Lincolnshire Pride December 2022

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the office, with proofs across my desk featuring images of firesides with stockings hung up and delicious dishes of Christmas food. The December edition is usually one that’s really photogenic, which is always helpful to a magazine editor, and makes it a pleasure to work on. This year has seen lots of unrest both in our domestic politics and throughout the world too. Closer to me, people I care about haven’t had the easiest time either. Does that mean it’s wrong to enjoy Christmas and the usual festivities it brings? I think not. Actually, I think it makes it more important than ever to celebrate the season with those we love.

A nice tree, beautifully wrapped gifts and a turkey large enough to make the table heave under its weight aren’t what the festive season is about; the people we love matter far more.

But all the same, after a year of ups and downs, let’s make this a good one, and tell those with whom we’re sharing it how much they mean to us.

Enjoy a very Happy Christmas!

Executive Editor robin@pridemagazines.co.uk

This month’s cover shows one of Lincoln’s most iconic views; number 40, Michaelgate, known colloquially as The Crooked House. The property dates back to the 1500s and carries a Grade II listing. It was photographed in February by one of Lincoln’s most prolific photographers, Jason Corrigan, who lives in the city and is looking forward to Christmas with his son James, aged 13. 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!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Seasons greetings to all of our readers!

CONTENTS

NEWS & EVENTS

FOOD & DRINK

HIGHLIGHTS

HOMES & GARDENS

LIFESTYLE

THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE AREA READ PRIDE MAGAZINE

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

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

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

Amazing new app out now: You can read our magazines on any device anywhere.

Enjoy Christmas Spirit Galore...!

LINCOLNSHIRE’S ANNUAL FESTIVE FOOD AND GIFT FAIR IS BACK

The county’s showground has revealed this year’s date for the Food and Gift Fair 2022. Returning for its 21st year, the popular event will take place on Saturday 26th November and Sunday 27th November.

Each winter the weekend marks a staple in the festive calendars of many from across Lincolnshire and beyond, with more than 8,000 people expected to attend the festive extravaganza this year.

The two-day Christmasthemed fair is one of the biggest food festivals in the country, welcoming more than 120 food, gift, and craft exhibitors as well as demonstrations by top local chefs and producers and performances from choir groups. The Food and Gift Fair is one of several events organised by the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society, and organisers are

preparing for the biggest and busiest fair to date.

Sarah Duxbury, of the Lincolnshire Showground, said: “We are all very excited for the return of the Food and

Celebrating George Boole

Gift Fair this year and we expect our biggest attendance yet. It’s the perfect way to kick off the festive season with something special for all ages, from festive food to gifts.”

n Tickets for the Fair £5.50/online, £7/gate, call 01522 522900 or visit www.lincolnshireshowground.co.uk, NB: Children under five free, assistance dogs only.

and East Midlands Railway.

WORK AND

LIFE

OF LOCAL MATHEMATICIAN BOOLE RECOGNISED BY HESLAM TRUST...

A six-foot-tall statue of Lincoln-bornmathematician, George Boole, has recently been unveiled in Lincoln.

George Boole is widely recognised as the forefather of the information age, with his work being honoured in 1844 when he was awarded the Royal Society’s Royal Medal for Mathematics.

Plans to commemorate him were first proposed back in 2017 by The Heslam Trust and backed by City of Lincoln Council. It has now been made possible by the work of Heslam Trust, which has also funded the statue, along with the city council, Network Rail

Boole is the inventor of ‘Boolean Logic’ which a US electronics engineer named Claude Shannon applied to electrical circuits, and latterly to microchips. Today even the most advanced computers and smart devices still depend on Boolean logic. The latter is a form of algebra which is centered around three simple words known as Boolean Operators: ‘Or,’ ‘And,’ and ‘Not.’ At the heart of Boolean Logic is the idea that all values are either true or false – a binary which computers rely on and convert to a zero, or one in digital code. n

LINCOLN

LINCOLNSHIRE

East Lindsey Markets

Midnight Mass at Lincoln Cathedral...

Midnight Mass takes place from 11.30pm at Lincoln Cathedral. A service of Lessons and Carols will also take place on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th December from 4pm and 5pm.

“We hope to bring comfort and joy to people’s lives through acts of care and compassion and the demonstration of God’s love,” says the Venerable Christine Wilson, Dean of Lincoln. n

Alford Christmas Extravaganza

Saturday 26th November

SpilsbyChristmasMarket Saturday 26th November

SkegnessChristmasMarket Saturday 26th/Sunday 27th November

LouthBigChristmasMarket Sunday 27th November

WainfleetAllSaintsMarket Saturday 3rd December

MablethorpeChristmasMarket Saturday 3rd December

HorncastleFarmers’ Market Thursday 8th December

LouthFoodFriday Friday 9th December

HorncastleChristmasMarket Sunday 11th December

LouthWinterSundayMarket Sunday 18th December

LouthFarmers’ Market Wednesday 21st December

NB: No markets between December 25th, 2022 & January 3rd, 2023

Lincolnshire Miss England success

LINCOLNSHIRE Newly secured Government funding totalling £20 million could be a ‘game changer’ for congestion concerns at Lincoln’s Western Growth Corridor development. The city council says a successful bid for a new railway bridge connecting Skellingthorpe Road to Tritton Road could greatly improve the city’s growth. n

LOCAL NEWS

In Brief

LINCOLNSHIRE

COUNCIL CONFIRMS DATES FOR FESTIVE MARKETS RIGHT ACROSS EAST LINDSEY £20,000,000

Milly Everatt finished runner-up in the prestigious Miss England Final recently. The 22-year old from Eastoft, North Lincolnshire competed in various rounds of the contest, including sports, hair, bare-faced beauty, charity and talent rounds where she demonstrated her passion for painting animals.

Milly was over the moon to make the final five competitors, and cheering her on was her mother, father, three sisters and partner Jamie Piggott, son of the late jockey Lester Piggott. Milly is part of a farming family, where on a normal day she can be found driving tractors and HGVs. n

LOUTH Key role for Louth and Horncastle MP Victoria Atkins in Rishi Sunak government Victoria Atkins, MP for Louth & Horncastle, has been given the role of Financial Secretary to the Treasury in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s administration, making her the fifth most senior minister in the treasury. Previously Victoria has served as Prisons & Probations Minister and Minister for Afghan Resettlement and has been Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Safeguarding at the Home Office. n

NORTH

LINCOLN

EAST LINDSEY

Ho-Ho-Home for Red Arrows

With a roar of its engine, a red streak flew across the sky on a very special journey... but this wasn’t Jolly Saint Nick in his sleigh, delivering gifts to children, but rather a 1980s Hawk T1 jet departing Runway Four with the registration XX323. It’s the last Red Arrows jet ever to depart RAF Scampton at the squadron moves to its new home of RAF Waddington.

Wing Commander David Montenegro, Officer Commanding of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, said: “The Red Arrows have been only one chapter in RAF Scampton’s very long history. However, our beloved Station has been a huge chapter in our history after moving from RAF Kemble in 1983.

“With a small interlude at RAF Cranwell in the mid-1990s, Scampton has

LOCAL NEWS

In Brief

HELLO YELLOW DAY AT SCHOOLS SUCCESS RAISES

OVER £1,000

Schools across the region were invited to take part in a ‘hello yellow’ event to raise money for the Lincolnshire & Notts Air Ambulance. Pupils raised over £1,000 on the day, with students and staff invited to have a bit of fun and wear something yellow to school to recognise the importance of the service. n

been our home for 35 years. As the last RAF squadron to operate from Scampton, taking off from the runway for the final time was a poignant moment.”

“We offer sincere thanks to the community and station staff who have been incredibly supportive and welcoming to generations of team personnel and their families.”

Accolades for Lincoln...

Wing Commander Montenegro was heard to exclaim, as the jet flew out of sight “Merry Christmas to all, and to all... a good night!” n See www.raf.mod.uk.

Lincoln Castle and The Collection Museum and Usher Gallery have received Welcome Accolades, recognising them as amongst the best visitor attractions in the country.

LINCOLN

VisitEngland’s Accolades are designed to celebrate excellence within the visitor attraction sector and showcase those that go the extra mile to provide a high-quality day out.

The Lincoln venues have been highlighted for the warm and friendly welcome they provide to visitors.

The Collection has enjoyed an especially good year with over 78,000 visitors.

n See www.visitlincolnshire.com.

Above: Cath Kidston Gift Of Sleep set, £25, Gates Garden Centre, Cold Overton, 01664 454309, www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

Right: Sara Miller candle Amber Orchid and Lotus Blossom, £29, Margo & Plum, Belvoir Castle Engine Yard, 0115 880 0059, www.margoandplum.co.uk.

Left: Rolex Lady Date-Just, 18ct white gold £call, from Hugh Rice, Kingston upon Hull, 0800 342 3180, hughrice.co.uk.

Above: Ted Baker Rheumy graphic floral large bobble purse, £63, EQVVS Woman, Lincoln, 01522 567555, www.eqvvs.co.uk.

Right: UGG Loyra sherpa hoodie in lotus blossom, £75, EQVVS Woman, Lincoln, 01522 567555, www.eqvvs.co.uk.

Left: 18ct white gold diamond circle pendant and chain, £1,200, from Maudes the Jewellers, Boston, 01205 367959, maudesjewellers.co.uk.

Left: Lincoln Cathedral mug by Sophie Allport, £11.50, Lincoln Cathedral shop, or order online at www.lincolncathedral.com.

Below: Skegness raspberry gin, £35/70cl, also available rhubarb and passionfruit/mango, www.spiritofskegness.co.uk

Below: Wrendale Designs fork and trowel set, £22.99, Dobbies Garden Centre, Boston, 01205 631490, www.dobbies.com.

Above: Sheaffer Intensity engraved translucent blue fountain pen, £70, Striacroft Jewellers, Louth, 01507 604029, striacroft.co.uk.

Above: Refl

ections bronzed horse model, 21cm x 19cm, £15.95 from Bransby Horses, 01427 788 464, www.bransbyhorses.co.uk.

bag in navy, £44.99 from

Above:

the Jewellers, Boston, 01205 367959, www.maudesjewellers.co.uk.

GIFTS

Katie Loxton cross-body

Maudes

Above: Fei Liu Rose Bubble Bracelet, £132, Striacroft Jewellers, Louth, 01507 604029, www.striacroft.co.uk.

Left: ‘A Waddle and a Quack’ and ‘Born to be Wild’ character socks by Lincolnshire designer Hannah Dale, £7.50/ea, www.wrendaledesigns.co.uk.

Right: Clare Haggas, artist near Louth, silk scarf, various styles and sizes with prices from £75-£295, call 01507 481693 or see www.clarehaggas.com

Below: Yvonne Ellen Artic Breeze Reed Diffuser 40ml, £10, Gates Garden Centre, Cold Overton, call 01664 454309, or see www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

Above: Doug Hyde ‘Big Love’ sculpture, £2,950, Trent Galleries, Lincoln & Newark, 01522 522000, www.trentgalleries.co.uk.

Left: British-made recycled blankets, £22-£29 from The Artisan Maker, Bailgate, 01522 567387, www.theartisanmaker.com.

Left: Dubarry Galway boots in walnut, £379, Doddington Country Clothing, Doddington Hall, 01522 812515, www.doddingtonhall.com.

Below: Laines

navy lobster pyjamas, £89, from Maudes the Jewellers, Boston, 01205 367959, www.maudesjewellers.co.uk.

Above: Chanel No5, £126/100ml EDP, from Coneys Department Store, Spalding, call 01775 767155, or see coneysdesignerwear.co.uk.

Below: Heathcote & Ivory Magic Myth Marvel Unwind & Recharge Magic Stack, £12, Gates Garden Centre, Cold Overton, 01664 454309, www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

London

Above: Polo Ralph Lauren cable-knit cotton Jumper, blue shown, also in heather, £179, EQVVS Menswear, Lincoln, 01522 567555, www.eqvvs.co.uk.

Right: Ashwood Leather Marcus weekend holdall in Tornado Brown, £159.99, Gates Garden Centre, Cold Overton, 01664 454309, www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

Above: Stainless steel Boss ring, £49, Maudes the Jewellers, Boston, 01205 367959, www.maudesjewellers.co.uk.

Below: Monopoly, Lincoln Edition, £25.99, www.amazon.co.uk.

Above: Rolex Oyster

Perpetual Day-Date, 18ct white gold £call, from Hugh Rice, Kingston upon Hull, 0800 342 3180, www.hughrice.co.uk.

Right: Thistle & Black Pepper gift set, £36, Gates Garden Centre, Cold Overton, 01664 454309, gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

Right: Turf War silk tie, £99, shown in magenta, also mustard, navy and green, designed by Louth’s Clare Haggas, www.clarehaggas.com.

Far Right: Classic fit Oxford shirt, £44.95, from Joules in Cornhill, Lincoln, 01522 787555, www.joules.com.

Right: Cambridge loafer shown here in navy, also in cognac, chocolate and plum, £175, from Fairfax & Favor, Stamford 01780 767709, www.fairfaxand favor.com.

Above: Flying lesson, 60 minutes in two-seater aircraft, £189 at Gamston Flying School, 01777 838222 www.gamston flyingschool.co.uk.

Left: Twisted Glass Decanter, £29, Margo & Plum, Belvoir Castle Engine Yard, 0115 880 0059, www.margo andplum.co.uk.

Left: Striking socks, box of three, £19.95 from Joules in Cornhill, Lincoln, 01522 787555, www.joules.com.

Right: DJI FPV drone, £899 from London Camera Exchange, Silver Street, Lincoln, 01522 514131, www.lcegroup.co.uk.

Below: Best Dad mug, £10.99, Maudes the Jewellers, Boston, 01205 367959, www.maudesjewellers.co.uk.

Left: PS Paul Smith, scarf, £65, EQVVS Menswear, Lincoln, 01522 567555, www.eqvvs.co.uk.

Below: Unique & Co men’s steel clockwork cufflinks, £55, Striacroft Jewellers, Louth, 01507 604029, www.striacroft.co.uk.

Right: Olympus OM1 camera, £2,499 incl 12mm-40mm F2.8 lens, from London Camera Exchange, Silver Street, Lincoln, 01522 514131, www.lcegroup.co.uk.

