Active Magazine // South Leicestershire // September 2017

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ISSUE 29 // SEPTEMBER 2017

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HOW TO… South Leicestershire’s sport and lifestyle magazine

Deal with low back pain Brew blackberry gin Update your autumn wardrobe

With: Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials l Leicester Tigers l Leicester City l Cricket season finale l Rugby l Will’s walk Jurassic Way, Sibbertoft l Local Special Olympians l How to lie down actively!

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nding, Summer’s e n but autum ely will be Activ awesome!

www.theACTIVEmag.com

ISSUE 29 // SEPTEMBER 2017

Season Ticket

Manor High School Excellence ~ Inspiration ~ Care ~ Respect

OPEN EVENING THURSDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2017  6.00-8.00pm  Learn about our strong values, curriculum and school

community  Speak to our friendly staff and students about our caring

school  Experience our expertise in Key Stage 3 and GCSE ensuring

deep mastery in subjects that are right for your child  Our new school bus service allows easy access for families

from further afield  From age 11-16, your child’s five-year journey to success

starts here

OPEN MORNINGS

Every Week  9.00-10.00am

 Come to our excellent school during the day - parents and

children are welcome  See our inspiring teaching and learning in practice  Discover our outstanding pastoral care provision, including

before and after school  Find out about our extra-curricular activities and events  Experience for yourself the “Magic of Manor”

Book your places on our Open Mornings online now at:

www.manorhigh.leics.sch.uk

Places available for autumn 2018, with special focus on Year 7 If you are interested in joining Manor High School and would like further information, please call Alison on 0116 272 979 9

Copse Close, Oadby, Leicester LE2 4FU Telephone: 0116 271 4941 Email: admin@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk Website: www.manorhigh.leics.sch.uk Twitter: @ManorHighSchool Facebook: @ManorHighSchoolOadby

Editor’s Letter IT’S ODD HOW FANS OF TEAMS AND watchers of sport can utterly reverse their mood or opinions in the blink of an eye.

The other week, the prevailing opinion was that “fat, paceless, old” Wayne Rooney was past it. He plays one-and-a-bit decent games for Everton, is rejuvenated, with all the speed and dash of a young buck, and he’s back in the England squad.

Except he isn’t. Wayne saw the sense that being picked by Southgate, and having a quiet second half against Brighton and Hove Albion sometime, would mean the knives and comment sections would be out in force, and he’d be fat, paceless and old again and of no use to England. So he bowed out gracefully, or as gracefully as a man with a Brillo pad on his head can bow.

Closer to home, and with a few more years ahead of him than Rooney, George Ford makes his league return to Leicester Tigers this month, four years after bolting out the door to Bath with barely a backward glance. The announcement of his re-signing earlier this year caused much consternation among fans, with plenty reckoning that with Freddie Burns going the other way to Bath, they had got the better deal.

But I’m willing to wager that should George dance his way through a couple of Premiership defences, throw some of those sumptuous passes he’s known for and kick his goals, barely a person at Welford Road will remember Freddie Burns’ name by November.

Conversely, if Ford doesn’t, they’ll be calling for Burns to be carried head high in a procession down the Aylestone Road.

Such is the nature of sport. Us mere amateurs, whose stock-in trade is past glories (have I ever told you of the time I scored a first-half hat-trick in my first ever U11s football match against Porton FC?) can’t imagine what it must be like to have our performance and ability judged minute by minute, and then reassessed the next time, and the time after that, and so on.

So good luck to Ford and all those other professional sportsmen and women playing for our teams in the region this upcoming season. If all of them have gone even further up in our estimation by next spring, then we’ll have all had a good season.

Enjoy the issue! Steve

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

Publisher Chris Meadows chris@theactivemag.com Editor Steve Moody steve@theactivemag.com Deputy editor Mary Bremner mary@theactivemag.com Production editor Julian Kirk julian@theactivemag.com Art editor Mark Sommer mark@theactivemag.com Contributors Martin Johnson, William Hetherington, Jeremy Beswick, Julia Dungworth Photographers Nico Morgan, Pip Warters Production assistant Gary Curtis Advertising sales Lisa Chauhan lisa@theactivemag.com Amy Roberts amy@theactivemag.com Editorial and Advertising Assistant Kate Maxim kate@theactivemag.com Accounts accounts@theactivemag.com Active magazine, The Grey House, 3 Broad Street, Stamford, PE9 1PG. Tel: 01780 480789

If you have information on a club then get in touch by emailing editor@theactivemag.com. If you would like to stock Active magazine then email distribution@ theactivemag.com. If you would like to discuss advertising possibilities please email advertise@ theactivemag.com. Active magazine is published 12 times per year on a monthly basis. ISSN 2059-8513 A Grassroots Publishing Limited company. Company registration number 7994437. VAT number 152717318 Disclaimer

Copyright (c) Grassroots Publishing Limited (GPL) 2016. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or be stored in any retrieval system, of any nature, without prior permission from GPL. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of GPL or its affiliates. Disclaimer of Liability. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, GPL and its affiliates assume no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of and, to the extent permitted by law, shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained in this publication.

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

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

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Contents

ISSUE 29 /// SEPTEMBER 2017

ACTIVE LIFE 13 WHAT’S ON

Great things to do locally for all the family

15 HOW TO...

Make marrow chutney and brew blackberry gin

18-19 RIVERFORD RECIPE

This month we cook a red Thai chicken curry

21 TRAVEL

Why not visit the Emerald Isle?

FEATURES 22-27 BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS SPECIAL Where to watch, what to do, who to see

28-33 COUNTRY CASUALS

What to wear at Burghley and for the autumn

22

35 MARTIN JOHNSON’S COLUMN

Football season’s here... time for a new replica shirt

ACTIVE BODY 38-39 EXPLAINING LOW BACK PAIN

Advice from The Ashleigh Clinic’s Craig Mortimer

42-43 THE FINISHING TOUCHES

Tips and products for your new autumn look

ACTIVE LOCAL 46 DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

Home Instead care co-ordinator Emma Clark

48-49 CHALLENGE UPDATES...

How our intrepid fund-raisers are getting on

50-53 SEASON PREVIEWS

How will Leicester City and the Tigers fare this season?

54-55 ON YOUR BIKE!

A great route to get you out in the saddle

56-57 GREAT WALKS

Taking in the Jurassic Way at Sibbertoft

61 SCHOOL SPORTS

Successes on the field from our local schools

64-66 ROUND-UP

How clubs in the area are faring

4 SE P T E M BE R 2017 ///

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50 42

After five successful years trading as Fine & Country, we are excited to inform you that, from September 1st this year, we will be relaunching as McCallum Marsh Property Consultants.

We will remain at our current premises at 36 High Street, Market Harborough, and retain the same, excellent team, along with our core strengths of client engagement, service delivery and innovation.

See what our clients have had to say about us over the years…

“Just a little note to say a massive Thank You for all your excellent work! You have truly restored my faith in Estate Agents!!”

“Thank you for quite possibly the best ever service from an Estate Agents. We even managed to laugh along the way!”

“You were the only ones that kept us sane! Thank you!”

“We want to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to you for the amazing way in which you have managed the sale of our home. From the outset you have been extremely encouraging, supportive & professional. You have been the linchpin in the whole process.”

“We encountered an exceptionally difficult buyer which is not uncommon, and the hard work, patience and commitment displayed was second to none. Making you feel like a valuable customer before and after the sale is quite rare in this industry and we would recommend Andrew and his lovely team to anyone.”

Please contact Andrew and the team to discuss selling your property, land for development, self-building, property investment, and new homes sales and marketing.

We would love to hear from you.

t: 01858 463747 I e: harborough@mccallum-marsh.co.uk I w: mccallum-marsh.co.uk 36 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7NL mccallum marsh.indd 1

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Activelife

6 SE P T E M BE R 2017 ///

Activelife AUTUMN IS COMING, WHICH MEANS PARTRIDGES, MARROWS, DADDY LONG LEGS, BLACKBERRY GIN AND DELICIOUS FOOD. ALSO, VISIT THE EMERALD ISLE AND FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON CLOSER TO HOME Edited by Mary Bremner

/// SE P T E M BE R 2017 7

Activelife

LOCAL CLOTHING COMPANY UP FOR BUSINESS AWARD Tweed clothing brand Butler Stewart, based just outside Market Harborough, has made the Rural Business Awards final – the only UK-wide awards scheme for rural businesses. Butler Stewart, an exclusive clothing brand specialising in tailoring and tweed, prides itself on using British tweed, with much of its clothing also made in the UK. One of five finalists in the Best Rural Clothing or Accessories Business category, the awards ceremony will be held on October 5. www.butlerstewart.co.uk

Changing times for property consultancy firm After five successful years trading as Fine & Country, Andrew Marshall is converting his office at 36 High Street in Market Harborough into a multi-faceted property consultancy called McCallum Marsh.

The landscape for the UK property market is changing, with low numbers of houses available, a dearth of new houses being built and the advent of online only selling. Andrew is a huge advocate of the value of personalised service, believing the key to all successful sales is the time, effort and expertise required to not only negotiate the best offer, but following that offer through to an actual completion of contracts.

McCallum Marsh will continue to offer a personalised approach to all clients, continuing to act on behalf of sellers of town and country houses. They will also offer an investment and development consultancy, advising clients on land acquisition, self-build and property investment.

The new homes department will focus on offering a bespoke sales and marketing service to small and medium sized developments that Andrew believes require a different level of focus, consistency and expertise, than most traditional agencies can offer.

Contact the team to discuss selling your property, land for development, selfbuilding, property investment and new homes sales and marketing.

Email: harborough@mccallum-marsh.co.uk

BEAUTIFUL OADBY AND WIGSTON ART FOR ALL Attenborough Arts Centre in Leicester has been picked by the arts education charity Children & the Arts to join its country-wide Start arts programme. Start is a three-year programme of arts activities that tackles inequality by working with children who are at risk of missing out on

a creative and cultural education. Now in its 10th year, 130,000 young people aged between four and 16 have been involved. The children chosen will make many visits to the Attenborough Arts Centre to see the exhibitions.

Oadby and Wigston is one of 79 finalists competing for a Royal Horticultural Society gold medal and to be crowned one of the cleanest, greenest and most beautiful places in the UK. Shortlisted to represent the East Midlands in the small city category, hopes are running high. Judges visited on August 2 with the results being announced at the Britain in Bloom Awards on October 27. www.prideoftheborough.org

8 SE P T E M BE R 2017 ///

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Running Shop Run by Runners Large Shoe Range Gait Analysis Friendly Service Clothing Accessories 146A Clarendon Park Road, LE2 3AE 0116 2708447 leicester running shop.indd 1

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

WE CAN HELP YOU! Ideas, Inspiration and Individuality.

...more than just a school

Oh, and more plants than you ever dreamed of...

Open Morning Friday 6th October 2017 10 am to 12 noon “Nothing short of sensational for my child” - Current Parent Please contact us at afj@sprattonhall.com or 01604 847292 for an invitation to the Open Morning or to visit the school Spratton Hall is an Independent Co-Educational Day Prep School for children aged 4-13 in Northamptonshire

KIBWORTH GARDEN CENTRE

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

www.sprattonhall.com

Are you running the risk of outliving your savings?

(0116) 2792754

@KibworthGardenCentre

L

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

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

The golden rule is to find out exactly how much you are going to need in retirement – and to start planning for it now.

For further information, or to request your no obligation review to retirement planning, contact:

MATTHEW BOYCE Associate Partner WINNER

PARTN E RS IN M AN AG IN G YO U R WE A LT H

Tel: 01162 599007 Email: matthew.boyce@sjpp.co.uk Web: www.matthewboyce.co.uk

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

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

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Activelife

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWDS September. The children are back at school, holidays are over and the countdown to Christmas has started. But all is not lost... put the memories of a dismal, wet August behind you and get out and about with the dogs. A glorious Indian summer could be around the corner. The nights might be drawing in but the days are still warm and sunny, perfect for getting out and about with dogs and friends, and there won’t be as many people around as in August...

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The future of flooring is closer than you think.

Conveniently located in central Oadby, we’re your NEW local specialists for the latest luxury floors, carpets, wood floors and rugs.

