Lincolnshire Pride May 2023 by Pride Magazines Ltd

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WELCOME

ere it comes! The summer! It’s set to be a particularly patriotic one, too, thanks to the forthcoming Coronation of King Charles III which we’re delighted to cover in this edition. A number of events are being planned, from a large outdoor screening of the Coronation at Lincoln Castle to street parties and festivities in towns and villages across Lincolnshire. It’s very much a month to celebrate heroes in this edition, too. Firstly, we’ll celebrate the 80th anniversary of the daring Dambusters raid, and we’ll meet another hero in the form of Neil Woodmansey who recently returned to Lincolnshire having spent 10 days helping out with international rescue efforts following the Turkey/Syria earthquake. Neil had some help, too, from his Border Collie Colin, who helped him to locate survivors and free them from the rubble. They’re a lovely pair; truly fascinating and definitely deserve some recognition. Elsewhere? We’re Dining Out at The Doubletree by Hilton in Lincoln, we’ll meet former Great British Bake Off winner Nancy Birtwhistle to discuss her new book on sustainable gardening, we’ve photographs from the recent Burton Hunt Ball plus we’ll visit Lincolnshire’s twin towns then, a little closer to home, Skegness! Our best wishes, for a great month!

Executive Editor robin@pridemagazines.co.uk

We’re always looking for scenes of Lincolnshire to feature on our covers and in the magazine. If you’re a budding photographer, email your pictures to the address above! 3

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78 26

CONTENTS NEWS & EVENTS 06 42

NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories from across the county including a summer of celebrations in The Wolds.

WHAT’S ON Live music and theatre productions in May.

HIGHLIGHTS 13

115 4

THE DAMBUSTERS Marking the 80th anniversary of the squadron’s daring raid.

FOOD & DRINK 54

DINING OUT Enjoying the dizzy heights of Doubletree by Hilton in Lincoln’s Marco Pierre White Restaurant on the Brayford.

HOMES & GARDENS 64

WELCOME HOME A quirky property in the heart of Stamford.

Neil Woodmansey and Border Collie Colin who have recently returned from earthquake-ravaged Turkey, searching for survivors.

GREEN GARDENING Former Great British Bake Off winner Nancy Birtwhistle on eco-gardening.

GARDENS Open gardens at Aswarby.

SKEGNESS Enjoying Lincolnshire’s

LIFESTYLE

HEROES & FRIENDS We meet

East Coast as holiday season gets underway for the seaside town.

NATIONAL MILLS WEEKEND Lincolnshire’s industrial heritage.

GOD SAVE THE KING This month’s Coronation of King Charles III will see celebrations across the country... we’ve news of a few celebrations in our neck of the woods too!

TWINNED TOWNS Passports at the ready, we’ll meet a few of the county’s continental cousins.

100 102 110 115

MOTORS Volvo’s V60 Cross Country. FASHION Race day ready style. WEDDINGS Issy & Jamie’s day. HIGH LIFE The Burton Hunt Ball.

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NEWS & EVENTS

Celebrate the Wolds in May & June LINCOLNSHIRE WOLDS OUTDOOR FESTIVAL SET TO RETURN THIS SUMMER THE WOLDS Following a successful first outing in 2022, the Lincolnshire Wolds Outdoor Festival will be returning for a second time from 20th May until 11th June, starting with a celebration of all things outdoors at the South Ormsby Estate. The Festival encourages participants to get out and explore the stunning scenery of the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty whilst taking part in an array of exciting activities and learning the fascinating history that lies on many of our doorsteps. This year the Festival will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wolds being designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with over 150 events and activities planned to take place across the area over the course of the three week festival.

Planned activities include clay pigeon shooting, hikes, guided tours, gliding, horse riding, dance classes, river dipping, den building, fly fishing and much more, with

Lincoln brought to life... DOWNHILL LINCOLN’S HISTORY WILL BE CELEBRATED IN NEW GUILDHALL EXHIBITION

most activities are free of charge or available at a greatly reduced cost. Many of the activities will require booking in advance so it is recommended to do so as

early as possible to avoid disappointment. n Up to date details of the events and activities can be found on the festival’s official website at www.woldsoutdoorfestival.com.

LINCOLN A new exhibition will see downhill Lincoln’s history brought to life at the Guildhall. The project was created by second-year Archaeology and History students from local Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). The temporary exhibition offers free admission and will be hosted at the Guildhall and Stonebow until Monday 17th April 2023. Visitors will be taken on a journey through the history of Downhill Lincoln from prehistory to present day. According to one student, it was refreshing to research an aspect of Lincoln’s history that is often overlooked.

“A lot of conversations about the history of Lincoln revolve around the Cathedral Quarter, so it’s been fun getting to explore downhill and shedding some light on an area that isn’t always talked about,” says Milly Jennett. The installation utilises a range of historic sources and showcases the students’ findings, allowing visitors to learn more about Lincoln’s fascinating past while visiting one of the city’s most interesting historical buildings. n Visitors can find opening times and more information at www.visitlincoln.com.

LAST MONTH SAW THE PARTICIPATION OF 70 AIRCRAFT IN THE LARGE-SCALE EXERCISE

Lincoln Cathedral set to celebrate composer Byrd Lincoln Cathedral is to host a series of events to celebrate the life and work of William Byrd, one of its most influential musicians who helped shape the musical culture of western Europe. The Byrd 400 festival, takes place at the Cathedral from 30th June with lectures and performances. n LINCOLN

Image: MOD/Crown.

Aircraft enthusiasts were excited by the sights and sounds of Operation Cobra Warrior which took place at RAF Waddington last month. The exercise saw UK forces joined by aircraft and personnel from the Indian, Finnish and Belgium Air forces as well as the United States Airforce. “Exercise Cobra Warrior aims to demonstrate the agility and unity of participant forces LINCOLN

in multi-domain activities that integrate multiple assets and units in challenging and complex scenarios,” says Squadron Leader Baxter. “These activities will enhance multi-domain interoperability and help deter regional aggression and promote regional security and stability.” The exercise was designed to train participants in high intensity large force operations. n

Image: Essex County Council.

Outdoor family fun Ducks & Dancing in Grantham is on the cards at Grantham’s GRANTHAM

GRANTHAM GETS ITS DUCKS IN ORDER WITH SERIES OF SUMMER EVENTS IN WYNDHAM PARK

Wyndham Park, starting with the return of the annual duck race as Pride goes to press. The ever-popular event takes place on Saturday April 8th, and future events in the park include May Day in the Park, on Monday, 1st May, which is the May Day Bank Holiday. Between 10.30am and 3.30pm, the park will host a variety of activities including traditional dancing, music, family games and a craft market. The Park café will be open to visitors, with free parking at Wyndham Park and Queen Elizabeth Park. n facebook.com/wyndhamparkgrantham

£1m Update

Operation Cobra Ends

LINCOLN Ahead of the 20-year anniversary in 2025, Lincolnshire County Council is investing around £1m to update The Collection Museum over the next two years – starting with a straightforward renaming. From early April, the venue will be known as Lincoln Museum, and its refurbishment will be complete in time for the anniversary. n

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LOCAL

NEWS In Brief BOSTON

Application made for two Pilgrim Women sculptures Civic arts organisation Transported has applied to Boston Borough Council for permission to create two sculptures of Pilgrim Women each on stone plinths, which would be sited close to St Botolph’s Church. The sculptures have been created by Rachel Carter and ‘explore the town’s Pilgrim themes’ in preparation for the town’s 2030 Puritan anniversary. The land is owned by the church, but it has already given permission for the sculptures to be installed there. The two statues have already been created and have been on display at The Collection in Lincoln. n 7

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NEWS & EVENTS

£5m funding for Pier’s development SKEGNESS PIER AND EMBASSY THEATRE SET TO BENEFIT FROM £5M REDEVELOPMENT SKEGNESS East Lindsey District Council has been awarded £5million funding from Arts Council England’s Cultural Development Fund to support partners in transforming the Embassy Theatre and regenerating Skegness Pier and the surrounding area. Cultural Revival: The Midlands Coast, is led by East Lindsey District Council and overseen by the Connected Coast Board, will support the transformation of the cultural assets on Skegness Foreshore. The funding will support continuing plans to establish the Embassy Theatre as a new international ‘Culture House’ which will connect the Midlands Coast to other national and international venues and festivals. Works will include refurbishing the auditorium and dressing rooms, creating a new interactive classroom and

LOCAL NEWS In Brief

THE CHIPS DEFINITELY AREN’T DOWN FOR LINCOLNSHIRE’S TAKEAWAYS A number of Lincolnshire chippies have been celebrated in the 2022/3 Fry Awards. Wragby’s Lincolnshire Fryer on Louth Road and Linford’s Traditional Fish & Chip Shop in the Deepings have been named among the 50 best and 10 best UK chippies respectively. n

creative workspaces as well as VIP boxes to enable high quality productions, with improved access and facilities. For Skegness Pier, the application will support the

first phase of a multi-million pound redevelopment project led by owernrs, the Mellors Group, to restore the Pier as a new visitor attraction and cultural platform.

A green space for Grimsby WORK COMMENCES ON GRIMSBY’S NEW GREEN SPACE WHICH WILL ALSO HOST LIVE EVENTS...

Proposals include improved accessibility, renewing the lighting and furniture on the pier, and the restoring of abandoned beach huts plus a new multi-use amphitheatre. n

GRIMSBY Work has begun at The Riverhead in Grimsby which will create a new open space in the centre of town.

Since the hoardings went up, work has been going on to remove old trees, clear out old pipework and cables, and prepare the site for the start of the works. In the coming months, the existing square will be completely re-remodelled, funded as one of the projects included in the Town Deal. The scheme will see extensive green-space and planting, as well as providing new seating, lighting, security and a flexible event space for future events and activities. n

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King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose for an official portrait at their Welsh residence of Llwynywormwood Image: Chris Jackson, Clarence House.

