Lincolnshire Pride March 2022 by Pride Magazines Ltd

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LINCOLNSHIRE

PRIDE LINCOLNSHIRE’S FINEST MAGAZINE

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WELCOME

his month, on the 8th March in fact, it’s International Women’s Day, which champions the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. On that morning, six Lincolnshire women will turn off their alarms, get up and go to work... but not just any work. In this edition, we’re meeting some really extraordinary people who have very important jobs. The insight they’ve offered into their lives is fascinating, so we hope you enjoy reading about their lives as much as we’ve enjoyed creating a feature to celebrate them. With spring just around the corner we’re also visiting the county’s National Trust properties, and we’re stopping by in Navenby to enjoy one of Lincolnshire’s prettiest villages, before meeting a local smallholder and discovering Lincoln’s newest and most unique restaurant. Our best wishes, for a great month!

Executive Editor robin@pridemagazines.co.uk

This month we’re looking forward to spring with a sense of optimism. Blue skies, white clouds, the ability to venture out without wrapping up in lots of layers. We’ve picked a view of the North Kesteven village of Scopwick for our cover as we think it best represents just the kind of scene we’re looking forward to. A crisp cool stream, with a little stone bridge over it, a pretty cottage and of course... some cheery daffodils! We’re always looking for scenes of Lincolnshire to feature on our covers and in the magazine. If you’re a budding photographer, email your pictures to the address above! 3

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126 08

CONTENTS NEWS & EVENTS

FOOD & DRINK

NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories from across the county. This month an out of this world visitor lands in Lincoln Cathedral.

WHAT’S ON Live events, music and theatre productions this spring.

saying ‘konichiwa’ to Lincoln’s Cognito, the city’s newest restaurant specialising in Japanese cuisine.

RECIPES AND WINE Springtime treats and wine for Mother’s Day.

HIGHLIGHTS

HOMES & GARDENS

LOCAL HEROES This month sees

International Women’s Day taking place. We meet some of the county’s most extraordinary local women, making a difference in their communities.

HOMES & INTERIORS A beautiful period property in the heart of uphill Lincoln.

IN THE GARDEN Andrew Rock discusses life on a Lincolnshire smallholding.

A TRIP TO NAVENBY There’s lots to

LIFESTYLE

enjoy in the North Kesteven village of Navenby as we discover this month.

DINING OUT This month we’re

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MOTORS Mercedes’s SL sports car

NATIONAL TREASURES

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FASHION Snug giléts to keep you

March sees the reopening of the county’s National Trust properties... we present a roundup.

126 WEDDINGS Claire and Lewis

warm this spring, and cosmetics. marry in North Lincolnshire.

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THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE AREA READ PRIDE MAGAZINE

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FREE ONLINE

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 £300,000. This guarantees the magazine has an affluent readership commensurate with our content. The magazine is also sold in supermarkets and newsagents and our in-house distribution team also works hard to hand-deliver the magazine to selected hotels and restaurants, 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 30,000 online readers each month who view the magazine 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. Amazing new app out now: You can read our magazines on any device anywhere.

Read Pride Magazine free online at www.pridemagazines.co.uk or by downloading our free iOS and Android App. LEGAL DISCLAIMER

THE PRIDE TEAM

By supplying editorial or advertising copy to Pride you accept in full the terms and conditions which can be found online at www.pridemagazines.co.uk. In the event of an advert or editorial being published incorrectly, where Pride Magazines Ltd admits fault, we will include an advert of equivalent size, or equivalent sized editorial, free of charge to be used in a future edition, at our discretion. This gesture is accepted as full compensation for the error(s) with no refunds available. Selected images in our content may be sourced from www.shutterstock.com.

Managing Director: Julian Wilkinson. Sales Director: Zoie Wilkinson. Sales Manager: Cydney Buck. Executive Editor: Rob Davis. Illustrator: Jocelyn Lawman. Customer Care Manager: Mandy Bray. IT Manager: Ian Bagley. Web Developer: Joe Proctor. Accounts Manager: Sami Millard. Senior Accounts Manager: Paul Robinson-Marsh.

Pride Magazines, Boston Enterprise Centre, Enterprise Way, Boston, Lincs PE21 7TW

Tel: 01529 469977 Fax: 01529 469978 www.pridemagazines.co.uk | enquiries@pridemagazines.co.uk

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NEWS & EVENTS

Approval for £500m Western Growth 3,200 NEW HOMES, £300m INVESTMENT, TRANSFORMATIVE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE LINCOLN The secretary of state last month gave notice that the office will not scrutinise the decision to proceed with plans for Lincoln’s Western Growth Corridor, effectively giving the City of Lincoln the green light to proceed with plans. The Western Growth Corridor will be the largest project undertaken in the city for decades, bringing more than £500 million worth of investment into Lincoln over its lifetime and providing hundreds of jobs locally. The development will supply the city with 3,200 much needed new homes, a leisure village, an industrial park and transport infrastructure that will help alleviate some of Lincoln’s worst traffic problems. Plans include the creation of new homes, plus retail and commercial developments, 20-hectares of space for

new businesses, plus a regional sport and leisure complex, including a new stadium, health and leisure facilities, a hotel and ancillary food and drink elements.

Darren’s competition joy LUCKY GAINSBOROUGH MAN’S SURPRISE AS HE WINS TWO CARS, HOLIDAY AND CASH...!

Other plans for the area include the creation of a new stadium for Lincoln City Football Club. Initial works on site, which is situated north of Skellingth-

GAINSBOROUGH As the expression goes, you’ve got to be in it to win it, and Darren Godson from Gainsborough is certainly in it when it comes to being lucky in competitions. Hot on the heels of winning a Bentley Continental and a £10,000 week-long trip to New York in October, Darren has once again proved lucky, winning a brand new Range Rover Evoque worth around £50,000 as well as £20,000 cash. Darren was surprised at work when the presenter of competition organiser Best of the Best dropped by unexpect-

orpe Road, are expected to begin later this year, despite Lincolnshire County Council raising questions as to the site’s suitability because of traffic concerns. n

edly to hand over the keys to Darren’s new car and present him with a briefcase full of cash. “I can’t believe it, I am so sorry to everyone who plays because I’ve been so lucky,” he said. The competition is a ‘spot the ball’ game format and there are two winners each week. It has been running for 22 years and back in 2020, Heckington’s Stephen McHugh was also a winner, after a ‘lucky guess’ led to a knock on the door and the delivery of a very smart Bentley Continental supercar. n See www.botb.com.

PLANS SUBMITTED TO DOUBLE SIZE OF A&E

BOSTON Plans have been submitted to Boston Borough Council for United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust to double the size of Pilgrim Hospital’s Emergency Department. The supersized department will introduce state-of-the-art infection control and prevention measures, add more cubicles, create a new resus area for the sickest patients and provide a separate area for the youngest patients and their families, as well as providing a better envi-

ronment for staff working hard in the department. NHS Trust Chief Exec, Andrew Morgan, said: “Work can be started straight away and once all of the necessary permissions are in place, we will be in a position to hit the ground running on the transformation of the new Emergency Department.” Boris Johnson visited the hospital in August 2019 to reveal plans to invest £21m in ULHT and £1.8bn in the NHS nationally. n

£15,000 from Scunthorpe MP HOLLY MUMBY-CROFT PRESENTS CHEQUE TO LOCAL SAMARITANS GROUP, CASH RAISED BY LOCAL FAMILIES

Made in Lincolnshire, enjoyed world-wide! LINCOLNSHIRE From the kitchen table to all over the world. The Lincoln Tea & Coffee Company was founded by Susie and John Carlisle, and has just moved into new premises to help it to sell its products all over the world. “We launched our Lincolnshire Tea in 2017 and have now sold in excess of 4,000,000 cups We were bursting at the seams, so we’ve now got space to grow and develop into the future.” n

SCUNTHORPE A cheque for £15,000 has been presented to Samaritans by Scunthorpe MP, Holly Mumby-Croft. The cash, which has been donated on behalf of bereaved families, will be used to raise awareness in the local community of the work that Samaritans do to ensure anyone who needs emotional support knows how to access it. “Every day, Samaritans volunteers respond to 10,000 phone calls across the UK, but we want to raise our profile of The Samaritans even further, so people in North Lincolnshire know about us when they need to talk, day or night.” n

No More Tears!

Upgrade for Pilgrim

SPALDING Dry your tears at supper time, as Spalding-based Moulton Bulb Company has partnered with Chemical Company BASF to create a new variety of onions that don’t make you cry when chopping them. Robert Oldershaw has helped pioneer them, and his new Sunions will be sold via Waitrose. n

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LOCAL

NEWS In Brief

GRANTHAM x

480 new homes for Grantham as Larkfleet is purchased by Pimco... 480 new homes will be created on the edge of Grantham by the company formerly known as Larkfleet. The company, based in Bourne, will now be known by its other brand, Allison Homes, after a successful takeover by US-based investment firm Pimco. The new homes will be created north of Grantham off Belton Lane and Manthorpe Road with a new primary school and shops created as part of the development. The company, founded by Karl Hick, aims to create over 2,000 new homes a year across the UK. n 9

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NEWS & EVENTS

First British astronaut in Lincoln

OUT OF THIS WORLD EVENT WITH HELEN SHARMAN AT LINCOLN CATHEDRAL LINCOLN A very special visitor lands at Lincoln Cathedral as Pride goes to press. Helen Sharman will be hosting a one-off speaking engagement discussing her status as the first British person in space. Helen became the first person from the UK in space in May 1991, when she launched on a Soyuz spacecraft to spend eight days orbiting the Earth, most of which was living and working on the Mir Space Station. These days Helen works part-time at Imperial College, London. She also speaks, live around the world and virtually, about her space experiences. Helen has written two books – Seize the Moment and The Space Place (a children’s book making sense of science). During her appearance in Lincoln, Helen will enthrall her audience about her time in space, STEM and the wonders of science.

LOCAL NEWS In Brief

THREE WEEKS ON THE RUN FOR ANT THE WALLABY..

A seven month-old wallaby which escaped from the Tiny Steps petting zoo has been reunited with its brother after spending three weeks on the run. Ant and Dec are residents at Thurlby’s Tiny Steps petting zoo. He was found in one of the feeding cages left out to catch him, happy and unphased by his adventure. n

She’ll describe the training and preparation, learning Russian, launch and landing, how weightlessness feels, her science experiments, and adjusting to life back on Earth.

The event coincides with Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon installation which presents a seven metre illuminated model of the moon in the Cathedral’s nave.

Boston Marathon 2022 26-MILE ROUTE WILL TAKE IN SOME OF THE AREA’S MOST PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES

An Evening with Helen Sharman will take place on Friday 18th February 2022. Tickets for the event are still available as Pride goes to press from lincolncathedral.com. n

BOSTON Boston Marathon organisers are pressing on with the arrangements for the 6th Boston Marathon on Monday 18th April. Central Park will continue to be used as an assembly area and groups of 250 runners will depart from the Market Place at 10 min intervals. The finish line stays at the Boston College, and along the way, runners will pass many fields of vegetables on their 26 mile route through local villages. This year’s medal design includes an image of runners in a flat landscape with The Stump in the distance as well as vegetables and a tractor. n See www.bostonmarathon.co.uk.

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Top 15% Of Senior Schools To In The UK

www.linco li l lnminst i erscho h ol.co.uk l k

The Sunday Times UK T To op 40 Preparra ator y School

Co-educational Independ dent day and boarding scho ool for children aged 4-18 Offffer ing a t r uly inspir ing educat ion io on ffo or life

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WEST SKIRBECK HALL AND PARK London Road | Boston | Lincolnshire | PE21 7HF

4 BARNACK ROAD Stamford | Lincolnshire | PE9 2NA

• Exceptional Grade II Mansion Set in Over 11 Acres of Secluded Historic Parkland • 4 Reception Rooms, 7 Bedrooms, 5 Bathrooms, Extensive Entertaining Facilities • Landscaped Gardens, Original Architectural Features, Coach Houses and Outbuildings • Recent Upgrades to Allow for Immediate Use as Superb Holiday Letting Accommodation or a Private Haven

FOR SALE FREEHOLD WITH VACANT POSSESSION

£1.95 Million Subject To Contract

DELAMERE Main Road | Wrangle | Boston | Lincolnshire | PE22 9AN

• 5 Reception Rooms Comprising 3 Living Rooms, Large Sun Lounge and Dining Room • Spacious Six Bedroomed Bungalow in ¼ of an Acre of Mature Gardens FOR SALE • Unique Opportunity to Acquire a Large Family Home FREEHOLD WITH VACANT POSSESSION • Set in Beautiful Mature Gardens with Private Patio • 5 Ground Floor Bedrooms with 1 First Floor Bedroom • Large Kitchen with Separate Utility Room, Double Garage Subject To Contract

£425,000

• Desirable Cottage Opposite the Entrance to the Burghley Estate • Close to the Town Centre For Sale Freehold with Vacant Possession FOR SALE • Characterful Property with 2 Bedrooms, Large Living Room and Conservatory FREEHOLD WITH • Private Rear Patio & Gardens with Scope for Extending to the Rear VACANT POSSESSION • Walking Distance from all High Street Amenities • Close to the Railway Station and The George Hotel • Opportunity to Acquire Desirable Freehold in Sought-After Town Subject To Contract

£395,000

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Weirs Farm, Butterwick

£525,000

Witham Grove, Boston West

£595,000

Dating back originally to 1822, Weirs Farm was totally re-built and extended in 2005 by the current owner and is now offered with no onward chain. With solid wooden and stone flooring, oak doors, an oil fired Rayburn and wood-burning stove, the house is filled with character features and has three good sized double bedrooms with the potential to easily create a fourth. Situated upon a mature and well established plot of approximately one and a half acres, Weirs Farm enjoys a mature and well established plot which has a large driveway and outbuildings to include a workshop, several garden stores, an open ended garage and a brick built studio and a detached self-contained annexe.

Enjoying a rural feel with woodland and riverside walks literally on the doorstep, this lovely family home is only ﬁve minutes away from all of the amenities that the town has to offer. The property has four double bedrooms with en-suite and dressing room to the master bedroom, and two reception rooms. It enjoys a plot that extends to approximately one and a half acres to include three enclosed paddocks, an all weather menage, three stables, tack room and an open ended barn.

Slate House, Frithville

Gedney House, Kirton

£595,000

This ﬁve bedroom detached farmhouse occupies a plot of just over 13 acres (sts). Offered with no onward chain, the property includes a brick built and a steel framed barn and requires total refurbishment but offers a wealth of opportunity for the right buyer.

Offers over £395,000

Five bedroom detached period property within only a short walking distance to all of the amenities in the popular village of Kirton. The property benefits from many character features such as reclaimed quarry tiled floor, old doors and original stained glass, but has been updated within recent years to include uPVC windows and a brand new five piece bathroom suite fitted at the end of last year. There is ample off road parking for many vehicles and an attractive established garden to include heritage apple trees, pear and quince. NO CHAIN

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Breaking The

BIAS Tuesday 8th March 2022 represents International Women’s Day, the theme of which for 2022 is #BreakTheBias. This month we meet several local women who perform extraordinary jobs or roles in their community and who envisage a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination...

