Deeping ISSUE 036 / MAY 2018
I’d rather be in
INSIDE
FEATURE
Carrs
- the Butchers
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great Mills
Welcome
l-r Richard Corner, Jo Hollamby, Karen Cubitt, Luke Hipwell, Steve Allen, Christofora Kyriacou, Chloe Barratt, Caroline Starling
Recently The Deepings School held their very own version of the BAFTAs - the DAFTAs (The Deepings Assessment and Feedback Teacher Awards)! Over the past year, a big focus for the school has been the effectiveness of Assessment, and Marking. In September ‘Focussed Improvement Time (FIT) work’ was introduced - this gives time during a lesson for students to reflect on and respond to the feedback they have been given to ensure that they are continuing to make progress. Students are asked to complete the FIT work in green pen so it easily identifiable when they are revising. The School has made huge strides in this area and all staff have made a fantastic effort in improving the quality of feedback given to students. The last 40 minutes of the term celebrated the progress made by staging the DAFTA’s. A variety of awards were given out, some voted for by staff and some voted for by students. Richard Corner, Assistant Headteacher said ‘This was a great way to end the term and congratulations to all of the award winners.’ 3
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23 07-13 News
Inside Editor: Sub-Editor: Designer: Features Writers: Research:
Judy Stevens Susan Hibbins Gary Curtis at Zerosix Design Judy Stevens, Will Bowell, Margaret McKay and Zoë Kornfeld Joy Baxter, Nancy Titman, Pauline Butler and Mary Pendred
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Competition Chelsea Flower Show
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Carrs – the Butchers
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Profile: Ali Chadwick
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Arthur Newton
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Building an online community
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Rose & Sweet Pea Show
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Five great mills
25 Birds
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What’s on
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Humphry Repton
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Deep in Friends
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Sally’s Garden
Photography: Publisher: Printed by:
Ian Baxter and David Pearson Judy Stevens Warners Midland PLC
Deeping I’d rather be in
DBC - The Media Award 2016
Cover: Maud Foster Windmill by The Maud Foster Mill partnership
Disclaimer. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of I’d Rather Be In Deeping. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, I’d rather be in Deeping assume no responsibility as to accuracy and shall not be liable for any omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance of information in this publication .Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of advertising material.
Contact: 01778 348859 Email: idratherbeindeeping@gmail.com I’d rather be in Deeping
@BeInDeeping
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NEWS
Farmer and Conservationist, Nicholas Watts of Vine House Farm gave a very interesting talk on the feeding of garden birds at the Deepings Library.
William Wade of the Wade family of solicitors who used to work and live at The Park, now the Deepings Library, is at Gisors Castle in France but of course we know where he and his son, Archibald, would rather be!
The Stamford branch of the Royal British Legion assembled a stellar cast of performers to stage a WW1 Music & Poetry evening. Many of the cast had come from the Deepings!
As a final event of the academic year, the Deepings Interact Club held a quiz night in support of Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall. The event was a roaring success, raising nearly £800.
Kate Jacobs of Deeping Youth Group received a presentation from Bob Broughton and Xan Collins who raised £450 from donations from MC Motors, Devonports and Fralisch Homes. The proceeds of £470 from the Clash of the Clubs Quiz held earlier this year were handed over by Judy Stevens and Paul Hanson.
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NEWS
Fundraisers for St Barnabas Hospice raised a whooping £330 at a coffee morning at The Stage!
Industrious nine year old, Macie of Linchfield Primary School has been busy making bookmarks to sell to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Her little brother Oliver is receiving treatment from the hospital for a rare form of cancer and Macie wanted to do something to show her appreciation for all the good work that is being done there. At the time of writing she has raised over £500!
The annual Easter Egg Run to PCH to deliver eggs and soft toys for any children in hospital over the Easter period. is organised by the Rutland Chapter of the Harley Owners Group and well supported by other local bike clubs including RAF Wittering MCC, Iron Horse Riders, Peterborough MAG and many individual bikers from the area. Approximately 85 bikes, expertly escorted and chaperoned by 5 Cambs Police bikes and a traffic car, rode in convoy for the 50 mile trip to be warmly welcomed by the children and staff from the Amazon Children’s Ward on arrival. Next time Dec 9th to deliver Christmas presents. Any local bikers are welcome.
Image: John Marsh
Another successful Dabble Day held by Riverside Beads raising £700 for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice. Save the date for the next one: Sunday 14th October.
Revd. Sue Patterson was accompanied by Emu for her farewell sermon at DSJ Priory Church.
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NEWS
Alan and Liz Hutchins from Baston were in uniform to celebrate 100 years of the RAF at the Old Scout Hut in Wellington Way, the site of the Officer’s Mess for RAF Langtoft (a WW2 and early Cold War Radar Station). Visitors were able to see working amateur radio stations contacting each other from similar venues.
Lambing Day at Moor Farm, Newborough
This year the Maxey & Deepings Art Group staged their exhibition at the Stamford Arts Centre and were serenaded at their private view by two First World War soldiers.
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Great to welcome poet Toby Woods to the Deepings Library for World Poetry Day.
The new sports kit to be worn by children representing Market Deeping Community Primary School was funded by the school’s PTFA and sponsors KFE Ltd. The new kit has appeared to have spurred the school on for the football team to record their first win this year and the rugby team to win a local tag-rugby tournament.
NEWS
Image: John Marsh
Image: Tom Clare
Meet Ernie the new Age Concern Minibus! Supporters and sponsors gathered to celebrate the community’s amazing fund raising efforts that enabled Age Concern to buy the bus 9 months ahead of expectations!
A magnificent £8000 was raised by the Raft Race for charities last year - recipients for charitable funds this year will be Age Concern Deepings Minibus Appeal, Deeping Scouts and the Swimming Club. A donation will also be made to The Carers Sitter Service: Friends of Jubilee Park, Faith’s Journey, Sue Ryder and St George’s Hydrotherapy Pool who have been offered a share of the street collections in return for their assistance with charity buckets. Save the date! Sunday 5th August - the Deepings Raft Race theme for this year is “HEROES & VILLAINS” www.deepingsraftrace.co.uk
Leading up to Easter the Priory Church held a vey popular bake off at the end of Sunday service. Here are some of the congregation sampling some of the delicious Easter Buns.
