Active Magazine // Stamford & Rutland // December 2022
Editor and Publisher Mary Bremner mary@theactivemag.com
Deputy editor Kate Maxim kate@theactivemag.com
Art editor Matt Tarrant
Contributors Will Hetherington, Jeremy Smithson-Beswick,
Advertisement Sales Director Lisa Chauhan lisa@theactivemag.com
Production assistant Gary Curtis Accounts accounts@theactivemag.com
Active magazine, Eventus Business Centre, Sunderland Road, Northfield Industrial Estate, Market Deeping, PE6 8FD
If you have information about a club then please get in touch by emailing editor@theactivemag.com.
If you would like to stock Active magazine please email distribution@theactivemag.com.
Active magazine is published monthly 12 times per year.
ISSN 2059-8513
Published by Triangle Publishing Ltd www.theactivemag.com
Disclaimer
Copyright (c) Triangle Publishing Ltd (TPL) 2019. 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 TPL. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of T L or its a liates. isclaimer 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, TPL and its a liates 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.
T L and its a liates 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.
EDITOR’S LETTER
‘As a responsible dog owner we all know that you always have a poo bag in your pocket because if you have a dog, you will need it.’
IT’S JUST AROUND the corner; Christmas is o cially here and hopefully this year, despite money being so tight for many and the doom and gloom of the news, we can enjoy ourselves without the Sword of Damocles of the pandemic hanging over us.
To many of us Christmas means good food and Kate and I have been enjoying chatting to business owners about their restaurants as well as Matt Wright, founder of the Great Food Club who tells us more about this club and the benefits of it.
Many people’s perception of retired people is of a rather round lady with short permed hair and an elderly gentleman sitting in a chair with his pipe and slippers; oh the folly of youth and how times have changed! Those days are long gone, thank goodness. Many people I know who are retired are loving life and living it to the full, travelling all over the world and are rarely at home. And this is the norm. We’ve caught up with some ‘active retirees’ who have enjoyed new experiences and challenges. And with more time comes the chance to give something back to the community which is exactly what the men in sheds are doing, whilst enjoying a convivial atmosphere and friendship. And you can keep enjoying competitive sports as well, walking football anyone?
Make sure you enter the competition to win a session at Ragdale which will help blow the winter blues away and give you a well deserved pamper before or after all the Christmas festivities and hard work.
And then we come to dog poo. As a responsible dog owner we all know that you always have a poo bag in your pocket because if you have a dog, you will need it. One of the highlights of my month was walking out early with Ailsa, my rescued big deerhound cross lurcher using the torch on my phone to pick up her poo on the Rec before 7am – my life is so glamorous! But I am constantly amazed about how much dog mess there is unpicked, which is really disappointing. And the villagers of Carlby have been having the same problem and have run a successful campaign over the summer to encourage visitors and residents to ‘bag it and bin it.’ Let’s all do the same.
All of us at Active magazine would like to wish advertisers and readers a very Happy Christmas and a healthy, prosperous New Year, let’s hope it’s a good one!
Mary - Editor
ISSUE 120 / DECEMBER 2022
ACTIVE LIFE
19 COMPETITION
Win a twilight taster for two at Ragdale Hall Spa
20 TRAVEL
Brighton in all its glory
22 THE GREAT FOOD CLUB
If you’re a foodie, membership of this club is for you
24 SUSHI AND SALAD
This restaurant offers sushi at its best, and the décor is fabulous too
30 ACTIVE RETIREES
Retirement doesn’t mean you put your feet up. This intrepid lot are living the autumn years of their lives to the full
41 INTERVIEW
Meet the owner of home interiors shop The White Country Store
42 WILL’S WALKS
It’s all about the Deepings this month for Will
ACTIVE KIDS
48 SCHOOL NEWS AND CRICKET COACHING OPPORTUNITIES
ACTIVE BODY
52 HOW TO MANAGE ADHD IN ADULTS ACTIVE SPORT
55 GOLF LESSON
Matt gets out on the course for his fi nal lesson
ActiveLife
Sushi anyone? | Great food? Join the club to find the best in the area
Competition: Win a visit to Ragdale
Active retirees; enjoy new challenges when you retire The White Country store; Stamford’s homeware and interiors retail business
Bright town p20
Brighton has a lot to offer including a fabulous beach and an iconic royal palace
Retail Only. Finance illustrated is Ford Options and is subject to status; other finance packages are available to suit individual needs – ask in store for details . Guarantees may be required. Freepost Ford Credit. Privilege, Ambassador and D-Plan customers should contact their dealer to obtain a finance quote. Further charges may apply subject to mileage and condition if the vehicle is returned at the end of the agreement. Subject to availability for new vehicles contracted between 1 October and 31 December 2022, and registered by 30 June 2023. Failure to make payments on time may make obtaining credit in the future more di cult. Your vehicle may be repossessed if you do not keep up payments. Quotes for other finance packages and mileage bands are available on request – customers should consider all alternatives prior to proceeding with finance. Other terms, conditions, and exclusions may apply. Images shown are for illustration purposes only.Vehicles must be contracted between 1st October and 31st December 2022 and registered within 14 days of delivery to a T.C. Harrison dealership. Contact your local T.C. Harrison Ford Dealership for more details. Full written details are available on request. Freepost Ford Credit. These o ers supersede all previous. Finance is subject to status and available to customers over 18 – guarantees and indemnities may be required. A finance facility fee (where applicable) is an additional charge for the supply of credit and is payable with the first instalment. You will not own the vehicle until all repayments have been made. 0% APR applies to the following new vehicles; Fiesta, EcoSport, Focus, Kuga
Community award for The Falcon in Uppingham
THE FALCON HOTEL in Uppingham has recently been presented with a High Sheriff Award for its contribution to the local community which was presented by Rutland’s High Sheriff Geoff Thompson on November .
The Falcon Hotel hosted an evening hosted by the High Sheriff with all profits going to the Rutland First Responders. The evening began with prosecco and canap s, a talk from the Rutland First Responders followed by a performance by violinist Freya Goldmark.
uring the celebration evening, Geoff Thompson, The High Sheriff, presented the first Contribution to the Community’ award to ames Torbell, irector at The Falcon Hotel. He said The staff at the Falcon Hotel are incredible in their support of the local community. In the last seven days alone, there have been five community events, all with different local charitable and community organisations and in every case the organisers praised the hotel for the support they received. This community spirit is demonstrated by the owners, by management and by staff and continues throughout the year. The award is very well deserved.’
When we were Tigers
A COMMEMORATIVE STATUE was unveiled at Welford Road on November 11 to commemorate the 54 Leicester Tigers rugby players who lost their lives as a consequence of war. Standing nearly 2 feet tall in the middle of Leicester outside the popular Leicester Tigers’ stadium this contemporary piece of art catches the eye and is a fitting symbol to re ect the bravery of the players who lost their lives.
