Lincolnshire Pride April 2024

LINCOLNSHIRE’S FINEST MAGAZINE

AN EASTER TREAT WITH ARTISAN CHOCOLATE

LINCOLNSHIRE’S DUFFY SHEARDOWN ON THE ART OF ROASTING COCOA BEANS

TULIPS IN SPALDING

FIVE GENERATIONS OF BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS IN SOUTH HOLLAND WITH SMITH & MUNSON

£4.50

100 YEARS OF

Neville Marriner

HOMECOMING CONCERT TO CELEBRATE LINCOLN CONDUCTOR’S CENTENARY

Harlaxton Manor’s Spring Opening Event

BREATHTAKING VICTORIAN MANSION OPENS ITS DOORS

THE OLD HALL

BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO GAINSBOROUGH’S OLD HALL

LUXURY HOMES

THE LARGEST SELECTION OF LUXURY HOMES IN THE AREA

MICHELIN DINING COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL

Welcome

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All of a sudden, the grey of winter has lifted and with the vernal equinox on 20th March, we’ll soon be in the throes of spring. This month one of Lincolnshire’s most impressive mansions will open its doors to visitors for its spring open event. Harlaxton Manor graces our cover this month. It’s less accessible than, say, Belvoir, Belton or Burghley, because of its role as a working campus of the American University of Evansville. It’s certainly worth a look then, with impressive grounds, and some lovely state rooms... a great idea for a bank holiday trip out.

As this edition of Lincolnshire Pride thuds down onto the county’s smartest doormats, it’s also Mothering Sunday, a very busy time for Smith & Munson. For five generations, they’ve been producing beautiful tulips and now offer these directly to the public, carrying on the association that Spalding and South Holland have always enjoyed with tulips.

Then, a couple of weeks later, it’ll be Easter, and our thoughts will inevitably turn to chocolate. There’s only one name you need to know: Duffy Sheardown, based in North East Lincolnshire, who roasts and refines his own artisan chocolate, from bean to bar. This month he’s revealing everything you ever need to know about how to choose the best quality chocolate.

Elsewhere, we’re celebrating 100 years of Lincoln conductor Neville Marriner with a special concert at the Cathedral, we’re finding out about plans to breathe new life into Gainsborough’s Old Hall, and we’re enjoying delicious dining out at the Michelin-starred dining room of Hambleton Hall.

Our best wishes for a wonderful month!

Julian Wilkinson Publisher, Pride Magazines

This month’s cover shows the impressive Victorian mansion of Harlaxton Manor, near Grantham. In this edition we’ll look around its magnificent grounds in advance of the estate’s spring open event.

We’re always looking for great images of the county so please feel free to email us your best photos of Lincolnshire to our editor via robin@pridemagazines.co.uk

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Local News

Rick Stein celebrates Lincolnshire food

A visit to Lincoln Cathedral, and bangers ‘n’ mash followed by delicious Dyson strawberries... no wonder Rick was so enthusiastic about his visit to the county!

New Station Commander

Last month Group Captain Paul O’Grady returned to RAF Coningsby as Station Commander to head up the UK’s QRA airbase

RAF Coningsby last month welcomed back Group Captain Paul (Pablo) O’Grady to the station, who takes over from Group Captain William Cooper as site’s Station Commander. During his 28 years of Royal Air Force service, Group Captain O’Grady has flown Tucanos, Jaguars and Typhoons and has displayed with the Red Arrows, working at many bases including RAF Coningsby, with quick reaction alert. He also has operational and air policing tours to his credit.

“The RAF is extremely busy all over the world, and Coningsby’s role in supporting operations has seldom been more important,” he says “Thankfully the station has an abundance of really talented and committed people.”

Group Captain William Cooper will remain at RAF Coningsby as Commander of the RAF Typhoon Air Wing.

TV chef Rick Stein enjoyed a visit to Lincolnshire recently as part of his BBC2 series, Rick Stein’s Food Stories. In the third episode in a series of 15 programmes, Rick visited Dyson Farms at Carrington to find out how the company is growing strawberries all year round in a sophisticated farming operation with some robotic assistance, then met Jane and Terry Tomlinson (pictured) of Redhill Farms to celebrate the great Lincolnshire Sausage.

Later on, he met local chef Rachel Green who showed Rick how to enjoy Lincolnshire Plum Bread, and for viewers the chef prepared ‘the ultimate’ bangers ‘n’ mash and a strawberry sorbet dessert

The series is available to watch now in BBC iPlayer; www.bbc.co.uk.

Image: BBC Pictures/Shine.

Send your press releases & business news to us via editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

First traders for The Stack

New Lincoln food court is revealed, with multiple outlets due to open early summer in St Marks centre

The first food outlets have been confirmed in advance of an early summer opening of a new food venue, The Stack in Lincoln.

Located in the former Argos store in St Marks Shopping Centre, The Stack will be a central food court, with various food providers located around

the perimeter and a stage for live entertainment. The first of five bars and 10 street food outlets at the venue have been confirmed as YOLO Coffee, Holy Duck and Zza Pizzeria with more names to follow.

The Stack’s sister sites are already open in Sunderland and Sheffield, see stackleisure.com.

Usher in a new era for gallery

Usher Gallery seeks public’s views in advance of a vast re-hang of county’s art collection later this year

Lincoln’s Usher Gallery and The Collection is asking for the public’s views in advance of a complete rehanging in the gallery later this year.

The Usher Gallery provides visitors with a small peak into the county’s collection of over 1,000 artworks, which includes paintings, sculptures, ceramics and horology, from the 17th Century to the modern day.

With so much in the collection, Lincolnshire County Council wants the public to have a say in what will be displayed in the gallery when its displays are refreshed.

“The feedback we get will help us make sure we’re showcasing a wide range of the art from our collection,” says the county council’s Lindsey Cawrey. See www.lincolnshire.gov.uk.

Light Night for Spalding

Creative installations, sculptures and twilight art at Ayscoughfee Gardens on Saturday 23rd March

Spalding’s Ayscoughfee Gardens will come to life on Saturday 23rd March for Light Night, a special event of creative installations, sculptures and performances to celebrate its heritage as well as the town’s local and global historical links.

The free event, which will run from 6pm – 8pm, will feature fire displays, musical acts, interactive performances, light displays and arts and crafts workshops, as part of the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership’s Arts Council England NPO project.

A variety of displays and activities will be situated around the Gardens on the night, with visitors having the chance to create artwork and displays that will become part of the installations and to learn more about the hidden history of Ayscoughfee and its stories. The Gardens will also be illuminated with a covering of enchanting multi-coloured lights.

A series of free arts and crafts workshops can also be pre-booked as part of the event, organised by the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership and Transported, working with Jamie Hawker Services, A&E Collaborative and Emily Cartwright. For details call 01775 764555.

And Finally... Wildlife expert Laetitia Marechal of The Lincoln Swan Project is attempting to keep the peace amid outbreaks of gang violence among swans. Described as ‘fiercely territorial,’ the swans appear to be from two different families and local residents around Brayford Wharf often witness some nasty fights.

High Life

The Farmers’ Ball

It was a super night for around 90 guests from across the farming community recently as Jo Munson and her team last month organised The Farmers’ Ball hosted by The Poachers Country Hotel

Images: Rob Davis.

NFU Spalding Branch Chair Jo Munson, Heather Oldfield, NFU County Chair Simon Gadd and NFU County Administrator Gabriella Gregory hosted The Farmers’ Ball at The Poachers Country Hotel recently, attended by over 90 guests. The event included a drinks reception, a welcome address and game of ‘heads and tails,’ followed by three-course dinner and raffle with after-dinner disco and casino.

Thanks and appreciation from the organisers go to AJS Control & Automation, Smith & Munson, and Cote Hill. Raffle donations and other prizes were from Golding Young & Mawer auctioneers, Tori Murphy Textiles, Hannah Rose Facialist, Taylors Bulbs, Fenland Dog Park, Flora by Ashley and Louth Distillery. All proceeds generated from the evening were given to the Lincolnshire Rural Support Network (www.lrsn.co.uk) and Farming Community Network (www.fcn.org.uk).

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Lincolnshire Tulips

Five generations growing

Spring Tulips

For many years Spalding and the wider South Holland district of Lincolnshire has been synonymous with growing tulips. Whilst most production of flowers has now moved overseas, the Munson family is still growing beautiful premium cut flowers, and offers them directly to consumers for occasions such as Mothering Sunday

Spring has finally arrived and with blue skies and a brighter outlook comes the equally upbeat tulip, synonymous both with Mother’s Day and with Spalding and the South Holland district. Spalding’s Smith & Munson is also synonymous with growing tulips under glass in the area. The fourth and fifth generations of the family are now farming the land they have owned since the early 1900s, establishing the Smith & Munson name in 1949 and leaving behind vegetables and cereals in the mid-1980s to concentrate on growing just flowers.

South Holland’s rise to prominence in agriculture and horticulture reaches back to the early 17th century, when Dutch engineer Sir Cornelius Vermuyden drained North Lincolnshire’s Isle of Axholme and then continued the work of engineers like John Hunt to more adequately maintain the marshlands which had been poorly drained since the dissolution of the monasteries. Vermuyden was appointed as Charles I’s agent for land drainage, initially facilitating the use of 307,000 acres of Fens, for farming but eventually creating between 700,000 and 1,000,000 acres of exceptional farmland.

His work was continued by contemporaries like Philibert and Vernatts, and into the 18th and 19th century the area’s suitability for farming veg and cereals was increasingly well-recognised.

Commercial bulb growing began from around 1890 with the new Darwin Tulip – a hybrid of the Darwinii and Tulipa Fosteriana – that proved particularly sturdy and easy to grow.

One of the most prominent late 19th-century pioneers of South Holland bulb production was John White, who traded in snowdrops, narcissi and tulips, sending a trial sample to Covent Garden where they proved especially popular, kick-starting a golden era for bulb production which was much admired by the Dutch.

