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The 2020 renewal of the annual Melton International CiCle Classic, due to take place on Sunday 19th April, has been cancelled as a result of the restrictions caused by the Coronavirus.

The news was announced on the CiCLE Classic website:

It is with the utmost regret that we have to advise that owing to the extreme circumstances faced by us all in relation to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to cancel the 2020 edition of the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic set to take place on Sunday 26th April.

To all our Teams, riders, officials, sponsors and fans, take care, STAY HEALTHY and we look forward to welcoming you all back in 2021!!

CiCLE Classic Website

The venues doing takeaway food in Oakham, in the county of Rutland.

UPDATE 12/22 to include Uppingham Takeaways and Rutland Takeaways as separate posts and add newly submitted ones to Oakham.

Oakham takeaways have got increasingly popular since the 2020 lockdown and more and more Oakham takeaways seem to pop up, change names or move. We will try to keep this post as up to date as possible but if you are aware of new Oakham takeaways, or takeaways in Uppingham or other villages, please leave a comment.

Oakham Takeaways and Food Deliveries

NameTakeaway/
Delivery

West End Fish Bar
Fish & Chips, etc.
Cold Overton Road, Oakham
01572755246
12pm-2pm. 4pm-10pm. Closed Sunday.
Takeaway

Golden Dragon
Chinese
Cold Overton Road, Oakham
01572723906
5pm-10pm. Closed Monday
Takeaway

Bar.B.Q. House
Melton Road, Oakham
01572771227
4.30pm-12am. Thu/Fri 4.30pm-2.30am
Takeaway

Red India
Asian Cuisine
Melton Road, Oakham
01572724999
5.30pm-11.30pm Every Day
Takeaway

Oakham Chinese
Chinese
Mill Street, Oakham
01572770379
5pm-10.30pm. Closed Monday
Takeaway

Shanghai
Chinese
Melton Road, Oakham
01572770688
5pm -10.30pm. Closed Tuesday
Takeaway

Rutland Balti House
Indian
01572757232
Mon-Sat 5.30pm-12am. Sunday 1-3pm, 5.30pm-12am
Takeaway

Eastern Delight
Curries, Pizza, Kebab, Burgers
Fri/Sat 5pm-1:20am. Sun-Thurs 5pm-11:20pm
Takeaway
Delivery

10 Dining Street
Indian
New St, Oakham
01572 722644 / 07806 685959 (order by SMS /Whatsapp)
Mon-Sun : 5:30 - 11pm
Takeaway

Amigos
Pizza
Mill St, Oakham
Tuesday- Thurs 5-10pm // Fri - Sun 4-10pm
Takeaway

Domino's Pizza
Oakham
Takeaway
Delivery

Wisteria Hotel
Sunday Roast
Catmos Street, Oakham
Sunday - pickup between 12:30pm and 7:30pm
Takeaway

The Royal Duke
Indian
West Rd, Oakham
5:30 - 11pm every night (order from 3:30pm)
Takeaway
Delivery

Everest Lounge
Indian/Nepalese
Church Street, Oakham
Tues-Sat : 4:30pm-10pm, Sun 12pm - 10pm
Takeaway

Farmer Lou
Fresh meat, ready meals
Tower House Farm, Oakham
07807748352
Tuesday - Sunday 10am-10pm
Delivery

Fika
Modern Scandi
Mill St, Oakham
Day time Takeaway
International dishes in evening
Fri and Sat Evening meals
Oakham Takeaway

The Feast
Cafe / hot dishes / soup
Mill St, Oakham
Mon-sat 9am - 3pm
Takeaway

Frenchie
French Cuisine
Oakham
07481144678
Opening 21/01/21
Takeaway
Delivery

Greggs
Bakery
High St, Oakham
Opening August 2021
Takeaway

The Daily Grind
Coffee / Sandwiches
Church Street, Oakham
Mon-Sat : 9am - 5pm , Sun 10am - 4pm
Takeaway Delivery