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FEATURE
Carrs - the Butchers Just when Howard Keel was getting his deep baritone voice around ‘Bless your beautiful hide’ in the film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in the fifties, so Robert Lionel Gillson Carr (Bob) and his wife Elizabeth (Betty) had brought their seven daughters to Market Deeping where they set up shop on the Market Place. The butcher’s shop now proudly bearing the name R.L Carr and the telephone number 276 had been a butcher’s for years before – the name Shuttlewood was still discernible on the window. It occupied a large plot stretching down to the river by the Coach House and included the site where Linfords Fish and Chip Shop is now, which was the sitting room, and was extended to include a sizeable bake-house and slaughterhouse at the rear. Bob also had another shop in Lincoln Road, Peterborough. He moved his young family from the Chestnuts in Peakirk, where they had lived since ’47 to Deeping in 1952. Eventually Bob sold the Peterborough shop. But while butchery was Bob’s stock in trade, his first love, inherited from his father, was for horses, and it was opportune that the Market Deeping property included three loose boxes and a store. It was here that he kept Ruby the hunter on which he rode to hounds with the Cottesmore. He was also a familiar figure at the point-to-point meetings in the district, riding Scarlet Viking, one of his school of ponies which he would transport using the same horse box in which he would bring cattle back from the Monday market at Ethel Webber Stamford. No surprise, then, that Maggie McKay (née Holmes), who was bought up at the Imperial Café at the time, remembers him always wearing his riding boots. Silver was the most popular of all of the ponies in the stables, bought from Mr Tebbs of Deeping St James originally for Pauline, the eldest, but all of the girls, when considered old enough to ride at age seven, learnt on Silver before graduating to their own ponies.
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Reported in a local paper, Bob sustained head injuries when returning from the Leicester races in his shooting brake – he collided with a six-wheel lorry just outside Tallington near the Dow-mac gravel pit entrance. Fortunately he was only in Peterborough Memorial Hospital for a week before returning home and to work. Bob then went on to ride at the Fitzwilliam point-to-point with 40 stitches in his head! Bob Carr’s father, Robert William, was the first of three sons born to Robert and Jane Carr (née Gillson) and was baptised in 1884 at Witham on the Hill. He had started his career in butchery working for Samuel Maylon in Great Shelford. He later moved to Leeds where he worked for Dewhurst the Butcher, and it was here that he had met Ethel Webber, a very talented milliner who had made hats for Queen Victoria and who had a position at Schofield’s, the premier department store in the city. They married at Leeds Emmanuel Church in 1908. A Sergeant during the First World War, he served in the 14th Northumberland Fusiliers based in Melton Mowbray. As well as being a farrier he trained horses to pull gun carriages and was involved in the procurement of local horses for the war effort. Robert William and Ethel had nine children, all treated by their Victorian father as little soldiers, a regime that Robert Lionel rebelled against; he absconded twice, once at twelve and again at 16 when he went to London and worked for a butcher, but was brought home by his mother. When he did finally leave home he rented a small wooden shop in a Bedfordshire village near Luton Hoo. On one notable occasion he had taken his Reliant Robin to collect eggs from a local farmer. Using a washing basket for the job, all was going well until he saw the local hunt and followed it, when he did finally get back to the shop all the eggs were broken! Bob met his wife Elizabeth Knott in Skegness where she worked with a friend, Elsie, in Woolworths. Betty’s family had been surgical instrument manufacturers in a cottage industry in Sheffield. After their wedding in
FEATURE
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FEATURE Spilsby they lived in Spring Gardens, Spalding, where Bob became a butchery manager. Eventually Robert William opened a butcher’s shop in East End, Langtoft, and after his divorce from Ethel married Nelly. Ethel then spent time with all her children but especially Eileen who had settled In Peterborough, and Ethel returned to her old trade working in a department store in the city. It was at this time that Robert Lionel’s brother Frank became a stuntman driving a horse-drawn coach in the 1945 film The Wicked Lady with Margaret Lockwood. He was involved with the procurement of horses for the film industry at Elstree, after becoming a jockey and later a doubleglazing salesman. Meanwhile, Robert Lionel and his family were enjoying a riotous life in Market Deeping. On one notable occasion Bob had driven the trailer to Stamford market where he had bought a bullock. On the way home there had been a bump in the trailer but it wasn’t until he had arrived home that he realised that the bullock had gone missing. The following spring local farmer Erick Hinch asked if the bullock had ever been found. No, came the answer, but Erick was not surprised, it was the only explanation for the bullock grazing with his heifers at Ryhall. How it had crossed the railway line continues a matter for conjecture. On another occasion Pauline chased an errant sheep that had got away, first onto an air raid shelter at the back of the premises, then onto a muck heap and then it jumped into the river, Pauline in hot pursuit. Eventually she had to let go but the sheep calmly got out of the river and into the field on the opposite bank. The family were living in Deeping at the time of the Coronation, and many gathered in their house to watch the proceedings on the TV as they were one of 16
the few with TV at the time. The wet day hadn’t stopped the community entering into the spirit of the day with a Tug o’ War across the river, a beauty pageant won by Pauline’s friend Elizabeth Smith, and a parade led by Pauline on Ruby and Janet on Silver, both wearing heralds’ costumes made of felt – the girls became multi-coloured later when the dye of the felt ran in the rain! Gillian Berry, née Witt, who lived at 4 High St (on the site of the Iron Horse) remembers being friends with Joan whose bedroom was slightly removed from the rest of the family over the archway. This allowed for some late-night shenanigans worthy of an Enid Blyton Famous Five story; Gillian remembers when the two of them quietly stole down into the shop in the dead of night, grabbed some sausages and then returned to the bedroom where they cooked them on the primus stove! Then as dawn was breaking the two would make off down the river in a canoe! Janet, Julie and Joan all attended the Endowed School in Market Deeping presided over by Miss Moffatt. Pauline was employed in the business along with Mrs Medcalf and a housekeeper to help with chores. Deliveries were taken out to the villages by Pauline, either in the converted Austin van with double doors in the back or in the Ford. She would travel to Greatford Hall where she delivered to Mrs Dowsett of Dow-mac concrete fame. Slaughterhouse men would come to despatch the animals and Peter Duffin, youngest son of the late Mr Duffin of Stamford Road and Mrs Brightman worked alongside Bob in the shop, later going to open his own shop in Bourne. Two years after starting work at Carrs in September 1958 Peter married Dorothy Andrews who was employed at the Bluebird Café across the road. Peter had given his wife a gold watch as a wedding present which she wore on the day with her pink floral nylon gown paired with a white hat and accessories and carrying red and white carnations. Carole Patman, her niece, was bridesmaid, wearing a blue nylon dress with a matching feather headdress and carrying pink carnations. Her diamante necklace was a gift from the bridegroom. The organist was Mr E .Bullimore. After a reception for 30 guests at the bride’s home in High Street, Maxey, the happy couple left for a honeymoon in Wells, the bride wearing an oatmeal suit with white accessories for travelling. They were to set up home at 31 High Street Maxey.
