A comprehensive log book app for scuba divers, DiveBuddy Pro also helps you plan your next trip with access to a dive site database.

VISULAX GOLF £2.29

TUNEIN RADIO FREE

Whatever your sport, there’s a fair chance that somewhere in the world there is somebody commentating on a game. TuneIn Radio allows you to listen to coverage from Arkansas to Adelaide.

19TH HOLE FREE

GPS-based golf trackers can be very expensive, but 19thHole uses Google Maps to provide a simple, free way of finding where you are on the course. It gives you distances and allows you to keep score, too.

Golf, as they say, is 90% mental, and Visulax is 100% devoted to that side of your game, providing everything from visualisation and relaxation techniques to course management tips and help with blocking out distractions.

RULES OF GOLF FREE

This digital reference from The Royal & Ancient will help you resolve some of those arguments that sometimes happen on a golf course over arcane (and sometimes obscure) rules.

LIVE TRAFFIC INFO FREE

Never get stuck in traffic on the way to a game again with The Highways

Agency app, which has real-time information on A-roads and motorways.

WORLD RUGBY LAWS OF RUGBY FREE

Rugby sometimes looks like a pile of bodies on the floor fighting, but the IRB’s excellent rules app shows why the ref has called offside or a ruck, using videos and illustrations.

RUGBY COACH PRO £1.19

Plan your team drills and in-game tactics, as well as manage your players with this app.

CRICHQ FREE

The ultimate cricket scoring app. Do away with the traditional scorebook and get out your iPad. CricHQ allows the scorer to follow ball-by-ball with ease, and at the end of the match upload to the ECB’s play-cricket with the touch of a button. Live scores can be viewed anywhere in the world, so if you’re unable to play you can still see how your local team is getting on.

map and weather information from your resort for offline viewing.

GOLFSHOT: GOLF GPS £17.99

This app contains detailed maps of more than 35,000 courses worldwide and uses the iPad’s GPS function to calculate your range to any target. It will also keep score for a group of up to four players and produce piles of stats.

ICRICKET FREE

Be your own Geoffrey Boycott with this popular cricket app. It delivers free push score notifications every 10 overs or whenever a wicket falls, schedules and live weather updates, and endless statistics. You can even test your knowledge of the game with iCricket’s inbuilt quiz.

EDGE SKI FREE

Edge Ski uses your phone’s GPS to plot your route down the mountain, giving you a whole load of piste maps too so you can dispose of those paper versions. A speedometer lets you know how fast you’re going, while the app can also download all

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 3 7

36-41 FEATURE Apps OK.indd 37

21/06/2015 20:37

ABARTH WITH

THE NEW ABARTH 595 COMPETIZIONE. NOTHING EXCITING HAPPENS IN SILENCE.

Cockerell Road, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 5DU. Tel: 01536 268991 WWW.ROCKINGHAMCARS.CO.UK

DISCOVER THE UNMISTAKEABLE SOUND OF THE ABARTH 595 COMPETIZIONE WITH NEW 180HP ENGINE AND RECORD MONZA EXHAUST.

Official fuel consumption figures for Abarth range mpg (l/100km): Combined 45.6 (6.2) – 48.7 (5.8), Urban 34.4 (8.2) – 37.2 (7.6), Extra urban 55.4 (5.1) – 60.1 (4.7), CO2 Emissions: 145 – 134 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/ regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a significant effect on fuel consumption. Abarth UK is a trading style of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK Ltd. The New Abarth 595 Competizione range starts from £19,890 OTR. Model shown is an Abarth 595 Competizione 1.4 T-Jet 180 hp at £22,110 OTR with Cordolo Red Tri-Coat Metallic Paint at £660, 17" Formula – Matt Black Finish Alloy Wheels at £190, Black Stripe and Door Mirrors at £170 & Abarth Corsa Front Seats by Sabelt in Leather/Alcantara at £1200.

LZF

Feature /// Fitness apps

FITNESS PUMP UP FREE

Pump Up is one of the best lifting apps. The easy-to-navigate interface tracks workouts with exercise animations of what to do. The app also asks you what equipment you have before it formulates a workout routine.

STRAVA FREE

A great running and cycling tracker app that keeps a record of where you’ve been, how far, how fast and calories burned. In–app purchases allow you to set training goals, see leaderboards and keep in touch with friends.

SPOTIFY £9.99 PER MONTH

Music streaming app Spotify now packs playlists and special features designed for working out. Running and workout features find your running tempo and play songs whose beat matches it. Spotify’s fitness-focused features are for ‘Premium’ members only.

FITOCRACY FREE

Fitocracy is for the competitive. The personal trainer lets you track workouts and encourages you to work towards real-life goals through a levelling system and in-game achievements you can share among your friends and the Fitocracy community.

NIKE+ RUNNING FREE

It is most famous for its trainers, but as you’d expect, Nike makes a good running app. Nike+ Running is designed to help you increase your speed, build up your stamina and perhaps most importantly, stay motivated. The built-in coaching

programs will help you to train by tracking your distance, run time and pace on every run, helping you to see how much you’re improving.

SIT UPS PRO FREE

If you’re in search of that elusive six-pack, or just need to know how many calories you’re burning with every crunch, this app is for you. To use it, enter your age,

weight and fitness level, hold your smartphone above your chest and get crunching. It keeps track of the amount of sit ups set for you. This app is a good motivator for those who exercise best when working towards a numeral goal.

GYM BUDDY £1.79

There are dozens of fitness apps for the iPad, but Gym Buddy is one of the best. Most useful for experienced gym users, it helps you record your progress by plotting graphs and setting goals. It willl also time your rest periods and help motivate you by celebrating new achievements with on-screen animations.

RUNKEEPER FREE

This app has been a keeper well before Apple introduced its Health app and now it’s been made even better with the added integration.

RunKeeper taps into the iPhone’s GPS to record your time, pace, calories burned and how far you’ve run.

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 3 9

36-41 FEATURE Apps OK.indd 39

21/06/2015 20:37

Want to be a part of active...

We’re looking for a new advertising sales executive to join our advertising sales team. If you’re ambitious, organised and proactive, with a professional and courteous attitude then we want to hear from you. Remuneration packages can be tailored to suit the right individual.

Interested? Then send your CV to jobs@theactivemag.com.

Visit www.theactivemag.com for more information about the role.

active sales.indd 1

21/05/2015 16:46

ENDOPACK

Feature /// Fitness apps

NOOM COACH FREE

Putting together a food diary is one of the easiest ways to improve healthy eating habits and aid in weight loss. But that can involve a lot of maths with estimating the portion size and calories. Noom does all of the hard work for you, thanks to its extensive food database.

CALM FREE

Part of the reason meditation can be so challenging is because it’s hard to really tune out from all that’s around us. You start to focus on your breathing, but then remember that email you forgot to send or that bill you meant to pay – and so long to any sort of inner peace. The guided meditations from Calm will have you breathing easier with quick daily sessions.

HEALTH VIEWRANGER FREE

ViewRanger is the complete mapping, navigation and guided trail service for outdoor enthusiasts.

It helps you at every stage of your adventure, so it’s easy to plan trips, while the offline function ensures you always know where you are, no matter how remote your location.

THE NATIONAL TRUST FREE

NEXERCISE FREE

No matter if you’re running a marathon or doing the vacuuming, Nexercise will track your fitness progress. The app tracks more than 200 different activities and rewards your efforts with points that can be redeemed for fitness prizes and coupons.

A handy guide to the hundreds of National Trust properties. It finds nearby properties by showing you pins on a map. Touch a pin and a full guide to a property appears.

INSTANT HEART RATE FREE

Touch your index finger to the iPhone’s camera lens to gauge your pulse with real-time charts. It’ll identify if your heart is beating fast enough to burn fat.