CORONATION WEEKEND

GOD SAVE the KING May sees the Coronation of King Charles III in a ceremony not witnessed since 1953. This month we’ve details of the ceremony, the King and Queen, plus a round up of events happening a little closer to home, as well as those taking place in Westminster Abbey... The Long Reign of formidable Queen Elizabeth II ended after a record 70 years on 8th September 2022, and this month sees the de jure reign of King Charles III officially marked at Westminster Abbey in a weekend of celebrations designed to both reflect the past whilst remaining sufficiently forward thinking to take the British monarchy through the 21st century.

The organisation of the King’s Coronation has been referred to in 2023 by the code name Operation Golden Orb, but the ceremony will still follow customs dating back to Harold II’s Coronation in January 1066. The service will see King Charles crowned as part of a Eucharist or Holy Communion service, referencing Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper. >> 13

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KING CHARLES III

CORONATION | 6th-8th MAY 2023

>> Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953, at the start of her record reign, cost £912,000 (the equivalent of £18m today). Back then, over 250 were involved in the procession into Westminster Abbey and the ceremony lasted three and a half hour, divided into six parts. It was watched live by over 8,251 attendees from 129 nations in the Abbey plus 2,000 journalists and 500 photographers, with 27m out of a population of 36m in the country watching the event on TV and a further 11m listening on the radio. This month’s Coronation is set to be a little more modest, and in fact, the number attending the ceremony itself will be limited to just 2,000. >>

CORONATION REGALIA: Crowns & Crosses... Uniform: King Charles III will arrive at Westminster wearing military uniform. He will then be robed in the Robe of State and upon conclusion of the ceremony, he will wear the more elaborate 15lb Imperial Robe of Estate, made of ermine with elaborate embroidery. The Crown: King Charles III will be crowned with the St Edward’s Crown, pictured. It’s considered sacred and will only be used at the point of Coronation. From December 2022 it was removed from the Tower of London to be modified in preparation. It was made in 1661 and weights 4.9lb Coronation Chair: Made by order of King Edward I 1300 to hold the Stone of Scone. Currently being restored at a cost of £200,000. Sovereign’s Sceptre: Used since Charles II’s ascension, represents the Sovereign’s temporal power and good governance. Sovereign’s Orb: During his investiture, the King will be presented with the Sovereign’s Orb, which dates back to 1661 and reminds the monarch that their power is derived from God. Imperial State Crown: Once King Charles leaves Westminster Abbey, he will wear the Imperial State Crown, made from solid gold with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls and four rubies. It was made in 1937 and weighs 2.3lb.

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Her Majesty

The Queen Consort... n Born Camilla Rosemary Shand on 17th July 1947. Daughter of Major Bruce Middleton Hope Shand and the Hon Rosalind Maud Shand (nee Cubitt). n Educated at Dumbrells School, Sussex, then Queen’s Gate School in South Kensington. She also attended Mon Fertile school in Switzerland and studied at the Institut Britannique, Paris. n Previously married to Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles from 1973-1995. Two children, Thomas Henry (b.1974); Laura Rose (b.1978). Five grandchildren and five step-grandchildren. n Married The Prince of Wales 9th April 2005 at Windsor’s Guildhall. n Since 2005 The Queen Consort (formerly HRH The Duchess of Cornwall) has become patron of 90 charities and was appointed the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). n Currently styled Queen Consort, HRH will be known as The Queen following the Coronation.

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KING CHARLES III

CORONATION | 6th-8th MAY 2023

>> The service will comprise of five successive phases. The Peers and Royal Entrances of Westminster Abbey will be opened from 8.30am on Saturday 6th May 2023, ready for the regalia to be transferred to the High Altar just before 10am. The monarch will arrive at about 11am and precede to the Chair of Estate for about 11.15am. The first part of the ceremony is The Recognition, where the monarch is presented to ‘the people’ by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chancellor, Lord Great Chamberlain and Lord High Constable. Fanfares for the 2023 event will be played by the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry and the Fanfare Trumpeters of the Royal Air Force. Next, the Coronation Oath a legal obligation in which the monarch agrees to uphold the law. Interestingly, King Edward VIII didn’t take the oath but still discharged his royal duties, indicating that this part of the coronation is not a prerequisite. The monarch makes the pledge on the bible and then the Accession Declaration Oath is made. Changes to the law in 1910 removed the need to make clear a monarch’s opposition to the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. Following the creed, a hymn and the prayer of Consecration is taken, and in 1953 this was accompanied by Handel’s Zadok the Priest. The King will be divested of the Robe of State and dressed in the Robe of Estate, then anointed and seated on the Coronation Chair, as four Knights of the Garter hold a canopy of gold cloth above the monarch. Having risen form the chair, King Charles will receive the investiture and the sovereign’s orb will be delivered to the monarch’s right hand. The monarch will then be crowned then after declarations of ‘God Save the King,’

and with the sword of state before him, the King will deliver the Sceptre and Rod to their respective bearers, and the Lords Spiritual will pay homage. Buckingham Palace has ensured that Monday 8th May will be an extra bank holiday, and the Palace itself will be hosting a concert and laser light show on Sunday 7th May. Several thousand tickets have been allotted to guest via a public ballot. Also on Sunday, the public are being encouraged to host The Coronation Big Lunch, sharing food and fun with local communities. On Monday, meanwhile, we’re being encouraged to take part in The Big Help Out, which will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas. There are, of course, a number of events taking place a little closer to home, which we’ll cover over the page. >>

Find Out More: To take part in The Big Help Out on Monday 8th May see www.thebighelpout.org.uk.

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TIMELINE

HM King Charles III

Above: State Opening of Parliament 2022. Left: Cecil Beaton’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II following her coronation in 1953. Right: Westminster Abbey.

THE TOP 20: Succession to the British Throne... King George V (1865–1936) King George VI (1895–1952) Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022)

King Charles III (b. 1948) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

William, Prince of Wales (b. 1982) Prince George of Wales (b. 2013) Princess Charlotte of Wales (b. 2015) Prince Louis of Wales (b. 2018) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (b. 1984) Prince Archie of Sussex (b. 2019) Princess Lilibet of Sussex (b. 2021)

8. Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b. 1960) 9. Princess Beatrice (b. 1988) 10. Sienna Mapelli Mozzi (b. 2021) 11. Princess Eugenie (b. 1990) 12. August Brooksbank (b. 2021) 13. Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (b. 1964) 14. James, Earl of Wessex (b. 2007) 15. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2003) 16. Anne, Princess Royal (b. 1950) 17. Peter Phillips (b. 1977) 18. Savannah Phillips (b. 2010) 19. Isla Phillips (b. 2012) B D W 20. Zara Tindall (née Phillips; b. 1981). n

n 14th November 1948: Prince Charles of Edinburgh is born at Buckingham Palace to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Elizabeth Alexandra, later Queen Elizabeth II. n 15th August 1950: Princess Elizabeth gives birth to her second child, Princess Anne of Edinburgh, at Clarence House, London. n 6th February 1952: Princess Elizabeth accedes the throne upon the death of her father King George VI. The Queen’s coronation takes place on 2nd June 1953 at Westminster Abbey. n 7th November 1956: Prince Charles commenced classes at Hill House School, West London, followed by Cheam Preparatory School in 1958 and Gordonstoun in 1962. n 19th February 1960: HM The Queen’s third child, Prince Andrew is born at Buckingham Palace. n 10th March 1964: The Queen gives birth to her fourth and final child, Prince Edward at Buckingham Palace. n 1st July 1969: Prince Charles of Edinburgh is formally invested as Prince of Wales. n 8th March 1971: Prince Charles flies himself to RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire and gains his wings in August. n 1977: The future king meets Lady Diana Spencer at her family home, Althorpe and the couple become romantically involved in 1980. n 29th July 1981: Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer, the two would separate in December 1992 and divorce in 1996, a year before her fatal accident. n 21st June 1982: Charles and Diana become parents to William Arthur Philip Louis. William will marry Katherine Middleton in 2011 and the couple would have three children, George, Charlotte and Louis. n 21st June 1982: The couple bring their second child, Henry Charles Albert David, into the world. He will marry Meghan Markle in 2018, the couple would have Archie and Lilibet. n 10th February 2004: Prince Charles announced his engagement to Camilla Parker Bowles. The couple marry in 2005 and she takes the title Duchess of Cornwall. n 9th Apr 2021: Prince Philip dies age 99. n 10th May 2022: Prince Charles stands in for The Queen for the first time during an opening of Parliament. n 8th September 2022: Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles becomes King.

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KING CHARLES III

CORONATION | 6th-8th MAY 2023

CELEBRATE AT THE CASTLE: Lincoln Castle Plans... LINCOLN CASTLE is providing the perfect setting to celebrate the Coronation this month, with the castle’s grounds dressed in celebratory colours. The coronation will be shown on a big screen. In addition, there will be live entertainment from the Castle bandstand and plenty of space to bring your own picnic. The Castle grounds are free to enjoy over the bank holiday inclusive of the bandstand entertainment. Further details are due to be confirmed as Pride goes to press, see the Castle’s website for details. n Find Out More: Open from 10am, see www.lincolncastle.com.

CORONATION GOWNS ON DISPLAY AT BELVOIR... HISTORIC ceremonial robes made for the 9th Duke of Rutland for the Coronation of George VI in 1937 are now on display at Belvoir Castle. The Duke’s Coronation Robes were at the Coronation of George VI in 1937 where he performed the role of Bearer of the sceptre and cross, then by Charles, 10th Duke of Rutland at the Coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. n

Emblem for The Coronation The official logo of the Coronation has been created by former Apple designer Sir Jony Ive KBE. It uses the colour of the union flag and features roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks to pay tribute to the four nations.

n Sleaford Town Council is busy putting plans together and organising an exciting itinerary of events to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6th May 2023 and the Bank Holiday weekend. Plans include a large event at Boston Road Recreation Ground with a large screen on the grass to televise the Coronation, a fancy dress charity fun run, live music and entertainment with a headline act. n Woodhall Spa is hosting a Jubilee Coronation Event on Sunday 7th May with fun and games, arts and crafts, interactive theatre, plus live music performed from the bandstand. n Grantham’s St Wulfram’s Church will host a service of thanksgiving for King Charles III with the Mayor of Grantham and other civic groups joining together to celebrate the Coronation. n Skegness will host Coronation celebrations in Tower Gardens organised by Skegness Town Council. n Stamford Town Council is also planning a Coronation celebration on the town’s Recreation Ground Road Park.