Oakham photographer wins award
ADY KERRY A professional photographer from Oakham has been recognised in the latest Landscape hotographer of the year competition. Two of Ady’s photographs were awarded; reamland was commended whilst erfect Imperfection above was highly commended in the coast category.
Be Inspired
New sponsor for cycle races
THE FUTURES OF THE Women’s and Junior Men’s CiCLE Classics have been secured until 2025 as Anexo Group PLC has recently been announced as the title sponsor for the for the next three years.
The appointment of a new, long-term sponsor has been a priority for the race organisation, with the aim to sustainably secure the future of these prestigious events. Anexo Group has supported cycling as a sport for some time so are a very welcome sponsor.
The Women’s and Junior Men’s CiCLE Classics are both British Cycling National Series races for their respective categories. In 2023 the Women’s race will have its seventh edition and the Junior Men their ninth. Both races are held over the same 105 km course featuring many of the best components of the International RutlandMelton CiCLE Classic which has been held since 2005. The latter remains Britain’s only men’s single day international road race.
Next year’s Women’s and Junior Men’s CiCLE Classics will take place on a new date of Sunday 2 March, starting and finishing in Melton Mowbray. The international race between Oakham and Melton Mowbray will take place a month later on Sunday 23 April.
It’s busy at Burghley
THERE’S LOTS GOING on at Burghley House at the moment with a new car park being constructed to add more spaces on an all weather surface which will open in spring 2023.
And this coincides with work that has now started on a new adventure play attraction which will also open in spring 2023. This area will offer a new outdoor play destination for local families and visitors alike. The play area will be situated adjacent to the Sculpture Garden in a woodland area that has not been open to the public before. The design will re ect the house and there will be ma es, walkways, drop slides, crawl tunnels and bridges as well as much more; it sounds fun!
Image: Ian Price
Uppingham’s First Doggie Shop selling…
Weigh your own dog food, wet food, doggie treats, collars, leads, dog toys, beds, accessories, gi�s for the dog lover. Barkers for all things dog. Pocket friendly prices.
Open Wednesday-Saturday 10am—5pm.
Located at 34 High Street East Uppingham, LE15 9PZ. Next to Culpins family butchers, look for the Pink Flag.
What’s On!
STAMFORD PANTOMIME
PLAYERS have been performing traditional family pantomimes for over 70 years and this year it’s the magical fairytale of Cinderella. Showing at Stamford’s Corn Exchange it will run from December 22 to January 1 2023.
Make sure you boo the mean baroness and her ugly daughters, cheer the fairy godmother and watch Cinderella magically transform. Enjoy the adorable dancers and shout she’s behind you. Oh no she isn’t!
www.stamfordcornexchange.
co.uk/cinderella-stamfordpantomime-players/
RULES FOR LIVING by Sam Holfcroft, December 6-10 at Stamford Arts Centre. We’ve all been there, the family Christmas Day from hell. Everyone tries really, really hard but there comes a point when something (or someone) snaps and all hell breaks loose.
But this play is much more than a gloriously riotous and uproarious comedy. We get to see the characters’ motivations and their internal rules via a real-time electronic dashboard on the set. www.stamfordartscentre.com or call 01780 763203 to ask about group bookings.
ARTIST STUART JARVIS is exhibiting his work in a solo show at Forest Framing Gallery in Uppingham from December 3-18. Artist and educator Stuart mainly works in charcoal and usually specialises in industrial architectural drawings but his exhibition will feature some familiar local scenes as well. www.stuartjarvis.co.uk or @stuartjarvis_art
POP ALONG TO Seaton church on Saturday and Sunday December 3-4 from 12-4pm to see their inaugural Christmas crib festival. The organisers are hoping to have as wide a selection of different crib nativity scenes as possible and it should be a wonderful sight. Entrance is £5 per adult, children are free. Tea, coffee and cake will be available.
THE HARBOROUGH SINGERS’ traditional Celebrity Christmas concert will take place on Saturday December 17 at 7:30pm at St Dionysius Church, Market Harborough and tickets are selling fast. The centre nave is already sold out but tickets for the side aisles and balconies are still available. Jemma Redgrave, renowned actress and member of the famous Redgrave family acting dynasty, is the celebrity who had been due to appear last year, until Covid put a stop to that. But she is back this year. Working together, choir, audience, and Jemma will create and enjoy a magical evening of Christmas songs, carols and readings, ranging from the exquisitely beautiful to the humorous and roof-raising. Musical Director will be Charlie Penn and the accompanist Andrew King. Tickets are available from j.r.balme@btinternet.com or www.harboroughsingers.com/ or 01858 467463
Missy’s
Easy Christmas cake
Stir up Sunday has been and gone but there’s still time to make this really quick and easy, lighter version of the traditional Christmas cake
INGREDIENTS
• 4 tbsp rum or brandy
• 1 orange zest and juice
• 600g mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, cranberries, apricots and cherries)
• 200g soft butter
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 40g ground almonds
• g plain our
• 100g pecan nuts or chopped almonds
• 75g crystallised ginger
METHOD
• Soak the dried fruit, orange zest and juice in the brandy overnight.
• Heat oven to 150 degrees (fan) and double line a 20cm tin with baking parchment.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Whisk the eggs in individually. Fold in almonds and our then add all of the soaked fruit mix. Add the nuts and ginger, give it a good stir and then spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth it until even.
• To decorate the cake either use marzipan and icing or candied fruit. Simple and easy! RECIPE
• Cook for one hour and then reduce the heat to 130 degrees and cook for another two hours. Check the cake to see if it’s cooked by putting a knife into the middle, if it comes out clear it’s ready. If not cook for a further 15 minutes. Cool in the tin. To store it either freeze it or if in a tin rap the cake tightly rst
Hops shoots and falls asleep
Rowan Griffiths talks hops
BEER IS A subject very close to my heart but I was surprised to learn that hops were not used to avour and preserve ale in this country until the fifteenth century. Before that the avourings added to malted barley the principal ingredient in beer were such things as bog myrtle, yarrow, sage, wormwood, nettles and dandelions. uck. Hops though give the perfect blend of bitterness, aroma and stability.
Introduced from the Low Countries in the fourteenth century the hop is a perennial climbing plant, now common along the sunny side of hedgerows in lowland England but less so further north and in Wales. Although a climber it is not a vine but a bine. The former clings onto other plants by sending out tendrils or suckers, whereas the bine wraps its whole stem around a supporting structure in an anticlockwise helix and can grow up to 12 inches in a day and reach a height of over twenty feet.
The leaves are nettle-like and deeply divided into 3-5 lobes, rough when touched and with toothed margins. Male and female owers grow on different plants. It is the female owers, having developed into cone shaped fruit with a scaly appearance in September that are used for commercial brewing.
In the spring the plentiful and slender shoots can be simply sautéed in butter rather like asparagus and served as an accompaniment to many savoury dishes.