Above: Green tractor cufflinks, £25, Luck of Louth, 01507 607746, www.luckoflouth.co.uk.

Left: Dubarry Galway boot in navy and brown, £379, from Doddington Country Clothing, Doddington Hall, 01522 812515, www.doddingtonhall.com.

Above: Gent’s card holder in navy croc, also tan and conker, £45, from Fairfax & Favor, Stamford 01780 767709, www.fairfaxandfavor.com.

Left: Glengoyne 18 Year Old Highland single malt Scotch whisky, £114/70cl, Lincoln Whisky Shop, Bailgate, 01522 537834, www.lincolnwhiskyshop.co.uk.

Above: Bvlgari Wood Essence, £109, from Coneys Department Store, Spalding, 01775 767155, www.coneysdesignerwear.co.uk.

Below: Unique & Co men’s leather & chain bracelet, £50, Striacroft Jewellers, Louth, 01507 604029, www.striacroft.co.uk.

Right: PlayStation 5, from £389-£629 at John Lewis, Leicester, 0116 242 5777, www.johnlewis.com.

Left: Jiggly pup the funky dog! Electronic dog walks, barks and plays music when you touch his head, £9.99, Smyths Toys, Lincoln, www.smythstoys.com.

Above: Play-Doh Ice Cream Truck, £80, at John Lewis, Leicester, 0116 242 5777, www.johnlewis.com.

Below: Santa’s Visit Lego set, 1,445 pieces, £89.99, lego.com.

Right: Vtech JotBot Robot, a cute little robot who loves to draw, interactively, with your child, £39.99, Smyths Toys, Lincoln, smyths toys.com.

Left:

Right: Wooden Train Set with 120 pieces, £58.50, at John Lewis, Leicester, 0116 242 5777, johnlewis.com.

Below: Peppa Pig's Wooden Playhouse 65cm, £59.99, smythstoys.com.

www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

Below: Crayola My First Art studio desk folds up into easel, £42.99, Smyths Toys, Lincoln, www.smythstoys.com.

Below: Schleich T-Rex from a selection of Schleich figures at Gates Garden Centre, Cold Overton, 01664 454309, www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk.

Charlie Bears’ Madame Roquefort, £30, for infants over 18 months, Gates Garden Centre, 01664 454309,

Left: Fifa World Cup 2022 foil football, £30, www.jdsports.co.uk.

Right: Meta Quest 2 VR headset and controllers, £399, at John Lewis, Leicester, 0116 242 5777, www.johnlewis.com.

Left: Fifa 2023 for PS5 £61.95; XBoxSeries X £64.99; Nintendo Switch £30.99, at John Lewis, Leicester, 0116 242 5777, www.johnlewis.com.

Right: The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker Musical Book, £16.99, from The Burghley House Christmas Shop, 01780 752451, www.burghley.co.uk.

Left: Schleich Sophia & Blossom from a selection of Schleich figures at Gates Garden Centre, Cold Overton, 01664 454309, www.gates gardencentre.co.uk.

Right: Blindside quad skate, sizes 4-7, £39.99, Smyths Toys, Lincoln, www.smythstoys.com.

Right: Hot Wheels City Ultimate Garage set with 20 cars, £124.99, at John Lewis, Leicester, 0116 242 5777, www.johnlewis.com.

Below: John Deere ride-on tractors, £call, from a selection at Doubleday, Swineshead, www.doubledaygroup.co.uk

Above: Rainbow High series four dolls, £23.9/ea, www.smythstoys.com.

Above: Thorpe 20 electric scooter, max speed 20km/h, 15km range, folds down, Smyths Toys, Lincoln, www.smythstoys.com.

Below: Tim Walker, Walkers Bookshops.

n Local Authors

The Accidental Duchess, biography of The Duchess of Rutland, £22.00.

Wild Light, Angela Harding, 24 hours in nature through exclusive lino cut prints and pen and ink drawings, £25.00, signed.

n Non-Fiction

Weather Almanac, Storm Dunlop, a guide to 2023, £9.99.

Britain’s Best Political Cartoons, Tim Benson, a whistle-stop tour of 2022 from Boris to Truss to Rishi, £14.99.

Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle, Ben Macintyre, human spirit and real life espionage £25.00.

Nadiya’s Everyday Baking, delicious bakes £25.00, signed by Nadia.

Landlines, Raynor Winn, a 1,000 mile journey across Scotland, £20.00, signed by author.

60 Years of University Challenge, “What book covers TV’s most challenging... [ring] Tim, Stamford.” “This one!” Correct. £20.00.

Is This A Cookbook? Heston Blumenthal, adventures in molecular gastronomy, £27.00, signed by Heston.

50 Times Football Changed the World, Gary Lineker/Ivor Baddiel, the beautiful game, £14.99, signed.

n Biographies

Calling The Shots, Sue Barker, the life of an award-winning broadcaster, £20.00, signed by Sue.

Agatha Christie, Lucy Worsley, uncovering the mystery of history’s most elusive author £25.00, signed.

Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries, Alan Taylor unpicks the personal thoughts of the laconic actor who died in 2016, £25.00.

The World’s Strongest Book, Eddie ‘The Beast,’ Hall, part-biography, part lesson in fitness, £20.00, signed.

n Fiction

Who Are You Calling Vermin?, Pam Eyres, a poetic imagining of country hegemony, £12.99, signed by Pam.

Lessons, Ian McEwan, love, loss, and a search for answers, £20.00, signed.

n Children’s Book

The Baddies, Julia Donaldson, Julia and illustrator Axel Scheffler return with another captivating children’s book, £12.99.

n Recommendations courtesy of Tim Walker of Walkers Bookshop, 10 High Street, Stamford PE9 2AL Call 01780 764405 or see www.walkersbookshops.co.uk.

Top: Personalised dog bone, £8, from Laughing Dog, Fold Hill Foods, Old Leake, at www.laughingdogfood.com or purchase by calling 0800 098 8057

Above: Joules Heritage Tweed leather collar in red, small, medium or large from £10, Chandlers Country Stores, Belton 01476 590077 or shop online at www.chandlers.co.uk.

Above: Tuscany cat scratcher, 46cm, grey, £14.58, Chandlers Country Stores, Belton 01476 590077 or shop online at www.chandlers.co.uk.

Right: Reversible cat bed – can be an igloo or open bed with borders –£75, Sophie Allport, Stamford, or buy online at www.sophieallport.com.

Above: Stoneware cat bowl, £13.05, Sophie Allport, Stamford, or buy online at www.sophie allport.com.

Above: Pheasant rope dog toy, tested to destruction, £12.50, Sophie Allport, Stamford, or buy online at www.sophieallport.com.

Right: Ultimate Christmas Hamper for Dogs from Laughing Dog, Fold Hill Foods, Old Leake, £28. Use discount code Pride25 for 25% off at www.laughingdogfood.com or purchase by calling 0800 098 8057.

A CATHEDRAL CHRISTMAS

BRING LINCOLN CATHEDRAL INTO

FESTIVITIES

LOCAL ARTISTS TAKING THE CATHEDRAL AS INSPIRATION

RIGHT: This year’s Christmas card from Lincoln Cathedral features an image of Cathedral choristers in the pulpit of St. Hugh’s Choir. The message inside reads Merry Christmas, £5.50/pack 10, 10.5cm x 14.5cm. Proceeds from the sale of the cards are shared between Lincoln Cathedral Shop and The Friends of Lincoln Cathedral, 01522 561644, www.lincolncathedral.com.

RIGHT: Winter time In Lincoln Christmas card, £2.45, 15cm, from Kay Burton, www.kayburton.co.uk. n

GIVE YOUR TREE a Lincoln Cathedral look with these hanging decorations, available at Lincoln Cathedral’s shop. Olive wood decoration, £7.95, limited edition Lincoln Cathedral glass baubles £9.95, www.lincolncathedral.com.

YOUR

Two Christmas Cards ideal to send to ex-pats and those who share an affection for Lincoln Cathedral!

COUNTING

A GIFTED WRAPPER

When Harrods, Fortnums, Selfridges... oh, and the Royal Household, want to know how to wrap their festive gifts really well, who do they call? Lincolnshire’s Jane Means...!

THERE ARE TWO types of people in the world... those who enjoy painstakingly presenting their festive gifts, with a series of intricate folds, bows and snips... and then, there’s people like me.

I’m little more than a wrapping paper vandal, committing the cardinal sin each year of leaving the job of wrapping my thoughtfully purchased gifts until right at the last minute.

It’s unusually on Christmas Eve, usually after a reminder from the present Mrs Davis and usually after a couple of glasses of wine that I set to, wrestling with wrapping paper, struggling to find the end of the sticky tape and constantly moving the cat who en joys exacerbating the whole venture by sitting on whatever I’m wrapping.

Those who can wrap well are to be admired, and there’s nobody finer at wrapping gifts than Jane Means. So gifted is she at gift wrapping, in fact, that Jane has also made a career of teaching the craft to others. And her list of previous clients, to whom she’s provided training and tuition, really couldn’t be any more impressive.

Jane is now a specialist and advisor for many brands including Dior, Jo Malone, Carolina Herrera, Aqua di Parma and Harrods. She has trained staff at Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Ralph Lauren, Harrods, Dior, Viktor and Rolf, Fenwick, Crabtree & Evelyn and the Royal Household.

At the last count, Jane estimates that she wraps about 7,000 gifts a year, with her clients including Victoria Beckham and the late Queen Elizabeth II.

At the same time, Jane was also hosting courses for the likes of you and I, a little closer to home, but given her credentials she was more than a little in demand. And of course, around Christmas her timetable became more congested than ever, with demand for her tuition very much exceeding the number of hours in the day.

But of course, following lockdown, we all became a little more au fait with webcams and Jane hit upon the idea of using that very medium to record a series of videos so that the number of people she could offer her tuition to was, really, unlimited.

Words: Rob Davis.

>>

Jane Means

Online, In Print, on DVD

As well as offering her online gift wrapping courses at www.janemeans.com, Jane has also publisher her book, Giftwrapped and her DVD, The Art of Gift Wrapping, too.

>> The Wrap with Jane Online Course was born, and includes 30 follow-along tutorials. There are three introduc tory tutorials which cover materials and general tips for instance Jane is a big fan of double-sided tape and prefers it to sticky tape as it enables you to hide that nasty shiny strip. Next is a lesson on using boxes and tissues, and then comes seven tutorials on wrapping awkward shapes. It’s this bit of the course that should prove worth its weight in gold with circular tins, bottles and clothing no match for Jane’s tuition.

Because the lessons are pre-recorded you can go back and watch each one, if you’ve not quite picked up a technique, and although Jane won’t thank us for suggesting it, you

could also get a couple of friends on board and enjoy a few sessions practicing your gift wrapping over a couple of glasses of wine, sharing the cost of a subscription.

Elsewhere on the course are tutorials on ribbon-typing and bows, eco-friendly wrapping ideas and different gift wrapping themes, as well as furoshiki, the use of traditional Japanese wrapping cloths... the advantage being that you can reuse the materials you’ve wrapped your gifts with, and save wastage, which is better for the planet.

As well as access to the videos themselves, a subscription will also provide a workbook, and a supplier list for materials. Quite aside from her training, Jane also runs her

successful mail-order ribbon and gift wrap website, from which you can purchase tags, tissue paper, cellophane, scissors and so on.

The beauty of Jane’s course is that if you love wrapping, you’ll love the course, too. On the other hand if, like me, you really dislike the job, you’ll finally learn how to do it well, and all of a sudden, that dreaded job will become a complete pleasure.

When winter nights draw in and there’s little to do but stare out into the darkness, learning a new skill is always an enjoyable way to spend the evenings. But if you’ve tried and tired of knitting, you’ve read every book in the house and there’s nothing on the TV, learning how to gift wrap your presents really well is a skill that’s not just for Christmas... it’s for life! n

Find Out More: Jane Means lives near Lincolnshire specialises in providing gift wrapping tuition. Her online tutorials are available to watch at your convenience, with 30 separate tutorials available for £147. For more information, visit www.janemeans.com or call 01522 522544.

JANE’S SIX TOP TIPS

n Many people are scared about cutting paper only to find they’ve cut it too short. Too much paper can create a messy gift. The correct amount of paper should go around your gift once, then up one side. That’s the correct amount of paper to ensure you don’t fall short, but don’t end up with messy excess paper.

n If you’re wrapping awkward shapes –bottles, teddies – consider using flexible wrapping rather than paper. Crepe paper, cellophane or fabric will give a little or at least stand up to your tugging more than paper. Alternatively, why not invest in some beautiful vintage fabric that you can used to wrap up gifts, retain and use year after year as a sort of festive family tradition.

n For a more eco-friendly festive season, avoid paper with glitter and plastic. Brown craft paper is kinder to the environment and really traditional. Butcher’s twine, gardener’s string and natural foliage can also enhance the look of your gift.

n Store-bought gift boxes can be expensive, but if you’ve an awkwardly shaped gift, plain, inexpensive boxes can be purchased on Amazon or Ebay, so you’ve a more convenient shape to then wrap and personalise yourself. You can also ‘dress up’ a box by lining its interior with tissue paper and ribbon in a contrasting colour.

n For a rustic and inexpensive look, head out for a country walk and collect sticks, cones and foliage. These look really stylish and are perfect for a nature lover. Large ivy leaves can also be used as natural gift tags (just use a metallic gel pen).

n Double sided sticky tape instead of conventional sticky tape is easier to work with and doesn’t spoil the appearance on the outside of your gift wrapping.

Jane’s six quickfire tips for really great wrapping!

A CELEBRATION of CHRISTMAS

Enjoy the festive shopping, food and the atmosphere of Lincoln’s Christmas Market, which returns in early December to entertain crowds of over 250,000 people!

CHRISTMAS TIME! Time to enjoy the season, especially if you’re one of the 100 retailers or 200 stallholders in the centre of Uphill Lincoln at the beginning of December.

Nicola Lockwood is the chairperson of The Bailgate Traders’ Association and has run Bells Tea Shop at the top of Bailgate for seven years, although the place itself has been serving up refreshing drinks to weary shoppers in its Grade II listed building since the pre-war era.