SLEEPCYCLE PRICE

Get a better night’s rest with Sleepcycle, an intelligent alarm clock that analyses your sleep by monitoring your movement using the accelerometer in your phone and wakes you in the lightest sleep phase – the natural way to wake up feeling rested and relaxed.

SWORKIT FREE

No gym? No time? No problem!

Sworkit is designed with busy people in mind with high-intensity bodyweight workouts that you can make as short as five minutes and as long as an hour.

SPORTS FIRST AID £0.79

The App is written by a HSEapproved first aid trainer and coach, and all the information is split into different sections with photos to help explain the different techniques you might have to carry out in an emergency.

OS MAPFINDER FREE (IN-APP PURCHASES)

Never be without the OS map you need to head out on a walk. The GPS from your device will enable you to record the route you’ve taken. Bear in mind though that using the GPS constantly will dramatically reduce your phone’s battery time. So if you’re relying on your phone as an emergency item, it may be best to have a hard copy with you too!

THE WALK-GAME IPHONE, £2.49 ANDROID £2.59 A fitness tracker that gameifies walking. You’re told a bomb has exploded at Inverness station and you have to transport a package the length of the UK by foot to save the world. The app is being evaluated by King’s College London to see its effectiveness in increasing walking in patients with rheumatoid problems.

FITBIT FREE

Either use it as a standalone app or link with any of Fitbit’s activity trackers and find out how active you’ve been day and night. Enlist friends and family to help you reach your goals by sharing stats, joining fitness challenges, direct messaging each other, and competing on leaderboards.

CHARITY MILES FREE

Earn money for charities every time you run, walk, or bicycle by using the free Charity Miles app. Corporate sponsors (whose information you’ll see as a backdrop image in the app) agree to donate a few pence for every mile you complete. Browse the app’s list of charities, find the one that you support, and then hit the road. When a lot of people use Charity Miles, those little bits of money add up.

BMI CALCULATOR FREE

Your body mass index (BMI) is a more accurate reading of just how healthy you are as it measures your body fat using a ratio of weight to height. This app also calculates your body fat percentage and the amount of calories you’re consuming, allowing you to keep a close eye on all of your data to ensure you reach your ideal weight quickly.

WATERLOGGED FREE

One of the easiest ways to improve your health is the simple act of drinking more water. Waterlogged is designed to help you track of the amount of water you gulp down each day, whether you prefer to record your liquid intake using photos or basic metrics.

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 41

36-41 FEATURE Apps OK.indd 41

21/06/2015 20:37

ActiveFit

EXPERT ADVICE ON GETTING, AND KEEPING, IN GREAT SHAPE

Get fit for work

GOODSHOOT

Why not cycle your commute instead of sitting in a traffic jam? Here’s how...

4 2 J U LY 2015 ///

42-43 Active fit OK.indd 42

21/06/2015 20:43

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

BGL bikers – on course to success All that time sitting in a car on your commute, stewing about the traffic congestion, listening to depressing news on the radio: is it time you hopped on a bike instead and energised yourself for the day ahead?

Increasingly companies are offering schemes for helping you to get fit, and get to and from work, aided by the Government’s Bike to Work scheme.

Local insurance group BGL has embraced cycling at all levels from the Cycle to Work scheme to participating in organised closed road races with more than 7,000 competitors.

Earlier this month the roads around its Peterborough headquarters came to a standstill as the Tour of Cambridge came to the city and the surrounding area.

BGL was well represented with Peter Thompson, Dan Evans, Clare Ledbury, Paul Pardoe, Jon Oldham, David Rayment, Gary Gwynn and Simon Moore all taking part in the gruelling 83-mile ride. There was particular success for Peter, who is a board director, Clare and Paul who all qualified for the UWCT

Amateur World Championships in Demark in September.

Later that week two BGL teams took to the streets as the British Cycling Tour visited Peterborough to compete in the official business race.

BGL teams, made up of Phil Croney, Clare Ledbury, Dan Bird, Paul Pardoe, Lynsey Harvey, Julia Hallam, Andrew Russell and Jon Oldham, came a respectable 5th and 7th overall.

Jon said: “It was a fantastic experience to take part in the corporate race for BGL, ahead of the Tour Series Race. I’m normally used to road racing on two wheels, so to race around Peterborough town centre on a tricycle was a real buzz.”

Cycling does not have to be competitive though and back in April, BGL received the Endeavour Award at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Workplace Travel Awards in recognition of the launch of its bike scheme for employees. It currently has four bikes being used by BGL employees to aid their travel to and from work.

THINKING OF A CYCLING COMMUTE? Sky and British Cycling have put together some top two-wheel tips HOW FAR IS TOO FAR? Everyone’s situation is going to be different but generally one to three miles each way is achievable by most people as long as there’s a route that allows it. The fitter and faster you are, the further you can commute, obvisouly.

CHECK YOUR BIKE If you don’t currently ride at other times for fitness and fun, it’s important that your bike is in proper working order. And if you think it might be dark when you’ll be riding, you’ll need front and back lights for your bike FIND OUT ABOUT THE FACILITIES AT YOUR WORKPLACE Is there bike parking, showers and a place to store your riding gear? Do you need a special key to access any of these? Other cyclists in your organisation will probably have the best knowledge of these kinds of facilities, or your HR team may be able to help.

CHOOSE A ROUTE The route you take to work will have a big impact on how much you enjoy the ride.

Remember, the way you drive to work won’t necessarily be the best route for riding. Trial the route if you can.

FIND A BUDDY Ask around at work and find out if there is anyone who already rides the route you’re thinking of taking. Ask for tips, or see if they’ll ride in with you on the first day – most enthusiastic bike riders are happy to help another person test-run riding to work!

PLAN YOUR WARDROBE Some riders ride in their work clothes.

Others change once they reach their workplace. Have a think about which you’d prefer.

TAKE IT EASY Cycling shouldn’t be more strenuous than walking – unless you want it to be, of course!

When you ride to work, relax and take it easy – enjoy the scenery, go at your own pace and don’t worry if people are overtaking you.

LEAVE EXTRA TIME ON YOUR FIRST DAY The first few days you ride, set off 10-15 minutes earlier than you think it will take you.

DON’T OVERDO IT! Riding to work should be enjoyable, not a chore. Only ride to work as much as you feel like – you might want to start with one day a month or once a fortnight, then build up to riding more o en like once a week. Allow yourself some flexibility.

For more information visit: www.goskyride.com www.bike2workscheme.co.uk

/// J U LY 2015 4 3

42-43 Active fit OK.indd 43

21/06/2015 20:46

Caring for you is our passion

Spire Leicester Orthopaedic Services We treat the following areas: • Shoulders: keyhole diagnostic procedures to shoulder replacement • Hips: minimally invasive hip replacement and revision surgery • Knees: from sports injuries and arthritis to knee replacement • Hands and wrists: from carpal tunnel and arthroscopy to reconstructive work • Ankles and feet: from bunions to ankle surgery Whether you have private medical insurance or not, our services are available to everyone and we are able to offer you a bespoke fixed price package tailored to your individual needs.

0116 265 3021 info@spireleicester.com www.spireleicester.com

44.indd 1

20/06/2015 15:23

Active Fit

Health & Wellness EVERYTHING A WOMAN NEEDS TO BE FIT, HEALTHY AND FANTASTIC

// Edited by Sandie Hurford

SUN, SEA, SAND AND BEAUTY: How the nation preps for a summer holiday ■ 68% of women do not want to emulate a celebrity on the beach

■ Twice as many men as women admit to having cosmetic surgery before a summer holiday

A summer holiday survey shows UK women are opting for a more natural look

population buy sunscreen before their holiday, only 34% actually apply it. Astonishingly, only 8% of under-35s even take sunscreen with them, with twice as many women using sunscreen during the summer compared to men. Ironically, when asked what would be their worst beach or pool nightmare, men were more concerned about getting burnt on the first day than women.