It is not only beer that can make you drowsy. The hop is a member of the cannabis family and is mildly sedative. A tea can be brewed from the owers collected and dried in the autumn and can also be placed in pillows to help with your slumbers.
GARDENING
Deck the halls…
Tessa Burns from Welland Vale Garden Centre tells us how to make our own Christmas decorations
WE’RE ALL WATCHING our pennies and as a garden centre owner, at the risk of shooting myself in the foot, why not try making some of your own decorations. Search your garden for suitable materials and keep your eyes peeled when on a country walk. I am not advocating ripping growth from trees or shrubs, but like beach-combing after a storm, you can find interesting fallen twigs, fir cones, leaves and dried seed heads.
ou will need a wreath base, either made from stems of cornus, willow, acer or birch stems or a ready-made metal or willow base. A reel of oristry wire and stub wires. Foliage and decorations.
Suitable plants include fir, holly, ivy with berries, beech, nandina, pyracantha, mahonia, eucalyptus, olive twigs and sea holly. ou can keep your design natural or spray some items, it doesn’t have to be traditional gold, silver or copper. ou might prefer a bright modern scheme. ried seed heads, larch and the smaller alder cones, ordinary si ed fir cones, allium heads especially the huge allium Christophii dried hydrangea heads, poppy heads and honesty all sprayed, are very useful for Christmas decorations and arrangements. reserve fern fronds, acer leaves and others by soaking in a solution of 1 part glycerine to 2 parts water for several days. This makes the leaves stronger and more exible to work with. Garden centres sell wreath picks which include pretty berry and acorn clusters, some frosted, dried fruit slices, cones, small tree baubles and sets of mini lights.
Trim the main components, group in threes, bind with orist wire and secure firmly to the wreath base overlapping each clump as you work. And now time to decorate. Groups of odd numbers are preferable to even numbers. Use a stub wire to secure each group to the wreath. A few delicate twigs, lichen covered twigs or tendrils of ivy complete an individual look. Add battery lights if required and a pretty
ribbon, and that’s it.
This method works for a candle surround for a table display and many of the items mentioned can make pretty tree decorations too. Buy a glue gun, get creative and you can make lots of decorations.
Or treat yourself to a wreath making workshop at your local garden centre for extra inspiration and guidance.
A festive container at the front door welcomes visitors. An arrangement of white and silver, a smack of clashing brights, or a traditional rich green and red. A dwarf conifer such as cupresssus Wilma or an evergreen grass for added height. There’s a lovely choice of suitable plants - cyclamen, hellebores, silver senecio, euphorbia, berried skimmia and gaultheria, variegated osmanthus and ivy and violas. These can all be planted out in the garden in the new year. Winter bedding is now available. anolas’ which are a cross between the heavier heads of pansies and the smaller viola are worth trying.
Christmas houseplants provide a splash of joy. Christmas cactus dislike cold and draughts but enjoy humidity so place on a gravel tray containing water, and water sparingly. oinsettia with their vibrant scarlet bracts look spectacular grouped in a large container. There are also white, pink and variegated varieties. They are happiest in a well-lit spot out of direct sunlight, and don’t overwater. Orchids are popular and available in many beautiful colours. These are traditional choices but for a special gift explore the houseplant department to find alternative ideas.
We’ve covered decorations inside and out but don’t forget the aroma of Christmas. Room sprays, diffusers and candles in frankincense and eucalyptus or ginger and lime or orange, cinnamon, clove and ginger will all conjure up festive memories.
The Welland ale and Orchard Caf team wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas and may we all look forward to a healthy and active 2 23.
www.wellandvale.co.uk
COMPETITION
RAGDALE HALL SPA, recently voted Best Spa for Guest Experience at the Good Spa Awards 2 22, is offering the chance for some well-deserved ‘You-Time’ for one lucky winner and their guest.
Enjoy a blissful spa experience with use of all facilities including six unique pools, a Thermal Spa with 11 heat and water experiences, a variety of fitness classes, plus a delicious two-course meal and a 4 -minute treatment each.
Ragdale Hall Spa is located in the beautiful Leicestershire countryside, which combines state-of-the-art facilities with the charm of traditional Victorian architecture to create one of the most luxurious and relaxing destination spas in the country.
If you’re not the lucky winner on this occasion, Ragdale Hall Spa gift vouchers are the perfect way to give the gift of ou-Time’ this festive season. If you’re looking for a stocking-filler or a stand-out gift, there’s something to suit all tastes and pockets. Gift vouchers start from just 25 and are also available as an E- oucher.
For more information visit www.ragdalehall.co.uk or call 1 4 433 3 .
T Cs The pri e is available for over 1 s only. Travel is not included. The pri e is valid for eight months from the date the winner is notified, subject to availability. Arrival from 4.3 pm, departure up to .3 pm. ri e valid Monday to Thursday.
To enter the competition go to www.theactivemag.com/competitions and enter your name and email address. Closing date is 3 January 2023.
Bright town
Brighton has a fabulous beach, the UK’s most popular Pride festival, labyrinthian shopping lanes and the grandeur of an iconic royal palace
WHEN GEORGE, PRINCE of Wales
known as rinny , later George I , first visited Brighton in 1783 to stay with his errant uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, it was just a small fishing village. And, what was to become the Royal Pavilion, was a humble farmhouse. George was drawn to Brighton as it was becoming a seaside retreat for the rich and notorious, keen to try various health remedies like sea bathing. He had a passion for the arts, fashion and architecture but also for other pleasures such as women, good food and drink. He died a very overweight and unhealthy man.
isitors still ock to Brighton all year round for seaside fun, bright lights, culture, quirky independent shops and an inclusive LGBT community. And, of course, to enjoy the enormous eight-mile-long sweeping beach which is packed as soon as the sun comes out. It’s often the one you see on the news when there’s a heatwave.
Brighton is perfect for families as there’s something for all ages. If you walk along Madeira Drive parallel to the beach you could play cra y golf or go on the ip wire, take a ride on the olk’s Electric Runway or visit the famous pier. It’s becoming a city known for its aquatic sports sailing, surfing, diving and swimming with a new open water swimming centre being built. On land, beach volleyball is hugely popular.
Close to the burnt-out old pier on west beach is the controversial tourist attraction, the Brighton i360, a 162m moving observation tower which gives a bird’s eye view of the town and surrounding South owns. I wouldn’t say it blends in well with the grandeur of the regency seafront crescents and gardens but I suppose that’s not the point of it.
Also on the beach is the Beach Box Spa, a wood fired public sauna in three re-purposed horse boxes. There are outdoor seating areas, a fire pit, fresh water showers, a plunge pool and ice bath. And you can choose spa treatments such as leaf whisks, face masks, salt scrubs and ice balls. Winter is apparently the busiest time although they do shut during electrical storms and when winds are over 50 mph!