Nicola is also one of the 100 Bailgate and Steep Hill traders looking forward to a busy festive season, not least in early December when over a quarter of a million shoppers will visit Lincoln’s Christmas Market to officially start the festive season.

“Bailgate and Steep Hill are amazing places to run a business at any time of the year,” says Nicola. “There’s a real sense of pride in Uphill Lincoln, and we all work together well and support each other. It’s like an extended family and I genuinely think that feeling gets picked up by visitors to the area. I think it creates an atmosphere between traders which then passes to visitors.”

“Christmas time is especially enjoyable, even though it’s really brisk, and I think we’re all gearing up to be busier than ever and to enjoy making the most of what Lincoln has to offer.”

“As a tearoom I’m limited to the number of people we can accommodate at any one time, but it’s a time of year when customers will come together, share tables and generally get on really well with complete strangers. If you want to see real Christmas spirit, alive and well, all you have to do is people-watch as they give way to each other share tables and chat to each other.”

“Many people are return visitors and make a pilgrimage to Lincoln Christmas Market, marking the beginning of the festive season for them. It really puts Lincoln on the map and the Christmas Market is something that we all quite rightly look forward to.”

“It’s also something which we’re proud has grown enormously. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the event, which began with just 11 stalls and has grown to include 200 stalls, entertainment and which has come to celebrate our relationship with Neustadt.”

Words: Rob Davis. Images: Chriss Curtis and Lincoln Christmas Market.

>> “It’s a good opportunity to enjoy the hand-made jewellery, candles, toys, crafts and other gift ideas that the stallholders all bring to the event, but also an opportunity to visit the independent traders of Bailgate and Steep Hill who have also worked hard to source lots of thoughtful giftware and treats for loved ones too.”

As for Nicola, she and her team have curated a festive menu comprising her Christmas afternoon teas with freshly baked scones, mince pies and turkey & brie paninis. She’s also serving no fewer than 30 different flavours of hot chocolate dark,

milk and white in order to keep visitors on their feet as they enjoy the market.

“We reckon we make three times the number of hot drinks we usually serve over the season, so we’re all busy, and we’ll definitely be ready for a rest when Christmas finally gets here but before that the adrenaline and the atmosphere will keep us going. We all love Christmas here and as Bailgate and Steep Hill traders, we can’t wait to play our part in making this year’s event a success, and giving it the festive at mosphere it deserves for its 250,000 visitors, all keen to get the festive season underway!” n

Lincoln Christmas Market takes place from Thursday 1st December to Sunday 4th December. For more information on the event and it’s Park & Ride scheme, see www.lincoln-christmasmarket.co.uk

IN FINE VOICE: G4 PERFORM IN LINCOLNSHIRE

Bringing festive spirit to Boston’s St Botolph’s Church, Jonathan Ansell is one of the founder members of the classical crossover group G4. Here he reveals what he’s looking forward to most over Christmas, and what to expect from the group’s winter tour...

BACK IN THE EARLY NOUGHTIES, TV producers hit upon a superb idea. Programme making is expensive – famous folk are expensive – but members of the public are cheap and a dime a dozen. Hence the proliferation of reality TV shows, and specifically, talent shows.

The latter, we venture to suggest, had double appeal for producers. For a start we could enjoy the talent of the decent contestants, and in the following audition we could mock the less credible acts vying to be put through to the next round.

The format of Pop Idol, then X Factor and ultimately The Voice has yielded some en during acts – One Direction, Will Young and Little Mix – amongst many who were novelty acts at best, social media fodder at worst; Susan Boyle, Jedward and Honey G.

However successful or otherwise any of the above have proven, though, there’s a single act that I can think of that serves as a defence against the format, and to justify it against accusations of it being low brow.

Back on 11th December 2004, families gathered around the TV for the grand final of X Factor, in which two very different acts were squaring up against one another. The first was Steve Brookstein, and the second was classical crossover act, G4.

The latter were unique for bringing classical music to a pop-oriented audience and for blurring the boundaries between the tradi tional distinction of popular culture and high culture.

One of the founder members of G4 was Jonathan Ansell, then aged 22. A week before, he and the other members of the group had still been busking on the streets.

“I’m from Bognor Regis in Sussex, originally, and attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, to study towards a bachelor degree in music.”

“There were only 20 singers that year among other disciplines in the performing arts, so we gravitated towards one another and we were encouraged to work together to get a feel for different styles, for working with different voices and generally to exper iment a bit.”

“There I met Mike Christie, who’s another founder member, Ben Thapa and Matthew Stiff. We were classically oriented, and an agent who was allied with the School used to get us work at livery company dinners and similar events across London.”

“That was handy when you were a student, as you could earn good money on a Satur day night to help pay for University!”

Words: Rob Davis.

“The suggestion came along that a Barbershop quartet would yield work and so that’s what we formed – albeit without the straw hats. There was a bit of interplay during the performances, but it was traditional songs like Goodnight Sweetheart.”

“We found the repertoire of songs within the genre a bit limiting and so Mike transcribed a version of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody for us to incorporate into the next performance.”

“Usually at a function such as the ones we used to perform at there’s a bit of background noise as people continue to eat, drink, and make conversation but when we performed the track, they were all silent, hanging on every line. It was the only performance the agent had ever booked which resulted in an overpayment; the client paid us double what they were quoted that night, I think it was £140 compared to the usual £70 each!”

“About the same time, we auditioned for X Factor but even when we were performing on TV on a Saturday night we were still on the streets busking!”

“There was definitely a level of production in choosing which contestants to build up. Some were definitely going to get ripped apart and the producers knew that. As for acts like us, we had no real way of gauging public response but a vote.”

>> Mark Zuckerberg had invented a means of keeping in touch with his fellow Harvard students FaceMesh, which changed its name to The Facebook in February 2004, and wasn’t made available outside of Harvard until the end of the year, and so social media as we know it was only just in its infancy.

“There was no way to know. We just held our breath for the vote and discovered that we had come second to Steve. We were devastated, and we weren’t sure what the future held as runners up in the contest. Nonetheless we signed to Sony and created an album.”

“At the time you’d still listen to the radio on Sunday evening to hear the charts, and Louis Walsh called us ahead of the charts broadcast to tell us that we’d reached number one in the album charts in time for Mother’s Day.”

The group’s first album released in February 2005 sold a quarter of a million copies in its first week alone, going platinum twice over. A follow-up album later in the year reached number six in the charts and another album followed in 2006.

The group, though, was exhausted. They disbanded, having spent two and a half years suddenly thrust into the spotlight. When the opportunity to reform arose following a performance at the Barbican Centre in 2014, Matthew Stiff declined to re form, and the band’s line-up now comprises Jonathan and Mike as founded members, plus Lewis Raines and Duncan Sandilands who joined in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

“The second time around we knew more about the potential perils of working in such an intense profession. We’re now internally managed and much more democratic. We’re older too and we recognise the merits of getting your work/life balance right. It’s still an intense career, though.”

“The nature of our singing means there’s minimal accompaniment and amplification so your voice has to be really disciplined and strong and has to survive on its own merit. You can’t hide behind post-production during a live performance.”

During our interview, Jonathan and the band were mid-way through a six-week tour during September and October, and had already spend five weeks on tour back in early spring.

“We’ll only have about three weeks off and then in November we’ll begin our 32-date tour, G4 Christmas which pauses for three or four days on 23rd December and then continues between Christmas and New Year.”

“We try to take summer off and spend time with family, which is lovely, and taking breaks between tours allows us to make sure we’re able to perform at our best. People think that as a group touring around you go from posh hotel to hotel… not a chance!”

“In fact we invested recently in a motorhome and when we’re touring, we use that.”

“Its acoustics are amazing, and the sound really works well in the space.”

“But above all, as hard work as it is, we never ever forget how lucky we are. We never take for granted the fact that for our audiences the night out is a chance to dress up, enjoy an evening out and have a great time listening to our music. The relationship we have with our audience is definitely one of mutual respect, so we could never have an off-night, we’ve got to be as good as we can every single time.”

“That’s not to say that we won’t be exhausted on 23rd December, but it’s a lovely feeling to return home to my wife Debbie and our children Dexter and Siena.”

“Being on tour makes Christmas shopping a little tricky, but on tour we usually end up picking up Christmas gifts from Amazon delivery lockers en route!”

“When I walk through the door Debbie I reckon will have outdone herself, as usual, turning the house into a grotto. She’s phenomenal at decorating the place for Christmas and giving my children a big hug when I return home for Christmas will be lovely! Meanwhile, I’m the chef in the family so I’ll look forward to getting started on Christmas dinner and generally just enjoying being around the family.”

“When we say that we’re living on top of each other for weeks on end that’s very literal. We sleep in bunk beds and we all hear each other snoring.”

“As band members we are also very good friends though, and perhaps thanks to our ages we’ve learned how to tolerate each others’ quirks and to get on well even when we’re tired. The motorhome does have an advantage in that we’re usually parked right outside our tour venues, or at least very close.”

“We’ve stayed in some really stunning parts of the country and I’m very grateful that we’ve had a chance to really go all over the UK and see lots of lovely cities but also some incredible buildings, like Boston’s Stump.”

“I usually end up getting lots of socks for Christmas but that’s fine. I need them. My favourite gifts, though, are the home made ones that the children make me.”

“We all love Christmas songs as well and of course on the tour we couldn’t neglect to perform traditional songs like O Holy Night and Silent Night or Away in a Manger alongside Nessun Dorma and our crossover songs.”

“We’re lucky this year, too, as we’ll have some help from the children’s choir of the Stagecoach Spalding, and their sound just adds to an already festive atmosphere, especially in a building like The Stump so we’re hoping that it’ll be a full house and everyone will bring the Christmas spirit with them!” n

Find Out More: Tickets are on sale now for G4 Christmas at St Botolph’s Church ‘The Stump’ in Boston. The event takes place on Thursday 15th December from 7.30pm. Tickets £19.50-£64.50, to book, visit www.g4official.com.

“I’m very grateful that we’ve had a chance to really go all over the UK and see lots of lovely cities but also some incredible buildings, like Boston’s Stump...”

What’s On...

LINCOLN

SATURDAY 10th DECEMBER

THE SNOWMAN LIVE AT LINCOLN CATHEDRAL

Raymond Briggs’ festive fantasy brought to life by a live orchestra and soloists from the Cathedral Choir. The film itself will be shown on a big screen in the nave and in keeping with the book, the film is free of dialogue, except for the now iconic, ‘Walking in the Air’ which will be performed by a chorister from Lincoln Cathedral Choir at each performance.

n Performances at 11am, 1.30pm, 3pm, 7pm and 8.30pm, Lincoln Cathedral, advance booking essential, tickets from £7.50, available from www.lincolncathedral.com, call 01522 561600.

Christmas Lights Switch On

CITY OF LINCOLN CIVIC PARTY AND SPECIAL GUESTS WILL KICK-START CHRISTMAS AS PRIDE GOES TO PRESS

LINCOLN THURSDAY 17th NOVEMBER FESTIVE LIGHTS SWITCH-ON

The City of Lincoln’s Civic Party will invite a few special guests to turn on this year’s festive lights and kick-start Christmas. Mother and daughter duo Kerry Katona and Lilly McFadden will launch the city’s festive celebrations with entertainment from 4.30pm on Friday, plus a procession from 6.35pm and a switch-on from 6.50pm. Also in attendance will be ‘Cinderella,’ from New Theatre Royal’s Christmas panto. n At St Marks Shopping Centre.

LINCOLN FRIDAY 9th NOVEMBER CAROL CONCERT AND SUPPER

Canwick’s International Bomber Command Centre Carol Concert and Supper is the perfect place to kick off the festive season. Join the team for carols, delicious hot supper, home made mince pies and mulled wine. Live music will be performed by the IBCC Choir and Orchestra, and guest artists. Meanwhile on Saturday 10th, the centre will host its wartime Christmas Crafts event with lots of gift ideas. n IBCC, Canwick LN4 2HQ. £17.50/ad, 01522 514755.

LINCOLN

SUNDAY 11th DECEMBER SANTA FUN RUN & WALK

Now in its 17th year, Lincoln BIG’s Santa Fun Run & Walk is returning this December. The event will be taking place on Sunday 11th December this year and is a great opportunity to make lasting memories with the local community. Join a sea of red Santas on a choice of 2km or 4km run, and raise money for local and national charities. There are 2,000 places available this year. Funds raised at this year’s fun run will go towards supporting and creating grants for local charities and good causes.

n Sunday 11th December, at Bailgate in Uphill Lincoln. Meet at 10.00am, run starts at 11.00am. Admission £8.00 - £15.00.

THURSDAY 24th NOVEMBER (FAULTY TOWERS)

FRIDAY 25th - SATURDAY 26th NOVEMBER (BOND)

DINING EXPERIENCES AT THE PETWOOD HOTEL

Fantastic dining, plus an evening of live entertainment including audience participation... what’s not to love?

Woodhall Spa’s Petwood Hotel is offering two Dining

Experiences this month: the first back from its Edinburgh-Fringe sellout show, with the staff of a familiar Torquay hotel serving up both dinner, and chaos, throughout your starter main course, dessert and coffee. Next, the same format but the thrills, spills and clichés of James Bond in-spy-red antics. n Tickets £55 inc dinner and two-hour interactive show, call 01526 352411.

The Big Top... at Christmas!

PLANET CIRCUS COMES TO THE SHOWGROUND, WITH AN AMAZING TWO-HOUR LIVE SHOW!

STAMFORD SUNDAY

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

LINCOLN

11th DECEMBER

CHRISTMAS CONCERT AT BURGHLEY

A classical Christmas concert performed in the intimate setting of the family chapel within Burghley House. Enjoy the magic of traditional festive pieces performed by the exceptional Cantus Choir and string quartet, directed and conducted by Alwyn Pollard. During the interval retreat to Burghley’s beautiful Tudor kitchen to enjoy mulled wine and mince pies. Sunday 11th December from 6pm to 8.30pm. The concert begins at 6.30pm with a 30 minute interval at 7.15pm. n £30/person, call 01780 752451 or see www.burghley.co.uk.

LINCOLN

SATURDAY 17th DECEMBER

SUNDAY 1st JANUARY PLANET CIRCUS

PRESENTS OMG! AT THE LINCOLNSHIRE SHOWGROUND...

Planet Circus is fast emerging as one of the leading names in circus entertainment.