TOP 3 HOLIDAY NIGHTMARES: • Having excess hair – 23% • Getting sunburnt on the first day – 18% • Swimwear turning see-through – 15%

▲

It appears that the women of Britain are becoming happier in their own skin, shunning the heavily made-up looks we see in celebrity selfies and being papped on red carpets.

In a new survey commissioned by beauty retailer QVC, 68% of women stated that they would not want to emulate a celebrity beach look at all. In fact, in the lead-up to a summer holiday only 1.2% of women use their favourite celebrity as inspiration, showing they are happy with their own look.

When pushed, the celebrities whose looks are favoured are the more natural looks of Michelle Keegan and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini as opposed to TOWIE’S Sam Faiers.

However, women do want to feel their best to boost their confidence on the beach, with just over a quarter (28%) undergoing a full body makeover – including manicure, pedicure, facial and fake tan.

Research demonstrates that we are a time-poor nation, so it is important to get the right advice in choosing holiday essentials. The survey shows that a quarter of the population will spend only half a day prepping for their summer holiday, which includes pre-holiday beauty treatments, packing and styling a holiday wardrobe.

With such little packing time, 1 in 20 Brits claim they would be happy to pay extra for a bigger luggage allowance so they can take all of their necessary beauty items when jetting off to a beach holiday.

When it comes to preparing for a summer holiday, men are surprisingly willing to go that extra mile to look like their idols – David Beckham, Johnny Depp and Tom Hardy.

Shockingly, twice as many men than women admit to having cosmetic surgery before a summer holiday.

Findings have shown that women in the north of England are twice as likely to spend more than £200 on pre-holiday beauty treatments, with applying fake tan a number one priority.

In contrast, those in the south spend only £80 on pre-holiday beauty treatments, choosing manicures and pedicures as their main indulgence.

Once on holiday, women in the north spend up to three hours preparing for a day at the beach, whereas women in the south spend under half an hour prepping for a day in the sun.

Research shows that while 70% of the

■ 28% of women undergo a full body makeover before heading off on a summer holiday

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 4 5

july wellness.indd 45

16/06/2015 19:05

Supporting

Sport • Live Bands • Food • Fun

Thursday 23rd July

Stamford School Main Field

Twenty20 cricket followed by After the Storm

MATT HAMBO XI VS HELP FOR HEROES XI

Friday 24th July

Twenty20 cricket followed by The Tom Betts Band

ENGLAND MASTERS XI VS LOCAL LEGENDS XI Tickets via www.BGLsportbash.co.uk FREE ACTIVITIES!

Battle of Britain Memorial Flypast Gladiator duel UK Parachuting Display Team Football shootout 45 metre assault course Under 7 bouncy castle Bungee run Climbing wall Large slide

Hospitality enquiries info@dcrevents.co.uk ALSO AVAILABLE!

• Batemans beer tent • Pimms bar • Hog roast • Burgers • Hot dogs • Fish and chip van • Soft drinks • Sweet stall • Gino’s ice cream • Tea, coffee and cakes tent • Burleigh’s Gin and Tonic trailer

Event Partners

Graphics Partner

www.urbaninprint.co.uk urbaninprint @urban_inprint

RutPride Active Mag half page advert_Layout 1 09/06/2015 11:35 Page 1

Holiday fun for 2015 at Uppingham

Art, Music, Drama, Technology, Science, Creative Writing, History, Baking, Sport… with more than 30 different courses and camps for children and adults in the summer holidays, there really is something for everyone!

Residential options are offered on all courses held in the summer.

Music – Courses for beginners and advanced musicians, classical, jazz, rock and musical theatre Technology and Science – Computer game and robot design, radio broadcasting and exploring nature Creative Arts & Drama – Creative writing, art, history and drama Sport – Hockey, netball, rugby, tennis and NEW lacrosse camps Subsidised places are available on a number of courses courtesy of the Windmill House Trust. www.uppinghamsummerschool.co.uk Like us on Facebook

46.indd 1

summerschool@uppingham.co.uk

01572 820800

Follow us on Twitter

20/06/2015 15:22

Active Fit â–˛

Holiday hay fever advice According to the NHS, one in five people will suffer from the crippling effects of hay fever at some point in their lifetime.

While schoolchildren are longing for their summer holidays to begin, many will have already started suffering from irritating hay fever symptoms.

Beko works with families to develop products with features that can help to make their lives easier. With that in mind, here are their top tips to make the summer months easier for your children and mums and dads too: TIMING Pollen count is at its highest from 8-10am and 5-7pm during the warmer months.

Encourage your children to undertake indoor activities during these times and play outside during the middle of the day.

1 2

SUN, SEA, SAND...

Happy tummies on holiday Many of us will soon be heading off to popular holiday destinations such as Greece, Turkey, France, Spain and Italy, sampling the local delights at traditional restaurants and cafĂŠs.

But for some these experiences can result in acute tummy problems like diarrhoea, allergic reactions, indigestion and even food poisoning.

An easy, travel-friendly way to prepare and stay protected during your holiday is to use a new toxin-binding gel called Enterosgel, recommended by specialists from the World Health Organisation in cases of food poisoning.

According to the NHS, every year people in the UK go on more than 60 million trips abroad. Most have a safe trip, but some get ill and need medical treatment while they’re away. Travellers’ diarrhea (TD) is the most common health problem, affecting an estimated 20 to 60% of those who travel to higher-risk destinations of the world.

It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, protozoa, food allergens and contaminated water. Diarrhoea can be accompanied by fever, nausea, vomiting and cramps and can really ruin your holiday.

Taking a toxin-binding gel with you on holiday gives you a chance to help prevent and ease TD and vomiting bugs by binding with germs, bacterial toxins, viruses and allergens.

Other methods using silicon, clay or charcoal cleanse the gut but affect microflora and absorb water, which can be dangerous if you’re suffering

from diarrhea. Polymethylsiloxane-based Enterosgel works like a clever sponge, binding only to medium-weight molecules, without removing vital vitamins, water and beneficial bacteria. Studies on new-born children show that Enterosgel decreases diarrhoea from seven to two days.

New food brings new experience and exposes travellers to allergic reactions. Enterosgel helps to bind with histamines from the gut, helping to prevent or mitigate allergic reactions from food.

Studies demonstrate a significant improvement in allergic reactions to food.

One of the growing concerns for travellers is how to avoid viruses in crowded places like airports, planes, buses, swimming pools and restaurants. In these instances, Enterosgel can be used alongside simple hand hygiene, using antibacterial hand gels and bottled water, to help keep the gut free of nasties.

It can also be used as a first aid kit, if you’ve indulged in too much alchohol. One tablespoon a day can help to wash out viruses from the gut and stop the development of vomiting bugs and TD. Enterosgel is available in sachets, making it convenient to take on a plane or in with your hand luggage. A box of ten 15g EnterosgelŽ Sachets retails at £19.70, a 90g tube of EnterosgelŽ at £12.80 and a 225g tube at £19.70. EnterosgelŽ is currently available from www.enterosgel.co.uk

WASH CLOTHING/BEDDING OFTEN Pollen is sticky and will attach itself to your children’s hair and clothing. Washing their things regularly will minimise the amount of pollen in your house and lessen their symptoms. Beko’s new WMG11464 largcapacity washing machine allows users to wash up to 11kg of laundry in one load.

The range features an anti-allergy wash cycle, endorsed by Allergy UK, which helps to reduce the amount of allergens making it ideal for families with children who suffer from the effects of hay fever.