Sarpech
Indian
Burley Rd, Oakham
Tuesday - Sunday 5pm-9pm
Delivery (+£3.50/£5.00)
Takeaway
Delivery

Hungry Birds
Light Lunches, Cakes, Coffees
Burley Rd, Oakham
Mon - Sat 9:30 - 5pm
Children's packed lunches
Oakham Takeaway

McDonalds
Takeaway
Lands End Way, Oakham
7am - 11pm
Takeaway

San Giorgio
Italian
Church St, Oakham
Thurs / Fri Saturday evenings
Takeaway

Rutland Roast
Sunday Roast
Online (Orbis)
Sunday 12pm - 6pm
Delivery

Oakham Fish bar
Fish, chips, pies etc.
Ashwell Road Oakham
Mon-Sat 11:30am–2pm, 4:30–9pm
Oakham Takeaway

Orbis
Pizza, steak, fish, international
Church St, Oakham
Thurs - Sat (4pm - 10pm)
Takeaway
Delivery

Otters
Sandwiches, Salads, Soups, platters
High St, Oakham
Monday-Saturday 9am-5:30pm
Takeaway

Rutland Chinese
Chinese
Market Pl, Oakham
Thurs - Sat (4pm - 8pm)
Takeaway

Rutland Cakeaway
Cakes, Puddings & Milkshakes
Oakham / Online
Fri, Sat and Sun 5-10:30pm or full size bakes Fri-Mon daytime.
Delivery

Rutland Chef
Cakes, Tarts, Confectionary
Online (Rutland)
Delivery

The venues doing takeaway food in Uppingham, in the county of Rutland.

UPDATE 12/22 to include Oakham Takeaways as a separate post and add newly submitted ones to Uppingham and villages.

Uppingham takeaways have got increasingly popular since the 2020 lockdown and more and more takeaways seem to pop up, change names or move. We will try to keep this post as up to date as possible but if you are aware of new Uppingham takeaways, or takeaways in Oakham or other Rutland villages, please leave a comment.

Uppingham Takeaways

NameTakeaway/
Delivery

Silver Fish Bar
Fish & Chips, Pies, Burgers
North St. East, Uppingham
01572821637
Takeaway
Closed Sunday

Red India
Indian
Stockerston Road, Uppingham
01572829999
Takeaway

Wings
Chinese
North St. East, Uppingham
01572823033
Takeaway

Chois
Chinese
3 North St. East, Uppingham
01572820200
Takeaway

Fortune Corner
Chinese
Market Place, Uppingham
Takeaway

The widespread Coronavirus pandemic has hit many Rutland events which were due to take place in the coming weeks.

The UK Government imposed restrictions aimed at restricting the spread of the virus, including an effective ban on mass gatherings.

Although not implicitly forbidden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested that medical personnel, usually present at sports and cultural events in case of accidents, should instead be available to the NHS at this time of need.

Midlands Pointing announced on Tuesday 17th March that all the remaining point-to-point horse racing meetings due to take place in the Midlands were cancelled, including the four fixtures due to take place at Garthorpe Racecourse, just outside Wymondham.

The Cottesmore Hunt have announced that their traditional Boxing Day meet will take place at Exton Park on 26th December 2022.

The gathering, which attracts hundreds of spectators and mounted supporters, usually takes place on Cutts Close, Oakham, but has also used the Market Place and Council Offices in recent years.

Exton Park is the ancestral seat of the Noels, and is currently the home of Henry Noel and family.

The Cottesmore Hunt, based in Ashwell, was founded in 1666, and a Boxing Day meet has been an annual event for over 350 years.

In a statement, the Cottesmore Hunt wrote, “The Cottesmore Hunt would like to inform all those who wish to show their support for our hounds, the the annual Boxing Day meet will be held at Exton Park on Monday 26th December at 11am. Entrance to the park is through the white gates off the Barnsdale to Cottesmore road. Stewards will direct you to the car park.”

