Lincolnshire Pride August 2024

Welcome

The desire to explore is one of the qualities that sets humans apart from the other species with which we share our planet. Lincolnshire is home to a number of explorers and scientists, one of whom is coming home as Pride goes to press. In this edition we’re meeting Matthew Flinders and finding out where he’s been for the past 250 years or so, as the first man to circumnavigate Australia returns to Donington

Meanwhile, Grantham was home to Sir Isaac Newton, whose work spanned such disciplines as optics, mathematics and physics. Born at Woolsthorpe Manor, his work informed scientists for centuries after, including ESA astronaut Tim Peake. Tim recently revisited the National Trust property to enjoy for himself the childhood home of the scientist who paved the way for flight, and ultimately for his career, which culminated in a visit to the ISS and saw Tim Peake becoming the first British person to perform a spacewalk. We’ll meet him in this edition.

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LincolnshirePride

Find us on Instagram: @lincolnshirepride

Download our App: Search for Pride Magazines in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.

Back on Earth, we’re exploring the new menus of Woodhall Spa’s Petwood Hotel, and we’re suggesting a few places to go around the county in order to support the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust as it continues its work as custodian of around 100 nature reserves with their unique habitats and species.

And finally... we’re fresh from the 2024 Lincolnshire Show with exclusive images of this year’s event. It’s always a joy to see the very best that the county has to offer, to catch up with old friends, and to enjoy the event’s main ring entertainment. We hope our images go some way to capturing the spirit of the event if you didn’t make it in person!

Best wishes for a wonderful month!

Julian Wilkinson Publisher, Pride Magazines

This month’s cover photo taken by John Kelly shows early morning mist over the Wolds in late summer. 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, Rob Davis, via robin@pridemagazines.co.uk.

64

9 46

9 LUXURY HOMES Enjoy the finest selection of quality homes on the market in Lincolnshire.

26 NEWS ‘Good news’ stories.

52 WHAT’S ON Live music and theatre.

Highlights

31 THE LINCOLNSHIRE SHOW

Exclusive images from this year’s county show, attended by 60,000 people and some blissful sunshine!

38 NATURAL LINCOLNSHIRE

Our favourite nature reserves cared for by The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.

46 TIM PEAKE ESA astronaut touches down at Woolsthorpe Manor to launch National Trust’s Summer of Discovery

56 MATTHEW FLINDERS The life of the first man to circumnavigate Australia.

Food & Drink

64 DINING OUT A new chef for an old favourite as Dan Thurlow takes over in the kitchen of Woodhall Spa’s Petwood Hotel.

72 RECIPES & WINE A summer treat, and we ‘order, order’ a bottle or two from The Houses of Parliament.

Homes & Gardens

78 WELCOME HOME A beautifully renovated country farmhouse.

86 HOMES & INTERIORS Designer dishes, stemware and self­builds.

Lifestyle

106 ON THE FARM With Andrew Ward.

110 MOTORS BMW’s £110,000 7 Series super­saloon put through its paces.

116 FASHION & BEAUTY Black & White.

124 WEDDINGS Miranda & Henry’s day. AUGUST 2024

Delivered free of charge to high value homes in the county

Pride Magazine is delivered free of charge, via Royal Mail, to high value homes in the county. Our circulation is to homes in the top three council tax bands, which are predominantly worth over £500,000. This guarantees the magazine has an affluent readership commensurate with our content.

The magazine is also sold in leading newsagents and supermarkets and we also deliver the magazine to local businesses including selected hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, doctors, dentists, executive motor dealerships and golf clubs. This helps to ensure we have a continued presence, right across our catchment area.

Our titles also have more social media fans than any other local magazine. In addition we have over 45,000 online visitors viewing our magazines free of charge, online, on their tablet, computer, laptop or mobile phone via our website, our app, and via the Readly and Issuu platforms.

If your business would benefit from being showcased to the wealthiest people in the area, please call our friendly sales team on 01529 469977.

Sheepgate, Leverton

£795,000

Designed and built in the classic architectural style of a Georgian manor house, this fabulous country home has great kerb appeal and has in recent years been completely renovated throughout to the very highest standard. The private plot of approximately two acres enjoys beautifully maintained landscaped gardens and a long sweeping driveway which really creates the perfect first impression. No expense has been spared on the internal renovations which include a superb Murdoch Troon kitchen with a brand new AGA and luxury bathrooms. There are five bedrooms and three beautifully appointed reception rooms. With a fantastic eye for interior design, the current owners have chosen beautiful soft furnishings and quality heritage paints and wallpapers to suit the mood of each individual room.

Church End, Frampton

£1,000.000

The Grade Two Listed Park Cottage is absolutely charming and has been a happy family home for several years. Situated next to Frampton Hall, the property is located in a most attractive rural position with two acres of mature grounds. There are three generous reception rooms with open period fireplaces in the two larger rooms and six double bedrooms with four shower/bathrooms arranged over the first and second floors. The Coach House within the grounds has been converted into a fabulous two bedroom apartment with studio beneath and the end of main house also divides perfectly into a two storey self-contained annexe, perfect for visiting family or for multi-generational living.

Old Main Road, Old Leake

£725,000

A great example of how a period property can be comprehensively updated and developed without compromise to the character. It feels as if no expense has been spared and combining this with the mature, idyllic secluded gardens, the Old Farmhouse will be popular with buyers looking for larger period family homes in villages. Highlights include six bedrooms and four reception rooms, a mix of oak, Karndean and sandstone flooring, beautiful bespoke Murdoch Troon units in the kitchen and laundry room, all new radiators and a wood-burning stove and a superb one bedroom annexe with spacious lounge-diner.

Skirbeck Hall, Boston

£1,250,000

With a secluded location within an exclusive gated development, Skirbeck Hall enjoys an incredibly private position. This simply stunning Grade Two Listed former rectory has been completely and faithfully restored during a full renovation and has been a much loved family home for almost 20 years. It is absolutely filled with incredible period features to include decorative cornice and arches, panel doors,shutters and a fabulous stone staircase. There are five beautifully appointed reception rooms to include a brand new orangery which is less than a year old and four large double bedrooms, each with en-suite facilities. Skirbeck Hall is offered with no onward chain.

Find Your Perfect Home

The finest selection of luxury homes on the market in Lincolnshire and the surrounding area

Above: Geralds Close, currently on the market with Brown&CoJHWalter, £1.25m, call 01522 504304.

• Superb modern five bedroomed Church in vibrant exclusive village

• Recently completed works creating open plan residential accommodation to over 5,900sqft

• 5 Bedrooms, 5 Bathrooms, 6 Reception Areas, Utility Room, Spire Room, Cinema

• A unique opportunity to acquire this Historic property with original features

HUNTSMAN CLOSE Boston | Lincolnshire | PE21 0BQ

• Detached Three Bedroomed Bungalow with Garage, Parking and Private Rear Gardens

• Desirable Bungalow in Popular Residential Cul-de-Sac Location to the South-East of the Town

• Accommodation Includes Fitted Kitchen with Separate Pantry, Large Living Room

• Gas Fired Central Heating, UPVC Double Glazed Windows

• Large Secluded Detached House in One Third of an Acre

• Superb Modernised House on Private Drive

• High Quality Fitted Kitchen, Timber Floors

• Impressive Solid Wood Staircase and Matching Internal Doors

• UPVC Double Glazed Windows, Gas Fired Central Heating

• Detached Garage, 2 Garden Buildings

FOR SALE FREEHOLD WITH VACANT POSSESSION £495,000 Subject To Contract NO ONWARD CHAIN

Church End

Frampton

Surrounded by just under two acres of its own private and established grounds, Grade Two Listed Park Cottage also enjoys ever-changing views over open parkland in this picturesque village position. This beautiful Georgian property feels as if it would be perfectly suited to every season, but with the wisteria in full bloom, it really does look absolutely incredible in early summertime.

Offers Over: £1,000,000

Fairweather 22 Dolphin Lane, Boston, PE21 6EU. Call 01205 336122 or see www.fairweather-estateagents.co.uk

Nestled on a quiet close within the coveted Uphill area of Lincoln this substantial detached dwelling truly is a one-of-a-kind. Extending to approx. 5,824 sqft the property has been fully refurbished, re-designed and extended by the current sellers to the highest of standards.

Offers In Excess Of: £1,250,000

A grand detached property situated in a sought-after area, Mistlethwaite House is a substantial residence with extensive grounds and leisure facilities. The house is set within a Victorian walled garden yet was constructed in the mid 1990s and later added to with an annexe and additional garaging.

Guide Price: £1,500,000

Savills Olympic House, 995 Doddington Road, Lincoln LN6

or see www.savills.co.uk

Mistlethwaite House Horncastle

FOSTON

• Detached Residence • Extended & Modernised

• Stunning Rural Views • Versatile Annexe/Studio

• Landscaped Gardens (0.75 acre)

• Three Reception Rooms • Five Bedrooms

GUIDE PRICE: £750,000 - £800,000

STRAGGLETHORPE

• Detached Home • Four Reception Rooms

• Two Kitchens • Three Bathrooms & a Wetroom

• Four Double Bedrooms • Beautiful Gardens

• Three Outbuildings

GUIDE PRICE: £595,000

NORTH GREETWELL

• South facing gardens over looking open countryside

• Gated access, leading to double garage and generous off road parking

• High specification throughout • Underfloor heating • Four double bedrooms

• Private 0.5 acre plot with mature gardens • Walking distance to amenities

GUIDE PRICE: £750,000

THURLBY

• Set in approximately 2.89 acres (STS) • Barn Conversion

• Three double bedrooms • Ensuite

• Open countryside views • Kitchen diner

• Popular village location

GUIDE PRICE: £575,000

Town Street

Westborough, Newark

A magnificent, grade II starred listed, predominantly Georgian former rectory stands in a secluded position in the little village of Westborough. Not far from the border with Nottinghamshire and about 8 miles between Grantham and Newark on Trent, it is also conveniently close to the A1. The 7 bedroom property is rich in decorative features and presented in very good order and surrounded by mature verdant grounds of about 1.5 acres. EPC: Exempt.

Guide Price: £1,250,000

Newark Road

Lincoln

A rare opportunity to purchase an outstanding period family home located in this sought after position to the south of the historic Cathedral and University City of Lincoln. The property is immaculately presented throughout and has been extensively updated and extended by the current owners, offering excellent family living accommodation. The property offers many attractive period features with accommodation over three floors.

Price: £775,000

Mundys 29 Silver Street, Lincoln, LN2 1AS. Call 01522 510044 or see www.mundys.net

The Broadway Woodhall Spa

The former Wesleyan Chapel comprises a large and luxurious two storey residential conversion with a small room in the tower. Most of the accommodation is centred around a lounge double height atrium with balcony, around which are located the principal reception rooms, kitchen and bedrooms. The property also has a cellar which is used for storage.

Price: £950,000

This stunning Grade II listed six double bedroom family home is located in the centre of Sleaford with its own gated entrance. The property offer s exceptional space and beautiful period features throughout, including a magnificent lounge with black Portuguese marble fireplace. A truly stunning and beautiful home! The Pines

Guide Price: £725,000

Purplebricks Cranmore Drive, Shirley, Solihull B90 4RZ Call

Sleaford

Colston Bassett Hall

Colston Bassett

One of the finest examples of a regency home in the Midlands set within it’s own mature parkland of approximately 12 acres, offering 25,000sqft of accommodation. Offered to the market with NO ONWARD CHAIN.

Colston Bassett Hall is one of the finest examples of a regency home in the Midlands set within it’s own mature parkland of approximately 12 acres, positioned on the edge of one of the most popular Vale of Belvoir villages.

OIRO: £3,950,000

Moores Estate Agents Goodwood House, Hackamore Way, Barleythorpe, Oakham, LE15 7FS Call 01780 484555 or see www.countryequestrianhomes.com

Situated within extensive landscaped gardens in the heart of the Vale, just 3 miles from the opulent Belvoir Castle, The Moors is a splendid modern home of impressive proportions. Large and prominent, yet manageable and effortless.

Guide Price: £1,200,000

Mount & Minster 32 Eastgate, Lincoln LN2 1QA. Call 01522 716204 or see www.mountandminster.co.uk

The Moors Eaton, Grantham

This stunning property boasts a five-bedroom character barn conversion with a detached annexe and over 5 acres (subject to confirmation). Ideal for equestrian enthusiasts, the property features top-notch facilities including stabling, a menage, and expansive paddocks. Additionally, a barn with Class Q planning permission for conversion to a separate dwelling, complete with its own paddock, offers a valuable investment opportunity.

Price: £925,000

Rippingale

Bourne

Local News

Tim Peake visits Newton’s home

“Special moment” for astronaut Tim Peake as he visits the National Trust’s Woolsthorpe Manor, 350 years after Newton paved the way to space travel

Heckington Show ready to go

The largest village show in England takes place in Heckington on Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th July

It’s back for another year and set to attract crowds of 25,000 people. Heckington Show is the largest village show in England, providing two solid days of entertainment plus an open concert featuring Madness tribute act ‘Gladness’ and the Mamma Mia trio on Saturday evening with fireworks.