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KAREN JOBLING

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, AIR AMBULANCE

“The role of Chief Executive was my perfect job, marrying the charity sector with aviation. It’s hard work and no day is ever the same. But it’s worth it!” says Karen Jobling the Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance’s Chief Executive... “I was in the right place at the right time.” says Karen Jobling, Chief Executive of the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.

“That’s not the case. Our operating costs are around £7.5m each year and one hundred percent of that is raised by the communities we serve.”

“I was brought up on the Isle of Wight originally, and I was definitely expected to hold my own against my three brothers. I was raised to know that women can do everything that men can do!”

“Lockdown during Covid initially saw a reduction in our workload, but it also saw a dramatic drop in our fundraising, falling by about £800,000 below our target; a real concern.”

“I graduated from RAF Cranwell and worked in aviation, specialising in radar, before leaving to work in the charity sector for organisations in the cancer prevention arena and also an animal welfare charity. In between I had also learned to pilot light aircraft as I always loved to fly.”

“There are other less visible developments, too, that have enabled us to do more. We’re currently pursuing registration as an independent healthcare provider with the CQC, which will afford us more independence when it comes to our operations... it will enable us to develop the service we offer and reflect the unique highly trained, pre-hospital critical care team we have.”

“My dream job came up six years ago, the perfect combination of working in the charity sector and in aviation. I’ve had the privilege to lead the team at the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance through a period of transformation ever since. The charity has around 80 people, around half of which are crew and paramedics. We’re also very grateful for the work of around 150 fantastic volunteers.” “Aviation, the charity sector, and healthcare are each very heavily regulated areas of work, and as we fall within all three categories, it’s a challenging job, with a lot of problem solving. But that’s where the pleasure is when we get it right, which we do, of course.” “The service is highly visible in the county not just in the respect of our helicopter, but the two critical care cars we also run and the additional helicopter we took on last summer, to look after those enjoying Lincolnshire’s beautiful East Coast as the country emerged from Covid restrictions and people took to stay-cations. But for a service that’s so visible, some people are still under the impression that we are funded from the NHS or from central or local government.” 20

“Another recent change is that we now directly employ our own paramedics instead of seconding them from EMAS, which brings a number of advantages including the development of paramedic specialists and continuity of care.” “In May 2021 we also moved to our new headquarters, purpose-built for our needs, to enable us to take the service to the next level. With an investment in night vision equipment, too, we can now offer a 24/7 service. Meanwhile, the AgustaWestland 169 helicopter we run now provides greater range – about three hours of flight, although we refuel more frequently than that – and a faster speed of about 160mph.” “We now have a state-of-the art helicopter with the best airframe to help us save more lives and achieve better patient outcomes. But above all, our greatest asset is the people that we have working really hard to ensure our service is the best it can be. “At a time when every second counts, keeping our iconic yellow helicopter in the air can mean the difference between life and death for anyone unfortunate enough to need the service.” >>

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Saving Lives in the Sky... n The service was founded in 1994. n The service receives absolutely NO funding from the NHS, EMAS, local or national government for its day-to-day operation. Its £7.5m operating costs are raised entirely by fundraising. n In 2021 the service responded to 1,400 missions. In 2020 that was 1,095 and 877 in 2019. n During 2021 we transitioned from a 24/5 service to a full 24/7 clinical service and since the 1st Sept we have covered 24 hours every day with a clinical team. n RTCs and medical incidents have been the main incident type the charity’s teams have attended accounting for 76%, the rest have been assaults, sports and leisure, industrial incidents, incidents on the railways and accidental. n The service covers 3,500 square miles, with its population of over 2.5m people.

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ERICA LEY

AIR AMBULANCE PARAMEDIC

SAVING LIVES IN THE SKY

cyclists, and tractors in fields during harvest. The service also receives callouts to the Lincolnshire coast or adjacent to the county’s waterways for emergencies near water. “I was exposed to the career of a paramedic by proxy,” says Erica. “My grandmother Erica Ley was the first worked on Patient Transport and my mum paramedic to be directly was a paramedic and incident commander.” employed by the “I completed a BSc in Paramedic Science and Lincolnshire and then studied towards a Masters in Critical Care before joining the East of England Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance Service.” Ambulance Service... Finding herself favouring more dynamic roles, Erica later spent two years working with There goes the photo opportunity. As we a Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), turn up at new HQ of Lincolnshire’s local air and then spent a year teaching Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) medicine, later favouring ambulance service, we’re just in time to see it critical care, as well as spending time as an lifting off. “It’s the third time today... no, Air Operations Supervisor, completing fourth,” says Erica Ley. rotations on the Critical Care/HEMS desks “There’s no average number. Sometimes the in the Emergency Operations Centre. crew doesn’t get called out in which case, we After a sabbatical with NATO in 2020, Erica practice real cases in simulation and viva each returned to the UK and in October 2020, she other on medical topics so that when we became the first paramedic directly employed do get the real call, we’re the best we can by the Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire Air Ambe in complex and ever-evolving situations. bulance Service, with a remit to lead the Alternatively, on a summer day for paramedic team during transition example, they can be out six to CQC independence. times in a shift.” The Service’s Today, the air ambulance is You’d think that the service supplemented by critical is busier in the winter with care cars. In partnership its icy roads. But in fact, The Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire with medical colleagues, when the sun comes out, Air Ambulance Service’s seven core line paramedics so too do cyclists, motorAgustaWestland 169 can fly at up

AgustaWestland

to 204mph but cruises at 160mph. It can fly for up to 375 miles, and is 15 metres long, weighing in at 4,800kg!

and ten emeritus paramedics, all of whom have specialist training and an enhanced skill set, provide 24/7 emergency medical coverage and work with pilots who fly the aircraft. “We still work in strong collaboration with our NHS colleagues and EMAS, as part of an overall chain of survival to provide good patient outcomes.” “The paramedic profession has developed considerably since the days my mum joined. The focus on higher education and the awareness of human factors alongside operational training is now higher than ever for paramedics who wish to undertake enhanced interventions.” “Our clinicians are given greater scope to perform procedures above the level of ground ambulance paramedics. With the shared team approach of a doctor and a paramedic, interventions such as pre-hospital emergency anaesthesia and thoracotomy are now routine practice.” “Our new premises, which we moved into in 2021, and the fact that we’re pursuing CQC registration will ensure we can continue to push boundaries in delivering high-quality critical care to the people of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.” “We’re proud of what we do as a service and how we’ve come together as a team but we’re incredibly grateful for the collective support that the public and our volunteers provide. It’s an essential service for the area.” n

Keeping the care in the air... The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance had its busiest year ever in 2021 n Fundraising: Raise money with sponsored events from walks and runs to bake-offs and quizzes. Cake sales and coffee mornings are a vital source of income for the service’s annual running costs of £7.5m. n Play the Lottery: The Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance has its own lottery with weekly cash prizes of up to £1,000. n Air Ambulance Shops: The service accepts good quality books, clothing, furniture and other pre-loved goods for its four shops. n Donations & Legacies: You can also give money and leave a gift in your will for the service. Call 01522 548469 or see www.ambucopter.org.uk.

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CHRIS ROBERTS HOSPITAL VOLUNTEER

“I find it easy to listen and I’m an optimist. Some people want to talk, some people don’t want to talk. It’s about being sensitive to what they want, whether that means holding someone’s hand quietly, or joking with them...” Sometimes it’s not what you say. Sometimes you don’t have to say anything. Sometimes just being with someone is enough. Boston’s Chris Roberts says she’s an optimist and says she can’t feel depressed for long. But as a former psychotherapist and counsellor, and a volunteer with United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, she’s also acutely aware of the range of emotions that others experience on the oncology ward and the chemotherapy suite on which she volunteers. “I’ve lived in Boston for nearly 50 years and worked for the DHSS where we heard a good deal about people’s circumstances. It was a role in which empathy was a really good skill to have, and I took that further by training as a counsellor whilst I was working there.” “When I left, empathy was the part of the job I really missed and I decided to either work with individuals with learning difficulties, or as a psychotherapist and counsellor... I chose the latter and it’s really rewarding.” “My own cancer diagnosis occurred in 2010, and after three years being clear it returned. I’m now on a palliative care pathway. My own experiences of diagnosis and treatment have given me a perspective of what it’s like to be a patient and so from 2019 I’ve volunteered on both the Bostonian Ward and in the chemotherapy suite of the Pilgrim Hospital.” “The staff are amazing and I’m so happy to be part of the team. I’ll do whatever I can to support them and to give something back for the care that I received. I find it easy to listen and I’m an optimist. Some people want to talk, some people don’t want to talk. It’s about being sensitive to what they want, whether that means holding someone’s hand quietly, or joking with them...” 24

“I get an awful lot out of volunteering,” says Chris. “It gets me out of the house and I like to help, like to make a difference to someone’s experience of treatment. Of course, there are also low points, but there are some really positive moments, like when someone rings the bell at the end of their treatment.” “Even something simple like knowing which biscuits someone prefers when they come in for their weekly treatment can make the difference between them being a patient and a person. And the importance of that can never be understated.” Volunteers in Lincolnshire work across ULHT’s four main sites; the Pilgrim Hospital, Lincoln County Hospital, Grantham Hospital and Louth Hospital. Volunteers are coordinated by Voluntary Services Manager Andy Tysoe’s department. “Volunteers really help to improve the patient experience. They have a luxury of time which some staff and clinicians don’t have as they need to prioritise clinical care, often on very busy wards.” “Pre-Covid we’d have around 190 volunteers, but at the moment we’ve 133 with a further 60 due to return restrictions are relaxed. We ask for half a day a week but some volunteers are able to devote more time, which we’re really grateful for. Roles include anything from meeting and greeting patients in reception to being on the wards or working in administration areas.” “We recently gained £25,000 funding to establish Busy Bees, which will see a pool of volunteers being deployed dynamically wherever they make the most difference. The scheme is already running in Boston and soon it’ll be rolled out to our other sites, too.” n

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Volunteer within your local hospital... ULHT is actively recruiting volunteers

n There are 223 NHS trusts in the UK including United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust. n Our local trust employs 6,544 and its key sites include Pilgrim Hospital, Lincoln County, Grantham Hospital and Louth Hospital. n The Trust serves a population of over 720,000 people. The Trust sees A&E admissions of around 144,239 each year and outpatient attendances of 674,856. Across its three main hospitals it has over 1,050 beds. n The Trust is actively seeking volunteers to join its 133 current volunteers, for more information see www.ulh.nhs.uk and search Volunteering.

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MICHELLE COLLINS

RNLI VOLUNTEER AND PCSO

“I CAN’T WAIT TO BE BACK OUT IN THE COMMUNITY!” RNLI Volunteer and PCSO Michelle Collins has been greatly missed on the streets of Skegness...

Many of us have experienced a bit of cabin fever by the time spring comes along, but Michelle Collins is very keen to be out and about again... almost as keen as the community of Skegness is to have her back out in the town again. Originally from Kent, Michelle moved to Skegness and worked in the town’s travel agency when, one day, a recruitment display for Police Community Support Officers within Lincolnshire Police caught her eye. She applied, and 13 years later, she’s still more enthusiastic than ever.

Compromised immunity means she’s not Naturally, the role put her right in the heart been well enough to risk being out in of the community... and saw her dropping in the community with Covid at large and so to the town’s RNLI station. she’s not spent as much time out and about “I’d pop in and see them, work with them, in Skegness as usual as she recuperates. and I quickly realised they were really great people. Seven years ago I applied to be a “Skeggy is really amazing and I really have volunteer with at the lifeboat station and I’ve missed being in the community. I’m physically worked with the two services ever since.” fit and when I’m working I can walk as many as 11 or 12 miles a day, so I really do have a “When I began working as a PCSO I didn’t bad case of cabin fever.” realise the role would be as diverse. There are lots of aspects to it, from community “I’m missing all of my colleagues, especially engagement to producing reports and the camaraderie. My cancer is among taking statements to working with the most aggressive but it’s also the businesses in the town, to most treatable. Recovery will Supporting the answering questions from take as long as it takes but I’m holidaymakers about really hoping that by late how to get somewhere.” summer I’ll be back at A PCSO is a visible presence in “I liaise with other work, perhaps just making the community supporting the work agencies from housing tea for colleagues initially, of warranted officers. Aside from providers to social services, powers of arrest and interviewing and doing what I can to prisoners, much of the role is and it’s a really visible role in support them.” the same as a conventional the community.” police officer. “But it’s really made me value “Working with the RNLI is a the community I live in, and really sociable role too. It’s great to when people in the town realised why meet holidaymakers and help them to find I haven’t been out and about, the good wishes out more about the service.” I’ve received on social media have been really In October 2021, Michelle was diagnosed welcome. I do love the town and its people, with lymphoma and has been spending and I can’t wait to be back out in Skegness as autumn and winter receiving treatment. soon as possible! n

RNLI LIFEBOATS, SKEGNESS...

LINCOLNSHIRE POLICE...

n Established in 1830. Then known from 1864 as the Lincolnshire Coach Shipwreck Association which handed over control of Gibraltar Point Lifeboat to RNLI.

n Formed in 1856 under the County and Borough Police Act. n 1,100 Warranted Officers, 200 Special Constables, 149 PCSOs.

n Two salaried members of staff plus 28 volunteers (on shore and boat crews); fundraising volunteers. n Inshore Lifeboat (ILB): ‘The Holland Family.’ All Weather Lifeboat: ‘Joel & April Grunnill.’

Community

n Service covers an area of nearly 2,286 square miles, protecting a population in excess of 750,000. n Divided up into four districts: Lincoln & West Lindsey; North & South Kesteven; Coast & Wolds; Boston & South Holland. HQ plus 12 stations across Lincolnshire. n Chris Haward is Chief Constable.