The dry bulb trade began in 1918 and by 1933 there were 150 bulb growers, 7,500 acres under production. In 1935 King George V and Queen Mary travelled to the town to see the spring spectacle of tulip fields as part of their silver jubilee celebrations.

Unfortunately for some visitors, there remained the need to remove the head of the tulip whilst still flowering. The act encourages the more rapid development of the bulb and prevents foliage rotting or the tulip succumbing to the disease known as ‘tulip fire.’ This meant farmers had to take a practical approach to producing their bulbs, turning colourful fields into green stems and foliage within hours.

To ensure the area kept the trade but didn’t disappoint the visitors, the Spalding Flower Parade from 1959 until (roughly) 2013 was a colourful event in the calendar and a way to make use of the tulip heads.

Opposite: Edward Munson is the fifth generation of his family to produce tulips from the family farm near Spalding.

From 1946 the area’s growers worked together to create what we now know as Springfields, initially planting a million bulbs and 30,000 trees.

The site opened in 1955, with the Springfields Horticultural Society charity founded a year later to manage the gardens, designed to showcase the area’s horticultural prowess.

The site was reinvigorated in 2004 with the creation of the current Festival Gardens on the Springfields site. The site still sees the planting of 50,000 daffodil bulbs and thousands of tulips in spring, and is still managed by the Horticultural Society for the outlet shopping site’s owners and for the site’s 2.3m annual visitors.

Meanwhile, demand for British Flowers continues to increase as consumers increasingly value provenance, and in the past three years British flowers accounted for 14% of all stems sold in the UK, totalling about £1.18bn. Fresh flowers remain a favourite for those choosing a thoughtful token of love for Mother’s Day, too, with 48% of us gifting flowers compared to 41% giving chocolates.

This month business will be blooming for Jo Munson, Stephen Munson and the couple’s son Edward Munson who is the fifth generation of the family to work on the family’s farm near Spalding to produce blooms, from fringed, parrot and double tulips, all of which are grown hydroponically from December right up until May.

As well as satisfying the network of florists who sell the company’s flowers nationwide, Smith & Munson also sells directly to the public, with premium packaging and presentation. 20 stems are available from £30 and come in neat, sustainable cardboard tubes in a variety of colours. The company also provides a subscription service with weekly, fortnightly or monthly deliveries directly from the farm for £25/month of tulips until May, followed by ranunculus and lilies.

“We love our flowers and we’re passionate about growing them. Our love for flowers is reflected in everything we do from our brand to our final product. We take care every single step of the way from the beginning of the flower's journey, when we pick the very best varieties for the season ahead, to proudly sending off our flowers.”

Smith & Munson was founded in 1949 and is now in its fifth generation of family ownership. Its Tulips, Anemones & Ranunculus are available to purchase with premium presentation and delivery included. Lilies & Scabious then follow in summer, see www.smithandmunson.com.

Celebrating Neville Marriner

Wednesday 24th April 2024

100 Years of

Neville Marriner

This month marks the culmination of a season of concerts to mark a centenary of Lincoln-born composer and founder of the Academy of St Martins in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner

He was one of the most extraordinary human beings I’ve ever known. Those of the words of Sir Neville Marriner’s protégé, Joshua Bell who took over from the Academy of St Martin in the Fields’ founding Musical Director, Neville Mariner, in 2011.

Born in Lincoln on 15th April 1924, this month heralds the centenary of Sir Neville Marriner’s birth and the occasion will be marked by a series of four special concerts including a centenary gala homecoming concert at Lincoln Cathedral on Wednesday 24th April.

Marriner was taught the violin and piano by his father, Herbert, who worked as a carpenter in Lincoln. The family lived on Lincoln’s Grafton Street where a blue plaque was unveiled in 2017, a year after the composer’s death following a campaign by BBC Radio Lincolnshire. After studying the violin to a more advanced level under the tuition of Nottingham-based violinist Frederick Mountney, and with an education at Lincoln School (now Lincoln’s Christ’s Hospital School) as a foundation, Marriner entered the Royal College of Music in 1939 as a scholarship student awarded £60/annum, serving briefly in the war being invalided after spending five months in hospital in 1943. He then returned to the Royal College of Music and spent a year on secondment to the Paris Conservatoire under virtuoso violinist René Benedetti, graduating and taking a teaching position at Eton in 1948.

Words: Rob Davis. Image: Richard Holt.

Celebrating Neville Marriner

Marriner became Professor of Music at The Royal College of Music in 1948 and around the same time performed with the Martin String Quartet. In the 1950s, Marriner also performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra, and with the London Mozart Players.

Enjoying performing with friends like harpsichordist Thurston Dart and Peter Gibbs in his front room, the group grew to become a 12-member ensemble and, outgrowing a domestic setting, asked to perform at the Church of St Martin in the Fields, leading Marriner to found the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in 1958, soon expanding the ensemble to become a chamber orchestra.

Marriner conducted and performed on the violin, but more often found himself with a baton in his hand, rather than a bow, shifting his career towards conducting. The Academy was remarkably prolific, with around 600 recordings covering 2,000 different works and creating a comprehensive back catalogue of works from the baroque era to the 20th century.

Marriner also performed on secondment to the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra and orchestras in Berlin, Paris, Milan, Athens, New York, Boston, San Francisco and Tokyo.

The conductor supervised the selection and recording of pieces by Mozart for the score of Oscar-winning 1984 film Amadeus, which sold over 6.5m copies and in 2014 at the age of 90, he would become the oldest conductor to lead the BBC Proms concert.

In 2011 Sir Neville was appointed Honorary Conductor of the newly formed I, Culture Orchestra which brings together the most talented young musicians from Eastern Europe.

“Neville Marriner's legacy continues to inspire us all. His passion for music and unwavering dedication to excellence resonates deeply within the heart of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields,” says Joshua Bell.

“As we celebrate his centenary, we honor not just a maestro, but a guiding light whose spirit infuses every note we play. His commitment to nurturing young talent and fostering a collaborative spirit endures as a beacon of inspiration for musicians worldwide and continues in the Orchestra he founded.”

Sir Neville Marriner passed away in 2016, having been made a CBE by Her Majesty The Queen only a year before. This month will see a series of performances by the Academy

taking place at St Martin in the Fields and at Wigmore Hall and the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. The season will culminate in a Homecoming Concert at Lincoln Cathedral, and the performances will run parallel to an exhibition on the conductor’s life at St Martin in the Fields in April and May.

Sir Neville is survived by son Andrew Marriner, who says: “In commemorating my father’s centenary, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields pays homage to his profound influence on music and musicians worldwide.”

“Performing in Lincoln, his birthplace, holds special significance, it’s a tribute, through which we can continue to uphold his commitment to artistic brilliance and musical innovation, ensuring that his legacy remains.”

Monday 15th April – Sunday 12th May

Marriner 100 Exhibition

This exhibition on Sir Neville Marriner’s life will feature record sleeves and boxes, photographs, awards, tributes from friends and colleagues, and memorabilia from a life of great achievement and personal enjoyment. St Martin­in­the­Fields Crypt, Trafalgar Sq, London WC2N 4JH. See www.stmartin­in­the­fields.org.

Wednesday 24th April

Homecoming Concert

Academy of St Martin in the Fields travels to Lincoln, Neville Marriner’s birthplace, for a special concert in the stunning surroundings of Lincoln Cathedral, led by Tomo Keller. In celebrating his life and legacy, the programme looks to Marriner’s beloved works including Handel’s Concerto Grosso in B flat, Op. 3, No.2, Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 in G Minor and Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia.

Lincoln Cathedral, LN2 1PX. 7.30pm, tickets £40­£60, call 01522 561 600 or see www.asmf.org.uk.

Opposite: Concert by The Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Sir Neville Marriner at the Royal Festival Hall marking the 90th birthday of Sir Neville, on Tuesday 1st April 2014. Photo by Mark Allan. Above: Joshua Bell, taken by Benjamin Ealovega in 2019.

What’s On

Friday 19th April

Paul Weller at The Engine Shed

Founder of The Jam, The Style Council and talented solo singer/songwriter Paul Weller, the Modfather, appears at Lincoln’s Engine Shed as part of his UK-wide tour.

Born in Surrey, Paul achieved fame with the new wave/mod revival band The Jame from 1972-1982 before founding the Style Council from 1983 to 1989. His greatest hist include Going Underground, In The City, The Eton Rifles, Start, Town Called Malice, Peacock Suit, You’re the Best Thing, Wild Wood and Changingman.

From 8pm, £52.20, see www.engineshed.co.uk or call 01522 837400.

Lincoln Choral Society

100-strong mixed choir presents Handel’s Saul, an oratorio of love, hate, betrayal, jealousy and death...

Saturday 20th April

Handel’s Saul

Lincoln’s largest choral group presents Saul by G. F. Handel in Lincoln Cathedral. The piece tells the story of King Saul, the first king of Israel, and his ultimately destructive jealousy of his successor David. It was inspired by the Book of Samuel from the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. Accompanied by Musica Donum Dei and conducted by Mark Wilde.

From 7.30pm, tickets £10­£25, Lincoln Cathedral, LN2 1PX, see www.lincolncathedral.com.

Sunday 14th April

Countryside Lincs

Lincolnshire Showground hosts a fun-filled family day with plenty of interactive indoor and outdoor activities. There will also be workshops to discover a flavour of food, farming and the countryside. Eight ‘zones’ jampacked with animals, activities, experiences and entertainment for all the family – it’s a Lincolnshire event not to be missed! Hosted by Lincolnshire Agricultural Society.

£11/adults, £6/children, Lincolnshire Showground, see lincolnshireshowground.co.uk or call 01522 522900.

Friday 26th April

Colin Sutton: The Real Manhunter, Live

Colin Sutton was a police officer for 30 years, serving as the head of a Metropolitan Police Murder Squad for the last nine of them. After retirement in 2011, he wrote books about two of his major investigations; these were then adapted into the acclaimed ITV drama series ‘Manhunt’.