“Nothing quite matches Heckington Show for the relaxed way that it combines the intimacy of a village show with the expectation of the national stage,” says Show President Charles Pinchbeck. “Heckington Show is a true family day out, a quintessentially English Summer occasion for families and friends to enjoy.”

The show will feature main ring entertainment including The Belgian Bouncing Man with his half-hour long comedy equestrian show, whilst other attractions include a fun dog show, heritage area, vintage machinery, concert marquee and 10 mile road race.

Tickets £25/adult two day advance, £3/child, under fours free. For more information see www.heckingtonshow.org.uk.

Last month Tim Peake enjoyed a visit to Grantham’s Woolsthorpe Manor, the childhood home of Sir Isaac Newton, whose work on gravity, physics and engineering paved the way for space travel.

Before the event Tim said: “It will be a special moment for me, I hope we'll inspire future scientists, alchemists, astronauts and inventors.”

“It’ll blow my mind to stand in the spot where Newton’s journey began. His work and his ideas eventually led to me going into space.”

Tim Peake CMG is a former Apache pilot, flight instructor, test pilot and ESA astronaut. A veteran of 18 years military service, Tim has flown over 3,000 hours on operations worldwide. In 2015, he became the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station.

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

Preparing for Burghley

Toughest competition in eventing takes place from Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th September

Final preparations are now underway for the toughest challenge in eventing as Defender Burghley Horse Trials returns to Stamford next month, attracting over 175,000 spectators.

The CCI5* event with its dressage, cross-country and showjumping elements will see 340 horses competing in the

competition, across 530 acres of parkland.

The event is worth over £20m to the local economy every time it takes place. Notable competitors in previous years include Zara Tindall, Piggy March, Pippa Funnel and last year’s winner Oliver Townend See www.burghley-horse.co.uk.

Book number 31 for Margaret!

A bond that can’t be broken in book number 31 for Lincolnshire’s queen of the saga, Margaret Dickinson

Congratulations to author Margaret Dickinson as the author has released her 31st book, A Mother’s Sorrow, the latest in Margaret’s long list of historic sagas which take real locations, professions and periods as their inspiration. Margaret’s latest novel is set in Sheffield, 1892 and sees Flora, her sister Mary Ellen and their friend Evelyn find love and tragedy through the Great War. Available from all good bookshops.

Paying a visit to hero Henry

Station Commander Group Captain O’Grady visits 103-year old D-Day hero Henry Townsley

D-Day hero Henry Townsley recently enjoyed a visit from RAF Coningsby’s Station Commander Group Captain O’Grady and Corporal Cunningham from the BBMF.

On the build-up to D-Day Henry took part in pre-invasion bombing operations. On D-Day itself, Henry was part of the many Bomber Command crews which attacked the Nazi emplacements on the coast of France. He survived the war and is now 103 years old, in good spirits, and living in a care home in Derbyshire.

“Mr Townsley is probably the only RAF Coningsby survivor from D-Day, it was an immense privilege to meet him, to share his stories, and to say a huge personal thank you for what he, and many thousands of others, did for us on D-Day,” says Group Captain O’Grady.

Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D-Day, it is the largest seaborne invasion in history. The operation began the liberation of France, with more than 156,000 American, British and Canadian troops storming 50 miles of Normandy’s fiercely defended beaches

And Finally... Andrew Hagues has been handed North Kesteven District Council’s Chairman’s chains of office, leading the council for its 50th anniversary year. The Leasingham resident says he will use his year of office to support the District which comprises 100 communities, 120,000 residents living in nearly 55,000 homes and over 5,000 businesses.

Red Arrows help to commemorate D-Day Anniversary

THE RED ARROWS carried out a flypast over Omaha beach in France for the D­Day 80th Anniversary commemorations. The display team joined in mixed formation with the Patrouille De France to commemorate the historic event with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron and other dignitaries watching on.

The Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion host the UK’s major commemorative event at the new British Normandy Memorial at Ver­sur­Mer.

This anniversary will mark the first time the British Normandy Memorial has been at the heart of major anniversary commemorations, having been opened in 2021.

It contains the names of the 22,442 servicemen and women under British command who fell on D­Day and during the Battle of Normandy in the summer of 1944.

Image: Cpl Phil Dye, UK MOD © Crown copyright 2024

Sunshine & Smiles at the 2024

Lincolnshire Show

Bright sunshine and big smiles for attendees of this year’s Lincolnshire Show, where around 60,000 people enjoyed the very best that Lincolnshire has to offer

Images: Rob Davis, Chris Vaughan, Steve Smailes.

Images: Rob Davis, Chris Vaughan, Steve Smailes

Next year’s Lincolnshire Show will take place on Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th June 2025.

Images: Rob Davis, Chris Vaughan, Steve Smailes

Next year’s Lincolnshire Show will take place on Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th June 2025.

The 2024 Lincolnshire Show

Images: Rob Davis, Chris Vaughan, Steve Smailes. With thanks to the Lincolnshire Showground and Carrington Communications. Next year’s Lincolnshire Show will take place on Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th June 2025.

Lincolnshire Natural

This month we’re engaging with nature, profiling six of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust’s most species-rich nature reserves open to the public

Words: Rob Davis.

For over 75 years the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has served as an ambassador for nature across the county, managing nearly 100 nature reserves in the area, totalling over 8,500 acres. 16 different regional groups cover the whole of Lincolnshire and the organisation has over 27,000 members plus 1,300 volunteers as well as 80 members of staff under the leadership of Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust’s Chief Executive, Paul Learoyd (pictured above).

Lincolnshire’s range of landscapes vary dramatically, from coastal dunes and marshy flats to its chalky Wolds. Over 4,000 farms also make it a haven for unique local species of wildlife including the Lapwing, wader birds and less common butterfly species like the Marsh fritillary plus the natterjack toad and in winter time, the grey seals which give birth at Donna Nook.

This month we’re choosing six of our favourite LWT nature reserves to profile, and remember that each regional group curates its own programme of events, including lectures and family activities...

Natural Lincolnshire

GIBRALTAR POINT NATIONAL

NATURE RESERVE, SKEGNESS

Gibraltar Road, Skegness PE24 4SU

Located near Skegness, Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve is a stunning coastal reserve managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Spanning over 1,100 hectares, it features a diverse range of habitats including saltmarshes, sand dunes, and freshwater lagoons. This variety supports a wide array of wildlife, making it a haven for birdwatchers. Visitors can spot species such as avocets, redshanks, and Brent geese. The reserve’s visitor centre provides educational exhibits and a café with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

WHISBY NATURE PARK

Thorpe on the Hill, Lincoln LN6 9BW

Just outside Lincoln, Whisby Nature Park offers a mix of woodland, grassland, and wetland habitats. This former gravel pit has been transformed into a vibrant natural environment where flora and fauna thrive. The park is particularly known for its dragonflies, with over 20 species recorded. Birdwatchers can enjoy sightings of nightingales, woodpeckers, and various warblers. Whisby Nature Park also features a network of walking trails, a visitor centre with interactive exhibits, and a café, making it an ideal destination for families and nature lovers alike.

FAR INGS NATURE RESERVE

Barton­upon­Humber DN18 5RG

Situated on the south bank of the Humber Estuary, Far Ings National Nature Reserve is renowned for its reedbeds, which are some of the largest anywhere in the UK. Managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, this reserve is a critical habitat for the endangered bittern. The reserve’s freshwater lagoons and marshes also attract a wide variety of bird species, including marsh harriers and bearded tits. Visitors can explore the reserve via several walking trails and bird hides, which offer excellent opportunities for wildlife observation and photography.

Top: Kingfisher at Whisby Nature Park near Lincoln. Above: Reed beds at Far Ings Nature Reserve, Barton. Opposite: Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve.

Natural Lincolnshire

SNIPE DALES COUNTRY PARK & NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE

Winceby, Spilsby PE23 4JB

Snipe Dales, between Winceby, Lusby and Hagworthingham near Spilsby, is unique for its combination of a country park and a nature reserve. The area encompasses a diverse landscape of steep-sided valleys, mixed woodland, and open grasslands. This varied terrain supports a rich array of wildlife, from butterflies and dragonflies to numerous bird species. Snipe Dales is particularly noted for its seasonal wildflowers, which provide a colourful display in spring and summer. The site offers well-marked trails suitable for walking and hiking, making it a perfect spot for outdoor enthusiasts.

SALTFLEETBY-THEDDLETHORPE

DUNES NATURE RESERVE

Saltfleetby, Louth LN11 7TS

One of Lincolnshire’s coastal gems, Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes National Nature Reserve stretches along the North Sea coast. This extensive reserve features a mosaic of habitats, including sand dunes, saltmarshes, and freshwater marshes. The diverse landscape supports a wide range of plant and animal species, including natterjack toads, rare orchids, and an array of migratory birds. The reserve’s expansive dunes and beach areas offer a tranquil retreat for visitors, with opportunities for walking, birdwatching, and for exploring the unique coastal flora and fauna.

LINCOLNSHIRE COASTAL COUNTRY PARK

Huttoft Bank, Sandilands LN12 2RJ

The Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park passes through no fewer than eight of Lincolnshire’s nature reserves in Sandilands, Huttoft and Anderby. Species of note include redshank, oystercatcher, and lapwing. Birds of prey to look for include marsh harrier and short-eared owl. In summer, look (and listen) for skylarks tumbling and swifts arriving from Africa. Sand dunes in particular provide the perfect habitat for wildflowers like marsh orchids, insects like the sea aster mining bee, and reptiles like the common lizard.

See www.lincstrust.org.uk.

Lapwing between blades of grass at Snipe Dales. Wildlife pond in nature

Lincolnshire Pride, Rutland Pride and Stamford Pride are delivered free of charge to high value homes in the county, which means we are the only county magazine which can guarantee a wealthy, discerning readership

Tim Peake at Woolsthorpe

Tim Peake A Summer of Discovery with

Tim Peake, a special friend of Grantham’s Woolsthorpe Manor – the childhood home of polymath Sir Isaac Newton – recently helped to launch the National Trust’s Summer of Discovery. 70 adults and children joined the astronaut for a morning of space and science

Words: Rob Davis. Images: Rob Davis, Paul Harris/National Trust.

An out of the world experience recently, as an audience of 70 gathered at Woolsthorpe Manor near Grantham to spend a morning with Major Tim Peake, the British ESA astronaut, Army Air Corps officer and latterly space celebrity, author of eight books on the subject.

Tim was launching the National Trust’s Summer of Discovery programme which aims to use science and history to inspire families to find out more about the world’s greatest scientists... and they don’t come much greater than Woolsthorpe’s most famous resident, Sir Isaac Newton.

“I think this is my third or fourth visit,” said Tim during an exclusive interview with Lincolnshire Pride after the event. “It’s always such an inspiring place to come to, the childhood home of Sir Isaac Newton. And to meet with young people, as we have today, is great fun. Adults and children are broadly interested in the same aspects of space but everyone gets inspired by the subject.”

“The last time I visited Woolsthorpe Manor was to plant an apple tree sapling that had been cultivated from a space-flown seed from the tree within the grounds here, so that was very special.”

The morning began with a talk in which Tim described first hand the experience of going into space, and living on board the ISS from December 2015 to June 2016. During his time, he received messages of support from HM Queen Elizabeth II and Elton John. Tim also ran the London Marathon from space on the ISS treadmill, and he broadcast a New Year’s Eve message from space... first though, he had to actually get there.

“One of the things you expect when you’re in orbit is how peaceful it is. The space station does have thrusters – it needs them for if it has to move, but that’s only on rare occasions. Most of the time the station is obeying Newton’s laws and remaining peacefully in orbit, so there’s no noise coming from any engine and no vibrations.”

“But to get there it’s not so peaceful. You have to strap yourself into a Soyuz rocket. It takes three people, but you’re crammed in, so its very claustrophobic when the hatch is shut on top of you. And if everything goes to plan with our checks, there’s about 40 minutes of time built-in as a buffer so you’ve that time to just sit there and wait, on top of about 300 tonnes of explosive rocket fuel.”

“A thousand things can happen at that moment, but only one of them is good. But when the rocket does finally launch, it’s like the world’s best roller coaster. It has nine million horsepower, it accelerates at the same pace as a Formula One car, and that gives you about 4g of acceleration for several minutes with nothing to do but focus on your breathing, as we had to during training to build up our tolerance.”

“On the way up, the protective fairings disappear and you can see out of the windows for the first time, as the blackness of space approaches. That lasts for about four minutes and then you’re in space, having gone from being vertical to a horizontal orientation, in orbit, cheating orbit to exactly match the curvature of the Earth.”

Tim Peake at Woolsthorpe

“Sometimes people question why we’re investing the time and finance in exploring space. It’s because it holds the answer to so many problems that we face down here today. Lots of solutions that we find will be found in space”

“That means you’re travelling about 17,500mph, which is ten times the speed of a bullet, 25 times the speed of sound. When the engine finally cuts out, everything becomes very beautiful and that’s when we float up and experience weightlessness for the first time.”