Pauline, Susan, Diane, Joan holding the reins of Silver on Market Deeping bridge. Before Pauline passed her driving test she used this pony and cart to deliver meat to the Milton Estate from the Peterborough shop.
The shop opened from Tuesday until Saturday, Monday being market day. Beef would be hung for a week before being ready for sale and the shop also sold lamb and pork. Miles of sausages would be made and sold and pork pies were made in continued >
FEATURE the bakehouse – everything was fresh and nothing pre-packed. The shop itself was resplendent with white tiles, and there was a traditional butcher’s block which would be scraped clean before being washed with scalding hot water and soda; Bob was scrupulously clean. Christmas was remembered as a very busy time with all hands to the pump plucking chickens, geese and cockerels. Pauline tried her hand at rearing pigs herself – first given a recklin or a runt of the litter by Reg Addy. Not considered good enough to eat, the pig was sold at market having added to the general mayhem by taking all the clothes off the line. The proceeds bought an in-pig gelt but unfortunately there wasn’t enough milk for all the piglets which died, and Pauline was left with the big old sow in the stables. When meat came off ration regulations were put into place to modernise the buildings before a licence could be given for the slaughterhouse. Changing rooms and loos had to be built for the slaughterhouse men, and the old wooden block and other elements of the shop changed to stainless steel. All of these improvements ate into Bob’s capital and so with a heavy heart he sold his business. He went to work for Bakers, a wholesale butchery in Northamptonshire. Not used to working for someone else, Bob tried again to strike out on his own and acquired a little shop in a back street in Far Cotton. The couple went on to take the Nevill Arms at Medbourne and had a mobile shop before taking on the old Co-op shop, also in Medbourne. The couple celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1984 with a family party held at their old pub, the Nevill Arms at Medbourne where they had been licensees for more than a decade. Six of their seven daughters assembled for the event. Jane had moved to the USA to realise her dream of becoming a top model and a high flying friend of the stars, including Frank Sinatra and Pavarotti, and was unable to be present. Susan, who had made the cake, had been a nurse at Stamford Hospital, later moving to the Brompton Hospital in London. Julie worked with horses with Major Cavanagh and later moved to Illinois. Her son, 18
Pauline with Pat Smythe at the Horse of the Year Show in the Personality Parade with Scorchin, Border Terrier Fena on Pat’s knee.
Samuel G. Thrasher, was proudly involved in the Apollo 11 project. Janet became a hairdresser having trained with Sybil Crane in Peterborough. Diane, the youngest, took up a career in horticulture and after attending Brooksby College worked at Rockingham Castle. Joan had been a companion/help with Mike Vergette for his family and stables, later marrying the trainer Jack Calvert based at Hambleton House, Sutton Bank in Thirsk. Joan came second on Kulaunmidza in the Newmarket Town Plate run on the Rowley Mile, a race created for ladies by Charles 11. After ladies were allowed to race Joan was the first lady on the flat and cousin Evonne, the first lady over hurdles.. On June 15th 1974 Joan won the Ragusta Plate at York races on Desperate D trained by husband Jack Calvert. Pauline had gone to Switzerland to look after five eventing horses for two owners. Here she met Pat Smyth, the first British lady Olympian and Pauline returned to the UK to work in her stables near Cirencester for three years before back pain rendered the work untenable. The family remain close, holding a reunion at the Stage in October 2017, 26 years after Bob died, and they are still involved with horses; Janet’s daughter Katy Addy of Frognall trains Connemara ponies from Ireland.
Jane achieved her ambition to become a model in the USA
Research: Pauline Butler, Joy Baxter, Gillian Berry (nee Witt) Words: Judy Stevens
PROFILE FEATURE
Meet Merry Wife of Windsor -
Ali Chadwick Funnily enough it was the part that Ali Chadwick had to turn down that she is most physically suited to! Diminutive and with decidedly elfin qualities, Alison was chosen to be the First Fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Stamford Shakespeare Company at Tolethorpe in 1995. This was in the run-up to her wedding and quite a physically demanding role so Alison thought the better of it! She had already taken her first Tolethorpe role as Jessica in The Merchant of Venice the previous season where she had auditioned in front of a panel of four including the formidable and highly experienced company director, Jean Harley. Jean, Alison remembers, would fire you if she didn’t think you were up to the part and it was touch and go for Alison for a while as she has a naturally quiet voice and had to learn quickly to project! But she was no stranger to the boards even then, as she had taken ballet classes at the Mumford Miller School of Dance in Peterborough from the age of five, and been a member of the National Youth Music Theatre as a child. At just 16 she had appeared in the Edinburgh Fringe in Bendigo Boswell and then toured the southern counties. Recalled for RADA, Alison was told to go back when she was older – an ambition fulfilled when she took a short course there at the age of 42! Having taken a break from acting when her daughter India was small, she was tempted back to appear in Stamford Shoestring Theatre Company productions, altogether appearing in seven productions: as Becky Sharpe in Vanity Fair, Anita McCracken in Ayckbourn’s A Small Family Business, Yelena in Uncle Vanya, Cecily Pigeon in 20
The Odd Couple, Rose Gwynn in Nell Gwynn and Nell Gwynn herself in Playhouse Creatures and Oh What a Lovely War!