Image: Coronation Gowns, Belvoir Castle, by Charlotte Graham Photography.

Find Out More: Belvoir Castle is now open, with a display of the family’s ceremonial Coronation robes available to view as part of a weekend-long celebration of the Coronation, see www.belvoircastle.com.

LINCOLNSHIRE’S CORONATION EVENTS...

n Street Parties: Finally, street parties across Lincolnshire will be taking place, with the government contributing up to £300 each to help fund celebrations on a ‘first come, first served,’ basis via district councils.

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LINCOLNSHIRE HEROES

Heroes & Friends Neil Woodmansey MBE and Colin aren’t just best friends: they’re close colleagues who have recently worked together on a humanitarian mission as part of Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue’s ISAR service to find survivors of the Turkey/Syria earthquake... Words: Rob Davis.

WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE INTERVIEWING Neil Woodmansey. But you wouldn’t know it; someone else thinks they’re the superstar here. You might think that between Neil and his five-year old Border Collie Colin, it would be Neil doing most of the talking… but Colin will barely let him get a word in edgeways with a series of whimpers and howls if he’s not centre of attention... plus an insistence on constantly having his belly rubbed.

Whilst sitting on the sofa with a box of Kleenex and a Lemsip, Neil turned on the TV and watched the awful news break of the Turkey-Syria earthquake.

Cuddling up to me on his sofa in Sleaford (Colin that is, not Neil), he looks like any other soppy, pampered, very content family dog. But together, Colin and his handler (and personal assistant, PR officer and showbiz manager) Neil are a formidable pair, helping out with humanitarian rescue attempts efforts across the globe.

Over the next week, 56,000 deaths would be confirmed and the financial cost would be estimated somewhere in the region of $100bn.

“He’s an absolutely lovely lad. Everyone that comes across him is instantly won over by his charm, but he’s also really smart, very intelligent, responsive to training and really good for the role he’s just performed,” says Neil. He’s referring to the fact that the two have recently returned from a 10-day deployment in earthquake-stricken Turkey where, together, Neil & Colin have helped to locate a number of survivors so they can be pulled from the rubble of the flattened region. A few days before the disaster, Neil was due to enjoy a holiday in Miami; warm weather, nice beaches… that sort of thing. Unfortunately, a cancelled flight and a pretty horrible bout of flu led to Neil giving up his travel plans and instead returning to Sleaford.

On 6th February at 4.30am, for 80 seconds, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Şehitkamil, Gaziantep, damaging an area of 140,000m2 and rendering about 1.4m people homeless.

As for Neil, his recuperation was about to be curtailed by a text from the coordinators of the UK’s International Search and Rescue Teams (ISAR), asking if he and Colin were available to join British rescuers in the stricken region. Neil began his working life as a submariner in the Royal Navy before joining the fire service in 1985, settling in the county to serve with Lincolnshire’s Fire & Rescue heroes, a decade later. Just a couple of years before Neil arrived in Lincolnshire, the county became one of 15 UK fire and rescue services to contribute personnel and equipment to UK-ISAR which can be deployed via the Foreign & Commonwealth Office when requested by overseas agencies to assist following humanitarian accidents and disasters in the UK. Main: Neil and Colin, a pair of heroes, and a couple of best friends, pictured at Waddington’s Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue training facility.

The success of ISAR also led to the creation of USAR (Urban Search & Rescue) in Lincolnshire as a response to 9/11, equipped with really specialist rescue equipment and personnel that can be deployed for especially complex rescue emergencies in the UK. ISAR/USAR deployments are designated as light (on foot, with rucksacks and hand-tools), medium (operational capability for technical search and rescue operations in structural collapse incidents) and heavy (for difficult and complex technical search and rescue operations). Different members bring different specialisms to their teams’ operational capabilities specialising in, for instance, structural engineering, providing operators of machines designed to cut through concrete or tunnel into collapsed buildings, or in Neil and Colin’s case, the deployment of a dog and handler as a specialist team to search for survivors. Colin is one of just six dogs in the UK who can undertake such a specialised search and rescue deployment. And Neil has trained him personally. “I really enjoyed being a firefighter and got on well with the practical elements of the job. As I gained more experience with the service I found myself working more and more in the office and being in front of a computer, which didn’t appeal as much as being on the ground.” “At that time the service didn’t have a search and rescue dog team, which I thought would be a useful asset.” >> 21

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“The pilot of the aircraft was a fan of Border Collies. Colin was quickly upgraded and flew First Class!” >> I was offered the chance to train Holly, my first rescue dog, a black Labrador. It took about 18-months and she was wonderful. We were later deployed together with UK-ISAR in the Pakistan earthquake of 2005 and in Haiti five years later.” Holly retired after 10 years of service and after being named Sleafordian of the Year in the town awards, and being honoured at the 2011 Dogs Trust Award. Holly also appeared on a postage stamp, she and Neil were listed in a national newspaper’s list of the Top 100 Things that Make British People Happy. She also helped Neil to carry the 2012 Olympic torch through the town on its relay journey. Sadly she died in 2019, by which time Neil also had Holly’s friend Maisie, who’s now 15-years old herself. It was Neil’s son who first introduced him to Colin five years ago and today they share custodianship of him. Recognising that Colin needed vast amounts of stimulation – even by a Border Collie’s standards – Neil began to train him, and so began a brilliant working relationship. “He was born for it, and the Fire Service were really supportive of us both, enabling me to work with Colin, who picked up the training unbelievably well!” Training Colin begins with his favourite toy, a squeaky ball, which is used as a positive reward. Colin is rewarded when he barks for his toy, initially at close quarters. Next, the distance that Colin has to go in order to get hold of his ball is increased up to about 100ft, and then the game is made a little harder. Colin is told to stay whilst somebody hides behind one of the structures on Waddington’s state-of-the-art Fire & Rescue training facility which Neil and his team designed and constructed. It’s now used by teams both from the UK and overseas as probably the UK’s best ISAR/USAR training facility. Soon, Colin learns to search for a person by their scent and is rewarded by his toy. 22

Neil is always keen to have some help training Colin, and if he’s ever short of a participant in a game of hide and seek, six-month old Kit is always happy to oblige... as you can see, they’re best friends!

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NEIL WOODMANSEY & COLIN THE WONDER DOG

Eventually, he’s able to seek out a person with a voice command, and Neil can command him to go left or right too. Colin barks to indicate the presence of a human being and is rewarded with the ball and lots of fuss.

take a private flight alongside 77 other UK-ISAR rescuers including doctors, paramedics and those specialising in the operation of the kind of heavy equipment commonly used in rescues.

“We were divided into four teams – Red One and Two, Blue One and Two, with about 10 people in each of the four teams – and then we were deployed within an area based on intel for about 15 hours a day.”

In the aftermath of an earthquake, that means Colin (and Neil) can seek out casualties and indicate to other rescuers where to retrieve a survivor.

In addition to all of the rescue kit, the team also needed tents, cooking equipment, showers, food and other gear to ensure they remain self-sufficient.

“There were no showers for the first few days so we were quite glad when we finally got them rigged up. During the day it was warm, especially in rescue gear.”

Back in Sleaford, Neil responded to the National Coordinators’ text to indicate his availability. After the coordinators have selected the most suitable ISAR team members with their respective skills for a deployment in Turkey, a second text indicated that the two were on the team and detailed when and where their flight would depart from, just 10 hours later.

Colin is particularly charismatic and as the pilot of the aircraft was already a fan of Border Collies, he was quickly upgraded to First Class and Neil has a photo of him enjoying an in-flight meal on the four-hour flight.

Sleaford Vets on the town’s West Banks managed to squeeze Colin in for a quick physical, and with a clean bill of health, he and Neil made their way to Birmingham to

The team landed a couple of hours from their deployment and were taken to a football stadium where they set up their base of operation (BOO). Top/Left: Ouch! Colin sustains an injury... but you can’t keep a good dog down! Above: The scene facing rescuers. Image: Doga Ayberk Demir.

“At night though, it was freezing, down to about -7°c. There’s only field rations to eat which aren’t that appealing warm, but when there’s only cold water to hydrate them, they’re even worse!” “You’re given an area to search about the size of Sleaford’s High Street, but everything – absolutely everything – is flattened, completely destroyed. Our priority on the ground is to act on information that cries for help have been heard and then deploy Colin to search for them.” >> 23

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>> “People will come up to you and tell you they’ve heard their loved ones under the rubble and sadly that’s not always the case. Perhaps it’s grief and wishful thinking, or the fact that some faith groups value their loved ones being buried as promptly as possible. Our priority, as a humanitarian resource, though, has to be those who can still be rescued alive.” When set to work, Colin suddenly goes from a lovable boy and a great family pet to a really focused, very serious part of the team. With his little booties protecting his paws from the glass and sharp metal, he scrambles into collapsed buildings and jumps into voids. “He’s enthusiastic, very brave but perhaps a bit too brave,” says Neil. “His safety is always a priority, but he has a degree of independence when he’s searching a particular area, and he’s quite relentless. He wears a harness and lights, so we have to be careful he doesn’t get snagged on hazards like rebar, the metal rods which reinforce concrete and are torn apart during an earthquake.”