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HELEN GRIDLEY

LINCOLNSHIRE FIRE & RESCUE

“From fires – which come in all different shapes and sizes – to other emergencies, you’re there when someone needs you. The adrenaline kicks in and you achieve total focus, performing an important role as a team...” You can never have too much of a good thing. Or too many good people, which is why Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue is always seeking individuals from any background, from anywhere in the county, to join the ‘fire service family.’ “Some people may say it’s a cliché, but honestly, that’s what we are, a family,” says Helen Gridley. She joined the service in 2002 and was stationed in Grantham for a decade before working at both of Lincoln’s stations – North and South. After being promoted to Station Manager, and working towards performing fire investigation, crew management and recruitment roles within the service, Helen is now stationed at Waddington’s 17-acre training facility. The place is used by other fire and rescue services too, as well as other emergency services teams to train at the different staged scenarios set up there – train crashes, collapsed buildings, workshop fires with smoke pumped in – such is the realism and wide range of challenges the facility offers. “It’s here that we bring whole-time colleagues to train, but also our new on-call fire-fighters,” says Helen. “Our aim is to dispel the myths surrounding fire and rescue recruitment Some people still think you have to be a certain height or that there is a maximum age limit to be a fire-fighter, the fact is the only criteria we have is that you are able to reach the standards required to work alongside us and of course live or work within five minutes of a fire station.” “We’re an inclusive organisation and we certainly value difference, I am pleased to say we have more female fire-fighters than ever before and our team members are made up from varying backgrounds to ensure our workforce aims to represent our local communities.” 28

“We try to be as flexible as possible in terms of our on-call recruitment, including working with mums and dads who need to work between the hours of school drop-off and pick-up.” “The sense of comradeship is what makes the job worthwhile. There’s a really strong bond as you can sometimes be in a situation where you’re putting your life in a colleague’s hands. But at all times, you’re working together to achieve a positive outcome for someone during an emergency, and that’s when that really good working relationship is so crucial.” “And that’s what our on-call fire-fighters get out of it,” says Helen. “From RTCs to fires – which come in all different shapes and sizes – to flooding, animal rescue and other emergencies, you’re there when someone needs you. The adrenaline kicks in and you experience total focus together. You’re performing a really important role as part of a team that is always valued by your community.” “Some of our on-call recruits are self-employed, able to be flexible in the respect of their working hours, but many employers are happy to release their employees from duty when their alerter goes off. In return they gain an employee who’s upskilled in the respect of first aid, staying calm in an emergency, and in terms of how they communicate and work together in a team environment.” “You gain all sorts of skills working in the service, and it’s a life I can very much recommend even though it’s sometimes tough. But above all, when you meet families who visit you at the station following an incident, and they thank you for holding their hand after an RTC or saving a life or their property from a fire, suddenly you realise just how rewarding the role is.” n

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Your local fire and rescue service... n The current Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue service was established in 1974, aggregating Kesteven, Holland and Lindsey services. n The organisation has three divisions – east, west, south – and 688 fire-fighters and staff including 250 full-time firefighters. n Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue also has 38 stations, 48 engines and an Urban Search and Rescue team. The service also works with EMAS to provide a co-responder service for medical emergencies. n Being a rural county, on-call firefighters are essential to the service, and so recruitment of ‘retained’ fire-fighters is ongoing. To find out more, search for fire and rescue recruitment on lincolnshire.gov.uk or call 0800 3580 204.

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Women in UK Politics Facts & Figures

n As of February 2021, 220 Members of the House of Commons (MPs) are women. This is a record high, and 34% of all MPs. 220 were elected at the 2019 General Election, up from 208 at the 2017 General Election, and 191 in 2015. n Of the 552 women MPs ever elected, 306 (55%) were first elected as Labour and 172 (31%) as Conservative MPs. n The Local Government Association reported that in 2018, 36% of local authority councillors in England were women. n In January 2021, there were 10 women serving as Head of State and 13 serving as Head of Government. n The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) reported that the UK was ranked the 38th in terms of women holding positions in a country’s lower or only house... that’s out of 193 worldwide parliaments.

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VICTORIA ATKINS

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, LOUTH & HORNCASTLE

“I can’t be negative about the job because it’s a huge privilege to serve as an MP, especially on Lincolnshire’s East Coast,” she says. “It always strikes me how our area hides its light under a bushel. But between the rolling landscapes and the sweeping beaches, it’s a wonderful place to live and a wonderful place to be an MP...” “100 years on there’s still more to do,” she says. “In every debate, every piece of law, I try to think about my constituents and in particular the children who live in the area.”

Appearances can be deceptive. At the time we were working on this feature, partygate was rumbling on and MPs from both sides of the Commons were harrumphing in scenes that we generally regard as being indicative of how British politics is played out. “I don’t think it’s recognised enough but behind the scenes there’s a lot of cross-party work,” says Victoria Atkins, MP for Louth and Horncastle. “As a minster working on the Domestic Abuse Bill, there was a truly collegiate cross-party relationship.” “Three years in the making, it was one of the first pieces of legislation that was heard when we went back into the Chamber after Covid which I think shows the Government’s commitment to helping the 2.3m people whose life it will effect, and the children whose lives are impacted too.” Since 2015, Victoria Atkins has represented the constituency of Louth and Horncastle, taking over from Sir Peter Tapsell whose tenure began in 1966 and lasted just under 50 years. Graduating from Corpus Christi where she read law, Victoria was called to the bar and specialised in fraud before being shortlisted for the constituencies of Salisbury and Tonbridge before being selected over three other candidates for Louth and Horncastle in July 2014. She was elected in May 2015. From 2017, Victoria served as the Safeguarding Minister before also being appointed Minister for Women responsibly for policy on gender equality. In September last year, she became Minister of State for Prisons and Probation, as well as becoming Minister for the resettlement of Afghanistan refugees and most recently working with

“Especially around International Women’s Day, issues like the gender pay gap and the way women are treated generally remain very much relevant issue in politics a century on.”

The Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). “Much like making legislation, casework is a huge part of an MPs responsibility too. Day in, day out, we can help constituents, often those facing incredibly difficult circumstances who turn to their MP as a last resort.” “I’ve a brilliant team of four who help me support constituents which really can make a difference to lives. I am delighted that we have just under £24million for Mablethorpe and the East Coast which will also make a huge difference to the lives of local residences.” And so, the most visible part of British politics – frustratingly – remains the most raucous and adversarial part, despite the huge amount of work that Victoria and her colleagues invest in their work elsewhere. Female MPs in particular are better represented in both houses than ever before; there are around 220 female MPs in the Commons, about 34% of all MPs. In 1919 the first female MP (Nancy Astor), sat in the Commons. She was born in the US though, and so it’s Margaret Wintringham who was the first British-born MP to sit in the Commons representing… that’s right, Victoria’s seat, Louth!

“Research has been conducted which proves what we knew anecdotally; that female MPs are treated worse on social media than their male colleagues. It doesn’t bode well for how women are treated in the rest of society.” Despite social media being wild west, though, Victoria is encouraged by the effort that Parliament is making to ensure women are well-represented in the Commons, and can represent women better, as a result. 50:50 Parliament is a cross-party organisation who try to encourage more women into politics, whilst the Conservative Party has a new caucus to ensure legislation is sufficiently well-drafted to ensure women are well-represented too. In addition, Ask Her to Stand is a campaign that ensures people can nominate an aspirational woman they know to stand for Parliament. “I can’t be negative about the job because it’s a huge privilege to serve as an MP, especially on Lincolnshire’s East Coast,” she says. “It always strikes me how our area hides its light under a bushel. But between the rolling landscapes and the sweeping beaches, it really is a wonderful place to live and a wonderful place to be an MP.” n 31

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THE VILLAGE: NAVENBY

Enjoying Nostalgia in

NAVENBY

Life in the North Kesteven village of Navenby is simply perfect. But don’t take our word for it! Mrs Hilda Smith, was a veteran resident of Navenby until she left her perfectly preserved cottage to the village in 1995. It’s now one of the most diminutive visitor attractions in Lincolnshire... Lead Image: Nicholas Silkstone.

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THE VILLAGE: NAVENBY

This month we’re enjoying nostalgia in Navenby with a visit to Mrs Smith’s Cottage, good old fashioned hospitality and a visit to the local church... It’s good to have friends, and in Navenby, you’ll soon find one. Hilda Smith certainly did, having lived in the village, equidistant between Lincoln and Sleaford, throughout her life. Navenby is in North Kesteven, home to about 2,500 people, and it’s located between Wellingore and Boothby Graffoe, just off the A15 and on the Viking Way. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book and was a market town until the 19th century. More recently, in the 1830s, a small red-brick cottage was built, and in 1922, Hilda Smith purchased that cottage – Craven Cottage – for just £75 before leaving Navenby briefly to care for her ailing mother, returning to the village and purchasing the cottage for a second time in 1937, this time for £95. Hilda remained in the property and was much beloved by her fellow villagers. She married Joseph Smith in 1956, and lived in the cottage until her 102nd birthday in 1995. Thereafter the cottage was saved by the local community and opened as a museum. Mrs Smith shunned unnecessary conveniences, like automatic washing machines and cookers, preferring her dolly tub and a range. She failed to see the point of plumbed water or an indoor loo, although she was convinced by the merits of electricity, not least to enjoy her wireless, and later a TV too. Following restoration, Mrs Smith’s Cottage reopened to villagers in 2017 and today, artist in residence Nicki Jarvis is working on a friendship chair for the parlour. The cottage is today a living museum, telling the story of life in a simpler, slower time. Mrs Smith was a meticulous diarist and together with the largely unmodernised nature of the cottage, the place serves as a fascinating source of social history. >> Left: Nicki Jarvis is Mrs Smith’s Cottage’s Artist in residence, working on her Friendship Chair project.

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THE VILLAGE: NAVENBY

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A visit to Navenby’s Antiques Centre is a must, and as Pride goes to press, owners Laura and Dean Conway, are due to appear on BBC One’s Antiques Roadtrip

>> The village’s requited affection for Mrs Smith is typical of a village with a strong community spirit. Take a walk along Navenby’s ‘high street,’ Grantham Road, and you’ll encounter many places to enjoy a drink or a meal, from Macy’s Brasserie, to The King’s Head, which dates back to the mid-18th century, but is throughly modern in terms of its provision of food and does a rather good Sunday lunch. Elsewhere in the village is Welbourne Bakery, wine shop and deli, now run by three generations of bakers and one of the oldest remaining bakeries in Lincolnshire, specialising in artisan bread and, of course, plum loaf. Other highlights? A visit to Navenby’s Antiques Centre is a must, and as Pride goes to press, owners Laura and Dean Conway, who have been running the business in Navenby since 2007, are due to appear on BBC One’s Antiques Roadtrip. Stop by, too, St Peter’s Church, which dates back to the 13th century, and keep an eye on The Venue, which serves as the village’s community centre and is also home to the Navenby and Skinnand Parish Council. n Left: Macy’s Brasserie. This Page: Welbourne’s Bakery, The King’s Head and Navenby’s Antiques Centre.

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THE VILLAGE: NAVENBY

Navenby

FROM THE AIR 1. St Peter’s Church The Grade I listed Church of England parish church in Navenby is dedicated to Saint Peter. Its parish registers survive from 1681 and Bishop’s transcripts from 1562. It is difficult to date the building as it has a mishmash of styles, although its origins are probably 13th century. 2. The Old King’s Head/Macy’s Brasserie The Old King’s Head is the village dining pub, and just down the road from our indicator is Macy’s Brasserie, serving brunch, afternoon teas and a brasserie menu too.

3. Mrs Smith’s Cottage Mrs Smith’s Cottage is a mid-19th century Grade II listed building made from early Victorian red bricks. The range, the heart of the house, was in daily use for cooking and heating until the mid-1990s. Today the cottage is a living museum, unspoiled from when Hilda Smith live in it. 4. Welbourne’s Bakery One of the oldest bakeries in Lincolnshire, founded in 1896. Named as Best Bakery in Lincolnshire in the National Bakery Awards in 2019. 5. The Venue (below) Community centre, sports facility and home to the Navenby and Skinnand Parish Council. n

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SPRING WITH THE NATIONAL TRUST

NATIONAL TREASURES Lincolnshire’s National Trust properties reopen to visitors this month after closure for over-winter conservation... Image: Belton House, National Trust.

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NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTIES IN LINCOLNSHIRE

n Belton House, Grantham... THE BROWNLOW FAMILY is regarded as being synonymous with Grantham, and with the eponymous country house in their manor. But in fact, the manor was under the custodianship of the Pakenham family until the early 1700s. Little is known about the family, although the earliest records in the area go back to the 13th century and there are references to a noble family of the same name in church records nearby... though local history of that era is quite understandably a bit sketchy. What is known, though, is that King James VI stayed with Sir Henry Packenham in a property near the current estate in 1617, just a couple of years before the family sold the manor of Belton to Sir John Brownlow in 1619. Richard Brownlow (1553-1638) was granted arms in 1593 and his son ‘Old’ Sir John Brownlow (1590-1679) was the first Baronet of Belton in England. ‘Young’ Sir John Brownlow (1659-1697) built the family seat Belton House. The Brownlow family were lawyers by profession and held a baronetcy before it was rendered extinct. Family History...

‘Young’ John Brownlow married his cousin Alice Sherary in 1676, and at the age of just 16. When the two were 19, they inherited the estate with an income of £9,000/annum, (equivalent to £1.4m today) and a lump sum of £20,000, which in today’s money would be about £3m enabling them to move into a town house in fashionable Bloomsbury. They decided to create, as their country seat, a brand new property in Belton. Work began on the construction of Belton House in 1685 and the architect is believed to be William Winde, although Christopher Wren is frequently attributed as being involved in creating the property. Right: The Tapestry Room at Belton House. This room was remodelled c.1890, in seventeenth-century style. The tapestries are early eighteenth century and illustrate scenes from the story of Diogenes.

Belton’s Architecture...

The Carolean style of architecture of Belton took its inspiration from the continental fashion for a piano nobile floor of a palazzo. Balustrades and cupolas such as those seen in the architecture of Belton House were also typical of the era. The Grounds of Belton House...

Around 1690, Sir John Brownlow was also given permission to create an area of parkland amounting to about 1,000 acres. Brownlow retained some of the areas of the parkland which date back to the 16th century, but also created the Eastern Avenue and planted no fewer than 21,400 ash trees, 9,500 ash trees and 614 fruit trees. Subsequently, John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow commissioned Anthony Salvin to create the estate’s boathouse and Jeffry Wyatville, between 1810-1820 created Belton House’s Italian garden and orangery. >>

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Sir John Brownlow III (styled Viscount Tyrconnel) created a gothic folly in the grounds, as well as the Belmount Tower...

Main: The Italian garden and orangery were created by Jeffry Wyatville in 1810 and built in 1820. Right: Visitors in the Marble Hall.

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All Aboard at

Belton House Belton’s at War...

Belton House’s Adventure Playground was reopened in 2020. Its 7 1/4” railway opened in 1979 and its current Moondial Express train, created by Mardyke, has been running since 2005.

The third Earl Brownlow offered Belton House’s parkland to the government for war service and from August 1914 it was the training ground for 11th (Northern) division and the Machine Gun Corps.

During WWII, from 1942, part of the Royal Air Force Regiment was housed in Nissen huts at the park in a facility named RAF Belton Park. Peregrine Cust, 6th Baron Brownlow, passed through Eton and Sandhurst to take up a commission in the grenadier Guards and served in the army until 1926. 46

Belton and the Monarchy...

The third Earl Brownlow, Peregrine Cust, served in the army until 1926, rising to the rank of lieutenant. Having also served as Mayor of Grantham and Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Peregrine was also equerry to the Prince of Wales, King Edward VIII leading up to the abdication crisis. It’s believed that King Edward stayed at Belton House – with Wallis – where he sought Peregrine’s counsel as he agonised between love and duty. Above: The Queen’s Bedroom. Right: Belton House’s folly.