In the show Colin will talk you through his career, how policing has changed, what it is like to chase a serial killer.

From 7.30pm, Lincoln New Theatre Royal, tickets £18, call 01522 519999 or see newtheatreroyallincoln.co.uk.

Send your press releases and events to us via editor@pridemagazines.co.uk

Saturday 6th April

Sunday 7th April

Burghley Spring Fine Food Market

Shop and enjoy local produce in the stunning surroundings of the Chestnut and Stable Courtyards. A wide range of exhibitors will be there to serve up dishes from around the world and produce to take home

including handmade cheese, soft and alcoholic beverages, luxury sweet treats and rare breed meats.

Located in the Chestnut & Stable Courtyard, from 10am4pm, free entry.

Burghley House, Stamford PE9 3JY. Call 01780 752451 or see www.burghley.co.uk.

Lincoln Festival of History

Pivotal moments in Lincoln's past during a city-wide celebration of history and heritage taking place in May

Friday 12th April

Paul Young: Behind The Lens

Paul Young will sing songs and tell stories about his incredible career from Senza una Donna to from Wherever I Lay My Hat

Baths Hall, Scunthorpe, £30, call 01724 296296 scunthorpetheatres.co.uk.

Sunday 14th April

City of Lincoln 10K

The City of Lincoln 10K is one of the biggest and best-loved running events around, taking in Lincoln's most iconic sights around the city.

Spectators welcome, or to enter see www.runforall.com.

From 4th­6th May Lincoln Festival

of History

City of Lincoln Council’s new city-wide celebration of history and heritage will transport visitors and residents alike to pivotal moments in Lincoln’s past. Different ‘zones’ across the city will reflect different periods in history. The first zone allows visitors to step back in time to explore the Roman encampment within the Colosseum Quarter.

Thursday 11th April

History of The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust

In 2023 the Wildlife Trust celebrated its 75th anniversary so it’s a good time to reminisce how the Trust has developed over the years and give newer members an opportunity to hear about the Trusts early development and the work of Ted Smith and others. This talk will be hosted by Rachel Shaw, the Senior Communications Officer at the Trust. Free to attend, no need to be a member, refreshments served too.

St Wilfrids Church Hall, Alford, LN13 9EG, from 7pm. Call 01507 526667 or see www.lincstrust.org.uk.

With living history displays in St Paul in the Bail and Castle Square, come and view traditional Roman crafts and be immersed in pop up performances –including gladiator battles! Historical reenactors will parade in the Uphill area of the city, with visitors encouraged to join in costume. More details on this are to follow in April.

For details on different zones, their periods in history and location see www.visitlincoln.com.

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Breathing new life into

The Old Hall

Work is currently underway to clean and preserve the fabric of Gainsborough’s Old Hall, the 15th century former manor house which has hosted everybody from King Henry VIII to John Wesley

Words: Rob Davis. Images: Christopher Ison.

As the saying goes, it’s not what you know... it’s who you know. A bit of nepotism certainly didn’t harm Thomas Burgh II, who was a close advisor and friend to no fewer than four kings, from Edward IV to Edward V, Richard III and Henry VII. The latter held Burgh in especially high regard, making him 1st Lord Burgh in 1487.

Gainsborough Old Hall had been the seat of the Burghs since about 1430, remaining their residence until 1596 whereupon it passed to the Hickman family of merchants, who lived there until 1730. At the height of Burgh II’s service to successive monarchs, though, the nobleman had both the status and the cash to make some pretty significant improvements to his family home, commensurate with his status, not least among which was the rebuilding of the central great hall itself.

The property remains one of the most well-preserved medieval manor houses in the country, and its condition is even more secure in 2024 thanks to a £222,000 grant by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund which has seen a year-long programme of conservation work commence under the custodianship of English Heritage.

It’s likely that the current building was created on the site of an older timber-framed structure, but Burgh’s work included the creation of two-storey wings at either end of the property, plus a new brick tower in the north-west corner and the creation of a vast late-medieval kitchen, which would prove useful for entertaining monarchs. The Old Hall developed right up to Thomas Burgh II’s death in 1496. His son, Edward inherited the property but didn’t exactly ingratiate himself with Henry VII, finding himself in debt to the monarch and imprisoned.

History

Thomas Burgh III fared a little better when he inherited the place in 1528, although his son had little interest in the property and sold it to the Hickman family in 1596. The family resided at Gainsborough Old Hall until 1730 after which the building has seen service as a linen factory, a place for John Wesley to preach in 1703, a theatre in 1790 then a corn exchange and events venue until about 1890.

From 1949 the volunteer group Friends of The Old Hall have managed the property and it was formerly gifted to the public in 1970 by Sir Edward Bacon, firstly to Lincolnshire County Council and latterly English Heritage.

Today, property manager Louise Fountain is overseeing works by conservators such as Sally Johnson aimed at maintaining the fabric of the building, but also revitalising the gardens and creating fresh interpretation and new visitor events with a view to raising the profile of the property.

“Gainsborough Old Hall came into the direct care of English Heritage in 2021 having been managed by the county council.”

Above: Gainsborough Old Hall dates back to about 1460 and has recently been the subject of a £222,000 grant by the Lottery Heritage Fund for conservation works in 2024 and 2025.

History

“Around that time the building had undergone significant conservation and reinterpretation from the revamping of its tearoom to new interpretation and the conservation of about 15 portraits in the building.”

“The grant we were awarded in January 2024 will fund a development programme for the community, with the creation of a new role of community engagement coordinator and new volunteering opportunities as well as reimagining the garden and enabling conservation works to the building itself. We’re planning more fun, family events and fresh interpretation is planned to better tell the story of the Old Hall, and we hope this project will create new opportunities, activities and events, for the people of Gainsborough.”

“Work is already underway and we anticipate it’ll be completed in early 2025 but the building will remain open to visitors all through the works and remains very much worth a visit!”

Gainsborough Hall (DN21 2NB) is open weekends, from 10am­4pm, Entry £9.50/adult. Call 01427 677348 or see english­heritage.org.uk.

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Michelin Star Dining at Hambleton Hall

This month we’ll make no apologies for venturing over the border to enjoy a trip to Rutland in order to celebrate the sublime dining on offer at country house hotel, Hambleton Hall. The hotel has just had its prestigious Michelin Star status reaffirmed for 2024 and has retained its star longer than any other restaurant in the UK

Words: Rob Davis.

No apologies necessary! This month we’re shamelessly venturing slightly over the county border... but with good reason as we advocate a trip to the pretty, luxurious and Michelin-star wielding Hambleton Hall for a wonderful short break. The hotel, on the peninsular of Rutland Water, has the honour of retaining its Michelin Star longer than any other dining room in the UK, having held the accolade since the 1980s... and last month the honour was again confirmed as present (and well-deserved) in 2024.

Hambleton Hall remains probably the best-known and most well-respected of restaurants in Rutland, just over the Lincolnshire border near Stamford. Happily the hotel is offering a chance to enjoy a Spring and Summer Escape which provides three-course Michelin Star dining, accommodation and a Hambleton breakfast with morning

newspaper (from £580/couple). You’ll also enjoy waking up to the sight of Hambleton Hall’s beautifully maintained grounds, with views of the reservoir beyond.

Owners Tim & Stefa Hart established the hotel in the former hunting lodge of Walter Gore Marshall, who built the place in 1881. It was inherited by the Astley Cooper family who entertained playwright Noël Coward, composer Malcolm Sargent and painter Philip Streatfeild in the house. Subsequent owners have included Lord Trent, son of Sir Jesse Boot the founder of the national retailer Boots, before was later put on the market, purchased by Tim & Stefa Hart in 1979 with Hambleton Hall opening a year later as a smart country house hotel. Stefa was responsible for creating the interiors of the hotel in conjunction with her interior design friend Nina Campbell.

Opposite: Seared loin of blue fin tuna with tuna tartar, green tomato gazpacho and sudachi.

Hambleton Hall, Oakham Rutland

FIRST COURSES

Terrine of heritage carrots, spiced carrot ice cream and coriander oil. Chicken liver parfait, with Granny Smith apple and blackberries. Morel & black pudding boudin, confit egg yolk, Iberico ham, and Grappa sauce.

Seared loin & tartar of yellow fin tuna, with green tomato gazpacho and sudachi purée.

Riceless squid risotto, with chorizo and basil.

MAIN COURSES

Loin of rabbit, baby garden vegetables and pearl barley.

Roast Merryfield Farm duck, heritage beetroot and yuzu purée. Pluma of Iberico pork, soused cabbage, parsnip fondant and apple.

Roast fallow venison, Koffman cabbage, caramelised endive, chanterelle mushrooms and chocolate flavoured sauce.

Pan fried fillet of John Dory, Asian pear, cockles, cider and parsley sauce.

GOURMET CORNER

Sturia Oscietra caviar, potato ice cream, buckwheat (Starter course - £5.00 supplement)

Roast rose veal fillet with morel mushroom risotto, veal sweetbread and violet artichoke. (main course - £8.00 supplement)

DESSERTS

Hambleton’s Walnut Whip, passion fruit marshmallow, Taste of Eccles, grape and Sauternes sorbet.

Mille-feuille of Calvados apple, blackberries and caramelised white chocolate mousse.

Unwaxed lemon soufflé, sorrel ice cream, vanilla poached pear and pistachio Anglaise with pistachio cake and pear sorbet.

NB: This is a sample menu, and featured dishes are subject to availability and change.

Dining Out

Hambleton Hall’s Chef Director Aaron leads a brigade of 16 chefs who create exciting and evolving dishes

During its early years, Hambleton Hall’s head chef was Nick Gill, brother of The Times’ late food writer, A A Gill. A 21-year old Nick took under his wing a young protege named Aaron Patterson, who joined the kitchen at 16 years of age and left Hambleton Hall for a time to work with Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. His old boss returned last year to reunite with Aaron and host a dinner at the hotel.