Similarly, instead of drying your laundry outside, use a tumble dryer to ensure your laundry stays fresh, clean and pollen free.

Beko’s DCU9330W tumble dryer forms part of its energy-efficient EcoSmart range and has a capacity of 9kg, making it ideal for larger families.

3

CLEAN YOUR PETS Pollen will also attach itself to your pet’s fur. Make a note to wipe down your pets’ coats with a damp cloth a er they have been outside. Equally, discourage your animals from going into your children’s bedroom where they can spread any pollen le in their fur.

4

WEAR SUNGLASSES Sunglasses can act as a guard for your eyes, one of the most sensitive areas to pollen in both adults and children. Wearing sunglasses can help to minimise the symptoms of hay fever, as well as protecting your child’s eyes from potentially harmful UV rays.

5

CLOSE YOUR WINDOWS Close your house and car windows when possible, especially first thing in the morning and early evening, to avoid pollen getting in.

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 4 7

july wellness.indd 47

16/06/2015 19:05

M GUCCI

// Active Fit

4 8 J U L Y 2 0 1 5 ///

48-49 FEATURE InjuryOK.indd 48

21/06/2015 20:48

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

P E DA L PA I N

Cycling might be a low impact sport but it places very specific strains on your body. Max Hartman of Function Jigsaw explains how to stay fit WITH THE WEATHER quickly turning from spring to summer, now is the perfect time of year to get out on the bike and hit the road.

Following Great Britain’s huge successes at the Olympics and Commonwealth games in recent years the popularity of both road and track cycling has exploded across the country with thousands of keen amateurs getting into the saddle and attending sportives and charity rides in record numbers.

With this explosion in participation, clinical therapists the length of the country are seeing a substantial increase in the numbers of clients coming through the door with cycling related aches, pains, and injuries. In this article we will discuss the most common issues associated with cycling and what you can do now to prevent them and stay in the saddle all summer long.

Cycling as a sport places almost totally unique demands on the body: it is unlike many other sports and physical activities and as such the injury profile of the average rider is very different.

The cyclical load of cycling

Cycling consists of constant, cyclical load in sustained unusual postures. When the aerodynamic posture achieved by many road cyclists is held for long periods of time and repetitive, identical muscle contractions are performed over and over again, the working muscles can very quickly adapt to the position they are held in and become either very short, overactive, and tight, or conversely can become lengthened, inhibited, and weak.

This is totally different to many other sports such as football or rugby as no two actions on the pitch are ever really identical. Each kick, pass, tackle, and sidestep are unique, even if often very similar. In these sports it is often heavy eccentric muscle contractions (where muscles contract whilst getting longer) that cause injury: pulling a hamstring decelerating

the leg when sprinting, or tearing a calf when landing from a big jump.

Considering that cycling does not have any significant eccentric load, the injury profile is again completely different. Injuries tend to be classified as overuse injuries or linked to poor posture and mobility as a result of the significant imbalances picked up when cycling for long periods of time. Hips that are tight and strong through the front and weak through the back can lead to low back pain, and forward head posture with hunched and rounded shoulders can lead to problems in the shoulder, neck, and upper back.

Any keen cyclist should look to spend time mobilising these areas with a good, regular, structured mobility programme keeping the hips and shoulders flexible and balanced.

Knee pain

Aside from these postural issues, the most common issue that therapists often deal with is knee pain. Again the literature is very limited in this area but studies show that in some populations of keen amateur cyclists, between 30% and 45% will experience some level of knee pain over the course of a one-day, 100-mile ride.

The two most common causes of knee pain in cycling are caused by two main factors, the setup of the bike, or the makeup of the rider. Pain at the front of the knees is caused by excessive compressive forces through the patellofemoral joint (where the kneecap sits in front of the knee joint), and is often a result of poor bike setup.

Buying a bike that fits you well and having a proper bike fit ensures that the knees are always in prime position to transfer force from the legs to the pedals without moving too deeply into flexion and aggravating the knee.

Lateral knee pain is often brought on by wholly different factors, and is caused by the illiotibial band (ITB) fractioning against the lateral aspect of the femur (the bone just above

the outside of your knee). Whilst this can be caused by a poor bike fit and setup, more often than not this sort of knee pain is mainly associated with a lack of hip mobility.

If the glutes are short and tight this puts unnecessary tension on the ITB and refers pain to the knee. Again a good hip mobility programme is key in making sure the ITB stays mobile and free.

Putting it all together…

So what exactly can you do to ensure that you stay pain-free this year? Foam rolling through the upper back and shoulders, glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and groin makes a good start, and following this up with stretches for the neck, chest, hip flexors, glutes and hamstrings will get you some way to maintaining a balanced physique.

A good strength-training programme is also key, owing to the fact that the relative intensity and effort taken to propel the bike forward is significantly lower if you are stronger. Over time the relative drop in effort leads to much less fatigue in the working muscles and less resultant tightness, and a much faster mile time for you!

Finally, and possibly most importantly, is making sure that your bike fits you well. So much of the literature shows that the main drivers of injury related to cycling come from poor mechanics stemming from issues with saddle or handlebar height or a frame that is not meant for the rider.

Put all this together to make sure that you can happily stay in the saddle all summer and get the miles under your belt without too much distress!

Information

For more information and guidance on core training, please get in touch with Function Jigsaw directly. @functionjigsaw, info@functionjigsaw.co.uk, www.functionjigsaw.co.uk

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 4 9

48-49 FEATURE InjuryOK.indd 49

21/06/2015 20:48

Feature /// Dog Health

DOGS AND CHILDREN Both dogs and children need to be shown how to behave around each other, says Bobs Broadbent

SOPHIA_APKALIKOV

about warning signals that dogs might show when feeling worried. These signals can be subtle gestures and difficult for children to identify.

Indeed, its important that adults are aware of the body language their dog might display when they are feeling stressed or worried and they need to become skilled at being proactive in dealing with any circumstances calmly (to avoid heightening the stress levels).

Recommended dog-child safety rules 1. Always supervised, never alone Since almost all reported dog incidents that occur are when a child is left alone with a dog, it stands to reason that children should never be left alone, even with their own household pet.

Either take the child or dog with you or put them out of access to each other.

DOGS MUST BE taught early in puppyhood how to act around babies, toddlers and youngsters. This means positive associations so that no seeds of fear are planted at this impressionable age. Children must be taught too about acceptable behaviour around dogs, and this starts from as soon as they are mobile and this message needs to be reinforced throughout childhood.

Children and dogs live very happily together and it can be the most endearing of family images to see them share their lives in harmony, but when things go wrong, the consequences can be very serious.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre recently reported that children under nine years of age are most at risk of dog bites (or strikes) and from March 2014 to February 2015, more than 1,000 such instances were reported resulting in a child being hospitalised. These are disappointing results for any parent or dog lover to learn, especially as it indicates an increase in dog bite incidents in the UK. It’s clear that the message of child safety around dogs needs to be raised if these figures are to be reduced.

The emphasis is definitely on education and prevention and absolutely not leaving things to chance. The Kennel Club has just announced the launch of the first school resource to tackle dog bite incidents, demonstrating that all children need this information, not just those that have pet dogs in their home.

However, most of these incidents did take

place in the home and since the vast majority of them could have been avoided, it suggests greater care is needed to prevent such situations developing.

Children will learn from having good role models around them and they are quick to follow techniques that they get good results from.

By supervising children, keeping them safe and encouraging them to care and train their dog from an early age, they will grow up becoming confident handlers and most rewarding of all, will experience the wonderfulness that only a bond of affection and friendship from a dog can bring.