There’s a huge rejuvenation project underway along Madeira Terrace which will restore the area east of the seafront and improve access to the beach. The grade 2 listed Terrace has been an iconic part of Brighton’s seafront since the 18 s and the first phase involves 4 arches being restored into a viewing platform for events on Madeira rive below. At more than half a mile long it’s the longest cast iron structure of its kind in Britain and will be seriously impressive when it’s finished.
There are various art galleries and pop-up shops housed under the arches near the Terrace and then, of course, there’s the winding lanes famous for their quirky independent shops and the jewellery quarter.
May is the month for the Brighton Festival which includes music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and family events and takes place in venues all over the city of Brighton and Hove. Brighton ride is a riot of colour and carnival during the first week of August.
And, of course, no visit to Brighton is complete without taking a tour of the iconic Royal Pavilion. Because of George IV’s fascination with eastern culture, it’s a fanciful blend of Mughal-inspired architecture on the outside with its minarets and domes and incredible chinoiserie interiors. It really has to be seen to be believed.
Queen Victoria was never keen on the palace or the town, considering it too crowded so she sold the Royal Pavilion to the town in 185 . uring the first world war it was turned into a military hospital primarily for injured Indian soldiers. It must have been an ama ing place to convalesce under the incredible chandeliers and silver dragons. For the Sikh and Hindu soldiers who died from their wounds, the Chattri Indian war memorial marks the site of the funeral pyre, overlooking the town on the South Down Way.
Further away near Lewes is Charleston House, where artists Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and others spent the war years painting on practically every surface, turning the house into a living work of art. There’s always plenty of exhibitions, workshops and performances to enjoy. And further east is Cuckmere Haven beach which is dominated by the stunning chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters, also well worth a visit.
The region is becoming very well known for being a leading producer of sparkling wine and no trip to Brighton would be complete without a visit to one of the many vineyards nestled in the South Downs’ chalky limestone hills. Sussex is home to around 50 wineries, more than any other county in the country. So don’t hang around, visit Brighton now!
If you enjoy eating out or cooking with top-quality ingredients, join the Great Food Club.
MELTON MOWBRAY-BASED
Great Food Club was founded in 2010 by Old Stamfordian Matt Wright. It’s grown into one of the most extensive regional food and drink guides in the UK, comprising an app, website and annual printed guide featuring artwork by Matt’s father, Stamford local Graham Wright. The Club now has 16,000 members and a network of more than 650 independent businesses.
Covering the East Midlands and Cambridgeshire anyone can use the Great Food Club as a guide to excellent restaurants, pubs and farm shops. You don’t have to pay to access the GFC website or receive its weekly email newsletter the ‘Tuesday Digest’. And you can use the website to search for the places that the Great Food Club team have visited and recommended.
A trusted guide
Founder and editor Matt says: ‘Our reviewers visit or try the wares of restaurants, pubs, producers and shops to see if they meet our criteria before adding them to our website. We occasionally remove places if they fall outside our criteria.’
Hidden gems
Explaining how Great Food Club came about, Matt says: ‘I used to drive past Melton Mowbray’s town sign and see: The Rural Capital of Food. I love food and drink but struggled to find the producers, pubs and farm shops that the sign promised. After doing some research I discovered plenty of amazing places but they were all hidden away. So I created Great Food Club to shine a light on them and put them all in one easy-to-find place. I started off covering Leicestershire and Rutland but later widened it to cover the East Midlands and Cambridgeshire.’
Discerning criteria
‘To meet the original aim of Great Food Club, we feature restaurants, pubs, producers and food shops on merit, not because they pay us a fee. So our criteria for adding businesses to the Great Food Club consists of one question: would we recommend this independent food or drink business to a discerning friend? If the answer is yes, we add it to our website, free of charge. By doing that, we hopefully create a trusted guide to great places.’
Member offers
If you love eating out you might want to become a full Great Food Club member. Full members get the added benefit of a membership card (either hard copy or digital card on your phone) that unlocks more than 12 dining offers at recommended places such as The Olive Branch in Clipsham and Hambleton Hall near Oakham. Full members also receive a copy of the annual 140-page Great Food Club Handbook each year – the perfect glovebox companion during your foodie travels.
A business network
‘As well as being a guide to excellent independents, Great Food Club has become a linked network of businesses,’ says Matt, a former magazine editor. ‘Many businesses now interact with each other through the club, do business together, share information and support each other. That outcome wasn’t part of the original plan, but it’s a bonus.’
Stamford and area
Local businesses that the GFC recommends include Stamford venues The Blonde Beet, Grasmere Farm, Lambert’s and The King’s Head. Moving slightly further afield, GFC recommends The Bertie Arms in U ngton, Bowthorpe ark Farm near Bourne, Nene alley Spirits at Sacrewell Farm and revost at The Haycock in Wansford as well as many more in the heart of Rutland and further afield.
Annual awards
Every October, the GFC announces its annual award winners and the annual Great Food Club Handbook appears each January. Great Food Club’s 2022/3 award-winners include Orbis in Stamford, The Olive Branch in Clipsham and Lily Honey Bakery in Oakham. Its Food Hero of the ear was Aaron atterson, executive head chef at Hambleton Hall.
To find out more about the Great Food Club, visit www.greatfoodclub. co.uk or follow Matt and the team on Instagram or Facebook – @ greatfoodclub
Eat well, save money!
Great Food Club members can claim unique offers at more than 120 restaurants, pubs and delis. Here are three examples. To claim these offers, GFC members need to show their Great Food Club membership card – either a hard copy or a digital card, available when you sign up for the GFC app.
The Lake Isle, Uppingham
2 off the la carte menu, Tuesday to Saturday lunchtimes.
Hambleton Hall, Hambleton, near Oakham
Complimentary glass of Champagne or aperitif each with dinner for two. Also, room upgrade subject to availability when staying overnight with dinner for two.
Orbis, Stamford
2 off every Wednesday for up to four people per membership card.
What the GFC says…
Here’s what Great Food Club’s reviewers say about three of the Active team’s favourite local pubs, producers and restaurants:
Don Paddy’s, Uppingham
‘This friendly, bustling and perennially popular café, bar and restaurant in the centre of Uppingham offers good food and drink from a varied menu. On our visit, a shared seafood platter was simple, generous and tasty, served with three dips and salad. From a dessert menu of half-a-dozen items, a Grand Marnier crème caramel was shared and was very good – smooth, well-cooked caramel with soft zest infused with Grand Marnier.’
New Lodge Farm, Bulwick
‘You’ll find everything local and seasonal for your larder, including homemade pies, a superb array of fruit and veg, locally produced cheeses, bread, cakes, wine and preserves. The café is equally locally focused. On our visit, we enjoyed a delicious roast followed by a crumble made with apples from the New Lodge orchard.’
The Pickled Shop at Bulwick
A past winner of our Shop of the Year award, The Pickled Shop was almost completely destroyed by fire just a couple of years ago. Today, it is back to being one of the most beautiful village shops you’ll find. Not only does it sell delicious cakes and local produce, but it also has a stunning ‘tea terrace’ – Bulwick Village Shop is a slice of heaven in north Northamptonshire.’