Brownlow personally accompanied Wallis on her flight to France to encourage her to renounce the idea of marriage to the King. Following the abdication, Lord Brownlow attempted to extricate himself from the former King’s circle, refusing to attend the Duke of Windsor’s marriage ceremony in 1937. For this Edward and his wife, now the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, regarded Brownlow as disloyal. Today, Edward Cust, 7th Baron Brownlow lives elsewhere, but retains a grace and favour apartment on the first floor of Belton House as part of his agreement to donate the house and its parkland to the National Trust in 1984. n

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NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTIES IN LINCOLNSHIRE

n Woolsthorpe Manor, Grantham

Sir Isaac Newton was born at Woolsthorpe Manor on 25th December 1642. It was a farmhouse, concerned with rearing sheep. Newton graduated from the King’s School and Trinity College Cambridge but returned to Woolsthorpe by Belvoir to escape the Great Plague in 1665. The apple tree from which fruit fell – apparently causing Newton to concern himself with gravity – is still there, although the story is probably more legend than fact. Nonetheless pips from the tree were taken into space on the Principia mission and were subsequently planted in the grounds in May 2017. Woolsthorpe Manor will reopen in March 2022 and its Scientific Discovery Centre allows visitors to explore interactive scientific displays relating to Newton’s scientific interests in gravity, motion, optics and light. n

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NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTIES

n Tattershall Castle... HIP HIP HOORAY for George Nathaniel Curzon who rescued Lincolnshire’s four-storey, 15th century Tattershall Castle from destruction between 1911 and 1914. The building remains one of the three most important brick castles alongside Herstmonceux and Hertford. Tattershall Castle was constructed on the site of a stone structure, most likely a fortified manor house, built by Robert de Tattershall in 1231. It was Ralph, 3rd Lord Cromwell and Henry VI’s Treasurer who created the current structure between 1430 and 1450. Inside are fine contemporary chimneypieces with devices and heraldic decoration as well as heraldic stained-glass windows. Though the castle fell into dereliction in the C18th, Curzon restored the tower and left it to the National Trust in 1925. Latterly, PhD student James Wright has been studying the medieval graffiti scrawled into stonework of the castle, an exhibition of which is expected to take place later this year. n

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n Gunby Hall, Spilsby... ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON visited Gunby Hall in the early 1800s and was responsible for associating the stately home with the description ‘a haunt of ancient peace.’

At the estate’s heart is the 42-room Grade I listed Gunby Hall, its Grade II* listed clocktower and its Grade II listed stableblock and carriage house.

In fact, Gunby Hall was created in 1700 for Sir William Massingberd, 2nd Baronet – the title later passed to the third and final baronet, the title becoming extinct in 1732. Upon the third baronet’s death the estate passed to William Meux who added a stableyard to the property and improved the interiors.

Surrounding the estate is 100-acres of parkland including eight acres of Victorian walled gardens, plus a further 1,000 acres of farmland. As beautiful as the property is, Gunby Hall’s gardens are especially spectacular with an ancient pond, kitchen garden and over 50 varieties of apple tree. Meanwhile, in the spring and summer, Gunby Hall’s beautifully manicured formal borders are a real treat.

Thereafter, the area’s Langton MontgomeryMassingberd family took on the house, eventually passing to trustees Lady MontgomeryMassingberd, Major Norman Leith-Hay-Clarke and Field Marshal Sir Archibald MontgomeryMassingberd, who gifted the house to the National Trust in 1944.

Composer Ralph Vaughan Williams was a frequent visitor to the house, too, to visit cousin Diana Montgomery-Massingberd. So if you do visit the house, look out for larks ascending... or, just enjoying a bit of ancient peace. n

Belton House: High Road, Belton, Grantham NG32 2LW. Tel: 01476 566116. Woolsthorpe Manor: Woolsthorpe by Colsterworth NG33 5PD. Tel: 01476 860338. Gunby Hall: Gunby, Spilsby PE23 5SS. Tel: 01754 890102. Tattershall Castle: Sleaford Rd, Tattershall, Lincoln LN4 4LR. Tel: 01526 342543. Lincolnshire’s National Trust properties will open this March, see website for property, garden and estate opening times for each venue, www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

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NEWS & EVENTS

What’s On... LINCOLN

GRANTHAM

SATURDAY 19th MARCH

MADAMA BUTTERFLY

FEBRUARY AND ALL THROUGH MARCH

SNOWDROPS AT EASTON WALLED GARDENS

Russian State Opera presents Madama Butterfly, one of the most colourful & exotic operas, performed live at Lincoln’s New Theatre Royal. Featuring some of Puccini’s most famous arias, including Un bel dì, vedremo and the Humming Chorus. Sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Visit Easton Walled Gardens as the first new growth of the year emerges and the snowdrops open up across Easton Walled Gardens. There’s little to rival the winter beauty of the snowdrop, and until the end of March, Easton Walled Garden is covered in drifts of this delicate flower, which emerges from a bulb formed the previous March after sitting in wait for almost a year. The gardens were rescued by Ursula and Fred Cholmeley in the early 2000s and have remained a splendid sight since. n Adults £8.25, Wed-Sun 11am-4pm, NG33 5AP.

Lincolnshire Horse Trials

BASED AT THE LINCOLNSHIRE SHOWGROUND THIS MONTH, A THRILLING SPECTACLE OF LOCAL EQUESTRIAN TALENT

n Tickets from £30 from 7.30pm, 01522 519999 or see newtheatreroyallincoln.co.uk. SPALDING

THURSDAY 10th MARCH

RIGOLETTO

Royal Opera House live screening of Rigoletto. Sung in Italian with English surtitles.

LINCOLN

FRIDAY 18th - SUNDAY 20th MARCH

THE LINCOLNSHIRE HORSE TRIALS Following its cancellation in 2021, the Lincolnshire Horse Trials are back. An established and prestigious equestrian eventing competition held early in the season, attracting national and international entrants. Featuring the three eventing disciplines of dressage, showjumping and cross country, along with a whole host of trade stands. It’s an equestrian event not to be missed! n For more information see www.lincolnshireshowground.co.uk.

n South Holland Centre, Spalding, call 01775 764777 or see southhollandcentre.co.uk. From 7.15pm, tickets £10-£14. SCUNTHORPE

SATURDAY 5th MARCH

ROB LAMBERTI – A CELEBRATION OF THE SONGS & MUSIC OF GEORGE MICHAEL From his hits with Wham! alongside Andrew Ridgeley, so solo his like Careless Whisper, Heal the Pain, Jesus to a Child, Freedom and Fastlove, Rob recreates the genius of George Michael at Baths Hall in Scunthorpe. n From 7pm, tickets £32.50 at Baths Hall, Scunthorpe, 01724 290641 or see www.scunthorpetheatres.co.uk.

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Send your press releases and events to: the Features Editor via editor@pridemagazines.co.uk.

BOSTON

LINCOLN

FRIDAY 4th MARCH

SATURDAY 19th MARCH

1568: At a vital but volatile crossroads in history a young queen steps from the shadows to reveal her thoughts on marriage, succession, religion and war. But time is against her. Elizabeth I: Queen at 25, political phoenix and famously unmarried – but who was the woman beneath the crown? Using only Elizabeth’s words, Rebecca Vaughan explores the queen’s struggle to reconcile the desires of womanhood with the duties of sovereignty. Created by Dyad Productions, specialists in historical dramatisations.

Home grown in Lincolnshire, Band from County Hell and Julie McLelland are an original celtic folk band with seven critically acclaimed albums, published works with Cherry Red Records and over 2,000 live performances as part of their history. Live gigs have seen them play from the smallest of venues to outside arenas and they have appeared with bands such as The Levellers, The Stranglers, and UB40. A superb concert taking place at the newly reopened Drill Hall.

I, ELIZABETH

LINCOLN

SAT 5th MARCH – 29th MAY

GAIA BY LUKE JERRAM AT THE COLLECTION

Get ready to take a trip around the world and explore our planet like never before with Gaia by Luke Jerram. Visitors will be able to gaze upon the Earth as if from space, without ever having to leave the atmosphere. The awe-inspiring art installation,

called Gaia, is by the same artist who brought the moon to The Collection in 2018, Luke Jerram. Measuring six metres in diameter, the internally-lit sphere is 2.1 million times smaller than the real Earth. It has been recreated from 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface and each centimetre of the sculpture represents 21km of our planet. n www.thecollectionmuseum.com.

A Simply Daa-h-ling Evening! LIVE ENTERTAINMENT WITH THE IRREPRESSIBLE KING OF STRICTLY, CRAIG REVEL HORWOOD...

n From 7.30pm, tickets from £16, at Blackfriars Arts Centre, Boston. Call 01205 363108, www.blackfriarsartscentre.co.uk. GRIMSBY

SATURDAY 26th MARCH

CRAIG REVEL HORWOOD: THE ALL BALLS AND GLITTER TOUR...

Join Craig as he talks about his journey from Australia to the West End to Strictly, reveals a wealth of backstage gossip with his trademark wit and candour, and gives a very special performance of some of the music which has been the soundtrack to his career. Craig has served as one of the most keen-eyed judges on Strictly for each of its 19 series and has recently moved to

JULIE McLELLAND THE BAND FROM COUNTY HELL

n The Drill, Lincoln, from 7.30pm, tickets £12.50. Call 01522 534 160, or see www.lincolndrill.co.uk. south Lincolnshire with partner Jonathan. This show features song, dance, and above all, lots of laughter... a definite recommendation! Craig is also featured in an exclusive interview with our sister magazine, Rutland & Stamford Pride, the March edition of which is available to read at pridemagazines.co.uk. n Craig Revel Horwood appears in his first solo stage show at Grimsby Auditorium on Saturday 26th March 2022, tickets £25 or £40 for a meet ‘n’ greet VIP ticket, from 7.30pm, call 0300 300 0035 or see www.grimsbyauditorium.org.uk. 51

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reimagined

A magical m dance re etelling of Kipling’s family classic

NEW UK UK PRODUCCCTION TION

NIKOLAI FOSSTER CHOREOGRAPHY BY LUCY HIN ND DIRECTED BY

Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International: www.mtishows.co.uk

7 JUL - 14 AUG

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Grimsthorpe Castle Lincolnshire’s best kept secret

%$#"! #$ $ $ $ $ $#"! #$ !

LEARN TO COOK LIKE A PROFESSIONAL AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE FOR YOU... OR A GREAT GIFT IDEA FOR A LOVED ONE!

Bread & Cakes Desserts & Puds Fish & Sushi Game Dishes Pork & Meat Pies & Pastry Sauces World Cuisine Junior Courses

Stunning family home surrounded by 3000 acres of parkland, gardens, woodland and lake walks, an adventure playground and more. Buy a Season Ticket for 2022 and enjoy unlimited access, on public open days, to the Castle, Park, and Gardens, 5% discount in the Gift Shop, a quarterly newsletter as well as discounted entry to selected events.

OPEN SUNDAY 3RD APRIL 2022, PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR FURTHER DETAILS

ALSO AVAILABLE: COOKING PARTIES FOR UP TO 8 PEOPLE, FULL & HALF DAYS

Call 07989 412603 for details of our courses, dates and gift vouchers WWW.LINCOLNSHIRECOOKERYSCHOOL.COM

www.grimsthorpe.co.uk | 01778 591205 visit@grimsthorpe.co.uk 53

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THE EVENT GALLERY

A New Look for

NATURE Threekingham artist Kay Johns is starting the new year with fresh inspiration, creating a new range of original mixed media prints featuring lavish gold gilt highlights and contemporary black mounts and frames. It’s a smart new way to look at nature, and a super investment in original art... Main Image: xxx

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Who says original artwork should be the preserve of the wealthy? Certainly not Kay Johns, the Threekingham artist who enjoys representing the natural works in her gouache and pastel work. Kay’s work remains instantly recognisable and uncannily charismatic. That’s partly because she recognises the importance of her subjects’ eyes and the way the light – the shadows and highlights – fall on each animal she paints. Taking inspiration from the Lincolnshire countryside, Kay’s subjects range from dogs to hares, horses to birds – pheasants or owls, for example – plus cattle and other livestock including her Lincoln Red mixed-media piece currently approaching completion.

Above: Kay’s latest original work is mixed-media in nature and can be embellished with gold leaf.

A couple of weeks ago, Kay invited us to her studio to see some of her latest pieces. Her work is available as prints on the finest 315gsm art paper, hand embellished and double-mounted for £39, to limited edition pieces and one-off originals, topping out at £5,000 for a 4ft canvas hand-finished and embellished with 24ct gold leaf. “I’ve always believed that art should be available to everyone,” says Kay. “As well as affordable prints, I’ve made available a range of greeting cards – and Christmas cards over the season – plus cushions, towels and chopping boards with some of my most popular characters on.” “Some clients, though, want an exclusive one-off painting or they want their own version of a piece.” >> 55

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THE EVENT GALLERY

“I find the countryside so inspiring,” says Kay, “Being able to reflect that world and then capture it on canvas, to bring it into someone’s home, is so rewarding!”

Just recently I’ve produced a version of a previous piece as a one-off painting of several hares, changing the poppies which featured before to cornflowers which worked better in the client’s sitting room. Some people design their whole room around one of my paintings, which is really flattering!”

Find Out More: Kay Johns is the Lincolnshire artist based at The Event Gallery in Threekingham, which offers viewing by appointment. For more information and to view Kay’s work, see www.theeventgallery.co.uk or call 01529 240529.

“A one-off hand-finished piece is printed on 315gsm fine art paper then transformed into an original one off using mixed medium and foils/gold leaf to create an absolutely exclusive one-off piece.”

“I try to keep my work warm, fun. Some of them might have a hidden mouse in the frame, many are against a light background but recently I’ve been producing paintings on darker backgrounds, which work really well as hand-finished pieces.”

Kay became a professional artist after working as a children’s book illustrator. She and David – a professional framer – met at a show they were both working at, and pre-Covid, travelled around the UK visiting country shows, game fairs and other outdoor events, setting up their travelling art gallery at each show. With Covid putting a stop to outdoor events, the two have instead taken the opportunity over the past couple of years to reconnect with their local audience, and to make their framing service available to customers for their own artwork (see panel). “I find the countryside so inspiring,” says Kay, “Being able to reflect that world and then capture it on canvas, to bring it into someone’s home, is so rewarding!” n

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Perfectly presented artwork... OVER THE PAST YEAR, DAVID AND KAY HAVE MADE THEIR FRAMING SERVICE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE David Ball has always added the perfect finishing touch to partner Kay’s artwork, specialising in fine art framing, with the ability to accommodate bespoke frame sizes, plus around 80 different mouldings all in stock, and many mounts. Previously the couple have been so busy framing Kay’s own work that they’ve been unable to accommodate any external framing work, but with fewer country shows in the diary they’re now able to make their

bespoke framing service available to customers with their own paintings, textiles, memorabilia and other pieces that require professional framing. David can custom-cut mounts for medals and music memorabilia and seals each piece to prevent any deterioration, as well as using anti-reflective glass to ensure your treasured piece can always be displayed at its best. n Call 01529 240529 to discuss your bespoke framing requirements.

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We have books and games to entertain whilst keeping warm inside, or why not head off for a brisk walk around the shores of Rutland Water. Your dog is welcome too! We also offer the flexibility of self-catering in our luxury Retreats.