What to do Education for dogs means early, positive training and socialisation, so they become robust to the noise and activity of children. Consistently good responses to everyday commands, such as ‘down’, ‘wait’ and ‘settle’ enable dogs to take instructions even with distractions around them.

Puppies need more control as they are learning what is expected in the human world and use of a house-lead or a safe penned-off area will be beneficial at this stage while building up layers of good experiences, which are the key to life-long acceptance.

To help support parents to educate children, there is a fun animated game on The Kennel Club website (www.thekennelclub.org.uk) as well as resources to download, including images of exaggerated body language to help children learn

2. Give a dog space Providing a safe haven that is out of bounds for children can be a source of relief for a dog that learns he won’t be disturbed when in this location. Young children particularly need to know that when their dog goes to this place, they must not follow or disturb their dog.

Similarly, if the dog is sleeping elsewhere or is eating, he should be left well alone.

3. Gentle dog-child interactions Children need to learn how to interact gently and be polite to dogs and not be allowed to pull their ears or climb on them; in the same way, dogs should not be allowed to do this to children. Mutual respect should be instilled early through suitable play and training. Dogs will learn that children are great pals to have and fun times can be directed into games and training, for example teaching tricks.

4. Asking for help brings rewards Rather than deal with situations themselves, young children need to learn to readily ask an adult for help, for example if the dog is sitting somewhere the child want to sit or has hold of a toy belonging to the child. These are times when children tend to prod, chase or pull their dog and could become a point of conflict.

Simple techniques such as rewarding the child with a sticker for calling an adult will encourage the child do so again. Using commands such as ‘off’ and ‘leave’ and rewarding the dog for their response, will demonstrate to the child what safe methods they can use when they are older. ©Bobs Broadbent 2015 ©Dogknows Ltd 2015

5 0 J U L Y 2 0 1 5 ///

50-51 Dog training SL OK.indd 50

21/06/2015 20:50

NOVKOV

/// J U N E 2 0 1 2 5 1

50-51 Dog training SL OK.indd 51

21/06/2015 20:50

Feature /// Great walks

Allexton and Horninghold These two villages might sound like a pair of miserly Dickensian lawyers, but this walk offers stunning views in a rural paradise, as Will Hetherington discovers Photography: Will Hetherington

Difficulty rating (out of five)

THE ROUTE

Allexton is just south of the A47 as it carves its way through the historical hotbed of fox hunting country between Leicester and Uppingham.

Places to park in the village are a limited but I squeezed in by the church. From here take the footpath (part of the Macmillan Way) which heads south out of the village up the hill past Manor Farm. The path goes through a little patch of woodland before the gate into Allexton Park.

Turn right here and traverse the bottom end of this ancient parkland. You will catch glimpses of Allexton Hall down to the right through the trees as you go.

Before you reach the ďŹ eld boundary head uphill on a diagonal to ďŹ nd the path as it goes through the hedge 200 yards higher up. This is a

5 2 J U LY 2015 ///

52-53 Walk feature SL OK.indd 52

21/06/2015 20:51

TOP STAT

START

➛

➛ ➛ ➛

➛

which runs The Eye Brook forms the ton ex All gh throu dioceses the n ee tw be ry bounda d of Leicester an Peterborough.

➛

©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2015 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 055/15

➛

➛

steep climb which gets the heart racing and the blood pumping nice and early in this long walk.

After you have gone through the hedge the path is clearly marked across the fields heading south west. The path skirts around a plantation which protects Allexton Lodge from the northerly winds. And when you get round the plantation and are stood parallel with the lodge it’s the highest point of the walk at 160 metres. From here you can see a very long way on a good day down towards Market Harborough and beyond.

Stay on the Macmillan Way as it continues south west down towards Fearn Farm going down and up a very steep dip on the way. At Fearn Farm leave the Macmillan Way and turn left to walk down the access road, then turn left again when you reach Allexton Road. After 200 yards you will come to the footpath which heads south across a couple of large fields. This eventually brings you into the extraordinarily attractive conservation village of Horninghold through the farm on its northern edge.

Although the footpath leads back out of the villages almost immediately this settlement, which time appears to have forgotten, is worth exploring any time for its stunning buildings and peaceful atmosphere.

If you do take a look around the village simply retrace your steps to pick up the footpath which heads north west passing Horninghold Hall on the right. The path climbs and climbs until it reaches Muckelborough Farm. Turn left here and follow the path through more undulations,

passing Allexton Wood on the right before joining Hallaton Road just north of Allexton. Enjoy the views as you coast back down the hill into the village and then take the footpath which leads through the churchyard.

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION Where to park Parking is a bit limited in Allexton but you should be able to find somewhere to squeeze the car in off the road.

Distance and time Five and a half miles/one and three quarter hours.

Highlights Fantastic views of Leicestershire and west Rutland; and Horninghold is well worth a visit.

Lowlights A lack of water on the way round might be a problem for hot dogs on a summer’s day.

Refreshments There is no pub in Allexton or Horninghold.

The pooch perspective Not a lot of livestock on this walk so it’s fine from that perspective but there is also limited fresh water on the way round.

Clockwise, from top le

Open countryside dominates this walk; Allexton is a pretty little village just off the A47; Allexton Church is no longer used for worship but it is maintained by The Churches Conservation Trust

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.

/// J U LY 2015 5 3

52-53 Walk feature SL OK.indd 53

21/06/2015 20:52

Corporate Architecture Ltd

office@corporatearchitecture.co.uk www.corporatearchitecture.co.uk

59 - 60 High Street, Market Harborough, LE16 7AF

Breakfast and meals served from 9.30 till 2.30

Quite unlike any other pub remaining in the town from this bygone century of traditional hostelries, the Red Cow thrives due to the very essence of what it is built on, its own cellar.

54.indd 1

Tel: 01858 461635 www.theredcowmarketharborough.co.uk

OPENING HOURS

The natural deep cellar keeps a constant temperature of 53f degrees, perfect for keeping beer and in particular Real Ale.

Sunday: from 10am until midnight

As testament to the quality of our beer, The Red Cow is a member of the Real Ale Club, is awarded the Cask Marque and is a member of the British Institute of Innkeeping .

Monday to Thursday: from 9am until midnight

The Red Cow is a traditional Real Ale pub that serves fine beer, provides good entertainment and is filled with friends you are yet to meet.

Friday & Saturday from 9am until 1am

ENTERTAINMENT

Classic Pub Games Skittles, Darts, Dominoes Live Sports Football, Rugby, Boxing

20/06/2015 15:22

Feature /// Sportsman's Dinner

The Red Cow, Market Harborough Kate and Tim shelter from the rain and indulge in some fine cooked breakfasts Kate This is just the place to come on a rainy Saturday lunchtime when you’ve been shopping and want to rest your legs. It’s a great location – right in the centre of town. And perfect today, for watching the carnival procession make its way up the High Street. The floats were pretty impressive, weren’t they?

Tim They certainly were. I felt sorry for the runners in the half-marathon though – they were soaking. Just like this group of cyclists coming in for lunch. But they’ve been given a really warm welcome by the staff and the regulars, despite dripping all over the floor.

Kate At least they can lean their bikes up in the little courtyard at the back of the pub to dry off – very handy. I bet they’re in need of some sustenance after their ride. On that note, what do you fancy to eat?

Tim I fancy choosing a pint first. The Red Cow is CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) affiliated and is a Cask Marque accredited pub so I’m looking forward to one. Apparently the drop in air pressure from the lightening storm last night could have affected the barrels, but this pint of Hardy & Hanson is seriously smooth. They obviously know how to keep good beer. They

always have Abbot, IPA and Speckled Hen on tap and often a guest beer. Currently it’s Timothy Taylor’s Landlord but the next one will be Green King’s Ale Fresco.