The statement continues, “We are delighted ’For Rutland’ will be holding their traditional collection - please be generous to this amazing local charity.”

Fox hunting was banned in 2004, but continues in the form of trail hunting, or by using one of several exemptions laid out in The Hunting Act.

Melton Hunt Club Racecard and Entries now online.

The penultimate race meeting of the Midlands season brings the return of spectators to Garthorpe, where the going is described as on the easy side of good for the Melton Hunt Club meeting.

Public entry for this meeting is by ticket only, in order to comply with COVID regulations. Tickets for the spectator zone are available via the Midlands Pointing website. Garthorpe is North of Wymondham, between Saxby and Coston on the B676/

There are 128 horses entered for this seven-race meeting with the first race starting at 2pm. Prior to this there will be some pony races.

A number of horses have entries in more than one race and also at other race meetings. Please check the list of nonrunners on the day. Several races have more than 20 horses entered meaning they could be split when declarations have been made.

The feature race of the afternoon will be the Mixed Open at 4.20pm. 22 horses have entries in this race including veteran campaigner Hazel Hill. Other entries of note include Diplomate Sivola, Just Cause, Robin des People, Southfield Theatre, Royal Chant and Badbad Leroy Brown. Minella Friend returns having won the Fernie Four-Miler last time out. Gina Andrews has a ride on Excitable Island for Nigel Padfield or Celtic Silver for husband Tom Ellis.

The afternoon's first jump race is the Club Members Conditions race. A number of the Mixed Open horses have entries in this race as well, making for an interesting line-up. Celtic Silver will probably run in this race, with Gina Andrews on board, while brother Jack has a number of possible rides, including Bingo Star, winner of the Conditions race here at the last meeting at the end of April, and Al Shahir, second here last time out. Hadmeathello beat Bingo Star at Dingley in April, while Irish Anthem is trained by in-form Joe O'Shea.

Fier Jaguen returns to the Midlands for the Restricted race, next, having won last time at Dingley in impressive fashion. How To Get Away won here at Garthorpe last time, while Ivebeentold and The Rosary Flyer won their maidens over the shorter 2m4f distance. Rebel Dawn Rising could be due a win after finishing a good second last time, especially with David Kemp's yard being on good form of late.

The Novice Riders Conditions race is next up, where Minella Friend - winner of the Mixed Open Fernie Four-Miler last time - and Brown Bear - winner at Mollington a fortnight ago are two to watch.

The next is the Final of Retraining of Racehorses and The Jockey Club Veteran Horse series, for horses of ten years old or older. As one might expect for a series final this race has attracted a good quality of entries, but once again a number of these horses are also entered in other races on this card. Thumb Stone Blues carries top weight here having won their last four outings for the James King/Jason Warner team but this quality field should produce a great race.

What is planned to be the final jump race of the day is the Maiden, with 23 entries, but there are a number of trainers and jockeys with multiple entries here, in the hope of a split race. Of the previously pointed horses in this field the one most due a win must be the Chatfeild-Roberts family's Go Go Geronimo, with four seconds to date, including a close second here last time, having been caught on the run in by How To Get Away. Alan Hill-trained Le Grand Fromage is another who was second on their last outing, and with some good performances under rules they must be due to move up the grades soon. Bradley Gibbs could ride Watching Brief, placed under rules, for their first attempt between the flags. Kaproyale is another debutante of interest, from the stable of Francesca Nimmo. Also in this line-up are the usual smattering of four and five-year-old store horses, including the grey Champs Elysees gelding Jervaulx who has a ten-pound allowance.

Finally our day's entertainment is brought to a close by the Point-to-Point Flat Race for four and five year old horses, run over the shorter two mile distance. As many as 15 could come to post for this, the majority on their racecourse debut, some travelling a long way for this chance to impress before a possible trip to the sales.

The team behind the Rutland Bird Fair have announced that it is to return in a slightly different form.

The newly christened Global Bird Fair will now take place at Rutland Showground on the 15th, 16th and 17th July 2022.