How To

“He’s very fit and is still lively after a day working, even eating on the job. Mid-way Over 18m people have been affected through the deployment, by the Turkey/Syria earthquake, Colin sustained a cut to his and 56,000 people have died with “To extricate them, the many more injured. The Disasters leg, and we have a vet with teams had to tunnel through Emergency Committee is us who could treat him. We accepting donations towards from the adjacent building, aid, via its website needed to rest him for 24knowing that they were about www.dec.org.uk. hours but you could see he was two floors up and about 10ft away keen to get out the next day. He from the point of entry.” would always sleep well when we returned to “It’s unusual for me to stay on the scene as the base of operations, but I’m still left with long as I did because Colin is usually in such the impression that it’s impossible to tire out demand to identify where survivors are a Border Collie!” located and time is always of the essence so “One rescue that stands out in particular is there’s pressure to move to the next location. when we came across a collapsed apartment The extraction took about 18 hours, and was building,” says Neil. “It had ‘pancaked,’ that incredibly hard work. It was mechanised as is, its five floors had collapsed down onto one much as possible, but still very physical.” another. The people were trapped in a stair“I don’t tend to have any interaction with the well which has been compressed and all casualties for the same reason; we’ve usually around it was just a mass of concrete and moved on to the next location. It’s the same window glass.” in the fire service when I’ve had to extricate people from a car. You’re compassionate, and you care, of course, but you also maintain a Above: Neil Woodmansey with Colin, Colin Calam, Ashley Hildred, and Mark Dungworth. professional distance and I’ve always been

Donate

quite good at putting my experiences into a locker in my brain and filing them away. I think it’s important to acknowledge the role and the part you play in saving somebody’s life, but it would be easy to become too involved and that would prevent you from getting up the next day and doing it all over again.” “I’ve spent 40 years in the Fire Service and I can honestly say I’ve loved every single day. It’s often said in a sycophantic way but honestly the comradeship and the sense of vocation has been incredibly rewarding.” “I’m quite a fit person, and quite mentally resilient, but I’m also ten years beyond retirement age, and with a horrible head cold dragging on too, it was a challenging deployment. We’d been searching from about 7am, and returned to the tent at 2am full of cold and desperate for my bed. The zip on my tent was stuck and I couldn’t get in… a silly thing but it nearly broke me!”

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NEIL WOODMANSEY & COLIN THE WONDER DOG

Neil and Holly receiving the Dogs Trust Award.

“We did have a mobile signal, but again I preferred not to call home and get emotional. I prefer to focus and get on with the job, and to rest when it’s possible to do so. I sent text messages to let everyone at home know I was safe but you’re there to make a difference.” “There’s another side to life that you see, though, one that stays with you just as much if not more, and that’s the inspiring way people pull together. Amid all the destruction and misery people were coming from all over to help each other. There was no sense of self-interest. Everyone was pulling together and the Turkish people themselves were so keen to look after each other.” “You can’t really get the degree of destruction that surrounds you: it’s an area the equivalent size of the whole of Lincoln being just flattened. But here were people pulling together, and arriving from all over the country and all over the world to help one another.”

“I’m not sure whether Colin realises that he’s a hero, or whether he appreciates the difference he makes to somebody’s life: a person who has emerged alive from a disaster because of him!” “Suddenly it puts all of the small things in life into perspective. When you return you almost feel a sense of survivor guilt. Back in Sleaford I’ve people around me who I love a great deal, we all have our health and our friends and family.”

he’s a hero, or whether he appreciates the difference he makes to somebody’s life, a person who has emerged alive from a disaster because of him, and they are now able to witness the rebuilding of their home.”

“We’re also very comfortable. One of the things I’ve enjoyed since being back is being able to turn on a tap and having an unlimited and uninterrupted supply of clean water. And power too, without having to rely on generators.”

At the age of five, Colin is as fit and active as Neil, but the two are currently training a new ISAR dog with another new handler to take over, so that both can retire… eventually.

“It does make you feel grateful for all of the positives in your life. Colin, I think must feel the same… he’s always happy to be around people. I’m not sure whether he realises that

“I love the fact that someone will continue the work and take on the mantle,” says Neil. “Colin has worked really hard and despite his role he’s also a beloved part of the family, so I think he’ll have earned his retirement!” n 25

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A TRIP TO BRACING SKEGNESS

A Trip to Bracing

SKEGNESS Bracing Skegness will be become very busy from Easter when its population increases from 25,000 to about 250,000. This month we celebrate the quintessential seaside town which has managed to consistently reinvent itself right into the 21st century... Words: Rob Davis.

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A VISIT TO SKEGNESS

“Skegness Pier was built in 1881 and stretches out into the North Sea. It’s home to a range of entertainment options, like arcades, restaurants, and bars... >> NESTLED on the Lincolnshire coast, Skegness is a seaside town that exudes charm, character and a sense of nostalgia. With its long sandy beach, fun-filled amusement arcades and bustling promenade, it’s no wonder that it has been a popular holiday destination for generations. The town’s history can be traced back to the late 18th century when it was a small fishing village. However, it wasn’t until the mid-19th century that Skegness began to grow and develop into the bustling seaside town that it is today. The arrival of the railway in 1873 made it more accessible to visitors from further afield, and by the turn of the century, it had become a popular holiday destination for people from all over the country. Skegness is steeped in history, and visitors can explore its rich heritage by visiting some of its iconic landmarks. One of the most famous is the Skegness Clock Tower, which was built in 1898 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. It stands at the heart of the town and is a popular meeting point for locals and visitors alike. Another must-see attraction is the Skegness Pier, which was built in 1881 and stretches out into the North Sea. It's home to a range of entertainment options, including amusement arcades, restaurants, and bars. Visitors can also take a stroll along the pier and enjoy the stunning views out to sea. Skegness is best known for its long sandy beach, which stretches for miles along the Lincolnshire coast. The beach is a popular spot for families, and children can spend hours building sandcastles, paddling in the sea and playing beach games. There are also plenty of opportunities for water sports, including surfing, kayaking and windsurfing. For those who prefer to stay on dry land, Skegness has plenty of other attractions to offer. >> 28

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A VISIT TO SKEGNESS

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“Another popular event is the Skegness Illuminations, which takes place during the winter months. The town is lit up with a range of colourful lights, creating a magical and festive atmosphere...”

>> One of the most popular is Fantasy Island, a theme park home to a range of rides and attractions, including roller coasters, water rides and thrill rides. It’s a great day out for families and adrenaline junkies alike. Another must-see attraction is Natureland Seal Sanctuary, which is home to a range of animals, including seals, penguins and meerkats. Visitors can get up close and personal with the animals and learn about their natural habitats and behaviours. Skegness has a vibrant town centre that’s packed with independent shops, boutiques and markets. Visitors can browse the stores and pick up souvenirs, gifts and locally sourced products. There’s also a range of dining options available, from traditional fish and chips to international cuisine. One of the most popular places to eat in Skegness is the Jolly Fisherman, a historic pub that’s been serving up delicious food and drink for over 150 years. It’s located just a stone’s throw from the beach and is a great spot to relax and unwind after a day of sightseeing.

Skegness is home to a range of events and festivals throughout the year, making it a great destination no matter what time of year you visit. One of the most popular is the Skegness Carnival, which takes place in August and features a range of activities and events, including a parade, live music and a fireworks display. Another popular event is the Skegness Illuminations, which takes place during the winter months. The town is lit up with a range of colourful lights, creating a magical and festive atmosphere. Visitors can take a stroll along the promenade and admire the twinkling lights while enjoying the fresh sea air. Skegness offers a range of accommodation options, from traditional bed and breakfasts to luxury hotels. One of the most iconic places to stay is the Grand Hotel, which was built in 1877 and overlooks the beach. It’s a great spot to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the stunning views. For those who prefer something a little more traditional, there are plenty of charming guesthouses and bed and breakfasts dotted around the town. >>

Left: Aerial view of Skegness. Above: John Nuttall’s donkeys.

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A VISIT TO SKEGNESS

>> They offer a warm welcome and comfortable accommodation, making them a popular choice with families and couples.

traced back to the early 20th century, when the Great Northern Railway began promoting Skegness as a holiday destination.

to back down, and the Jolly Fisherman remained in his rightful place as the towns beloved symbol.

Speaking of warm welcomes, visitors to Skegness are welcomed by Jolly. The character has been associated with Skegness for over a century, and has become a beloved part of the town's history and identity.

The railway company commissioned a series of posters to advertise the town, which featured an image of a jolly fisherman with the tagline ‘Skegness is so bracing.’

Today, the Jolly Fisherman is still going strong, and remains an important part of Skegness's cultural heritage. He has become a symbol not just of the town itself, but of the British seaside holiday in general, and is recognised around the world as a quintessentially British icon.

Of course, the Jolly Fisherman is just one part of Skegness’s rich history. The town has a long and fascinating past, dating back to Roman times. In the centuries that followed, it became a popular destination for pilgrims and travellers, thanks to its proximity to the shrine of St. Botolph. By the 19th century, Skegness had become a fashionable resort, attracting visitors from all over the country. The arrival of the railway in 1875 made the town even more accessible, and sparked a tourism boom that continues to this day. The origins of the Jolly Fisherman can be 32

The image proved to be incredibly popular, and the Jolly Fisherman became synonymous with Skegness. Over the years, the Jolly Fisherman has undergone various changes and adaptations, but his cheerful demeanor and trademark yellow hat have remained constant. He has been featured on everything from postcards to merchandise, and has become a fixture of the town's tourism industry. Despite his enduring popularity, the Jolly Fisherman's future was briefly in doubt in the 1980s, when Skegness Town Council attempted to replace him with a new mascot. However, a public outcry forced the council

Skegness is a quintessential British seaside town that has something to offer everyone. From its rich history and heritage to its long sandy beach and range of attractions, it's a destination that's steeped in charm and character. Whether you're looking for a fun-filled family holiday or a romantic weekend getaway, Skegness is the perfect choice. With its vibrant town centre, bustling promenade, and range of accommodation options, it’s a destination that’s sure to delight and inspire. n

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LINCOLNSHIRE’S TWIN TOWNS

LINCOLNSHIRE’S

TWIN TOWNS Don’t forget your passport this month as we take a tour around Europe and beyond with Lincolnshire’s twin towns, and discover a few facts about our overseas friends... Words: Rob Davis.

THE EARLIEST example of a town ‘twinning’ with another was in 836 when Paderborn in Germany and Le Mans in France established commercial and cultural links. However, Britain’s earliest twin town was Keighley in West Yorkshire, which twinned with the French communities of Suresnes and Puteaux back in 1905. Twinning became popular in the post-war era, most notably between Coventry – bombed heavily in the war – and Stalingrad, Kiel and Dresden from 1947 as a way of helping to heal international relations.

Neustadt an der Weinstrasse TWINNED WITH THE CITY OF LINCOLN...