This magical Big Top production brings traditional circus entertainment bang up to date with a thrilling two-hour production for all the family.

Featured acts include Andreea the clown, the OMG FMX motorcycle stunt display team, Kizzy on the cube and

FROM 23th NOVEMBER DODDINGTON

HALL

Lincoln’s Elizabethan Hall will once again be transformed for the festive period and decorated throughout for the theme ‘Christmas on the Riverbank.’ n Call 01522 694308 or see www.doddingtonhall.com.

SKEGNESS

SATURDAY 17thTHURSDAY 22nd DEC

AFTERNOON TEA

WITH SANTA

Designed to be enjoyed by Children aged 3 to 10 years, festive event at Skegness’s Embassy Theatre, coinciding with the centre’s panto, Beauty & The Beast.

n £16/person, 90 minutes, pre-booking essential, call 01754 474100 or see www.embassytheatre.co.uk.

tightrope, Krisztian on the Chinese pole and aerial straps, trapeze and silks performer Jackie Louise Armstrong, and the Peter Pavlov team performing their globe of death act.

The Planet Circus family is one of the oldest and most established Circus families in Europe, creating a show with a special family atmosphere that everyone would want to be part of and enjoy.

n Tickets £6.99, suitable for all ages, doors 2.450pm, call 01522 522900 or see lincolnshireshowground.co.uk. Showground, LN2 2NA.

WOODHALL SPA

Pick of the Pantos...

New Theatre Royal

Last year’s pantomime at New Theatre Royal, Lincoln.

The Drill, Lincoln

RAPUNZEL Let your hair down for this wonderful Christmas treat with all your favourite panto characters! Well-known songs, slapstick routines, a fantastic story made famous by the recent Disney movie, and together with ‘Betty Buttercake’ the hilarious dame, this will be loved by all ages!

n 9th Dec to 2nd Jan, £17-£24.50, 01522 534160, www.lincolndrill.co.uk.

CINDERELLA Lincoln’s longest running traditional pantomime is back, and Cinderella is going to be the Fairy Godmother of all pantosOh, yes it is! Jake Quickenden is the Fairy Godfather and Kerry Katona will play Ugly Sister Botox at Lincoln’s New Theatre Royal. n 9th Dec to 8th Jan, £23-£26, 01522 519999, newwtheatreroyallincoln.co.uk.

Grimsby Auditorium

SLEEPING BEAUTY A fabulous new pantomime with laughter and surprises, stunning scenery and dazzling special effects. Ken Morley formerly of Coronation Street stars as King Reginald, with TV’s Martin Daniels as Magic Muddles and Ian Norton as Dame Loosie Laxative. n 10th-30th Dec, £16-£22, 0300 300 0035, www.grimsbyauditorium.org.uk.

Baths Hall, Scunthorpe

CINDERELLA You shall go to the ball this Christmas with the spellbinding family pantomime Cinderella. The Tony Peers production, along with Dame Annie Fanny will be returning with laugh out loud comedy, stunning sets and scenery and fabulous costumes. n 7th-31st Dec, £20.40, 01724 296296, www.scunthorpetheatres.co.uk.

Vicki Michelle in last year’s Grimsby Auditorium panto.

Blackfriars Arts Centre

JACK & THE BEANSTALK Panto returns to Blackfriars Theatre with mirth, mayhem and misunderstanding as Jack triumphs over the evil Giant Blunderbore. With full supporting cast, glittering costumes and not forgetting the wonderful JCADA Dance Troupe, an unmissable treat! n 10th-31th Dec, £14-£16, 01205 363108, www.blackfriarsartscentre.co.uk.

South Holland Centre

CINDERELLA Professional pantomime returns to Spalding’s South Holland Centre this Christmas with this spellbinding production from Polka Dot Pantomimes. Back by popular demand is Dan Shorrock as Buttons and Daisy King-Sanders stars as Cinderella.

n 9th-30th Dec, £15-£16, 01775 764777, www.southhollandcentre.co.uk.

Embassy Theatre

BEAUTY & THE BEAST A vain young prince is punished by a powerful spell, transforming him into a hideous Beast can he find love – only time will tell? Magna Vitae Productions proudly presents your Skegness pantomime for 2022 at the Embassy Theatre.

n 15th-28th Dec, £12-£18, 01754 474100, www.embassytheatre.co.uk.

Guildhall Arts Centre

RAPUNZEL Get ready for a hair raising adventure in Grantham about the girl with the magical golden hair as Polka Dot Pantomimes and the Guildhall Arts Centre proudly present Rapunzel – A Tangled Tale! Signed and relaxed performance dates also available.

n 3rd-31th Dec, £14.50-£16, 01476 406158, www.guildhallartscentre.com.

Stamford Arts Centre

ALADDIN Spectacular scenery, dazzling costumes, spellbinding special effects and lots of audience participation that will keep the whole family entertained. That’s what’s promised from Polka Dot Pantomimes’ production of Aladdin this year at Stamford Arts Centre.

n 6th-15th Dec, £15, 01780 763203, www.stamfordartscentre.com.

Lighting Up The Season

Tickets to Christmas at the National Trust’s beautiful Belton House near Grantham are now on sale for its spectacular seasonal trail, which returns on 24th November...

A NEW ROUTE and light installations await friends and family visiting the festive trail at the National Trust’s beautiful Belton House near Grantham, which returns between 24th November 2022 and 1st January 2023.

New for 2022, is a sprawling ar tistic illumination named The Rose Garden. Thousands of handmade roses crafted using petals of white silk look pretty in daylight, however, once darkness falls the animated colour-changing lights burst into dazzling patterns.

Visitors will also discover the nautically inspired Voyage. Look out across the pond and see a flotilla of oversized origami ‘paper boats’ afloat on the water. Relive childhood memories and embrace the festive season when admiring these colourful lights and their watery reflections.

Independent street food vendors bring a delicious twist to the event with tasty treats on offer. Complete your walk under the stars with a spiced winter warmer or hot chocolate shared with friends and family. There are toasting marshmallows and artisan food stalls to give visitors the chance to warm up and enjoy this sweet outdoor tradition.

Christmas at Belton provides a special way to celebrate the festive season with an unmissable outdoor experience. The trail is designed for visitors of all ages and is accessible.

n From 24th November 2022 to 1st January 2023. Open from 4.30pm, last entry 8pm and closes at 10pm. Adult £21.50, Child £15, Family £71 (2 adults & 2 children). Parking £8 per car. Free for National Trust members, book online at christmasatbelton.seetickets.com or call 01476 566116.

Cinderella Visits to Celebrate CHRISTMAS at BELVOIR

It’s set to be a magical Christmas at Belvoir as theatre designer Charlotte Lloyd Webber turns fairy godmother to create the Castle’s beautiful festive displays, enchanting visitors, young and old alike! Here we meet the designer and find out what goes into creating the impressive displays...

IT WAS THE MONTH BEFORE CHRISTMAS, and all through the Castle lots of people were stirring. Not least among them was Charlotte Lloyd Webber, working with Belvoir Castle and some of the country’s other leading stately homes to prepare some really stunning festive displays.

We joined the designer and her team at the stables just five minutes down the road from the Belvoir Castle, surrounded by foliage, fabric and some seriously scaled-up plans for the festive season.

“It’s my second season working for Belvoir Castle, and this year we’re really upping the ante with some stunning displays and the much-loved narrative of Cinderella, told in visual form with lots of colour throughout a number of the Castle’s state rooms.”

Charlotte’s provenance is working in theatre, having co-founded Lamplighter Drama and also the Oxford Shakespeare Company. With experience of theatre design, and contacts at properties like York’s Castle Howard though, the designer was approached around six years ago to lend her expertise to creating festive installations for visitors to enjoying some of the country’s most beautiful stately homes.

Doing so with such success aesthetic and commercial – led to Charlotte founding CLW Event Design two and a half years ago, and this year, she’s in the throes of creating Christmas experiences for Castle Howard,

Bamburgh Castle and Belvoir Castle. Each property’s displays are between a year and a year and a half in the planning necessitating, Charlotte reckons, no fewer than 8,000 baubles for Belvoir and a kilometre of lighting at Castle Howard.

“Last year’s displays at Belvoir Castle were themed around a Regency Christmas, and so this year we’re also introducing a narrative element to the displays, telling the classic story of Cinderella.”

“This year we’re really upping the ante with some stunning displays and the much-loved narrative of Cinderella, told in visual form with lots of colour...”

“It’s about putting the story into context in the property,” says Charlotte. “The narrative, the art and architecture of Belvoir Castle and the displays can all come together to work congruously.”

“Initial ideas are pitched and can be finalised even before the current festive season, so right now we’ve a good idea of what we’d like to see for Christmas 2023. That enables us to begin designing, with visual sign-offs of the whole project around April or May, by which time we’ve also had a good opportunity to

evaluate what worked well for this year’s Christmas display, too, and what our visitors really enjoyed.”

Building the displays takes from May or June right until we install round October. There’s a core team of six but with a bulging contact book, Charlotte also brings along the talents of graphic designers, costume designers, florists and lighting designers, not to mention woodwork and metalwork specialists.

“The starting point is always the property,” says Charlotte. “I let the architecture inform the scheme. It’s fundamental since it dictates the physical space and route of visitors through the displays.”

“But interiors of older, grander properties can also be quite dark, so to really make the most of each display, I’m always keen to utilise professional theatre lighting in this case, working with Bretta Gerecke and our professional soundscape designer to create an immersive experience.”

Journeying through Belvoir Castle this season, visitors will see both Lady Tremaine’s gilded life and that of her two daughters, Anastasia and Drizella. They’ll also see the humble manner in which Cinderella lives. Lady Tremaine in the Elizabeth Saloon is pure high camp, with an enormous wig, her chaise lounge and a Chartreuse gown. Later, in the State Dining Room, we meet the Fairy Godmother against a backdrop of soft pastels and pinks, with the orange of Cinderella’s pumpkin as it transforms into a glittering carriage. >>

Words: Rob Davis. Images: Jon Scrimshaw, www.instinctivecollection.co.uk.

a really stunning couture dress for the event.

The displays tell the story chronologically as visitors pass through the rooms of the Castle culminating, of course, in the wedding of Cinderella and Prince Charming in the Regents’s Gallery.

“Belvoir Castle has the most extraordinary beauty so it’s always a pleasure to walk around the rooms, and every time you do so you see new details in the architecture and new colours. It’s also wonderful to work with The Duchess of Rutland who has a great eye, comes from a design background and who really appreciates the work involved in

creating the displays and making them work as well as they can in order to thrill visitors.”

“We want everyone to have a great time, of course, but ensuring visitors to properties like Belvoir Castle also means they have funds to facilitate the upkeep of these big and often very demanding historic buildings.”

The time it takes not just to design or make but to install the displays is measured in weeks, not hours or days. Castle Howard alone saw 75,000 people visit to see Charlotte’s work, and that not only means great entertainment for the crowds, but funds the stately homes and castles’ upkeep, for future generations too. So visiting this year’s displays will not only provide a wonderful day out for visitors, but will ensure a happy ever after for Belvoir Castle, too. n

Find Out More: Cinderella at Belvoir takes place from 18th November - 1st January, tickets £24/adult, £10/children, call 01476 871001 or see www.belvoircastle.com.

>> Belvoir Castle’s Picture Gallery and Ballroom reflect the ball at which Cinderella meets the Prince with Charlotte’s co-creator Adrian Lillie having created

What’s On at BELVOIR

n Brand New Adventure Playground

Younger visitors will enjoy Belvoir Castle’s brand new Adventure Playground is inspired by the iconic architecture of Belvoir Estate and its past and present explorers. Entry included in either a Castle & Garden Ticket, Garden Only Ticket or Annual Pass.

n Father Christmas at the Castle A magical opportunity for children to meet the famous Belvoir Elves, listen to a story told by Mrs Claus and see the jolly man himself, Father Christmas. Each child will also receive a gift to take home. Pre-booking required, £15/child.

n Festive Afternoon Tea at the Castle Revel in a sumptuous Festive Afternoon Tea experience in the grandeur of the Regency-styled tearoom. Only available for visitors with a Cinderella Christmas at Belvoir Admissions Ticket. Pre-booking required, £25/ad, £15/child.

n Engine Yard Christmas Markets

Soak up the festive atmosphere at the Engine Yard with our Scandinavian style Christmas Markets taking place over five consecutive weekends, starting 18th November. Explore an abundance of artisan delights, discover unique gifts and feast on festive favourites. Browse over 20 Christmas stalls hosted by independent brands each market weekend, alongside its permanent boutique retail stores.

Pre-booking required, £25/ad, £15/child.

COMFORTABLE SLIP INTO SOMETHING MORE

If there’s anything more comforting in the winter months than heaving off a soggy-soled pair of outdoor boots and slipping into some furry and cosseting, we’ve yet to experience it. You’d think the slipper market was beyond evolution. And yet, Angi Hussey and Chantelle Gill proved they were one step ahead of the market when they established Laines London in 2019, with a newly established brand of luxury slippers that has put its best foot forward ever since…

DA DA DA DAH, DA DA DAH it’s Saturday evening, time for the grand final of Strictly Come Dancing 2022, and on Lincolnshire’s East Coast, Angi Hussey and Chantelle Gill are on the sofa, with two dogs – their sausage dog and their pug – plus two mugs of tea, and two chocolate Hob Nobs.

Could the scene get any cosier? Actually yes. They’re each snuggled into a pair of plush, hand-finished, beautifully made slippers, designed right here in Lincolnshire but sold as far away as Europe, the UK and Australia.

Angi & Chantelle have earned the chance to put their feet up (briefly), because over the past few weeks, they’ve been crazy busy, fulfilling orders for their slippers, sold under the Laines London brand. Established in 2019 this is, in fairness, a business still very much in its infancy, but one that has enjoyed a stratospheric start. Their products have already been sold in Harrods, Selfridges along with over 300 boutiques worldwide.

So how on Earth did such a young brand –albeit one with great products – manage to gain such immediate traction in the market, especially based in a Lincolnshire seaside town, rather than in the city?

“We’ve always loved Skegness. It’s our home,” says Angi, who was in the hospitality trade in the town for 25 years and worked in the family business with her parents.