Some users on social media responded to Tim Appleton's tweet announcing the dates of the new fair with questions about the carbon footprint and environmental concerns, pointing out that these were the reasons cited when the bird fair was cancelled late last year.

Author Kate Bradbury tweeted, "Weren't environmental concerns, both locally, and internationally, significant in the decision to cancel the original Birdfair? How will this new version be different in terms of carbon footprints of exhibitors and trampling of the nature reserve itself?"

https://twitter.com/kate_bradbury/status/1483849552004362241?s=12

One birder responded by saying that it would be bigger and generate even more carbon.

The Global Bird Fair website is addressing some of these concerns. On their home page they state that they aim to help worldwide nature conservation, adding that they are working closely with a carbon offsetting company in order to make "significant contributions to the scheme", and "we aim to make Global Bird Fair as carbon neutral as possible."

Opening Times

The Bird Fair will be open to the public from 9am to 5.30pm on Friday 15th, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th July, with last admission at 4pm.

Tickets and exhibitors

Tickets and programmes will be available to book online from 14th February 2022 and visitors are requested to purchase online if at all possible. Exhibitors may book from the same date using a form on the website.

Getting to the Global Bird Fair

On foot:

Rutland Showgroud is a 25 minute walk from the centre of Oakham.

By Shuttle Bus:

There will be a shuttle bus available for routes between Oakham Railway Station & Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre at Egleton and the Global Birdfair site at Rutland Showground.  Timetable to be confirmed.

By Bicycle:

Bicycles can be ridden to an allocated area near the Showground entrance where they can be left during your visit to Global Birdfair.  Bicycles are not permitted on the event site.

By Car:

There is ample free car parking at Rutland Showground including forward parking for those with Disabled badges and those who require mobility assistance during the event.  A BP petrol station is situated opposite the site.

By Train:

Oakham Railway Station is 1 mile from the Global Birdfair event site. 

They hope to run a shuttle service between the station and the event.  

By Bus:

There are several bus services running through Oakham.  Please see the Rutland Council website and search for Oakham for details of services.

By Taxi:

There will be a taxi drop off and collection point near the main entrance to the Showground - a short walk to the Global Birdfair site.

By Plane:

Nearest Airport East Midlands - around a 1 hour drive from the site..  

There are trains direct to Oakham from Stansted Airport and train transfers available from Birmingham Airport.  London Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport are accessible by train via Peterborough and Leicester.

Accommodation

Visitors can book a camping spot on site, where showers and toilets are available. Oakham and Uppingham Schools have offered to provide some accommodation, which will be available to book soon.

Melton Mowbray’s Round Corner Brewery has won a Gold Medal and the Ale Trophy at the International Brewing Awards for its Steeplechase Pale Ale.

Oakham-based Grainstore Brewery has launched a beer club with options for weekly and monthly beer deliveries of one or more of their local ales.

They offer delivery within a 15-mile radius of Oakham or members can collect from their premises.

You can read more about the club on their website here:

Join our Mini Cask Real Ale Club!

Do you want to have your say about the proposals for mental health services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland?

We are consulting with people living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland on proposals to change some of our adult mental health services.

Whether you have used our services or not, we are running this workshop session to hear what you think about the proposed changes, so come along to share your thoughts, suggestions and comments.

Visit www.greatmentalhealthllr.nhs.uk to read more.

As new vaccination sites are set up on Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the NHS are actively seeking healthcare professionals to support the vaccine rollout.

Many of the roles are for qualified and registered healthcare professionals, but the NHS page also links to a registration area for volunteers for non-clinical positions.

The positions require further training but this can be completed at home and retired healthcare professionals are invited to re-register if they have retired in the last five years.

is recruiting staff on behalf of the local NHS.

Anne Scott, Director of Nursing, Allied Health Professionals and Quality a the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust said: “We are looking for staff who are registered healthcare professionals, or could easily re-register. This includes a wide range of professions such as physiotherapists, pharmacists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists as well as nurses and doctors.