LINCOLN’S twinning with Neustadt began in 1969, and remains one of the oldest, but also one of the strongest and most successful twinning relationships in the country. Neustadt’s name translates to ‘new town on the wine route’ and the town now comprises of about 10 communities with a combined population of about 55,00, about half of which is Neustadt itself. Located in the Rhineland, it’s home to an annual wine festival here a ‘wine queen’ is chosen – a bit like the queen of Spalding’s tulip parade but... slightly boozier, one imagines. It’s also home to BASF chemicals and the region has no fewer than 12 nature reserves within forest parks. Famous inhabitants include the inventor of the Geiger Counter Hans Geiger and Walter Bruch, inventor of the PAL colour television! n Above: Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany. Neustadt is home to 55,000 people in total, and inspired Lincoln’s first Christmas Market in 1982. Right: Port Lincoln, Australia. Within 35 km around the city there are numerous islands, bays, inlets and coves; and many varieties of fish can be seen.

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Port Lincoln, South Australia

DISCOVERED IN 1802 BY MATTHEW FLINDERS...

IN 1991 a friendship agreement was signed between the City of Lincoln and the city of Port Australia by the two respective mayors. Port Lincoln is located in a bay on the South Australia coast, about parallel with Adelaide, 280km away as the crow flies. Other nearby-ish communities are the marine park and peninsular of Sleaford (home to just 46 people) and Boston Island, Stamford Hill, Lincoln National Park, and the Eyre Peninsula’s Boston, home to just over 1,000 people. Port Lincoln was home to the Barngarla, Nauo, Wirangu and Mirning aboriginal tribes, and was originally known as Galinyala until it was ‘discovered’ on 25th

SPALDING NAVIGATOR

MATTHEW FLINDERS 16th MARCH 1774 - 19th JULY 1814

February 1802 by Matthew Flinders and his vessel HMS Investigator, a sloop with over 80-hands, launched on the insistence of another Lincolnshire explorer, the botanist Sir Joseph Banks. The British government appointed Governor John Handcars, the first Governor in 1836. Just five years later the settlement had 30 stone houses, a hotel, blacksmith’s shop ad a storey in the Happy Valley area. Today it’s known as the seafood capital of Australia thanks to the coves and fishing fleets, yielding tuna and mussels, and for its canning and fish-processing facilities. It’s a bit like Grimsby, but, er... with year-round temperatures of more than 20°c! n

Matthew Flinders was born in Donington near Spalding and Matthew Flinders was born in Donington near Spalding and Horbling Grammar School. Flinders was inspired to pursue a life at sea after reading Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and joined the navy in 1789. His command of HMS Investigator saw him circumnavigate Australia returning to England in 1810... after being freed by Napoleon! n

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Laval, France

TWINNED WITH BOSTON

BOSTON SAID ‘BONJOUR!’ to Laval in the Mayenne départment of the Pays de la Loire region in 1958, when the Mayor of Boston, Councillor Cyril Valentine, signed one of the first modern twinning agreements with Mayor of Laval, Monsieur Le Basser in June. At the end of August 1958 a group of 55 schoolchildren from the town arrived in the town to get a taste of life in Lincolnshire, and succeeded in being grounded after some late night hijinks at a local dance. A minor diplomatic crisis averted, some bright spark then decided a football match between the two towns was scheduled in October 1958. Boston took the lead but fortunately Laval equalised and then achieved another goal five minutes later. Boston managed to equalise five minutes later. Laval then went up again in the 77th minute and Boston managed to equalise Boston and again just five minutes before time, helping to preserve diploThe town of Boston, Lincolnshire, matic relations is also twinned with Hakusan, Ishikawa, in the Hokuriku region between the of Japan. A delegation of 12 towns. local school pupils visited the

Hakusan

city in 2019 and also visited Tokyo.

Laval is home to 50,000 and is very well-known for its local produce and food market, linens, famous Näive art painter Henri Rousseau, and for Lactopole, the world’s biggest... umm... dairy museum. n

Laval - Pays de la Loire, France

Boston, MA, USA.

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

LINCOLNSHIRE TOWN’S NAMESAKE IS SIXTH LARGEST US CITY

FROM 1620 the Pilgrim separatists landed in what is now Massachusetts and dropped anchor at what is now Provincetown MA. A decade later, another group of settlers led by John Winthrop settled on the Shawmut Peninsula. Boston MA was founded in September 1630. Two years later it was the capital of the English Massachusetts Bay Colony and it became the largest town of the 13 colonies until it was outgrown by Philadelphia in the mid-18th century.

In December 1773, the Boston Tea Party protest escalated into the American Revolution two years later, leading to America gaining independence in 1783.

The first pub/tavern was established in 1634 by Samuel Cole and the first American public school was set up in 1635, followed by New College in 1636, which would be renamed Harvard in 1639.

Boston MA was the location of America’s oldest public park – Boston Common, created in 1634, and its first subway, Tremont Street, built in 1897... oh, and to America’s first branch of Dunkin’ Donuts, founded in 1948. n

By 1800 the population of Boston was just under 25,000 and today over 675,000 live there, with over 4m residents in the wider Boston area. Boston MA is among the top 30 most economically powerful cities in the world and as well as Harvard, it’s home to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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LINCOLNSHIRE’S TWIN TOWNS

Sankt Augustin GRANTHAM’S TWIN

THE TOWN OF GRANTHAM signed a twinning agreement with Sankt Augustin in September 1980 in the Cologne region of Germany, and celebrations were also ratified a year later in Grantham. Visits last took place in 2019 but have been suspended since due to Covid. Seven different regional settlements were amalgamated in 1969 to create Sankt Augustin, which is now home to about 57,000 people. n

Tromsø, Norway A TWIN TO GRIMSBY

GRIMSBY has a number of twin towns; Iceland’s Akureyi in Iceland; Dieppe, France; Banjul, Gambia and Germany’s Bremerhaven. Its oldest affiliation, though, is with Tromsø, in Northern Norway, which began in 1961.

Tromsø, Norway.

Tromsø has the largest fishing port in Norway, hence its synergy with Grimsby. It’s the 12th largest area of population in Norway, located on the East of Tromsøya island — over 300 kilometres (190 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. From November to late January, it’s permanently dark in Tromsø as the sun never rises! n

Above: Aerial view over Tromso Bridge, linking the mainland (Tromsdalen) with the city central island (Tromsøya) and the city of Tromsø. Top/Right: Schloss Birlinghoven, one of the largest research centres for infomatics and applied mathematics in Germany, located in Sankt Augustin.

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Sézanne in Northern France

RAISE A GLASS TO SPALDING’S TWIN TOWN

THE ARRONDISSEMENT OF ÉPERNAY has 208 communes including Sézanne, within the Canton of Sézanne-Brie et Champagne and Sézanne itself is home to about 5,000 people. Since 1956, Sézanne has been twinned with Spalding, and whilst both can boast an excellent reputation for agriculture and farming, we’re afraid that it’s our continental counterpart which takes bragging rights as the home of Champagne, about 25 miles from the town itself and only a little further from Reims.

Sézanne.

Bad Gandersheim.

Vence.

Vence near Nice

STAMFORD’S TWIN TOWN

TRUST STAMFORD to have one of the prettiest twin towns you’ll ever see! If you think the Georgian splendour of the South Lincolnshire town is impressive, the commune of Vence, set in the hills of the Alpes Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France – positioned north of Nice and Antibes – is even more impressive. Vence itself is home to about 19,000 people and is home to Vence Cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of Vence before it passed into the Diocese of Nice. Vence has a gorgeous square with cafés and restaurants, and a chapel with stained glass and other fittings by Henri Matisse who was a resident of the village towards the end of his life. The town is also famous for its spring water. n 38

Located between Brie and Champagne, visitors can enjoy rolling hillsides – something you definitely can’t say about Spalding – and vineyard tours. If you’re visiting the area, try a Croquignoles from one of Sézanne’s pâtisseries; they’re a small crunchy biscuit, pale pink in colour, a little bit like a macaron! n

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LINCOLNSHIRE’S TWIN TOWNS

Bad Gandersheim BUT GOOD RELATIONS!

City of Lille (north of France) with belfry and Vieille Bourse.

SKEGNESS’S TWIN TOWN for over 30 years has been Bad Gandersheim, which is situated in the Lower Saxony region of Germany. It’s home to about 10,000 people, and is home to many timberframed buildings and a 12th century castle which originally had a moat and a Romanesque basilica dating back to 856AD. Since 1959, the city’s open-air theatre tradition has hosted the Gandersheim Cathedral Festival. Twinning visits with Skegness take place every two years. n

A Visit to Sleaford

Visitors from Marquette-lez-Lille will arrive in Sleaford on Thursday 18th May. Meet the town’s visitors on Friday 12th May from 10am at Sleaford Town Hall.

The Bass Maltings in Slea... no... wait... it’s the Grand Moulins de Paris, in Sleaford’s twin town, Marquette-lez-Lille!

Marquette-lez-Lille, Sleaford’s French Twin

MEET YOUR FRENCH ‘COPAINS’ IN SLEAFORD THIS MONTH

THIS MONTH Sleaford residents will have a chance to enjoy the company of their continental counterparts as a visit is scheduled between Sleaford and visitors from Marquette-Lez-Lille. Sleaford has been twinned with Marquette-lez-Lille in France since 1999 and also with FredersdorfVogelsdorf in Germany since 2009. Originally Marquette was a village a couple of miles from the centre of Lille, and archaeologist have uncovered a Gallo-Roman village and Cistercian Abbey nearby. Marquette itself had a population of about 10,000 but has since become part of the Arrondissement of Lille and is now one of its 124 communes, the latter being analogous to

Lincolnshire boroughs like Boston or to a smaller parish. At the centre of Marquettte is the Grand Moulins de Paris, a disused flour mill created in 1921 which fell into disuse in 1989 and is now in a pretty terrible condition. In fact, the building greatly resembles Sleaford’s Bass Maltings... although the former is currently undergoing refurbishment whilst the latter, sadly, remains unloved. The last trip to Marquette took place in October 2022 and a contingent from the town is due to visit Sleaford this month, with locals invited to a coffee morning at Sleaford Town Hall on Friday 12th May from 10am... pop along, and meet your French Copains! n 39

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“Born in 1746, La Ferté Bernard was home to astronomer Louise du Pierry, the first female professor of the prestigious Sorbonne university. Of course, Louth can counter as the birthplace of 20th century astronaut, Michael Foale...”