Tim went on to explain how he ‘didn’t do particularly well’ at school and but felt inspired and determined watching the Space Shuttle-era of space flight and seeing people like Helen Sharman, the first British woman in space.

Joining the Army as a military pilot, Tim discovered he loved the feeling of flying, and became determined to specialise in becoming not only a pilot, but a test pilot too, across a number of aircraft including the Apache helicopter in which he spent over a decade. Tim joined the ESA in 2008 after seeing an advert online, ‘astronauts wanted.’

“8,500 people were applying too,” says Tim. “But just recently I was on the other side of the table, selecting candidates, and this time there were over 22,500 so it’s amazing to see how much interest a career in space has increased.”

“The first day of testing is all about hard skills but then for the rest of the year during the selection process it’s about soft skills. That’s what space agencies are most concerned about; your personality, your character, leadership, teamwork and your communication skills. So whenever I go around to talk at schools and colleges, I really to try to impart how important it is to have a balance of both.”

Resilience, too, is an important quality. Tim recalls the hours he spent in the simulators and constantly being told ‘you’re dead, you’ve died, you’re dying again...’ but then, he says, gradually you stop dying and stop failing even when instructors are throwing different scenarios and problems at you and other trainees.

“Crammed together as an international crew, you need to get on well with each other. We’re put under stress and pressure as we train. They make us hungry and tired and grumpy, in environments from caves underground to underwater habitats.”

“The ISS is home for six months and I think it’s the greatest ever feat of human engineering, 400 tonnes of hardware, the size of a football pitch, over our head right now, 400km up there, going around the planet 16 times a day. The most humbling experience, though is the thin – very, very thin – 16km of atmosphere, which is all that’s protecting every single living thing on Earth. Without it, we’re no different from Mars or from Venus. Suddenly you become aware that we have to look after that thin strip of gas and treasure it.”

“Sometimes people question why we’re investing the time and finance in exploring space. It’s because it holds the answer to so many problems that we face down here today. Lots of solutions that we find will be found in space. In an environment without gravity we’re able to grow very large, very pure protein crystals which aids in the search for a treatment for conditions like Parkinson’s and motor-neurone disease. In space we’re also using 3D printer with bio-ink to ‘print out’ organs like the heart or cartilage, so this is the potential future for medicine. You can do that in space, without gravity, but not down here on earth, so we’re doing some amazing science up there.”

“The modern commercialisation of space and making it more sustainable, establishing geopolitical precedents is where we are now. We’re no longer in the era of Apollo or Saturn, so a rocket that’s just 1% reusable is no good. We’re now ensuring we’ve rockets that are 90% reusable.”

“The Summer of Discovery is about inspiring young people to think about space as a career, about science and about technology and engineering. Getting young people out of the classroom and allowing them to put science into practice whilst having fun along the way is really important.”

“It’s a way of inspiring curiosity and creativity in young people with interactive experiments inspired by Newton himself, from interactive experiments which will include a pendulum, a telescope, Newton’s cradles, a tower drop and air-powered rocket toys, all on top of Woolsthorpe Manor’s existing Science Centre activities. All of these are aimed at celebrating the work and life of Sir Isaac Newton and the fact that his life in science began not when he was a grey-haired old man, but when he was a curious young boy.”

Woolsthorpe Manor’s Summer of Discovery, will be running from 12th July until September at the National Trust’s Woolsthorpe Manor near Grantham, see www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

What’s On

Friday 19th JulySunday 21st July

Lincoln Jazz Festival

The third Lincoln Jazz Festival weekend takes place in Lincoln Cathedral this summer, hosting leading musicians in the field.

The James Taylor Quartet will perform two sets on Friday 19th July. A Jazz Carnival Parade will take place within the Cathedral grounds and on the Dean’s Green with exuberant performance group Kinetika Bloco, joined by students from Caistor Yarborough Academy and William Farr Welton schools. The group will perform on Saturday from 2pm too, with further performances by various other artists across the weekend. A full programme is available online.

See www.lincolncathedral.com.

Revesby Country Fair

Enjoy dogs, horses, country pursuits and the very best of the countryside on this Lincolnshire country estate

Sunday 4th August

The Revesby Country Fair

The Revesby Country Fair has a packed schedule of attractions and ‘have a go’ hobbies, not to mention more than 200 trade stands, all celebrating the best food, drink, crafts and country pursuits that Lincolnshire has to offer. Headlining this year will be the jaw-dropping Atkinson Action Horses (left), trained to excite, thrill and astonish visitors with a breathtaking stunt show.

Tickets £15/adult advance, see www.revesbycountryfair.co.uk.

Friday 2nd AugustSaturday 3rd August

Boston Food Festival

Boston Stump hosts a variety of artisan local food and drink producers, with lots of family entertainment. Face painting, glitter art, balloon art, fruit & vegetable creative art, story time sessions, and a treasure trail visiting sites all around town. A walking tour of historic pubs will also be on offer, as will the Rock School Bus on Saturday.

From 10am, call 07769 935045 or see www.visitlincolnshire.com.

Saturday 10th AugustSunday 11th August

Medieval Joust

Visit Lincoln Castle to feel the thunder of hooves and hear the clash of lance on steel armour as these brave knights take part in the Sport of Kings. Meet all of the knights competing, choose a champion, and cheer them on!

Lincoln Castle from 10am, see www.lincolncastle.com.

Saturday 31st August –Sunday 1st September

Flower and Garden Show

Belvoir Castle’s Head Gardener welcomes you to a weekend exploring horticultural show gardens, diverse stalls, and more for gardening inspiration.

Belvoir Castle, NG32 1PE. See www.belvoircastle.com.

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

Saturday 24th AugustMonday 26th August

James & Ella in Market Rasen

A brace of big names for Jockey Club-owned Market Rasen Racecourse with Rasen Rocks 2024. James Arthur will be returning to perform on the Rasen Rocks stage on Saturday 17th August for an unforgettable

Björn Again at

evening of racing and live music. Fresh from being nominated for her third Brit award, Tetneyborn star Ella Henderson has also been announced as support act before James Arthur takes to the Rasen Rocks stage.

The concert begins at 8.30pm, ticket prices are from £39.20 to £56 for adults. see www.thejockeyclub.co.uk.

Grimsthorpe

Mamma Mia! The fabulous Australian ABBA Show ‘Björn Again’ is set to rock Grimsthorpe Castle...

Saturday 10th August

‘Get Back:’

The Magic of the Beatles

It’s time to shake it up, baby with the sensational 2024 ‘Get Back’ UK Tour. The incredible cast look and sound like John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and share the Fab Four’s unique sense of humour... Twist & Shout, She Loves You, Hey Jude and A Hard Day’s Night... all the hits, all present and correct. Playing to ecstatic sell-out audiences, The Magic of the Beatles is all you need to enjoy an unforgettable night of million-selling memories.

Skegness Embassy Centre, 7.30pm, £31/adults, see www.embassytheatre.co.uk.

Saturday 17th August

Thursday 5th September ­

Sunday 8th September

The Defender Burghley Horse Trials 2024

The world’s greatest five-star FEI eventing competition will return to the parkland of Burghley House next month, with dressage, cross-country and showjumping rounds.

As well as the competition itself, there’s the opportunity to enjoy luxury shopping courtesy of 600 carefully chosen trade stands and the event’s food walk.

175,000 spectators will enjoy the event, which take place across 530 acres and features over 340 horses.

For advanced tickets, prices and for further details see www.burghley­horse.co.uk.

Go wild for Abba at Grimsthorpe Castle

Grimsthorpe Castle plays host to the top ABBA Show ‘Björn Again’ on Saturday 17th August. Björn Again was created and founded by director and musician Rod Stephen in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia. Designed as a light-hearted parody of the Swedish pop group ABBA, the show rapidly became a brand in its own right and has achieved cult status. Having been acknowledged by Björn Ulvaeus as the show that single-handedly initiated the

ABBA revival in the late ’80s and early ’90s, is without a doubt one of the most popular and successful shows of its type.

Björn Again has also played at such prestigious venues as Wembley Arena, the Royal Albert Hall, and Glastonbury!

At the spectacular setting of Grimsthorpe, you can relax and enjoy all the ABBA hits from ‘Waterloo’ to ‘Mamma Mia’ and the ‘Dancing Queen.’ Gates 5pm, £32.50/general, see livepromotions.co.uk.

Back to the 1940s

This summer sees a trio of 1940s-themed entertainment events

Saturday 20th July ­ Sunday 21st July Lincoln 1940s Weekend

Experience the spirit of 1940s Britain with two days of vintage performances, activities and displays in Lincoln’s historic Cathedral Quarter.

The main hub of the event will take place in the historic Bailgate and Uphill area of Lincoln, including the castle grounds.

Events include live 1940s music and dance events, themed food and drink, craft market, classic vehicle displays, family activities and street theatre, a vintage fairground, vintage mobile cinema and more.

Everyone is encouraged to come in 1940s period dress to add to the family friendly atmosphere. The event is organised by Lincoln BIG.

Call 01522 842702 or see www.lincolnbig.co.uk.

Saturday 3rd August

East Kirkby Air Show

East Kirkby’s Lincolnshire Aviation Centre hosts its annual full airshow to help raise funds for the on-going restoration of Avro Lancaster NX611.

The event features re-enactors, Lancaster taxy runs, trade stalls, vintage cars, military vehicles and much more to give you an excellent family day out. Other highlights include the D-Day Darlings with their vintage vocals, a 1940s dance performance, and plenty of photo opportunities.

Tickets are limited in quantity to just 5,500 so organisers advise keen visitors to secure their tickets early!

£25/adults, East Kirkby, Spilsby, PE23 4DE. For more information call 01790 763207 or see www.lincsaviation.co.uk.

Friday 9th August ­ Sunday 11th August

Salute to the 1940s Weekend

Lincoln’s International Bomber Command Memorial Centre hosts its Salute to the 1940s Weekend, with re-enactors, vintage trade stands, 1940s cars and military vehicles, plus talks on bomb disposal and mission briefings.

Johnny Victory hosts a wartime cabaret and BBQ at the centre on Friday 9th August from 6pm-9pm, whilst the IBCC Blackout Blitz Ball takes place on Saturday 10th August. Finally, on Sunday 11th August, there’s a Vintage Tea Afternoon and Music event from 2.30pm, with Samantha the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) singer. Some events require pre-booking, see the IBCC website for full details.

International Bomber Command Centre, Canwick, see www.internationalbcc.co.uk.

Matthew Flinders The Homecoming of

As Pride goes to press, one of the county’s most famous sons is set to return to Lincolnshire as explorer Matthew Flinders’ body is interred in Donington with a series of services in the village’s St Mary & the Holy Rood Church, commemorating the life of the sailor, surveyor, navigator and scientist

Words: Rob Davis.

One of the county’s most famous sons is coming home as Pride appear in shops and the magazine lands on the doormat. After five years of campaigning, Matthew Flinders’ remains will be returned to his native Lincolnshire to be interred at Donington’s St Mary & the Holy Rood Church, with a series of commemorations organised by the Matthew Flinders Bring Him Home Group.

The group was formed in early 2019 and is made up of members from the Parochial Church Council, the Parish Council and others. The whereabouts of Flinders’ remains were unconfirmed until 2019 when archaeologists working on the site of HS2 uncovered his grave, able to identify the explorer by a lead breast plate on his coffin.

“It’s been a long journey but we feel that it’s right and proper that Matthew Flinders should be returned to his home,” says Jane Pearson. “We’ve planned a series of events to ensure that the explorer’s life can be recognised and his contribution to history more comprehensively acknowledged.”

Matthew Flinders was born in Donington in 1774 and educated at Cowley’s Charity School and then the Reverend John Shinglar’s Grammar School at Horbling. Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe was published 55 years before and evidently inspired Flinders to join the Navy, much to the disbelief of his school friends.

Joining the service in 1789 at the age of 15, he served on HMS Alert as a servant, then as an able-seaman on HMS Scipio before working his way up to the position of midshipman on HMS Bellerophon in 1790. Flinders’ bravery could hardly be questioned. He joined Captain William Bligh on a ‘breadfruit voyage,’ the second of Bligh’s trips after the ill-fated journey of HMS Bounty a couple of years earlier upon which the Captain barely escaped with his life.

This voyage would prove a little calmer and a year later in 1793 Flinders was able to rejoin his former Captain Pasley on HMS Bellerophon to participate in the Glorious First of June skirmish in the naval conflict between Great Britain and the First French Republic. A detailed diary entry has Flinders recalling how a 13lb shot came careering through the ship’s quarter-deck, an incident in which Pasley lost his leg.

Understandably Flinders decided that exploration rather than combat might be a better career path from that point, and joined HMS Reliance on two expeditions as a midshipman in 1795, befriending Lincolnshire-born surgeon George Bass who was born in Aswarby.