Call us on…

Visit our NEW Website

12.indd 1

0116 271 6886

1 The Parade, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5BB w w w. o a d b y f l o o r i n g . c o . u k

24/08/2017 17:26

Activelife

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

■ Arts Fresco in Market Harborough is celebrating its 15th year. Held this year on September 10, join in the fun with the best street theatre in the Midlands.

O en described as a mini fringe festival, now is the time to wander the streets of Market Harborough to mingle with the performers and encounter the wacky and the wonderful. www.artsfresco.com ■ Well-known singer Jake Bugg is touring in the area, playing at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall on November 6. www.demontforthall.co.uk ■ Locally-based charity, Hope Against Cancer, is hosting an evening of opera on November 11 at The City Rooms in Leicester.

Starring Rozzana Madylus, who

was born in Leicestershire, the evening will include a threecourse dinner and entertainment.

Tickets for early birds are £50. www.hopeagainstcancer.org.uk ■ The Harborough Triathlon takes place on September 3. This year there are three distances to compete in – the Try-a-Tri for newcomers that includes a 200m swim, 11.5k bike ride and 2.5k run, the Sprint that is double the distance, and the Bridge (600m swim, 34.5k ride and 7.5k run). www.raceharborough.co.uk ■ The Bruntingthorpe Speed Festival takes place on September 16 and 17. The old US military air base that is now a high performance test track is the perfect venue for this festival. www.lutterworthmuseum.org

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OPEN DAY

Saturday 7 October 2017, 9.30am–12.30pm.

You will be able to: Talk in depth with our staff

Tour the school with a Sixth Former as your guide

Discuss the curriculum

Learn about the school during a short speech

View classroom displays and activities

by the Headmaster

Book online at www.leicesterhigh.co.uk or call Amy Costello on 0116 270 5338 or email marketing@leicesterhigh.co.uk

454 London Road, Leicester LE2 2PP

Tel: 0116 270 5338

@LeicesterHigh

www.leicesterhigh.co.uk

Leicester High School for Girls is an independent day school for girls 3-18.

LHS_7thOct2017_OpenAd_220x285.indd 1

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Activelife

HOW TO…

MAKE MARROW CHUTNEY Marrows seem to grow in front of your eyes, they expand so rapidly. If you find you can’t keep up with eating them, turn them into chutney instead using this very simple recipe.

INGREDIENTS 1.5 kg marrow 220g sliced shallots 220g sliced apples 220g sultanas 220g demerara sugar 850ml malt vinegar Pinch of salt and pepper METHOD Cut the marrow into small pieces and place in a large saucepan with the shallots, apples, sultanas, sugar and vinegar. Give a good turn of the salt and pepper grinder into the pan. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it starts to thicken.

Leave to settle for 10 minutes then spoon into jars, put on the lids and label.

HOW TO…

Brew blackberry gin Blackberries are prolific and early this year, so let’s make the most of them. Crumbles and jam are delicious but why not branch out this year and make blackberry gin?

It’s really very simple and, with this recipe, you don’t have to wait for months before you can drink it…

METHOD Put the blackberries and sugar in a large pan and cook down very gently until the fruit has dissolved and become pulpy.

INGREDIENTS 1kg blackberries, 500g caster sugar, 500ml gin

Stir well , pour into bottles and seal.

It should be ready to drink in less than a week.

Pour the gin into a large jug and strain the pulped blackberries in.

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M

AZE

All bookings include: Insurance, gas, breakdown cover, unlimited mileage, tv, satnav, awning, bike rack, discount at participating campsites.

www.countrybumpkinyurts.co.uk RELAX & UNWIND IN THE HEART OF THE EAST MIDLANDS COUNTRYSIDE

Why not enjoy a holiday in one of our luxury motorhomes this summer...?!

BOOK OUR SELFCATERING YURTS FOR THE PERFECT RURAL BREAK WITH FRIENDS & FAMILY T: 07375024672 E: info@countrybumpkinyurts.co.uk

OPEN ALL SEASONS

01480 830562 07463 072274

www.mazemotorhomes.co.uk FAMILY RUN MOTORHOME HIRE IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Waterloo Cottage Farm, Great Oxendon, Market Harborough, LE16 8NA

11~16 ACADEMY TRUST|Where Learning Comes First

OPEN EVENING THURSDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER 2017, 5.30PM - 8.00PM

We invite you to see and experience our outstanding school. Speak to our talented and committed staff and meet our friendly students.

Find out more about our exceptional enrichment opportunities.

See our excellent facilities, including our state of the art Learning Hub and The Terrace.

W www.lutterworthhigh.co.uk

T 01455 552710

E admin@lutterworthhigh.co.uk

Please contact Pam Morey, PA to Headteacher, to book a tour - pmorey@lutterworthhigh.co.uk

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Activelife

NATURE

THE RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE This attractive gamebird was introduced into Britain from western Europe and has thrived in the drier climate of eastern England.

Locally it is a well established breeding bird whose numbers are boosted by large releases on some farms and estates. Many will be seen in the fields on the western side of Eyebrook Reservoir from September, where supplementary feeding discourages them from straying.

Red-legged partridges pair up in March and are most active at dawn and dusk. The males give their characteristic ‘chukka-chukka’ calls from the ground or from exposed perches on gate posts or farm buildings. The nest is usually hidden beneath a hedgerow and the clutch of up to 16 eggs, blotched with red or grey, is incubated for around 24 days.

Some nests are found by carrion crows and predated eggshells are often seen on footpaths in spring. The chicks can forage for food immediately but are tended by their parents until they fledge.

At close quarters this is a stunning species with white cheeks and throat bordered by a black band. The flanks are barred with black, white and chestnut and the legs and bill are red.

Terry Mitcham

DADDY LONG LEGS September is the month when daddy long legs can inundate your home. Also known as crane flies and harvestmen, this name coincides with the time of year when they are most visible, during and after harvest.

The adults are on the wing during late summer and are busy concentrating on mating and laying their eggs. The larvae of the daddy long legs are grey grubs known as leather jackets that live underground, and are the bane of many a gardeners’ and farmers’ life as they eat plant stems and roots.

Easily recognisable, the daddy long legs is a brown long bodied insect with translucent wings and very long legs that easily fall off if handled. Very common throughout Britain, and instantly recognisable.

Hazel nuts The perfect nut for woodland foraging, and here on our doorstep this month. Hazel grows throughout the country and is often used in hedges. To pick the nuts you need to be quick to beat the squirrels – as we all know Squirrel Nutkin was quite a fan. They will be fresh and green at this time of year but still tasty, so pick a few and eat them on the hoof. If you wait for them to ripen, turning nut brown, the squirrels will beat you to it.

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Activelife

1 8 SE P T E M BE R 2017 ///

RED THAI CHICKEN CURRY WITH GREEN BEANS AND CASHEWS INGREDIENTS

200g brown basmati rice Salt and pepper 1 red onion Oil for frying 25g ginger 2 garlic cloves 2 tomatoes 1 tsp turmeric 1 pack red Thai curry paste 1 tbsp tamari sauce 400ml coconut milk 125g green beans 30g cashew nuts 15g coriander 1 lime 300g diced chicken breast 20g basil 1 fresh chilli

1

METHOD

● Boil a kettle. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water then add to a saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover with boiling water, stir once and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender. ● Peel and finely slice the onion. Heat 1tbsp oil in a saucepan. Fry the onion gently for 10 minutes until starting to soften. ● Peel and finely chop or grate the ginger and garlic.

Roughly chop the tomatoes.

Add the ginger, garlic and tomatoes to the onions after 10 minutes (1). Cook for three minutes then add the turmeric and Thai curry paste. Cook for another minute then add the tamari and coconut milk. Season with salt and simmer for 10 minutes.

2

●

●

Trim the green beans and slice thinly at an angle.

● Roughly chop the cashews and toast them in a dry frying pan until lightly coloured (about 2-3 minutes). Roughly chop the coriander. Halve the lime. ● Season the chicken lightly with salt and add it to the curry along with the sliced beans. Gently cook for 5-8 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. ● Stir two-thirds of the cashews into the curry. Tear in the basil leaves (2). Stir well and check the seasoning, adding more salt if needed. If you want more heat, slice and add the fresh chilli to taste. ● Drain the rice and serve in generous bowls with the curry.

Garnish with the coriander, remaining cashews and half a lime each for squeezing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

find out more or call 01803 762059.

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VISIT OUR SHOWROOM VVI SI SI ITT OOUURR SS H H OOW WRROOOOMM

Open: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-3pm

Open: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-3pm

Tel: 01780 654321 Email: sales@classicstamford.co.uk

Open: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-3pm Tel: 01780 654321 Email: sales@classicstamford.co.uk www.classicstamford.co.uk www.classicstamford.co.uk 12 St Leonard’s Lincs PE9 2HN Tel: 01780 654321 Street, Email: Stamford, sales@classicstamford.co.uk 12 St Leonard’s Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 2HN www.classicstamford.co.uk

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

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Activelife

TRAVEL

THE EMERALD ISLE Guinness, shamrocks, the craic, Father Ted, and kissing the Blarney Stone... it has to be Ireland, where the grass is always green. This is because Ireland has quite a high rainfall but September can be a beautiful month to visit, particularly if we have an Indian summer.

Ireland is a country where the locals are friendly. Walk into any pub or shop and you’ll soon have someone chatting to you – and there are a lot of pubs, every tiny village has one.

It used to be the case that someone would stop their car, blocking the road to get out and have a chat, and the car behind would join in.

This is still true in some of the more rural parts.

But it’s not just about the craic and Guinness.

The country is steeped in history and culture, legends and myths. Visit Dublin this month and enjoy The Fringe Festival that runs from September 9-24. This theatre festival has performers from all over the world.

A visit to the second city of Ireland, Cork, way down in the south west is a must. This is an attractive city with a large harbour. Make sure you see the castle-like Cork City Gaol which once held prisoners bound for Australia.

Whilst in Cork pay a visit to Kinsale, the gourmet capital of Ireland. There are restaurants, pubs and cafes galore in this pretty, colourful harbour town that is protected by two ancient forts. Whilst in Kinsale you can join the Wild Atlantic Way Cycle Sportif that starts in the town on September 13 and finishes in Donegal on the 29th.

There are so many places to visit in Ireland that a tour of the country is a must. You can take in The Giants Causeway (in the north), Galway, Waterford and Wexford and don’t forget around nearly every corner is a castle, often in ruins.

Windswept beaches and green pastures galore.

It’s probably best to hire a car to get round more easily, just be prepared as the country roads can be narrow and winding, but you’ll find some beautiful sights round every corner.

A country that needs re-visiting time and again, and you will always be assured of a warm welcome.

USEFUL WEBSITES

www.wildatlanticwaycyclesportif.ie www.tedtours.com www.ireland.com www.discoverireland.ie

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Feature /// Burghley Horse Trials

2 2 SE P T E M BE R 2017 ///

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TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is one of the biggest and toughest sporting events in the country. Nico Morgan presents an insiders’ guide on what to look out for beyond the shopping and refreshments village Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is one of only six equestrian events worldwide which are given the top 4* rating. It’s the pinnacle of the sport of eventing and it’s tough.

Although described as a three-day event, it actually takes place over five days. The first day, Wednesday, August 30, is free to attend but the shopping village will be in full swing and you can also attend the first vets’ inspection in the main arena.

This year Burghley is offering an event guide which can be purchased on its own or as part of a bundle which includes lots of goodies in a Burghley bag. There are golden tickets each day which will win prizes.

Here’s what to look out for in the three key disciplines...

DRESSAGE

The dressage phase of the three-day event tests the basic training of the horse before the cross-country and show jumping phases. It takes place over two days (Thursday and Friday) in the main arena.

Dressage ‘tests’ are performed in a 20m x 60m area, marked out by white boards. Each competitor waits until a bell is rung to indicate the judges are ready and then performs a predetermined set of movements. It is important to be quiet and not move about when a test is underway. Judges assess the precision and elegance of the performance, obedience of the horse, its three gaits – walk, trot and canter – and also how the rider performs too.

What to look for Each movement is marked out of 10 and then they are converted into a penalty score: the lower the better. If a horse and rider combination gets 7s for each movement they will end up with a score of 45. The leaders are likely to get into the mid or even low 30s which would need 8s, 9s and 10s during the test.

Do say…

“Gosh, this horse has wonderful impulsion” Don’t say...