We’ll Meet Again Clamart, France & Lüneburg, Germany THE TWIN TOWNS OF SCUNTHORPE...

SCUNTHORPE has three twin towns, Clamart in France; Lüneberg in Germany and Poland’s Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Clamart is one of the western suburbs of Paris in the Hauts-de-Seine region. Once known for its pea fields, the expression à la Clamart refers to peas served as a side dish. Today the pea fields are done and there’s a population of about 55,000. Back in 1962, during a visit by French President Charles de Gaulle a failed assassination attempt was made on the President in Petit-Clamert by Jean BastienThiry who was later tried and executed.

Thankfully things are a little quieter in Lüneberg, a German town in Lower Saxony, now a centre for industry with food production, IT and engineering businesses all based in the town, including one of Germany’s largest yoghurt makers.

At one time the area was home to more than 80 breweries and to J S Bach who sang in St Michael’s School Choir in the town. Finally, Poland’s Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski is home to the UNESCO World Heritage archaeological reserve at Krzemionki... and to dinosaur park in Bałtów! n

Above: The old harbour in the city centre of Lüneberg. Right: Keep of the fortified gate Saint-Julien on the Huisne river with big reflection at La-Ferte-Bernard. Church of Notre-Dame des Marais at La-Ferté-Bernard.

There are 2,000 formal twinning arrangements between British and overseas communities, of which 50% are with France and 23% are with Germany.

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LINCOLNSHIRE’S TWIN TOWNS

Louth’s Twin

LA FERTÉ-BERNARD

THERE’S A CERTAIN LOGIC for Louth being twinned with La Ferté Bernard, given that the town commune of the Pays de la Loire region is about half an hour from Le Mans. The area’s D97 and D1 roads formed two sizes of the triangular course for the world’s first Grand Prix, the 1906 Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France. Louth of course has its own role in motorsport with the presence of nearby Cadwell Park. Born in 1746, in La Ferté Bernard, was the astronomer Louise du Pierry; the first female professor of the prestigious Sorbonne university. Of course, Louth can counter as the birthplace of 20th century astronaut, Michael Foale. One thing Louth doesn’t have is a mythical dragon. Peluda ‘the hairy one’ is a shaggy serpent-headed dragon which devoured livestock and terrified humans in the 15th century. Legend says it was so unpleasant that the creature was excluded from Noah’s Ark. If you ask us, Peluda should probably be excluded from the next visit to Louth by the La Ferté Bernard delegates. n

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NEWS & EVENTS

What’s On... LINCOLN

ALFORD

TUESDAY 30th MAY

SATURDAY 27th, SUNDAY 28th, MONDAY 29th MAY

ARTHUR SWALLOW ANTIQUES & HOME SHOW

ALFORD CRAFT MARKET

Established in 1995, the Antiques & Home Show is an unmissable event for collectors, interior designers, independent retail buyers, set-designers, prop buyers, landscape architects, restauranteurs and those passionate about creating a stylish living space. It offers visitors everything from fine antiques, art, pretty vintage, salvage, industrial, jewellery, curios, militaria, glassware, china to the unusual.

One of the longest standing craft markets in the UK, established in 1974 by two craftspeople Heather & Michel Ducos of Alford Pottery. Proud of their craft, they wished to create a venue where Lincolnshire makers and artists could gather and sell work handmade with love and dedication in a variety of disciplines: ceramic, wood, iron, glass, textile etc. Music, theatre and specialist makers all join the event held around Alford’s Manor House. n Gardens and marquee around Alford Manor House, 10am-4pm, admission ‘give what you can afford,’ see www.alfordcraftmarket.co.uk.

Classic Cars at the Castle

LINCOLNSHIRE’S VINTAGE VEHICLE SOCIETY HOSTS ITS ANNUAL RALLY OF CLASSIC CARS IN THE CASTLE GROUNDS

n Lincolnshire Showground, LN2 2NA call 01298 27493 or see www.asfairs.com. SCUNTHORPE

SATURDAY 13th MAY

DR DEAN DOES DINOSAURS

LINCOLN

SUNDAY 28th MAY

CLASSIC CARS AT THE CASTLE

Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society return to Lincoln Castle to host the group’s annual rally in the Castle grounds. The Society, formed in 1959, is based at the Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum, in North Hykeham, Lincoln where the museum houses a collection of over 65 vintage cars, buses and commercial vehicles spanning over 80 years of halcyon road transport history. n Lincoln Castle, from 10am, free, www.lincolncastle.com.

Expert palaeontologist Dean Lomax sharing his knowledge of all things pre-historic. A 1pm talk on fossils and palaeontology is ideal for younger audiences whilst Dean’s 6pm lecture will discuss Rutland’s Sea Dragon (which Dean excavated) as part of his ‘day in the life’ talk about the life as a palaeontologist. n Plowright Theatre, Scunthorpe, DN15 6JT. Call 01724 296296 or see www.scunthorpetheatres.co.uk. SLEAFORD

26th APRIL, 14th/31st MAY

MILLING DAYS AT COGGLESFORD At Sleaford’s watermill

n See www.heartoflincs.com.

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

GRANTHAM

THURSDAY 18th MAY

OLD TIME SAILORS

GRANTHAM

THURSDAY 18th MAY, FRIDAY 19th MAY, SATURDAY 20th MAY

ADVENTURE CINEMA AT BELVOIR CASTLE A trio of incredible films to enjoy in the fresh air, adjacent to Belvoir Castle. Thursday sees Top Gun: Maverick making a returning hero of Tom Cruise, whilst Friday’s film is Baz Luhrmann’s biopic of Elvis, with Austin Butler

gyrating his pelvis in tribute to the old hound dog himself. The weekend ends on Saturday with Grease, for which fancy dress is optional but advisable... take a long a picnic and enjoy the silver screen and the open air! n Belvoir Castle, NG32 1PE, films screened from 9.30pm, gates open 8pm for picnics, tickets £15.50/standard, £21.50/ premium (with deckchair and prime position).

Lulu coming to Lincoln

‘SHOUT’ NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS LULU AS HER FOR THE RECORD TOUR REACHES LINCOLN

Ahoy there! You are invited to board the Sailorette to join The Old Time Sailors, for a night of footstomping, dancing and singing! You will be sailing back to the 19th century for an immersive experience, singing and dancing like a drunken sailor as the band perform old folk and shanty songs. Fancy dress is encouraged. Aaar, me hearties! n Guildhall Arts Centre, Grantham NG31 6PZ, tickets £20, 01476 406158 or see www.guildhallartscentre.com. SPALDING

FRIDAY 19th MAY

MOTOWN CLASSICS Roy G Hemmins, of The Drifters, presents motown hits. n South Holland Centre, Spalding www.southhollandcentre.co.uk. LINCOLN

FRIDAY 5th MAY

LULU: FOR THE RECORD AT LINCOLN’S NEW THEATRE ROYAL

Lulu has enjoyed at least one chart success in every decade since the 1960s, and has collaborated with Elton John, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Take That and many more artists too. Her 2023 tour provides a once-in-a-lifetime insight into some of the world’s musical legends. Join Lulu as she shares, for the first time, many untold stories, her memories and experiences with the

LINCOLN

JUNE & JULY

CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF WILLIAM BYRD

Look out next month for Lincoln Cathedral’s Byrd 400 Festival, which aims to celebrate the life and work of William Byrd, one of its most influential musicians who helped shape the musical culture of Europe. The festival, marking the 400th anniversary of Byrd’s death, will take place at the Cathedral between 30th June and 4th July 2023 – seeing performances and lectures by world-renowned groups of performers and academics, unique in its location in the very building for which Byrd performed day by day, and for which he wrote so much music. n For more information see www.lincolncathedral.com.

greats – and enjoy with her the music that has been her constant companion. The singer will touch upon Ivor Novello Awards, Grammy Nominations, a Eurovision Win, a James Bond theme and writing an international hit for Tina Turner. Starring in TV, Films and the West End, fronting her own Saturday night TV show for years. This is Lulu – For The Record, live: charming, and as absolutely entertaining as ever! n Tickets from £38, VIP tickets with a ‘meet and greet’ option also available, call 01522 519999 or see www.newtheatreroyallincoln.co.uk. 43

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NATIONAL MILL WEEKEND, 13th - 14th MAY

Keeping the Stones of Heritage Turning, it’s

National Mills Weekend This month represents a chance to celebrate the county’s industrial heritage as its windmills and watermills open to visitors for National Mills Weekend, Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th May...

Heckington Windmill.

Waterfield, who undertook much of the work to repair his 80ft, Grade I listed windmill since the family purchased it back in 1987.

FROM AROUND 800 windmills in Lincolnshire alone about a century ago, alas, only 140 are still fully working in the whole country and only about 300 exist in any condition, working or otherwise. Happily, Lincolnshire is looking after its remaining mills, and since 1984 when the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings began to champion windmills and watermills, our local mills have invited visitors in to see for themselves why these quirky, creaky marvels should be preserved. By way of a few examples, Heckington’s unique eight-sailed windmill reopened in 2017 after a 10-year long restoration costing over £1.65m. 44

Cogglesford Mill.

It took from 1982 to 2017 to renovate the building, and it’s proving equally challenging to restore Sibsey’s Trader Mill, which reached a landmark in its renovation back in 2022 when it received a new cap and fantail, thanks to English Heritage. Boston’s Maud Foster Windmill is still in operation under the custodianship of James

Moulton Windmill’s restoration was completed in 2011 with the installation of new sails and in good time for the 100ft windmill’s 200th anniversary least year – it’s also the tallest windmill in the county! And now, as the saying goes, for something completely different... Cogglesford Mill in Sleaford had its mechanism repaired during 2021 and is now the only Sheriff ’s Watermill still operating in the UK. It’s open on the second Sunday of each month for live ‘milling days.’ n

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BOSTON

MAUD FOSTER WINDMILL

Seven-storey, five-sailed tower mill, built in 1819, restored to full working order in 1988 and producing a wide range of organic wholemeal and white flours commercially, with four pairs of millstones, flour dressing machines, etc. It is one of the finest working windmills in Britain. Mill shop selling flour and souvenirs. n Boston, PE21 9EG, call 01205 352188 or see www.maudfoster.co.uk.