Hambleton Hall quickly gained a reputation for excellence, with Prince Charles once delaying a trip home to London to dine at the hotel. TV chef and author Delia Smith also celebrated record-breaking sales of her renowned Complete Illustrated Cookery Course in the 1980s with her publishers, dining at Hambleton Hall.

Aaron rejoined the hotel and became the hotel’s head chef, remaining there ever since and ensuring that today Hambleton Hall has retained its Michelin Star designation longer than any other restaurant in the UK.

Today Aaron is responsible for a brigade of 16 chefs who create exciting and evolving dishes, but also acknowledge the need for consistency too.

Aaron works alongside colleagues including Charlie Jones and James Stone, ensuring Hambleton Hall’s accolades also include recognition in The Good Food Guide, Hardens and four AA rosettes.

Contributing equally to Hambleton Hall’s consistently high standards are General Manager Chris Hurst, Restaurant Manager Graeme Matheson and Sommelier Dominique Baduel.

The best dishes necessitate the best ingredients and so Aaron oversees the hotel’s kitchen garden and enjoys a good relationship with local farmers and foragers, as well as British suppliers, with daily deliveries of fish from the best suppliers, fruit and vegetables from as close as the Fens and as further afield as Rungis Market in Paris.

From 2008 the hotel has also enjoyed a close working relationship with its sister company, Hambleton Bakery, founded by Tim Hart and former Hambleton Hall pastry chef Julian Carter, who not only provides the hotel’s artisan sourdough bread, but also supplies many of the area’s best restaurants, and its retail customers via its eight shops and a 24-hour operation.

Above: Salt baked celeriac, nashi pear winter black truffle and smoked almond.

Opposite: Cured red mullet, chive, baby leeks, vichyssoise dressing.

Dining Out

Dining at Hambleton Hall is available seven days a week with a daily-changing menu comprising four starter options, four main courses, and four desserts plus a farmhouse cheese board. Two additional ‘gourmet corner’ options are also available with a small supplement, with evening dining £115/person for three courses.

During lunchtime service, customers can also opt for the hotel’s Lunch for Less offering, with two courses and two choices per course for £54/person, and an additional dessert course available for £14/person.

A dedicated Sunday lunch menu is also available with a traditional sirloin of beef, and its worth noting that vegetarians can also enjoy a menu comprising seven dishes ensuring those who prefer a plant-based diet are not denied the full and authentic Hambleton Hall experience.

A final mention of Hambleton Hall’s events calendar which, throughout the year, offers everything from wine pairing dinners to partnerships with Nevill Holt Opera and Palmersport Racing, plus wild mushroom foraging and open garden events.

Thursday 21st March will see Lord Norman Fowler host an evening dinner to discuss the memoirs he wrote and released last year. The Best of Enemies, recalls his time in the Thatcher and Major governments and as Lord Speaker. Tickets for the dinner are still available £175/person. Whilst it’s generally considered bad form to discuss politics over dinner, An Evening with Lord Fowler is a good case for making an exception! Otherwise, Hambleton Hall in spring remains a profound pleasure, offering a wonderful welcome, and British cuisine, delivered with flair.

Hambleton Hall, near Oakham in Rutland

The Pitch: Hambleton Hall is your luxurious home from home, renowned for impeccable service with elegantly­designed rooms and Michelin­starred cuisine.

Lunchtime and evening service, seven days, 12 noon – 1.30pm, 6pm – 9pm.

17 beautifully appointed and individually decorated rooms and suites from £445/night.

Hambleton Hall, Ketton Road, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8TH. Call 01572 756991 or see www.hambletonhall.com.

Opposite: Hambleton tiramisu. Above: Mille­feuille of Calvados apple, blackberries and caramelised white chocolate mousse.

20 years of award winning fine dining

Whether you are visiting for a unique dining experience, a luxurious overnight stay or both, San Pietro truly is the perfect boutique destination.

Taste of Excellence finalist and Food & Farming’s Restaurant of the Year - visit us soon and say ‘Salute’ to quality...

/SanPietroRestaurant

@SanPietroNLincs

Chocolate Lincolnshire’s Finest

When Cleethorpes chocolate aficionado Duffy Sheardown discovered that only one UK manufacturer still made chocolate using proper cocoa beans, he set out with a simple mission: to make ‘the best chocolate bar in the world.’ Within just 12 months he achieved his ambition and so much more. Now, just in time for Easter, Duffy spills the (cocoa) beans, revealing everything you’ve ever wanted to know about chocolate

Duffy really only has one rule. Melt, don’t munch. I’ll add another rule to his; eat less but better. For weeks, perhaps even months now, the supermarket shelves have already been heaving with Easter confectionery: chocolate bars, eggs, truffles and novelty figures like Easter bunnies. But whilst we’re not short of choice, there’s really not much to separate them in terms of quality.

It’s reckoned that each of us consumes about 8kg of chocolate a year, about 600,000 tonnes as a country, and some of our most well-recognised brands are a venerable presence on the shelves.

Easter eggs were first sold by Fry’s in 1873, then Cadbury from 1875. Some well-known brands date back to the 1920s in the case of Cream Eggs (originally a Fry’s product, only branded Cadbury from 1971), Cadbury’s Flake, the Fruit & Nut bar and Crunchie, or from the 1930s in the case of the Mars Bar, Milky Way, Kit Kat and Maltesers.

The trouble is, whether you opt for a massmarket brand or buy chocolates from a premium retailer, it’s all basically a mishmash of beans from different places and of varying quality, often with much of the expensive cocoa butter taken out, replaced by milk powder, sugar and worst of all, vegetable or palm oils.

Happily there is an exception. In 2008 Cleethorpes’ Duffy Sheardown was surprised to hear on a Radio Four food programme that there was only one company in England (Cadbury) still making chocolate using cocoa beans.

Otherwise the chocolate that we see on the supermarket shelves is imported from overseas ready to be melted and utilised in the production of familiar chocolate products.

Even independent artisan chocolatiers (and chefs) use wholesale products – the best quality being chocolate callets from Callebaut or Valrhona – to make truffles or novelty shaped chocolate figures.

“I went on holiday to Guatemala a year later and purchased a couple of bags of cocoa beans, then spent 18 months at home learning how to roast chocolate,” he says.

“18 months later I took the plunge and became the first small artisan bean-to-bar chocolate company in the UK.”

Arguably, large-scale production of anything necessitates compromise. Making bread as an artisan baker means giving your dough time to prove and rest, but industrial bakeries employ the Chorleywood bread process, invented in 1961, to go from flour to packaged loaf in less than three hours.

Making tea or wine in supermarket-satisfying volume, meanwhile, means sourcing leaves or grapes from different estates and blending them to create a mass-market product with consistent characteristics – or producing in smaller quantities products like single-estate tea or wines with appellation d'origine contrôlée or denominazione di origine controllata garantita designations.

Chocolate is a product similarly afflicted. Those processing chocolate on an industrial scale necessarily source beans from different chocolate cooperatives, blending them together with other ingredients like sugar and milk solids to mitigate the inconsistency.

By contrast, Duffy often purchases his chocolate from a single plantation, and in much smaller quantities, ensuring he can produce single estate chocolate using cocoa beans from one particular supplier.

The more artisanal nature of this business model also allows for the formation of good relationships with the farmer, who can be paid three or four times more because they’re not in such a convoluted supply chain (Fairtrade-affiliated cocoa growers, for example, have to be part of a cooperative), and whose welfare Duffy can vouch for.

“Back in 2009 you could purchase either a handful or beans, or 20 tonnes… thankfully there’s a happy medium now,” says Duffy.

“We tend to buy about 500kg of cocoa beans at a time, in 60kg sacks, which is enough to make craft chocolate in a quantity that’s viable, but ensures we can still have a direct relationship with the farmer.”

“Producing craft chocolate requires the best quality beans – without good ingredients you’ll never achieve a good product. Cocoa grows best in wet, hot climates, so it’s a variable product, which is why it helps to produce artisanal quantities of chocolate rather than industrial quantities.”

Beans from different areas have different characteristics. Duffy purchases beans from around seven countries and can identify subtle nuances in each region from the floral taste of Ecuadorian beans, notes of pineapple or tea in beans from the Dominican Republic, dark, figgy flavours in Nicaraguan cocoa or the nutty, treacle or toffee flavours in Venezuelan beans.

“The aim is to express the flavours that are already in the beans, allowing them to come to the fore,” says Duffy. “Firstly we spread the beans over a perforated tray and roast them for about 25 minutes at 130°c, although there’s always a degree of nuance and judgement from variety to variety and batch to batch.”

“They’re cooled overnight and then need winnowing, a term that’s more associated in the West with cereals farming, blowing air through grain to separate the chaff.”

“The labour-intensive way to achieve that is to spread the chocolate beans on a tea tray and then throw them in the air, which is what I did in the beginning, but thankfully I’ve moved on a little since then.”

Duffy’s Honduras 72% was officially named as ‘The best chocolate bar in the world’ by a panel at London’s Academy of Chocolate

Duffy has a bean breaker and a winnower: the machines cracks the bean into a flow of air, ready for the husk to be blown away, leaving just the bean itself, ready for refining.

The bean without its shell is now more correctly referred to as a nib and so the nibs are put into a stone grinder, 18kg at a time, and ground overnight, turning them from a soil-like texture into a paste, the consistency of which is akin to peanut butter.

Sugar is added and up to 10% cocoa butter, then the beans are refined for a further three days, with the addition of warmth from a

Above: Duffy’s beans, which are roasted, ground then winnowed into cocoa nibs.

heat lamp. The chocolate is then cooled overnight before being left for three months in airtight containers for its flavour to develop at which point the fat in the cocoa butter will form a white-ish bloom over the surface. Perfectly safe and natural, it’s the result of chocolate absorbing moisture, which then crystallises on the surface.

Finally a tempering machine heats the chocolate to 45°c, cooling it to 29.5°c and keeping the now liquid cocoa conditioned, dispensing it at a precise 60g at a time into Duffy’s bar-shaped moulds which are then put into the fridge to set before being wrapped by hand.