“I love the horse dancing bit”

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23/08/2017 19:05

Feature /// Burghley Horse Trials

SHOW JUMPING

Sunday’s show jumping course will consist of 14 to 16 fences. They will be a mixture of ‘upright’ fences (a single vertical obstacle) and ‘oxers’ or ‘parallels’ (a fence which consists of two uprights with a gap between them).

Officials calculate the time allowed to ride the course based on a set speed. There are no prizes for going faster than necessary but if a rider is over the time allowed they will incur time penalties at a rate of one per second they are over the time; much more expensive than on the cross-country course.

This main arena is part of a Grade 2* listed park at Burghley and this means that the ground cannot be levelled off to make this phase of the competition easier. Riders therefore must take the terrain into account when they are riding the course. The riders will have a chance to walk the course after the second vets’ inspection on Sunday morning but the horse will have never seen the course when it comes to start this phase.

The jumping is done in reverse order, with those in the first session being the competitors in the places below 20th place. The top 20 jump in the afternoon session.

Penalties during the show jumping phase include four for knocking a pole down or refusing to jump a fence. Two refusals or a rider fall results in elimination.

CROSS-COUNTRY

Captain Mark Phillips has designed this year’s cross-country course, which is about four miles long, with nearly 45 jumping efforts spread around that course.

The course at Burghley is notoriously one of the biggest and toughest in the world and there is no doubt that it will have a significant impact on the competition. Each of those fences can be up to 1.4m in height, with a top spread of up to 2m. The most famous fence at Burghley is the Cottesmore Leap, which has a ditch in front of it wide enough to drive a 4x4 vehicle through.

Nowadays the safety of horses and riders is paramount, so solid fences are fitted with safety devices which cause the fence to collapse if they are hit hard.

The time allowed will depend on the exact length of the course but will be about 11.30 minutes in total. Horses and riders who do not complete the course inside the time allowed will be given time penalties at a rate of 0.4 penalties for every second over the time.

Any refusal or run-out on the course will result in a 20-point penalty which could be more than half of the dressage score before that phase.

This year competitors should be aware of a new 50-point penalty, which can be given if the fence judges rule that the horse did not pass within the flags at any obstacle.

What to look out for There are some riders who just make any cross-country course look relatively easy. It really isn’t! These are the ones to watch.

Do say…

“They look fit!”

Don’t say...

“Oh, I do hope they fall in the water!”

What to look for If scores are close after cross-country then a clear round can mean a significant jump up the leaderboard.

Do say…

“I’d love to see this combination have a double clear”, meaning that they jump clear round the show jumping course having previously not had any jumping penalties on the cross-country course the day before.

Don’t say...

“Good luck! Break a leg!”

2 4 SE P T E M BE R 2017 ///

22-24 BURGHLEY Feature OK.indd 24

23/08/2017 19:06

RUTLAND WATER

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Launde Abbey

Open daily for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea

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

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

anglianwater.co.uk/leisure

AT LAND ROVER BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS 2017 Come and meet talented artisans and producers selling unique, stylish and delicious products in CL’s Maker’s Marquee, located next to the Land Rover Arch by the cross-country course.

THIS YEAR’S EXHIBITORS INCLUDE: Tripster & Smith (homeware) Masons Yorkshire Gin (craft gin) Willy Chase’s (popcorn) Virginia’s Artisan Soap (beauty) Parkers Cufflinks (accessories) Indigo Boo (fashion) Lucinda Frances (fashion) Super-Skin (beauty) Petcap (accessories) Lavender Hill Clothing (fashion) SAHEL (fashion) Chase Distillery Shop (vodka & gin) Welligogs (fashion) Louisa Elizabeth (art & gifts) Brock & Morten (rapeseed oil) Simone Micalef (jeweller) Gemma J (jeweller) By Sikora (accessories) Jina Gelder Illustration (artist) Heather Stowell (jeweller) Isabee (children’s clothing) Jelly Bean Photography (photos) Smash Porcelaine France (homeware) Christie Lloyd (art) Coban Rugs (homeware) Laughing Dog (pet food) Muck Boots (footwear) Justin Reece (footwear) Masons Yorkshire Gin (gin) Hawkcombe Country Outfitters (fashion) KC Collection (fashion) Love & Lilly Jewellery (jeweller) The Stripes Company (accessories) Chandrika Thomas (perfume) Indriftic (accessories) Hen House Candles (candles) Turner & Bell (pet accessories) Hen House Candles (candles) Turner & Bell (pet accessories) MacMaster Designs (homeware) Win or Lose (accessories) That Cosy Feeling (homeware) Fresh From Nature (homeware) Daisy’s Vintage Tea PLUS the chance to win a CL sofa, pick up a special show offer for CL’s Interflora bouquets and enjoy tea & homemade cake in Daisy’s Vintage Tea Room.

And visit the Country Living Pavilion on Avenue A for more stylish shopping – we look forward to seeing you there!

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25/08/2017 15:10

Contact us

Open

tel: 01780 782328 email: thepapermills@gmail.com facebook: @thepapermills

Monday - Sunday 11.30am till late Lunch served from 12-2.30pm Mon - Sat Dinner served from 6-9pm

Booking highly advised during Burghley Weekend!

Located in the picturesque village of Wansford just off the A1, The Paper Mills is the perfect location for the Burghley weekend for lunch, dinner and drinks.

Let the small but friendly team welcome you to this traditional English family owned pub.

Good selection of lager and ales.

Popular wine list sourced locally.

Food is freshly cooked to order.

Locally sourced ingredients from within 30 miles of the area. We maintain close relationships with the local farms, bakeries, butchers and breweries.

Our menu is a balance of classic British pub, Mediterranean and Asian inspired dishes.

Classic desserts and daily specials on offer too.

Dogs allowed in bar area or garden We have Sky TV so will be showing sky sports.

40/50 seater restaurant Proud to be involved in Burghley sponsorships paper mill.indd 1

Owner’s Daughter Shannon Evans will be in attendance every day at Burghley and is aiming to compete at Burghley Horse Trials next year

24/08/2017 10:23

Feature /// Burghley Horse Trials HISTORY 1961 – First event at Burghley, put on by The Marquess of Exeter to replace an event at Harewood House, which was cancelled due to a suspected outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

1962 – Burghley first hosts the European Championships. No other venue has hosted the championships as often as Burghley.

1979 – Andrew Hoy becomes the youngest person to ever win the event (he still is!). He was 20 then.

NICO MORGAN

1994 – William Fox-Pitt wins the event. The first of a record six wins. Two of this year’s competitors, Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson, have won it five times.

2003 – Pippa Funnell wins Burghley and with it the first ever Grand Slam of Eventing (Burghley, Badminton and Kentucky).

SIX GREAT SPOTS TO WATCH THE CROSS-COUNTRY

2014 – Andrew Nicholson makes history by winning Burghley for the third consecutive year.

2015 – Michael Jung wins Burghley on his way to only the second ever Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing.

Lion Bridge An early fence which provides great scenery. Caused world champion Michael Jung’s demise in 2015.

Cottesmore Leap An iconic fence which makes everyone gasp but generally rides well.

Discovery Valley The viewing of the title sponsor’s main fence is brilliant (right next to the bars) and gives you two views of each rider as they progress backwards and forwards.

The Trout Hatchery A classic. Several routes through the different ponds and great viewing.

2016 Christopher Burton (Australia) riding NOBILIS 18

The start and finish Although the start and finish fences are straightforward it is always great to see the ‘game faces’ on the way out and the elation on the way back.

2014 Andrew Nicholson (New Zealand) riding AVEBURY

Storm Doris A new fence which uses the trees which fell during the storm. Several options here.

PAST WINNERS 2015 Michael Jung (Germany) riding LA BIOSTHETIQUE SAM

2013 Andrew Nicholson (New Zealand) riding AVEBURY 2012 Andrew Nicholson (New Zealand) riding AVEBURY 2011 William Fox-Pitt (Great Britain) on PARKLANE HAWK 2010 Caroline Powell (New Zealand) on LENAMORE

SHOPPING From horseboxes to handbags, saddles to sheds, boots to bronze sculptures and clothing to cake, there really is something for everyone at Burghley.

So, if you’re not into horses, and need a change of scenery from the bar, then head to the shops.

If you’re starting early why not kick off with a bacon sandwich from the Marquess of Exeter & Launde Farm Foods stand in the food court, then make your way around the trade stands full of energy. You’ll need it as there is plenty to see.

Here are some of our favourites: Dawson’s - Despite being based in Stamford, the fine jewellers decamps to Burghley Park for the week.

Dubarry - A mainstay now and and worth a visit for a cracking pair of waterproof boots.

Clare Brownlow - Quirky paintings all produced with a pheasant feather.

Fairfax & Favor - Another expensive boot company, and one that is very much en vogue at the moment.

Country Living Pavilion and Makers’ Marquee - There are lots of great independent designers, artisans and crafts people all under one roof so spend some time perusing both.

Joules - Clothing sponsors Joules have a huge stand offering up all the official merchandise.

Sturgess Land Rover - Looking for a new car?

Check out the new Range Rover Velar which will be on display.

Legacy - Vintage fashion and jewellery.

Scotts of Thrapston - Fine equestrian buildings, summer houses and bespoke timber buildings.

Zaini Hats - Designers of beanie hats and other winter accessories for the season ahead.

Wacky Socks - British made premium quality multi-sport socks.

LOCAL STARS TO LOOK OUT FOR Simon Grieve, based near Oakham: “Both my horses (Douglas and Drumbilla Metro) are brilliant jumpers who love their jobs and I hope we’re all going to enjoy the experience as much as each other.”

Richard P. Jones, from South Luffenham, with Alfie’s Clover.

Willa Newton, from Stonesby, near Grantham, with Chance Remark.

Angus Smales, from Allexton in Rutland, with MJI Mount Echo.

Andrew Hoy (AUS), from Somerby in Leicestershire, with The Blue Frontier.

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Feature /// Fashion

FA S H I O N I N THE FIELD The Active team gets togged up for the trials, and the autumn weather beyond, in this season’s most stylish clothing. Just one question, where are the editor and publisher?

Photography: Nico Morgan

ABOVE Will wears Levis 511 slim fit Stokjo stretch jeans, £85, Polo Ralph Lauren slim fit polo shirt in fall royal, £85 and Barbour Duke wax jacket in bark, £199 from Cavells.

STOCKISTS Cavells: 16 Mill St, Oakham, LE15 6EA. 01572 770372 www.cavells.co.uk.

Seasalt Clothing: 18 High St, Stamford PE9 2AL. 01780 310040 www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk Inner Wolf: Wistow Rural Centre, Kibworth Rd, Wistow, LE8 0QF. 0116 337 3053 www.innerwolf.co.uk Thanks to Will, Kate, Lucy, Mary and John for modelling. Models all wore their own footwear but all brands are available from Cavells South Street.

Thanks also to Bracken, Ella, Maisie, Knibbs, Mia and George!

2 8 SE P T E M BE R 2017 ///

ABOVE Kate wears Brax Shakira The Skinny Free to Move mid denim jeans, £99.95, Paul Smith Multi Stripe sweater, £155 and Brax Genf down gilet in dark olive, £159.95 from Cavells.

BELOW Mary wears Oui slim fit Baxtor Jeggings in grape leaf, £115 Vilagallo silk Otilia Woodland top in grey/multi colour, £209 and Vilagallo Isa Woven jacket in coral, £239 from Cavells.

ABOVE Lucy wears Essentiel Ovina bird print shirt dress with rhinestone collar in Mars red/multi, £238 from Cavells.

LEFT Mia models the small green Ruff and Tumble dog drying coat from £38 from Cavells Country.

BELOW Ella shows off a selection of boot brands available at Cavells Country.

/// SE P T E M BE R 2017 2 9

BORN TO PERFORM. DISCOVER THE BOND BETWEEN ABARTH AND YAMAHA WITH THEIR SHARED RACING SPIRIT. EQUIPPED WITH MOTORSPORT INSPIRED COMPONENTS, SUCH AS AN ACTIVE DUAL MODE AKRAPOVIC EXHAUST AND CARBON FIBRE DETAILING, THE ABARTH 695 XSR YAMAHA LIMITED EDITION IS BUILT TO DRIVE, BORN TO PERFORM.