Super sushi
Mary had never been tempted to try
sushi
until she had lunch with the owners of Sushi and Salad; now she’s a convert
WILLIAM AND JULIANA
Hunt are a very good pairing and between them they have opened two restaurants with a third imminent. With both of them playing to their strengths, uliana’s che ng skills and William’s design ones, there appears to be no stopping them and their success is well deserved.
Juliana came to the UK from Brazil 18 years ago and settled initially in Ely which she loved. She had travelled the world before arriving here perfecting her cooking skills in Europe on the way. And her dream was always to open a restaurant. A few years later she met William, they got together and the dream was about to be realised. But what sort of restaurant? Portuguese, Italian, Brazilian? No, Juliana wanted to open a sushi restaurant.
But there was method in her madness. Juliana was brought up in Sao Paulo which is home to the largest number of Japanese residents outside Japan, 2 million of them. So, of course, the city is full of sushi restaurants which Juliana loved. She grew up eating sushi and learnt how to cook it as she has always been fascinated by food, its taste and textures.
I had no idea uliana knew anything about sushi, let alone wanted to open a restaurant serving it,’ says William. ‘I’d been to Japan quite a bit and liked sushi but when uliana cooked it for me it was the best I’d ever had. She is far too modest sometimes but her passion for food and the art of it as well as the taste is very apparent.’
The couple opened their first restaurant where uliana first settled when she arrived in the UK, Ely, in February 2021. But, of course, that was during one of the lockdowns so it was a takeaway initially. Ely embraced us straight away,’ says William. ‘Sushi is a
perfect takeaway as it travels well and we quickly built up a loyal customer base.’
The couple like market towns for their restaurants and the market towns certainly like them. So Stamford became their second restaurant, opening in July this year. Many of you will have noticed the newly refurbished restaurant in Stamford’s high street and it really is quite stunning. William’s design skills have been put to good use here. He’s an engineer and designer with a love of architecture and this is all re ected in the beautiful décor and furnishings that are in the Sushi and Salad restaurant. There’s an
'Good sushi is ‘fresh, fresh and fresh.’ Fish is sushi grade and delivered three times a week. Local veg is delivered daily and local meat twice a week.'
eclectic mix of 1 5 s, s and 7 s apanese design and furnishings, including the crockery and some lighting, which sits alongside 1 2 s European bits with modern tables which they’ve made themselves and Scandinavian chairs. Think kitsch and chic which really works as well as being comfortable. The whole place has a welcoming, friendly feel and atmosphere too. The wallpaper was specially printed, apanese lattice work reproduced and it all blends perfectly including the clouds on the ceiling. And you must go and look at the loo. But all this beautiful design and ambience is for nothing if the food isn’t any good. But don’t worry uliana’s skills in the kitchen
quite easily match William’s design ones. uliana’s menu is based on traditional apanese sushi which reminds me of home.’
But she has put her own take on some of the rolls, creating her own recipes including the crunch. Her blend of different tastes and foods, such as salmon and strawberry try it really does take sushi to another level. And the presentation is beautiful. The name Sushi and Salad, suggested by her son, aptly describes the sushi rolls as every one of them has salad vegetables in them such as avocado or fruit including mango. And then there is the miso, katsu curry and some delicious cod in batter and dumplings as well as much, much more. The menu is extensive and
varied and this sushi restaurant is definitely not just rolls of rice and raw fish.
Good sushi is fresh, fresh and fresh.’ Fish is sushi grade and delivered three times a week. Local veg is delivered daily and local meat twice a week. Sushi is not something that you can expect to be served quickly as it is made to order with everything starting from scratch, apart from the rice which is prepared hourly . It is not a quick process so keep this in mind when you visit or come for a takeaway.
uliana trains all her chefs, despite them already being experienced sushi chefs, at Ely as she wants them to make it her way, understandably. It takes four years to train as a sushi chef. Most of the chefs are either apanese or Nepalese and all the waiting staff are trained as well and really enjoy learning about sushi and passing their knowledge on.
I had never really liked the idea of sushi, not being a fan of raw fish or cold rice my perception, which was incorrect. My impression of sushi was Rowan Atkinson getting his tie stuck in the conveyor belt in the ohnny English film and the fact that you could die if you ate some of the fish that was prepared the wrong way. uliana, William and I had a laugh about this, no blowfish are used here.’
I have been converted to loving the sushi produced by uliana. The menu can be confusing so ask for advice. The food just ows out of the kitchen and I can guarantee you’ll love it. There’s vegan options and much of it is gluten free and it is definitely good for you. I’m a fan and I’m in good company; Bradley Cooper whilst filming at Ely became a regular much to uliana’s delight!
www.sushiandsalad.com
Two pubs, one guv’nor
What’s it like running two very different but extremely successful gastropubs? Kate met Stephen Fitzpatrick to fi nd out
STEPHEN FITZPATRICK IS a man who appreciates good food which is lucky as he’s the owner and chef of two successful gastropubs near Market Harborough, an area well known for its discerning customers. As the youngest of 12 siblings, ‘the most extravagant food we ate was mince and potatoes,’ he told me when I met him in the village bar at The George in Great Oxendon. Not any more!
Stephen originally planned to become an upholsterer in his father’s business, but when the time came for him to start work in 1982 the country was in the middle of a recession and work was slow. As his dad pointed out, ‘people still want to eat,’ so he took an apprentice chef job in a local bistro under the tutelage of Ferenc Veiger, spending four years there. It was a bit of an eye opener at first working split shifts and missing out on competitive football, but he enjoyed the buzz of service and the high octane environment, eventually moving on to The Belmont Hotel in Leicester.
A short spell in a ski resort in France gave him his love for France and French food which is what his cooking has since been rooted in;
he loves classics like cassoulets, confit duck, over sole and real hearty cooking. He headed to the Cotswolds for his first head chef’s job where he met Tracy, the hotel receptionist, soon to be his wife. After stints in various restaurants around the country including a return to the Belmont, he decided 22 years ago that, as a father of four children, he needed to take more control of his earnings so he and Tracy went looking for a pub to rent. After a few false dawns they found The Joiners Arms in Bruntingthorpe which had plenty of room upstairs to house the whole family, not always easy to find when you’re living above a pub. Two years later they bought the freehold and ‘we’re still there banging the drum after 20 years.’
Food society
They specialise in modern European cuisine; top end stuff which we can do as we have a great client base who have been super supportive throughout the 20 years.’ There are 56 covers, drinkers tend to frequent The Plough, the other pub in the village. And Stephen also runs the Joiners Food Society with 1,400 people on the database who enjoy food society dinners and events. They also offer Auberge suppers with a three course plat du jour for £19.95 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday lunch and dinner.