SIBSEY TRADER WINDMILL

An impressive Lincolnshire tower mill with an ogee cap and six sails, built in 1877. Owned by English Heritage. Working, producing a wide range of flours. Award-winning country tea-room. Flour for sale. n Sibsey, PE22 0SY, call 01507 466 145 or see www.sibseytraderwindmill.co.uk. HECKINGTON

HECKINGTON WINDMILL

The only remaining eight-sailed tower mill in Western Europe, last worked commercially in 1946 and now listed Grade I. Restored to working order in 1986. The mill has four pairs of millstones, three of which are working. New visitor centre, tea room, bakehouse and facilities. n Heckington, NG34 9JW call 01529 462019 or see www.heckingtonwindmill.org.uk. SKEGNESS

DOBSON’S WINDMILL

A Grade One, five-sailed tower mill built c.1810 which – unusually – turns clockwise. It contains much of the original machinery and a Blackstone engine. Three pairs of wind-powered millstones and one pair engine-powered by the engine. Flour milled regularly. n Skegness, PE24 5JR. Call 01754811267. SLEAFORD

COGGLESFORD WATERMILL

In a picturesque setting by the River Slea, this award winning watermill is thought to be the only Sheriff ’s Watermill still operating in England. Millers have produced flour on this site for over a thousand years. n Sleaford, NG34 7EQ. Call 01529 413671or see www.heartoflincs.com. SPALDING

MOULTON WINDMILL

Sibsey Trader Mill gets a new cap and sails in 2022. Image: English Heritage, Justin Minns.

A 10-storey tower mill, built in 1822, stands 100 ft high to the top of the cap. The mill has three pairs of stones, one engine-driven on first floor. Restored with a Lottery grant during 2004-5. n Spalding, PE12 6QB see www.moultonwindmill.co.uk. 45

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Luxury lodges, great fun and a superb return on investment!

.! .. e f li d o o g e th in t Inves

Live on site all year round, achieve great rental returns or retain your lodge for family & friends to enjoy. Four fantastic sites including Tallington Lakes, Tanner Farm Park, Thorney and Great Hadham On-site watersports and leisure facilities, beautiful surroundings

www.goodlifelodge.com • info@goodlifelodge.com • 0800 564 2266 • Barholm Road, Tallington, PE9 4RJ 46

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LOUTH

Our state-of-the-art spa offers a luxurious setting for you to relax, unwind and be pampered in. We have partnered with some of the best British brands for our services and product offerings so regardless of whether you are visiting for your regular facial, essential grooming treatments or a pre-occasion top to toe pamper, you can enjoy first class treatments in luxurious surroundings.

CLASSIC OVERNIGHT SPA STAY • Overnight accommodation • Full English Breakfast • £25.00 dinner meal allowance • Use of the pool and leisure facilities (10.00am to 5.00 pm) • Use of towels, robes, slippers and a locker for the day • Includes afternoon tea with prosecco • 50 Minute treatment – select one from the following: Elemis Superfood Facial, Foot and Ankle Massage, Full Body Scrub and Massage, Body Wrap, Scalp Massage and Foot Massage, Hot Stones Massage

SIGNATURE SPA DAY Welcome drink Robe and towels provided Use of the spa facilities Use of the gym facilities Afternoon Tea A glass of prosecco or juice 1 x 25 minute treatment from the following list: Back, neck, and shoulder massage Mini Facial Foot and ankle massage Scalp, neck, and shoulder massage £98 – Fri – Sun £86 – Mon - Thu

£169.00pp Sun-Friday £179.00pp Saturday This offer price is the price per person and is based on two people sharing a room. If separate rooms are required then a single person supplement is payable per person.

KENWICK PARK, LOUTH, LINCS LN11 8NR

01507 608806 www.kenwick-park.co.uk 47

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THE DAMBUSTERS 1943 - 2023

The Dambusters’ 80th Anniversary

Après Moi le Déluge 1943 - 2023

This month we’re celebrating the legendary operation which took place nearly 80 years ago, on the night of 16th & 17th May 1943. Immortalised in the 1955 film, the raid remains an incredible example of courage, innovation, and determination... PROVERBIALLY fortunate favours the bold, and history has yielded few better examples of daring bravery succeeding against all expectations than 80 years ago when 133 men – including Guy Gibson – climbed into 19 Avro Lancasters with the intention of changing the course of the Second World War. Meanwhile, Barnes Wallis was a marine engineer, a designer of warships and naval destroyers with a good working knowledge of fluid dynamics. He also held a conviction that crippling the Ruhr Valley’s heavy industry – its steel production facilities and some of its 300 coal mines – would hinder the Axis’s war efforts. But there was a problem. Wallis demonstrated that a 10-tonne bomb, dropped from 40,000 feet, would be sufficient to create an earthquake effect which would destroy the Ruhr valley’s dams. His aspiration was dismissed on the basis that nobody had built a bomb that weighs that much, nor were the current aircraft able to fly at those heights. The idea of destroying the dams was still appealing, but seemed impossible. Nor were torpedoes an option as the dams were protected by nets designed to repel such a weapon.

Wrestling with the idea from about 1939, Wallis eventually experimented with skimming marbles and utilised the Magnus Effect – spinning an object through fluid – to overcome the necessity of dropping such a bomb from a great height whilst at the same time skipping over the dams’ torpedo nets. The bombs would then create a camflot effect by sinking 30 feet before detonating. A successful test on 5th February proved that the theory was sound… but again there was a problem. Barnes Wallis had co-designed the Vickers Wellington and knew it was insufficient to carry his modified bombs, but with significant modifications, the Avro Lancaster was capable of doing so. Its crew, though, would have to fly at exactly 220mph, and at 60ft, dropping the bomb 425ft from the dam with just a 25ft margin of error. The aircraft would need do to so whilst coming under heavy fire from German guns, and as if the circumstances weren’t already sufficiently challenging, the raid would be carried out at night. Air Chief Marshall Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris was sceptical, but Sir Ralph Cochrane and

eventually Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Chief of the Air Staff, gave the mission their blessing. The attack was given the code name of Operation Chastise and scheduled for 16th May 1943. No.5 Group RAF formed a new squadron of aircrew under Wing Commander Guy Gibson, a veteran of 170 sorties who had already served with No.83, No.29 and No.106 squadrons. The crews perfected low flying, but none of them would discover the specific details of the mission until the last minute. Gibson and the squadron was based at RAF Scampton and they adopted the motto après moi, le deluge. As well as the 133 airmen and other members of the squadron, Gibson’s dog – the one with the offensive name – became an unofficial part of the squadron, apparently having a fondness for drinking beer in the officer’s mess. The targets were the Möhne Dam, the Sorpe and the Eder. The Möhne dam, completed in 1913, was the largest dam in Europe, holding back much of the Ruhr valley’s 135,000,000 cubic metres of water and played a part in generating the region’s electricity. >>

Right: Guy Gibson, 12th August 1918 – 19th September 1944. Image: Defence Imagery/MOD © Crown copyright.

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80 YEARS of the DAMBUSTERS: 1943 - 2023

The attacks on the Möhne and Eder resulted in more than 330,000,000 tonnes of water pouring into the valley, a tidal wave around 10m in height... >> The Sorpe and Eder also played a strategic part in providing the valley with its hydroelectricity (via the Mittelland Canal) which was essential to industry. Their destruction would cause flooding to industrial plants or activities like steel production, and would disrupt rail transport in the area by preventing supplies of water to the area’s inland waterway systems. The first wave of fighters was commanded by Gibson, Hopgood, Martin, Young, Malty, Shannon, Maudsley and Astell, although the latter failed to attack either Back in the mid-1990s, Peter Jackson the Möhne or Eder.

A Cinema

Remake?

expressed an interest in remaking

the 1955 Dambusters film. Sir David Only four of the nine Frost, and the Brickhill Family own the rights. As of late 2018, Jackson aircraft succeeded in still intended to remake the attacking the dams, and film but he only has the rights for ‘another only five aircraft returned. year or two.’ Maltby and Knight’s bombs caused significant damage to the Möhne and Eder respectively.

Of the second wave of five aircraft, commanded by McCarthy, Barlow, Byers, Rice and Munro, only McCarthy’s aircraft succeeded in hitting the intended target of the Sorpe, with no apparent effect and only three of the aircraft returned. In a third attack wave, commanded by Anderson, Brown, Townsend, Burpee and Ottley, only Brown and Townsend hit their targets. Again there was no apparent effect and with only three aircraft out of the five returning.

radius of about 50 miles and two power stations producing around 5,100kW of electricity were put out of action. In addition, a number of the area’s 300 coal mines were disrupted with coal production falling by 400,000 tonnes following the raids.

The attacks on the Möhne and Eder resulted in over 330,000,000 tonnes of water pouring into the valley, a tidal wave around 10m in height. 125 factories were damaged or destroyed, floods damaged the area for a

The Axis rushed to reinstate the facilities of the Ruhr Valley, and get production back on track. Some historians believe that the damage was disruptive – rather than catastrophic – to the German war effort, but

quite aside from its strategic damage, the raids starved the war effort of the 20,000 men who would be deployed to carry out repairs to the region and provided a huge morale boost... it was excellent propaganda for the Allied forces! Barnes Wallis continued to work until the age of 83, producing, as well as designs for hypersonic aircraft, and a non-misting unbreakable glassless mirror which as well as its military application was also sold to Buckingham Palace! He was knighted in 1968 and died in October 1979. Guy Gibson, meanwhile, did not enjoy such a long life expectancy… although he did get to pick his favourite songs on the wireless, appearing on Desert Island Discs with Roy Plomley in February 1944, choosing Bing Crosby’s If I Had My Way and Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries among his discs. As portrayed in the 1955 film, the Wing Commander’s Labrador Retriever also died

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The 617 ‘Dambusters’ Squadron circa 1943.

on the night of the raids, after being hit by a car, and was buried at Scampton, haunting the airfield to this day, apparently... On 19th September of that year, though, No.5 Bomber Command prepared for an attack on Bremen, and Gibson used a reserve Mosquito aircraft from No.627 squadron, flying out from RAF Woodhall Spa just before 8pm. Gibson’s aircraft crashed at Steenbergen, North Brabant, possibly after taking damage to an engine, and despite hopes that he had landed at Coningsby rather than Woodhall Spa, he failed to return from the mission. Though Prime Minister Churchill was told on 26th September that Gibson was missing, the news wasn’t made public until 29th November. 1955 saw a film version of the Dambusters raid produced, based on Paul Brickell with Richard Todd and Michael Redgrave in the leading roles.