“We will be offering full and part-time work over the next few months. You will be very welcome.

“Staff who have already been involved in the programme have said it is hugely rewarding to help deliver vaccines which protect life, and will help the country return to normal.”

For more details and to apply, go to: www.leicspart.nhs.uk/supportvaccinations

Irelands Farm Machinery are opening a Rutland Depot at Tinwell on June 2nd having been awarded the Kubota, Kverneland, Simba Great Plains, Vicon and Grange Machinery franchises for Rutland and the surrounding area. Already having these machinery franchises in Lincolnshire, this expansion will allow them to help and support more customers in this area with a full sales, parts, hire and service facility.

Importantly, alongside this they have also been awarded the Kubota Groundcare and Industrial Lite range of products for the same area and will be selling the complete Baroness range which includes a range of mowers suitable for golf clubs and sports pitches. For turf maintenance they will be selling Wiedenmann equipment including aerators and seeders, Campey turf Care including the Air2G2, Vredo Disc Seeder, and the Dakota Top Dresser and the Spearhead range of mowers, thus creating a range of products which will help customers in a wide range of circumstances.

They will also be introducing Agricultural and Groundcare Hire companies which carry a large amount of equipment. Over the past 5 months they have been recruiting a team of high calibre staff to give you the best possible service and are pleased to announce that Martin Jarvis joined the company on the 24th May as Branch Manager and will head up the Tinwell site. Martin is very experienced in Agricultural machinery having worked predominantly in this area throughout his career. His brother in law, Marcus Ladds, who is a highly experienced engineer, has already joined the company in the position of Service Manager and has spent the last two months preparing the new depot alongside builder Arthur Johnson. Paul Clayton who already works for the Company in the Bourne and Stamford area will still be covering that area and will be working from Tinwell as well as the Sutterton depot. William Fraser has joined the company to work alongside Martin in agricultural sales, William has worked on several estates locally and is an experienced operator who sees sales as a natural progression into the industry. He will be joined by Simon Tunn who has come to work on the Groundcare side of the business, Simon has previously worked as a Greenkeeper on some of the UK’s best Golf Courses and will bring great experience to the role. On the 2nd June Jake Meakins will be joining the company to run the Agricultural and Groundcare stores department. Jake has previously worked for a local farm supplies company and is keen to get into the machinery side of the business. Throughout the rest of the Irelands Group there is a wealth of knowledge and experience in all types of Agriculture and Groundcare, and it is the Company's intention to provide a first class service and parts back up for all of the products at the Tinwell Depot. They will be holding an open day and working day in the near future, as COVID regulations allow.

Tinwell: Unit 6 Tinwell Business Park, Steadfold Lane, Tinwell, Stamford, PE9 3UN
Tel: 01780 769933

Photograph from left to right: Martin Jarvis- Branch Manager, Marcus Ladds- Service, William Fraser- Agricultural Sales, Simon Tunn- Groundcare Sales, Fiona & Jonathan Ireland – Directors.

Two local farm shops have been shortlisted for a prestigious national award, to be judged later this year.

March House Farm Shop, in Great Dalby, and Gates Garden Centre, in Cold Overton, have been nominated as outstanding farm shops in the Midlands Area, part of a national competition sponsored by The Grocer.

Both businesses have been praised for their reaction to the COVID-19 lockdown, adapting to demand in difficult curcumstances, and proividing food with minimal food miles.

March House Farm has been selling their own beef, lamb and pork for many years, but when the first lockdown landed in late March 2020 they were able to get their shop online in just a few days, attracting upwards of 80 orders per day.

Gates Garden Centre's farm shop is relatively new but has become popular enough in the area for the farm to invest in their own livestock to sell there.

The Farm Shop and Deli Awards champion the best of local food producers, the first stage of which is divided up into regional competitions for categories which include butchers, bakers, delis, farm shops, greengrocers, online stores, and local shops.