‘We also used to do all sorts of things like Ask the Chef,’ Stephen says, ‘so while we were cooking at 100 miles an hour in the pub kitchen, customers could phone us for advice on what they were cooking at home. It sounds mad, but it was good fun.’
Patently not a man to choose a simple life, Stephen took on a bistro with 110 covers called The Boot Room in Leicester city. But as more and more restaurants opened at Highcross shopping centre ‘the little guy on his own had an uphill battle. We had a great six years but we had enough in the end competing with the big boys.’
But what the customers in the city lost, residents in Great Oxendon just outside Market Harborough gained. In 2016 Stephen and Tracy bought The George and spent two years refurbishing it.
Lazy lunches
‘We were careful to make sure we retained the charm of the building which has been an inn since the 13th century,’ says Stephen. ‘The bar is very popular with the villagers and their dogs, and we have a lot of
passing tra c. It’s more airy and spacious at The George than the oiners. Sitting in the restaurant in the summer with the bifold doors open onto the patio and gardens, eating dressed Cromer crab with a glass of Sancerre in your hand is really lovely. Then again I like sitting in the restaurant with the wood burner going in the winter with a blade of beef and a glass of Rioja, not that it happens often.
We have a loyal following for the food we do. There are no packets or powders here but we’re not food snobs - if someone wants to come and just have a starter, or starter and pudding we’re happy to do that. But what we do, we do well. I may cook a simple lemon sole with caper and butter sauce, French beans and skinny fries but it’s good.
I’m the full-time chef at the oiners. It’s a di cult kitchen, small and poky, but it’s built around me whereas the kitchen at The George is beautiful with induction hobs and plenty of space. Tina, my head chef, has been with us for 2 years, Chris, my long suffering nephew and ma tre d’ has been with us for 17 and we had a lad with us for 1 years. We manage to keep the staff despite the usual chef rants!’
Business is hard for everyone in the hospitality business. ouble cream used to be 7 a tub, it’s now 11 and I use a lot of cream and butter. But I still believe people are going out to eat. We have our Auberge suppers at The George too and Fish and Chip Friday lunchtimes are very busy. It’s 15. 5 including a glass of wine. And for big events you can hire the whole place - for weddings, anniversaries and corporate affairs, and we have four very nice ensuite double rooms.’
Before the pandemic Stephen had been spending more time running the bar as his chefs and front of house staff were doing such a great job. He also had more time to work on new plans for the
'You’ve got to love the social side of it. With such long hours, you wouldn’t last if you didn’t. If you don’t like doing the job, go and do something else. '
business. I like talking to the customers. When the kids were little and the baby monitors would go off in the kitchen, I’d take Tracy’s place out front as she went upstairs. ou’ve got to love the social side of it. With such long hours, you wouldn’t last if you didn’t. If you don’t like doing the job, go and do something else.
Now I’m back to the cooking again. The best bit about the kitchen is the chat. I’ve had a ball in forty years of cooking and made some great mates. And I’m always interested in trying out new recipes. Whenever we go out here or abroad I bring the best ideas back. We’re about to visit San Sebastien to seek out some intxo.’
with Peterborough NHS and Rutland CAB. And he was planning to travel alone and solely by train from Stamford to Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam via Europe, Belarus, Russia, Mongolia and China.
The 30 day train journey was completed in 2010 and had a twist. John’s working life had been peppered with business class ights, private jets and five-star hotels so he challenged himself that in addition to the complex route planning, he would travel as cheaply as possible. This meant mixed sharing in four berth sleeper compartments, overnight stays in hostels, some of which were mixed dormitories (the cheapest option). By doing this John raised £2,500 for DebRA, a charity whose president was the railway buff Michael ortillo, who generously made the first donation.
‘Travelling alone was a revelation,’ said John. ‘Although I missed not sharing experiences with a friend or loved one there was a freedom I had not experienced before and I met so many interesting people.’ He mixed with students from England, Japan, Australia and the USA along the way as well as meeting a Russian astrophysicist, a young Israeli soldier, a female Vietnamese union representative and many Chinese nationals who offered to share their fruit on the trains despite not speaking English.
Whilst this was an extreme train journey John recommends train travel in Europe for UK retirees as fares are much cheaper than the UK and over 65s often get large discounts. He also recommends the website www.seat61. com which provides rail information across the world.
ohn’s other interest, genealogy, also took off in 2 1 when on a whim he decided to try to trace the heirs of an unclaimed estate after watching the TV programme Heirhunters. Initially he wanted to establish why professional heir hunters had, for fifteen years, failed to find any heirs. After two years of investigation he had cracked the case. The research uncovered three incredible families of ranchers in Argentina and John felt the urge to write about them and also about his quest for the inheritors. Writing and publishing became his next challenge.
The theme running through John’s retirement activities is his need to problem solve, to challenge himself and to learn new skills. It is all about maintaining an active brain,
although physical fitness is also vitally important. But he was finding that the volunteering was becoming all consuming as the Dickens Museum’s expectation of three days a month had turned into three a week so after three years in each of the posts John gradually withdrew.
From 2013 solo travel, train travel, writing, publishing and other challenges took over as John always has a project on the go. Train travel across China in 2010 encouraged him to return where he broke the Guinness World Record for the most miles travelled by train in 24 hours. A month’s solo trip to Argentina in 2014 enabled him to complete the research for his first book Seeking ohn Campbell Finding pioneers and patriots in the pampas. Such was his love of Argentina and solo travel that in 2017 he returned, but also incorporated Chile and Peru where he took the train from Cusco to Puno, beside Lake Titicaca.
Another TV programme, A House Through Time, became the hook for John’s next project. Living in a house built in 1842 he pondered who might have lived there before him and managed to unearth the previous occupants. The house was one of a uniform terrace of ten properties and he decided to research all ten and subsequently wrote Stamford Tenants a history of Rock Terrace and its occupants, which was published in 2020.
Until then mental challenges had taken precedence over physical activity but that changed in December 2020 when ohn had a heart attack and was quickly fitted with two stents. A reaction to the cocktail of drugs followed and that combined with the reduced mental and physical capacity, as a result of the trauma, provided an altogether different challenge. ‘I felt drained’ said John, ‘and there was definitely a loss of confidence,’ but with the help of his trainer Holly at Euphoria Fitness (John is her oldest client) fitness has returned.
Then, during lockdown, John was encouraged, by a professor of architectural history, to write about the previously unknown architect of both Rock House and Rock Terrace. The result, George Glover 1812-18 the unfulfilled potential of a ictorian architect was published this month.
Whilst waiting for the book proof and the printing he was able to once again embrace a solo train challenge. In October he travelled by train up though Norway and into the Arctic Circle. His aim was to ride the most northerly standard gauge passenger train in the world, between Narvik and Kiruna in Sweden.
There’s no stopping him. What will be John’s next project?
BON CAMINO!