The play runs for four weeks in total: two weeks in July and two in August on a week on/week off basis.
Now back at Tolethorpe after a break of 25 years, Alison auditioned for the roles of both Mistress Ford and Mistress Quickly in the 2018 production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. She was successful for the role of Alice Ford in front of a panel who this time were very friendly and approachable. The audition for the two parts was over in just ten minutes.
Outside of the theatre Alison is a busy career woman with her own business of 17 years, The Vital Consultancy, where she is a Sales, Management and Communications Trainer and Coach. In demand locally, nationally and overseas, Alison’s career began in Peterborough where she worked as a telephone sales person on Emap publication Performance Bikes. Now her work has grown into the self-management, assertiveness and mindset coaching arena. Taking her from London to Seattle, she gives a percentage of her profits from her new Self-Management For Men workshop to the Samaritans and Survivors Of Bereavement by Suicide. Her charitable work also takes her into schools where as a Schools’ Services Volunteer for Childline she speaks in assemblies and runs workshops on the ‘speak out, stay safe’ theme.
After a week’s waiting the phone rang and the Director Ken Walsh imparted the glad tidings! An initial read-through then took place with the rest of the cast and at Tolethorpe all three plays for the season are read on the same day in different parts of the building. Later the whole cast meets together for drinks and a buffet lunch. Rehearsals take place twice a week from February then stepping up to three in the weeks leading up to the first night. The Stamford Shakespeare Co at Tolethorpe is considered to be one of the biggest and best amateur dramatic companies in the country, on the tourist trail and attracting a stunning number of 35,000 people for the summer season. Standards are high! Each costume is individually made for the performer, sets are second to none and the rural setting adds a sense of magic and drama of its own. Alison is enjoying her sojourn as a merry wife in what is primarily a funny play, this time set in the Forties but with themes that resonate with topical causes such as ‘Me Too’. Directed by accomplished actor and retired head teacher, Ken Walsh, a high level of commitment is expected.
If there is any spare time it is spent doing yoga and Pilates and a ballet Barre class at Vivacity Premier and of course there is always a plan afoot – for now, a new business venture ‘Vital You’ – offering personal positivity and mindset coaching for individuals as a departure from the corporate training for which she is known. Meanwhile India, Alison’s daughter, is enjoying the start of an acting career of her own studying at the Guildford School of Acting on their Musical Theatre BA; she was fortunate enough to be among the 1% of those that apply to be accepted. She started ballet at four and for years played lead roles at the Key Theatre as part of the Key Youth Theatre, now Kindred Drama. One senses another acting dynasty in the making!
PROFILE FEATURE
‘At just 16 she had appeared in the Edinburgh Fringe in Bendigo Boswell and then toured the southern counties’
BOX OFFICE: 01780 756133 / 01780 763203 (9.30am-8pm, Mon-Sat) ONLINE OR FOR MORE INFO: www.stamfordshakespeare.co.uk 21
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Building an online community
COMMUNITY
with Zoë Kornfeld Two years ago, I found myself moving to a new area, and becoming a mother for the first time within the space of a few short months. Yes, it was incredible, but I couldn’t help but feel desperately isolated at times. I knew I wasn’t alone. I remember sitting in a local baby massage class with my young baby snoozing away, listening to other mums describe how they wanted to meet other mums and discussing what facilities were available in the local area. Already a keen social media user, I logged into Facebook to do something to help not only myself, but hopefully other local parents too. Now with over 800 members, The Deepings Baby & Toddler Network is constantly evolving. I make it my mission to talk to people who run local baby and toddler groups or events, own local facilities or businesses, which may be of interest to parents, hoping to involve them in the page too. There really is an incredible variety of resources offered locally, for expectant mums, new parents or families with older children: it’s just a case of knowing what’s out there! As Deeping is within close reach of Bourne, Spalding, Stamford and Peterborough, the net of possibilities is thrown wide open. Whether you fancy going to an antenatal class, buggy fitness boot camp, or are looking for the perfect breastfeeding-friendly café, it’s all there! If your little one has a passion for music, swimming, sports, crafts, reading or nature, there’s something for you to get involved in. All you need to do is log in, and join our growing online community. Above all, our humble Facebook page hopes to bring people together: to share ideas, photos, experience, advice and, most importantly, support each other through this crazy parenting adventure.
Together with a friend, who I originally met online, I have also recently set up a new Facebook page: The Deepings Baby & Toddler Gifting Page. I noticed that a lot of people were keen to give their toys, baby items, toddler clothes etc. away for free. Whether motivated by the desire to be clutter-free (is this even possible with a baby?), to help out others, or perhaps both, we have seen this page grow really quickly over the last few months. It really is amazing to see the generosity of people in the local community wanting to ‘pay it forward’. Each day there are a wide range of gifts being donated, from toys to clothes, toddler slides, cots, maternity wear and nappies! So, while it is true that Facebook, and social media in general, are often given a negative press, and I agree you should think carefully about what you do share online, I do strongly believe social media is a unique and invaluable networking resource. Not to mention the plethora of online bloggers, Apps and websites that can also support you and your family. All I urge you to do is grab your phone, tablet or laptop and get involved. I’ll see you online soon! 23
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How many birds can you see in a day?
BIRDS
By William Bowell May is a month of ‘many weathers’ but it is also a month of many birds! Residents are joined by returning spring migrants which either remain around these here parts, or move further north, whilst winter lingerers also remain in situ waiting for the weather to improve to the north.
so damn rare around here. A Tawny and a couple of Woodcocks also eased our troubled minds and so we had to leave to head to our dawn site.