Other Leicestershire businesses nominated include Elaine's Fruit and Veg, Bushby (greengrocer), Pie Drop, Melton Mowbray (online business) and Jorge Artisan Foods, The Engine Yard, Belvoir Castle (delicatessen).

This year, the awards received 153 entries, which are now being evaluated by an expert judging panel lead by broadcaster and journalist Nigel Barden, to determine the ‘Commented Retailers’ and ‘Best in Region Winners’ across the UK.

The live announcement will take place at 3pm on Monday, July 5 at the Farm Shop and Deli Show, at the NEC Birmingham from July 5 to 7.

Nigel Barden is joined in the judging process by food writer and co-chair Elaine Lemm, plus editor at British Baker, Amy North; fresh foods reporter at The Grocer, Henry Sandercock; branch manager for Paxton and Whitfield Jermyn Street, London, Hero Hirsh; head of trading and marketing for Booths, John Gill and head of consultancy business Delicious Planet, Victoria Robertshaw. The judges also include previous Retailer of the Year winners.

Melton Mowbray already has a rich foodie heritage, with its World famous pork pies and legendary blue cheeses produced by the village dairies in the Vale of Belvoir, but vying for a place in that pantheon of produce is a relatively young farm shop with a large and loyal customer base.

The Belcher family have farmed the land around Great Dalby for many years and Michael and Heather are well know at markets, locally and around the country. Now, though, it is Dan and his fiancee Jo who are the driving forces behind the March House Farm Shop, next to Eye Kettleby Lakes on the North side of the village.

First and foremost March is a working family farm. Aberdeen Angus, Shorthorn and South Devon cattle; Leicester Blue Face sheep and White and Gloucester Old Sport pigs all graze land in Little Dalby, Great Dalby and Thorpe Satchville, as well as over in the Charnwood Forest area near XXX.

They opened their thriving farm shop in November 2017, with the adjoining cafe opening in December 2018. There is a fully equipped butchery on site and they recently added a fully stocked online shop to their portfolio.

No farm shop can ever claim to only sell their own produce but March House Farm Shop prides itself on supplying meat which is all home grown.Their sheep, cattle and pigs all contributing to the fare available, and they pride themselves on their produce having the bare minimum of "food miles". Gates' Nursery (Hambletons Butchers - nothing to do with the hotel or the bakery) and Northfield Farm for example, cannot provide all their own meat. Be sure to ask where it is from if you shop there!

Meat is the flagship product, being born and grazed on the farm before making its way to the butchery at the farm shop. There the derivatives like mince, ham, bacon and sausages are made, as well as cooked products like pies, quiches and soups.

I became a customer during the Covid-19 lockdown in Spring 2020, so I can't write at length about the cafe, but I do know it has a loyal following of regulars. he staff who work there, though, have been re-trained to help both in the shop and with the fulfilment of online orders, of which there are between 40 and 80 every day..

The shop is always fully stocked, unike some of the supermarket shelves in the area. If the supply chain fails them, Jo always seems to be able to find something to replace it from another source. The shop has remained popular throughout the virus pandemic of 2020; a pool of regulars choosing to come and shop in person every week. I bumped into the BBC's Jonathan Agnew, ITV's Ann Davies and cricketer Matthew Hoggard on several occasions. Matt from The Great Food Club is a regular too.

Not everyone can get there in person, and with many people being told to self-isolate it was important for March House to make their produce available online. "We had been working on it for a few days when Boris announced the lockdown," Jo told me. "We had Nico here, who is a photographer and web developer, and we just pushed really hard and got the whole thing made in five days." The demand was so high at launch that they chose to switch the site off a few times to give the team all learning new skills on the hoof - time to catch up. There are a limited number of collection and delivery "slots" each day, but demand remains high and the list of products available online grows ever day.

One of the original product lines which was only available to order online was food boxes. There are simple ones for basics and essentials; small or large boxes of vegetables, or fruit, and boxes of meat intended to feed a family in isolation for a week. As the online shop has developed, m ore boxes have been added. At the time of writing I am drooling over a rib of beef box, one of a collection of family meal boxes which revolve around the core products of beef, lamb and pork.