Duffy reckons he makes over 30,000 bars of chocolate a year and there are no fewer than 23 varieties with varying cocoa percentages and different geographical origins of the beans.

We were treated to a comprehensive chocolate tasting experience which was a fascinating way to have my preconceptions of chocolate tested. I admitted to favouring milk chocolate and usually consider darker chocolate too bitter. In fact, having sampled Duffy’s 70% and 72% bars, I found they’re incredibly smooth and even Duffy’s 100% Panamanian chocolate was much smoother than mass-market ‘dark’ chocolate. I could happily enjoy a bar of it despite its huge cocoa content.

As for the different origins of the cocoa beans it is possible to taste some really profound differences. Duffy does produce espresso, raspberry and orange-flavoured chocolate bars too, but really we’ll advocate the unflavoured bars which really do let the nuances of each region come to the fore. I’ll contradict myself here though and state that my absolute favourite among Duffy’s portfolio of fine chocolate was his fabulous Ecuadorian Salt & Nibs milk chocolate with its smoked sea salt.

The latter is absolutely the most delicious chocolate I’ve ever experienced, but if you want to sample just one bar, make it Duffy’s Honduras 72% Indio Rojo which was officially named as ‘the best chocolate bar in the world’ by a panel at London’s Academy of Chocolate.

Another note on tasting; mass market chocolate often has (expensive) cocoa butter taken out, sometimes sold to the cosmetics industry, then replaced with vegetable or palm oils along with sugar and milk solids. The result is chocolate which can be chomped and melts more readily. When you’re enjoying Duffy’s chocolate though, just let it melt, slowly, on your tongue, perhaps closing your eyes and taking in the flavours… I guess that advocates a sort of mindful tasting, slowing down the experience and making it a luxurious treat to be savoured.

Naturally there’s a premium for Duffy’s chocolate over mass-market chocolate, but

Lincolnshire Chocolate

it’s such an intense and more refined flavour that, in fact, you need less of it... eat less, but better, remember?

For those who want to broaden their chocolate palate, Duffy’s individual bars are available from about £5.65 but he also offers gift sets with two or three bars.

His taster Selections (five bars with different characteristics) are priced from £29 for dark, flavoured or taster selections, to £32 for a selection of five bars which have so far won no fewer than 49 awards).

There’s also a subscription option too, with three or six month subscriptions… a gift that keeps on giving!

For the full experience, Duffy also offers chocolate classes and parties. For up to 16 children that means making and decorating chocolate lollies, whilst adults enjoy tasting, dips and make truffles to take home, plus they gain a complete cocoa education. Sessions last up to 90 minutes and can be pre-booked for an experience any selfrespecting chocolate-lover will really enjoy. However you enjoy Duffy’s chocolate though, you’ll never look at the stuff the same way… his artisanal bars are the ultimate expression of cocoa indulgence!

To purchase Duffy’s bars or enquire about chocolate experiences, call 01472 211107 or see www.duffyschocolate.co.uk

Easy Three-sy Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Preparation Time: 60 minutes, plus time to set

Base: 250g biscuits • 100g unsalted butter.

Layers: 3 x 200g chocolate (e.g.: white, milk, plain), 3 x 400g cream cheese • 3 x 100g icing sugar, 3 x 200ml double cream • Decorations to suit

It may look rather impressive, but this cocoa-laden showstopper is also a cinch to make. Prepare the base by blitzing the biscuits and melted butter in a food processor, then pressing down into a 9” springform cake tin and chilling in the fridge.

Make each successive layer (dark, then milk and white) by melting each variation of chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Whilst the melted chocolate is cooling slightly, in a separate bowl, beat the

cream cheese and icing sugar together until smooth and creamy. Whip the double cream to soft peaks. You can create three separate batches of cream cheese and whipped cream, or make a single batch to divide into three.

Fold the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the whipped cream. Repeat for the two other chocolate layers, chilling each layer whilst you work on the next.

Chill until set then decorate with Oreo cookies, chocolate or melted chocolate.

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Fine spirits from Lincolnshire’s coast, inspired by the sea

A range of gin, vodka and liqueurs reflecting the Lincolnshire coast

Situated in a working print house, Coastal Distillery is just a few hundred yards from a broad, sandy beach on Lincolnshire’s majestic shoreline.

In addition to Dam Raider Gin, they produce a range of spirits, including Coastal, Classic and Eventide Pink gins, a Classic Vodka from wheat spirit and Ripples of Toffee Vodka liqueur.

£37.99 / 70cl / 40% ABV www.coastaldistillery.co.uk.

The Wine Cellar

A trio of sulphite-free wine for Earth Day, plus quality local spirits and a luxuriously smooth rum. This month we’ve a lovely choice of light, easy-drinking wines and spirits to toast the spring months

Earth Day: Sulphite-free wine for Earth Day on 22nd April

The biodiverse EarthGarden vineyards are organically cultivated and alive with wildflowers. Sauvignon Blanc with fresh lemon, £12 at www.tesco.com, 75cl.

Organically made, natural fermentation Pinot Noir, ensures a very clean wine, with no added sulphites, £9.50 / 75cl / 13% ABV, winestoreeccleston.co.uk.

Les Enracinés Macon Chardonnay is a natural and no added sulphur wine with pure, fresh and floral notes, £21.75 / 75cl / 13% ABV, www.terroirwines.co.uk

Wine of the Month

This is a versatile, light, easy­drinking red for spring, this month we champion this Beaujolais with rich and succulent Gamay fruit from one of 10 controlled appelations in the region. As well as having the concentration and structure to develop in bottle. Aged six months in oak, resembling a burgundy, light and fruity with plums, cranberry and a hint of spice.

£19 / 75cl, 13% ABV and available from Ocado, ocado.com.

A flavour of Madeira, aged for three years

Fans of rum will enjoy this special import from Harold and Hansa, aged three years

Harold and Hansa presents this cask strength rum, distilled in a Portuguese Pot sti for three years and aged in Madeira Wine Cask. Flavours include dried fruits, vanilla, and orange.

£91.80 / 70cl 62.6% ABV, at www.harold andhansa.co.uk.

Our featured wines are available from local independent wine merchants, supermarkets and online, prices are RRP and may vary.

Ambitions Soaring

With its huge reception room and soaring ceilings, this month’s property in Uphill Lincoln’s historic Bailgate Court provides a sense of drama and modern living for the property’s owners Nicki & Graham Law

Words: Rob Davis.

If you’re fond of architecture with a bit of drama. If you’re keen to live within walking distance of Uphill Lincoln’s best restaurants and shops. If you love properties with a wealth of history. If you want a stylish property without the upkeep. If any or all of the above conditions are true, take a look at this month’s featured property, one of the apartments in Bailgate Court, located on Wordsworth Street.

The place is home to Lincoln GP Nicki and husband Graham, a professor in Medical Statistics at the University of Lincoln... the couple’s respective careers in medicine are quite apt, given that the building used to be a hospital. Nicki and Grahan arrived in Lincoln six years ago, just as Bailgate Court was being completed, and immediately fell in love with the drama of the apartment’s architecture.

“We were among the first residents to move in which meant we were able to choose a few of the finishing touches, the bathroom fittings and kitchen for example,” say Nicki.

“The apartment is north-facing, and we were a little worried initially that it might be dark, but thanks to the light walls and huge windows, as well as the elevated position of the building itself, we needn’t have worried, it’s really bright and there’s a lovely flow of air through in the summer months, almost like it’s air conditioned.”

The judicious use of some playful colours in the room creates a modern feel to the apartment and helps to highlight the vast white walls and soaring ceilings...

The building is Grade II listed and dates back to 1776, originally serving the city as Lincoln County Hospital, until a dedicated healthcare facility was created in St Swithins, just around the corner on Drury Lane.

Sometime later in the 1870s it became a theological college, eventually part of the University of Lincoln, before finally being sold off and converted into a development of 13 luxury apartments in 2018. Step out the door and you’re right on Steep Hill, near Imperial Teas and the 16th century ‘crooked house’ on Michaelgate.

There’s a communal entrance hall leading into the apartment, which is arranged over a single floor and comprises two bedrooms, plus a large kitchen with an adjacent reception room featuring spectacular 13ft ceilings.

Nicki and Graham have given the place a modern, bright design using bright white in the main reception room to really make the

Welcome Home

most of the bay-windowed reception room with its three sash windows and views over the former chapel.

The judicious use of some playful colours in the living room – which used to be the board room of the hospital, and later a chapel for the theological college – creates a modern feel, and there’s a light coloured parquet floor further working with the room’s soaring ceiling and sense of space.

The kitchen was created by Horncastle-based Peter Jackson and it’s finished in a cheery duck-egg blue colour with high gloss units and white quartz surfaces plus a bank of dark timber panels. Integrated into the kitchen are premium appliances from Neff, including an induction hob and dishwasher.

There are two decent-sized bedrooms too, one with an en suite and the second with access to a family bathroom.

A separate utility room keeps appliances and clutter out of the kitchen, whilst underfloor heating throughout ensures there are no nasty radiators spoiling the architecture.

A private walled courtyard garden allows Nicki and Graham to throw open the doors for some fresh air, and there are allocated parking spaces and an electric gate access system as well as access to large communal grounds.

“It’s a really nice community, and we’ve really enjoyed living here,” says Nicki. “Every Christmas we enjoy getting together with the neighbours for a drink and there are plenty of occasions when we all sit together in the gardens, it’s lovely!”

“We think that we have the best of both worlds, too, because although we’re right in the centre of the city, there’s enough space around us to ensure privacy and it’s actually really quiet, despite its location.”

“Our family is based near Manchester so we’re relocating, but we’re really going to miss Bailgate Court. It’s such a unique place to live, it really affords its residents a great lifestyle and the location is superb, add to that some super views of Lincoln Cathedral plus the restaurants and shops of Steep Hill and Bailgate and it’s a very special place!”