On a high our team continued it’s tour of the Deeping’s gravel pits which revealed more bonus birds like Scott the Scaup (a sea duck still present at Deeping Lakes now!), Graham the Cattle Egret (a rare European visitor), Peter the Pintail and George the Egyptian Goose. Yes, our addled, tired brains had started giving individual birds names. Needless to say, long-staying Lottie the Long-tailed Duck had done a bunk....
Castor Hanglands, west of Peterborough- a fantastic woodland site which is This makes May a particular month to famed for it’s amphibians Other near-arctic waders we found included Dunlin partake in what birders’ call a ‘big day’ and orchids but our by the score, Knot, Turnstones, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed or bird race. This involves staying awake targets were feathered Godwits and Greenshank. Our luck was certainly in, for an absurd amount of hours trying and hopefully singing in fact we recorded 18 species of wader during the day, to identify (via sight or sound) as many Red Kite. 10 years ago we would have and drumming! This is when 8 would be consider the norm. different species of birds in one day. had to go to the far west of the area to find the best place around these on the Bird Race. In 2017 we saw Peterborough to hear As the day went on we continued to rack up the count My friend Mike Weedon and I do this them at most sites. the wonderful songster but as ever, 24 hours just never seems enough. By every year in the Peterborough recording Nightingale and there was dinner time, we were starting to think we weren’t area which is a cross shape centring on no shortage. We also cleared up on a number of other going to make it. Then we realised we had a whole gem the city. A couple of years ago Mike and I set the of a site to visit- the Nene Washes. Alive with birds ‘calendar day’ record with 120. Last year Mike and I woodland species but the hoped for Lesser-spotted Woodpecker evaded our ears. as ever including a surprise Curlew among the usual were joined by newbies and locals Hugh Wright and suspects. Due to the Andrew Gardener who wanted in on the action. In truth I must reveal that a lot of the birds extreme tiredness one recorded on these ‘Big Days’ are heard only. experiences on these The disappointment was more enough instant with days, I can’t actually one of the quietest spring evenings ever. We heard just Birds are very vocal at this time of year and really remember four species at our chosen start site at 1.15am and not of course there is a certain amount of skill much about the latter one of them was the desired and essential crepuscular to be able to tell the difference between a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker’s softer, stages of the day. species we yearned Crepuscular species such as Tawny Owl prolonged drumming against a tree One important fact for. But hang on it’s are key to a successful bird race. We trunk compared to a Great-spotted I do remember - we only 3am there are recorded all five breeding Owl species in Woodpecker. broke the record. No, still another 21 hours 2017. actually we smashed of birding time left! Whilst at Castor, news reached us it. We recorded 126 Our next site, a piece that it was all happening to the north species! of remnant ancient at Maxey Gravel Pits. Waders move Black-tailed Godwit. The Nene Washes fen to the south of the through our area every year but is one of the few places this species breeds Will Bowell works at area, appeared to be when and where is largely weather in Britain. Grasmere Farm Butchers just as quiet. As the dependant. The last decent wader in Deeping but in his light started so did passage on a bird race was in 2007 so we were spare time enjoys wildlife watching locally and across the the birds- a female thrilled to hear about Grey Plover and Barcountry. He is also a keen photographer. Many of his images Long-eared Owl was tailed Godwit that had pitched down on their can be found at www.justwildimages.blogspot.co.uk/ undoubtedly the way to their arctic breeding grounds. highlight as these are 25
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HUMPHRY REPTON
The Art of Humphry Repton lives on... The work of eighteenth century landscape gardener, Capability Brown is well known and his work can still be viewed at our local stately homes of Burghley, Belvoir and at Grimsthorpe. Widely considered to be his successor, Humphry Repton also worked within the county. His trademark Red Books were bound in gold embossed Moroccan leather with hand marbled paper linings. Using his skills as an artist Repton would depict the garden as it was and carefully constructed overlays (either hinged or sliding) would demonstrate his vision for the landscape. His detailed advice for the garden accompanied these illustrations in neat copperplate handwriting and the whole presentation was in itself a work of art! Imagine the excitement when one such Red Book for Normanton Hall was discovered at Grimsthorpe Castle recently. Sir Gilbert
Heathcote the 1st Earl of Ancaster had resided at Normanton and in July 1797 was presented with the Red Book for the transformation of the grounds by Repton. Layer by layer historic images of the grounds were depicted with the Repton creations for a park like landscape superimposed. Corinthian style ornamentation of a tower and portico, similar to that at St Johns Concert Hall, Smiths Square London
was added to the rustic old Normanton Church of St Matthew by architect Thomas Cundy in 1826. This was used as the family’s own private chapel and mausoleum until they relocated to their other home, Grimsthorpe Castle in the late 1920’s.
Image: Jamie Overland
The Church remains today, saved by a public outcry after it had been deconsecrated and destined for demolition in the 1970’s when the Gwash Valley was flooded to make way for a new reservoir, Rutland Water. The lower floor was filled with rubble and concrete and the new floor is now 60cm above the lapping waters when the reservoir is full. So not the lawn surrounding the Church that Repton had envisaged and it is probably no understatement to suggest that lake he had pictured in the valley would have been on a smaller scale to the reservoir that occupies the space today! continued >
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HUMPHRY REPTON
‘Firstly it must display the natural beauties and hide the defects of every situation’
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A causeway has been built connecting the Church to the shore and an embankment was constructed around the building with large boulders to act as a breakwater. Now not only is it a spectacular wedding venue and the scene of many magnificent wedding photos but it is also a museum dedicated to the history of Rutland administered by Anglian Water containing many dinosaur fossils as well as a complete skeleton of an Anglo-Saxon male. Languishing in Grimsthorpe until its recent discovery, Reptons Red Book for Normanton is a magnificent work of art, a precursor to the more prosaic power point presentation enjoyed today but nevertheless a way in which a client can be easily persuaded to envisage the ideas of the designer. But the Red Book is not the only legacy left by Repton. In his book ‘The Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening’ Repton laid down four key principles for good design. ‘Firstly it must display the natural beauties and hide the defects of every situation’ he wrote ‘secondly it should give the appearance of extent and freedom by carefully disguising or hiding the boundary. Thirdly it must studiously conceal every interference of art. However
expensive by which the natural scenery is improved; making the whole appear the production of nature only; and fourthly all objects of mere convenience or comfort, if incapable of being made ornamental, or of becoming proper parts of the general scenery, must be removed or concealed.’ Far from becoming extinct as Repton had feared his profession has only grown in stature and this month the Chelsea Flower Show will once again demonstrate the depth of passion, skill and importance to our environment that continues to be shown by landscape gardeners today.