“As a family we still run bars, hotels and restaurants in the town. Being raised in a family business we all needed to muck in and work hard. And that’s one of the best qualities you can have in business.”

“Chantelle and I had a homeware and interiors business in the town, and I really enjoyed designing the interiors for the family’s businesses, so we were used to choosing products that we felt were welldesigned and well-made. In 2019 we were looking to do something different and to

establish a new business, something in the fashion industry which wouldn’t compromise existing businesses, like fashion retailers, in the town.”

“We looked at what we could improve and realised that among the products we would do better, slippers were at the top of our list. I love design and spent a lot of time creating our first collection, which launched in time for autumn and winter 2019.”

“Some slippers on the market looked great but weren’t particularly well-made or durable. Others were practical but not necessarily all that desirable.”

“So really, our aim was just to design-in the values of comfort and luxury, whilst manufacturing-in practicality and wearability. After that it was a case of ensuring that the price point reflected the quality without giving our designs a huge price tag.”

“For a product that looks fairly straightfor ward, there are all sorts of design decisions to make: practical considerations like how many lines you create and how many sizes you offer, but then beyond those, ethical considerations too.”

“It’s really hard to have products manufac tured to the quality we want in this country without them incurring really high price points.”

Words: Rob Davis.

LAINES LONDON SLIPPERS

>> “We can, though, make sure our embellishments are all hand-sewn and that our products are finished by a local team.”

“In terms of the materials we use, too, we don’t believe there’s any need to use animal-derived products like fur.”

“We can manufacture faux furs that feel better, that are more consistent and that wear better. As a result, all our products are vegan in nature.”

“Our soles, too, have been designed to become a part of your feet, to sort of cuddle into you, but they’re also supportive and sturdy enough to allow you to go outdoors when you’re letting the dog out.”

“We’ve a classic design available in six colours – black, cream, grey, navy, pink and toffee – with around 100 different embellishments.”

“We also offer sliders with extra cushioning and a bespoke, deep-tread sole, and we’ve designed our socks, pyjamas, kimonos and eye-masks to complement, as well as a range of handbags and fashions.”

“Just a couple of weeks ago we took delivery of our new Christmas collection, three designs – nutcracker, snowflake and Christmas tree car – which we’re really thrilled with.”

“The Covid lockdown saw a boom in the slipper market, especially online sales, as more people were working – or not working – from home, suddenly the business exploded on social media and we found ourselves in retailers like Harrods and Selfridges.”

“It’s been an exciting time, and nothing fuels your enthusiasm for building a business like success.”

“The run-up to Christmas this year has already been busier than ever. My two daughters and son are all roped-in to help out, firstly to fulfil orders for retailer, and then to satisfy online orders direct to customers.”

“We’ve been thrilled to see how well our products have been received and even prouder that they’re designed right here in Skegness. Meanwhile, we’re already well on the way to completing our spring/summer collection for 2023 and we will soon be working on our autumn/winter 2023 collections too.”

So really, there’s only a brief amount of time for Angi and Chantelle – or their family – to put their feet up. Which is a shame. Because if they did, they’d be able to slip into a pair of their own designs, settle down in front of the TV, and cheer on their favourite Strictly finalist! n

Find Out More: Laines London is the Skegness-born business of Angi Hussey and Chantelle Gill, ably assisted by a fabulous team of Skegness ladies who help the whole business run smoothly! You can purchase their slippers, sliders, kimonos, eye-masks and fashion accessories online, direct, at www.laineslondon.com.

Roasted Chicken Supreme

Enjoying Quality Winter Dining at THE BOTTLE & GLASS

Delicious dining at a quality country pub restaurant near Lincoln. The Bottle & Glass’s winter warmers and wood burners will keep diners cosy all season long!

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

CONSENSUS. POPULAR OPINION It counts for a lot sometime. As I’m taking the photos for this month’s Dining Out feature we’re working our way towards the puddings, and suddenly, a small crowd is gathering.

My theory is they were keeping an eye on the lovely Raspberry Tea Chocolate Tart which had just been put in front of me, with its quenelles of whipped cream, salted caramel and honeycomb.

Commenting that it looks delicious, one of the team primed and ready with a dessert fork remarked that if the current pudding impressed, wait until the next one.

“Peanut Butter and Chocolate Stack?” asked another of the front of house staff. There was a nod and a collective coo. It was this they were awaiting, gathered around like a kettle of hawks waiting to swoop down on unsuspecting quarry.

We’re at The Bottle & Glass in the village of Harby; the next village due west from Doddington, and only a couple of minutes off the A46.

A charter document on the wall of the pub points to its 18th century origins as a village pub. It was the local boozer of Lincoln property developer James Kirby, founder of Stirlin Developments, when he was growing up. Today, his company specialises in highspecification commercial and residential developments across the county

James took over the pub in 2021 and treated it to a complete refurbishment working with local interior designer Katy Lewis. The place is now dripping in Farrow & Ball shades, by my estimation Inchyra Blue, Mole’s Breath and Green Smoke.

These have been used to good effect along with the blue plaid wallpaper in the Eleanor Bar where you’ll also find one of three wood burners, church pews and industrial tables made from scaffolding poles.

It all combines to create a cosy and goodlooking country inn that’s as welcoming to locals for their Friday pint as to customers who visit the destination pub from Lincoln, Newark and the surrounding area, keen to sample the menus of Head Chef Kearno Snell and sous chef Jamie Wilkes. >>

MEET THE CHEF

History: Lincoln born and bred, worked at The Wig & Mitre and rejoined Harby’s Bottle & Glass in August 2021... Kearno says he loves its friendly feel!

Festive Food Heaven: I’ll have beef for Christmas lunch, not turkey, please!

Food Hell: Overcooked sprouts! n

KEARNO SNELL, HEAD CHEF

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Stack.

Raspberry Tea Chocolate Tart.

on the MENU

Starters

Caramelised Celeriac Soup: Rosemary Pesto, Toasted Hazelnuts, Burnt Pear.

Spicy Buffalo Wings: Chicken Wings, Buffalo Sauce, Blue Cheese Sauce, Spring Onions.

Seitan Flatbread: Seitan, Chimichurri, Pomegranate.

Main Courses

Turkey Wellington: Turkey in Filo Pastry, Garlic Fondant potato, Charred Sprouts, Chestnut, Pancetta, Gravy.

Slow Cooked Beef Rib: Horseradish Mash, Honey Roasted Carrots, Soy Jus.

Baked Gnocchi: Kimchi, Sesame Seed, Toasted Peanuts, Spring Onions.

8oz Fillet Steak with seasoned thick-cut chips, portabella mushroom, roast plum tomato, and garden peas.

Desserts

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Stack with Biscoff sauce and chocolate ice cream.

Black Forest Chocolate Mousse: Sour Cherries, Coconut Whipped Cream, Chocolate Shavings.

Hazelnut Panna Cotta: Salted Chocolate Gonash, Popping Candy, Dried Raspberries.

The B&G Cheeseboard: Best of British Cheeses (Trio), Millers Crackers, Quince Jelly, Candied Pecans, Grapes.

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

>> Along with the reinvention of its look and feel, The Bottle & Glass’s refurbish ment brought with it a brand new series of menus with some brilliant dishes, packed with flavour but also beautifully presented.

The pub restaurant’s evening menu offers à la carte dining and consists of six starters, nine main courses and four desserts plus a cheese option.

There’s also a set lunch menu which, at £18/two courses and £23/three courses, looks like pretty good value to us given the technical and creative input that Kearno and Jamie invest in each dish.

A dedicated Sunday lunch menu is, we’re told, very popular indeed with customers looking for a traditional roast with topside of beef served pink or a good roast pork dish

with Lincolnshire sausage stuffing, and there’s a range of side dishes like tenderstem broccoli with toasted hazelnuts. Interestingly, aside from these traditional British dishes, The Bottle & Glass isn’t afraid to venture a little further afield for inspiration. One of our starters was a Flat bread with Braised Lamb, halloumi and chimichurri with garlic yoghurt, which isn’t something I’d usually order in a restaurant but was, in fact, really delicious.

It’s a dish engineered to satisfy the ovine palate of the present Mrs Davis, who I reckon would demolish the dish and hold the chef hostage for a second helping. Another starter of note was chef’s Buffalo Wings, with a nice spicy sauce. Our main course highlights were a roasted Supreme of Chicken with sweet potato

“This is a brilliant country pub whose beauty and appeal isn’t just Farrow & Ball deep... there’s great dining, creative dishes and a great front of house team too...!”

DINING OUT AT THE BOTTLE & GLASS, HARBY

Baked Gnocchi.

Braised Lamb Flatbread.

purée and lovely vibrant buttered kale, followed by a Baked Gnocchi dish that would do any vegetarian diner proud for sure. For those with lighter appetites, the menu also has a range of sandwiches and salads too.

I can confirm that our chocolate tart dessert was delicious, but the clear winner out of the two desserts we were presented with was undoubtedly the peanut butter stack. The others seemed to agree because no sooner was the camera down on the table there was a flurry of forks all keen to enjoy the dessert’s chocolate sponge, Biscoff sauce and chocolate ice cream.

Aside from regular dining, The Bottle & Glass also offers local ales and speciality coffees, plus decent wines and cocktails. It also hosts themed nights with quizzes, pies,

curry or Mexican dishes, for example. This season, too, The Bottle & Glass will host a Boxing Day brunch, New Year’s Eve familyfriendly dining and New Year’s Day lunch. Otherwise, this is a brilliant country pub whose beauty isn’t just Farrow & Ball deep... there’s great dining, creative dishes and a great front of house team too. n

DINING OUT AT...

The Bottle & Glass, Harby, Lincoln

The Pitch: “An award-winning, dog-friendly country pub & restau rant near Lincoln and Newark, that promises an unforgettable drinking and dining experience...”

Dining Times: Monday to Thursday 12-3pm & 5-9pm. Friday 12-9pm. Saturday: Breakfast 9-11am; food 12-9pm. Sunday food served 12-6pm.

The Bottle & Glass, Harby, Newark NG23 7EB. Call 01522 703438 or see www.thebottleandglass.pub.

Spicy Buffalo Wings.

A Toast to Gourmet MARSHMALLOWS

This month we’re raising a toast – or rather a toasting fork – to Ollie and Joseph Brookes as the Lincoln duo celebrate their eighth anniversary, having founded The Naked Marshmallow Company back in 2014. Scarcely time to celebrate though, because their festive favourite is particularly sought-after at this time of year and so it’s back to work producing... 52,000,000 marshmallows a year!

RAISE A TOAST – or rather a toasting fork –to one of Lincolnshire’s most successful young businesses this month as The Naked Marshmallow Company celebrates its eighth anniversary rebooting marshmallows with fresh innovation, and fresh appeal for its British audience.

“Things are really getting busy now, it’s very exciting,” says Lou Coulam from the company’s Sadler Court headquarters. Lou has been working with the company’s founders for four years now. So has the appeal of marshmallows worn off?

“No, we all still love them here, but what has surprised me is that they’re so popular all year round. There’s really no such thing as a quiet time of the year for us, but in the run up to the festive season we go from just busy to super busy!”

Back in 2014, the company’s founders Ollie and Joseph Brookes were looking to create a new business. Ollie was working for a local utilities provider and some time around Halloween, staff were all invited to con tribute their own offering to a team buffet.

Ollie created some of his homemade marsh mallows, and to say they went down a storm is an understatement.

The Naked Marshmallow Company was born and the rest is a short but sweet history,

culminating in last year’s festive season when the company sold out of more than 16,500 advent calendars.

“We were acutely aware of how successful we were set to be over the Christmas period, and earlier this year we expanded into a couple of additional units to provide more storage space, more space for cooking, and so we could increase production to supply our new shop on Bailgate, which opened in August.”

“We love Lincoln’s Christmas Market and now we’ve a shop in Uphill Lincoln we can serve our hot chocolates with marshmallow fluff as well as iced chocolates, teas, coffee and pumpkin spiced lattés.”

The company also upgraded its commercial mixers from 30 litre to 60 litre machines. Its output now is in excess of 650,000kg of mix a year. We reckon that corresponds to over 52,000,000 individual marshmallows every year.

Words: Rob Davis.

“Marshmallows are really common in America, but less so here,” says Lou.

“Ollie and Joseph’s theory as to why that was the case was that was because nobody was doing them really well. We felt that marshmallows were ready for a gourmet makeover and have been innovating with them every since.”

At the heart of a marshmallow recipe is sugar and gelatine, which makes them appear deceptively simple to make.

In fact, the science of getting them to heat up correctly and getting enough air into them is rather complicated. So much so, in fact, that Ollie and Joseph have discovered and devised a few trade secrets along the way.

Quite aside from developing the marshmal lows’ composition, the company also had to create compelling flavours, and created its first five flavours which still exist today as the company’s classic range: vanilla bean, strawberry, salted caramel, candy floss and chocolate orange.

As well as producing the marshmallows themselves, Ollie and Joseph have created a range of burners with odourless, non-toxic fuel and plastic-free bamboo skewers which make toasting marshmallows safe and easy.

They’ve also created dipping kits such as their chocolate orange and salted caramel sauces, and vegetarian editions of some of their most popular flavours. >>

“Happily our customers love our products – both the younger ones and adults alike –they love the texture, the novelty and the flavour...”

Above: Naked Marshmallow Company Boozy Advent Calendar £20; Festive Marshmallow Toasting Gift Set £22; Festive Marshmallow flavours £5.75, Sack of Coal £8.95; S’mores £5.75.

>> Then, there’s the boozy flavours; raspberry and Prosecco, violet gin, passionfruit Martini and elderflower gin and the company’s vegetarian and vegan marshmallows.

But for Christmas, we’ll direct you towards the company’s festive flavours; cookies and cream, honeycomb chocolate, cinnamon churro and mint choc chip. There’s a series of s’mores editions, too, with milk chocolate squares and luxury biscuits too, for creating the ultimate marshmallow treat.

“We have two really busy periods in the lead-up to Christmas,” says Lou. “We’ve designed and signed-off our products and packaging for the festive season by July, in the warm and sunny months when we really shouldn’t be thinking about winter at all.”

“Production really increases in the autumn in order to fulfil all of our wholesale orders, and then as we get into November and December, we’re really busy with retail orders via our website.”