COCKERELL ROAD, CORBY, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE NN17 5DU. TEL: 01536 268991 WWW.ROCKINGHAMCARS.CO.UK

Official fuel consumption figures for the Abarth 695 XSR Yamaha Limited Edition: mpg (l/100km): Combined 47.1 (6.0), Urban 35.8 (7.9), Extra urban 57.7 (4.9), CO2 Emissions: 139 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.

Concept

X

Filename

IDA00159 Q217 Abarth 695 XSR Rockingham Cars 285x220 ON32489

Acct Management

Size

285x220

Studio Manager

Notes

Master

Adapt

Operator

Sign Off

Milly

Creative Director

Initial

Feature /// Fashion

FAR LEFT John wears Levis 511 slim fit jeans in berry hill, £85, Schoffel Country cotton cashmere zip sweater in rich red, £109.95, Gant Airlight down vest in evening blue, £175 from Cavells.

LEFT Purple dusk Ruffwear Roamer Leash £38.95 and Orange Ezydog Zero Shock Dog Leash, £21.95 from Inner Wolf.

BELOW Midge wears burgundy Ruff and Tumble dog drying coat from Cavells Country, £43.

ABOVE Will wears Levis 511 slim fit Stokjo stretch jeans, £85, Polo Ralph Lauren slim fit polo shirt in classic burgundy, £85 and plum Schoffel Country cotton cashmere zip sweater, £109.95 from Cavells.

RIGHT John wears Levis 511 slim fit jeans in berry hill, £85; Schoffel Country cotton cashmere zip sweater in rich red, £109.95, Gant Airlight down vest in evening blue, £175 and Aquascutum Berkely raincoat in camel, £475 from Cavells.

/// SE P T E M BE R 2017 3 1

The Old Mill • South Street Oakham • Rutland • LE15 6BG

www.cavells.co.uk

“A clear-eyed, energetic, forward-thinking school” - The Good Schools Guide

Life offers us

Limitless possibilities Oakham just helps you make the most out of them With a proud heritage and progressive outlook, Oakham is a high-achieving independent school in the heart of England where opportunities are both inspirational and obtainable. A shared belief in making the most out of any opportunity and to be the best you can be sets us apart from other schools.

With a welcoming and friendly support structure, Oakham offers an ideal environment for boys and girls aged between 10 and 18 to learn, thrive and prosper in our modern world. We’re one of the UK’s top schools for the IB Diploma and our students achieve consistently excellent A-level results, whilst still having time to enjoy an exceedingly rich extra-curricular lifestyle.

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What makes Oakham so special? oakham.rutland.sch.uk/Meet-Us

Oakham in their words

To organise a visit please get in touch with our admissions team: admissions@oakham.rutland.sch.uk 01572 758758 oakham.rutland.sch.uk We look forward to meeting you

24/08/2017 17:26

Feature /// Fashion

LEFT Lucy wears Levis 311 Shaping Skinny jeans in black sheep, £79, Essentiel Ofra sheer floral blouse in Mars red/multi, £168 and Des Petits Hauts red Box jumper, £183.00 from Cavells.

BELOW Kate wears Trail Board trousers in indigo, £62.50, Duet night splash Sailor shirt, £29.95, Fruity jumper in mustard, £59.95 and Encompass coat in dark cinnamon, £150 from Seasalt Clothing. Knibbs’ leash is Ezydog Zero Shock Dog Leash, £21.95 and Ella is on the purple dusk Ruffwear Roamer Leash £38.95 from Inner Wolf.

ABOVE Mary wears Oui slim fit Baxtor Jeggings in grape leaf, £115, Vilagallo silk Otilia Woodland top in grey/multi colour, £209 from Cavells and Fairfax and Favor boots (model’s own). Midge wears burgundy Ruff and Tumble dog drying coat from Cavells Country, £43.

RIGHT Lucy wears Levis 311 Shaping Skinny leg jeans in black sheep, £79 and Essentiel Ofra sheer floral blouse in Mars red/multi, size 10. £168 from Cavells.

/// S E P T E M B E R 2 0 17 3 3

Come and view our stunning new show homes

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

Prices from ÂŁ149,995

Sales & marketing suite open daily 10am - 5pm Thorpe Road, Peterborough, PE3 6AW

land & new homes

07864 997591 oakthorpe.sales@kier.co.uk

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

Untitled-9 1

13/07/2017 15:25

Guest column

Getting shirty The start of the football season only means one thing, says Martin Johnson... time to buy a new replica players’ shirt here’s usually a clue when something momentous is about to happen. White smoke from the Vatican equates to a new Pope. The first cuckoo of the year means that Spring has arrived. And when you’re at the supermarket, and some pot-bellied bloke wearing a shirt with ‘Rooney 10’ on the back is shovelling lager into his trolley, you know the football season is here again.

I’m not entirely sure when replica football shirts became such big business (they reckon Paris St Germain will recoup a large chunk of the £198 million they forked out for Neymar in sales of the things) but it certainly wasn’t when I first stood on the terraces back in the 1950s. And even if Newport County had had a club shop, they’d have made less from selling replica jerseys with ‘Hunt 10’ on the back of them than from the half-time Bovril takings.

The strange thing about football in those days was that when a team wearing blue shirts played away from home, they wore blue shirts. Unless the home team also had blue shirts, in which case they were obliged to change them for a colour that enabled spectators to work out which team was which. Although in Newport’s case this wasn’t entirely necessary as they were easily identifiable by the number of goals they were letting in.

Nowadays, however, there is a serious argument for believing that the replica away strip is such a rip-off that the people selling them ought at least to have the decency to wear a mask. After all, Dick Turpin did. Why, for instance, would Manchester United – famous for playing in red – have commissioned an all-grey strip for away games a few years back? Couldn’t have been to make more money surely? Although it backfired a little when they kept losing, and the players complained that the colour was so dull they kept passing the ball to their brighter shirted opposition.

This season, Manchester United adult replicas, home or away, will set you back £60. Although if you prefer long sleeves you’ll be asked for an extra tenner. And if you want one with ‘Lukaku 9’ on the back – and let’s face it, who wouldn’t – we’re talking £82.95.

What’s more, the shirts change every year. What was once little Johnny’s pride and joy suddenly becomes something so dated he wouldn’t be seen dead in it. You can’t be seen out wearing something with ‘Eon’ on the front, or ‘Halifax Building Society’ if the 2016-17 model is now singing the praises of ‘Bloggs’ Lavatory Brushes’.

T

Apart from having to change into red to avoid clashing with Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, England were playing for over a century in plain white until the FA cottoned on to the fact that there was money to be made from changing them every year.

When Scotland played England in 2016, England were ordered to change to red because the Scots had abandoned their traditional all blue jerseys to ones with clashing (at least according to FIFA) white sleeves. And then when England hosted the Scots at Wembley in the same year, the away team played in shocking pink. Not surprisingly, their football matched their shirts and they lost 3-0.

No wonder parents start making wimpering noises when the new football season comes around, so much so that their first thought is to get little Johnny interested in rugby instead. But hang on a minute… the oval ball lot are at it too.

Take Northampton. They have three replica jerseys – home, away and one for cup games. The home and the cup versions bear some marginal comparison with the shirts they wore for decades but the away jersey doesn’t really give you a clue as to which team you might be watching. However, at least the Saints’ jersey designers have drawn their inspiration from something other than the Beatles’ psychedelic period. Unlike the French side, Stade Francais, whose shirts make the Sergeant Pepper LP cover look almost dowdy.

In New Zealand, the national rugby jersey is as religious a garment as the shroud of Turin, and I was once flown – along with half a dozen other UK journalists – all the way to Wellington, courtesy of Adidas, for the unveiling of a new All Black shirt. And when the thing was unveiled, live on the news would you believe, the audience let out a collective gasp. Largely because it was a black shirt with a silver fern. Just as it had always been.

Everywhere you look in sport, players’ kit is being messed around with. Take the England cricket team. For decades they took to the field wearing white shirts and cream sweaters, and now they emerge in cream shirts and white sweaters. Mind you, cricket makes far less out of replica kit than soccer or rugby, for the simple reason that most of the money goes to the fancy dress shops. Why fork out to look like Alastair Cook or Joe Root, appears to be the fans’ motto, when you can come as a giraffe, or a bunch of bananas.  Martin Johnson has been a sports journalist and author since 1973, writing for the Leicester Mercury, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times. He currently writes columns for The Rugby Paper and The Cricket Paper, and has a book out called ‘Can I Carry Your Bags?’.

/// S E P T E M B E R 2 0 17 3 5

35 SRSL johnson OK.indd 21

23/08/2017 13:55

HOPE TO HOPE REACH YOUR PEAK

SPONSORED CYCLE CHALLENGE Saturday 16th - Tuesday 19th September 2017 From Leicester Clock Tower and back taking in the Peak District and over 300 miles.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF, HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE, MEET NEW PEOPLE AND SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CANCER RESEARCH CHARITY For more information please contact Barbara on 0116 270 0101 or: barbara@hopeagainstcancer.org.uk http://hopeagainstcancer.org.uk/event/2383-2/ Registered Charity No. 1091480

36.indd 1

24/08/2017 17:31

ACTIVE BODY THIS SEASON’S MUST-HAVE JACKETS, TREATING LOW BACK PAIN AND HOW TO REST - ACTIVELY!

/// S E P T E M B E R 3 7

ACTIVE BODY

LOW BACK PAIN EXPLAINED Craig Mortimer, consultant musculoskeletal physiotherapist at the Ashleigh Clinic in Leicester, on the most commonly experienced pain LOW BACK PAIN is the most common disabling musculoskeletal pain in the western world. Quite often there may be no reason for the pain and usually sufferers find that their episodes of pain become more frequent and take longer to resolve, affecting lifestyle and quality of life.

More and more people of all ages suffer. The Ashleigh Clinic Specialist Back Pain Centre has seen a significant increase in patients looking at a more conservative and holistic approach, as people become more cautious of invasive approaches such as drugs, injections and surgery. Our new spinal decompression

3 8 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 17 ///

system from America, IDD, has produced excellent results with many chronic back pain sufferers from all around the country.

It is important first to try to understand what is causing your back pain so that you are able to decide on the right approach in targeting and resolving it.

Most commonly, the spinal disc is the cause of the problem.

We have patients where their MRI obviously reflects their case history and symptoms to explain their problem. But very often an MRI shows no bulging or ‘slipped’ disc.

The simple reason for this is your discs compress when they

are loaded, such as standing or sitting. But when we have an MRI we lay horizontal and so the pressure and distortion are reduced. That’s why many people get relief from their pain when laying down. Therefore, the disc may not protrude without normal bodyweight pressure.

So, what is a spinal disc?

A spinal disc lies between two vertebrae which are made of bone. The best way to describe it is that it is like a car tyre and trapped between the ground and the weight of the car. As we drive the tyre changes shape as the air inside is pushed around depending on the road and movement of the car. The centre of our discs, unlike the car tyre, are full with proteoglycan molecules which act like sponges and have a high affinity to water. So imagine many sponges squashed together in the centre of your disc. Thus the centre of a healthy disc can contain an amazing 80% water.

Unfortunately, as we get older many of the cells die because of poor circulation, especially with increasingly more sedentary lifestyles. This also has a significant impact on our general heath, affecting other structures and vital organs due to the limited or poor quality of movement. So the key is to keep a healthy spine so you can live a better lifestyle.

When we move, our discs, which attach to the vertebrae above and below the disc, transmit great pressures – distorting the disc and pushing the water-like fluid around. If you imagine a man in the centre of the disc pushing up and down, while trying to push the sides out with his arms, this gives you an idea of the changing pressures in our discs as we move.

The outer surfaces of a disc (annulus) is made of 10-20 layers of belt-like strong collagen material like our car tyre. Each layer runs in different directions to give it strength to cope with the forces acting on it. Due to the immense pressures running through these structures, some become damaged and gradually the water-like solution in the centre of the disc can slowly push out, causing a bulging, prolapsed or slipped disc.

This then can compress the nerves as they exit the spine and since they are like the superhighway sending out commands and information from the brain, very often we can experience acute pain along the pathway of the nerve, sometimes commonly known as sciatica.