Treat yourself to a relaxing stay in our cosy, country retreat. Set in the heart of Rutland’s beautiful countryside, Barnsdale Lodge is located on the north shore of Rutland Water, close to the local boutique shops of Oakham and Stamford and numerous walking and cycle trails. You are in the perfect surroundings to do as much or as little as you like. Enjoy seasonal and local food served up by our team of chefs. 58

• 46 ensuite bedrooms ~ singles, twins and doubles • Cosy sitting rooms • Beautiful self-catering Retreats • Delicious, fresh and local, award winning food • Private Dining • Courtyard and garden

The Avenue, Exton, Rutland LE15 8AH tel: 01572 724678 reception@barnsdalelodge.co.uk www.barnsdalelodge.co.uk

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COGNITO IN LINCOLN

COGNITO, ERGO SUM It’s one of Lincoln’s newest – and definitely its most innovative – dining out experience. Cognito opened its doors in the heart of Lincoln in August, offering beautifully presented authentic Japanese cuisine. This month, we enjoy a sneak preview of its brand new menus... Words & Images Rob Davis.

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DINING OUT AT COGNITO, LINCOLN

YOU’VE GOT TO HAND IT to the present Mrs Davis. When it comes to food, she’ll try anything, and enjoy everything. Her true open-mindedness when it comes to food is something that I’ve long admired, languishing behind my tried and trusted dishes. On the rare occasions, though, that she has managed to nudge me out of my comfort zone, I’ve always been thankful. In fact, my new year’s resolution for 2022 is to be more adventurous and openminded when dining out. And so, arriving at Lincoln’s Cognito, I was keen to try as many of the city’s new Japanese restaurant’s dishes as possible. Happily, my visit coincided with a menu testing session for the staff. The idea is all of the new dishes are sampled among the team, explained and if necessary tweaked, prior to going live on the menu. Cognito definitely deserves success not least because of its stylish appearance, great food and friendly front of house staff, but doubly so, because if the hard work of sisters Ellie & Zara Pickles doesn’t pay off, there really is something wrong with the world. The two took on Lincoln’s former vodka bar in April 2021 and took just four months to completely renovate it, completing much of the work themselves. 60

Ellie & Zara grew up in the local hospitality industry as their parents ran Saxilby’s Pyewipe Inn. For their first venture, though, they perhaps ambitiously set their creative direction a little further afield. Both enjoy Japanese cuisine and saw a gap in the market for an authentic dining experience in Lincoln, hoping that their first Cognito would remain a flagship restaurant for when they take the concept to other British cities. Not content with launching their very first Japanese restaurant, they also decided to buy and renovate an old building themselves. To ensure all their cash could be invested in the building and its furnishings – not swallowed up in labour – the two completed much of the work themselves, even pulling all-nighters to get the place ready to open.

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The result of the renovation alone is really impressive. Cognito is located on Park Street, just off Corporation Street, Hungate and of course the High Street. So it enjoys a great inner-city location.

Sushi naturally constitutes a large part of the overall menu, and on this point, I sought to clarify that the correct definition of sushi is rolled rice with a protein element in; not just fish, but also short rib or chicken, too.

Never one to do things by halves, Ellie and Zara opted to install a hugely complicated, but fantastic-looking, amethyst cocktail bar from which to serve a range of very smart cocktails. But the real story here is the dining.

Variations of sushi on the menu at Cognito include Maki, Nigiri and Sashimi, but the point to take away here is that if your working definition of sushi is limited to just fish, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

There’s a slightly lighter brunch menu, plus a main menu served during lunchtime and evening service, comprising dishes predicated on the fashionable trend for ‘small dishes.’ Diners have a choice of 12 small dishes, and there are four Signature dishes which are a bit larger. Other options include Baos – yeastleavened buns – plus tempura and gyozas.

“Our launch menu was predicated on not fully knowing how readily our diners would take to Japanese cuisine. We thought that tables of several diners might have at least one reserved diner. But this is our second menu, and we’ve scrapped our British items. All our customers have embraced Japanese cuisine and we’ve found that everyone has discovered dishes they really enjoy.” >>

MEET THE CHEF RAIF MASON

The Head Chef of Cognito is Raif Mason. He leads a brigade of four chefs and the team is afforded complete creative freedom to design innovative dishes within Cognito’s ethos. The restaurant has 75 dining covers and a cocktail bar. n

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DINING OUT AT COGNITO, LINCOLN

on the MENU FROM COGNITO’S MAIN MENU

Small Plates Edamame falafel with sriracha mayonnaise (vegan ) £8.50. Mushroom gyoza (Vegetarian) £8. Okonomoyaki (Savoury Pancakes) with okonomyaki sauce £8.50. Crispy belly pork, pak choi, caramel soy sauce £8.50 Signatures Nori sea bream, with pak choi, dashi, nori oil, sapphire, tempura sea weed £19. Korean style BBQ half chicken, slaw £18. Cognito ramen, rich broth, egg, pak choi, noodles, ton katsu £17. Sushi >> “We’re enjoying lots of repeat business, and even diners who told us that they have little experience of Japanese cuisine have taken on board our recommendations and are discovering they love our food. It’s really rewarding, and we’re really proud of the menus that our chefs have created.” “We’ve priced our menus as competitively as we’re able to without compromising on

OPENING TIMES Cocktail Bar & Restaurant: Open from noon to 9pm weekdays – later for drinks – open until 10pm weekends, later for drinks. Live music during weekends.

the quality of our ingredients. Although some of our ingredients need specialist suppliers we’ve also been pleasantly surprised by how much we’ve been able to source locally; Odlings butchers, FreshDrop...” “It’s been quite a journey opening up but we’re really delighted with the place we’ve created, the team that we have around us and with the excellent feedback that we’ve had from our diners. This summer we’ll be opening up our rooftop as a new bar and dining experience. Branded InCognito, it will have a retractable cover, and it will offer an upmarket atmosphere in which to enjoy a drink or dining all summer long!” “It’ll be another way to experience and enjoy the creativity and talent of our team!” n

Marinated tuna nigiri, with soy and sake £8.50. Vegetable uramaki, tempura, broccoli, spinach, avocado with tempura flakes £8.50. Desserts Ube sharing cheesecake, lemon balm chantilly, coconut meringues £12.50. NB: Menu items subject to change.

n Cognito is based on Park Street, Lincoln LN1 1UF. Call 01522 575840 or see www.cognitouk.com, booking is strongly recommended.

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MOTHER’S DAY SUNDAY 27TH MARCH

SHOW YOUR MUM S H E’S T R U LY S P EC I A L

A Dower House Hootel gift voucher is the perfeect gift for Mum! nd breakfast with Proseccoo and chocolates in her room Voucchers include dinner, bed an m. £220 double | £270 suite Dates subject to avvailability; voucher expires 12th December D 2022

Treat your Mum to a delicious Sunday S Lunch on Mother’s Day for only £38 per persoon, or enjoy a wonderful Dow wer House Afternoon Te Tea for f just £16 per person. Quote Pride322 to receive a complimentary bottle of Prosecco with yoour Mother’s Day lunch or afternoon tea

Enquire about our beeautiful function rooms forr any private party PLEASE CALL 01526 352588 FOR MORE INFORM MATION OR TO BOOK

www.ddowerhousehotel.cco.uk Manor Estate, Estate Woodhall Spa Spa, Lincolnshire LN10 6PY Y | 01526 352588

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In the KITCHEN Make the most of the great Lincolnshire sausage with this super braised dish served with spring greens...

BRAISED SAUSAGES with BEANS & GREENS Preparation Time: 5 minutes. Cooking Time: 30 minutes. Serves: 2. 1-2 tbsp olive oil • 6 Lincolnshire Sausages • 1 onion, finely sliced • 2 cloves garlic, sliced • 2 rosemary sprigs • 100ml white wine or cider (optional) • 250ml fresh Cooks’ Ingredients Chicken Stock • 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard, plus extra to serve • 400g can cannellini beans • 200g pack baby leaf greens, thick stalks removed and leaves shredded • Crusty bread, to serve (optional) Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large sauté pan or shallow casserole over a medium heat. Add the sausages and fry, turning regularly, for about 10 minutes until golden all over. Remove from the pan and add the onion, garlic and rosemary (plus a splash more oil if needed). Season and cook gently for 6-8 minutes until soft. Stir in the wine or cider, if using, and allow to bubble until almost evaporated, then add the stock, mustard and beans. Bring to a simmer, return the sausages with the greens to the pan and cook gently for a final five minutes until the greens are tender and the sausages are completely cooked through with no pink meat remaining. Serve immediately with crusty bread, if liked, and extra mustard on the side. n Thousands of recipes can be found at www.waitrose.com/recipes.

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R E L A X & E N J OY GET IN TOUCH South Rauceby, Sleaford NG34 8QG Call 01529 488250 www.thebustardinn.co.uk

OPENING TIMES Wed – Fri: 12 noon – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm Saturday: 12 noon – 10.30pm Sunday: 12 noon – 4.00pm

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We’ll deliver straight to the door, anywhere in the UK!

Website: www.tiffinandcobakehouse.co.uk Email: enquiries@tiffinandcobakehouse.co.uk Social Media: @tiffinandcobakehouse

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One of our favourite sparkling English rosé wines is Gusbourne’s 2017 vintage, a delectable wine made from a blend of estate-grown Pinot Noir (65%), Chardonnay (34%) and Pinot Meunier (1%), using the traditional Méthode Champenoise so it’s Champagne in all but name and provenance! £49 / 75cl / 12% ABV, www.gusbourne.com/

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Wine of the Month

Pleasure without the pain thanks to hangover-eliminating alcohol-free gin...

Château Trotte Vieille 2011, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru £94.99 / 75cl / 14% ABV

It took over 180 prototypes to perfect this alcohol-free ‘gin’ with its faithful juniper taste!

It’s not an indefatigable guide, but as a rule of thumb, the older the vine, the tastier the grape.

Quality without the compromise. This month we’re celebrating Pentire, an easy-drinking botanical non-alcoholic spirit. Its taste is coastal, herbaceous and fresh with notes of citrus, coupled with sage, rock samphire and sea salt for a round herbal finish. Pentire is vegan, 100% plant-based. Serve with indian tonic, ice and a garnish of lemon, rosemary or bay leaf... and hold the hangover! n

Château Trotte Vieille owns some of the oldest vines in Bordeaux – their Cabernet crops are 140 years old. You can certainly taste the benefits in this blend of almost equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It’s powerful and dense, with luscious notes of cassis, liquorice, blueberry, toast and cigar box.

£26.80 / 70cl / <0.50% ABV, See www.pentiredrinks.com.

The Wine Cellar WHETHER YOU’RE RAISING A GLASS TO MUM OR JUST CELEBRATING THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING WE’VE SOME ENGLISH STUNNERS THIS MONTH ALONGSIDE SOME QUIRKY SPIRITS... ENGLISH ROSES: A pink sparkling treat to share with mum this month... 1. Nyetimber Rosé NV. From one of England’s longest-established producers. Enjoy its sunset colour and abundant floral red fruit. High-quality pink fizz from the Sussexbased team at Nyetimber, £41.99 / 75cl / 12% ABV. 2. Hush Heath Estate Balfour Brut Rosé is hailed as England’s most exclusive pink fizz, made from traditional Champagne grapes, it’s had every care lavished upon it. Fine raspberry and strawberry flavours, very refreshing, £39.99 / 75cl / 11.5% ABV. 3. Greyfriars Rosé Reserve Brut. Vibrant red apple and redcurrants, with hints of mango and pineapple, From Surrey-based Greyfriars, an International Wine Challenge winner, £26.99 / 75cl / 12% ABV.

We suggest pairing it with something equally luxurious, like venison in a red wine sauce. Available from majestic.co.uk. n

When life gives you lemons... Tequila suffers rather from a reputation as being a drink purely designed for those seeking industrial-strength intoxication. However, Enemigo’s Extra Añejo is a more refined option – as reflected in its rather sobering price. It’s a balanced spirit which combines fruity and spicy flavours. Matured for three years in American oak barrels, taking in the rich flavours and deep colours. Complex yet approachable, ideal for sipping, a slice of lemon is optional but leave the salt on the chips. £145 / 70cl / 40% ABV, www.buyenemigo.co.uk.

n Our featured wines are available from

the best local independent wine merchants, supermarkets and online, prices are RRP and may vary from those stated. 69

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HOMES & INTERIORS

LOCATION, LOCATION

LOCATION A beautifully restored property with thoroughly modern creature comforts and a Grade II listing is usually a compelling prospect, but when your next door neighbour is Lincoln Cathedral, you know that a family home like No17 Eastgate is going to be extra special! Images: Aidan Clarkson, www.aidanclarkson.com.

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PROPERTY

THE DETAILS

No17, Eastgate, Uphill Lincoln Location: Lincoln Cathedral, 50 metres! Bailgate, 100 metres! Provenance: Late 17th century Grade II listed property, a former coaching house renovated in the mid-19th century. Rooms: Four receptions currently arranged as living kitchen, dining room, sitting room, and study. Five bedrooms, all en suite. Guide Price: £1,250,000. Find Out More: Mount & Minster, Atton Place, 23 Eastgate, Lincoln LN2 1QA, call 01522 716204 or see www.mountandminster.co.uk. n 72

WHAT’S THAT SAYING? Location, location, location? Well, you’ll be hard-pushed to find a family property in a better position than this month’s featured home. Currently on the market with Mount & Minster, it’s a unique proposition by virtue of being a country house right in the heart of the city of Lincoln. “It’s 50 metres to the Cathedral!” says Philip Pearson. We’re not sure whether he and wife Helen have actually measured it, but it’s a pretty close guess if not, and an exceptionally pretty view of the Cathedral’s Chapter House and north green. The couple have lived in Lincolnshire pretty much all of their lives, mostly north of Lincoln and have worked throughout the Midlands providing services for youngsters with special educational needs. In their personal lives, the couple have renovated a couple of properties before, but never on the scale that Eastgate necessitated. “It was in a bit of a sorry state when we saw it a decade ago,” says Philip. “It was to be our forever home as the children were enrolled Main: The property’s kitchen has been installed by Peter Rhodes of Market Rasen in the former kitchen, and now extends into a new garden room.

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in Minster School which is right on the doorstep, and also because of the location; as well as being really pretty, it’s also really practical.”

“We also created a large orangery which provided the space for a good-sized living kitchen which is ideal for a busy family to conduct their life in.”

We reckon that the property sits in a quarter of an acre – possibly more – which isn’t a bad amount of space in the heart of Lincoln.

“The kitchen was created by Peter Rhodes of Market Rasen and features bespoke cabinetry and granite work surfaces. We’ve appliances from Miele plus a big range cooker with teppanyaki and griddle. There’s a separate utility room, but also a pantry with a curved stone wall which is excellent for keeping food cool.”

It affords a good-sized garden which wraps around the house, plus stone walls that provide privacy and electric gates into a remote operated double garage, so you’re never stuck for parking or outdoor space, despite being right in the city. “The location was fantastic and that the layout of the house was ideal, but we knew that it could also be modernised. We created a layout comprising five bedrooms arranged on the first and second floor, each of which have their own en suite bathroom.”