You can find March House Farm Shop on the road out of Great Dalby which heads to Eye Kettleby and Kirby Bellars. It is open seven days a week, closing at 5pm (4pm on Sunday). If you are isolating and live within twelve miles of the shop, or within 9 miles of Ketton, you can have free delivery, provided your order is over £40. Customers further afield can either collect in person on an allotted day or pay a courier charge to have it delivered. The shop is at www.marchhousefarmshop.co.uk.


Nevill Holt Festival 2024 will open with a new production of Mozart’s iconic opera The Magic Flute featuring The Britten Sinfonia, directed and designed by Melly Still and conducted by Finnegan Downie Dear

Our classical concert series will include performances from Alexis Ffrench, Imogen Cooper and Sarah Connolly, Jeneba Kanneh-MasonBenjamin Grosvenor and Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy. Orchestral concerts include Max Richter’s Four Seasons and new work from Benjamin Kwasi BurrellSergey AkhunovIsabella Gellis and Shadwell Opera. Jazz and contemporary music sees Jalen Ngonda, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, Lianne Carroll, Cécile McLorin Salvant and Dan Tepfer.

Additional musical performances include Mary Bevan, Nicky Spence and Joseph Middleton creating A Most Marvellous PartyMichael Morpurgo reading War Horse with musical accompaniment from Ben Murray and Anton Lesser reading Wolf Hall with music by Debbie Wiseman.

Our visual arts programme includes centenary exhibitions of Modern British master Anthony Caro and Pop Art pioneer Eduardo Paolozzi. A celebration of British Pop artist Pauline Boty’s work will include the world premiere screening of new film, BOTY, followed by talks from Louisa Buck, Sue Tate, Simon MartinAnthony Quinn and Daniel Hermann. Meanwhile, audiences can enjoy a range of talks from contemporary artists, including Allen Jones, Ben EdgeNatalie GibsonDavid Yarrow, Chila BurmanNic Fiddian-Green and Andy Goldsworthy in conversation with Andrew Marr.

Our conversation strand includes appearances from Alice Roberts, Emma Dabiri, Jenny Kleeman, Anthony Quinn, Mary Wellesley, Amy Trew, Audrey Osler, Love Ssega and Kassia St. Clair; live editions of podcasts such as Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail; Richard ColesCat Jarman & Charles Spencer’s Rabbit Hole Detectives, Jonathan Agnew’s An Audience with Aggers and Rachel Johnson and Plum Sykes’ Difficult Women and comedy from Jason Byrne, Mark Watson, Austentatious, Bounder & Cad and many more!
 
Meanwhile, we will champion hundreds of emerging artists and over 1,500 primary schoolchildren will create 50-minute versions of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel in partnership with DRET Music and the Royal Opera House. Performed across the region, one of these productions will play during the festival, accompanied by sopranos Fiona Finsbury and Eleanor Sanderson-Nash, directed by Jonathan Ainscough and conducted by Simon Toyne.

Rutland community website Rutland Life has launched a Rutland Business Directory, containing listings pages for any Rutland Business which would like to be featured.

Anybody can add listings for an initial period, after which there will be cheap paid plans for inclusion, and slightly more expensive ones to have a listing featured within the directory.

Each listing includes photos, reviews, links to business websites and social media, in addition to a content area for businesses to wrote about themselves.

Businesses are also included on an interactive map of the county.

Newly-rebranded Rutland Hall Hotel has announced the appointment of a new Restaurant and Bar Manager, as it brings in new expertise to ensure it delivers a consistently high standard of guest experience.

Rutland Hall Hotel & Spa is delighted to welcome to the team Alex-Aurel Kurani, who will assist in reinvigorating the hotel’s offering ahead of its New Blossoms Restaurant launch in December 2021.