Kate That sounds more summery – let’s hope the weather catches up. I’m going to stick with my Bulmers crushed red berries and lime cider. I’d never have chosen this but it came with a good recommendation from the staff and it’s really refreshing. It’ll go down a treat with my all-day breakfast.

Tim That’s a bit of a departure for you. You don’t normally eat cooked breakfasts, particularly at lunchtime!

Kate I looked at the range of paninis and jacket potatoes but I fancied a change and the meat is from Bates’ butchers around the corner, so I know it will be good. What are you having?

Tim I’m going all out for the Red Cow brunch, so as well as your bacon, sausages, fried eggs and beans, I’m also having a burger, chips and fried bread. All the things I don’t often get at home.

Kate We could also play skittles after lunch. With that and the dartboard I bet it’s a hive of

competition here. And children are obviously made welcome: their menu is good value.

Tim The locals are friendly too. I’d have liked to have sat in the front bar but there isn’t any room.

That may have something to do with the loyalty card scheme which gives regulars money off.

Kate My thick cut bacon and egg is a winning combination, too. And it’s a good size for a breakfast – not too excessive. But instead of my toast, can I steal one of your chunky chips? They look delicious.

Tim It’s a good job I’m not on a diet. I can’t think of the last time I ate fried bread and this is just right – crisp and not too greasy. I might pass on my burger though as I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Perhaps it’s time to take up cycling to work off some of these calories.

Kate Or we could carry on walking... around a few more shops?

The Red Cow 59-60 High Street. 01858 461635. www.theredcowmarketharborough.co.uk

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5

55 SL restaurantOK.indd 57

55

21/06/2015 15:34

Feature /// School sports

Athletics success for year six pupils at Manor High School Manor High School Year 6 athletics team were on top form at the recent Mid-Leicestershire Area Athletics competition, which took place in June.

The Year 6 team won the overall event, beating Bushloe, Gartree and Abington Schools.

The annual competition is made up of both track and field events: 50m and 75m sprints, 800m, long jump, ball throw and a relay.

“The squad of boys and girls performed brilliantly on the day, with huge success both for individuals and for the team,” said Mr Handley, their PE teacher.

In the long jump Rosie Pearman won the event and set a school record, with a distance of 3.5m. The girls ball throw was won by Karishma Nathwani for the girls, with Kiran Sandhu taking second place.

In the boys field events, Zayad Al-Halafi came second in the ball throw and Ethan Kettle came second in the long jump with a distance of 3.55m.

On the track first place was taken by Breanna Aderinto (girls 50m), Ellis Watson (boys 75m) and Skye Sharman (girls 800m) while second place was taken by Delroy Chikuza (boys 75m), Maddie Furr (girls 75m) and Layla Omar-Davies (girls 800m).

The Manor Year 6 teams won both the boys and girls relays.

The teams’ collective effort won the area trophy for Manor High School for the first time in years.

Just a week later, the school Year 6 team also triumphed in the Quadkids competition, beating five other local schools.

This event is a track & field short form style competition, aimed at Key Stage 2 children.

Students take part in four events each including: 75m Sprint, 600m run, Vortex Throw and Standing long jump. The school entered two teams into the event and won the competition overall. As a result the top five boys and girls went through to the School Games Championship at Welbeck College.

Cricket legend visits local schools Cricketers at Stamford and Oakham schools met with sporting royalty as they were treated to an audience with Sir Garfield Sobers.

Sobers remains a legend of world sport and a cricketing genius; he made more than 8,000 runs and took over 1,000 wickets as well as the infamous first six sixes in an over.

Sir Garfield took the time to entertain students with his experiences in life and cricket from his time playing for the Police Cricket team in Barbados at the age of 15 to captaining the West Indies team.

He was full of advice for the young players, and included an invitation to visit the Caribbean, to take part in the annual Sir Garfield Sobers International Cricket Tournament.

Le

Sir Garfield Sobers talks to pupils, watched by Stamford School cricket master Dean Headley

5 6 JULY 2015 ///

56-57 SL schools OK.indd 36

21/06/2015 15:35

Check out chess event Melton Mowbray Chess Club, on behalf of the Leicestershire and Rutland Chess Association, is hosting a dual-session day of chess tuition for primary school children at the Conservative Club in Melton on July 25. Both sessions will include active and interactive play:

Season of success for Oakham’s athletes It’s been a triumphant term for athletics at Oakham School, with wins across all their regional meets, an impressive haul of 37 medals from the County Championships, and 10 younger athletes qualifying for the IAPS National Finals.

The last full athletics meeting of the term came to a triumphant end with Oakham finishing as overall winners of both Boys and Girls events at Uppingham. With previous wins at the Oakham relays, as well as at Rugby and Oundle, it has been another incredibly successful summer for both teams.

A total of 17 gold medals were won at the County Championships, held in Leicester including Helen Braybrook setting a new county record for the U13 Girls 1200m, and Alicia Schwarzenbach setting a new School record for the U19 Girls 400m. Silver medalists,

of which there were 11 in total, also included a new School record for Maxwell Koczulab in the U15 Boys 800m. Nine pupils also won bronze medals.

Not to be outdone, 10 of Oakham’s younger athletes qualified for IAPS National Finals after a fantastic day at the IAPS Eastern Regional Finals in Bedford. This is particularly impressive given that 50 schools took part in the event, and it is widely accepted as being the toughest Regional IAPS Athletics event in the country.

Director of athletics James Clarke said: “Over the last few weeks these Lower School pupils have worked incredibly hard, and these results are a great reward for their efforts. They can now look forward to competing in Birmingham on Wednesday 24 June amongst the best IAPS athletes in the country.”

Hayden leads age group after strong performances A pupil from Oakham School has had a string of incredibly successful triathlon races this season, currently putting him in first place for his age group in the East Midlands Series.

Hayden Greaves’ most recent victory was at the Inter-Regional Championships qualifier at Mallory Park, Leicestershire.

Hayden, who is 14 and lives in Oakham, has recently returned from a week-long training camp in the Alps. So far, this season, Hayden has taken part in three other events in the East Midlands Series, where he won twice and came second once.

Session 1 (11am-12.30pm) Beginners/ improvers Intended for children of age 7 and above who know the basics of the game but may or may not have a club at their school.

Topics covered will include:  Piece movement  ‘Special’ moves  Opening basics  Checkmates  Puzzles Session 2 (1.15pm-2.45pm) Experts/county juniors Intended for experienced children and those of county junior strength who are continuing with the syllabus of LRCA tuition.  Principles vs quick checkmates (how to give them/avoid them)  Passed Pawns  Puzzles  Active Play Each session costs £6 payable on the day.

Tuition is by Melton coaches who are DBS checked.

For further information or to reserve places contact Bob Wallace on 01572 756828 or email robwallace.bob@gmail.com

SPORTS NEWS WANTED! We’d love to hear news about what your school or club is up to. Please send news and pictures to: editor@ theactivemag.com

/// J U LY 2 0 1 5 5 7

56-57 SL schools OK.indd 37

21/06/2015 15:35

Oakham Swim School

JUNIOR SWIMMING LESSONS

www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk/swimschool Children ages 4 – 16 • Small class sizes • ASA National Framework for Swimming Lessons • Join at any time and move according to child’s progression • First class free • Lessons from £6 per lesson Contact Conrad at Oakham School on

01572 758754

or cgn@oakham.rutland.sch.uk

You don’t need a bat, racket or expensive kit for this exercise.

Just a ball.

Why not look after someone’s dog while they’re away.

Become a host with Barking Mad It’s great fun, all of the benefits of dog ownership without the emotional or financial commitment.

We carefully match dogs to your home.