Bailgate Court, Uphill Lincoln

Provenance: Elegant two­bedroom ground floor apartment in a former hospital and college, dating back to 1776 and located in the centre of Uphill Lincoln.

Rooms: Two bedrooms with en suite to master and family bathroom. One large living kitchen/lounge, and utility room.

Guide Price: £650,000­£675,000.

Mount & Minster, call 01522 716204 or see www.mountandminster.co.uk.

Devereux Way, Horncastle LN9 6AU

Tel: 01507 527113

W: www.peterjacksoncabinets.co.uk

E: info@peterjacksoncabinets.co.uk

Peter Jackson Cabinet Makers Ltd

Soft furnishings in blush and red to give your whole home a warm, spring-like feel

Interiors

Colefax & Fowler sofa in Mariella Pink/Green, Cushions in Tigre red and Nura terracotta. www.colefax.com.

Voile curtains and Roman blind, made to measure by Hillarys, Boston and Lincoln, call 07487 893 959, or see www.hillarys.co.uk.

Lincolnshire designer Hannah Dale’s Wrendale cushions, pheasants, Bessie cow and chirpy chaps, £35/ea, from www.wrendaledesigns.co.uk.

Botanist Collection from Clarke & Clarke, curtains in Avium raspberry, cushions in Belvoir emerald and blush, Floris summer, www.clarke­clarke.sandersondesigngroup.com.

New Tulips collection from Sophie Allport, e.g.: mug £15; double oven glove £26; tea towel £11.50; Aga roller hand towel £16; pot grab £12; placemats £22/two, from Sophie Allport Bourne/Stamford, 01780 751044 or see

Company In Good Homes

One local family sought the creativity and attention to detail for which Newark-based Cooks & Company is so well-regarded when they created their new home...

In the same way that well-chosen accessories can complete an outfit, or some well-judged seasoning can mean the difference between a bland dish or one that’s truly delicious, the devil is often in the detail. When you’ve a large project like a property renovation, the completion of a new-build home – or a living kitchen that’s a significant investment in time and effort – it’s important that these finer details don’t get lost in the scale of the overall undertaking. Happily, a combination of ambition, capable project management and assiduous attention to detail are all hallmarks of Newark’s Cooks & Company. Founded in the 1970s, Cooks & Company launched as a hardware and joinery manufacturing business.

During the 1980s the company’s Managing Director, Peter Cook, took the decision to venture into handmade kitchen furniture. As the kitchen became the heart of the home, the demand for its furniture grew and Cooks & Company took on a new facet.

In addition to cabinetry, a focal point of any luxury kitchen are the appliances. That’s why the company has now established itself as the UK's largest premium appliance retailer including the world’s finest brands – Sub Zero, Wolf, Lacanche, Aga, Miele, Gaggenau, Everhot, Liebherr and Quooker.

The company’s 20,000 sq. ft showroom, based in Newark, has a dedicated kitchen and interiors showroom and a separate appliance showroom showcasing over 40 brands.

Pictured here is a recent example of the company’s work for a local client whose ambition was to create a sociable living kitchen in their property in which to spend time as a family, prepare meals, entertain and organise the usual family collateral.

In addition to the kitchen itself the company also created a boot room and utility with lots of practical storage. Cooks & Company also designed a snug for watching TV and created a dressing room with plenty of storage in the master bedroom suite.

Cooks & Company partner with cabinet makers Charles Yorke to create solid bespoke timber cabinetry which was finished in French Grey with an off-black accent colour to the island and Ceasar stone work surfaces in London Grey.

Above: Larder cupboard and boot room in the local property, all by Cooks & Company.

Homes

The flooring throughout the property is Lapicida limestone in Montpellier Ivory. Lighting throughout the project was sourced from architectural metalwork designer Corston’s Baylis range, whilst the same brand supplied Milliner handles for the kitchen cabinetry.

As you’d expect, Cooks & Company facilitated some of the world’s best kitchen appliances including a 150cm range cooker in stainless steel with brass accents from Lacanche, Liebherr cooling appliances and a Classic Fusion Quooker tap over a handcrafted Shaws of Darwen undermount sink.

The boot room and utility are beautifully appointed with Studio Green cabinetry, Shaws of Darwen and Perrin & Rowe sink and tap plus Siemens laundry appliances.

The company also sourced the Tetrad Truffle sofa for the snug and created bespoke cabinetry in Ammonite for the dressing room, ensuring beautifully organised storage.

Naturally the client is thrilled with the completed project, a timeless, functional space that’s also a beautiful environment in which to spend time. It’s a reflection of the company’s mission to provide luxury at home and ensure the sourcing of only the best products, matched with peerless craftsmanship and the very best experience for clients.

Ladybird Homes

Building great homes and a great reputation too

From extensions and conversions to renovation projects and the creation of new homes, Ladybird Homes & Construction is the Lincolnshire firm that’s also building a great reputation for quality, promising a strong working relationship and uncompromising attention to detail

Lincolnshire building specialists Josh and Emily Tilley are the force behind the construction company that shares its name with a garden friend that we start to see more of as we move into spring and summer, Ladybird Homes & Construction.

The business is run by the husband and wife team who have a life-long passion for all things building related, sparked when the two first met whilst completing the same construction course in 2008.

They took the plunge and purchased their first piece of land in 2014 to build their very own home. Now, in 2024, the pair celebrate the fifth anniversary of their own company intended to do the same for others, too.

“Building our own home brought us so much joy and excitement. Being able to put our own stamp on things made us realise that we wanted to do the same for other people, too.”

Josh has 16 years of experience in the construction industry. For years he was selfemployed in Sleaford and the surrounding area, gaining a reputation as a safe pair of hands for anyone seeking a building and landscaping professional. He has also gained a bulging address book of reliable pre-existing contacts for specialist services.

With the creation of the Ladybird Homes & Construction brand in February 2019, Josh and Emily created a consumer-facing brand with advice and project management for all types of building work, from internal layout changes for existing buildings, to renovation work, extensions and of course the creation of brand new properties, from homes to commercial or agricultural buildings.

“Establishing Ladybird Homes & Construction also enabled us to create our own property developments, like the four homes we’ve already built at Dorrington in 2020 which have since become a really nice community for their owners.”

“Our main focus is improving people’s homes through extensions and renovations. We have a great passion for creating bespoke spaces and we get such pleasure from seeing the end results, just like our customers.”

“Sometimes it can seem daunting, with a wheel-barrow full of questions or concerns when considering a home project: ‘Where do I start? What do or don’t I need planning permission for? Can I get someone to project manage everything? I only want to deal with one person and not countless tradesmen?’ We appreciate that as we had similar thoughts over 10 years ago! One of the reasons why our customers like us is that we provide a complete ‘turn-key’ service, taking as much stress away as possible, so the customers can really focus on the fun bits!”

The pair have also made investments in their own machinery, from running their own skips, to diggers, forklifts, dumpers... really kitting themselves out to have all the necessary tools and equipment for the job. “With even the largest equipment ready and waiting, that means are no delays or extra costs for hiring additional machines.”

“Another strong anchor for us is ensuring that our team is as dedicated to providing the best possible service too, and we believe being a family business really does cement that. Our brothers Ashley and Will are a part of the team too, contributing to a total of over 70 years experience.”

“We’re all friends and family, determined to build on our reputation. We couldn’t wish for a team that’s more highly skilled, committed, diligent and trustworthy.”

“In 2023 we were delighted to have won the award for ‘best extension or alteration to an existing home’ in the North Kesteven District Council Building Excellence Awards, and we’re nominated in two categories this year, too.”

“We’re proud of that, of course, but we also value the feedback that we receive from our customers who recognise that everyone on the team is polite and tidy on site, and that we always communicate well with clients to that they’re always kept fully-informed.”

“Many of our clients are kind enough to leave testimonials and when we read feedback like ‘trustworthy team and a family-run feel to the operations...’ or ‘they have gone above and beyond to ensure everything is just perfect for us...’ or ‘the guys work hard, very polite, tidy up after themselves and have done such a good job!’ it really makes us proud.”

“Feedback like ‘no cutting corners with anything...’ lets us know that we’re offering the kind of service that we’d want to experience ourselves.”

“We’re keen to focus on extensions and renovations for clients and to focus on our plans to create new properties in the future... we’re excited for another year of projects and another year of growth.”

Home extensions can be an excellent way to enhance your living space and add value to your property, for more information see www.ladybirdhomesandconstruction.co.uk.

Ladybird Homes & Construction provides building services from internal work to renovations, extensions and new build projects for domestic, and commercial clients. For a free, no obligation chat about your project, call 07979 437368 or see www.ladybirdhomesandconstruction.co.uk.

Spring Gardens at Harlaxton Manor

A garden open to visitors for spring and some exciting plans ahead for Harlaxton Manor, the Grade I listed Victorian mansion that’s also home to the University of Evansville

Words: Rob Davis.

Ask someone who’s reasonably familiar with Lincolnshire to namecheck a few stately homes, and they’ll immediately cite Burghley, Belvoir and Belton, perhaps Gunby and Grimsthorpe, too. But what about Grantham’s Harlaxton Manor? It’s perhaps less often accessible to visitors because of its role as a working college, part of the University of Evansville since 1971.

Harlaxton is extremely pretty and its grounds look stunning, but it’s worth getting to know the place better very soon. There are some rather interesting things happening in the background, plus more immediate reasons to visit, not least among which is this month’s Spring Open House event on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th March with both the property itself and its grounds open to the public.

The building dates back to 1857, a replacement for the original house on the site of Harlaxton, first mentioned in the Domesday book, and once used as a hunting lodge for John of Gaunt.

Inheriting the 300-acre estate in 1822, Gregory Gregory commissioned the architect Anthony Salvin to create the new mansion, an undertaking which would necessitate a somewhat unhurried build lasting two decades and costing the equivalent of £9.6m today. Gregory finally moved into the property in 1851, along with a staff of 14 servants, but lived there for just three years prior to his death in 1854.