“Being an older property, and one that’s listed too, it threw a few surprises our way during the refurbishment. There were few period features to reinstate but we managed to use as many rosemary tiles as possible, and to refurbish the roof as part of a backto-shell renovation.” >> 73

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>> On the first floor there’s a large master suite with two additional bedrooms and a further two bedrooms on the second floor, so plenty of space for guests and plenty of privacy, too, thanks to a bathroom being allocated to each bedroom. The wiring and plumbing is new and the stone wall surrounding the property has had its concrete replaced with lime mortar, to ensure it’s faithful to its original construction. The stone fireplace in the sitting room was created by the stonemasons just opposite the house who work at Lincoln Cathedral in the building’s Works department, giving it real provenance. “We’ve landscaped the grounds too and they catch the sun during both the morning and later on in the afternoon. There are also fruit trees, lilacs, and a mature acer in the grounds.” “The location appealed from the moment we first set eyes on the house and we’ve loved it ever since,” says Philip. “Our children are now teenagers, in the senior school of Lincoln Minster. They’re keen to have a horse and so we’re looking for somewhere outside of the city with additional grounds. It’s a shame though: we’ve loved living here, and the space, the location and the style of accommodation that the house provides is super... we’ll miss the place a great deal.” n 74

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n Fenside Road, Boston Guide Price: £595,000

With 1.5 acres, this former farmhouse has paddocks, stables and a manège plus four bedrooms. It’s ideal as a smallholding or equine property and has a large living kitchen plus a formal sitting room too. www.fairweather-estateagents.co.uk

n Fulstow, Louth Guide Price: £895,000

A beautiful bespoke home created in December 2011 with fruit trees and greenhouse as well as farmland views. Four double bedrooms with two en suites and three reception rooms. www.movewithmasons.co.uk

n Little Bytham, Grantham Guide Price: £1,300,000

Substantial property sitting in eight acres with barns, three Monarch stables and manège, ideal for smallholders or equine pursuits. Four bedrooms, four receptions, swimming pool. www.fineandcountry.com

Est. 2000

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STA MFORD • LONDON • HOLT

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HOME FURNISHINGS

BOLT FROM

THE BLUE

This month suggestions for beautiful furnishings will reach you like a bolt from the blue. They’re cool, calm and extremely stylish... This Page: Clarke & Clarke, Illusion Collection, sofa Astral in teal, curtains Hexa in Expresso.

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The combination of white and blue remains absolutely timeless, and our featured fabrics all have a really appealing tactile element to them...

Top: Pimpernel wallpaper in Woad from Morris & Co. Above/Right: Clarke & Clarke, Renaissance Velvet in Seafoam. Right: Zoffany, Eastern Palace in Indigo.

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Zoffany’s Copes Tail is a whimsical design that takes its cue from the old orchards that surrounded this incredible Jacobean residence. Painted in watercolour on a fine 100% natural linen cloth, Como Blue.

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Acanthus fabric in Woad from Morris & Co. Lincolnshire Interiors: Aitch Interiors: 01522 810961, www.aitchinteriors.co.uk. Anelise Home: 01522 530400, www.anelisehome.co.uk. Delcor: 01780 762579, www.delcor.co.uk. Richard Sutton Interiors: 01472 268377, richardsuttondesigninteriors.com. Simply Stamford: St Mary’s Street, Stamford, 01780 481852, www.simplystamford.co.uk. Stevensons: 01472 233111, www.stevensonsgroup.co.uk. n Please note availability of brands and ranges at the above design studios subject to variation.

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STYLE & SECURITY WITH BESPOKE GARAGE DOORS

n ‘Insulated Sectional’ or ‘Up & Over’ doors. n Fully bespoke and designed to suit your property. n Range of colours and styles. n Remote control using Garador controllers available. n 30 years experience, family ﬁrm.

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HOME FURNISHINGS

FURNISHING as a

DARK ART This month Grimsby’s Stevensons presents a range of new design-led furnishings for stylish properties, featuring brushed metal, natural stone and glass... This Page: Westin table, seven finishes of base available, transparent top, 1600mm wide.

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Design led and created with unmistakable Italian style... this month Stevensons presents its newest ranges of modern home furnishings... All products available to order through our website with a range of sizes and colour variations, or speak to one our representatives at Stevensons, based at 143-151 Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby DN31 3AY. Call 01472 233111 or see www.stevensonshome.co.uk.

EUROPA: An opulent sideboard that incorporates a mixture of painted matte wood framing accompanied by a varying range of palatial porcelain stoneware panels, all of which establish a sense of durability and style.

n Shown here in Alabastro with matte black frame, 2300mm wide.

TALL BISTRO TABLE SET featuring Isabel stools, 780mm tall, in leather, synthetic leather, nubuck or fabric; Nido Ceramic table, three base colours, nine ceramic tops. n

LEFT: Stratos console table with choice of walnut, burnt oak, or natural oak top, and four metal base colours, 2000mm wide. ABOVE: Terminal console, choice of 13 tops; six base colours, 1300mm. 84

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BOUTIQUE ALTA an ultra-modern glass sideboard conceived by Alberto Danese. The piece has internal glass shelves plus a quilted upholstered backrest in leather or synthetic leather combined with internal LED lighting to turn the items inside into a feature. Fumé glass, with feet and frame in lacquered steel, colour options for the internal upholstery include shades of warm grey and black, plus ‘Rosso’ burgundy or soft gold. n 1280mm tall, 920mm wide.

A STRIKING DESIGN FOR DINING

We love Reef, a striking table with matt white cristalplant base. The top is in matte white Carrara marble. The sculptured base is reminiscent of a wave reaching its maximum height. n

n Skorpio is a metal and glass/ceramic dining table available in eight different sizes from 100mm x 200mm to 138mm x 320mm. Base in five different finishes including titanium, bronze, graphite, white or black. 12 different ceramic tops, including Makalu shown here.

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n Stratos CrystalArt table, grey or amber top, choice of four frame colours, rounded or rectangular top from 1000mm x 2000mm to 3000mm x 1200mm. Available from Stevensons, based at 143-151 Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby DN31 3AY. Call 01472 233111 or see www.stevensonshome.co.uk.

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Home Interiors Studio

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01522 530400 • www.anelisehome.co.uk

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CALDERS & GRANDIDGE

Pole Position A little over 200 years ago, one of Boston’s most well-recognised businesses, Calders & Grandidge, was founded. Today you can see their products everywhere… from Hogwarts to Buckingham Palace, even if you don’t instantly recognise them! Words: Rob Davis.

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CALDERS & GRANDIDGE

Did you know, for instance, that the firm still holds the Royal Warrant as a supplier to the Royal Family...?

Above: At the heart and pole – sorry, soul – of the operation is the heated and pressurised vessels which force creosote or equivalent preservatives into the timbers, ensuring a life span of up to 60 years.

ANY BOSTONIAN, even those new to the town, will very soon become familiar with the name of Calders & Grandidge. For over 200 years the firm has been respected in the town as one of its longestestablished and most well-regarded businesses. But how much do you really know about one of the town’s best-known names? Did you know, for instance, that the firm still holds the Royal Warrant as a supplier to the Royal Family, or that business is still booming two centuries on thanks to an increase in demand for telecommunication lines, and for fencing products for both the domestic market and for agricultural and equestrian customers too? “Many people know that we’re suppliers of pressure-treated timber,” say the firm’s

Commercial & Finance Director, Shaun McGarry. “We’re synonymous with the technical performance of our products and our understanding of the demands that are placed on them. For our customers – utility companies, for instance – only the best quality will do.” “The company was established in 1820 and it used to have 11 sites, mostly around dock towns which had good international transport connections.” “Those sites have now been consolidated and having arrived in Boston in 1896, and established ourselves at our current site in the 1930s, the town is now very much our home.” Today, the company’s London Road site employs 60 people as well as an eight-strong transport fleet.

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The whole site spans 46 acres and walking around the site, it’s every bit as vast as its numbers suggest, with hulking machinery and massive piles of products awaiting delivery to customers. The business has had to cope with huge increases in demand, such as during WWI when Sir James Calder provided timber to the war office which were used to create trenches. Timbers were also provided during the Second World War, and in the post-war era. When electrification of homes took place, demand increased for poles to create new electricity infrastructure, and from the 1950s to the 1970s – with the installation of telephony in homes and businesses – demand surged once again. The company’s latest renaissance has seen Calders & Grandidge helping utility firms to

keep up with the demand for poles to carry the latest fibre-optic technology not only for established companies like BT’s Openreach but also for a new generation of suppliers promising ultra-fast communications. In fact, Calders & Grandidge’s biggest ‘problem’ is the sheer longevity of its products… today, about 70% of its business is in creating telegraph poles for electrical and telephony utility companies, and though the quoted lifespan of its products is fifty or sixty years, the oldest Calders & Grandidge telegraph pole replaced was a venerable 108 years old. Their products are even tough enough to secure a starring role at the National Pole Climbing Championships at Newark in the early 2000s, for which the company supplied

its largest pole ever; 35 metres tall. It was also the widest pole they’ve ever produced and the most expensive too. The company imports a whopping 100,000 poles a year, of which 60,000 end up in Boston to be pressure-treated. They’re produced in Sweden, Finland and Norway, where the Nordic climate and the sun nice and high in the sky guarantees a straight, tall, knot-free pine… given a hundred years or so. Forests are responsibly managed, with three trees planted for each one felled and space around each left to facilitate self-pollination. These fellows, with their checked shirts, chainsaws and Nordic moustaches have been managing forestry long before the establishment of any international forestry certifications. >> 91

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CALDERS & GRANDIDGE

>> They understand and remain committed to ensuring a sustainable future for Europe’s vast forests and the timber market.

Calders & Grandidge’s poles have been used to create animals enclosures at safari parks – including those at Friskney’s Lincolnshire Wildlife Park.

After agreeing what’s known as a felling contract, the correct specification of trees will be felled for companies like Calders & Grandidge, according to how many ‘light,’ ‘medium’ or ‘stout’ trees the company requires.

They’re also visible in TV programmes like Emmerdale and Peaky Blinders, having been supplied to TV studios like Elstree and Pinewood.

The three specifications of pole require six, nine or 12 months to dry out to 28% moisture and are ready for shipping, by sea, to Boston Docks, arriving in August, October and January respectively in shipments of 6,000-9,000 poles, transported to the yard by Calders & Grandidge’s fleet. The trees arrive with their outer bark having been stripped off, but their cambium (or inner bark) remains in place, helping to prevent moisture ingress. Poles can range from 6m to 24 metre in height – a typical spec for BT, for example, is 8-11m tall – and 124mm to 150mm in diameter. They’re also tapered to ensure they’re slightly wider at the base. Once on site and sufficiently dry, the cambium is removed by what is essentially a much much larger and far more complicated pencil sharpener. It’s the next process for which Calders & Grandidge is so well-respected throughout the industry. Stacks of timber are loaded into two horizontal pressurised vessels with one of two different distillations or mixtures of creosote is pumped into the vessels. For nine hours, at up to 115°c, the preservative is forced into the timber, creating its water-repellent properties and killing any bugs or bacteria which may eventually weaken the pole once it’s in place.

The timber poles used in the games of Quidditch in the Harry Potter films? The picnic tables at Buckingham Palace including the one the Duke of Sussex sat at, announcing the arrival of the Invictus Games? All Calders & Grandidge’s handiwork. A separate process utilises a so-called ‘green’ process uses a water based treatment to ensure the product is fit for domestic projects such as decking or hard-wearing fencing around a domestic property.

Today, too, if you’re purchasing timber for your garden decking or planters, there’s a strong possibility that Calders & Grandidge will have provided the timber to the UK’s garden centres.

This is the process used for adventure play grounds. In addition to being weatherproof the timbers aren’t oily to touch, which mean they can be used to create high-wire adventure playground courses and so on. Green treatment offers a 15-30 year service life.

Latterly the company has been part of the St Gobain group, which generates revenues of over €40bn each year and provides pretty much every kind of materials necessary for the construction and automotive sectors, from glazing to insulation, across more than 75 brands… the company is also owner of UK builder’s merchant Jewson.

The use of creosote is today a greener process than before, and it is a by-product of the coal industry. Its continued use is also justified given the longevity of the resulting products and the trees’ carbon capture over 100 years. Creosote is predominantly used in agricultural fencing for its longevity, because it is hardwaring and horses do not like the taste! The product (creosote) which results is a good deal sturdier and has a vastly extended life span.

For those a little closer to home though, hoping to secure their horses, protect their farm, make the most of the garden or just drive down the road knowing that a telegraph pole won’t make an unexpected appearance through the sunroof, it’s the 200 years of history and thoroughly modern expertise of Calders & Grandidge that we have to be thankful for. Even after two centuries, the firm remains in pole position in terms of its place in the market. n

Find Out More: Calders & Grandidge has been established for over 200 years, and is still based at London Rd, Wyberton, Boston PE21 7HJ. Call 01205 358866, see www.caldersandgrandidge.com and find the company’s pressure-treated timber products including its range of fencing products at your local garden centre.

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MEET THE SMALLHOLDER

DIGGING FOR

VICTORY If you’ve despaired at anaemic-looking supermarket veg and wished you could get your growing going, March is the ideal month. Andrew & Hazel Rock created Sunnyside, their ﬁve acre smallholding, a decade ago, and they haven’t look back... Words: Rob Davis.

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THE SMALLHOLDER

>> IT WAS A RATHER FROSTY January morning when I pulled into Andrew and Hazel Rock’s driveway. The winter sun was shining, though, and the skies are blue. It was the sort of morning to remind you that whilst spring is still weeks away, it will nevertheless arrive. But it’s still the sort of morning that would have me dragging the duvet back around me in a state of torpor. “Are you still as motivated when it’s cold or wet as you would be on a nice summer day?” I asked. Andrew was putting on the kettle and offering up a slice of homemade apple cake, in the kitchen of his home between Sleaford and Grantham. For the past ten years he’s created a smallholding on five acres of land and whilst not completely self-sufficient – he reckons he’s about 80% of the way there – he manages to grow pretty much all of his fruit and vegetables, and rears his own chickens, pork and lamb. Whilst Hazel works full time in the NHS, she joins Andrew on their smallholding at the weekend, and both are fully invested in the life. “Yea. I love being outdoors. And as I have animals I’ve no choice really… they’ve got to be fed whether it’s raining or not. Having a smallholding isn’t something that I’m a slave to though, or something I do reluctantly; it’s a huge source of pleasure. Every season has its joy, and when it’s chilly, you just wrap up warm and get on with it.”

better than you could buy. And having a kitchen garden seems to serve much more of a purpose than having a garden purely for visual pleasure,” he says. “I was looking to do more of the same and so we began to look around for another plot. We’d never been to the area before but soon realised that Lincolnshire had good schools – ideal as we had a young son – and was still quite near civilisation. The A1 is handy from here, we’re not in the middle of nowhere.” Andrew and Hazel’s property is just off the main road and covers about five acres. In the grounds is a beck of the River Slea, with bee hives on the bank and the orchard beyond. The property’s former owners kept horses so there was already a few outbuildings for storage, and space to make a proper job of Andrew’s aim towards being a full-time smallholder.