The inside of the disc relies on a blood supply from the vertebrae above and below, and it is our normal everyday movement that keeps this supply replenished. By compressing and distracting our spine as we move around, nutrients are drawn in and out of the centre of the disc. Poor posture, lack of activity and degeneration can limit this supply.

Spinal decompression can improve rehydration of the disc and increase blood supply improving the health of the disc, rather like using a plunger on a sink when it gets blocked. These pathways of nutrition and circulation are stimulated and restored.

WHAT IS SPINAL DECOMPRESSION? Intervertebral Differential Dynamics (IDD) was developed in America to offer a precise and conservative approach to the treatment of low back and neck pain.

It is suitable for patients suffering from unresolved back pain, neck, leg (sciatica) or arm pain caused by impingement of a nerve. Most commonly, patients with bulging or herniated discs (slipped disc), degenerative disc disease (wear and tear, arthritis or narrowing of the disc) and chronic stiffness.

How does it work?

IDD is a non-invasive computer controlled distraction force at precisely measured angles designed to target the disc causing

the problem. Patients remain fully clothed and often go to sleep.

This produces negative pressures in the disc, improving the absorption of fluids and nutrients into the disc space, helping to rehydrate and nourish the disc and draw in any prolapsed or slipped protrusions. It also helps mobilise the complex surrounding muscles and ligaments which in turn help improve function.

What our patients say Lucy suffered 20 years of severe disabling back pain and was facing the prospect of spinal surgery.

She had been receiving regular manual treatments but it wasn’t managing her pain. Eventually she was referred to a spinal consultant. After an MRI scan, he suggested an operation on the bulging disc which was compressing her nerve causing all of her pain.

She said: “When the surgeon said he wanted to operate, I was devastated. I really didn’t want to have surgery at my age but it seemed like the only option at the time. I felt despondent. I was at the lowest point of my life.”

On the day of surgery, Lucy’s operation was cancelled by the hospital as the list was overbooked. Having heard of IDD she had spoken to us the week before when she was panicking about the operation.

She rang the same day she was due her operation and came for her initial assessment and treatment at Ashleigh Clinic. She had 16 treatments when the hospital contacted her and wanted her to have another MRI, unaware she was having treatment. I advised her to have the MRI so we could see the difference before and after treatment. Her symptoms where much better and she was able to do considerably more. But she wanted to see why.

MRI BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT

Lucy came back after her MRI and showed me the results. We were both over the moon with not only the way she was with her pain and ability to do things, but the results on the disc itself. She now attends three or four times a year to maintain her problem.

“IDD literally saved me,” she said.

Lucy’s story is very common and we believe we can offer a conservative and safe approach when treating back and neck pain. Your health and lifestyle depend on looking after yourself and remaining as active as possible.

“MOVEMENT IS EVERYTHING” If you want to discuss your problem contact Ashleigh Clinic on 0116 2707948. We will be happy to discuss your way forward to resolving your pain so you can again live an active and healthier life.

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ACTIVE BODY

HOW TO HAVE ACTIVE REST Lie on the floor, preferably with a mat or blanket underneath your body and a couple of paperback books under your head. The books are the right height when you feel no tension in your throat ● Bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor about shoulderwidth apart. Feel your back spreading on to the floor ● Take some time to allow yourself to ‘arrive’ and settle in this new position ● Notice how you are in contact with the floor and your head with the books; notice the main weight-transmitting areas – the back of your head, the two shoulder blades, the back of the hips and the feet ● The best way to stop and take charge of your mind is to notice the thoughts whirling around in your head and think ‘no’ to them; the Alexander Technique calls this ‘inhibiting’. Bring your mind back to concentrating that your neck is free, lengthening, going up and out of the shoulders and that your back is gently spreading and widening on to the floor ● Each time your mind starts to wander, gently bring your attention back to where you are, noticing what you can see, hear and feel ● Try calmly thinking these thoughts (remember they are just ideas, never actions): think of the whole of your back, starting at your tailbone and gradually working all the way up to the top of your spine, with the idea of a gentle unfurling all the way up, together with an expansion or widening of your torso. Since your hips and feet are fully supported by the ground you can imagine your knees so free that they could just float up away ● When you have managed to get yourself really still, think of something that makes you feel stressed and notice what it does to your body. Then inhibit and let your thoughts become quiet again. ● Think about the stressful thing again, but this time omit the tensions you noticed as you inhibit and you can see just how powerful your thought is. ●

GET HEALTHY – HAVE A LIE DOWN! Teachers of the Alexander Technique are urging you to take on stress by lying down this October BEING ACTIVE IS IMPORTANT for your health, but is your rest active too? The Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT) is leading a National Lie Down Day in an attempt to equip us with a technique which helps to manage stress.

During Alexander Awareness Week (October 9-15), the society and 3,000 teachers worldwide will be encouraging everyone to pick a day in which they can lie down for 10 minutes in the ‘semi-supine position’.

The position, also known as ‘active rest’, is one of the best ways to restore and reconnect the body and mind; a little like the reset button on a computer. As well as realigning the spine, it stops you feeling overwhelmed, allowing you to focus on yourself and providing vital time out to quieten the mind and process emotions.

Acknowledging and taking control of the emotions associated with stress is key to dealing with them. It is when they begin to control us that they become dangerous

and, at worst, can lead to severe physical and mental health problems.

Alexander teacher Sue Laurie said: “Lying in the semi-supine position is the best way to stop and take charge of your mind. And although you’re not actually ‘doing’ anything, this can be harder than it sounds.

“We often have the knowledge of what we should do to take care of ourselves but when you’re stressed or fraught, the thought of pausing or slowing down, let alone be seen to just lie down on the floor, isn’t instinctive!

“We want to change that and show people how taking just 10 minutes out of their day can make a huge difference. The impact that the technique has on body and mind is immediately palpable.”

During Alexander Awareness Week participating teachers are offering discounted lessons. www.alexandertechnique.co.uk

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24/08/2017 14:40

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ACTIVE BODY

THE FINISHING TOUCHES Autumn is on the way, so it’s time to pack away the summer dresses and flip flops and start thinking about your new warmer seasonal wardrobe Edited by Mary Bremner

JACKETS, JACKETS, JACKETS Autumn is upon us and sadly summer is starting to feel like a distant memory.

Hopefully we will enjoy an Indian summer and eek the warm weather out for a little longer, but all is not lost.

Autumnal mornings and evenings can be chilly, even if the days are still warm, so it’s the right time to invest in a jacket – every cloud has a silver lining!

The perfect jacket should add an air of smartness to most of your wardrobe, be it

4 2 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 17 ///

jeans and a t-shirt, or dresses and skirts.

Choose wisely and your jacket can be worn on many different occasions – from the formal to casual – so it might be worth investing slightly more if you are going to get lots of wear out of it.

It’s interesting how shrugging a jacket on over even the most casual outfit can lift it to a different place.

What style do you choose? There are a myriad to choose from – the classic tweed

or checked never goes out of fashion and, because they are multi-coloured, are very easy to co-ordinate. Utility jackets are very popular, particularly in khaki, and beaded or decorated is even better. And if you can get hold of a coloured, cropped suede jacket you will be on to a winner.

Make sure that any jacket you choose is loose enough to be able to fit a few layers under it, that way you can wear it well into the winter and make it money well spent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She finished with the front of my legs and feet, which I could have had massaged all day. I don’t think I’ve ever had my hands massaged and I can’t understand why not.

They are the part of your body that probably work the hardest and need the most care. It’s also strangely intimate having your hands held.

At the end I did feel I had completely relaxed. Emma’s room is a haven, I felt safe and secure and let her work her soothing hands on my aching limbs. She found the knots in my neck and eased them. I certainly felt reinvigorated when I left and will be back for more. www.emmalannigan.com

And finally...

Autumn jackets

Jemma jacket in willow green £295 www.butlerstewart.co.uk

Utility jacket £48 www.next.co.uk

Back, neck and shoulders (30 mins, £25.

Extra 10 mins for arms & hands, £30).

Holistic full body massage can include scalp, face, and feet (60 mins, £38/75 mins, £45/ 90 mins, £53) Reiki (60 mins, £35) 1:1 Coaching from £45 per hour Packages available for regular clients committing to self care.

Leather effect frilled cropped jacket £19.99 www.zara.com

Whistles Turner suede jacket £225 www.very.co.uk

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ACTIVE LOCAL WALK PART OF THE JURASSIC WAY AT SIBBERTOFT, THE CRICKET SEASON REACHES ITS FINALE, AND HOW WILL TIGERS AND CITY FARE THIS YEAR?

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ACTIVE LOCAL

A day in the life of

EMMA CLARK

CLIENT CARE CO-ORDINATOR AT HOME INSTEAD

M

y role is client care co-ordinator but I also spend a lot of time in the field providing care to clients. Care giving is different to being a care assistant as we feel the role is about looking at the whole person, not just a series of tasks like getting up, having a wash, getting dressed, eating lunch, and so on.

Older people are often quite lonely. Hospitals are great at patching people up but it’s a completely different ball game when you get home.

Care givers need a good heart and the right approach. We want to spend enough time with our clients and it’s really important to have a good relationship with them. We always arrive when we say we will. We chat, we cook, we take people to church or go shopping, anything they want to do. The key thing is to match the care giver with the client.

It’s not difficult to find nice people. They don’t need a medical background, they just need to be caring. Our aim is to look after people as if we were their daughter or a kind neighbour, with added training. If there’s a medical issue we raise concerns with the GP, district nurse, physiotherapist or occupational therapist. It may be a case of introducing simple modifications to make things safer like having a kettle tipper or changing the level of the steps inside, or introducing better lighting.

Common sense care We visit for a minimum of an hour so we’re not rushed and we look for people with common sense. If they have five minutes while the kettle is boiling we’d want them to empty the bins or wipe out the cutlery drawer.

They may need to change the bed sheets or clear old food out of the fridge.

We have around 90 care givers and it’s a growing service. We don’t just cater for the elderly; we care for people who have fallen off motorbikes, who have had a hysterectomy and need help for a few weeks, and people who have had a hip or knee replacement.

If someone loves cats we’ll make sure we send a care giver who is also happy to tickle and feed cats. Families want people they can trust, with full references and who are police checked. We often foresee changes that may be needed well ahead of time and then suggest options to the family. If we can’t do something, we’re honest about it. We don’t like to, but occasionally we have to turn people away if they need nursing care. We provide health and social care and may not always be able to support them in exactly the way they need.

No two days are the same. As a care giver I still have regular clients every week and it’s one of the favourite parts of my job. A lot of clients have one hour’s care several times a day, others will ask for a couple of hours to go shopping or for a coffee. Clients may need a lot of physical care which may involve two people to help to make them comfortable in bed. Or it could be just me giving full personal care, housekeeping support, cooking or companionship. I take one lady’s dog for a walk.

It can be hard work looking after people and I started when I was only 17. I was thrown in at the deep end at another care company, but now I wouldn’t do anything else. I love it. It’s an honour to look after people at the end of their lives and they have amazing stories to tell.

As care co-ordinator I do a bit of everything from client care consultations to signing up new clients, writing up care plans and service reviews, induction training for new care givers, spot checks and supervisions. I even provide support at events like the golden oldies class at dog shows!

I usually work Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm but I also cover evenings and alternate weekends. It may be the clients who phone to

4 6 SE P T E M BE R 2017 ///

“It’s an honour to look after people at the end of their lives” enquire about care for themselves, or for their spouse, but often it can be their children or grandchildren who phone us to say their relative isn’t coping and would benefit from extra help. We also look after people who come to stay with relatives from out of the area. We mainly cover the outskirts of Leicester, Market Harborough, Corby and Rutland.

This job is priceless. You can come out of a call and be grinning like a Cheshire cat and the neighbours must think you’re nuts. Care at home will never go out of fashion as people will always want to stay at home if they can.

Home Instead Senior Care, 01572 898147

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ACTIVE LOCAL

ICE AND HEIGHT Maju Giga tells us about the Ice Warrior project – an 80-day trek through the Arctic Maju Giga is a very busy lady. As well as planning to climb Mount Everest, taking in nine different peaks on the way, starting with Mount Kilimanjaro this month, she is also going to be an Ice Warrior, and explains what this is, as well as filling us in on her training...

The Ice Warrior project is a challenge of a lifetime. I will be part of a team to achieve a world first in polar exploration, in what is being dubbed, ‘the biggest, boldest, bravest and most important expedition of our time’. I am the only team member from the Midlands.