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GARDENS
Sally’s garden Sally Harris’s garden is not only a work of art but a labour of love, the fruits of which are apparent in the scents, the colours and the textures of the blooms that come into flower in the summer months. Sally Is a self-taught gardener whose passion for gardening was ignited in the early years of moving to Frognall. As the years have gone by her confidence has grown to the extent that she even grew the flowers from seed for her daughter’s wedding three years ago. Even her brother, also a keen gardener, grew extra flowers and brought them all the way from the Isle of Wight including the ferry crossing! What started out as a part time hobby has now become a lifetime passion. Starting out with a second-hand greenhouse, Sally harvests seeds as soon as they are available. In the winter months when it is wet and cold and impossible to get outdoors time is spent carefully selecting more seeds. Packets are available from supermarkets, garden centres and sometimes people harvest their own and sell them on for charity. Using durable seed trays which are washed and reused, the seeds are sown in February or March. Sally now has a larger greenhouse where the trays for her own garden and her daughter’s can be comfortably accommodated. She has been known to put the trays of seeds in the spare bedroom where they can be started off if spring is a little cold. The trays are filled with seed compost and watered, then the seeds sprinkled on top and a thin coating of compost is then sieved over them. Making sure that the compost is damp enough, the seeds can be left to grow. A weather eye is kept on them to make sure that the compost doesn’t dry out. When watering Sally uses a small can with a fine
sprinkler. When the shoots start to emerge after about three weeks and are sturdy enough to be transplanted they can be put into pots. If grown indoors they can be placed in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. During warm spells, leave the window and door of the greenhouse open in the day, close at night and water each day to avoid the plants drying out. When the time is right the pots should be ’hardened off ’ outside for up to a fortnight before planting in the garden. May Day Bank holiday is usually Sally’s D-day for planting seedlings out into the garden. A 1.5 litre bag of top soil is mixed with manure and chicken pellets, and this will cover an 8’ border up to a depth of 6”. From a mix of cosmos, geraniums, rudbeckia, salvias, dahlias, impatiens, pansies, ageratum and marigolds, the taller plants are placed at the back of the border and Sally likes to overplant so that the border will be full to overflowing when the blooms come out, allowing for the exuberant feel that typifies her garden. Once a week the plants are watered with Miracle Grow and during hot weather the garden is watered twice a day, early in the morning and again in the evening to stop the water from quickly evaporating. It is most effective to aim the hose at the stem bases under the foliage canopy leaving the surrounding soil dry which may also prevent the spread of weeds. A water butt or two is essential to capture the rainwater which is softer than tap water and without chlorine which can inhibit the uptake of nutrients. Once the blooms start coming, regular deadheading keeps the border looking attractive and directs energy into stronger growth and more flowers, until the time comes when the seeds begin to be harvested and the process starts all over again for another year! Words & pictures Sally Harris
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COMPETITION
Win Tickets to the
R.H.S Chelsea Flower Show
We have an amazing opportunity for a lucky couple to soak up some of the R.H.S Chelsea Flower Show magic and add some instant pizazz to your garden by buying some Chelsea plants on sell off day! Glenn and Graham from the Granary, West Deeping are offering two tickets for the R.H.S Chelsea Flower Show on Saturday 26th May to the person who correctly answers our competition question. There is a runners up prize of a £25 voucher for a purchase at Elsie’s Flower Basket recently opened at The Corn Exchange, Stamford.
When did the the R.H.S Chelsea Flower Show begin? A. 1953 B. 1913 C. 1983 Send your replies to idratherbeindeeping@gmail.com by Friday 11th May to enter the draw.
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ARTHUR NEWTON
Such was the interest in The Imperial Cafe we have asked Margaret McKay (nee Holmes) to tell us more about the man behind the counter - Arthur Newton. Margaret recalls her grandfather with great affection. She says “We were very close when I was a child. I loved him dearly - even though he wouldn’t let me leave the table at dinner time until I’d eaten up all my vegetables - an event which once caused me to be late for school (the Green School) because, as I tearfully confessed to Mrs Howitt, ‘I wouldn’t eat my brussel sprouts’”! My grandfather, Arthur Newton, was the youngest of six children and when he was about eight his father died. ”From clogs to clogs in three generations” I heard him say many times, and my mother told me that his father had drunk away whatever money the family had. At about the same time the two girls of the family died in a flu epidemic. My grandpa told me that his mother had two children lying dead in the house at the same time, (in the early 1890s). These were difficult years for the family. Arthur’s now widowed mother then took the youngest children and went back to Grantham, her home town. She had to stay with relatives for a time and Arthur was lodged with an uncle, who kept the Blue Lion, a big pub/ hotel in the Market Place of Grantham - I think it’s now an Insurance company’s offices. He was given an attic bedroom where there was no lighting but he was allowed to have a candle to see his way to bed. He told me that in the night, when it was dark,
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rats would come out and run over his bed. Hard to imagine anything better calculated to make the iron enter the soul, and yet it didn’t. He also had to ‘pay for his keep’ by helping in the kitchens, running errands etc. - and still go to school of course, at least until he was thirteen. That was no easy childhood, but ironically, all that experience served him well when, twenty years later, he and Kate started up The Imperial Cafe in Market Deeping. Nobody could skin a rabbit quicker or pluck and disembowel a chicken better than my grandpa!