Gregory had travelled extensively and was determined to mix baroque, Jacobean, Georgian and Victorian architectural styles, as well as bringing European architectural influences to bear.

As part of his ambition for the estate, Gregory envisioned 30 acres of formal gardens with French terraces, an Italian garden, Dutch canal and vistas over expansive English parkland, not dissimilar in scale or appearance to that which Capability Brown would have created a century earlier.

Gardens

Another influence was Kew Gardens, which was extended at the time of Harlaxton Manor’s creation and adopted as a national Botanical Garden under the RHS’s William Cavendish (Gregory was a fellow of the RHS and a keen horticulturalist). Gregory created a conservatory with orange trees and tropical plants, some of which were donated to Harlaxton Manor from Kew Gardens.

As one would expect from a property of its scale, Gregory also commissioned the Walled Garden adjacent to the property, likely both for ornamental foliage and the production of food. This example, though was unusual in a number of respects.

“We want the restored gardens to become a visitor destination and when the restoration is complete, it’s hoped that visitor numbers to the garden will reach up to 80,000 people.”

Firstly, at four acres, it was significantly larger than most estates’ walled gardens, and secondly, it was polygonal in shape, rather than a traditional square.

It was innovative too, with features like its heated walls. Being so impressive, it’s perhaps unsurprising that instead of being hidden away as a utilitarian area of the property, Gregory made Harlaxton’s Walled Garden much more prominent, positioning it alongside the property’s carriage driveway.

The gardens were in use until the 1920s, likely requisitioned for producing food during the war years, but in the following decades, the Walled Gardens (which were given a Grade II* listed designation in 1952) have fallen into a state that now necessitates a good deal of restoration work.

Happily, a successful submission of plans was made in 2022 for the restoration of the walled gardens, with work set to begin in 2025. Ian Welsh is the Walled Garden’s Project Director and says: “For the past 50 years the University of Evansville has been the custodian of Harlaxton Manor.”

“Today it’s home to over 130 students, and understandably the college is very proud of the estate. It’s our intention to restore the Walled Garden with an emphasis on education, community participation and sustainability as well as inclusion and accessibility. The existing buildings will be regenerated, and we’ll create an Innovation Hub which will provide additional academic, events and community space.”

“The gardens themselves will also be restored to reflect the formal geometry which radiates from a point just inside the main entrance. Some compartments will contain themed gardens such as a Shakespeare Garden, Sensory Garden, and a Medicinal Garden, together with an orchard and Blossom Avenue. Other compartments will contain fruit and vegetable growing areas and planting to encourage pollinators like bees. We want the restored gardens to become a visitor destination and when the restoration is complete, it’s hoped that visitor numbers to the garden will reach up to 80,000 people.”

The property and its garden will be open in March and again for Harlaxton Manor’s May Bluebell Walk event, featuring a 45-minute woodland route. Other attractions over the Easter bank holiday weekend include live entertainment from pianist Bill Kibby, and 1940s vocalist Miss Sarah-Jane, plus the chance to explore Harlaxton Manor’s beautiful mature terraces and, of course, its magnificent staterooms.

Harlaxton Manor and its terraces are open for a Spring Open House event, with family­friendly activities. Friday 29th March, Saturday 30th March, from 10am­5pm, £15/adults, see harlaxton.co.uk or call 01476 403000.

• Tree Surgery & Felling

• Tree Reports

• BS 3998

• BS 5837

• Stump Grinding

• Site Clearance

• Hedge Cutting

• Council Approved Contractor

• £10 Million Public Liability

• NPTC Qualified

• BSC Honours Landscape Ecology

• Professional Tree Inspection

• National Diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture

Farming

On the Farm

What’s happening in the fields of Lincolnshire with farming correspondent Andrew Ward MBE

Farming is a bit like a tapestry. Running all through it are threads of conservation, sustainability, food security plus an ability to keep food prices low and availability high.

The sophistication of modern farming has seen yields and food production increase, but not sufficiently to keep pace with a much larger population. In the early 1980s we were 80% self-sufficient as a country in terms of food production; now we’re struggling to reach 60% self-sufficiency. Despite this, new machinery and technology, but also a better understanding of the science behind farming has ensured that farming is an ever-more data-driven, technological and scientific operation, as well as one that is working with greater environmental sensitivity than ever.

The problem is, traditionally, farmers or those in professions supporting agriculture have been so busy improving the way they produce food, they’ve neglected to publicise their role.

It was an impressive sight when Lincolnshire farming operations including James Dyson’s

farm featured recently on BBC2’s Rick Stein’s Food Stories, but sadly it was also an all-too rare bit of good PR for the industry, and it’s not just modern, well-resourced operations that deserve credit for progressive farming, but all farmers with their thirst for innovation and consideration for the environment.

Farmers really do need to be better at letting the public know how their food is produced and why standards in British food and farming are among the best in the world.

Happily, the launch of a brand new initiative No Farmers, No Food, is a non-politicallyaffiliated campaign group formed to give a voice to farmers who are the guardians of the countryside, as well as producers of top quality food.

The group has just released its mission statement explaining how it aims to unite the public and the farming industry behind a single objective: making sure British farmers remain at the heart of our food supply.

Farming as a profession is more technical than ever, but by showing the public how we work, we can prove that it has huge benefits to the economy, the environment and to our diet and health.

It’s time farming had some really good PR, and that’s just one of the reasons I create my twice-weekly videos, explaining what’s happening on the farm in a way that I hope is accessible for both the farming community and non-farmers alike.

In my next few videos, you can see how we sow sugar beet, drill spring cereals crops and maintain waterways to help manage the risk of flooding when a third of the county is below sea level... hopefully it’s a good insight into what goes on beyond the farm gate.

Last month also saw the NFU’s annual conference, held in Birmingham, during which current President Minette Batters delivered her farewell address, having been its Deputy since 2014 and President since 2018. Minette’s departing message saw her praising Rishi Sunak for remaining firm on not allowing poor quality food imports. Minette handed over to the Prime Minister who addressed the conference directly – the first time a Prime Minister has done so since 2008. Rishi Sunak pledged to support farmers and the farming sector during a year that the party will seek re-election. You can see a video of his speech on my YouTube channel, in Farm Update number 230.

Watch Wardy’s Waffle: Our farming correspondent Andrew Ward MBE farms 1,600 acres in Lincolnshire, growing wheat, barley, oil seed rape, sugar beet, beans and oats. Andrews has his own YouTube channel, Wardy’s Waffle, which is enjoyed by over 14,000 subscribers. Watch his updates Wednesday evenings from 7pm and Sunday mornings at 8am. Search YouTube for @WardysWaffleAndrewWard.

On the subject of the farming industry’s positive contributions... well done to Sleaford’s Bailey Trailers who recently handed over to Breast Cancer Now a cheque for £36,000 following the auction of a TB15 trailer, which was won by Charles Waudby of Ripon. He was... ahem... tickled pink.

Porsche’s Macan Goes ELECTRIC

Porsche’s deus ex machina is this fresh version of its small SUV, the Macan. It’s all-new, all-electric and it’s going to be hugely popular!

Porsche’s most popular vehicle these days is its larger off-roader, the Cayenne. A close second is its smaller SUV the Macan, launched exactly 10 years ago. Now, there’s a new version and it’s been designed from the ground up to facilitate electrification.

A combustion-engined version will remain on sale for a year or two but it’s this electric version which is attracting the most attention and which remains the future for Porsche and other manufacturers.

Speaking of other manufacturers, Porsche’s parent company is the Volkswagen group which also owns Audi, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini. The group has invested in a brand new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture upon which the Macan is based, and it will share the platform with vehicles like Audi’s Q6 E-tron, Volkswagen’s future electric vehicles and also its larger sibling, the forthcoming Cayenne, due to launch in 2025.

The new electric Macan has been pushed more upmarket, with a 4 version priced at £69,800 and a Turbo version at £95,000. That’s quite a gap, and being electric, the Turbo version doesn’t have an engine and therefore has no Turbo... still it fits with Porsche’s nomenclature.

But the standard car is very brisk; 60mph in 5.2 seconds, worth 387ps of power, so we’d opt for that version and spec a few of your preferred options. If, however, you’re a keen driver, the Turbo version not only provides a whopping performance boost but also provides air suspension with PASM (active ride management), plus a new traction management system and torque vectoring, going some way to justifying its higher price.

Physically the electric Macan is sleeker than the previous model, a bit more like a coupé or a Tesla Model Y (a fully electric SUV which was, incidentally, the third best selling car in the UK in 2023). Macan is 10cm longer, 15cm wider and 2mm lower than the old model.

Integrated into the rear of the car is a deployable spoiler, and inside there are up to three digital displays – including one for the front passenger – plus voice control and an optional head-up display.

It’s highly likely that Macan will be a big-seller for Porsche in 2024, if not its best-seller. The driving dynamics will match the best vehicles in the company’s portfolio of models and electrification will provide an exciting drive and a car that’s economical and clean.

Add parking space-friendly dimensions and a premium badge, and we reckon it’ll be one of the best cars on the market in 2024.

The Details

Porsche Macan

Price: £69,800 (4 Electric), £95,000 (Turbo).

Powertrain: 100kWh battery generating 387ps, 650Nm torque. 321­381 mile range (4 Electric).

Top speed 137mph (limited), 0­60mph 4.9 seconds (4 Electric).

Standard Equipment: Park Assist and reversing camera, heat pump, climate control, cruise control, wireless smartphone charging, Apple Carplay. Eight­way electric adjustable seats with heating.

Spring Coats

April showers won’t matter with this selection of trenches, jackets and capes, sufficiently stylish but practical come rain or shine

Opposite: The Frances trench coat, tan suede, £625. Top: The Madeline, taupe herringbone, £345. Frances, tan suede, £495. Above: The Elizabeth, gilet in mushroom toscana, £570. The Sienna, wool cape in taupe herringbone, £595.