Julie Lunt, volunteer for MindSpace Stamford, looks back on the enriching experiences that shaped her pilgrimage along the Caminho Portuguese
ON THE AFTERNOON of 7 October I stood in a large sunny square gazing up at the Cathedral de Santiago Compostela set on a hilltop in the Galician city of the same name in Northern Spain. This was the end of my pilgrimage, 470 miles of the Portuguese Caminho starting from Estoril near Lisbon.
I had walked on roads where lorries thundered towards me, along dusty tracks where the gravel hurt my feet, on cobbled streets and Roman roads where the stone slabs were worn smooth by the footsteps of pilgrims over a thousand years, on narrow paths in the early morning mist where dripping foliage soaked my clothes and trees ahead loomed dark and mystical.
I walked in torrential rain, when water ran like a river down the streets, under a large umbrella I bought in a Chinese bazaar, in blazing sunshine protected by the same
umbrella which eventually I abandoned in a hotel in Porto. I walked over high, rusty iron bridges where I could see the river owing through the holes beneath my feet and thought I might fall through at any moment and across ancient stone bridges built in Medieval times.
I walked beside dry river beds and gushing streams, railway tracks, the calm turquoise sea (paddling at the water’s edge to cool my sweaty feet), and with thundering waves smashing on the rocks.
I walked for up to 22 miles for 36 days over six weeks. At the end of each day I limped into my hostel or small hotel dripping in sweat, dusty and exhausted. On one occasion the receptionist told me it was OK to breathe!
Having hauled myself out of bed, I left each morning at first light and never once did I not want to walk. acking all my possessions into the same compartments of my backpack became a ritual. I rotated my two skirts and three vests each day and saved my one pair of trousers and two T-shirts and a eece for the evenings when it was cooler. My dusty sweaty clothes were dumped in the bottom of the shower before being rinsed, rung out then rolled in a towel to remove the last of the excess water. They were usually dry before morning though the occasional damp garment was hung from my backpack to finish drying en route.
GOOD COMPANY
It would have been a lonely experience without the people I travelled with and those I met along the way. I walked the first two weeks with Christine, and bus stops became our sanctuary when we needed to stop for a serious talk and rest when she feared the pain in her foot would prevent her from going any further. We cried with laughter when the weight of her backpack caused her to fall backwards while crouching to take a photo. She lay there like a helpless
Decorated stones and scallop shells at a Caminho signpost.
With my good friend Jean who was walking to celebrate beating cancer.
beetle, until I could compose myself enough to help her get up. When I was agging and breathless climbing some stony path, the Welsh National Anthem or The Proclaimers’ ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)’ began blaring out behind me from her phone and we both marched on in jubilant chorus. Bill, my partner, joined me for a few days along the coast before Porto. Our progress was slower and gentler, enjoying our time together along the board walks through the dunes and quaint seaside villages.
I walked with Jean into Spain – I had walked the last 100 miles of the Caminho with her in 2019. She is now 75 and walked to celebrate her recovery from cancer. I listened as she shared her experiences and changed plans and pace to enable her to complete the 100-mile challenge she had set herself to raise money for the small cancer charity who had supported her.
ALONE BUT NEVER LONELY
When I walked alone it was the people I met along the way who sustained me, such as the exuberant, weather-beaten Italian man, carrying a large pack with camping equipment and a pilgrim’s staff. He had travelled from Rome to Santiago and was heading for F tima. There was Helen and Essie who I walked with after an uncomfortable encounter the previous day and the woman who stopped me at her front door, pointing to her thin, elderly mother in a wheelchair at the window who managed to ask me, with a few words of English, to pray for them when I reached Santiago. As I walked alongside strangers, we shared our stories, some beautiful, uplifting and funny, others of the deepest pain imaginable. I felt humbled to be trusted at these moments.
When I finished, I could see muscles I have never seen before and I feel stronger, not just physically but mentally. I still pant up hills but quickly recover. I feel calmer and more confident. My pilgrimage is one of the best experiences of my life and I appreciate this luxury is never experienced by many of the people I passed in the towns and villages who wished me a ‘Bon Caminho’.
Julie was sponsored for her walk and picked up donations along the route, all of which will go to MindSpace. To date, she has raised £2,620. Visit www.gofundme.com/f/walking-the-caminhoportuguese-for-mindspace
At the end of my pilgrimage – the magnificent Cathedral de Santiago Compostela.
En route to the town of Fátima, a destination for Catholic pilgrims.
Christmas Sunday roasts from Dece mber
Extensive range of food, gifts and treats !
DON’T RUN!
Kate joined the Rutland Walking Football Club for a kickabout and found out what a friendly bunch they are. But sometimes they forget they’re not supposed to run…
WHAT DO YOU do if you love playing football, or any team sport, but find you’re slowing down and struggle to maintain the pace any longer? Or you’ve sustained injuries but your doctor recommends you still keep exercising? Well you can join the Rutland Walking Football Club for their twice weekly practice and even take part in local league matches. Their aim is to keep fit, have a laugh and occasionally get the ball into the net.’ I can vouch for that as there were a few goals scored when I met up with the team at Uppingham Community College one Thursday night in November. They were definitely having fun and by the end of the session I’d walked over 12,000 steps. You can get as stuck in as much or as little as you like.
To play in league matches players must be 50 years old or over. The team is a liated with Oakham United. The majority of players in the club are over 60 with some nifty over 70s too, and the odd man in his 40s. I say man, but women are strongly encouraged to join too, they would be more than welcome. Attendance is good; during a typical session about 15 people turn up for training either at 6pm on a Thursday night in Uppingham or 11am at Catmose Sports Club in Oakham on Sundays during the winter. Not
‘League matches involve six players including the goalkeeper, and the pitch is smaller than during practice.
This
is
a
relief as a full size pitch is rather large when you’re supposed to be walking to intercept the ball.’
everyone has played football before and members come from all walks of life; what unites them is finding a way of doing some exercise in a friendly environment with some competitive spirit thrown in.
League matches involve six players including the goalkeeper, and the pitch is smaller than during practice. This is a relief as a full si e pitch is rather large when you’re supposed to be walking to intercept the ball. I say walking in the loosest term as there was quite a lot of jogging going on. But one foot should be on the ground at all times whether you’re in possession of the ball or not. The ref did reprimand players if they went too fast! And for tackling from behind or the side, and no balls are allowed above head height. The two governing bodies, the FA and the WFA have slightly different rules and the Rutland club play an amalgamation of both. One particularly sporting rule they adhere to is pausing play if a player falls over, whether it’s their own fault or not.
The trouble is the players do appear to find it hard to reign in their enthusiasm for the game even when they know they’ll pay for it the next day by suffering from various aches and pains. But even with dodgy knees, hips and backs, they certainly look the part. And the social side of the club is almost as important. They organise various social events like their Christmas lunch at the Grainstore, and other evenings when partners are invited. And after training they pile down to their website sponsor, the Exeter Arms in Uppingham, for rehydration purposes.