Finally in 1799 Flinders received his own command, the sloop Norfolk, with Bass joining him on a journey to Van Diemen’s Land, now known as Tasmania. He would later convince the admiralty of the importance of exploring the Antipodes Islands and was given command of HMS Investigator, setting sail in 1801 on the 334-tonne sloop for New Holland (named by Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman) and Tasmania.

That year Flinders and his crew, which included botanists, landscape artists and astronomers would survey the south coast of Australia reaching Cape Leeuwin in the far-south east corner of the country, to Port Lincoln, Memory Cove and Kangaroo Island where the crew were thrilled to discover how tame the animals were, and expressed their gratitude by killing and eating 31 of them, so beginning the tradition of the great Aussie barbecue.

Within a year Flinders had also encountered a French corvette captained by Nicolas Baudin, who was engaged in a similar mission of exploration. Despite the two countries being at war, the two befriended one another and exchanged the details of their discoveries.

Lincolnshire

Continuing to Sydney in May 1802 to resupply the ship and enlist further crew, Flinders embarked on his circumnavigation of the country counter-clockwise joined by HMS Lady Nelson. Flinders charted the Great Barrier Reef and encountered aboriginal folk, eventually reaching Cape Wilberforce on the Northern coastline of Australia when Investigator was found to be too rotten to continue its voyages and was condemned.

Flinders set sail for Britain as a passenger on HMS Porpoise and with the former’s destruction, HMS Cumberland but was forced to put in at Isle de France (now Mauritius) for supplies.

Britain and France were at war and Flinders hoped that his past entente cordiale with Baudin and his French passport would allow him to continue on his way. Unfortunately it was not to be, and governor Decaen detained Flinders from 1803 to 1810, even after Napoleon had expressed his wish that Flinders was released. His initial incarceration was later relaxed and Flinders was able to move around the island and to access his papers, which meant he was

able to send his first map of the region back to England in November 1804 and to work on his accompanying three-volumes of notes, A Voyage to Terra Australis (so naming Australia), which he completed upon his return to Britain in October 1810.

Flinders was in poor health and settled on London Street (later Maple Street) in London, dying from kidney disease in July 1814. Flinders’ work was published the day after his death and sadly his failed eyesight meant he could never see the volumes, though his wife Ann Chappelle was able to place them on his bed so he could touch them. The volumes included notes from logs written by Flinders on board the Investigator, and though volumes one and two were returned to him they are now in the State Library of New South Wales. A third volume was later deposited in the Admiralty Library and is now kept in the National Archives. The body of work that Flinders created was only republished as recently as 1964.

The explorer was buried in Piccadilly’s St James’s Church which was in use until 1853, later becoming St James’s Gardens in Camden.

The site was eventually built over when Euston Station was expanded before closure in 2017 due to HS2. The work necessitated about 40,000 sets of remains being reinterred and though it was understood that Flinders was buried somewhere in the vicinity, the exact location of his grave was unknown until archaeologists discovered the grave using the lead breast plate confirming the find.

That was in January 2019 and very soon after the Matthew Flinders Bring Him Home Group was founded with the intention of returning the explorer to his home county. Permission was granted by the Diocese of Lincoln for Flinders’ reburial in the north aisle of the church on Saturday 13th July, with one of three services being held in the church and a number of VIPs attending. The new coffin has been custom made by Robert Hartle, and it looks absolutely magnificent.

“Arriving in the village only weeks before the great event, has been a challenging but wonderful experience for me,” says Mark William Vicar of Donington. “I have to admit that my knowledge of Matthew Flinders was somewhat minimal, so a hastened message to an old school friend who now lives in Australia, and a search for a good biography, has fuelled my fascination.”

“The church services will be a wonderful collection of diverse events throughout the whole weekend. It will certainly be amazing to see the church so full. On Friday we will begin the proceedings with a school service, which is designed to echo the main Saturday interment liturgy, but shorter, and slightly less formal. The Bishop of Lincoln is coming on his first of two visits of the weekend. Readings, and choir items by both the primary and secondary schools in the village will form the basis of this act of worship.”

“On the Saturday, we have a completely full church, with over 300 people seated in the congregation. The Governor of South Australia, the Lord Lieutenant, the High Sheriff, and a collection of Mayors will form the civic representation.”

“The service itself will begin with a naval gun salute outside on the church path, and include readings by members of the Flinders family. Lord Rose will present a traditional tribute. Three well-known Naval hymns including Eternal Father Strong to Save, will be sung by the congregation, as well as two anthems by the Costal Community Choir.”

“On the Sunday our Parish Communion, lead by the Bishop of Grantham, will be our normal Sunday service, to which everyone is welcome to attend. It will have a Flinders theme, reflected in the hymns, and readings.”

Everyone involved in organising the return of Flinders to the county is thrilled to think that one of Lincolnshire’s most famous sons is coming home. “He’s less well-known here but to an Australian, Flinders has the same sort of reverence as Churchill,” says Jane Pearson. “We look forward to providing him with a fitting and permanent presence in the county.”

Matthew Flinders’ Vessel

HMS Investigator

The 1801 vessel HMS Investigator was actually constructed as the mercantile vessel Fram, then purchased by the Royal Navy in 1798, renamed HMS Xenophon and finally converted into the survey ship HMS Investigator in 1801, placed under the command of Flinders. Built in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, as a collier, the vessel was 100ft long, 8.7m beam, and 15ft in draft, weighing about 334 tonnes and carrying a crew complement of 80, with its sails arranged in a sloop plan. Its armaments included six 12lb carronades. She was returned to commercial service from 1817 after her name was reverted back to Xenophon, then retired and finally broken up in 1872.

A Tribute to the Captain’s Cat

Trim, Matthew Flinders’ beloved cat, was born aboard HMS Investigator in 1799.

Cats were commonplace on board ships as they controlled the rats and mice that would otherwise cause havoc by gnawing on ropes.

Trim's personality appears to have been bigger than the other ship cats, and Flinders wrote of Trim’s “Signs of superior intelligence beyond what is usually bestowed upon the individuals of his tribe.”

As a kitten, Trim fell more than once into the ocean but paddled back to safety and climbed back onto the ship. “He learned to swim and to have no dread of the water; and when a rope was thrown over to him, he took hold of it like a man, and ran up it like a cat,” added Flinders.

Noting his strong survival instinct and intelligence,

Flinders and the crew made him their favourite and when Flinders was imprisoned under house arrest by the French in Mauritius on his return voyage, a faithful Trim shared his captivity. During his imprisonment, Flinders wrote a biographical tribute to Trim in which he described him as “One of the finest animals I ever saw, with a robe of clear jet black, with the exception of his four feet, which seemed to have been dipped in snow.”

Around the World with Lincolnshire’s Explorers

SIR JOHN FRANKLIN

1786 ­ 1847, born in Spilsby

Born in Spilsby in 1786, to Hannah Weekes and Willingham Franklin, a farmer’s daughter and merchant respectively.

Educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Louth, Franklin’s father wanted him to enter the church, but instead, left home at the age of 12 to embark on a trial voyage for a career at sea.

In March 1800, he secured a Royal Navy appointment on HMS Polyphemus, commanded by Captain Lawford and participated in Nelson’s armada at the Battle of Copenhagen and later at Trafalgar on HMS Bellerophon.

In 1802 he served as midshipman under Matthew Flinders on an expedition around Australia about HMS Investigator. By 1819 he led the Coppermine survey exhibition charting the seas from Hudson Bay to the north coast of Canada.

A second and third expedition to Canada followed in 1825, but with 500km coastline left unexplored, a May 1845 Northwest Passage expedition departed from Kent, comprising of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror set off but the 129-strong crew abandoned the ships in 1848 when they became trapped in ice and all were lost, with suggestions that the men died from a combination of hypothermia, starvation and scurvy.

It’s believed that Franklin died in June 1847 throughout the exact location of his grave is unknown. He left behind his first wife, the poet Eleanor Anne Porden, and second wife Jane Griffin. His only child was a daughter, Eleanor Isabella Franklin who died in 1860. John Franklin was also uncle by marriage to the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

SIR PETER MARKHAM SCOTT

September 1909 – August 1989

Admittedly this one is a bit tenuous in the respect of Peter Scott being an explorer... he was, however, the only son of Robert Falcon Scott ‘of the Antarctic,’ whose Terra Nova expedition saw Scott and the party perish in March 1912. On the site of his death is a wooden cross bearing the line from Lincolnshire-born Tennyson’s poem Ulysses ‘To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.’

Peter Scott was a British ornithologist, conservationist, painter, naval officer who purchased the lighthouse at Sutton Bridge. He also competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics, achieving bronze in sailing and he co-founded the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 1946.

T E LAWRENCE ‘OF ARABIA’

1879 ­ 1940, raised in Stamford

In November 1922, Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen. Present during the great discovery was Stamford’s Harry Burton, a photographer who helped to document the find, spending a decade photographing artefacts including the moment when the tomb was opened. Originally a photographer assigned to art historian Robert Cust, serving as his secretary and accompanying him on a number of excavations funded by wealthy American layer Theodore Davis. Around 3,400 of his images remain, and Burton also continued to photograph similar explorations for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art including Theban tombs and antiquities in Cairo and Italy. Burton remained active until his death in 1940.

August 1888 – May 1935, stationed at RAF Cranwell

Thomas Edward Lawrence was portrayed to great critical acclaim by Peter O’Toole in the 1962 biopic. Lawrence was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who played a role in the Great Arab Revolt against the Turkish Ottoman empire from 1916. However, in 1925 he was posted to RAF Cranwell and could often be seen riding his Brough motorcycle from Cranwell into Lincoln and Newark where he played snooker and worked on his book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which detailed his wartime experiences.

CAPTAIN JAMES COOK

November 1728 – February 1779

British explorer, cartographer and naval officer James Cook was famous for his three voyages in 1768 and 1779. The first was a voyage to the Pacific Ocean aboard HMS Endeavour, sailing to New Zealand and encountering the Māori for the first time before making landfall at Botany Bay.

A second voyage in 1772 saw Cook promoted to Commander to lead a Royal Society expedition on HMS Resolution towards the Antarctic Circle. A final voyage in 1776 on HMS Resolution with its companion ship HMS Discovery making contact with the Hawaiian Islands.

A quarrel with the locals escalated into the death of Cook with Kalaimanokahoʻowaha, a chief of the Kealakekua Bay tribe clubbing him over the head. The voyage continued, without Cook, and reached home in 1780.

SIR JOSEPH BANKS

February 1743 – June 1820

Travelling with Cook was Sir Joseph Banks. Born in Soho, the son of a Lincolnshire country squire, Banks was educated at Harrow and Eton, then at the age of 21, inherited the Revesby Abbey Estate.

Becoming a magistrate, and dividing his time between Lincolnshire and London, he kept up his interest in science by attending the Chelsea Physic Garden of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries and the British Museum.

Elected to the Royal Society in 1766 at the age of 23, he joined Constantine Phipps on HMS Niger to study the botany of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 1768 he joined James Cook on HMS Endeavour and proceeded to catalogue over 800 specimens, illustrating them and producing the 35-volume Florilegium... he was also the first to ‘discover’ a ‘kanguru’ in 1770 Banks’ life is more fully explored in the Sir Joseph Banks Centre in Horncastle.

HARRY BURTON

Dining Out

Petwood Hotel Edwardian Style at Woodhall Spa

A perennial favourite, better than ever, with a fresh infusion of talent, a newly revamped restaurant menu and the classic Edwardian style we all know and love. This month we enjoy a return visit to Woodhall Spa’s wonderful Petwood Hotel.

Words: Rob Davis.

It’s been about 200 years since work on a new coal mine, in the village of Woodhall Spa, ran into a problem. Underground springs ruined John Parkinson’s plans to mine the area of coal. Lord of the Manor Thomas Hotchkin wasn’t dismayed though: he realised that there’s gold in them there waters, and promptly created spa baths and accommodation, hence Woodhall’s destiny as a spa town, enabling affluent Victorians to ‘take the water’ and enjoy its various minerals.

The healing powers of the village’s water also extended to mending broken hearts, such as that of wealthy heiress Baroness Grace van Eckhardstein after her painful divorce. Grace made her home close to her favourite or ‘pet’ wood, but when the original house built in 1905 didn’t meet her lavish tastes, she commissioned a new one on the site.

The resulting Tudor/Jacobean property is what we now know as the Petwood Hotel. It became a hotel in 1933,

when Grace and her new husband Sir Archibald Weigall –Conservative politician and former Governor of South Australia – relocated to Archibald’s country pile in Ascot near Berkshire. Meanwhile the Petwood, with its gardens freshly landscaped by Harold Peto, had been requisitioned in WWI as a convalescence hospital. In WWII, it became home to the 617 Dambusters squadron.

Today, the Petwood Hotel has been in the ownership of the same family for nearly three decades, and remains popular for a broad number of reasons, offering accommodation for guests seeking a pilgrimage to enjoy Lincolnshire’s aviation heritage, Woodhall Spa’s wartime connections, world-class golf on the nearby Hotchkin course of the English Golf Union, and as a popular venue for weddings. For local diners too, the Petwood offers exceptional dining in a lovely location. And with a new Head Chef, the hotel’s offering of dining has been revamped for summer.