Alex brings a wealth of hospitality experience to the hotel, having started at a young age, which saw him assisting his mother with head chef duties at the Horizon Restaurant on the island of Zakynthos, Greece, when he was just 13.

Acquiring extensive knowledge of the hospitality sector along the way, Alex worked his way up through the restaurant to eventually become manager, before moving on to work in a multitude of privately-owned restaurants. He has worked with well-known brands such as Interstate Hotels and Resorts, Jupiter Hotels, Mercure Hotels and Compass Hospitality Hotels.

The new position is an exciting next step in Alex’s successful career, where he hopes to utilise his expertise and knowledge to deliver a fresh outlook to the Restaurant and Bar department at Rutland Hall Hotel & Spa.

Discussing his appointment, Alex said: "I’m both excited and privileged to be joining the team here at Rutland Hall, which offers a great opportunity for me to put my own stamp on things, as well as developing my career.”

He continued: “Sparked by my mother’s introduction, my job truly is my passion, and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. Hospitality is simply an opportunity to show love and care, whilst simultaneously providing the opportunity to undertake new challenges. I thrive off a fast-paced environment and love to meet ambitious goals so I’m extremely keen to make a genuine difference.”

Alex added: “The best thing about going into a brand-new restaurant is that there are no changes to be made as it serves as a fresh start for everyone. The high standards that we have put in place need to represent the beautiful history of the hotel and the Patel family, and I look forward to doing just that.”

Speaking of Alex’s appointment, John Higham, Director and General Manager at Rutland Hall Hotel & Spa, said: “We are delighted to announce Alex as our new Restaurant and Bar Manager. We feel very fortunate to welcome him to the team whilst this exciting period of change for our hotel and restaurant is underway.  

"Furthermore, we are excited to see how his fresh perspective and wealth of experience will reinvigorate the hotel's restaurant and bar offering, and ultimately believe his insights will assist in taking Rutland Hall to the next level.”

For more information on Rutland Hall Hotel & Spa, please visit their website

If you’re looking to work in hospitality, the hotel is actively looking for new people to join its team, so please get in touch via 01572 757901. 

There may be a new music venue coming to Rutland, if a new licensing application is granted by the council.

Ashwell Garden Centre has submitted an application for a new licence which includes permission for live music from 6pm to 11pm from Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 11pm on Sunday.

In addition to the music licence, permission has also been requested for a cinema running until 11pm.

An alcohol licence has also been applied for which would allow the sale of alcohol from 9am Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 11pm on Sunday.

It is thought that the new venues would use space in the existing retails units which surround the courtyard and childrens play area to the South of the garden centre itself.

View the application here:

Application 115650 redacted pdf

The Good & New charity clothes sale, which has become a well-known and popular event every Spring, attracting up to 300 visitors over several days, is to take place at a new venue.

The sale, which raises funds for the For Rutland charity, has been hosted by the Barnsdale Lodge hotel for many years, but the hotel is due to undergo refurbishment in the new year and was not going to be available.

The quality pre-loved clothing and accessory sale will now take place at the Rutland Showground on 24th and 25th March 2023 and will raise fund for the For Rutland Charity to provide specialist advisers who will help anyone in need in the Rutland area.

McDonalds have opened their 24-hour restaurant on Lands End away on the eve of the second national lockdown.

For many years Rutland has been infamous for being the only county in England without a McDonalds restaurant but now the global chain will be employing more than 60 local people.

The opening had been slated to be performed by Barleythorpe Beat Officer Joe Lloyd, as voted for by local residents, but he was unable to do so. Lloyd has recently been isolating after testing positive for Coronavirus.

The food store features a drive through for COVID-secure ordering and collection although it is understood that the restaurant itself will allow indoor dining under strict bio security measures.

Local opposition to the chain’s planning application had centred around the perceived litter increase which the drive through facility might bring. Others pointed out that litter is dropped by humans and not restaurants and that education is key.

The new restaurant is opposite Lands End and next to the BP garage at the North end of Lands End away.

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