“At this time of year, we’re embarking on eight ‘cooks’ a day, each comprising four mixer loads. That amounts to about 32 batches of marshmallows and we’ll soon be working 12-hour shifts. There are 10 of us in the team now, but that will nearly double as we head closer to Christmas. By the end of a busy day we’re all marshmallowed out!”

“Happily though our customers aren’t. Both younger customers and adults love the texture, the novelty and the flavour. Our anniversary comes around every November and by then we’re so busy that we barely have time to celebrate it, but Ollie and Joseph are really good at making sure it’s a fun, happy place to work as well as a busy one and we always mark the company’s anniversary somehow. We had a big cake last year… topped with marshmallows, obviously!” n

Find Out More: The Naked Marshmallow Company is based in Lincoln and its products are available by mail order with national delivery.

To order, call 01522 701 630, see www.nakedmarshmallow.co.uk or visit the company’s shop on Lincoln’s Steep Hill.

HAWKENS GINGERBREAD

TAKING the BISCUIT

The unbeatable, unmistakable and unequalled joy of gingerbread has kept baker Alastair Hawken busy since 2014. As Christmas draws near, now’s the perfect time to enjoy warming teatime treat!

IT’S SERENDIPITY that the world can enjoy gingerbread. The biscuit’s creation was, in fact, a happy accident.

Back in 1740, Grantham baker William Eglestone was attempting to knock up a batch of Grantham Whetstone biscuits, made from frothed egg whites, sugar, flour and caraway seeds. Quite how he managed to deviate from the recipe with which he was presumably intimately acquainted, given his profession, is unclear. However, his substitu tion of ingredients yielded the biscuit we came to know as Grantham Gingerbread, and latterly, just gingerbread.

Words:

It’s reckoned that Grantham Gingerbread is the oldest commercially traded biscuit and it continued to be produced in the town until the 1970s. By that time, of course, we were all used to shopping in supermarkets rather than local businesses, and so the small bakeries such as those producing Grantham Gingerbread were somewhat left behind.

Alastair was bereft at the though of his favour teatime biscuit slowly disappearing from the shelves of local bakeries and so, in 2014, he decided to reboot the biscuit and bring it back for a whole new generation to enjoy.

Rob Davis.

>>

>> “As you’d expect there were different variations of the recipe, so I set about deter mining what the original one would be.”

Just eight years on, Alastair is hoping to be the first £100m gingerbread brand, and currently produces over 80,000 boxes each month.

His products include traditional Grantham Gingerbread biscuits, with their lovely buttery vanilla flavour, as well as festive versions such as Gingerbread Christmas Trees with orange and lemon peel and crystallised ginger, and Jinglebreads.

Both of the latter are suitably festive in their appearance, ideal to hang on the tree or to enjoy over a mug of hot chocolate. They also make exceptional Christmas presents,

especially for those ex-pats who used to live in Lincolnshire but have moved away. Speaking of gifts, Alastair is also providing Christmas gingerbread men from his website, as well as two gifting bundles; Three Wise Men and The Perfect Gingerbread Bundle, both promising to give your recipi ent a warming festive treat.

“We’ve also added to the range in recent years with our Hawkens Gingernuts, which

are a little more fiery, with extra ginger for some real warmth,” says Alastair.

“I’ve a bit of a secret weapon when it comes to product development. My sons Joshua, Charlie and Ellis all help me in the kitchen when it comes to giving me their feedback on new shapes and flavours! Joshua actually came up with the name Jinglebreads, and I was so impressed, really taken aback!”

“Christmas is a time for children, and a time for treats and a time for tradition, so to bring all three together in a product that’s so well received is a real pleasure.”

“We’re always very busy in the run up to Christmas but hopefully when Santa comes down the chimney, there will be a ginger bread man or two left to leave him!” n

Find Out More: Hawkens Gingerbread is produced in Grantham and sold in farm shops as well as being available from the company’s own website at www.hawkensgingerbread.com.

In the KITCHEN

BOXING DAY PICKLE PIE

Preparation Time: 30 minutes. Cooking Time: One hour. Serves: 6-8.

2 x sheets of pre-rolled shortcrust pastry • 1 x 320g jar Cottage Delight Perfect Party Pickle 8 slices of leftover Christmas ham • 300g cooked Christmas Turkey • 300g leftover pork stuffing (or 1 packet mix, made according to pack instructions) 250g mature cheddar, grated • 1 egg, whisked

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Grease and flour a deep, round 18cm, loose bottomed or springform pie tin.

Line tin with one sheet of shortcrust pastry and spread across the base half a jar of pickle – our preferred pickle is Country Delights’ Perfect Party Pickle, if not for the flavour then simply for the allieration: see www.cottagedelight.co.uk.

Fill with layers of ham, Perfect Party Pickle, turkey, stuffing and cheese, until the tin is full. Ensure you pack in the layers, pressing them into the pie as you go.

Cut a lid, using the pie tin as a guide, place this on the top of the pie and crimp around the edges. Cut festive decorations out with the pastry off-cuts and arrange these on top of your pie. Glaze the top generously with egg wash and cut a hole in the top. Bake in the oven for an hour, (check and add tin foil over top if catching after 40 minutes) until golden brown.

Allow to cool inside the tin and serve hot or cold for Boxing Day lunch. n

Few things are more satisfying than grazing on leftovers between Christmas and New Year? And this knockout recipe is simple to make, and great in the evening in front of the fire with a glass of wine and some festive TV!

In the KITCHEN

MAGICAL MULLED WINE JAM

TRIFLE

Preparation Time: 40 minutes. Chilling Time: Six hours. Serves Eight. (For the trifle) 1 x 340g jar Cottage Delight Magical Mulled Wine Jam • 2 oranges, peeled and sliced in halves 420g sponge swiss roll • 480ml custard • 360ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks 500ml mulled wine (ready-made or using recipe below) • 135g pack raspberry jelly Fresh/frozen berries and ground cinnamon, to decorate

To create the mulled wine jelly, warm the mulled wine gently and then dissolve in the jelly cubes. You could also make your own mulled wine (with 500ml wine, plus two bay leaves, star anise, a thinly-sliced orange, eight cloves, two tablespoons of sugar and two cinnamon sticks). Pour jelly mixture into a small rectangle or square baking tin, so it’s roughly an inch high. Leave it in the fridge to set, this could take up to three hours. To assemble, line the bottom of a trifle bowl with half of your cake slices. Press slices half way up along the sides of the bowl. Arrange halved orange slices around side of bowl, then arrange half of the jelly squares over the cake mixture. Pour over half of the custard and Spoon over half of the Magical Mulled Wine Jam (available at www.cottagedelight.co.uk) evenly. Repeat this to achieve multiple layers, then cover the top with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours or even better, overnight. When you’re ready to serve, add whipped cream and fresh or frozen berries to decorate before dusting with cinnamon. n

A stunning Christmas dessert which makes the most of frozen winter berries, and the warming festive flavours of mulled wine!

A whisky advent calendar for the true connoisseur...

On the night before Christmas not a creature will stir after they’ve enjoyed their nightly dram!

A pilgrimage across Scotland in whisky form with 24 rare and aged single cask and blended expressions from the five Scotch whisky regions will offer the perfect advent calendar treat for Whisky enthusiasts.

Presented in the form of a cabinet, handmade in wood and finished in the same way as a traditional whisky cabinet. Each 50ml dram is bottled straight from the cask and represents an expression of some of the best whiskies Scotland has to offer from leading distilleries. n

£160 / 24 x 50ml / 42-50% ABV, www.harveynichols.com.

The Wine Cellar

1. Pinot noir is a great match for turkey or goose, and this mature example is from the 2010 vintage of Pommard in burgundy. Full-bodied, tannic, with leather and blackcurrant. £39 / 75cl / 13.1% ABV.

2. At the opposite end of the scale, Australia’s Chardonnay is drier than your mother-in-law’s Christmas pudding, with creamy oak, buttery, vanilla flavours, and just a hint of lemon and grapefruit, too. £45 / 75cl / 13.5% ABV.

3. And finally, Reisling is a lovely sweet option more conventionally considered a dessert wine, but pairing nicely with turkey. It’s lighter in terms of its alcohol content, too. £29.99 / 75cl / 8.5% ABV.

Beer of the Month

Rosey Nosey, from Batemans in Wainfleet £16 x 8 bottle case 500ml each / 4.7% ABV

It wouldn’t be Christmas without our favourite seasonal ale, available by cask in your local pub, but also in bottles. Full-bodied, dark amber Christmas beer. Brewed with pale, crystal and chocolate malts and English Golding and Challenger hops, it’s bursting with a spicy aroma and rich, fruity sultana and raisin flavours. A real gift of a festive brew, and popular among Lincolnshire’s real ale connoisseurs. n

Buy from brewery at www.bateman.co.uk

For designated driver or those who want to enjoy the festive season hangover-free, Belvoir Farms has the answer with a special festive edition of one of their premium drinks. This non-alcoholic Festive Fruit Juice Punch is made with a blend of cranberry, blackcurrant and orange juices with extracts of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg for a fruity winter warmer. Enjoy it cool, with lemonade, or warm it up and let the soothing winter scent radiate!

£2.95 / 75cl / 0% ABV, www.belvoirfarm.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.

THIS MONTH WHAT ELSE COULD WE RECOMMEND BUT ONE OF THE BEST LOCAL ALES, AN ALCOHOL-FREE TREAT FOR THE ABSTEMIOUS AND A TRIO OF WINES TO GO WITH YOUR TURKEY

Alcohol-free, locally made and delicious!

LET’S TALK TURKEY: Three excellent wines to accompany your Christmas lunch...

PERFECT for HOSTING

CHRISTMAS

Last Christmas Daniel Bedford and Dominic Abbott were in the throes of restoring their C17th country home, so this will be their first festive season in Crawford House... but also their last, as a new project beckons that’s an opportunity too good to pass up!

Words: Rob Davis.

THE DETAILS

Crawford House, Crowland

Location: Spalding 10 miles, Peterborough 10 miles, Deeping 8.2 miles, Holbeach 15 miles.

Provenance: C17th Grade II listed building beautifully restyled by current owners, set in 3/4 acre.

Rooms: Four receptions currently arranged as dining room, drawing room, breakfast kitchen, bar. Two studies, gym, six beds (one en suite), two bedroom annexe.

Guide Price: £1,200,000.

Find Out More: Wilson & Co, Hampton PE7 8GX, 01733 794343, thewilsoncollection.co.uk.

IT’S THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, but so much for creatures not stirring... Daniel Bedford and Dominic Abbott’s home is a chaotic throng of siblings, parents and kids. Just like every festive home should be! They’ve made rather too good a job of restyling their home, rendering it a little too good at accommodating festive celebrations. And now, it’s become the centre of their extended family’s Christmas, thanks to the large dining room, 22” drawing room and of course... a dedicated cocktail bar!

Last year the couple were still in the throes of restoring the property, so it wasn’t quite ready for Christmas. And this year, having completed its restyling, they’ve both become so sick of the lack of dust, disruption and wet paint that they’ve decided to look for a new project, and so this will be their one and only family Christmas in the house... better make it a good one then!

Daniel is from the Deeping area and worked locally designing Christmas hampers for a pretty impressive roster of luxury retailers, dividing his time between Lincolnshire and London.

Top/Main: As well as a dining room for hosting Christmas lunch, there’s a bar for cocktails on New Year’s Eve, too!

Meanwhile Dominic is a project Manager and comes from Manchester, but also worked in London, where the couple met. The two returned to the area to renovate the first of three houses, although this is by far their largest project to date.

“We renovated our last property, in Bourne, during Covid, when we were working from home. We were really happy with it and had no intention of moving but the property market was going crazy at the time, so, ‘just out of interest(!)’ we had the place valued. Soon we were looking for a new project, an older house, with lots of character.”

And oh boy, did they find it! Crawford House was the one-time home of John Crawford, local bailiff. It was created in the C17th and is Grade II listed, with a coach house and a former stable converted in 2017 to create a two-bedroom self-contained annexe.

“The previous owners had installed new wiring and plumbing, and made sure the roof was in good order, so really our remit was to reconfigure the rooms and bring back all of the lovely period features.”

“We created a nice bedroom and a living room so we had somewhere to retreat to when we working on the other rooms.”

“After reinstating chimneys we renovated fireplaces, restored the parquet floor in the dining room and sanded then oiled the timber work surfaces in the kitchen.”

“We created a dressing room and en suite with natural light for the master bedroom and set about using lots of period-congruent colours from Farrow & Ball’s palette like Brinjal in Dom’s study, Inchyra Blue in the master bedroom, and Mole’s Breath in the dining room.”

>> “We zoned the kitchen so that it worked better and installed premium appliances from names like Neff & Bosch, then replaced bathrooms with Porcelanosa fittings and tiles. At the back of the property we also created a gym and then a bar.”

On the first floor is a master suite with dressing room and en suite, plus two further bedrooms and two bathrooms. On the second floor are three further bedrooms plus a shower room. The potential for multi-generational living is also incorporated thanks to a self-contained annexe to the front of the house with an en suite wetroom to the master bedroom.

Throughout the property there are beautifully reinstated features from exposed stonework to flagstone floors and partially-vaulted ceilings, to 18th century wall panels and open fireplaces. The whole property is a masterclass in how to bring a home back to life, preserving its character whilst simultaneously making it suitable for modern living, working from home and entertaining.