I’ve six veg beds and the vegetable garden isn’t as large as you’d think, but I’m a strong advocate of planning your crops and making the most of the space available to make sure it’s as productive as possible, as much of the year round as possible.” “I do have an orchard which produces pretty much every type of fruit as it’s possible to grow – apples, pears, plums, cherries, apricots, damsons, green gage and more obscure fruits such as medlar, quince and mulberry – and a couple of greenhouses.” >>

Time and space…

“Growing fruit and veg can be as small or as large a commitment as you like. I never buy fresh produce and I take great pleasure in eating according to the seasons. It’s a common misconception that you need lots of space to grow your own produce.

Andrew’s Motivation…

“I’m really passionate about traditional, mixed, sustainable farming, and about rare breed farm animals being raised in an ethical, environmentally friendly way. I absolutely love talking to people about it and demonstrating how it works in practice.” “For five years now, I have hosted training courses here for people who wanted to learn more about how it all works.” The obvious – but dated – parallel is Richard Briars and Felicity Kendal in The Good Life, because 12 years ago, Andrew and Hazel were living in Banbury, Andrew working in the automotive industry , with a good-sized garden and only a weekend interest in maintaining a kitchen garden. “My father used to grow some veg, and I had a casual interest in it, but the quality of the fresh produce was always much much Above: Andrew and Hazel’s five acre smallholding ensures they’re self-sufficient in terms of veg, fruit, eggs, poultry, pork and lamb.

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THE SMALLHOLDER

Andrew with Dixie, who was just a few weeks away from farrowing when we met. The couple also have six Jacob breeding ewes, plus 15 Rhode Island Red chickens and Norfolk Black turkeys.

>> “But you can do something with any amount of space, and pretty much everything you could want to, just within an acre or two.”

brassicas too and leeks, so this will be a really busy month. But it’ll be worth investing the work whether I’m direct sowing or making the most of the greenhouses.”

“Keeping chickens is fairly simple, and rearing your own pigs requires a little more space, but really it’s my sheep which necessitate the extra space and all I’d do with a greater acreage is to have a slightly larger flock. Otherwise, the space I have is fine.”

“There has been a lot written about soil health and crop rotation. The composted muck from the animals is the best thing you can dig into the vegetable garden and because the beds have different vegetables in them, I achieve good crop rotation without even trying.”

“Like anyone who’s self-employed, you can take the odd day off, but I never have the feeling that getting up and getting outside is a chore. I probably spend 50 or more hours a week working. My routine usually sees me going out at around 7.30am, feeding and checking the animals.”

“The orchard is really productive too. It needs a bit of pruning once a year but we always have plenty of fruit and we freeze any soft fruit that we don’t eat immediately. So again, all year round we have really good fresh produce.”

“Mid-morning is when I get my admin out of the way and then in the middle of the day jobs range from repairing fencing to working in the vegetable garden. Then, in the evening, it’s a case of shutting away the chickens and checking the animals.” “There are always jobs that don’t get done, and events like lambing or farrowing add extra work, but between having a little self-discipline and the fact that it’s a pleasure, it’s a great life.” Fruit and Veg…

“It’s easy to underestimate the role that planning has in keeping the vegetable garden productive. But you grow according to what you need, maybe a little more to be able to sell any excess. As a family we grow and eat 15 sacks of potatoes a year, each sack weighing about 20kg.” “Our onions and garlic are kept in nets in the shed, carrots are planted in March, 100

“We didn’t set out to be organic, but it’s almost a given, because purchasing sprays costs money, and spraying incurs work. The muck from the animals is sufficient!” Keeping Chickens…

“The next level up from just growing your own fruit and veg is to keep chickens. We’ve usually about 15 Rhode Islands Red and Light Sussex birds, which keeps us in eggs, and in meat in the case of spare cockerels. They’re a year-round commitment but fairly easy, and we have a few turkeys too which we breed and rear for Christmas.” Pigs and Piglets…

“At the moment we’ve five pigs, although two are due to go to the butcher in a couple of weeks. We’ve three Oxford Sandy and Black sows and a boar, again favouring rare breeds that could include Tamworths or Gloucester Old Spots. Smallholders that don’t want to breed their own pigs can buy ‘weaners’ from me at eight weeks of age in

spring and fatten them up over the summer. By autumn their live weight will be about a hundred kilos, which yields about 60kg of pork; joints, chops, bacon, ham and we make our own sausages too.” “Two pigs will keep us in pork all year round. I traditionally cure my own bacon for a couple of weeks and then air dry it … and with no sense of false modesty, it really is the best I’ve ever tasted.” Spring Lambing…

“Sheep are a bit more complicated. We’ve six breeding ewes – Jacobs, another traditional, rare breeds – and we’ll be in lambing from spring. The notion of spring lamb is one that has duped the public a bit. If you see new-born lambs gambolling around in the field, those aren’t the lambs that are sold as new season lamb.” “Our animals are raised on spring grass and go to slaughter at about a year old, so technically they’re hogget. It’s a myth that spring lamb is more tender. I’ve never had lamb as tender as we raise, and it’s a darker, more flavoursome meat, a real joy.”

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“Keeping livestock usually elicits the question of how you feel when the time comes to kill them. It’s very thought-provoking at first but you make your peace with it because many rare breeds have become extinct – the Lincolnshire Curly-Coated pig, for instance – because it’s no longer being kept for meat.” “Raising rare breeds for meat keeps the breed alive and I have the peace of mind and the ability to vouch for the fact that those animals have been well-looked after.” Walking around the plot, all of Andrew’s pigs come over for a stroke. The sheep are a little more reluctant, but are soon coerced with a bit of food. Sadly we couldn’t be introduced to the poultry because of Avian Flu restrictions, but on the strength of meeting the other inhabitants of Sunnyside, we can absolutely vouch for the fact that it’s one big happy smallholding family, whether you’ve two legs or four. Andrew’s Courses…

Andrew runs two or three courses each month, or at least he will as Covid allows.

your own food all year round, and using the sun’s energy.” “Working with nature has become a joy for me, and with the addition of solar panels, I’m now able to generate much of the electricity we use, which aligns with an overall desire towards self-sufficiency.”

Some are half-day introductions to keeping bees, pigs or sheep, and he has an Introduction to Smallholding course too. Clearly he loves demonstrating how it works in practice and sharing both his enthusiasm and his knowledge. Three Principles…

“Over lockdown I wrote a book, outlining all of the things I’ve learned and putting down on paper all of the thoughts that I’ve had as I’ve been working away!” “I called it Three Principles for SelfSufficiency and they come down to learning to do things yourself, growing and eating

“Sustainability is a fashionable concept but it’s nothing different to how households used to live, and honestly, I think it’s a better way but also a pleasure, too.” “My life isn’t one of toil, it’s a terrific pleasure; one of luxury, not compromises. I spend an hour or two each night cooking with and eating the best food I’ve ever tasted, and I measure out food metres, not food miles, which is good for the planet, too.” n Andrew & Hazel Rock are based at Sunnyside Smallholding, where Andrew runs courses on self-sufficiency. See www.sunnysidesmallholding.com which is also where you can order Andrew’s book on the art and joy of smallholding. 101

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THE SMALLHOLDER’S YEAR...

JANUARY...

FEBRUARY...

FRUIT & VEG: Harvest brussels, winter cabbage, kale, leeks and swede & parsnips. Plant onion seeds, cabbage and tomatoes and in the greenhouse. Sow garlic outdoors. LIVESTOCK: Chickens are an all year-round responsibility. IN FARMING: Calves weaned onto sugar beet rations, slurry spreading. IN THE KITCHEN: Use frozen summer fruits to create pies and crumbles. n

FRUIT & VEG: Plant shallots and onion sets outdoors if it’s warm enough, plant parsnips and carrots outdoors, sow peppers and cucumbers in the greenhouse. LIVESTOCK: Begin to incubate chicken eggs under heat lamps. IN FARMING: Calving season for cows, livestock fed concentrates. IN THE KITCHEN: Utilise forced rhubarb in crumbles and cakes. n

MAY... FRUIT & VEG: Cage fruit to prevent birds from stealing them. Prepare to harvest strawberries, raspberries and plums, freeze any gluts. IN FARMING: Spring crops and cereals sown, fertiliser applied. Spraying of sugar beet and peas. IN THE KITCHEN: Make jams, pickles and preserves, enjoy fresh asparagus, Freeze ‘bricks’ of puréed tomatoes to use all year round. n

JULY...

AUGUST...

FRUIT & VEG: Last chance to plant spring cabbages, maincrop potatoes, peas and leeks. Cut back fruit bushes. Harvest beans, broccoli, garlic and salads. Sow spring cauli outdoors, harvest main crop potatoes. LIVESTOCK: Sheep shearing. IN FARMING: Heavy lambs sent to market in commercial livestock farms. IN THE KITCHEN: Enjoy mocktails in the garden with summer fruit. n

FRUIT & VEG: Scramble to gather in the last peas, beans and courgettes, lift main crop potatoes and store in a cool dark place. Pick orchard fruits. IN FARMING: Cereal harvest is well underway, straw baled for animals, silage cut for winter livestock feed. IN THE KITCHEN: If you’re still able to pick fresh tomatoes, bake them into a puff pastry tart with mozzarella and fresh basil from the herb garden. n

NOVEMBER... FRUIT & VEG: Harvest leeks, swede and brussels, and gather in the very last of your maincrop potatoes. Grow garlic indoors, herbs on windowsills. IN FARMING: Wheat drilling and ploughing, livestock fed silage. Lots of farm maintenance e.g.: hedgerow trimming is undertaken. IN THE KITCHEN: Foraged mushrooms and wild garlic can contribute to stews and soups. n

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MARCH...

APRIL...

FRUIT & VEG: Plant out beetroot and spinach, sprouts for Christmas. Plant out spring cabbage & brassicas. Sow lettuce, celery, and tomatoes in the greenhouse. Harvest early crop potatoes and plant main crops. LIVESTOCK: Send off year old lambs for slaughter, purchase weaner pigs. IN FARMING: Lambing and calving. IN THE KITCHEN: Enjoy hogget Sunday lunches with early potatoes. n

FRUIT & VEG: Plant out beans, spinach, winter cabbage cauli and swede as well as main crop potatoes. Plant sweetcorn, tomatoes and strawberries in the greenhouse. Herbs can be planted both indoors on a windowsill and outdoors if it’s warm. LIVESTOCK: Begin to fatten weaner pigs and turn out lambs into the field. IN THE KITCHEN: Harvest forced rhubarb and spring salad leaves. n

JUNE... FRUIT & VEG: Harvest beans, beetroot, autumn onion sets, rocket and other salads. Continue to harvest greenhouse tomatoes, broccoli, peas and turnips. Plant out spring cabbage, carrots and onions. IN FARMING: Silage production for livestock feed, winter crops planted. Potatoes irrigated. Cows served. IN THE KITCHEN: Enjoy summer salads, and asparagus. n

SEPTEMBER...

OCTOBER...

FRUIT & VEG: Gather in orchard fruit and store apples, pears and plums. First parsnips, sweetcorn and calabrese can be harvested. Sow potatoes for Christmas indoors. LIVESTOCK: Fattened pigs sent to butcher, autumn calving of beef cows in commercial operations. IN FARMING: Ploughing and cultivating of arable land, drilling and sowing of winter wheat crops. n

FRUIT & VEG: Sow winter broad beans, onions and garlic outside. Sow winter cabbage, cauliflower, leeks and swede. Harvest orchard fruit like apples and quince. LIVESTOCK: Ewes covered on bonfire night for spring lambing. IN FARMING: Commercial potato and sugar beet crops harvested. IN THE KITCHEN: Make Christmas pudding on ’stir up Sunday.’ n

DECEMBER... FRUIT & VEG: Harvest brussels after a frost, winter cabbage, Christmas potatoes, parsnips and swede. Work off that Christmas pudding by digging in fertiliser and manure. LIVESTOCK: Turkeys should be dispatched, plucked and hung for two weeks prior to Christmas. IN THE KITCHEN: Ensure you’ve plenty of potatoes for roasties during Christmas lunch. n

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PROMOTION SEE OUR RANGE OF HONDA ‘SPECIAL OFFERS’ ONLINE

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GATES GARDEN CENTRE

OUTDOOR

COMFORT Bramblecrest Chedworth open weave tulip hanging chair in sandstone, made for one, the Chedworth Tulip Cocoon is an attractive hanging chair, designed for outdoors, but looks equally good indoors too, £549.

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This month Gates Garden Centre presents its latest outdoor leisure ranges designed to provide comfort and quality throughout the spring and summer months when you’re enjoying the garden...

OUTDOOR LIVING at Gates launches this month with the latest new brands, new styles from old favourites and on-trend accessories for making the most of your garden this spring. Inside a dedicated showroom, there are 14,000sqft of display gardens, set up for easy browsing to inspire and enhance your outdoor living space. There’s something for every budget and taste, from contemporary rope weave, marine grade faux leather, robust teak and slate grey aluminum; to traditional and timeless rattan, wicker, sturdy hardwoods and bronze cast aluminum. All are on display, meaning you get to try before you buy. This year the centre features ranges from several new furniture brands, as well as

retaining favourite leading brands like Bramblecrest with its new styles for 2022 including a brand-new Mauritius range in marine grade open-weave twisted rope and lightweight aluminum. Other brands include Kettler, Hartman, 4 Seasons Outdoor, Alexander Rose and Quest. Life Outdoor Living is a stylish new Dutch brand offering a contemporary aesthetic with clean lines, minimalist designs with comfort and functionality at its heart thanks to lightweight aluminium frames and all-weather upholstery. To complement your patio furniture and extend the outdoor season Gates also offers a huge selection of contemporary and traditional solar, electric and dual-powered

garden lighting, as well as gas and electric patio heaters and traditional fire pits. Following a successful soft launch last year, Gates Garden Centre is expanding its Kamado Joe barbecue range this year to include new styles for charcoal purists as well as a range of accessories to complement. The Kamado Joe, with its heat-resistant distinctive dimpled blaze red shell and thick ceramic walls, helps to lock in moisture, heat and that classic smoky barbecue flavour. As an established Weber World store, Gates continues to offer the full range of Weber barbecues including gas, charcoal, electric and smokers, alongside an extensive collection of Weber accessories and sundries for all barbecues and grills. >>

Above: Life Outdoor Living’s Nevada Lava mini corner lounge set: a real eye-catcher, this set has excellent seating comfort thanks to the voluminous seat and back cushions. The robust teak table top suits this big lounge group perfectly, set excludes round stool, £Call.

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OUTDOOR COMFORT WITH GATES GARDEN CENTRE

Gates Garden Centre’s warehouses are already brimming, full of high quality, stylish garden furniture and accessories, ready for you to take away and enjoy, all season long...!

Above: Bramblecrest Monterey modular U-shaped sofa with firepit coffee table with ceramic top, £3,499.