Eventually his mother was able to rent accommodation in Grantham - she had found work at a hotel - and Arthur, about to leave school, went back to live with her. He was now able to contribute something towards their expenses as he just then secured an apprenticeship at the engineering firm of Hornsby’s in Grantham. He became eventually a fully qualified engine fitter mechanic and continued working for Hornsby’s until the move to Market Deeping in 1915. He was persuaded to this move, as hinted in an earlier piece, by his soon to be wife Katherine However, it wasn’t all grind Garton. The move to Deeping and hardship at the Blue gave the opportunity for both of Lion because it was also in them to be their own boss and those years that he developed for Arthur to have the chance of an intense love of the cultivating his very own garden. countryside, and of growing Arthur Newton at Hornsby’s But he never forgot what it things. What started out as a was like to be a powerless and chore - he would be sent out penniless child, sleeping in a mushrooming, very early in the morning, before dark room with only the rats for company. He would going to school - became a passion for the country never be unkind to a child - though they should eat life and the habit he had been compelled to as a child, up their vegetables! to get up and out early in the morning, set the pattern for the rest of his life. Margaret McKay
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The Rose & Sweet Pea Show The Rose & Sweet Pea Show has taken place on the Church Hall lawn for well over a century now – make this the year you come and partake of the traditional summer pleasures that have become part and parcel of life in Deeping St James! Always held on the last Saturday in June, this year’s show will be on 30th June, 1-4.30pm If you would like to be an active participant you might like to enter the Horticultural Show – there are categories for a vase or a bowl of cut flowers, a Fuchsia or opportunities to enter the headline rose and sweet pea categories and many more! If you decide to enter your sweet peas then the chances are that you will already have planted them outside now but if not it is still possible to do so, though they might not be ready for showing at the end of June. These are plants which benefit from companion planting and if planted with runner beans attract pollinating insects to set the beans. The best supports for your young plants are twigs or narrow netting. Bamboo is too thick for their narrow tendrils and you will have to tie them in. If you find that the plants are not thriving try a little liquid tomato seed. Once flowering the secret is to keep picking and the plant will keep
flowering! If you have bought grandiflora (also called heritage or antique varieties) sweet peas they will have smaller flowers and stems but the scent is very strong so put them in little containers or they could be shown with your three varieties of cut flowers, and tucked in with this bunch they can scent a whole room. Ollie Ryan-Moore, Head Gardener at Easton Walled Gardens, offers some top tips for the growing of your roses: ‘With already established roses, mulch, mulch, mulch. Use well rotted manure, or garden compost in a thick layer around your plants. This improves moisture retention and gives a slow release feed throughout the season, not to mention suppressing weed growth. Pruning. You don’t have to be an expert to help your roses’ health. Pruning out dead, dying, diseased or damaged growth alone will help improve their look and reduce disease. If you are looking to boost productivity and keep a good shape, then removing 1 in 3 of the oldest stems to ground level every year will do wonders. Remember to check specific pruning guidance, because different varieties do require different pruning techniques. Finally, dead head repeat flowering varieties to encourage them to keep flowering again and again. This is a therapeutic job and gets you in amongst the wonderful scents roses produce.’
ROSE & SWEET PEA
A month before the show, select blooms with a sturdy and straight stem. Spray to remove aphids and spider mites. A week before the show, cover your selected blooms with a bag at night and remove the following morning. Identify the correct name and show class and label. Two-three days before, cut the selected roses keeping the longest stem possible. Place in a bucket with wire mesh cover to separate blooms. Place in a cool dry place away from pets. Allow plenty of
time on the morning of the show. Take spare blooms in case of mishap. In the class with a single flower, stage in the centre of the vase. In the mixed vase, stage in alternate colours. Top up with water, use a soft cloth to polish the leaves and use cotton wool buds to shape the bloom. Use an artist’s brush to remove to remove any debris from blooms or leaves. Wipe the vase clean and dry and label correctly. Good luck!
Photos: Fred Cholmeley 37
Five great mills There is no doubt that Heckington Mill is an imposing structure - the only eight sailed working windmill in the world! It is owned by Lincs County Council but operated by a group - the Heckington Mill Trustees. Originally built in 1830 for Edward Ingledew as a five sailed mill it suffered damage in a severe thunderstorm and was repaired in 1892 using eight sails from a Boston Windmill. It ceased to work in 1946, was purchased by Kesteven Council in 1953 and in recent years has undergone extensive regeneration work, the latest £1.65 million project coming to an end this spring. Situated in an interesting village with its own railway museum at the station and a tearoom and shop at the mill - this makes for a very pleasant afternoon visit. www.heckingtonwindmill.org.uk
Bircham Windmill This tower mill is only 53 miles from Market Deeping and for 6 months of the year it offers many rural life experiences for both adults and children to enjoy. It is the oldest mill in North Norfolk capable of working and visitors are allowed to make the very steep climb right to its top to stand on the fan-wheel platform, some 55 feet above ground, from whence there is an unrivalled view. The less ambitious can view the countryside from the outside staging at second floor level which was used by the miller to set the sails. The current mill was built in 1846 and it was more recently renovated by the current owners but it existed in several forms prior to this date. It is believed to be on the site of a post mill erected in 1769. These days the mill mechanism is not operated but you can follow the milling story through the building and its artefacts. The on-site bakery still produces the sort of bread you just want to eat on its own, plus there are tempting cakes to buy. At certain times children can make their own bread and have it baked whilst they explore other things. Outside there are museum areas for visitors to discover the past and also see a variety of farm animals. Expect any visit to last longer than you had planned…..especially if you get lured into the teashop after your exhilarating climb to the top! John Woolhouse 38