“We’ve really enjoyed living here and it’s a beautiful property, ideal for commuting to London but also ideal for those who want a busy family home. Sadly this is the only family Christmas we’ll get to spend here, so with the help of our five nieces and nephews, we intend to make the most of it this month!” n

n Church Lane, Scartho, Grimsby Guide Pride: £875,000

Substantial Georgian property, Grade II listed and set in 1.8 acres. Four double bedrooms, Chiselwood kitchen, three reception rooms and many period features. Mature gardens with tennis court and the original coach house. www.masonsandpartners.co.uk

n Peakirk, Market Deeping Guide Price: £1,550,000

Sublime Grade II* listed Georgian refurbished residence, six miles from Peterborough with five reception rooms and six double bedrooms, plus walled courtyard and original features. Gated entrance and extensive lawns and terrace. www.fineandcountry.com

n Gibraltar Road, Skegness Guide Price: £650,000

A spacious six bedroomed arts and crafts house in sought-after location set in an acre of grounds. Six bedrooms, three large reception rooms, in a sought-after location south of Skegness which leads to the Gibraltar Point Nature Reserve. www.poyntons.com

BEAUTIFUL

HOMES

CHRISTMAS

There’s nothing more enjoyable than creating your festive home to delight family and visitors, so here’s our selection of loc al stockists for beautiful decorations...

for Dobbies Garden Centre, Moonlight & Sparkles theme, Coloured vase, £34.99; LED string lights, £9.99; Cosy blue ombre throw, £24.99; Steel grey velvet cushion, £19.99; Set of 3 pine tree decorations, £12.99; Set of three light-up tree decorations, £12.99; Set of 3 round candle holders, £22.99; Frosted blueberry wreath, £34.99. For more information visit Dobbies, Boston PE21 9RZ, call 01205 631490, see www.dobbies.com.

Top: Christmas decorations from £2 from Sack Store, Boston, 01205 310101.

Top/Right: Let’s Celebrate Christmas theme at Dobbies Garden Centre of Boston, 7ft Allison tree misty blue, £189; Twelve Days of Christmas cushion £19.99; Red cosy fleece blanket £9.99; Red berry and eucalyptus wreath £14.99, see www.dobbies.com.

Right: Festive Field theme at John Lewis, Unlit Brunswick Spruce 7ft, £22; Red Berry Garland, £40, see www.johnlewis.com.

Sophie Allport Snow Season, Christmas crackers (set of six) £30; Fabric placemats £11/ea; Cushion £57; Sophie Allport Stamford and Bourne, or www.sophieallport.com.

7ft Kirkwood tree, £219; 360 Warm white cluster string lights, £29.99; Ullswater garland, £24.99; 60cm natural golden wreath, £39.99; Gold washed iron birdcage, £14.99; Gold lanterns, £32.99/28cm, £44.99/H43cm; tree decorations from £1.66-£6.99, Dobbies of Boston see www.dobbies.com.

Lincolnshire Interiors: Delcor: 01780 762579, www.delcor.co.uk. Dobbies: 01205 631490, www.dobbies.com. H-Works: 01780 754605, www.hworksdesign.co.uk. Richard Sutton Interiors: 01472 268377, www.richardsuttondesigninteriors.com. Stevensons: 01472 233111, www.stevensonsgroup.co.uk. n Please note availability

SCENTS & SENSIBILITIES

FESTIVE SEASON...

1. Orange and cinnamon, Winter Woodland reindeer candle, £9.95, wide range of styles and scents available. The Sack Store, Boston, 01205 310101.

2. St Eval Orange & Cinnamon tealights, the cosiest, spiced Christmas fragrance, £9.95/nine tealights. Doddington at Home, Doddington Hall, 01522 812512.

Hunters Interiors, 01780 757946, www.huntersinteriorsofstamford.co.uk.

4. Toasted Crumpet, Pure Christmas candle with orange and cinnamon on a soft, warming base of amber and vanilla. In matte gold tin, £14.99. Dobbies of Boston, 01205 631490, www.dobbies.com/boston.

3. Spiced Orange and Red Berry diffuser and votive gift set from Plum & Ashby at Hunters Interiors, Stamford.

5.

& Co

Spice large gold tin soy candle, £26, created by Rachel Clark, in Louth. Hobo & Co, Louth, 07426 813 123, www.hoboandco.co.uk

7. Lincoln Cathedral advent candle, exclusively designed by Alison Gardiner for Lincoln Cathedral, illustrated with choir boys and girls around the base, £5.50. Lincoln Cathedral Shop, 01522 561644, www.lincolncathedral.com.

Hobo

Christmas Orange

6. Sophie Allport Hedgerow Berries diffuser, £28, also available candle, 180g, £20. Sophie Allport, 01780 751044, www.sophieallport.com.

8. William Morris At Home Bullerswood, clementine & clove scented candle, £19.99. Dobbies of Boston, 01205 631490, www.dobbies.com/boston.

The Zero Carbon Myth

Can we achieve net zero carbon by 2050, given the planning regime and Conservation planning rules? We ask Roy Wakeman OBE, Chairman of The New Window Company

We are led to believe that there are 9m existing homes that require home improvement work that will insulate them from the vagaries of our winter weather and thereby reducing energy consumption as described by all the leading politicians and was a key component of COP 26, and the aim to achieve net zero carbon by 2050.

By our standards some 25 to 30% of these homes come under conservation planning rules as set out by English Heritage and their devolved equivalents in the rest of the UK. Included in the scope of the planning rules and rigidly kept to by most local authorities is the fenestra tion including windows and doors. The vast majority of these are products made from timber and more than often historic box sash windows.

The condition of most of these are in a bad way and were made in times when the performance of the products to reduce noise, energy consumption and pro vide security was not a major consideration.

Today modern manufacturing methods and the treatment of the timber component are such that compliance under the building regulations for these key performance standards is a given.

The condition or the existing windows and doors is such that most leak air and water, provide no comfort for

thermal efficiency and as a result will not help to reduce energy costs. They are normally single glazed putty lined.

The modern window has energy efficient features and can include a slim double-glazed unit 14mm for the her itage market, paint finishes that can be warranted for 12 years and have proven through lifetime cost analysis to have a life expectancy of 65 years.

With our supply chain partner Timber Windows.com we provide a collection of specially designed windows and doors that have gained positive feedback and planning approval from planning authorities across the UK.

When presented to the home they are an exact replica of the existing products but have a slightly heavier section to carry the performance characteristics so do not detract from the period design the houses are meant to maintain.

But approval from the planning authorities does not come readily and homeowners wanting to improve the thermal efficiency, security and sound insulation will find a sensible discussion with the planning authority to explain the features of the products will generally win approval.

The end result will provide protection for the maintenance of the Heritage state of the home whilst providing all the benefits of modern performance in Security, thermal and sound insulation. n

Find Out More: Modern Timber Windows made by the UK’s recognised market leader Timber Windows.com are available from: The New Window Company Ltd., and have extensive showrooms with full size displays at Elms Barns, Frieston Heath, Caythorpe Lincolnshire, NG32 3HD. Telephone 01400 272538, www.newwindow.co.uk.

LINCOLNSHIRE’S CHRISTMAS TREE FARM

OH! CHRISTMAS TREE

About 40 years ago, two farming brothers from Lincolnshire decided they’d add Christmas trees to their crop rotation. Hardly the easiest things to grow, and they definitely need patience, but the latter is a virtue, and now their farm is one of the happiest places in Lincolnshire at this time of year!

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE, we’re told, but we’re not too sure that there are many farmers who are virtuous enough to wait the best part of ten years to harvest their crop. Why, then, would you choose to diversify from cereal farming and the usual mix of arable crops, into growing Christmas trees?

The sheer joy of Christmas for a start, says the team at Fillingham Christmas Trees, equidis tant between Lincoln and Gainsborough.

But also because you know there’s a market for them each year, and because the crop segues well with other arable crops in terms of when they require attention.

The company, part of W & AC Rose, established 40 years ago by William and Alfred Rose, farms over 1,000 hectares with crops including wheat and barley, a little oilseed rape, peas, spelt and maize.

Its Christmas tree crop covers 160 hectares of land in total, making the company one of the largest growers of trees in the area. Unlike the farm’s other crops though, its Christmas trees take a couple of years to establish themselves and only then grow… at a rate of about a foot each year.

That means the tree you take home for Christmas could have been eight years in the

Words: Rob Davis.

growing. And that’s not the only tricky element of growing Christmas trees. Their size and bulk compared to other crops makes irrigation impractical, so the farm just isn’t set up for it. They’re an awkward crop to manoeuvre around with machinery, hence the company has had to invest in some seriously specialised equipment to en sure they can afford their precious trees the care and attention they deserve.

Fortunately, some time ago, the farmers came across a Danish company called Jutek, which manufactures some of the strangest looking tractors you’ve ever seen. The best way to describe them is as being part-tractor and part-tripod, from War of the Worlds. They’re able to tiptoe through the fields performing a multitude of operations like trimming the bottoms of the trees to ensure a good trunk, or keeping the weeds at bay in the crowded fields. The machines can also have 360° vertical hedge trimmer-style blades which groom the trees’ circumference to en sure they’re trimmed into nice round shapes.

The farm’s machines takes out the labour from the growing of the trees, although nothing can take away the task of shifting all of those trees to its wholesale and retail customers.

Many of the trees that Fillingham Christmas Trees grows are sold via some of the county’s most well-known garden centres, but others are sold directly to customers who visit the farm from the end of November.

The farm’s Christmas tree operation has grown so large and is so busy that the public are no longer safely able to venture out into the field. However, when the farm’s Christmas shop opens, there’s no shortage of festive spirit as people find their perfect tree and enjoy a hot chocolate or something delicious to eat from its food stalls a festive hog roast, perhaps. Santa will also be in residence, meeting children in his grotto to confirm which ones have been good or naughty all year long.

After that, families can pick their tree, from a modest 3ft to the very largest 20ft specimens. The most popular height for a Christmas tree is 6ft, and the slightly softer, bluer Nordmann Fir has probably usurped the Norway Spruce in terms of popularity, although the latter is more traditional and certainly more heavily scented.

Whilst the traditional ritual of picking a Christmas tree and wrestling it onto the car roof is alive, well, and all part of the fun, Fillingham Christmas Trees does also have its online shop, where you can specify your preferred variety and height for either a cut or pot-bound tree, then have it delivered directly to your door. There’s delivery option, too, for trees you’ve picked in person.

There are many tips and tricks floating around that profess to be able to help your tree live longer; from cutting off the base to expose fresh trunk, to watering it with cola. Forget all that though. The only way to ensure a tree lives as long as possible in your home is to start with a fresh tree, and keep it well-watered. Opting to pick your tree from the area’s most festive Christmas tree plan tations – one with over 40 years experience – will see both you and your tree enjoying a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year too! n

BRANCHING OUT: Exploring Different Tree Species...

NORWAY SPRUCE

Traditional, slightly spikier Christmas tree, with the freshest coniferous scent. Tends to have a really good shape, and broad, bushy base. Prone to needle-drop, so keep it in a cool place. n

NORDMANN FIR

The Nordmann Fir has become one of the more popular varieties in recent years with softer needles and excellent needle retention. There’s much less scent but more tolerance to heat. Less green, with a more white/blue hue. n

SCOTCH PINE

Much longer needles, with a wonderful scent and good needle retention. Ideal as larger trees as it’s quite bushy, and for those seeking a Christmas tree which may have pine cones growing on its branches. n

01427 667014 or see www.fillingham-trees.co.uk.

Find Out More: Fillingham Christmas Trees Farm has been selling Christmas trees to the public for 40 years from their family Christmas tree farm and its Christmas shop, located between Lincoln and Gainsborough DN21 5BX. Call

LOOKING AFTER YOUR TREE...

1. Buy a top quality, fresh tree...

If you want a Christmas centrepiece that can withstand more than a few weeks in your home, shopping with quality in mind is a priority. When checking the health of a tree you can also try tapping the cut end to the ground, a few falling needles is expected, but if lots fall off without much movement, it’s time to find another!

2. Trim your trunk... You shouldn’t need to do this at all if your tree has been freshly cut, but once you get your tree home, saw half an inch off the trunk. This will rid your tree of any hardened sap and make sure it can absorb lots of water to stay fresh and green throughout your festivities. If you don't have the tools available to do it yourself, ask your friendly local Christmas tree seller!

3. Keep your tree waterered... Water is key to keeping your tree alive throughout the festive season. Make sure you choose a sturdy stand that can hold a good amount of liquid. Your Christmas tree needs to be kept in water at all times, so finding a base with a good well that you can access is important. Check your tree’s water source every day, you’ll be surprised just how thirsty they can be, drinking upwards of 2-3 pints a day! Make sure the trunk is nicely submerged for happy and healthy needles.

4. Forget the Gimmicks... You might have been told that Coca-Cola or some other house hold staple in the base helps to keep your tree alive. Don’t fall for it! Your beautiful tree just wants a constant supply of fresh water, it’s that simple.

5. Not too hot, not too cold... Your tree’s natural habitat at this time of year is out in the cold air; minimise the shock of the relocation. Constant heat or fluctuating temperatures can dry your tree out very quickly and if you’re planning to put your tree up very early this year, it’s vital you keep it away from direct heat.

Words: Forestry England.

I’M DREAMING OF A GREEN CHRISTMAS

THE HOLLY & THE IVY, AND LOTS OF OTHER FESTIVE FOLIAGE TOO...

Ivy is often mischaracterised, accused of strangling trees or damaging buildings, a sort of clingy, misunderstood vandal. Research by English Heritage has shown that in some cases, ivy can help preserve stonework on old buildings. In fact, this woody, evergreen, much maligned, supports over 50 species of wildlife and lives symbiotically with other trees. There are two sub-species; Hedera helix and Hedera hibernica. The latter doesn’t climb, but

rather spreads across the ground. Mature plants produce flowers from September to November and there are few habitats or conditions in which it doesn’t thrive – sometimes a little too quickly for some gardeners’ preferences. The association of ivy with Christmas celebrations dated back to the Pagans but was adopted by Christians in medieval times. Sharp’s English Folk-Carols (1911) was the first published version of the song The Holly and The Ivy. n

Poinsettias are a Christmas classic and an obvious choice to have brightening up your home during the festive season. Many are grown in Lincolnshire at nurseries such as Bells at Benington. The reason that poinsettias thrive during Christmas is because they’re tropical plants and so if you’re placing one on a windowsill, make sure it’s not touching the glass, since the cold will damage it almost immediately. Never overwater poinsettias or leave them sitting in water, and make sure their pots have good drainage. n

Mistletoe is hemiparasitic, meaning it gains much of its nutrition and water from its host in order to photosynthesise. There are 900 species worldwide, but only European mistletoe (Viscum album) is native to the UK.

Mistletoe prefers cultivated apple trees but will also grow on hawthorn, poplar and lime, meaning orchards and churchyards are its most common home. It wasn’t until the 1700s that the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe was established, with a belief that the plant symbolised fertility and romance. n

Shakespeare reckoned that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Well, The Christmas Rose is in fact a hellebore, also known as a Lenten rose, because they flower from late winter into spring. Hellebores actually belong to the buttercup family. What’s in a name? Very little we reckon! n

BECOME A HOLLY BUDDY...