Kerry Wells 01780 322008 kerry.wells@barkingmad.uk.com BarkingMad.uk.com

Read the magazine first online at: www.theactivemag.com Connect with us on the following social media platforms: facebook.com/theactivemag

google.com/+theactivemag

twitter.com/theactivemag

thinglink.com/theactivemag

pinterest.com/theactivemag

linkedin.com/company/ theactivemag

1 F E BRUA RY 2 0 14 ///

58.indd 1

20/06/2015 15:22

Feature /// School sports

Dreaming of MotoGP glory Market Harborough teenager Edmund Best has been competing since the age of six and is aiming to reach the highest level of motorcycle racing – MotoGP Market Harborough teenager Edmund Best will be competing this summer in the 2015 British Motostar Championship, a support class of the prestigious MCE British Superbikes race series. Riding for the Leicestershire-based Symcirrus Motorsport team, the 14-year old Welland Park Academy student will race against the cream of Europe’s top young riders.

The series takes in some of the country’s most high profile circuits such as Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Donington Park and also includes a round at Assen in the Netherlands in September.

Riding his 250cc Honda Moto 3 GP machine at this level is the culmination of a long history of racing that has seen Edmund spend most of his young life in the saddle.

Aged just six, he began competing in the offroad sport of grass-track racing, an equivalent of Speedway. At the age of 12, having amassed an impressive six British Championship titles, he moved over to road racing to compete in the British Aprilia 125cc Superteen Championship.

In only his second year in the new sport, he finished third in the championship with numerous race wins and the lap record at

Rockingham International Raceway. On the strength of this success he was offered a team ride in the 2015 British Motostar Championship for Symcirrus Motorsport, run by local businessman Steve Holbrough, an established figure who has nurtured many successful riders through this stage in their career.

“This is obviously a big step up for me and taking my racing to a whole new level,” explained Edmund. “The support of the team and Steve’s knowledge with regards to bike set up and riding skills is giving me the confidence to aim high and hopefully get to the top”.

Three rounds down the line, Edmund has already made his mark with championship points on the table and finishes increasingly approaching the top 10 out of an international grid of 38 riders.

With nine rounds remaining, both the Leicestershire rider and team are looking to build on their success and put the county well and truly on the map in the world of British motorsport.  Anyone looking to get involved and sponsor this young rider can contact Jeremy Best on 07771 684908 or email jeremybest185@btinternet.com.

Le and above

Edmund in action on his 250cc Honda; he has already amassed a healthy collection of silverware in a career which began when he was just six years old

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 5 5 9

59 SL schools OK.indd 37

21/06/2015 15:35

Feature /// Competition

WIN! A £400 Frog Team Sky kids’ road bike from Rutland Cycling We’ve teamed up with Rutland Cycling for yet another amazing prize: a fabulous Frog Team Sky road bike.

The Frog range of bikes were born out of the desire of one couple who wanted to see high quality, child-specific bikes.

The Frog mountain and hybrid range are the most popular kids’ bikes Rutland Cycling sells, and the Frog road series deliver everything that we have come to expect of Frog bikes.

Modern kids’ bikes can generally be placed in one of two categories: either they are heavy and poorly specced, or they are simply small adult bikes with specifications and components which make no sense on a kids’ bike.

• Frog are unique in that they design their bikes from the ground up with children in mind.

They design and source every component and spec on the bike to make it easier and more comfortable for children.

• The Frog 58, for example, has small, shallow road bars and small levers to accommodate smaller hands.

Two pairs of high quality tyres are included; one slick pair for road use and one grippy pair for more all-purpose riding.

And, in no more than 50 words: Why do you want to win this bike?

Please include the following information with your entry: Name: Age: School: Parental consent is required to enter. When emailing the entry please include the following wording: I give permission for my child (name) to enter the Active magazine competition to win

a Team Sky bike. If selected at random as the winner I also permit photos to be taken and used for marketing purposes. (Your name).

If you do not consent to the above please do not allow your child to enter. Entries should be sent to frogbikecomp@theactivemag.com Closing date is August 14. The winner will be announced in our September issue.

For more information, visit www.rutlandcycling.com

How to enter

To win this incredible machine, worth £399, all you have to do is answer these questions: In what year did Sir Bradley Wiggins win the Tour de France?

6 0 J U LY 2015 ///

60-61 FROG bike comp SL SR OK.indd 60

21/06/2015 20:57

60-61 FROG bike comp SL SR OK.indd 61

21/06/2015 20:57

Roundup The scores, star performers and stats from a month in South Leicestershire

Cricket

Harborough happy despite loss to rivals Kibworth

BY JEREMY BESWICK

I

went to Fairfield Road, one of the most attractive grounds in South Leicestershire, on a beautiful summer’s day to see Market Harborough play local rivals Kibworth, a game that was over all too quickly given the glorious weather. Joe Gordon, captain of Harborough, told me: “It was a bad day at the office against our local rivals. We didn’t post enough runs, and then dropped too many catches – I think four in the first eight overs. They backed themselves to score quickly, particularly my opposite number Matt Craven. I imagine he was very happy with the way he played as they scored the 120 needed in what seemed to be about half the number of balls”.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom however.

Joe continued: “We had a really good performance against Leicester Ivanhoe.

Although it ended up as a winning draw rather than an outright win, it was a heavy one with most of the points coming our way”.

Joe was keen to share the praise around.

“Sam Williams has been our stand-out performer this month with the bat, and an honourable mention in dispatches to Kevin Innes who’s been terrific with the ball”.

Sam’s batting average this season is not that far short of forty and Kevin’s bowling figures are just as impressive, averaging 12 per wicket with an economy rate under three per over.

As the season approaches half way, Joe’s satisfied with how it’s gone so far. “I’m happy with our position at fourth in the Premier League. We’ll be stronger in the second half of the season as our student players return and, as we’re such a young side, we’ll continue to improve with the added experience. We’ve a cup quarter final coming up on July 5th and a cup run would be the icing on the cake. I think a top three finish in the league is probably beyond us but if we can stay in the top five that’d be a solid base to build on next season”.

Whilst we’re in Harborough district, a

word for umpire Rod Watts from Little Bowden who, at the age of 71, will stand at Lords for the first time for the final of the women’s university championship. After over sixty years in local cricket, first as a scorer as a child, then an opening bat and finally in the white jacket, this is a truly well-deserved honour.

Kibworth went on to be victorious in the National Cup against Lutterworth in a tie reduced to 35 overs due to the rain.

Kibworth opened and Matt Craven impressed with the bat as he had against Market Harborough, and with notable contributions from Sundeep Patel and others, they reached 173 – a total which “was felt to be under par according to the many sage voices offering opinion, with the spread range of shortfall being between 30 and 60 too few”.

However, those opinions were rapidly disproved as opening bowlers Monik Patel and Luke Evans scuttled out the Lutterworth top order within the first three

The Barbers Of Uppingham Hot Towel Shaving 1 Market Place, Uppingham

6 2 J U LY 2015 ///

62-63 SL cricketOK.indd 60

21/06/2015 15:36

GEOFF ATTON

Above

Action from Countesthorpe’s game against against Uppingham

overs, the opponents finally struggling to 115 all out.

Whilst we’re on Kibworth, it would be remiss not to mention Raja Hayat who, playing for the seconds in the regional final of the T20 Bowl against Cosby, scored 192 not out in their total of 275 for 2, including an amazing twenty sixes.

Finally, a few words about astonishing events at Tilton and Lowesby, where table-topping Uffington were the visitors.

Teenager Jack Gilford had an unforgettable day for the hosts, not only scoring 146 out of Tilton’s total of 191, but doing it in double-quick time with a six-fest to rival Hayat’s – 15 in total. The match began with a Tilton opener being run out without facing a ball, which brought Gilford to the crease.