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>> For protection from the sun or sudden showers Gates has garden shades in every size and design – some with pre-installed speakers and lighting – and huge garden gazebos with electronic shades. Add scatter cushions in this year’s colours, a decorative garden mirror, wall art or a weatherproof garden rug to complete your look and ensure your outdoor space is as comfortable and welcoming as indoors. And with matching cushion storage boxes and made-to-fit protective covers for every set, your new furniture will remain shower-proof and will look its very best, year after year. You can also buy garden buildings on-site at Gates, from a simple shed for keeping tools secure to the most elegant and spacious garden rooms and hot tub shelters… you can pick up the hot tub, too!

All ranges are on show for you to compare finishes and get a real feel for the size and specification of each. The centre also offers a free UK wide delivery service for orders over £50 and there’s a ‘white glove’ service too for those who prefer to have the Gates team deliver, assemble and set up your new furniture, ready for you to begin enjoying your garden immediately. As Covid restrictions turned the nation’s focus to improving its outdoor living spaces, this increased demand created industry-wide supply issues in 2020 and 2021. However, Gates Garden Center plans very early and its warehouse is already brimming full of high quality, stylish garden furniture and accessories, ready for you to take away and enjoy, all spring and summer long! n

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Top, Left: Bramblecrest Mauritius garden lounge set, made with marine grade synthetic rope and rust-resistant aluminium meaning it will last for years to come. All-weather scatter cushions available in a range of colours, £1,699. Top/Right: Supremo Melbury mini modular set with adjustable table. Keep everything within easy reach with this compact modular set with adjustable table height, £1,749. Middle, Left: Hartman Amalfi square casual dining set, use the fire pit table to keep warm, grill food, serve drinks or use the full table space, £3,299. Middle, Right: Grey square sliding roof gazebo, versatile and sturdy, 2.8 x 2.8m aluminium gazebo with textilene sliding roof panels, allowing just the right amount of sunlight through, £799. Left: Goa dining set with six cottage chairs. The stylish Goa dining set includes a smart rectangular table with six retro dining chairs, £2,999. n Find Out More: All of the products featured here are available from Gates Garden Centre, Cold Overton, Oakham LE15 7QB. Call 01664 454309 or see www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

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Our Outdoor Living Showroom is now open

Shop online or in-store

• Garden Centre • Farm Shop • Gift Shop • Home & Interiors • Outdoor Furniture • Barbecues • Landscaping • Restaurant

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OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK + FREE PARKING Somerby Road, Cold Overton, Oakham, Leicestershire LE15 7QB Telephone: 01664 454309 Email: info@gatesgardencentre.co.uk GatesGardenCentre

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MOTORS

Dreaming Of

SUMMER 70 years ago, back in 1952, Mercedes launched a Grand Prix racing car, designated 300SL. So coveted was it that the market demanded a road-going version, and so the ﬁrst Mercedes SL model was born... a brand new version takes the spirit of the original, and adds much technology...

SPORT LEICHT. That was the original designation of the Mercedes SL300, the 1952 Grand Prix car which spawned a road-going version two years later. 70 years on and after four previous iterations, there’s a brand new SL, tasked with the responsibility of retaining the spirit of the original, but bringing it up to date with the latest technology. SL is a sister car of Mercedes Benz’s flagship limousine, the S-Class. As such it is the next car to inherit the latter’s latest developments, which are distilled into a sleek roadster. The last two generations, from 2001 to the present, featured an electrically-folding metal roof which scissors away into the boot when the sun shines, and provides a coupélike hard top when the British climate is being a bit more... well... British. 112

The new model features a folding fabric roof, saving 21kg and improving dynamics. Technically this liberates space for two seats in the rear, and a bit more boot space, but they’re so small that you’re best to think of the car as a two seater. Things are a bit more realistic in the two front seats, and in keeping with Mercedes’ desire to keep the cabin as minimalist and sports car-like as possible, standard equipment and technology is inconspicuously integrated,

not least into the standard MBUX portrait oriented central screen. The SL is available to order now and will appear in showrooms from March. There will be two versions – both sporting an AMG-fettled 4.0 V8 engine built using the ‘one man, one engine’ principle, whereby a single dedicated person hand-crafts the engine destined for your SL. We’d stick with the SL55, rather than the more powerful SL63; the former has enough grunt, and grip to spare thanks to standardfit 4Matic all wheel drive via Mercedes’s nine-speed AMG gearbox. The perfect car for summer? Almost certainly. All we need now is a decent English summer, and the chance to allow Benz’s latest GT to really stretch its legs. n

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THE DETAILS

Mercedes SL55 Price: £120,000 (approximately). Powertrain: 4.0 V8 twin-turbo, 469bhp, 700Nm torque. Performance: 0-60mph: 3.9 secs. Top speed 183mph. WLTM economy 23mpg (comb). Equipment: Four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, layout, leather seats, MBUK media/navigation interface, electrically operated soft top, Airscarf neck-level heating, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. n 113

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Pride Magazine is available to read, for free, on your phone or tablet... Enjoy the area’s finest magazines, using our App, free to download now!

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w w w.p ridemag azi nes.co.uk You can now enjoy Pride Magazine with our app on your smartphone or tablet... completely free of charge!

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ALL-NEW LEXUS NX SELF- C H ARGI NG O R PLU G- I N H YBR I D F E E L M O R E I N E V E RY M O M E N T

LEXUS LINCOLN Cheshire Road, Lincoln LN6 3SR 01522 686600 www.lexus.co.uk/lincoln Model shown is All-New NX 450h+. Official NX 450h+ fuel consumption figures in mpg (1/100km): 256.8-313.8 (0.9-1.1). Combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 21-25. Electric NX 450h+ range in miles: 41.7-45.7. Figures are provided for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption, CO2 and/or equivalent all-electric range figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results. Fuel consumption, CO2 produced and equivalent allelectric range can vary significantly depending on a number of factors, including the accessories fitted (post-registration), driving style, conditions, speed and vehicle load. All models and grades are certified according to the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). All mpg and CO2 figures quoted are full WLTP figures. For more information on WLTP and specific vehicle types see www.vehicle-certification-agency.gov.uk/fcb/wltp.asp.

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WARM & STYLISH

GILÉTS This month’s selection of cosy bodywarmers proves that where there’s a chill there’s a gilét... This Page: Whistles Iris shearling gilet in ivory is a key item of your wardrobe for Spring walks £725. www.whistles.com

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Canada Goose freestyle gilet in Silverbirch, £450. www.canadagoose.com

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Moncler Glyco gilet is a staple in layered looks £760. www.moncler.com

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Burberry quilted cotton gabardine funnel neck gilet in honey, £1,890. uk.burberry.com

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Reiss Tami reversible mink-shaded gilet, £645. www.reiss.com

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FASHION

Top/Left: Above: The Barbour Hawksead gilet available in navy or olive, £159. Top/Right: Alan Paine’s Felwell ladies quilted gilet in wren, £124.95. Above/Left: Boden longline puffer gilet in navy, £130. Above/Right: Dubarry Spiddal quilted gilet in navy, £179.

Barbour: www.barbour.com. Alan Paine: www.alanpaine.co.uk. Boden: www.boden.co.uk. Dubarry: www.dubarry.com.

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BEAUTY

Spring Fresh Skin HEAD INTO SPRING WITH A FRESH AND HEALTHY LOOK WITH THESE NEW BEAUTY PRODUCTS. ALL ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A SUBTLE BLUSH OF COLOUR AS SPRING UNVEILS ITS OWN PALETTE...

1. Bronze & Glow Delilah’s Bronze & Glow collection is a new collection from a really up and coming brand that will put the colour back into your cheeks this spring. Its halo product is this Sunset matte bronzer palette, available in light or medium dark. Its ultralight, silky texture blends perfectly over the skin while soft focus pigments help to veil imperfections, leaving a beautiful, even complexion, whilst Vitamin E helps protect the skin and jojoba oil aids hydration. £34/11g.

2. Soft, Smooth Skin Coveted for its luxurious texture and luminous finish, NARS’s new Radiant Creamy Concealer evens skin with lightweight medium to high buildable coverage. It creates a softer, smoother complexion, instantly obscuring imperfections and diminishing fine lines. £24/6ml.

3. Spring Lip Service Whilst some matte lipsticks can feel too heavy, we’ve found a wonderful example from Charlotte Tilbury that’s worth its purchase price. Create the illusion of fuller, wider lips, with 11 shades available including our favourite, shown here, Pillow Talk. £24/3.5g

5. Essential Nail Colour An essential part of your beauty regime is immaculate nails, and Guerlain’s La Petite Robe Noire nail colour is one of the best nail colours we’ve encountered. Uniquely, it’s scented with a floral fruity fragrance, rather than the usual chemical-smell. It also provides an ultra-shiny finish thanks to new plasticisers and improve pigments. Shown here is Pink Ballerinas shade. £18/8.8ml.

6. Fresh Spring Cologne Jo Malone’s new fragrance collection includes this woody scent evokes a fresh emergence of lighter evenings and the first signs of spring. Vibrant juniper and fresh grapefruit are offset with sultry leather and base notes of vetiver. An ideal scent for those looking forward to the fresher months. £75/50ml; £120/100ml.

4. A Fresh Look

FreshFace Instant Glow Luminiser Sunset is a lightweight luminiser improves the appearance of skin, leaving it silky, supple, and smooth. Use it to highlight areas such as cheekbones, cleavages, and brow-bones as they play off light. £26.50/30ml.

n All our beauty products are available from local high quality independent stockists unless otherwise stated, prices are RRP. Visit each makeup brand’s website for more information on local stockists. 125

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WEDDINGS

Ecco che arriva la sposa! North Lincolnshire couple Claire and Lewis enjoy travelling the world but took inspiration from the Mediterranean for their wedding, held at North Lincolnshire restaurant San Pietro. Despite being half-way around the world, the groom’s brother even managed to appear on the day to wish his brother a ‘felice anniversario di matrimonio!’ Wedding Photographer: Jessy Jones Photography, 07947 514456, www.jessyjonesphotography.co.uk.

“WE MET AT A WEDDING!” says Claire Welch. “Although... we were only 13 at the time! We remained friends though and kept bumping into each other over the years.” A romantic soul might say that fate kept bringing Claire and Lewis together, and back in 2014 the couple finally starting dating, and soon discovered a mutual love of travel.

WEDDING SUPPLIERS CLAIRE & LEWIS

“Once we had the venue booked and a date established I began looking for a wedding dress, and I found a really beautiful dress by the designer Enzoani at Elizabeth Kate of Crowle. We found the bridesmaids’ dresses online and the groomsmen’s tailoring on the High Street, in a light grey colour that we thought would reflect the sunny weather that we expected in July.”

“We went away to the Maldives in 2020 and Lewis had planned a really lovely proposal with a banner close to where we had a special meal planned for my birthday.” “We were going to enjoy a lovely meal right on the beach but it was quite a breezy night, which also wrecked havoc with the banner. The proposal though, was really romantic, and it came as a complete surprise when Lewis dropped down on one knee! Of course I said ‘yes’ immediately!” “When we returned, Covid was just beginning to make its presence felt and so we did wonder whether to book or to wait. We decided that rather than committing, we should wait until July 2021, when we might be more sure of what was happening with restrictions on gatherings and when the climate might be a little more predictable, too.” “We both come from Scunthorpe and though we now live north of The Humber, we still have friends and family in North Lincolnshire. We were looking for a smaller venue for what we thought would be around 60 guests during the day and another 20 or so in the evening.” “We found San Pietro and we were really impressed. We hadn’t dined there before but it was like a smart inner-city hotel, only much closer to home. It was available for our ceremony and our reception too.”

“We really got on very well with Jenna, our wedding coordinator. She really was very professional and unflappable, making the whole day go really smoothly! The owner Michelle was also with me just as I was about to walk in the room, keeping me calm, which was lovely!”

“Our cake was a two tier design created by Baking Becki of Scunthorpe, and we worked with The Flower Theatre of Messingham to create floral displays in white with soft gold highlights.”

Wedding Ceremony & Reception: San Pietro, Scunthorpe, 01724 277774 www.sanpietro.uk.com. Wedding Dress: Enzoani at Elizabeth Kate Bridal, Crowle, 01724 645058, elizabethkatebridal.co.uk. Bridesmaids’ Dresses: www.jjshouse.co.uk. Wedding Cake: Baking Becki, bakingbecki@hotmail.com. Wedding Flowers: The Flower Theatre, Messingham, 01724 764444, www.flowertheatre.com. Live Entertainment: Common Faults, Scunthorpe/Grimsby, via Facebook. Photography: Jessy Jones Photography, www.jessyjonesphotography.co.uk. n

“We tried to use as many local suppliers as possible but the photographer we initially spoke to was booked on our wedding day. Instead they recommended Jessy Jones, who is based a bit further away in Boston. She’s absolutely amazing and took some really lovely images, so perhaps that was fate, too!” “The gardens at San Pietro were a lovely place to enjoy a few drinks and just to spend time with guests, and then in the evening, our entertainment was provided by Lewis’ cousin’s band, Common Faults. They usually play pubs and festivals, and they specialise in a really good mix of party and indie music. We can definitely recommend them, and though we don’t like dancing or being the centre of attention, our first dance, to Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline was amazing, it had everyone joining in!” >> 127

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WEDDINGS

“Lewis’s brother – who was in Australia at the time – able to make a best man speech which was pre-recorded and played via a projector...!” >> “There was a really nice surprise in the evening too with Lewis’s brother (who was in Australia at the time) able to make his ‘best man at large’ speech by pre-recording it so we could play it via a projector. He was also able to see the ceremony thanks to the wonders of Zoom! It meant a lot that he could be there on the day, even though he was halfway around the world!” “We managed a minimoon in Bath which was lovely, but we’re hoping that as this article is published we’ll be in Dubai where it’ll be about 25°c... probably a bit warmer than North Lincolnshire will be this month!” “The day before the wedding it poured it down, with rain but on the day itself it was lovely and warm. I think you’ve just got to relax when you’re planning a wedding and not worry too much about things you can’t change.” “We had a fantastic day and we’re really grateful to our suppliers, to our wonderful family and to our friends!” n Wedding Photographer: Jessy Jones Photography, 07947 514456, www.jessyjonesphotography.co.uk.

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Lincolnshire Pride March 2022

Articles inside

WEDDINGS Claire and Lewis marry in North Lincolnshire.

FASHION Snug giléts to keep you warm this spring, and cosmetics.

LOCAL HEROES This month sees International Women’s Day taking place. We meet some of the county’s most extraordinary local women, making a difference in their communities.

NATIONAL TREASURES

HOMES & INTERIORS A beautiful

DINING OUT This month we’re saying ‘konichiwa’ to Lincoln’s Cognito, the city’s newest restaurant specialising in Japanese cuisine.

WHAT’S ON Live events, music and theatre productions this spring.

IN THE GARDEN Andrew Rock

NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories from across the county. This month an out of this world visitor lands in Lincoln Cathedral.

A TRIP TO NAVENBY There’s lots to