A festive favourite, holly is a dioecious plant, meaning it has separate male and female plants.

Much more common prior to enclosure, the ancient forests of the Midlands were cleared of vast swathes of holly following the 1803 act. Still, mature holly trees can stretch up to 15 metres tall and live for 300 years.

Holly is a staple food to over 30 species, including Britain’s five thrush species, which eat holly berries and disperse the seed when excreting digested berries.

There are more than 400 varieties of holly – whose Latin name is Ilex – with many different shapes, degrees of prickliness and with variegated varieties too.

Bushes grow best in moist well-drained soil, and are tolerant of either sun or shade. Berries are produced on female plants from autumn until mid-winter. Both genders produce white flowers with four petals, but male plants have more prominent stamens, whilst females flowers produce the berries. If you’re planting holly in your garden, be sure to have at least one male plant in close proximity to female plants.

Holly leaves and berries reflect the light and add colour to the dark days of Yule, and it’s the red berries’ asso ciation with blood and spikey leaves, too, that has led to an association with Christian tradition. In Celtic mythology the Holly King ruled over the half of the year from the summer to the winter solstice. At this time the Oak King defeated the Holly King to rule for the time until the summer solstice. n

Lesser known facts about this festive favourite

Mercedes SL43 AMG

IF SANTA NEEDSA NEW SLEIGH, we reckon he could do a lot worse than Mercedes Benz’s beautiful new SL. Granted, it’s a bit short on luggage space for all those presents, and despite aspirations towards being a 2+2, there’s really only room for in the front for Santa and Rudolph or Mrs Claus... the other reindeer, I’m afraid, will have to remain back in Lapland.

Mercedes first launched the SL (Sport-Leicht) as a two-seater sports car based on the W198 racing car. That was in 1954, and it has since morphed into the firm’s flagship GT with new versions in 1963, 1971, 1989, 2001 and 2013. The new seventh iteration was previewed in May, but has only now gone on sale... just in time for winter. Not ideal for a soft top especially as Mercedes has ditched the heavy folding hard

top of the outgoing model for a lighter conventional soft top roof – right?

Well, thanks to a 450g/m2 fabric roof, with three layers, Mercedes reckons its new SL can insulate the cockpit better than the outgoing folding hardtop, and with heated seats, heated steering wheel and Airscarf warm air blowers in the headrests the entry-level SL43 should provide cosy open-top motoring even in winter.

Elsewhere in the range are SL55 & SL63 models, plus Touring, Premium Plus, Touring Plus and Performance versions. Don’t bother, as the base model is well-enough

equipped, and your money is better spent on Mercedes’ excellent Driver Assistance package with its adaptive cruise control and automatic observance of speed limits.

Speaking of which, the basic SL43 has a 2.0 four-cylinder engine which reaches 60mph in under five seconds, 171mph on a closed racetrack. It’ll achieve just over 30mpg, too, so any extra performance from the 4.0V8 SL55 or SL63 is superfluous performance and excess running costs.

The SL is a great looking car, well-equipped with bags of performance. Of course, at £108,000 it wants to be, but as a flagship sports car that also represents Mercedes Benz’s last huzzah in the field of combustion engines before electrification finally achieves ubiquity, it’s an absolute triumph! n

If the idea of ordering a soft-top car in December seems absurd, bear with us... Mercedes’ new SL is open for business and will provide a cosy drive, even in winter!

Open for Business... even in winter!

Price: £108,030 (On sale now). Powertrain (SL45): 2.0V4 16v, nine-speed automatic transmission, rear wheel drive.

Performance: Top speed 171mph, 0-60mph 4.9secs. WLTP 30.1mpg.

Equipment: 20” alloy wheels, parking package (sensors, automatic parking) with 360° camera, heated seats, steering wheel, Airscarf, navigation, ambient lighting, power roof and windows, Nappa leather, Burmeister stereo. n

LINCOLNSHIRE TOURISM AWARDS

Bransby Horses celebrate their status as Small Visitor Attraction finalists in the Destination Lincolnshire awards, Image: Steve Smailes, Stonebow Media.

The Biggest & Best Tourism Awards EVER for Destination Lincolnshire

OVER 350 PEOPLE recently celebrated the biggest and best tourism awards that Lincolnshire has ever held, hosted at The Engine Shed and organised by Stonebow Media and MyLocal in association with Destination Lincolnshire and Lincoln College. The awards were hosted by John Marshall, with a Chicago-theme to the evening. Winners in the awards included Canwick’s International Bomber Command Centre (Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award, Large Visitor Attraction); Go Ape at Normanby Hall (Experience of the Year); The Pig & Whistle at Healing Manor (Taste of England Award, Pub of the Year, Resilience and Innovation Award) and The Lincoln Tea & Coffee Company (Customer Service Excellence Award, Marketing Campaign Award).

There were 15 categories in total, with each award sponsored by Visit Lincolnshire, Destination Lincolnshire, ELDC, LNER, Lincoln College Group and insight6. n

Images: Steve Smailes, Stonebow Media/ The Lincolnite.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

A selection of beautiful, luxurious and comfortable nightwear and loungewear to ensure you’re sound asleep when Santa arrives to drop off your gifts...

A of luxurious comfortable nightwear loungewear to ensure sound asleep Santa arrives drop your gifts...

Cosmetics for Christmas

HEALTH & WELL-BEING PRODUCTS TO PUT UNDERNEATH YOUR OWN TREE, OR TO TREAT A LOVED ONE!

1. The gold standard for hair from GHD...

With a dazzling Champagne gold finish and red storage case, GHD’s haircare duo doesn’t just look fantastic, each of its appliances are top performers too. The Helios dryer provides 120km airflow, independently controlled airflow and temperature, plus ionic technology for 30% more shine.

The firm’s Smart Straighteners have high-gloss plates for 64% more shine. £419/set.

2. Lunar Lip Colour

For kissing under the mistletoe, Charlotte Tilbury has perfected her Lunar New Year matte lip colour, shown here in festive K-Romance shade. Softens and conditions lips, and remains kiss-proof for impeccable colour all season long, £28/3.5g.

3. Precision Eyeliner

NARS makes it easier than ever to create stunning eyes, lined with unprecedented precision, thanks to its Liquid Eyeliner shown here in Explicit Black shade. In addition to its deep matte pigment, it’s designed to last 16 hours without smudging, £22/0.4ml

4. A Glossy Christmas

For stunning nails, Gucci’s Vernis À Ongles Nail Polish shown here in Goldie Red provides a brilliant and intense high shine, and up to four days of long-wear. Beautifully formulated to glide evenly and cover effortlessly, and available in 10 different shades, £24, 19ml.

5. A Christmas gift courtesy of Estée Lauder...

Estée Lauder’s biggest, most beautiful collection to date includes seven of the brand’s full-size favourites such as Advanced Night Repair Serum and so much more. £398.98 or just £70 when you spend more than £50 on Estée Lauder at Coneys Department Store, Spalding PE11 1TB.

6. The Luxury Advent Calendar from Space NK

every day in the lead up to Christmas thanks to Space NK, whose ‘25 Days of Beauty’ advent calendar includes brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Caudelie, Sisley and La Mer. Available in Stamford and £215 from High Street, Stamford or www.space

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

A Christmas Wedding

Katy and Dave opted for a Christmas wedding to make their festive celebrations even more special. Grantham’s Stoke Rochford Hall proved a wonderful backdrop...

Wedding Photographer: Jessy Jones Photography, 07947 514456, www.jessyjonesphotography.co.uk.

THERE ARE MANY suitable places to enjoy a first date: smart restaurants, pretty rustic pubs, a dog walk along the beach, or a film at Kinema in the Woods... your local driving range is probably not a place that comes to mind to find true love. But as Katy Coupland discovered, to date a golfer, you have to think like a golfer.

“I’m from Spalding, and Dave is from Boston. We were introduced by two mutual friends, one of whom plays golf with Dave. They took me to meet him on the driving range! He’s a self-employed golf professional who competes on the DP World Tour, and he spends a lot of time on Woodhall Spa’s Hotchkin and Bracken courses. By contrast, I’d never even picked up a golf club!”

First impressions were favourable; Katy thought he was quite a hunk, and so it all came down to whether she could impress him with the graceful swing of a club. Whether a novice or not, she must have done something right, because the two began dating and, in 2011 on holiday in Cyprus, Dave went down on one knee and popped the question, three years after they’d first met.

“We began planning the day properly in 2021, but had to delay the wedding by a year because of Covid. We actually won a reception at our wedding venue with Bespoke Weddings, and Stoke Rochford was our first choice. At the time that we first looked around the venue it was approaching Christmas so all of the decorations were up. It looked so lovely that we suddenly had the idea to have the wedding at Christmas, rather than in the summer.”

“I work in a primary school in Spalding and so I have the school holidays off, and though golf for a professional player takes place all year round, Dave can, to some degree, enjoy

WEDDING SUPPLIERS KATY

& DAVE

Christmas off, so it has always been a really important time for us, a nice opportunity to spend time together. We eventually settled on 3rd December which we reasoned wasn’t too close to Christmas, but would still feel festive.”

“In hindsight we’re really glad, as it gave us a chance to design our wedding with some really nice festive touches and to really make the season special.”

Katy found her Alfred Angelo A-line wedding dress at a local bridalwear retailer who has since retired, with alterations completed at Spalding’s Fancy Frox, where she also found her veil and fluffy bolero, which kept her nice and snug as the couple’s photos were being taken. Fancy Frox also pro vided the groomsmens’ suits and burgundy dresses worn by her four attendants.

Ceremony & Reception: Stoke Rochford Hall, Grantham, 01476 530337, stokerochfordhall.co.uk.

Dress Alterations/Groomsmen’s Suits, Bridal Accessories, Bridesmaids’ Dresses: 01775 719600, www.fancyfrox.co.uk.

Wedding Makeup: Rachel Bray, kissandmakeupbyrachelbray.co.uk.

Flowers: Fenland Florists, fenlandflorist@gmail.com

Cake Decoration: Janet Bowden, Janet’s Cakes, Baked with Love 07920 854911.

DJ: SN Events, Spalding, 07961 808092, www.snevents.co.uk.

Sweet Cart: The Local Sweet Cart Company, 07765 047728 www.thesweetcartcompany.com. n

Holbeach-based Fenland Florist provided Katy’s floristry, with roses and freesia, eucalyptus and of course, Christmas firs. Meanwhile, it’s somewhat of a Christmas tradition for Katy’s mum, Paula, to make her own Christmas cake fed with lots of brandy so that year’s cake served as a home-made wedding cake decorated by local sugarcraft artist Janet Bowden.

Katy created her own table favours using slices of logs, white roses and Gypsophila, and used Christmas crackers as favours. Her table plan, meanwhile, was guests’ names pinned to a Christmas tree.

“Mum walked me down the aisle which meant a lot, and I had so much support from my absolutely lovely in-laws, Louise and Paul. My niece, Ellie, read a poem called ‘Getting Married Means You’ll Have...’ at the ceremony in the orangery and she spoke so beautifully!”

>> “I walked down the aisle to Pachabel’s Canon in D, which I played in hospital to my grandmother four years ago just before she died so she could hear it.”

“She gave me some money to buy some jewellery to wear on my wedding day, so a part of her was with us on the day. We also had a Christmas tree at the venue dedicated to our grandparents, and to those who couldn’t be with us on the day.”

“Dave and I also chose a perfume and aftershave for each other to wear on the day, and he gave me a lovely diamond bracelet to wear on the day too.”

“We won our wedding photography package too, but the photographer closed down his business before our wedding. Fortunately, we were really lucky to find that Jessy Jones had availability. I knew of her photography

I’d long-admired her style. Her images are amazing and she was lovely to work with!”

“One of the highlights of the day was our guests creating an arch of golf clubs for us to walk under. It made a wonderful photo and, of course, golf had to feature somewhere in the day...!”

n

Wedding Photographer: Jessy Jones Photography, 07947 514456, www.jessyjonesphotography.co.uk.

and

“Dave and I also chose a perfume or aftershave for each other on the day, and he gave me a lovely diamond bracelet to wear on the day, too...”

CURRENT VACANCIES

Location: Boston Enterprise Centre, Endeavour Park, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 7TW

Full time, permanent, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. No weekend work.

Lincolnshire Pride and its sister titles Rutland and Stamford Pride are the number one magazines in their areas, providing the highest quality editorial content and photographs for our affluent readership.

Heading up our team is an exciting role with plenty of scope for personal growth. We’re looking for an organised, hard-working individual to oversee our professional team, as they produce the area’s best county magazines, and grow the UK’s number one wedding website, UKbride.

HR, ideas generation and experience of motivating and managing a sales team essential, as is fluency in Excel.

Knowledge of Sage accounts workflow an advantage.

We are seeking a Bookkeeper & Accounts Manager to work across our county magazines, and our national wedding website, UKbride. You’ll have knowledge of Sage 50cloud Accounts plus efficient and accurate organisation skills, and good working knowledge of Excel. Tasks include credit control, sales and purchase ledger, bank reconciliation and preparation of wages, as well as general office management/administration duties.

We’re looking to grow our team of Customer Service Advisors and to recruit four members of staff to work across our county magazines and the UK’s number one wedding website. You’ll be joining a friendly, fun, hard-working and happy team, so the ideal candidates must demonstrate confidence and determination plus excellent verbal communication skills and should be methodical, accurate and hard-working.

JUST SOME OF OUR GENEROUS BENEFITS: Exciting career with a friendly, professional team. • No weekend work, no late nights.

• 25 days holiday, all bank holidays paid for. • Ongoing training with opportunities to progress your career within the business. • Workplace pension.

• Modern air-conditioned offices with free parking. • Free unlimited tea, coffee and juice, use of kitchen, microwave, fridge and break-out area.

If you’re the ideal candidate then send your CV to our Managing Director, Julian Wilkinson julian@pridemagazines.co.uk with covering letter.

Pride Magazines, Boston Enterprise Centre, Endeavour Park, Boston, Lincolnshire PE21 7TW. www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

To advertise here call our friendly team on 01529 469977.