Opposite: Lamb wellington, Loin of lamb wrapped in a savoury pancake, creamed leek duxelles and all butter puff pastry, pomme dauphinoise, purple sprouting broccoli, minted pea gel, red wine reduction, £34.50.

Dining Out

The Petwood Hotel

STARTERS

Candy beetroot tartare, whipped goats cheese, honey, black onion seeds, £7.50.

Twice cooked crispy pork belly, celeriac puree, carrot papadelle, Apple cider jus, £7.95.

Pickled asparagus, Serrano ham, poached duck egg, parmesan, mustard dressing, £12.50.

MAIN COURSES

Lamb Wellington, Loin of lamb wrapped in a savoury pancake, creamed leek duxelles & all butter puff pastry, pommes dauphinoise, sprouting broccoli and red wine reduction, £34.50.

Pan roasted cod loin, artichoke and pancetta chowder, crispy mussels, £25.95.

10oz rib-eye steak cooked to your liking, pommes anna, charred asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, glazed cherry tomatoes, cote hill blue cheese sauce, £32.95.

Roasted pork belly, smoked celeriac mash, caramelised apple, cider and thyme sauce, £21.95.

DESSERTS

Honey panna cotta, rhubarb compote, ginger crumb, £7.50.

Chocolate orange tart, blood orange gel, chocolate soil, £7.95.

White chocolate millionaire bombe; white chocolate sphere filled with raspberry ice-cream, white chocolate blondie, shortbread crumb, raspberry crumble, hot caramel sauce, £12.95.

Duo of blueberry and lemon bavarois, lemon and blueberry gels, toasted granola, £9.50.

NB: Sample menu and featured dishes, subject to availability and change.

The Petwood Hotel offers everything from banqueting to afternoon tea, to AA-rosette award-winning dining

Dan Thurlow joined the hotel in spring this year and leads a team in the kitchen of about 10 who have a broad remit of providing everything from banqueting for weddings and other events to excellent afternoon teas, served in the restaurant or dining room and especially popular in summer, right up to quality AA-rosette award-winning dining in the hotel’s wood-panelled dining room.

Lunchtime dining is available in the hotel’s Terrace Bar, overlooking the Peto-landscaped gardens, from noon until 2.30pm, seven days a week with a slightly extended service and a dedicated menu for Sunday lunches. Evening dining in the restaurant is available from 6pm-8.45pm, seven days.

Daytime service features a range of nine tapas-style small plates, plus four grill options, five Petwood Classics and a range of salads and sandwiches.

Evening dining is provided by a menu of seven starters, seven main courses and five desserts.

The hotel’s signature dishes are a starter of pickled asparagus with Serrano ham, poached duck egg and parmesan with a mustard dressing, and a main course option of lamb Wellington. with creamed leek duxelles, pommes dauphinoise and purple sprouting broccoli. For dessert, we’ll nudge you towards our white chocolate millionaire bombe.

Lincolnshire’s best suppliers are very well represented on the menu with Woodhall Spa butcher Graham Fidling providing pork and Ruskington’s Mel Ward providing steaks. Seafood arrives each day via Grimsby’s fish market.

Back in April the Petwood was awarded its AA-rosette, at which point a suggestion was made that perhaps it ought to aim for a second. The team decided, though, that there was more scope for providing a balance of quality, good value and consistency by maintaining its existing accolade and focusing on customer satisfaction.

Above: Pan­roasted cod loin, artichoke and pancetta chowder, crispy mussels, £25.95. Opposite: Honey panna cotta, Yorkshire rhubarb compote, ginger crumb, £7.50.

During lockdown the team managed to completely refurbish the kitchen, and freshen up a number of the hotel’s communal areas.

A rolling programme of refurbishment has also continued for the hotel’s 54 en suite bedrooms which include suites and rooms with elegant four-poster beds, and pretty garden views.

Throughout the year, too, there are live theatre and history events and the hotel is already taking bookings for its Christmas events, for both companies and families.

A Christmas Escape package affords the opportunity to avoid hosting relatives and getting stuck with the washing up, with a three night stay, from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, including a Champagne afternoon tea plus festive lunch, buffet supper and a five-course Boxing Day gala dinner, all for £720.

Also included are open fires, a warm welcome and entertainment from both resident pianist Helen Clarke and the hotel’s house band.

New Year’s Eve at the Petwood will take a bit of an unusual – and rather sinister –turn with ‘Mobsters, Molls & Murder,’ an Edwardian-themed murder mystery evening including Champagne and canapé reception, gourmet buffet, live music and entertainment to enjoy in between all of the clues and costumes. Tickets are already selling well, at £90/person, so early booking is advised!

Elsewhere? Lovely grounds, a classic look and feel, lots of history and great service. These are all staples of the Petwood, and with new General Manager Matthew McCristal and Head Chef Dan Thurlow determined to make this year the best ever for the Petwood and its diners, the hotel remains one of the best places in Lincolnshire to dine and stay.

The Petwood Hotel Woodhall Spa

The Pitch: “A timelessly elegant setting, the Petwood is one of the most memorable places in Lincolnshire in which to enjoy AA­rosette award­winning food that’s both delicious and creative.”

Opening Hours:

Lunch: Noon ­ 2pm (Mon ­ Sat)

Bar Meals Noon ­ 9pm (Mon ­ Sun)

Afternoon Tea: 2:30pm ­ 5pm (Mon ­ Sat)

Dinner: 6pm ­ 9pm (Mon ­ Sun)

Sunday Lunch: Noon ­ 2:30pm (Sun).

The Petwood Hotel, Stixwould Road, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire LN10 6QG. Tel: 01526 352411. www.petwood.co.uk.

Above: Candy beetroot tartare, whipped goats cheese, honey, black onion seeds, £7.50.

Raspberry Loaf Cake

with Elderflower Cordial Buttercream

Preparation Time: 20 minutes. Baking Time: 50 minutes. Serves: Six.

For the Cake: 175g unsalted butter, softened 175g caster sugar • 3 large eggs • 175g self­raising flour 1 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 125g fresh raspberries • 2 tbsp milk

For the Buttercream: 125g unsalted butter, softened 250g icing sugar, sifted • 2­3 tbsp Belvoir elderflower cordial 1­2 tbsp milk (if needed) • Raspberries and mint to decorate

Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a tablespoon of flour.

Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder into the mixture. Fold in gently until just combined. Stir in the vanilla extract and milk until the batter is smooth and well mixed.

Gently fold in the fresh raspberries, being careful not to overmix as this could break up the raspberries too much. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and spread it out evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Add the elderflower cordial one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. If the buttercream is too thick, add a little milk to reach the desired consistency.

Once the cake is completely cool, spread the elderflower cordial buttercream over the top of the loaf cake using a palette knife or the back of a spoon. Decorate with raspberries and mint then slice and serve the cake

We’re Hosting Our Garden Party Saturday 24th August, free entry

Featuring sharing platters, live music, ice cream, special offers on our fresh, locally sourced food and drink, plus bouncy castle and garden games for children

Kirkby la Thorpe, Sleaford NG34 9NU 01529 300750 | www.theqhr.co.uk

Located just off the A17 at Kirkby la Thorpe near Sleaford: leave the Holdingham Roundabout and travel towards Boston on the A17.

Elizabeth Tower whisky selected by Sir Lindsey Hoyle

Since Sir Bernard Weatherill in the 1980s, the Speaker of the House of Commons has put their name to a ‘house’ whisky. The only time alcohol can be consumed in the Commons is by a Chancellor as they delivering their budget... although recent chancellors have stuck to water. Sir Lindsey Hoyle selected a Glen Moray single malt (£45, right), but he also offers a boxed limited edition 35­year old single grain which marks the restoration of the Elizabeth Tower in 2022 Just 334 bottles were made! £550 (1­100/334)/ 70cl / 46%.

The Wine Cellar

Order! Order! Order some of these! If General Election fever is enough to drive you to drink, we’ve ‘house’ wines and spirits from the Palace of Westminster... ideal if you’re an MP with something to celebrate!

Outstanding 2016 claret from Chateau Rouquette La Tour aux Palombe, Cab Sav/Merlot/Cab Franc, red berries and good structure, £18 / 70cl / 14% ABV.

Light­bodied white produced from 100% Sauvignon Blanc with lime, lemon and grapefruit on the palate and a long, lively finish, £15 / 70cl / 11.5% ABV.

House of Lords Champagne rosé: Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier/Chardonnay grapes, red berries and grapefruit with orange, £39 / 70cl / £12.5% ABV.

Wine of the Month

At the time of writing, the 2024 General Election is yet to take place, so we’ve no idea who will be celebrating (or drowning their sorrows). For the victor, the spoils... and perhaps a glass of this fizz: the House of Commons’ house sparkling wine from Digby Fine English in Arundel, Sussex. Chalky soils yield green apple fruit & biscuit flavours. And incidentally, it’s named after Sir Kenelm Digby, 17th century philosopher and pirate (!) inventor of the modern wine bottle! £35 / 70cl / 12%.

Lord of the Gins

House of Lords Gin created by small Cornish distillery

Margaret Thatcher’s favourite drink was a Bell’s blended whisky. David Cameron favoured bitter, and Gordon Brown preferred Champagne. Rishi Sunak is teetotal, but Tony Blair said in his memoirs that he liked a G&T before dinner.

The House of Lords’ gin, is made by Cornwall’s Rosemullion Distillery and uses coriander and angelica botanicals, £45 / 70cl.

Featured wines and spirits available by mail order from the Houses of Parliament shop, see www.shop.parliament.uk or call 020 7219 3890.

‘House’ Wines: All available in the House of Lords...

A Truly Substantial

Family Home

This month we’re taking a look around a truly unique property near Louth, now on the market and offering extensive accommodation and landscaped gardens

Words: Rob Davis.

Words: Rob Davis.

This month’s featured property is truly unique, with more than 16,000sq ft living space, nestling in just under 10 acres and with plenty of leisure facilities to keep its owners busy.

A former farm, originally built in the 19th century and extended over the years, Ludney House Farm has tastefully designed interiors but also features landscaped grounds that are impressive enough for the grounds to have been opened up for NGS events.

The architectural design of the home showcases modern luxury with high quality fixtures and fittings, including two marble staircases and marble flooring throughout the house. The home enjoys a choice of generous reception rooms, along with excellent amounts of natural light, with vaulted ceilings, roof lanterns and large expanses of glass.

The property’s entrance hall leads to a family room, dining room and leisure complex, as well as a sitting room and a garden room. Beyond those, there’s a Champagne bar and lounge room, plus a well-appointed cinema room and a games room with pool table.

On the south-west aspect of the property, meanwhile, there’s a large and beautifully appointed living kitchen with bespoke cabinetry in two-tone Ammonite and Inchrya Blue cabinetry, with a Lacanche range cooker, Miele appliances and a boiling water tap as well as a wine fridge and integrated accent lighting.

The kitchen also features banquette seating around a substantial island topped with quartz and a sitting room area with large TV. The adjacent utility room keeps family clutter at bay, whilst a boiler room, garden store and triple garage provide plenty of storage.

Meanwhile Ludney House Farm has a leisure complex, 75ft in length, which provides a heated swimming pool and jacuzzi, as well as a spiral staircase leading to a mezzanine gym, and down into a basement spa/wellness area too complete with a sauna, a couple of shower rooms and the plant room.

Within the south-facing wing of the property, there are three bedrooms each with en suite

Welcome Home

and a snug too, ideal for intergenerational living as the layout provides a degree of privacy from the rest of the property.

The master bedroom suite, meanwhile, measures 26ft and is located above the sitting room and study. The master bedroom has an en suite bathroom, dressing room and lounge area, and an adjacent bedroom with its own en suite. The final bedroom is located above the kitchen and triple garages with its own en suite, lounge area and a dedicated staircase.

As well as providing a home cinema, swimming pool and gym, those of an active persuasion will also find a full-sized tennis court, and for those with horses, an American-style stable with accommodation for six horses, plus an all weather horse arena and a Monarch horse walker.

As well as outdoor terraces there’s a pond house, potting shed, barbecue house, cabana

Welcome Home

with thatched roof, hay store, kennels and a number of garages/stores.

The impressive property is approached via a long tarmac drive with electronic gates leading to a brick paved drive at the front of the house, with parking for several vehicles and access to the attached quadruple garage.

The stunning landscaped gardens wrap around the house with a mix of lawn areas, trees, manicured hedging, shrubs and beautiful flowering plants. The grounds total approx. 9.52 acres and include multiple paddocks, a pond and a small woodland.

An exceptional property in terms of space, leisure facilities and its overall presentation, we think Ludney House Farm is one of Lincolnshire’s most unique properties: a truly unique and desirable proposition for its next owners.

Ludney House Farm, Louth

Location: Ludney. Louth 8.7 miles/18mins, Grimsby 15.8 miles/31 mins.