For me joining this expedition is my chance to help the planet and the world I live in, the world I will leave behind for my children and others. In the last few years I have re-evaluated what I have achieved in my life and what I still want to do. I feel very passionately about leaving a legacy for my children, a greater awareness of the planet, and to show that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things. Adventures are not just for the few.

Every day is an adventure, and the last few

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months have been lots of little adventures for me.

The Ice Warrior project is an 80-day trek to the centre of the Arctic Ocean, to a place called The Last Pole. It is one of the last significant places on Earth that is yet to be reached by humans.

The expedition will be split into four legs, each one being 20 days. I have to raise funds to take part and am looking for local businesses to sponsor me (if anyone would like to do so, or would like more details, email majugiga@icloud.com).

You cannot buy your way on to this expedition because the leader, the great British explorer Jim McNeil, wants it to be accessible to everybody and not just those who can fund their place. There will be huge media interest as the expedition is an important one for citizen science. On the 80-day journey, we explorers will be collecting ice samples that will be sent back to our base camp for scientists to analyse to help understand what the ice caps are doing and to forecast rising sea levels. There is great support for this expedition, which is backed by

Sir Chris Bonington, Lord Robert Winston and Sir Ranulph Fiennes amongst others.

Over the summer I have climbed Ben Nevis and Snowdon three times! A very special summit was when I took my nine-year old daughter Ananya and my 13-year old nephew Karan and nieces Priya (11), Jessi (9) and Mira (17). It was a pleasure to guide these youngsters on the hike and to see their faces when they completed the climb. They are all now joining me for Sunday morning treks around Bradgate Park and are keen to know when I will take them up their next mountain.

The last couple of months of training have been mentally challenging. I have changed my focus and am working on my mental strength, believing that I can push past my comfort zone.

I am gearing up for Kilimanjaro in September, hopefully via the Rongai route.

I thought that because I had a private trainer I would be fine, but this actually made me complacent as I thought that turning up for a session, regardless of the effort I put in, was

NICOLAS MILLET PHOTOGRAPHY

CHARLIE’S UP IN THE CLOUDS Hill climber Charle Martin tells us about her trips to Pikes Peak in the US and Goodwood, as well as seat time in a racing simulator

enough to get the results I need. I have realised that to build my mental strength I need to motivate myself – myself.

I had a tough four weeks where I did nothing but this has helped as I have come back stronger and even more determined. I’m now back on track with four days training and three rest days.

I have learnt that rest days are important. I did a 10k Wolf run on a Saturday, followed by Snowdon on the Sunday, and two hardcore PT sessions in the week, and then the Three Peaks challenge that weekend. I totally burned myself out and realised that mentally I was not strong enough as the last days doing the Three Peaks were tough. I have learnt that I did too much, too soon, and that rest days are important.

The last couple of months have been busy, but good in terms of adventures. Plenty of hiking, a radio interview, a family trip to India and a new strategy for training, focused on pushing me to my limits.

Roll on my first mountain!

Last month I was at Pikes Peak International Hillclimb in the US, stood at 11,500ft looking at what has to be one of the most spectacular views of any race track in the world.

The air was pretty thin and I felt a little dizzy every time I stood up, but looking down on the clouds as helicopters zipped around below me was an incredible experience. Being there as a driver without a ride was a little frustrating. I drove it a few times in a hire car – which was something – and I’m now even more determined to secure a drive at this giant of a hillclimb. Hopefully I made a few good contacts with teams while I was there, so watch this space for 2018 and keep everything crossed for me!

Then I hopped on a plane from Colorado to head to Goodwood. I visited the Festival of Speed down in Chichester for a slightly shorter hillclimb (about 12 miles less) at sea level. Goodwood is the best place to see some of the greatest road and racing cars of all time, all in one place. Not only that, you can wander among them and see and hear them being driven up the narrow strip of Tarmac leading to

Lord March’s home. I made a point to visit NGK Spark Plugs to try driving the hill on their ‘Storm the Hill’ simulator. I posted a 53-second run in a Ferrari 458 – only six seconds behind the real life record in a McLaren, so not bad for a first time drive!

A few days later I was at Richardson Racing sat in the hot seat of their simulator ahead of test day. But this time I was taking a much more serious approach to what is a pro level set up.

Time on the track is not cheap, and while it’s hard to completely replicate the feeling of G force in a real car, there is a huge amount that can be gained from experience in a modern simulator without any of the costs – and risks – of driving a real car.

After two hours of driving it’s amazing how absorbed you can become. At times you feel your brain compensating for the lack of physical movement by tricking you into feeling that you are actually sliding or pivoting the car – it’s strange but effective.

Next month I’m back to doing the real thing and can’t wait to get back in my car. www.gocharlie.co.uk

/// SE P T E M BE R 2017 4 9

ACTIVE LOCAL /// Season preview

PROUD TO SUPPORT LOCAL SPORT

LESS TURBULENCE, MORE TRIUMPH, PLEASE The two major Leicester sporting sides – City and Tigers – had dramatic and difficult seasons last year. They will both now be hoping for more consistent success, says Jeremy Beswick LEICESTER CITY

After the rollercoaster of the last two seasons – that unforgettable Premiership title followed by a relegation-threatening start to their last campaign before the back-to-basics rally under Craig Shakespeare – only a fool would try to predict how the Foxes’ season will pan out this time around. Doubtless that’s why Active thought I was just the man for the job.

One thing that’s pretty sure is that it won’t be boring, although perhaps we could do with a little less excitement and rather more points than the opening 4-3 defeat at Arsenal yielded.

Leicester were, however, winning the match with seven minutes to go and looked to be back to their counter-attacking best at times.

Although hanging on to Vardy and Mahrez, particularly if the latter stops sulking, will be key to their prospects, the most obvious changes to assess are the players the club have brought in – five of them at a total of over £60m. Not in the same league of profligacy as the Manchester clubs but a substantial investment nevertheless.

The most expensive at £25m is 20-year-old Nigerian international forward Kelechi Iheanacho from Manchester City. Given the strength of their squad his opportunities there were limited but, when he did play, he impressed – notably in the FA Cup against Aston Villa when he scored a hat-trick and laid on a fourth goal for Raheem Stirling. Certainly it seems he still has his admirers at the Etihad as City have insisted on a £50m buy-back clause in the contract.

Coming on as a late substitute against Arsenal he showed some neat touches but his presence in the hole seemed to confuse the team’s attacking intent. More work is going to be needed on the training ground to dovetail him into the side, however Shakespeare said: “We’ve tracked his progress for some time, so we know how much quality he’ll bring to the squad. He’s young, he’s hungry, he’s ready.”

Once he settles I wouldn’t bet against him

rivalling Vardy for highest goalscorer and, if I’m right, that will be some impact.

Centre half Harry Maguire comes from Hull City at a cost of £17m. The 24-year-old will strengthen what was a problematic position last year, particularly when Robert Huth and Wes Morgan were injured. Although uncapped by England he has many admirers and Leicester had to compete vigorously to land him. The player himself said: “There were a number of clubs interested.... you can see that with the structure of the club it’s going to look upwards rather than down so that was a big reason why, as soon as I knew there was an interest, I wanted to jump at the opportunity.”

Vicente Iborra arrives from Sevilla for £12.5m.

An experienced defensive midfielder, Iborra may well have been bought as insurance against Danny Drinkwater moving to Chelsea, a rumour that now seems to have subsided.

However, I wouldn’t put it past Shakespeare to surprise me and use him as an occasional target man, his impressive physique and height

causing havoc for others to pick up the scraps.

Having played against him twice in the Champions League, they know what they are getting for their money.

Bosnian goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic, also from Hull, and George Thomas from Coventry complete the signings. Jakupovic, at 32, is clearly coming as understudy to Kasper Schmeichel whilst Leicester- born Thomas is a 20-year-old striker with a Vardyesque work ethic who’s played for Wales at all age groups apart from the full national side.

The signings overall look well-judged and the Foxes will be a better side for them. If all the other teams had stood still I could see them making the top four at a pinch. However, nearly all the others have strengthened too and in all honesty I can’t believe that any of the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, or even a Wembley-stricken Spurs, will finish the season below them. Top ten certainly – but wouldn’t it be just like Leicester to surprise us once more?

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ACTIVE LOCAL /// Season preview

LEICESTER TIGERS

Leicester Tigers have made some exciting signings in close season that bode well for their Premiership chances – and those players returning from injury represent equally good news. Apart from George Ford, relatively old news as it was announced last season, the headline recruitment is England’s Jonny May. This is a key move for May at the age of 27 and he seems to know it, saying: “I’ve scored some good tries for England, I’ve done some good things with Gloucester but I know there’s more in me and I want to take my game to the next level. I’m at the top of my game and I’m not going to have much longer – four more years realistically – and I want to challenge myself.”

That’s important to Tigers’ prospects for the coming season because although May’s talent has never been in doubt – coach Matt O’Connor saying Jonny is an out-and-out finisher with an outstanding try-scoring record – his maturity has been an issue to some, including Eddie Jones. If he’s over that, as Jones evidently believes he is by picking him for England again, then we can expect great things from him at Welford Road this season.

George Ford’s competitive debut may well be in concert with the returning Manu Tuilagi and Matt Toomua, both of whom are in contention for the opening Premiership game against Bath

PROUD TO SUPPORT LOCAL SPORT

after long lay-offs. What a midfield that will be if it clicks – a trio good enough to walk into any international side and one I wouldn’t swap for any other in the premiership. With Logovi’i Mulipola and Tom Brady back fit too, the squad had a solid feel to it that fills me with confidence.

Many fans will be disappointed that JP Pietersen has left for Toulon but will also probably acknowledge that he never quite hit the heights for Leicester, possibly missing a yard of pace from his best days, so won’t see that as too much of a negative.

Other close season arrivals are George Ford’s brother Joe from Yorkshire Carnegie, flanker Dominic Ryan whom Matt O’Connor knows well from his Leinster days, American prop Chris Baumann, Gareth Owen from Scarlets and the men who will need the biggest jerseys on the pitch, if not for their physiques then to fit their names on the back, Valentino Mapapalungi and May’s ex-Gloucester team-mate and Tonga back row Sione Kalamafoni, who will be required to do the heavy lifting from 8 that was patently missing last season.

So what we can expect from this squad? I certainly expect us to reach the semi-finals, after all we always do and, further, if we can do it in a season as disrupted as the last one than we should walk it this time.

The key question is do we do enough to earn a home semi-final? I’d always back us to win a home one and after that, well, all bets are off because the final itself is a one-off.

For me, the player most likely to make that tiny difference is Manu Tuilagi. Manu had an operation in January and according to O’Connor is in good shape physically – “injury-wise he is flying,” he said – but I can remember similar things being said at the start of the last two seasons only for a groin and a hamstring, and then a freak knee injury which called a premature end to the season for him.

For the man as much as the team I hope his two years of what O’Connor called “mental torture” are at an end. Key will be getting a run of games to get battle hardened, but that’s been Manu’s problem: he came back super-fit last year but his presence and profile means he attracts a lot of attention from the opposition (his last injury was due to being hit by three defenders coming from three directions, all at the same time), making it hard to progressively work back to his best over a period of games. As with everything with Manu, it’s all or nothing.

The bookies make the Tigers the outsiders of the big four – Saracens are at 5/4, Wasps 11/4, Exeter 9/2 and it’s a whopping 14/1 for the Tigers. If Manu can keep fit that’s worth a fiver of anyone’s money.

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ACTIVE LOCAL Ride-out

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54-55 SL Cycle route OK.indd 54

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15. Take the right turn to Marefield, on to a gated road. Just after the cattle grid, take the left fork to Marefield and keep following signs to Marefield.

16. Ride through Marefield, then take the right turn, signposted Halstead.

17. At the t-junction, turn left to Owston and Oakham.

18. Take the next right turn, signposted Launde (and Sustrans Routes 63 and 64).

19. At the crossroads, take the left turn to Launde.

Launde to Eyebrook Reservoir 20. With Launde Abbey straight ahead of you, take the right turn towards Loddington, then turn left to Belton.