Maud Foster Windmill Maud Foster Windmill stands close to Boston town centre and it is the remarkable story of one family - the Reckitts. Brothers Thomas and Isaac had the Mill built in 1819 but after making improvements to the Mill, installing a steam engine to grind bones for fertiliser and a bakehouse, the business still failed in 1833 after a series of poor harvests. This did not deter Isaac Reckitt who eventually moved to Hull and entered the starch business becoming Reckitt & Sons of ‘blue’ fame. His great grandson, Basil on hearing of the Mills dereliction in the 1950s arranged for two Reckitt family trusts to finance essential repairs. He was present in 1988 to re-open the mill after extensive repairs by the current owners, the Waterfield family! This is a particularly attractive mill and it is possible to purchase organic flour and porridge oats from the mill. Call 01205 325188 or visit www.maudfoster.co.uk
Image: The Maud Foster Mill partnership
Heckington Windmill
National Mills Weekend May 12th & 13th
Image: Thomas Woolley
Moulton Windmill Rising up across the fen landscape Moulton Windmill claims to be the tallest working mill in the UK and one of the tallest worldwide and only just over 30 minutes drive from the Deepings! The Mill was also featured in the first series of BBC2’s Restoration with Tim Wonnacott as its celebrity advocate. It dates back to 1822 when it was built by Robert King. Its sails were damaged in a harsh gale in 1895 and a steam system was then used to power the mill. A.W. Tindall leased it from the Kings until 1920 after which the Biggadike family took it over and milled small quantities of animal feed until 1995. The Friends of Moulton Mill have restored and refurbished the Mill and it is open Thurs - Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays from 10.00 am - 4.00 pm (Tower by guided tour only - last tour 3.00pm). Entry to The Granary Tearooms and Shop is free. More details on www.moultonwindmill.co.uk/
Cogglesford Mill A short walk from Sleaford town centre along the towpath of the very attractive River Slea, is this historic mill. The young children with clipboards as well as some older folk, when we were there, are testament to the interest for all ages. The mellow red brick building dates from the mid-1700s but there has been a mill here since before Domesday. From the millers’ graffiti and tally marks dating from the 1600s to the mill wheels themselves, which still grind today, there is history aplenty. Special events and regular milling days which are the second Sunday during the spring, summer and autumn months, are particularly fascinating. Watching the mill in operation is a privilege. Flour and other local produce are available in the shop as well as light refreshments. Further information is available at: https://community.lincolnshire.gov.uk/ CogglefordWatermill or telephone: 01529 413671 Ros Rendell
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what’s on Helpston Gala Saturday 12th May 12 noon - 4pm
A great afternoon for all the family - stalls: plants, bric-a-brac, books, traditional games,school choir, tuk tuk rides, Playbus, bouncy castle, refreshments. Proceeds for Helpston Church and local charities.
The Deepings Lions Club Open Evening Weds 9th May 7.00 - 9.00pm Community Centre, Market Deeping. The Lions are a friendly lot and always on the lookout for new members! They have been fundraising for over 30 years in the Deepings and surrounds. Ordinary people helping others and supporting good causes! Interested? Go along and have a chat1
Deeping Walk Happy 2018
Noel Connor Artist & Poet
Sunday 13 May 2018 Check In from 12:30 Walks start from 1:00pm Check in and check out at Empire Gym
John Clare Cottage Helpston 24th March- 30 June Fri - Mon and Sat 11.00 - 4.00 pm
Held in Mental Health Awareness Week the theme of which this year is STRESS. Walking is a great stress buster so come and join us! Two routes 2.5 mile or 4km and 4 mile or 7km. Walkers and supporters can then enjoy refreshments and cakes upstairs in the gym between 2pm and 4pm. If you are unable to join the walk but would like to volunteer your help marshalling key points on the routes please contact the organiser Emma Canham (Lannigan) on 07508 246266 or email emmalannigan@yahoo.co.uk
A unique selection of ‘photopoems’ and prints stimulated by John Clare’s archive. Clare’s extreme poverty resulted in him working on bits and pieces of paper with ink from a toxic recipe that has eaten into those fragments of paper, leaving a tragic record of ‘wounded words.’
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The Rocking Rector for one night only - unplugged 11th May 2018. 7.30pm gig from 8pm. £10 with free glass of wine at the interval. All proceeds to The Organ Restoration fund. Reverend Philip Brent. Phone: 01778 342237 Email: revphilipbrent@stguthlacs.org Or Susanne Denton. Phone: 01778 341219 Email: susanne.denton@live.com
Willoughby Memorial Trust Gallery Corby Glen NG33 4NL 2nd- 30th May ‘I exist in two places here and where you are’ Using traditional and mixed media techniques Nolitex presents this exhibition of new work exploring communications and connections in our modern world. Printing, painting, dyeing, metal, wood, handmade felts and papers feature in the work of members of Nolitex, a group of artists committed to designing and producing work in their chosen medium. Admission free. www.willoughbygallery.com
Deepings Library Thurs 17th May 7.30-9.00pm £2.50 incl refreshments and samples Indian Cookery & Customs with Parveen The Spice Queen. Tickets from the Library M-W-F (10-5) Sat (10-1.00pm or on 01778 346528 41
DEEP IN FRIENDS
Deep in Friends
There’s a whole lot of laughing going on! Whether bringing a touch of Tinseltown to Deeping St James, hanging out as ghouls for Halloween or donning an expertly trimmed Easter bonnet – there is one thing for sure and that is that there is a gang of friends who meet every other Tuesday at the Priory Church Hall DSJ who are determined to have a good time!
Formed in 2011, the group now have 50 members on their books but extends open arms to anyone else who would like to join them in their afternoon slot from 2-4.00 pm. There is one thing that remains the same each time and that is the break for tea and cakes! But the rest of the afternoon can as easily be made up of traditional pastimes such as bingo or a beetle drive or a quiz or two, or alternatively the group can find themselves carving a pumpkin, listening to one of their members recounting a story of their previous life, as Julie Gillender did of her life as the wife of a Buckingham Palace policeman, or they can be enjoying their very own royal wedding party dressed in red, white and blue! Firm friends, there are trips to the theatre, Sunday lunches in local hostelries and a lot of tucking into fish and chips! But undoubtedly the highlight of the calendar is the biannual Variety Show! Masterminded by Ellie Green and with Eddie Harper as Musical Director. Much practising – this year synchronised swimming required a lot! – making of costumes under the watchful eye of the talented Lynne Ayres, and joke-telling by the brilliant Frank Bradbury ensures that the Show plays to a packed house! So whether you would like to be part of the cast, one of the audience or a cake baker, there is definitely space for you with this upbeat group, who refuse to let the weather or in fact any adversity get to them! What are you waiting for? Call treasurer Vanessa Brockington today on 01778 345113
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