Description: Substantial property offering 16,250sq ft accommodation set in a 9.52 acre plot with equestrian facilities, landscaped grounds and leisure suite with swimming pool.

Rooms: Seven reception rooms, six bedrooms each with en suite facilities.

Guide Price: £2,950,000.

Find Out More: Savills, call 01522 508900 or see www.savills.com.

Devereux Way, Horncastle LN9 6AU

Tel: 01507 527113

W: www.peterjacksoncabinets.co.uk E: info@peterjacksoncabinets.co.uk

Peter Jackson Cabinet Makers Ltd

1. Pacific Blue by Royal Doulton, £230 for 16-piece dinner set comprising 4 x 28.5cm dinner plates, 23.5cm side plates, 15cm cereal bowls, mugs, 01782 282651, www.royaldoulton.com.

2. Lobster Jug collection, by Rick Stein, £82.50/half pint, two pint, four pint, 01841 556077, www.rickstein.com.

3. Blue Haze by Denby, 12-piece set to include 4 x 26cm dinner plate, 17cm side plate, 17cm cereal bowl, 01773 740700, www.denbypottery.com.

4. Spode Steccato cereal bowl 19cm £20, side plate 18cm £17.60, Blue Italian side plate 20cm £14.45, Steccato dinner plate 28cm, £20, 01782 743 427, www.spode.co.uk.

5. Le Creuset Teapot chambray £58, 0800 373 792.

6. Villeroy & Boch Crafted Blueberry, £91.90

7. Portmerion Merion mugs, blue and white stripes £12.50/ea, 01782 743 427, www.portmeirion.co.uk.

8. Denby Kiln Blue collection, e.g.: 12-piece set to include 4 x 26cm dinner plate, 17cm side plate, 15cm cereal bowl, 01773 740700, www.denbypottery.com.

9. Royal Doulton 1815 side plate, 24cm £14/ea, 01782 282651, www.royaldoulton.com.

10. Le Creuset Chambray, e.g.: 12-piece set to include 4 x 27cm dinner plate, 22cm bowl, 22cm side plate, 0800 373 792, www.lecreuset.co.uk.

11. White Company Alnwick table runner in blue/white, £50, 020 3758 9222, www.thewhitecompany.com.

12. Spode Steccato mug, narrow/wide stripe, £18.40/ea, 01782 743 427, www.spode.co.uk.

• Retailer for SunBeach Spas, Oasis Spas and Riptide Spas

• Alukov dealer and installer for pool, spa and patio enclosures

• Distributor of Eco3Spa chemicals

• Air source heat pumps/insulation installer (FGAS Certified)

• Your one-stop-shop for hot tubs • The UKs only manufacturer-endorsed repairer

A Touch of Glass

www.spiegelau.com.

www.lsa-international.com.

www.waterford.com.

www.spiegelau.com.

www.africanartisans.co.uk.

www.lsa-international.com.

www.lsa-international.com.

www.lecreuset.co.uk.

www.wedgwood.com.

1. Riedel Performance cab/merlot, £62.50/two,

2. LSA Metropolitan stemless, £30/four,

3. Waterford Lismore Essence, £170/two,

4. Riedel Extreme pinot noir £63.75/four,

5. Ngwenya wonky glasses, £17/ea,

6. LSA Wine Culture, grand, £100/two,

7. LSA Moya wine glasses, £65/two,

8. Le Creuset red wine glasses, £65/four,

9. Vera Wang Swirl wine glasses, £85/two,

10. Villeroy & Boch New Moon £51.90/two, www.villeroy-boch.co.uk.

Fortune Favours the

BUILD

If you’re keen to embark on the creation of your new home, partnering with an expert is wise. Here’s everything you wanted to know about working with a professional to bring your dream to fruition

Words: Rob Davis.

Nothing could be better than designing and building your own home. But neither could anything be more expensive, stressful and time-consuming. As the expression goes, fortune favours the bold, so even if you’ve never embarked on your own self-build or custom-build project, there’s more support out there than ever before if you’re seeking to create a property built to your exact specification.

Last year 204,530 dwellings were completed in the UK. 63,662 individuals joined their local council’s self-build register, but planning permission for only 6,374 serviced plots was granted for self-built and custom-build purposes.

Another figure states that of all the self-build homes created in the UK each year, only 10% or so are built with the direct involvement of the property’s owner. The distinction between self-build and custombuild is that in the case of the former, an individual directly organises the design and construction of their home, whether completing the construction on a DIY basis or employing a builder.

A custom-build home, meanwhile, sees an individual or a group working with a developer to deliver one or more homes, possibly with that developer securing a plot and arranging finance.

Both are subject to 2015’s Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Act, which also required local authorities to establish a register of interest comprising those who wish to express an interest in beginning a self-build or custom-build project.

Finding a plot

There are three types of plots; serviced plots, with infrastructure like roads and access to services already in place, i.e.: in a ‘ready to build’ state. A permissioned plot, meanwhile, lacks those services but has valid planning consent.

Otherwise, land is simply amenity land without any viability for development. Sources include private sellers, bidding at auction and negotiating through an estate agent.

Local authorities are required to maintain registers of brownfield sites suitable for residential development, and there are also dedicated websites like www.plotfinder.net.

In addition to obtaining planning permission and complying with building regulations, some projects will require additional consents, not least among which are those projects which are in a conservation area or those requiring the modification of adjacent listed buildings. Some other issues are unsurmountable, e.g.: sites with covenants or private rights, so approach such situations with caution.

Designing your project

Architects are not just responsible for giving a visual impression of your project, they also provide a basis for a planning permission submission and they allow you to calculate the costs of a project. An architect will typically produce three sets of drawings if they work on a project to its ultimate conclusion. Their initial sketch is a concept. Once approved by the client, this is developed into drawings which are submitted for planning permission indicating, for instance, materials, rooms and specs. These two stages constitute about 40% of an architect’s fees. These developed plans then allow for the creation of much more technical working drawings, the use of which allows materials to be ordered and creates millimetre-accurate measurements. This accounts for another 30% of their fee.

Finally, an architect can produce a detailed specification and tender allowing you to approve your tradesperson or main contractor. This accounts for about 15% of an architect’s overall fee. And finally, if your architect manages the build too, about 15% of their fee will cover time spent on site, liaising with trades and contractors.

Alternative projects

The TV series Grand Designs has 20 seasons under its belt. Back when the series was created each run featured a ‘token’ eco-home, but as the technologies have proliferated, the term is now all but redundant and most new projects tend to incorporate some features to some degree. A full discussion with a renewable energy professional can help to clarify the best technology to incorporate into your build.

Housebuilding

Alternative materials to conventional brick/stone construction include timber-framed dwellings, and those using SIPs (superinsulated panels) which can be partly-fabricated off site then installed in situ, or Huf Haus-style properties which are prefabricated ready for assembly.

In the case of Huf Haus, the properties have a cult following, although many of the designs on offer are standardised, all tend to be designed in the same style with lots of glass. Only 20 or so Huf Haus properties are created in the UK each year, with costs estimated at £300£350/ft2.

Appointing a professional

Project managing your own main contractor and tradespeople if you’re a novice is a terrible idea. Hence a better option for anyone embarking on a project with a lack of experience or technical insight would be pursuing a Custom Build route with a local building contractor or developer whose skill set includes not only technical knowledge of construction but a bulging contacts book with

associated trades in plumbing, electrical work, plastering, decoration, and so on. Building contractors and developers also have the talent of being able to address challenges proactively as the building progresses, advising for instance on the implications of materials that aren’t delivered quite on time, or what happens when the weather interrupts the build. Furthermore, experience of implications on budgets means your building contractor or developer is a key ally in ensuring your budget remains on track.

Staying on track

If budget is one challenge, then time scales are another peril of the self-build journey, again, one that a good developer or building contractor can help you to manage and mitigate where necessary.

As a very rough guide, the average time scale purely for the construction of a property is 12 months. That’s assuming the plot has been acquired, designs have completed by your architect and planning permission has been granted, with a main contractor appointed – though ensuring your main contractor or developer is

Building contractors and developers have the talent of being able to address challenges proactively as the building progresses, from materials that aren’t delivered quite on time, to the weather interrupting the build

Bespoke build by Harris McCormack www.harrismccormack.co.uk.

already familiar with the project before this stage is typical. Firstly a site is cleared and pegged-out (i.e.: the perimeters defines as per your architect’s technical drawings). Once completed foundations can be dug out, and blockwork/concrete footings installed.

At this stage services may be taken to the property ready for connection to the property itself at the first fix stage. Months two and three see the first and upper floors being constructed, with a roof structure created and an aim of making the build weatherproof by month four or five.

Around the halfway mark, internal walls are constructed, first fix electrics and plumbing are installed and plastering begins. Windows and doors can be installed, ready for fixtures (e.g.: kitchens, bathrooms) to be made from about nine months. Snagging and decorating takes at least a month, ready for sign-off of the property, assuming your developer is providing a turnkey service.

No two projects are the same

As the expression states, it’d be boring if we were all the same... but it would certainly help to provide consistent information for budgeting, timescales and so on though. Opposite, we’ve broken down the likely cost of construction for a typical property of around £312,000... the problem is, there’s no such thing as a typical property. That’s another reason to seek out a developer or key contractor who can offer guidance tailored to your project, and bring their technical expertise and their experience to your build, saving a good deal of stress, and saving both time and money too.

Names to know:

Ladybird Homes: Offering a wide range of services, including building work, renovations, extensions, new builds, commercial projects, and residential transformations. 07979 437368, www.ladybirdhomesandconstruction.co.uk.

Berry Oak: Providing building and joinery, including a complete design and build solution for custom home builds. 01522 396185, www.berryoak.co.uk.

SL Developments: Bespoke new homes and property development from planning to turnkey completion. 07961 017017, www.sldevelopments.uk.

Austin John: Architectural and interior design, dedicated to crafting exceptional homes that blend style and comfort. 01775 760 246, www.architecturaldesignlincolnshire.co.uk.

Precision Construction: Lincoln­based provider of project management services, plus domestic and commercial services in heating, plumbing and electrical work. 01526 378356, www.precisionconstructionservices.co.uk.

How much should I budget?

Managing the Finances

n The average budget for creating a self­build property including plot (i.e.: not a custom build) property in the UK is £479,578.

n The average budget for a plot is £253,000, and land survey costs are typically £500­£1,500.

n Self­building a property necessitates and average budget of £312,000, excluding furnishings, including kitchen/bathrooms.

n In England, the fee for an outline planning application is £462 for each dwelling. The cost of submitting a full planning permission application in England is £624.

n Architects in the UK typically charge between 3% and 15% of the total construction costs. However, this varies depending on factors including their level of involvement, the complexity of the project and the architect's experience. Some architects may also offer a fixed fee or hourly rate. (Source: Checkatrade).

n Another one way to measure a potential cost is to look at a breakdown per square metre. Build costs range from £1,750£3,500/m2 on average (ex VAT). DIY self­builders can reduce this by 40­50%. (Source: Homebuilding & Renovating).

• 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

Planning an extension, refurbishment or new build?

We offer a full suite of Architectural Design and Planning ServicesHave a free initial consultation with our friendly, professional team! Call 01775760246 | WhatsApp 07939000388 | info@austinjohnltd.co.uk

• Drawings prepared for planning per mission and building regulation approval

• CGI Visualisations

• Tender Management

• Building and Project Management

• Interior Design, Fit Out and Decor ation

• Turnkey Services or ad-hoc from any stage..

• We work with you!

• Extensions, Renovations, New Build, Conversions, Listed Buildings…

• Domestic & Commercial projects Under taken.

Dining

Everything you need to dine in comfort this month thanks to Gates Garden Centre, presenting three ways to cook al fresco!

Above: 6­seat rectangular dining set with 3m parasol and base £2,149.

Right: 6­seat garden dining set with rectangular table £1,899.

Fresco

Gardens

One of the most enjoyable aspects of a British summer are those special days when we can dine al fresco. Happily our friends at Gates Garden Centre provide all you need to be comfortable all summer long with quality garden furniture and outdoor cooking appliances.

Pictured opposite is Supremo’s Rishi rectangular dining set, eucalyptus and aluminium the perfect blend of style and practical durability. Also pictured is the more contemporary Life Mixx set with robust teak top and chairs upholstered in hard-wearing weatherproof Soltex fabric.

For cooking al fresco, you can’t beat the control and convenience of a barbecue from Weber. Shown at the top of the page is an E-310 gas barbecue (£599) with 60cm x 45cm cooking area and large wheels.

Alternatively, discover the pleasure of stonebaked pizzas on Saturday 8th June from 11am as Gates Garden Centre hosts its Ooni pizza oven day, demonstrating how to cook authentic fresh flame-cooked pizza in just 90 seconds. Shown here is the Ooni Karu 16 multi-fuel pizza oven (£599).

The centre will also stock a host of Weber barbecues July and August and the Weber

World Store has a range of charcoal, gas, electric and wood pellet barbecues.

