Northants Telegraph Sunday Extra – Higham’s secret gardens, Great Oakley U3A and a cheerleading journey

We've got so much news these days that we can't always squeeze everything into the working week. So every Sunday we'll bring you updates on recent stories, some news-in-brief and other things you need to know from across Corby, Wellingborough, East Northamptonshire and Kettering.

Sir Christopher Hatton Academy have announced their head students for 2022-23 are Lily-Bea Mather-Dearden and Andreea Andrei.

Head students lead the student body and contribute to the wider community through citizenship and charitable works.

A spokesman for Sir Christopher Hatton Academy said: “It is always the ambition of all those at the academy that we flourish as a school community, building character and academic achievement to prepare our students for the tests of life, not just a life of tests.”

About 60 members of Great Oakley and District U3A enjoyed a Picnic in the Park at Great Oakley Village Hall last month (June 22).

The highlight was a surprise visit by Mayor of Corby Cllr Tafadzwa Chikoto who opened the picnic and welcomed the members.

The other highlight was locally renowned singer and guitarist, Ashby Clarke, who sang a medley of songs from the 60s & 70s.

This is the first time that Great Oakley and District u3a had held this type of event, which focused on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations and due to its success they will be striving to make it an annual event.

For more details about the group email [email protected].

VISITORS to one Higham Ferrers garden were so impressed by what they saw that several popped “thank you” notes through the gardener’s letterbox.

“They wrote that their visit had been so enjoyable. I got some really good feedback,” recalled Julie Carlton, who welcomed 160 people into her showcase garden in Linnetts Lane on Sunday.

She was taking part in the town’s annual Secret Gardens event which was organised by the Higham Ferrers Tourism Committee.

Two hundred garden lovers from across the region made a beeline for the town, buying programmes in the Market Square and then settling on their own route around the 13 private gardens and four community gardens.

The town’s new mayor Cllr Nigel Brown and mayoress Jackie Brown also popped into some of the show gardens, both declaring that what they had seen had been “impressive.”

Over at Julie Carlton’s garden, there was a constant stream of visitors, some who wanted to sit awhile and others wanting to talk about her vision.

Others told her that they had heard about her garden after last year’s Secret Gardens and were determined to see it for themselves this year.

Many said they believed she was a professional gardener or designer, but she explained that she had always kept a decent-looking garden.

“I have always had a love of design and plants and more so in later life and now that I’m retired, I have more time to do what I love,” she said.

Nowadays she tends to specialise in tropical and traditional plants, explaining that she calls her garden “The Jungalow”.

One visitor who raved about her rare lemon-scented geraniums was rewarded with a cutting.

“She said they reminded her of her Mum and she had not been able to find them anywhere. I got my own lemon-scented geraniums from my Mum’s garden when she passed away 20 years, so the visitor got one of the same cuttings,” she said. Rosie Marks, 92, of Mill Fields, was delighted to welcome 70 visitors to her red-white-and-blue themed Jubilee Garden.

And the town’s “Hedgehog Mother” who takes in abandoned and rescued hedgehogs and whose garden contains a hedgehog hospital, was kept busy giving advice on a range of hedgehog queries.

“It was a busy weekend. I had eight new hedgehogs in on Saturday and 160 visitors on Sunday,” she said.

Summer cocktails and plants were also on sale in the town’s Duchy Barn Garden and there was also music and an art exhibition. Higham Ferrers Tourism Committee chair, Liz Barnatt, said that all the proceeds raised from the event would go towards the summer and winter flower displays in the troughs around the town.

Kettering cheerleaders TCA Diamond Elite are heading to America. The athletes have been working towards this moment all season.

They travelled to Crawley with four of their squads - Force Junior 1, Siren Junior 2, Nemesis USAF U19 and Diamond Elite Open 3.

And it was a really successful trip with Siren, Nemesis and Diamond Elite all taking first place in their divisions.

To be successful in a bid the squad must stand out and score high overall against everyone who has taken part in the competition and the group is so pleased that Diamond Elite did just that and have secured their place at the All Star World championships in Florida 2023. They will get to train in world class gyms where some of America’s most prestigious cheer teams train and then compete at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando against the world’s finest athletes. TCA is holding try-outs on July 16 and 17 and anyone interested in taking part can email [email protected]

Corby Phoenix Rotary Club celebrated the achievements of the town’s youngsters with its Young People of Courage Awards at the Holiday Inn, Corby.

Two young people nominated by secondary schools in Corby and two young people nominated by Northamptonshire Young Carers Association were invited to attend a lunch where they were recognised for having overcome numerous challenges in their young lives, from the loss of parents to caring for younger siblings with additional needs.

In attendance were Corby mayor Tafadzwa Chikoto, Rotary district governor David Morris and district governor nominee David Kendrick.

Members of the club looked on in awe as representatives of the nominees explained why each participant was nominated. Riley McCormick was unable to attend due to Covid but they are arranging for him to attend the club to have his award presented to him.

Bishop Stopford student Erica Lavender (17) has beaten off fierce opposition to win a coveted prize from the University of Cambridge.

Newnham College annually holds an essay competition for sixth form students in the state sector, and Erica entered for the Engineering Essay competition. The University of Cambridge competition is designed for students to use their scientific knowledge gained in school and to apply it to a new context

Erica submitted an essay considering what Chemical Engineers can do to mitigate climate change. After considering her submission against stiff competition, the panel awarded Erica first place.

Erica said: “I chose to enter the Newnham essay prize as I saw it as an opportunity to carry out some in-depth scientific research. It was fascinating to explore the technological solutions chemical engineers have developed to mitigate climate change.

“I really enjoyed the process of researching and writing the essay and winning first prize has inspired me to carry out further scientific research projects.”

The prize awarded was £400, which was split between Erica and the school.

Headteacher Jill Silverthorne said: “I am immensely proud that one of our students has come first in such a prestigious competition. Erica is extremely talented, and has built upon the great science education she is receiving at Bishop Stopford School and taken it to a whole new level.”