Featured items available from Fairfax & Favour, see www.fairfaxandfavor.com or call 01780 767709.

Spring Forward

This month we’ve forward-looking products to ensure you look good and feel great as the warmer, brighter months provide an uplifting boost to benefit both body and mind

The audacious scent of spring from Penhaligon

Eau the Audacity is a bold scent of orange blossom and vanilla with head notes of black pepper, heart notes of leather and a boldness that’ll ensure you spring into the new season with a sense of Joie de vivre.

£195, 100ml penhaligons.com

Purify pores for a truly flawless spring look

Fresh Tea Elixir for spring skin

Natural ingredients, ancient rituals and modern science combine in Fresh’s range of cosmetics. This anti­ageing serum reduces wrinkles and lines, helping to smoothing the skin, £97/50ml, www.fresh.com.

The Rich Moisturiser

Created by skincare expert Caroline Hirons, this gold­standard moisturiser, as it name suggests, works to leave skin feeling softer, better conditioned and more resilient, £65, 50ml, www.spacenk.com.

Hermès lip colour

Hermès’ Rouge Matte Lipstick is shown here in orange brûlée shade, a comfortable, moisturising and long­lasting, velvet lip colour, £62, 3.5g, www.johnlewis.com.

An invigorating toner formulated with saw palmetto, cooling mint and salicylic acid, designed to reduce shine and removes excess oil. Leaves skin tingly clean refreshed and matte, £21, 150ml origins.co.uk.

Luminous skin for spring courtesy of Gucci’s Poudre De Beauté

Gucci’s Poudre De Beauté Éclat Soleil Beauty Powder delivers a luminous looking finish, visibly unifying your complexion with its soft and silky formula, for a healthy glow. Blurs fine lines and pores for a perfected glowing look.

£47, 12g, from johnlewis.com.

All our beauty products are available from local independent stockists unless otherwise stated, note that prices stated are RRP and may vary.

Struggling with Menopausal Symptoms?

Reclaim control of your health and hormones with the help of a trained Women’s Health Expert. Understand WHY you gain weight and lose your “zest for life” and learn why STRESS, SLEEP, NUTRITION and the right type of EXERCISE for you can give you back control of your life.

Please visit www.lincolnshiremenopauseclinic.co.uk to book your free non obligation telephone consultation.

Purveyors of Luxury Eyewear

Since 1979

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43/44 Wrawby Street, Brigg, North Lincolnshire DN20 8BS

Tel: 01652 653595. Web: www.obriensopticians.co.uk

Call for an appointment or pop in to view our latest designer eyewear

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Health Back to Full HEALTH

Ramsay Group’s Fitzwilliam Hospital, based near Peterborough, is the area’s private healthcare facility specialising in a range of disciplines, including spinal and orthopaedic services, from diagnosis to treatment, and from pain management to physiotherapy

Words: Rob Davis.

Anybody who has endured discomfort, or had their mobility compromised by chronic spinal pain, will relate to the disruption it causes to the way we function day-to-day, interrupting everything from sleep to exercise to work and leisure.

The spine is remarkable in its architecture, but also incredibly complex and intrinsically connected to the rest of the body’s nervous system and hence our experience of pain. Happily, experiencing discomfort or lack of mobility isn’t inevitable: just ask the many patients each year who seek out the skills of the spinal and orthopaedic specialists at Ramsay Healthcare’s Fitzwilliam Hospital, based in Peterborough, with an outreach clinic at Boston West Hospital.

The healthcare facility offers consultant-led care, and end-to-end healthcare provision from a range of diagnostic facilities to specialist teams, and state-of-the-art operating theatres to physiotherapy and outpatient facilities for a joined-up care pathway without unnecessary delays.

Ivan Vidakovic is one of the consultant spinal surgeons whose field of interest includes cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral conditions from problems with vertebral discs to chronic pain in the back, neck arms or legs,

and issues such as stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or compressed nerves as in cauda equina syndrome.

Whilst Ivan and his colleagues at least initially approach conditions with conservative treatments such as physiotherapy or pain management, the hospital also provides access to highly-skilled surgical teams working across five modern operating theatres.

The healthcare facility offers a consultant-led service, from diagnosis to outpatient care

“Spinal treatment with Ramsay Health Care is carried out by our multidisciplinary team that comprises expert orthopaedic and pain-management consultants, nurses, physiotherapists, and radiologists,” says Ivan.

“We provide rapid and accurate diagnosis for the cause of your back pain using the latest diagnostic equipment including access to one of two MRI scanners such as the sophisticated Siemens unit installed in 2022.

Non-invasive treatments such as physiotherapy, injections, medication, and

pain management techniques are all options, before considering spinal surgery.”

The Fitzwilliam Hospital celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023 and remains a modern, comfortable healthcare facility with 45 en-suite bedrooms, and consultant-led care across not only orthopaedic and spinal disciplines, but across general surgery, ENT, gynaecology, ophthalmology and oncology including its ‘one-stop’ breast cancer clinic.

The hospital also provides private GP services, plus diagnostic services and scanning as well as its outpatient care.

The hospital received a ‘good’ rating in its last Care Quality Commission inspection, and patient feedback rates the Fitzwilliam Hospital as one of the top healthcare facilities in the area, providing access to diagnosis and treatment without delays, with multiple funding pathways to expedite your care and recovery.

Being in pain isn’t inevitable – nor is an ongoing struggling with mobility – and an initial conversation with one of the hospital’s care co-ordinators could be the first step in addressing chronic or acute spinal or orthopaedic conditions which would otherwise have an negative impact on quality of life.

Find Out More: Offering private GP services, The Fitzwilliam Hospital is one of 35 Ramsay Group­owned hospitals in the UK.

The hospital was established in 1983 as a private facility for healthcare with 45 en suite bedrooms, five operating theatres, a dedicated MRI, CT and X­Ray imaging suite and physiotherapy unit. Surgical disciplines include private GP services, orthopaedic, ENT, ophthalmology, gynaecology, medical diagnostics, treatment and surgical procedures. Call 01733 261717 or see www.fitzwilliamhospital.co.uk.

Collingham Dental Practice

Smiles Better

Start your journey with a healthy smile, at a practice which provides the highest standard of dentistry for the whole family. Now welcoming new patients...

TEETH WHITENING

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HYGIENE SERVICES

‘Horncastle Boy’ Meets Girl

The wonderful venue of Lincoln’s Washingborough Hall and a few surprises on the day including a personalised cover version of a popular hit ensured Charlotte Gray and Robin Wisby enjoyed a wonderful celebration of 10 years spent together

Images: Leanne Donohue Photography, 07919 350975, www.leannedonohue.com.

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans... and on two occasions, Charlotte and Robin’s decision to marry abroad was disrupted by Covid. Happily, that meant the couple had a rethink and enjoyed an elegant wedding with family and friends at Washingborough Hall near Lincoln instead.

“We met about 13 years ago having been introduced in Lincoln by mutual friends. We got together, but it wasn’t until we’d been together eight years

that we were reflecting on the fact that we’d need to do something to make our 10th anniversary really special. What could be more special than getting married?” says Charlotte.

“We planned to marry on our 10th anniversary and to marry in Cyprus, but with Covid disrupting those plans we instead started to look locally.”

It didn’t take the couple long to fall in love with Washingborough Hall, where Charlotte’s brother had also been married a few years earlier.

“We already knew how lovely Washingborough Hall was and how attentive the team are. When a button fell off one of the groomsmen’s jackets, just half an hour before the ceremony, the owner of the hotel Lucy was there sewing it back on!”

“We’ve friends from Horncastle, where we live, and from Boston and Lincoln, so it was really accessible, and we really loved the village’s St John’s Church, where the ceremony took place.”

Weddings

The couple’s two daughters Lola and Matilda joined Charlotte’s beautiful bridal party...

Charlotte was a refreshingly decisive bride and knew exactly the kind of dress she was looking for. Happily, Jane’s Bridalwear in The Lawn was able to suggest a Martina Liana wedding dress with A-line skirt, spaghetti straps and lace bodice, exactly as Charlotte had envisaged. Likewise, Robin’s friend Ben Martin of Lincoln’s Coneys was able to help him choose a neutral coloured tweed box-check jacket for him, for the two best men, and for Charlotte’s two brothers who gave the bride away. The couple’s two daughters Lola and Matilda joined Charlotte’s two nieces, page boy nephew and her three best friends to form a beautiful bridal party.

“The two aspects of the day that I was really dreading were walking down the aisle and having our photos taken, as I usually really hate being the

centre of attention, but walking down the aisle was such a lovely feeling, I wish I could go back and do it again.”

“Likewise, our photographer Leanne Donohue was really good at putting us and our guests at ease. She was so nice to work with and we absolutely love our photos. She worked with our videographer too, who’s a friend of ours, Sophie Hayward, and together they really captured the day so well.”

“As well as walking down the aisle, a favourite memory of the day was when my friend who runs Nancy Byrne Theatre Arts performed a reworked version of American Boy – Horncastle Boy – with lyrics all about Robin and how we both met. It was absolutely brilliant, our guests absolutely loved it... and of course, Robin’s nickname, Horncastle Boy still stands today!”

Local Suppliers

Venue: Washingborough Hall Hotel, Lincoln, 01522 790340, www.washingboroughhall.com.

Photographer: Leanne Donohue Photography, 07919 350975, www.leannedonohue.com.

Videographer: Sophie Hayward Photography, 07946 595 231, www.sophiehaywardphotography.co.uk.

Wedding Dress: Martina Liana at Jaynes Bridalwear, 01522 244082, www.jaynesbridalwear.co.uk.

Makeup Artist: Thea Elizabeth, @TheaElizabethMUA.

Groomsmen’s Tailoring: Coneys, Lincoln, 01522 511187.

Event Design: www.beholdevents.co.uk.

Photo Booth: www.picture­that­booth.co.uk.

DJ: Jason Reeve Events, @DJjreeve.