He blocked his first ball and then cleared the ropes with his second and then continued in the same vein for the next 28

overs. The cruel irony was he scored so quickly that, when Tilton were all out, over 60 overs of the match remained for Uffington to make the total which they duly did.

Uffington’s Jak Garner said “It was the strangest game of cricket I have played in.”

Spare a thought for 17-year Gilford, who will surely feel himself hard done by to end up on the losing side. Will we hear more of him I wonder?

/// J U LY 2015

62-63 SL cricketOK.indd 61

63

21/06/2015 15:36

house ad p.24.indd 24

25/06/2012 02:02

Roundup

Speedway

Leicester Lions looking to roar back

L

eicester Lions are not having the best of seasons in the Elite League, and having won four and lost 10 they sit bottom – albeit with matches three matches in hand against fellow strugglers Lakeside Hammers, and they came close to securing a bonus consolation match point at Coventry after a stout performance against the title chasing Bees.

But they left Brandon empty handed as the home side gained two heat advantages in the closing stages which gave them a flattering 51 points to 39 win. After eight heats the score-line was all square thanks to vital contributions from Jason Doyle and Grzegorz Walasek who won each of their two races and a paid eight from Ulrich Ostergaard.

The closeness of the scoring continued but a 5-1 reversal in Heat 12 placed pressure on the team and a further blow occurred when Walasek pulled up with engine problems in the penultimate race whilst out in front and Leicester’s misfortune led to Coventry securing the three match points.

A worldwide search for a replacement for the retired Lewis Bridger has come to an end as the Lions have announced the signing of

CALLING ALL SPORTS CLUBS...  Want to see your club featured on our roundup pages? We’re looking for all your news, reviews, pictures and results.

Please bear in mind we go to press on the penultimate weekend of every month.  Have you ever fancied being a sports writer? We are looking for correspondents to cover various sports every month too.

Please give editor Steve Moody a call on 07770 377217, or email steve @theactivemag.com and we’ll be in touch.

Piotr Swiderski. The former Peterborough, Ipswich and Lakeside rider will make his debut for Leicester next Friday at Lakeside.

“We’ve left no stone unturned to bring the team back up to a full complement of riders and I am pleased to say that Piotr has agreed to race for the club. He knows his way around the tracks having recently spent time racing here in 2013 and will go straight into a heat leader role alongside Jason Doyle and Grzegorz Walasek,” said Lions promoter David Hemsley.

FISHING Anglers have enjoyed some excellent sport recently at Ravensthorpe Reservoir, just over the border in Northampton.

Fish have been up and feeding most days this week on clouds of small green midge coming off the water. Dries, emergers or fishing the washing line with a popper hopper and diawl bachs have been the most effective methods, and fishing from a drifting boat has definitely been more successful than being sat at anchor.

There are numerous fish all around the reservoir but the better fish seem to be congregating at the Coton End of the water.

On overcast days with a breeze try fishing olive or claret snatchers with a small muddler on the top dropper for good results.

call for prices & details

www.rutlandsailingschool.co.uk

/// J U LY 2015

65 SL round upOK.indd 60

65

21/06/2015 15:37

Roundup

Equestrianism

An international flavour at Rockingham Horse Trials

BY JULIA DUNGWORTH

R

ockingham Horse Trials kicked off in great style with people from all over the country coming to compete.

The CIC2*was the biggest class with two sections where, as usual, a good dressage was essential followed by a clean show jumping round (these were not common) and then a clear inside the time was required to be considered for a place. It had a very international feel with Germany’s Christoph Whaler winning the first section and China’s Alex Hua Tin winning the second.

The slightly smaller but no less prestigious CIC1* was also taken by Germany’s Bettina Hoy, whom is also now a local, having based herself with Joey Newton for the season. The second section saw a win for British team member Izzy Taylor.

The Young Event horse classes however had a lot more of a local feel with Tom How on HRS Dessie took the spoils, narrowly beating Stamford-based Kerry Varley by a single point on Kilwaughter Blade in the five-year-old section.

All of them will of qualified directly for the very prestigious final held at Burghley in September.

For the first time, they also ran Pony Club jumping along side one of the bigger arenas which saw victory for the Burghley team, consisting of Beth Fitt, Saoirse Mason, Lucy Daly and Ross Hemmings, with the Fitzwilliam team also coming second out of 17 teams.

The weekend after that was the running of Rutland Show.

Unfortunately the weather did not look kindly on them, however, that didn’t dampen the spirit of those attending, and there was a host of classes, one of which being most people’s favourite, the Shetland Grand National.

To be honest, I did watch it and I still have no idea who won, what with all the excitement surrounding it!

One of the biggest and most popular classes in the Showjumping ring is the Polly Phillips Memorial Trophy, which was won

by Michael Potter.

Event rider Richard Jones pulled it out of the bag for a fifth in the very competitive

section. James Williams also carried on his recent success, winning the 1.25.

On the first weekend in June the second of four BS shows took place at Ranksborough near Langham, with the word spreading about the great surface and well run competition, there was a massive up turn in entries. Vere Phillips had a great show, winning the Newcomers on Diamond Luis and the 1.25 Open on Siterme Scipi. Other winners were Scott Wallace on SKS Summer Fox in the British Novice; Gemma Dickens on Oakleys Ace in the Discovery and Heather Gunn won the Foxhunter on Mool Maesira. Their next show is on Sunday, August 9, which will also see the accumulator prizes awarded.

Emilie Chandler is fast becoming the girl to watch after a successful trip to Equi Trek Bramham Horse Trails in Yorkshire, where she rose 30 places after the dressage to finish ninth, by finishing on a clean sheet in the very competitive CCI3* on Coopers Law. I’m sure at this rate she might be heading to the European Championships at Blair Castle and Rio will be a possibility.

Show your support for local sport...

Email advertise@theactivemag.com 6 6 J U LY 2015 ///

66 SL horseOK.indd 60

21/06/2015 15:37

CRICKET WEEK & BEER FESTIVAL Sponsored by Hindmarch & Co (Stamford) Ltd

6th - 10th JULY FREE ENTRY

Day Games: 10.00am Sixes Competition - 6.00pm HURRICANE & SPITFIRE FLYPAST Live Band on Friday Night Over 20 Real Ales Available Every Day NEW FOR 2015 - Fancy Dress Friday

WWW.BURGHLEYPARK.COM BurghleyPark cricket week.indd 1

@BurghleyPark 09/06/2015 12:58

Make your money go further You could save thousands on your currency transfer with TorFX

To see how you could make your money go further with TorFX give them a call on +44 (0)1736 335293 and talk things through with Account Manager James Rowe. Registering with TorFX is free, and there’s no obligation to trade, but if as a new client you transfer over £10,000 just quote Active Magazine we’ll send you a £10 M&S voucher as a welcome gift.

Whether you’re buying that dream French property or need to make regular overseas transactions (to transfer wages, manage a pension or meet mortgage payments, for example), by using a currency broker instead of a bank you could save a significant amount of time and money.

Excellent Exchange Rates 

Personal Service 

As the exchange rates offered by TorFX often beat the banks by over 3% we really could help you get more for your money.

Dedicated, expert Account Managers guarantee each TorFX client a personal, reliable and friendly service.

Peace of Mind 

Regular Payments 

As TorFX is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority* you can relax in the knowledge that your funds are totally secure.

Regular payments can be made securely and automatically – eliminating all the hassle and saving you around £360 a year in transfer fees.

Free Transfers  With no fees and 0% commission to pay we make transfers convenient and cost effective.

Tor Currency Exchange Ltd is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Service Regulations 2009 (reg. 517320) for the provision of payment services.