21. Ride through Belton, following signs for Allexton.

22. Cross the A47 to join the minor road to Allexton, then take the left turn, signposted Stockerston. You’ll pass Sweethedges tea rooms on your left – a welcoming pit stop after those challenging climbs, with good old-fashioned fare and homemade cakes!

23. At the first t-junction, turn left to Stockerston, then at the second t-junction, turn right to Stockerston. Enter Stockerston on the B664.

ON YOUR BIKE Rutland Cycling’s Sally Middlemiss suggests another great local route to get you out in the saddle This is a challenging road route and not for the faint hearted! It’s one of my favourite training rides and incorporates some steep hill sections, particularly around Launde. However, the hard work put in on the climbs is rewarded with some beautiful panoramic views and long, sweeping descents. You’ll want to make sure you are well prepared, with plenty of drink and energy snacks to keep you going.

Gaddesby to Launde 11. Enter Gaddesby and turn left at the t-junction, heading for the village centre.

12. At the t-junction with the Cheney Arms pub on your right, take the left turn to Ashby Folville.

13. Ride through Ashby Folville, following signs for Twyford.

14. Turn right at the t-junction, then first left, to John O’Gaunt and Burrough.

THE ROUTE

Oakham to Gaddesby 1. Head out of Oakham on Cold Overton Road, following signs to Knossington.

2. Take the right turn to Cold Overton.

3. At the t-junction, turn left, passing Gates’ Garden Centre on your left.

4. Keep going straight through Cold Overton and Somerby villages, following the signs for Somerby and then Pickwell.

5. Pass through Pickwell, then shortly after leaving the village, take the left turn to Little Dalby. Keep following signs to Little Dalby.

6. Take the left turn, signposted Little Dalby and Great Dalby, to briefly join Gartree Trail (Sustrans Route 64).

7. In Little Dalby, turn left and head towards the village centre, following signs to Burrough.

8. At the t-junction with the B6047, turn right towards Melton Mowbray, then first left, signposted Kirby Bellars. Look out for the interesting yellow thatched cottage, up on your left soon after the left turn.

9. Take the first left turn on to Station Road, signposted Ashby Folville.

10. At the crossroads, turn right to Gaddesby, then at the t-junction, turn left to Gaddesby.

GREAT DALBY

TWYFORD

COLD OVERTON

Eyebrook Reservoir to Oakham 24. On the bend, take the left turn to Stoke Dry, then take the next left to Stoke Dry, passing Eyebrook Reservoir. Ride through Stoke Dry. 25. Cross the A6003 and enjoy the long descent into Lyddington.

26. At the junction, turn left to Uppingham.

27. Keep straight on, ignoring a right turn to Bisbrooke, then turn right to join the A6003. Stay on this road through Uppingham, then cross the busy roundabout with the A47, to join the minor road to Ayston.

28. Ride through Ayston. At the t-junction, turn left to Ridlington and Brooke, then keep following signs to Brooke. Pass through Brooke and drop down into Oakham to complete your ride.

Chapeau!

START/ OAKHAM

UPPINGHAM

LODDINGTON

LYDDINGTON

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23/08/2017 19:15

ACTIVE LOCAL Great walks

SIBBERTOFT Take the Jurassic Way near the source of the River Welland through a mixture of hills, woodland and mixed farmland. By Will Hetherington Photography: Will Hetherington

Difficulty rating (out of five)

THE ROUTE

I parked on the grass verge opposite the church in Sibbertoft but you can park further back in the village if you wish.

Walk north out of the village on Church Street and 100 yards after the church you will find the footpath in the hedge on the right. Follow the path through a small patch of woodland and you will soon be in open sheep pastures. Follow the path north-east through three fields full of sheep and then you will come to a large arable field with a clear path running diagonally north-east towards the woodland and the Hothorpe Hills.

When you get to the woods follow the path gradually downhill until you come out into the open again. Keep heading east over another couple of fields and you will then cross the very

5 6 SE P T E M BE R 2 0 17 ///

minor road marked as Dick’s Hill on the OS map.

There is a stream here and I branched left immediately away from the Jurassic Way to follow the stream and the not very well marked footpath north towards Rectory Farm.

As long as you keep the stream on your immediate left you will eventually reach the farm, which is also now a small business park.

When you reach the farm there is a path that cuts

back heading south-east to the Jurassic Way but there are no footpath markers so you have to do a little bit of scouting around to find it. This path then runs across three arable fields before rejoining the Jurassic Way as it cuts across the side of the hills. When you get back to the Jurassic Way turn right and head south-west through a couple more field until you reach Dick’s Hill again and then retrace your steps to Sibbertoft.

Clockwise, from le

The view from Rectory Farm back towards the hills; this scene couldn’t be more English, but mind the sheep; St. Helen’s Church in Sibberto ; there’s a pleasant stretch through the woodlands of the Hothorpe Hills at the beginning and end of this walk

TOP STAT

m Sibberto The footpath fro Jurassic Way, the of forms part 88-mile the er a named estone ridge Jurassic era lim m Banbury which runs fro to in Oxfordshire Stamford.

➛

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

➛

➛

DISTANCE AND TIME Four and a quarter miles, one and a half hours.

➛

➛

➛ START

➛

WHERE TO PARK On the verge opposite St. Helen’s Church in Sibbertoft, or anywhere else further back in the village.

HIGHLIGHTS Surprisingly well established woodland, the Jurassic Way and the Hothorpe Hills.

LOWLIGHTS The footpaths around Rectory Farm are not very well marked and there is a shortage of fresh water.

REFRESHMENTS The Red Lion in Sibbertoft.

DIFFICULTY RATING Three paws; there’s a few contours but it’s not too demanding.

THE POOCH PERSPECTIVE There are a lot of sheep in the first and last fields of this walk and some farily officious RSPB signs threatening prosecution to anyone who doesn’t have their dog on a lead around Rectory Farm.

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

©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2017 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 044/17

/// SE P T E M BE R 2017 5 7

PERSONAL TRAINING TASTER DAY WHERE WE FOCUS ON YOU...

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58.indd 1

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ACTIVE LOCAL Sportsman's dinner

The Oat Hill, Market Harborough Tim, Kate and the Fikry family enjoy theatre in the garden in this hidden corner of town. By Kate Maxim I ate Sunday lunch in the restaurant at the Oat Hill several years ago but barely glanced out of the windows into the garden that day, as I was so preoccupied with ordering for my three children then making sure they were behaving.

And it was in the winter, so most plants were dormant. What a difference a season makes.

As we meandered down to the bottom of the garden to take our seats in the marquee to watch the play, I couldn’t believe what we’ve been missing out on.

For a start, the garden is large, stretching back towards the River Welland with mature trees and beautiful planting either in pots or curvaceous flower beds. There’s a large seating area which is covered in inclement weather and a new outside bar. But it’s not just the sense of space that’s so attractive, it’s the feeling of being in a little oasis of calm within the town. It would be perfect for a wedding, which is lucky as the owners hold a licence so weddings can be held either in the dining room or marquee.

There’s a varied programme of events throughout the year, with live music, garden parties and also outside theatre. We had come to see Two, written by Jim Cartwright and produced by e.g. Productions. It’s a perfect night – watching a play while eating a three-course meal. Actually you don’t eat at the same time as watching the play – it would be

fairly off-putting for the actors, watching nearly 50 people gorge themselves while trying to portray the poignant dark humour of a divided couple running a pub, plus 12 other characters.

The costume changes were slick, many of the lines were full of the most amazing imagery and the interaction with the audience was great fun. Altogether, a very clever production.

The service was also extremely slick: it’s no easy task to serve 50 people with a three-course meal before the play and during the interval from the kitchens at the other end of the garden, but the staff managed superbly. We had pre-ordered, which helped, and we chose from a fairly limited menu but there was definitely something for everyone.

Most people had come in small groups so we were seated with other guests on tables of eight.

That’s perhaps not to everyone’s liking but I love meeting new people and we were paired with the Fikry family – parents Kim and Jill, sons Alex and Charlie and their partners Amy and Sian were delightful companions and it was their first time enjoying theatre in the garden too.

Most of us had chosen either the Brixworth pâté or the whitebait. My pâté was tasty, rich and very meaty and an extremely hefty portion to boot. The verdict on the whitebait was positive: Tim liked the fact it wasn’t over salty

and Kim enjoyed it not being over-fried and the lemon, caper and dill aioli was the perfect complement to the fish.

The main course also arrived before the play began. I had the fillet of seabass with pesto and a Devon crab toastie which was delicious (and something I’d not tried before). The potatoes were dripping in butter – very naughty, but again, delicious. Tim had gone for the calves liver which was beautifully tender in an onion and thyme gravy and the Fikrys all ordered the belly of pork in a cider gravy. Again they gave it a very positive verdict.

Pudding arrived during the interval, which cheered us up a little as life for the publicans was taking a turn for the worse! The Belgian chocolate brownie won first prize – it was so rich and, well, chocolatey. The summer berry pavlova was also a hit and the cheese board was quickly demolished too.

At £40 per head for dinner and a theatre ticket I’d call that extremely good value and a great evening’s entertainment. I will definitely be visiting the Oat Hill again.

The Oat Hill

31 Kettering Road, Market Harborough, LE16 8AN, 01858 462324. www.theoathill.co.uk

/// S E P T E M B E R 2 0 17

59 SL restaurant OK.indd 57

59

23/08/2017 13:57

AVATAR DINING Real Indian & Nepalese Cuisine - Served with Style & Panache Market Harborough

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avatar.indd 1

24/08/2017 17:41

ACTIVE LOCAL /// News

WANT TO BE A MORRIS DANCER? A group of Morris dancers is on the lookout for new members.

Braybrooke Morris Dancers are based in Braybrooke village in north Northamptonshire, about two miles from the Leicestershire border and four miles from Market Harborough.

The group started in 1988 when the town band from Vollinghausen in Germany performed at Braybrooke’s village fete, with an invitation to join them in Germany the following year. The invitation was accepted and it was decided that Braybrooke should put on some sort of performance to entertain their hosts and chose Morris dancing. The ‘side’ has

been together ever since and is now looking to recruit three or four new members.

Morris dancer Bill Hewitt explains: “Throughout the summer we dance outside a different pub every Thursday from April 23 (St George’s Day) until the end of August.

September we rest, then it’s weekly practice every Thursday in Braybrooke Village Hall.

There are odd opportunities to dance in the winter such as Hallowe’en, late night shopping in Market Harborough, supporting Macmillan collection days and Wassailing the apple trees in January.

“As time passes on and the average age of

the side increases we don’t jump as high as we used to and we’re a bit slower than we used to be but most importantly we have fun and enjoy ourselves. It gets you out and is an opportunity to meet new people and being a Morris dancer is also a great way to embarrass your children!

“At the moment we are short of dancers and would love to be able to recruit another three or four to bolster our numbers and ensure that this lovely English tradition of Morris dancing, which was first documented in the mid-15th Century, continues.” www.braybrookemorris2014.weebly.com or email braybrookemorris@gmail.com

DEFIB TRAINING FOR ROTHLEY A local cricket club has taken part in CPR and defibrillator training to make sure its members know what it means to be heart safe.

Rothley Park Cricket Club, one of the leading advocates of the Leicestershire Heart Awareness in Cricket programme, invited specialist volunteers from local charity the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT) to come and deliver the training to players and club staff.

Heart Awareness in Cricket is a collaboration between Leicestershire County Cricket Club, JHMT and Heartwize, and aims to provide all Leicestershire Everards Premier League clubs with dedicated support, advice and guidance so that they can access funding to secure a defibrillator, external cabinet and training to help prevent sudden heart deaths.

Those learning the vital life-saving skills included former England, Leicestershire and Lancashire county cricketer Philip DeFreitas (pictured centre), who is head coach for the Rothley club.

/// S E P T E M B E R 2 0 17 61

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24/08/2017 16:21

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Market Place SL Template JUN17.indd 116

22/06/2017 17:44

ACTIVE LOCAL /// Schools

GRANT FOR SPORTS STARS Two young people from Leicestershire who are competing at this year’s Special Olympics GB National Games have been awarded grants from a local charity.

Swimmer Laura Sharp, from Sileby, and tennis player Matthew Chilvers, from Broughton Astley, were among around 2,600 athletes heading for Sheffield in August for people with an intellectual (learning) disability. And local charity the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT) has stepped in to help them get to the Games.