New players are always welcome. Contact www. rutlandwalkingfootball.co.uk for more information.
WOODWORK AND WORDS
Described very tongue in cheek as the old man’s crèche; men in sheds is much more than that.
Mary visits for a cup of tea and a chat
IT’S A FACT; many men do not have many, or any, friends, don’t communicate well and are quite lonely. This can be equally true for younger men but older men who have retired sometimes lose their sense of purpose and belonging and can become socially isolated, even those that don’t live alone. This can, of course, be equally true for women.
Men in sheds, (and now women in sheds as well) is run by Age UK, Leicestershire and Rutland and provides a place for older men to come together to do something practical and creative, sharing tools and resources to work on projects of their own but mainly to create something for the community. Whilst doing this they are also making friends, sharing experiences and building a great little community of like-minded individuals. The Rutland shed is at Oakham Enterprise Park. I turned up just in time for a cup of tea and a chat before being shown around the workshop.
The shed is run by Brian Lee who is ably assisted by volunteer John Whittington who I met. John is a retired company director and trained engineer so knows how to use all the tools, can design virtually anything and can also organise and teach the men.
On the day I visited there were a dozen men who were enjoying a cup of tea and a chat before starting work. Today they were making Christmas trees and stars to be sold locally. Retired university lecturer Walter Middleton comes once a week and spends the whole day there and ‘enjoys giving something back to the community as well as meeting like-minded people.’ Most of the men in the Rutland shed are professionals ranging from doctors, company directors and teachers who all have an interest in DIY. ‘It’s a meeting of kindred spirits and everyone is very welcome; as long as you can stand up,’ said with a tongue firmly in cheek. My family describe it as the old man’s crèche,’ said one chap with a good sense of humour. And there were even a couple of dogs too.
Most of the work is done in wood and if you have a project, a repair or a bench to be made John and his team will set to for you. Orders are fulfilled which earns them the money to keep going. Bird boxes, hedgehog houses, cat boxes, planters, benches, tables, that sort of thing is what they make, all of which are sold or commissioned. Most of the men work on these projects together but Barry Richardson showed me with great pride the rocking horse he had recently completed; it was impressive.
They’re a welcoming bunch, friendly and full of fun and are always happy to see new people come through the door.
The men meet Mondays to Wednesdays with sessions from 9.30am -12.30pm and 12.30 - 3pm so you can stay all day. Membership is £100 a year and each session costs £2.50 to include tea and biscuits. The ladies meet on Thursdays. Contact Brian.lee@ageukleics.org.uk
9 North Street, Stamford PE9 1EL
01780 917104
athena_stamford Athena studio athenastamford@gmail.com
A good eye for homeware goods and an excellent retail instinct means Laura, owner of The White Country Store, is going great guns. Mary meets her
LAURA SULSH HAD worked in a building society for years but always had an interest in retail and a good eye for home interiors. She was widowed when her son was two and obviously her life very sadly changed. She needed to start working from home to be with her little boy.
I started selling stuff on ebay; anything and everything and did well at it mainly selling homeware and clothes. And it meant I could be at home with my son.’ Then she spotted on a TV personality’s Instagram site a snacking station and wanted to buy one but didn’t know where from. ‘I was desperate to get my hands on one so did lots of research and eventually found a wholesaler.’
Laura’s not daft. She not only wanted one for herself but realised that many other people would want them too. Using her Instagram account she started asking people if they were interested in one as well. And they were! She ordered 2,800 and before they even arrived had 500 reserved. ‘They were literally selling like hot cakes.’
And that was the beginning of the White Country Store. Laura had got the bug. She has always loved homeware and interiors and seems to have a good eye and a very strong retail instinct which she has put to good use. After the success of the snacking station she started sourcing other products and moved from selling on ebay to her own website. And this was all done during lockdown. She soon started stocking seasonal items so Halloween and Christmas were covered with springtime pots and Easter too so that was the whole year covered. She also designs, and has made locally, table runners and napkins which are very popular. Tablescaping is a rising trend which Laura has quickly spotted.
All was going well selling online but there’s no stopping Laura. In April 2022 she started on the markets in Stamford on Fridays and Saturdays. ‘I love doing the markets and chatting to customers. It’s fast paced and sociable and has proved really popular.’ Such a buzz has been created that she opened a small unit in Stamford’s Corn Exchange and in September this grew to a much larger unit!
‘The Corn Exchange is ideal because people are attracted in by the café and then have time to have a look around. And dogs are welcome too.’
This route offers a peaceful blend of town and country with plenty of water and a decent pub at the end. By Will Hetherington.
Images: Will Hetherington
Water is almost a constant companion on this walk.
Difficulty rating
The route
Park on the main road in West Deeping, near the Red Lion, or on the wider section of The Lane. Walk east down The Lane into the cluster of smart new houses at the end and look for the path off to the left. You will immediately be out into open country, with what is technically the river Welland on your right. It looks more like a stream here because the bulk of the water is diverted by the Maxey Cut for a few miles in this section, and even then the remaining Welland is split into two branches. But regardless of the name of the waterway it’s a very pleasant stretch of walking until you reach the A1175 at Molecey’s Mill. Cross the road here and turn right, then cross over the Greatford Cut and look for the footpath on the left before White House Farm. Go over the stile and follow the path and you will soon come to the dual carriageway, which is the Deeping bypass. Take care crossing all four lanes and then keep going straight ahead.
ACTIVE INFO
When you get to Millfield Road turn right and then left almost immediately on to the footpath. Stay on this footpath when it crosses Tattershall Drive and then follow it as it bends around to the left. You will then come into Kesteven Drive, a cul-de-sac with some mock Tudor houses. Take the next right into Meadway and you will see the footpath straight ahead leading to Hal eet, the main road into town, with smart Holland House right in front of you. Turn right here and pass St Guthlac’s church and a series of fine Georgian buildings along the way into the town centre.
Molecey’s Mill is a former watermill on what was the Stamford Canal, which was in use from the 17th century for 200 years. The canal was built so the merchants of Stamford could get their goods to the coast and was completed by 1673. The river Welland was too shallow and had too many mills on it. Today Molecey’s Mill is still an important part of the heritage of Market Deeping and the area.
When you reach the main roundabout cross over and keep heading south. Immediately after the bridge you will see the footpath on the right. Drop down here and you will soon be back on the banks of the Welland as it meanders back towards Molecey’s Mill. Stay on the path along the riverbank, through the woods and under the A15. You will then skirt around the eastern edge of the grounds of the Mill and, keeping the river on your immediate right all the way, follow the path all the way to Mill Road on the top edge of Maxey. When you get to the road turn right and then right again in 50 metres just before Maxey Mill. Follow the signs and keep to the footpath as it crosses the meadow back towards West Deeping. When you get to the road at the end of the meadow turn right and walk back into the village where you can enjoy refreshments at the Red Lion, I’d recommend it.