A firepit table will help you remain cosy and provides a show-stopping way to cook for guests. Seen here is Bramblecrest’s fire pit griddles and bracket (£137). And finally, remember that Gates Farm Shop also provides quality food including high-welfare meat from Gates Farm via Hambleton Butchery to make any barbecue truly delicious. Featured products available from Gates Garden Centre, Cold Overton, LE15 7QB. Call 01664 454309 or see www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

NB: All prices quoted correct at time of going to press.

On the Farm Farming

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

Remember that line from Only Fools and Horses, when Trigger explains to Del and Rodney that road sweepers have an old saying: “Look after your broom.”

“And your broom will look after you?” continues Rodney, to which Trigger replies “No Dave, it’s just ‘look after your broom.’”

Well, any arable farmer worth their grain will say that looking after your combine makes sense. Our New Holland is maintained by Ryan at Russell’s, with an inspection that took place back in February followed by our pre-harvest maintenance and servicing.

The company has 12 depots including Tuxford and Harby depots, and Ryan spends several days meticulously maintaining the machine. Our combine is about to undertake harvest number nine with us, which is testimony to the diligent maintenance it receives and the care we take with its operation and servicing.

Seeing the machine totally naked, without its cheerful yellow farings, you can peer into its inner workings: a mass of chains, belts, sprockets and bearings, hydraulics, clutches and electronics. A modern combine has over 15,000 individual parts, all working in harmony to achieve incredible productivity.

In 1850, harvesting grain from an acre of land took many labourers 23 hours. By the start of the 20th century that had dropped to just eight hours. Today, harvesting an acre is achieved in less than half an hour, with much cleaner grain and greater comfort thanks to air-conditioned cabs and a decent radio.

Unlike Trigger’s broom, our New Holland hasn’t had 17 new headers and 14 new augers… but with modern combines from names like New Holland, Claas and a John Deere costing up to £750,000, it certainly pays to take care of your machine, using an

airline to blow out the mechanism each day, for example, which also ensures excess dust and chaff doesn’t build up, which can also increase the risk of fire since the machines run incredibly hot, especially on a warm day.

Another essential for ensuring a successful harvest is the control of one of the most pernicious thorns in an arable farmer’s side, blackgrass. Just a single head of blackgrass can produce up to 500 seeds and for every 100 ears per square metre, wheat yields are reduced by a tonne per hectare. In the event of blackgrass presence, farmers have to remove 98% of the blades, not to eradicate it; just to prevent the prevalence of it increasing.

We’re fighting a constant battle to prevent blackgrass on our land and I’m happy to report that we’re on top of it, with nine clean harvests, but its control still requires a good deal of constant diligence.

I really believe that in the event of blackgrass you have to stop growing winter wheat and concentrate on spring cereals. We use a traffic light system to categorise fields and opted to plant four continuous years of spring barley in our worst-affected fields, as bushy barley can smother out blackgrass.

Previously we’ve relied on pre-emeergent sprays followed by peri-emergent and postemergent sprays, with costs of blackgrass control somewhere in the region of £250/ha.

Opposite: File photo of a New Holland combine. The firm unveiled a new flagship earlier this year, the CX11, which the company says now holds the world record for wheat capacity.

Over the past ten years or so, we’ve managed to eliminate peri- and post-emergence sprays and instead employed gangs to hand-pull rogues in our fields. We also use glyphosate to spray off entire areas of wheat in a field where blackgrass is a problem, sacrificing the crop but also eliminating the blackgrass. We’ve also had to stop baling hay because no matter how ‘hygienic’ contractors are when it comes to blowing out their balers with compressed air, it’s impossible to get into all of the nooks and crannies and remove all of the blackgrass seeds from a contractor’s previous job which means blackgrass seeds from elsewhere are introduced onto the farm. Doing so has also taken our costs down to £172/ha, despite this more labour-intensive approach. Blackgrass will always be a problem, but it’s not unsurmountable, as long as you’re diligent and keep on top of it.

At the time of writing, we’ve been treated to lovely sunshine at the Lincolnshire Show, a celebration of the very best that the county has to offer. Also at the time of writing, the European football tournament is taking place. We’re assured by the media that football is ‘coming home.’

That remains to be seen, but one event which is definitely coming home and is also attended by an enthusiastic audience is Cereals, which I’m delighted to announce will take place at Roy Ward Farm, Leadenham on 11th and 12th June 2025. Tickets are on sale now, and it’s a source of immense pride that the event will once again be back in Lincolnshire, the county that feeds the country.

Watch Wardy’s Waffle: Our farming correspondent Andrew Ward MBE farms 1,600 acres in Lincolnshire, growing wheat, barley, oilseed rape, sugar beet, beans and oats. Andrew has his own YouTube channel, Wardy’s Waffle, which is enjoyed by over 15,700 subscribers. Watch his updates Wednesday evenings from 7pm and Sunday mornings at 8am. Search YouTube for @WardysWaffleAndrewWard.

BMW’s 7 Series

A fantastic flagship to make motorway miles melt away, BMW’s 7 Series is an answer in the affirmative to the question of whether luxury saloons still have a place on the forecourt amid the proliferation of posh SUVs. Our weekend with the car proved that it’s better to travel than arrive, as the big BMW dispatched with aplomb its duty as a comfortable, luxurious and sporty mode of transport with five seats, four doors and a really big boot...

Words: Rob Davis.

Some things should be celebrated, and celebrated well... just not in Whitby. Last month saw a milestone birthday for my dear wife Anna, as well as our 10th wedding anniversary and our son’s 13th birthday. As the in-laws live in the north-east, and we live here in Lincolnshire, we headed off for a long weekend equidistant between the two in North Yorkshire. We stayed in Filey, but I’d never visited Whitby before, so it was very much on my to-do list with its literary history and fishing heritage. A long weekend away and a fairly long journey (some two and a half hours), needs a decent car: one with plenty of space, and more importantly one that can melt away the miles in comfort.

Happily Listers had been in touch earlier in the week to ask if we’d had a proper look at BMW’s new 7 Series yet. Would I like to have one for the weekend to properly evaluate its strengths? Would I?!? I nearly tripped over my keyboard with my enthusiasm in the affirmative. The anticipation was justified, for every single mile in it was nothing short of epic. It’s an incredibly comfortable car, with real presence and genuinely impressive performance… a weapon of mass seduction,

Like the present Mrs Davis, the 7 Series is a vintage of the 1970s, launched in 1977 (three years after the launch of Anna). It replaced a previous BMW flagship, ‘E3 New Six.’ Since then, all-new versions of the 7 Series debuted in 1986, 1994, 2001, 2008 and 2015. And so, for nearly 50 years, the 7 Series has slugged it out with arch-rivals like the Mercedes S-Class, and Audi A8.

But increasingly, the car has also faced down luxury SUVs like Range Rover, Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne et al, (not to mention BMW’s own stable of luxury SUVs) each of which has been chipping away at the traditional market for executive saloons. So… is there still a case to be made for the luxury saloon amid the ubiquity of posh 4x4s?

Well, last year, the seventh generation of 7 Series made its debut and like each of the previous iterations it represents a halo model for the brand, a flagship that uses the latest technology, features and design language that will, eventually, filter down to all of BMW’s cars… hence a drive in a 7 Series is like looking into a crystal ball to see what BMWs (and luxury motoring more generally) will be like in the future.

There are two types of people in the world: those who pack carefully… and husbands. Leaving Anna to make lists and check things off, I went to pick the car up, which I thought would be much more interesting, and also less likely to get me told off for not packing correctly. As we approached Listers’ forecourt and saw our petrol/plug-in hybrid BMW 750e xDrive M Sport though, elation met slight trepidation.

The 7 Series is enormous: very long at 5.3 metres and a whole 10cm longer than a long-wheelbase Range Rover. Happily, steering at low-speeds is really light and the 7 Series has excellent parking cameras and sensors plus a self-parking facility, so within a couple of days I was much more confident parking and manoeuvring it.

Jolly good thing it is so large too. Returning home from Listers, I discovered that Anna had actually packed for a month-long expedition to a far-flung country, rather than a weekend away in Yorkshire. The 7 Series’ boot isn’t just big (525 litre capacity) it’s also really wellshaped, and I was impressed with how much could be neatly fitted in.

The cabin also benefits from the car’s prodigious size. Legroom is incredibly generous, headroom too, even with the panoramic glass roof. Only a week before, a visit by the Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh to Oakham for our sister magazine, Rutland Pride, saw the couple arrive in the town, chauffeur-driven in (what else?) a BMW 7 Series. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us!

Happily I was piloting it, not just sitting in the back, as it’s a really enjoyable and engaging drive, but one passenger in particular was impressed.

My 13-year old son George soon noted with interest not only the space, but the plump suede cushions over the rear headrests, and the rear door-mounted Touch Command screens which enabled him to control rear seat adjustment, heating, ventilation and the only meaningful massage functionality I’ve ever experienced in a car.

On the down side, he managed to use the controls to take charge of the stereo. On the plus side, though, the car didn’t feature the optional 31” 8k Theatre Screen which flips down electrically from the roof. If it did, chances are he’d still be in there now.

The car has a number of profiles accessed via the rear touchscreen including ‘Relaxation’ which sees the rear side sunblinds and a rear window sunblind deploy electrically, a sunshade glide across the panoramic roof and the seat massagers set to, doing their thing. That went down awfully well, and when 16-year old niece Katie joined George in the rear, Spotify music-streaming via the Bowers & Wilkins sound system and wireless phone charging pads also impressed.

I question Katie’s taste in music (and especially some very distasteful lyrics courtesy of her preferred ‘artists’), even if it proved beyond doubt the bass capabilities, clarity and general performance of the sound system, but I suppose that’s why I’m 44 and she’s 16. It didn’t matter anyway. I was more than comfortable. That’s because, up front, I was enjoying two features of the car which really stood out; its seats and its absolutely brilliant powertrain.

You’d expect a BMW to be comfortable. You’d expect a 7 Series BMW to be really comfortable. But its seats are the most magnificent I’ve ever experienced in any car, aeroplane, cinema or living room. They’re sumptuously padded in lovely feeling leather but they have great support underneath too.

They are without question the best seats in any car I’ve driven, by a huge margin. Driving a couple of hundred miles was a cinch and I didn’t need to get out – either in, or before Yorkshire – to perform a series of stretches or Ministry of Silly Walks manoeuvres.

Comfort is enhanced further by the front seats’ heating, ventilation, and massage functions, and by the heated steering wheel and heated armrests, which make the car a really cosy place to be.

Leaving Sleaford, the 7 Series was operating on its 22kWh battery, which provides a useful 47-49 miles of electric-only range. Absolutely silky smooth and silent, it ensures the car is a joy to drive around town.

The 7 Series BMW’s seats are the most magnificent I’ve ever experienced in any car...

On the A15 up to the Humber Bridge, though, I was able to coax the 3.0 six-cylinder twinturbo engine into life and I can’t believe how nimble the 7 Series is for a big car. The quoted time for 60mph is 4.8 seconds – sports car quick on paper – but it felt much faster.

A blast on the A180 and I very quickly recognised the prodigious talent the 7 Series has for confidently passing HGVs on motorways and giving long journeys a jolly good what-for.

Opposite: Big BMW was really able to stretch its legs from Sleaford to Whitby. The super powertrain offers a brilliant blend of performance and economy.

A word too about the driving assistance systems. The car’s adaptive cruise control very cleverly reads the speed limit signs and automatically adjusts the maximum speed limit of the system to ensure you don’t have to manually dial the limiter back when a 60mph turns into a 40mph zone, for example. Steering assistance is also gentle, wafting the car around sweeping bends and ensuring you’re always right in the centre of your lane.

A trip along the comparatively twisty roads of the North York Moors would also prove how agile the car is, despite its size. Steering which weights up nicely at speed, all-wheel drive and air-suspension conspire to give the 7 Series genuine talent in this respect and I really can’t work out why anyone would opt for a sports car when a car like this can give you all of the performance and truly joyful handling as experienced here, but with substantially more practicality too.

Via its mobile app, the 7 Series can precondition its cabin, to warm or cool it prior to your journey. And with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, soft-close doors, double glazing (ensuring a whisper-quiet cabin), and a good navigation system with head-up display, the big BMW is a simply effortless drive.

Interestingly, the new 7 Series actually comprises two new lines within the same range: the 7 Series itself, and the visuallyidentical all-electric model, badged i7.

In the all-electric lineup, the i7 is available from £116,225 to £164,320 with power output from 455hp-659hp, and 350-373 miles of range… i7 also falls into the 2% BIK tax bracket, making it a good option for company car drivers.

If you’re not yet ready for a fully-electric vehicle, 7 Series is also available as a plug-in hybrid like ours. Badged 750e (from £105,510) and 760e (from £121,085), with 489hp and 571hp, both fall into the 8% BIK tax bracket.

Our holiday let was supposed to have a car charging point, but irritatingly it wasn’t working, otherwise I’d have run the car more on electric-only power.

That’s the advantage of a plug-in hybrid I suppose; the best of both worlds and the reassurance of a petrol engine when Yorkshire can’t get electricity to work.