The JHMT runs the Inspire Awards, a grants scheme that helps inspiring young people fulfill their ambitions by giving them cash grants. The JHMT set up the scheme in memory of Joe Humphries, 14, who sadly died of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) while out jogging near his Rothley home.

Nineteen-year-old Laura has competed previously in two Special Olympics Summer Games as a gymnast, including at the games in Leicester 2009. The time round, Laura – who has a learning disability and autism – will be competing as a swimmer.

Matthew Chilvers, 21, has been preparing for the Special Olympics GB National Games by competing in regional tennis tournaments across the country. He trains in a group with the men’s team at Desford and with the East Midlands Special Olympics Squad in Nottingham.

His £200 Inspire Award helped him travel to compete, and to have extra one-to-one coaching.

OAKHAM SAILORS TAKE BRONZE AT U14 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Two sailors from Oakham School have won a bronze medal in the RS Feva Junior (U14) sailing world championships at Medemblik in the Netherlands.

Spike Marlow and James Mansfield (both aged 13) competed against 352 sailors from across the world and dealt with up to force 6 winds and challenging sea conditions over five days of racing to win an impressive and much-coveted third place in the Junior class.

Their win was even more impressive given it

was their first time sailing in this competition and visiting Medemblik. They also placed 23rd in the Bronze Fleet of the regatta, which included adults.

“The boys sailed together brilliantly and I am absolutely thrilled with the result,” said Oakham School’s director of sailing, Nick Neve. “We have had a fantastic week of great sailing and I am incredibly proud of all the Oakhamians who competed. It was a good experience for everyone and I am delighted with their performance and teamwork.”

SPORT AT SPRATTON Girls’ sport at Spratton Hall is changing shape, from a rounders’ bat held with one hand to a cricket bat held with two hands.

With women’s cricket having taken off following England’s win in the Women’s World Cup and the first ever women’s day/night Test match between England and Australia as part of this year’s Ashes series, it is an extremely exciting time for women’s cricket, and for the girls at Spratton Hall to move to cricket.

Children at Spratton play team sports from Year 2 through to Year 8 and all pupils will learn cricket in the summer term from next summer.

This season Spratton Hall has more than doubled the number of cricket nets and next season there will be new cricket pitches, giving a total of 10 outdoor nets (grass and all-weather) and nine cricket pitches Spratton Hall also hosted international hockey player Sam Quek MBE who presented the end of year prizes to the prep school and Year 8 leavers.

Sam plays for England and Great Britain and she gave the pupils and parents a glimpse into her journey through an inspirational talk.

Le

Oakham sailors Spike Marlow and James Mansfield with their bronze medals

/// S E P T E M B E R 2 0 17 6 3

63 SL schools OK.indd 27

25/08/2017 13:46

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

Cricket

Last ball drama in clash of table toppers

BY JEREMY BESWICK

N

o doubt about the highlight of this month’s cricket scene in South Leicestershire as tabletopping Sileby travelled to take on the title holders and secondplaced Kibworth in the Premier League.

Sileby had set the match up nicely the weekend before with a victory against fellow-contenders Kegworth and not only did it look to be a match that could decide the title, it turned out to be a magnificent spectacle as well.

The home side won the toss and put Sileby in to bat, who made a decent start to their innings – Luke Gale with a 50 before he was out LBW to Charlie Paige-Norris to make it 82-2 after 18 overs.

Two run-outs in quick succession then looked to have put Kibworth on top but captain Jigar Naik (playing against his former side) and Mitchell Buck put together a stand of almost 150 in what the club called ‘a major repair job’ and the innings eventually ended at a competitive 251 for five.

Kibworth’s reply also began well, skipper Sunil Patel and Matt Craven putting on 50 for the first wicket off the first 10 overs, but Neil Pullen was brought into the attack and, crucially, took both Patel’s wicket and that of his replacement, Josh Peel.

Craven, ably supported by PJ van Biljon, was to go on to make 32 before he fell to skipper Naik.

Kibworth fought back with a stand of 110, Hamish Merriman now at the other end but just as things looked they were moving

Kibworth’s way Naik returned to the attack and had van Biljon stumped by Buck for 84 and then trapped Paige-Norris LBW. Nevertheless, with less than 30 runs needed with four overs and five wickets remaining, the bookies would still have made the home team favourites, so Naik turned once again to Pullen – who did not let his captain down.

David Whitmore was his first victim for six and, after Kinch had had Richard Jackson caught behind, bagged Merriman (65) in the penultimate over.

So, the final six balls saw Kibworth needing 12 runs to win, but tight bowling from Kinch limited the scoring so that eight was required off the final two deliveries.

A winning draw would have seen the points quite evenly distributed between the two sides, so what happened next was pivotal to the season.

First a catch at cover and then a third stumping by Buck meant that Kibworth’s last five wickets had fallen for just 19 runs and saw 30 points go to Sileby for an outright win off the last ball of the match.

Kibworth had acknowledged this to be a ‘must win’ fixture and their defeat stretched the gap at the top of the table to 62 points after 14 games and, at time of writing it still remains at 68 after 17 – surely too much for Sileby to be caught. Kibworth’s cause was later helped, however, by a most unexpected development.

Lutterworth have been docked 73 points in a row over a disputed player eligibility transgression.

The player had taken part in their earlier match against Kibworth which was originally washed out with only seven points going Kibworth’s way, but they have now been awarded the maximum 30.

Perhaps more importantly, the points deduction puts Lutterworth in severe relegation difficulty – in fact it seems most unlikely they will survive. A harsh penalty indeed.

They must feel the gods are against them as they very nearly clawed some back with a maximum against Market Harborough, but were unable to pick up the all-important last wicket despite having three overs to do so, as Harborough’s skipper Joe Gordon and Laurence Perry survived for an unlikely draw.

Harborough are having a much happier season all round after last year’s flirtation with relegation.

Indeed, they sit in a very creditable fourth position. They moved up to this slot with a home win against Barkby, notable for an almighty collapse from the visitors who, chasing 204, went from 54-1 to 77 all out – Don Butchart with 15-4 and Rob Taylor with 17-4 doing most of the damage.

The following weekend they won away at Leicester Ivanhoe.

Ivanhoe reached 199 in their rain-affected 28 overs, Gordon with three wickets and Taylor with two for only 18 off five overs.

After a solid start from openers Joe Kendall and Max Collins, Taylor also starred with the bat, his 78 not out from 57 balls including four sixes.

6 4 SE P T E M BE R 2017 ///

64-65 SL cricket OK.indd 60

24/08/2017 13:24

Grace Notes

PICTURE: CHADWICKS

Leicestershire’s academy is churning out talent. Jeremy Beswick talks to one of this year’s alumni

Above

Leicestershire academy player Will Fazakerley has gained first team experience

The strength of a county’s academy is a good predictor of its future and the Foxes’ set-up is gaining a reputation as it continues to deliver a steady stream of talent to the first team.

In the past few years England players such as Stuart Broad, Luke Wright, James Taylor and Harry Gurney got their first chance here and the impressive current cohort includes Zak Chappell, Rob Sayer, Aadil Ali, Lewis Hill, Jigar Naik, Tom Wells, James Sykes and Ollie Freckingham.

Another, who signed his first professional contract this year and made his debut against Sussex in July, is all-rounder Will Fazakerley. I caught up with him the day before a second XI match and a week or so before he was due to represent his native Guernsey in the World Cricket League Group 5.

How did a lad from the Channel Islands end up at Leicestershire I asked? “I was on Sussex’s books early on but Leicestershire scouted me and made me an offer,” he said. “It just seemed all round to be a better opportunity with more going on here.”

Will had been no mean footballer and hockey player as well. “Obviously the time came when I had to choose and I felt I had the best chance to make it at the very highest level in cricket,” he said.

What was it like making his first team debut?

“It being at Sussex I knew a lot of their younger players really well so that was a bit strange,” he reckoned.

“Also my family were all there with some friends clustered together in a corner of the ground and I got a bit of stick from the other players about that because they were quite, well, vocal. I was thinking ‘please just be quiet’ to be honest.”

I get the feeling that Will was just relieved to get that milestone out of the way and hadn’t really enjoyed it that much. “I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be but in the event it didn’t quite go to plan,” he remembered.

I admit I’d neglected to look up the scorecard for that day which, when I did, showed “Fazakerley – 0” in both innings. However, that’s happened to many a debutant who’s gone on to great things and “the positives are I played a first class game at the age of 18 and got a wicket. It was good experience to see how hard top tier cricket is”.

Will’s role model is Jacques Kallis. “I aspire to be like him,” he told me. Then, remembering it’s good form – particularly at his age – to show some modesty added: “I’d love to become half the player he was.”

Time will tell but this youngster strikes me as having a strength of character that will serve him well. His last words to me were: “Now I’m just determined to show that my debut was a one-off and set the record straight.”

/// SE P T E M BE R 2017

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24/08/2017 13:27

ACTIVE LOCAL Round-up

Equestrianism

A golden day for Matti

BY JULIA DUNGWORTH

I

t was a golden day for local rider Matilda Lanni (Matti) at the FEI European Championships in Samorin, Slovakia, where she was part of the team that secured gold for British Showjumping’s Team NAF Children on August 10.

Having put themselves in a strong position during the first qualifier, with three of the four Team NAF riders jumping clear to keep the team on a zero penalty score, the young Brits knew that it was all to play for.

Under the watchful eye of chef d’equipe Clare Whitaker, the horses and riders delivered clears aplenty to ensure that the team carried no penalties forward to the gold and silver medal jump-off with Belgium. Great Britain then held their nerve to deliver three jump-off clears, a tally that the Belgians could not match.

Third in was 13 year-old Matti , who so far had a brilliant championships with Newbridge’s Master Brown (Boston), an 11 year-old bay gelding owned by Stacey Webb.

Across the three rounds, this talented combination jumped clear to ensure progress forward to the individual medal competition with zero penalties.

Then to the jump-off.After two rounds of highly competitive jumping, Great Britain and Belgium were tied on a fantastic score of zero penalties, which led to a jump-off for the team gold and silver medals.

Entering the arena with great hopes, Angel Tough, Jocasta Symons and Matti Lanni all secured brilliant clears while the Belgians finished with just the one clear round and two four penalty scores for eight overall.

Such was the form of his team-mates, Oliver Fletcher was not required to jump again and the team punched the air with delight when realising that they had become European champions.

Matti, from Halefield Stud at Woodnewton, is probably better known as the daughter of top showjumper and trainer Matt Lanni. Her mother Milla also used to event very successfully at the top level, including winning the Blenheim Horse Trials.

Eighteen-year-old Richard Coney, from Honington, had another great result at the Racesafe Junior European Championships at Millstreet in Ireland over the last weekend in July. He did an impressive 40.3 dressage on his own nine-year-old horse Kananaskis followed by a foot-perfect cross-country inside the time,

then just slightly marred his score with two time penalties in the show jumping to an otherwise clear jumping round.

However, a lot of others suffered the same fate. This left him in a solid seventh place, helping the British Team to take the silver medal. Fellow team member Bubby Upton from Suffolk also took individual gold on her steed Eros DHI. Both Linda Cowd and Claire Ludekas from the Wittering Academy Riding Club qualified as individuals for the NAF British Riding Club Championships back in June at Little Downham, where their team came a very close second.

The finals were held at Swalcliffe in Oxfordshire over the second weekend in August.

Linda competed her long time partner Tommahawk in the 80 final, where she finished a very respectable 14th in a hotlycontested section which people had travelled to from as far away as Scotland and Cornwall.

Clare competed in the 90, on her horse Duke, and coincidently they also finished 14th. Both combinations were thrilled with their results and are looking forward to trying to qualify for next year.

Show your support for local sport...

Email advertise@theactivemag.com 6 6 SE P T E M BE R 2017 ///

66 SL horses.indd 61

24/08/2017 14:46

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Thursday 5th October, 5-8pm

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Beauchamp College Ridgeway, Oadby, LE2 5TP 0116 2729100 / beauchamp.org.uk 16/08/2017 14:44

Saturday 7th October 2017 9.30am-12.30pm

Northamptonshire’s leading independent day school for boys and girls aged 3-18

Open Day We invite you to experience the everyday magic of life at Wellingborough School. Meet the pupils, talk to staff and learn how your family could be a part of the Wellingborough School community.

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