The lack of charging facility, though, did allow me to discover that you can easily get 40mpg when out of charge, and for a car of the 7 Series’ size, I think that’s impressive.

In the interest of balance I’d love to criticise something about the car, but really you’d have to be Sherlock Holmes to find a fault. If there’s anything that bothered me, the car’s black paint, and details give it a bit of a sinister look. It’s got presence, though, and the materials inside are truly lovely.

In fact, I definitely enjoyed the drive to Whitby more than my first visit to the town itself, which was a real disappointment. I expected excellent fish ‘n’ chips and gothic literary references courtesy of Bram Stoker.

The chips were sloppy and references to Dracula had been cynically wrung out to

satisfy crowds of ageing goths. Even half of Whitby Abbey was covered in plastic sheeting as it’s undergoing repair.

I did think the 7 Series would be an ideal vehicle for Dracula though; it’s dark, brooding and a great car for well-heeled types who wish to be chauffeured in comfort as well as those who drive themselves.

If I were to configure my preferred 7 Series, though, I’d choose a lighter exterior colour (Mineral White? Tanzanite Blue?) and the lovely Smoke White Merino leather interior... I’d keep the handsome fine-wood oak mirror finish dashboard trim, though.

If you’re a discerning motorist, looking to spend a six-figure sum on a daily driver, you’ve never had it so good, with lots of choice and some lovely motors on the market.

As a car for a daily commute, for covering motorway miles, or for a weekend away, I definitely reached the conclusion that despite

the proliferation of luxury SUVs, there’s still a place in the market for executive saloons. And within that market, the 7 Series is the best, no question. It’s refined, smooth, fast, and peerless in terms of comfort. It’s the perfect luxury saloon, fit for royalty, for teenagers, for vampires and for wives who pack far too much for a simple weekend away.

BMW 750e xDrive

Price: £110,010 (M Sport trim), on sale now.

Powertrain: 3.0 six­cylinder twin­turbo, plus plug­in hybrid 22.1kWh motor.

Performance: Top speed 155mph, 0­60mph: 4.8secs. 360hp, 700Nm torque.

Range, WLTP combined: 235­282mpg, electric only range 47­49 miles.

Our BMW 7 Series was on loan from Listers BMW, Boston, call 01205 350000 or see www.listersbostonbmw.co.uk.

Fashion Mono Mania

Things aren’t always black and white, but style is a cert with this selection of light, floaty summer dresses in monochrome

Opposite: Bella tiered maxi dress, in white and black polka dot, £279, www.hollandcooper.com.

Top left: Satin sack crépe maxi dress, £219, www.karenmillen.com. Top right: Lara Atelier Italian cape sleeve mini dress, £495, www.reiss.com. Above left: Wilma crépe midi dress, £149, www.ghost.co.uk.

in monochrome, £149, www.wolfandbadger.com.

Above right: Annie dress

Rose Tinted Cosmetics

Smell the roses this summer with fresh and floral luxury cosmetics for August

Life is beautiful, says Lancôme

La Vie Est Belle has been exclusively created for Lancôme by three of the most renowned French perfumers.

‘A fragrance with a powerful trail, with a perfect balance between the nobility of Iris, the depth of Patchouli, and an alluring Vanilla accord, creati the perfect scent of happiness,’ £125 / 100ml, lancome.co.uk.

Clinique’s Moisturiser

Les Mains Hermès Nail Enamel

Shown here in Rose Porcelaine shade, Hermès’ nail enamel is available in 24 shades and provides radiant colour and a long­lasting lacquered shine. Its fluid texture leaves a fine, smooth film on the nail. £45/15ml, available from hermes.com.

Clinique’s Moisture Surge SPF 25 moisturiser is a cloud­like cream with sun protection, aloe and pro­vitamin D built in. Moisture and sun protection all summer, £44/50ml, johnlewis.com.

Caudalíe Rose de Vigne

A great daily shower gel with a light and lovely fragrance. Soap­free and suitable for sensitive skin, lightly fragranced with notes of rose, rhubarb and musk, £10/200ml, uk.caudalie.com.

Ultranatural Eye Colour

BareMinerals’ Ultranatural Eyeshadow Palette features six richly pigmented cool neutral hues in a range of finishes with taupe, ecru and sandstone tones, £30/7.8g, www.johnlewis.com.

Diptyque’s Roses Scented Candle

The ultimate scented candle from Diptyque, with bouquet of fresh flowers, blooming in the deepest winter. Its porcelain vessel, stamped with the oval of the Maison, is an invitation to make this luminous ritual last.

Gradually, the air fills with fresh, flowery notes.

A tribute to a timeless emblem, £285/1,500g, johnlewis.com.

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

Looking After Your HEALTH

Ramsay Healthcare’s Fitzwilliam Hospital in Peterborough, and its sister facility, Boston West Hospital, are both in the best of health, with lots of good news to share including a glowing assessment from the Care Quality Commission. This is healthcare performing at its very best for local patients

Fitzwilliam Hospital, based in Peterborough and owned by Ramsay Group, recently had a ‘check-up’ of its own with an inspection and assessment by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

“We’re thrilled!” says hospital manager Carl Cottam. “The report highlighted that people receive good care and their experiences are favourable, with lots of positive feedback from patients.”

“The report deemed us ‘good’ across the board, and followed our 40th anniversary celebrations last year. So, we’re thrilled to be able to build on our success, with a number of new clinics, consultants and new equipment ensuring that we can offer prompt access to consultant-led diagnostics and care.”

Private GP Services

“Our Private GP Services provide access to well-respected GPs with the highest clinical standards to discuss both urgent issues and long-term conditions.”

“We’re delighted to welcome our newest GP, Dr Sarah Moran, who is working alongside our existing GPs Dr Donna Hutchinson and Dr Aisha Bashir. Prompt access to our GPs allows patients to discuss ongoing medical care for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, women’s and men’s health issues, and to access private prescriptions or to gain advice and help for ongoing pain.”

Breast Clinic Service

“Another successful service is our Screening and Symptomatic Breast Care Clinic which allows rapid screening, diagnosis and treatment in a single clinic.”

“Around 55,000 women a year are diagnosed with breast cancer, with eight out of ten cases in women aged 50 and over, and 85% surviving for more than five years after diagnosis.”

“Finding cancer early raises the success rate of treatment. So the convenient and prompt access to diagnostic services – for instance, mammography with same-day results – can be a great source of reassurance for our patients.”

Outreach Clinics

“Fitzwilliam Hospital is also extending its provision of healthcare with outreach clinics at St James Medical Practice in South Wootton, St Clements Surgery in Terrington St Clements, Kings Lynn and Acorn Surgery in Huntingdon.”

“Our outreach clinics are of particular benefit to patients with spinal, orthopaedic and pain-related conditions, and further outreach healthcare provision is provided by Fitzwilliam’s sister hospital, Boston West.”

Boston West Hospital

“Boston West Hospital was purpose-built in 2006 to accommodate modern assessment and treatment for day-case conditions.”

“Patients enjoy access to diagnostics like endoscopy day-case treatment for common conditions like cataracts, hernias and minor skin procedures.”

“The hospital’s operating theatre already performs many common procedures, and later this year, Boston West’s throughput will increase from a second theatre due for completion in early 2025.”

Welcoming New Faces

“Both Fitzwilliam and Boston West have always provided excellent care with over 100 consultants including its newest doctors, spinal specialist Dr Girish Swamy and breast surgeons Dr John Mathew and Dr Asad Parvaiz both specialising in the rapid diagnosis of breast cancer.”

A Wide Range of Services

“Fitzwilliam Hospital was built in 1983 and provides five state-of-the-art theatres as well as 48 en suite bedrooms, plus sophisticated medical imaging tools from its 2022 Siemens static MRI scanner to its Fuji and GE CT and Ultrasound units, ensuring fast, accurate diagnosis.”

“With the hospital’s physiotherapy suite and a comprehensive range of medical disciplines, from orthopaedic and ENT, to ophthalmology, gynaecology, medical diagnostics, treatment and surgical procedures, we’re thrilled to continue offering outstanding, accessible care and peace of mind for our community.”

Find Out More: 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 48 en suite bedrooms, five operating theatres, a dedicated MRI, CT and X­Ray imaging suite and physiotherapy unit. Call 01733 261717 or see www fitzwilliamhospital.co.uk.

Purveyors of Luxury Eyewear

Since 1979

WOOW EYEWEAR a collection in stock now.

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

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.

For Your Relaxation, Revitalisation, Recovery and for Your Holistic Health

Advanced Skin Treatments ~ Relaxing Facials ~ Semi-Permanent Makeup ~ Re exology ~ Reiki ~ Sports Injury Massage ~ Nurse Practitioner Clinics including B12 Injections, Ear Syringing, Hayfever Injections and Aesthetic Treatments such as Dermal Fillers, Wrinkle Relaxers, Skin Boosters and much more...

Tattershall Thorpe, LN4 4PL 01526 342696 www.therelaxationstudio.co.uk

Oh, Happy Day!

If music be the food of love, the wedding day of Miranda & Henry was a veritable feast with gospel singers and incognito artists helping to entertain the couple’s guests

Images: Paul Williams, 07702 162 691, www.gingerbeardweddings.com.

Henry was the cool older kid when he and Miranda’s families used to spend time together. Is he still the cool older kid, we wondered? Well, he’s older, reckons Miranda...

The couple met as youngsters and went on skiing holidays with one another, and eventually got together as a couple in 2021. The couple both enjoy sailing on Miranda’s family’s catamaran moored down in Cornwall, and a bit over a year ago, the two were enjoying sailing followed by dinner at their favourite seafood restaurant, when Henry proposed to Miranda.

He had planned to go down on one knee on the boat, but both later expressed relief as they feared one or the other would end up dropping the ring overboard. Happily, no such incident occurred the two settled down to plan their perfect day together.

“I did have a romantic idea about marrying on the boat,” says Miranda. “But the legalities of marrying at sea and the practicalities forced a rethink. I was raised in Lincolnshire and so an alternative idea was to have a ceremony on land near my family home.”

The couple held their ceremony at St James’ Church near Aslackby, making their way to the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage.

“It was really lovely,” says Miranda. “The church has a lovely feel, very peaceful and reverential. The horses were absolutely immaculate, beautifully turned out and it felt very traditional. The marquee was lovely too, situated in one of our fields overlooking a lake.”

Gospel Touch Choir performed ‘Oh Happy Day’ as the couple left church

Weddings

and further musical entertainment was a cause for joy thanks to Alerion String Quartet and Incognito Artists’ performers, who posed as waiting staff working with Beetroot Catering, before bursting into a repertoire of opera and West End hits to the delight of guests, who added to the chaos by embarking upon an impromptu conga line, snaking around the marquee!

“They really were incredible and performed about ten songs. The guests absolutely loved them and couldn’t stop taking about them!”

Also at the reception, the whole wedding party enjoyed cocktails prepared by professional mixologists Mix & Twist, with lots of bespoke cocktails including the event’s signature ‘Mirenry’ cocktail.

The whole day was captured by Ginger Beard Weddings and Lincolnshire Videographers who Miranda and Henry both reckon are outstanding.

“I was really happy to find Naomi at Chapter 21 weddings too,” says Miranda. “She was half wedding coordinator, half wedding stylist and so much more. She worked alongside Sarah Youngman who created the most beautiful wedding floristry, which really impressed us!”

Miranda’s dress was from Courtyard Bridal Boutique. Whilst most brides relish the opportunity to go dress shopping Miranda reckons it was an unfulfilling experience, at least until she discovered Market Harborough’s Courtyard Boutique, and chose a Jesús Peiró gown with pleated sleeves and lace detailing. The bridesmaids wore Martini green gowns from Azazie, whilst the groomsmen’s tailoring was from Vow Bridal of Wansford.

“We’re so grateful to all of our wedding suppliers, to our parents, and to all of our friends and family who all helped to made the day just what we wanted: a really fun celebration!”

Local Suppliers

Photography: www.gingerbeardweddings.com.

Videography: www.lincolnshirevideography.com.

Marquee: Big Marquees, 01283 223191.

Wedding Dress: Jesús Peiró, courtyardbridalboutique.com.

Groomsmen’s Tailoring: www.vowbridal.co.uk.

Floristry: Sarah Youngman, 07500 114625.

Wedding Catering: www.www.beetrootcatering.co.uk.

Wedding Cake: H&R Bakery, www.handrbakery.co.uk.

Horse & Carriage: D K Carriage Horses, 01949 358695.

Singing Waiters/Chefs: www.incognitoartists.com.

Entertainment: trulymedleydeeply.com, light­it­up.co.uk.

Gospel Choir: 0800 6102009, www.gtchoir.com.

Stylist/Coordinator: chapter21weddingsandevents.co.uk.

Image: Emma Shaw

Photography

Rus c luxury in an idyllic rural se ng

Award winning venue for bespoke wedding days

Abbeyfarmweddings.co.uk | info@abbeyfarmweddings.co.uk 07769 283555

Roman c backdrop of Kirkstead Abbey