The Dambusters in

NUMBERS The Dams raid comprised of three waves; nine aircraft in the first wave targeting the Möhne and Eder, five aircraft in the second wave targeting the Sorpe. The five aircraft of the third wave also targeted the Sorpe. 53 of the 133 aircrew in the 19 aircraft who participated in the attack were killed; 1,300 were killed in the resulting flooding. The first attack took place at 12.28am on 16th May, attacking the 40m high, 650 long Möhne. The bombs were dropped from 18 metres, at a ground speed of 232mph.

The film took almost £420,000 at the box office and it was hoped that an updated version from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson would be ready for the 80th anniversary of the raid. The director has signalled his intend to still remake the film, but production is yet to begin. Most recently, Lincolnshire author and retired Squadron Leader Clive Rowley has just released a 132 page bookazine, Dambusters 80th Anniversary, published by Horncastle’s Mortons Media, updating the story of the raid. The book is available at www.mortonsbooks.co.uk for £9.99. Meanwhile, the anniversary will be marked at the Imperial War Museum in London from 13th May, and closer to home with an anniversary concert at Lincoln Cathedral. Canwick’s International Bomber Command Centre will also host a series of events including a concert and supper on 16th May from 7.30pm. n 51

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Barnes Wallis: The Brain Behind the Bomb...

FROM DESIGNING SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT TO CREATING THE BOMB BORN IN RIPLEY, Derbyshire, in 1887 Barnes Neville Wallis was sponsored to attend a local public school and excelled at mathematics and science... although he struggled with Latin! Unable to afford to attend university, he began an apprenticeship at Thames Engineering Works and then JS Whites shipyard in 1908 working on naval destroyers. Here he met his friend Hartley Blyth Pratt who joined Vickers and secured Barnes Wallis employment there too, where he later became Assistant Chief Designer for Vickers Armstrong Aviation. In his spare time Wallis investigated how the energy services of the Axis could be disrupted, and theorised that destroying Germany’s Ruhr facilities could severely hinder steel production in the region. Having already designed the Wellington bomber, Wallis applied his knowledge of

BOSTON, SKEGNESS AND RAF HEMSWELL WERE ALL USED AS LOCATIONS FOR THE 1955 MOVIE the ‘Magnus Effect’ – whereby a spinning object achieves lift, to create his ‘bouncing’ bomb which he took to Vickers House and the Ministry of Aircraft. 1.5m in length, 120 of the 4,200kg bombs were built, 19 used operationally, spun with a Ford V8 engine at 500rpm with nearly 3,000kg of Torpex explosive, which is 50% more powerful than TNT. n

The home of 617 Squadron: RAF Scampton RAF Scampton was created between 1916 and used until 1919, then again from 1936 until 2022 just after the Red Arrows relocated to RAF Waddington in October. Scampton has been purchased by WLDC with by Scampton Holdings Ltd., the official development partner. The site will eventually include a Scampton Aviation Heritage Museum and Red Arrows Centre. It’s hoped the site will also continue to serve as an private airfield. n 52

Immortalised in cinema, how the heroes of 617 Squadron inspired the 1955 film...

THE ICONIC 1955 biopic of The Dambusters Raid was based on an RAF-approved book, The Dam Busters, by Paul Brickhill. It was published in September 1951 and later revised to include previously classified details. Associated British Pictures Company (ABCP) and its head Robert Clark approached Brickhill who produced a film treatment free in order to sell the rights – which he did, for £5,000. The RAF made four Lancaster bombers available which were used to film flight sequences. Running the aircraft cost £130/hour, with Boston and Skegness standing in for the Dutch coastline, other scenes were filmed at both RAF Scampton and RAF Hemswell. n

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80 YEARS of the DAMBUSTERS: 1943 - 2023

A History of 617 Squadron: FROM BOUNCING BOMBS TO F-35BS THOUGH KNOWN colloquially as The Dambusters, the squadron more properly called 617 Squadron was founded in 1943 specifically for Operation Chastise, later known as the Dambusters raid. After their famous mission in May 1943, the squadron returned to combat in July 1943, flying from RAF Woodhall Spa, dropping 12,000lb Tallboy and later 22,000lb Grand Slam bombs. Gibson died in a raid on 19th September 1944 at about 10.30pm over Steenbergen in the Netherlands – possibly because of engine failure – with WC George Holden taking command of the squadron and assisting in sinking the Tirpitz in November. 617 disbanded in 1955 and then re-formed at RAF Scampton in 1958. It then disbanded again in 1981 and was stood up again in 1982 as a squadron to operate the Tornado GR1 at RAF Marham, then RAF Lossiemouth. 617 then served in the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan after being disbanded again in 2014.

Finally reformed from 2016, the squadron now flies the state-of-theart F-35B Lightning aircraft, and is operational aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth. The squadron’s F-35Bs can reach mach 1.6 (1,200mph), fly at 50,000ft, and weigh 60,000lb fully armed. The aircraft are 15m long, four and a half metres tall and have a wing span of 10m. Want one? Yours, sir, for about £88.8m each! n 53

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Tomahawk steak for two to share, £69.50.

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DINING OUT AT THE MARCO PIERRE WHITE RESTAURANT

Steak-ing a Claim on Quality with

Marco Pierre White The Marco Pierre White Restaurant on the fifth floor of Lincoln’s DoubleTree by Hilton dominates the skyline of Brayford Wharf and offers some pretty incredible steaks! Words & Images: Rob Davis.

FIVE STOREYS UP, The Marco Pierre White Restaurant, located on the uppermost floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton Lincoln, enjoys spectacular views. The Castle and Cathedral are clearly visible to the north-west whilst some of the skyline’s newer features – the International Bomber Command Centre’s memorial spire and the University of Lincoln – can be seen looking south.

Fillet Steak with Garlic King Prawns £32.95.

As late afternoon turned into evening, the city was bathed in a lovely afternoon light known by photographers as the golden hour for the slightly honey-coloured hue it casts over buildings and landscapes. The Marco Pierre White Restaurant is indeed a superb vantage point from which to admire a city we all know to be very pretty indeed. But the city itself wasn’t my favourite view that afternoon. Having photographed a couple of starters, we were ready for the main event, and the kitchen asked if we were ready for one of its flagship dishes, the 16oz Tomahawk steak pictured opposite. We think you’ll agree it’s a handsome beast, designed for two to share and best enjoyed with a really good full-bodied red. For a few reverent moments I just stopped to admire its consistent marbling of fat, the big chunky chips and glossy bright young tomatoes. Steak is one of those dishes that most people can cook to some extent, but to reference the adverts from a certain premium British retailer of clothing and food, this is not just steak… it’s a steak cooked by Gary Griffiths and the team, designed to elevate an already promising dish into truly great one. “Being affiliated with Marco Pierre White means we can utilise some of his favourite

MEET THE CHEF GARY GRIFFITHS Apple & Almond Crumble £6.50.

suppliers like Campbell Brothers, which specialises in 28-day dry-aged beef with Scottish or UK traceability,” says Gary. “We offer eight or 16oz sirloin steaks, and my preferred cuts, our six or 12oz fillet steaks which are consistently lovely and lean. We do also offer a 10oz rib-eye option, which some diners prefer since the marbling of fat is generally regarded to render down for a fuller flavour, but honestly, I think all of our steaks are superb, and cooked well, they’ll all prove really satisfying.” >>

History: Originally from Conwy,North Wales, Gary moved to Lincoln via Nottingham in 2013 to take up the role of Executive Head Chef. Food Heaven: A Sunday roast with my partner Kelly and our little boy, Seb! Food Hell: Octopus! n

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DINING OUT at THE MARCO PIERRE WHITE RESTAURANT

on the MENU Starters

Classic Prawn Cocktail, £10.50.

Classic prawn cocktail with Marie Rose sauce, £10.95. The governor’s French onion soup with croutons and Gruyère cheese, £8.95. Beetroot & goat’s cheese salad with candied walnuts, and Merlot vinegar £9.50. Steaks

Beetroot & Goat’s Cheese Salad £8.95.

Fillet £30.95/6oz; £44.50/12oz. Sirloin £27.95/6oz; £28.50/16oz. Rib-Eye £30.93/10oz. Fillet steak au poivre, with fricassée of woodland mushrooms, toasted sourdough, buttered leaf spinach and peppercorn sauce, £33.95. Fillet steak with garlic king prawns, béarnaise sauce, and toasted sourdough, £32.95. Main Courses Roast chicken à la forestière, with woodland mushrooms, fondant potato, Madeira roasting juices and buttered leaf spinach, £19.95. Roast lamb à la dijonnaise with buttered green beans, fondant potato and rosemary roasting juices £25.95. Desserts Apple & Almond Crumble£7.50. 70% Dark Chocolate Mousse with crème chantilly and fresh raspberries, £7.95. NB: This is a sample menu, and featured dishes are subject to availability and change.

70% Dark Chocolate Mousse, £6.95.

“Cooking a steak is a real art, and the attention in terms of preparation and presentation that the restaurant invests in its steaks elevates their dishes from restaurant staple to simply stunning...” “We bring each of our steaks up to room temperature and then season them with sea salt and pepper, thyme, rosemary and garlic. They’re all char-grilled and allowed to rest – I recommend resting a steak for half its cooking time – before presenting them with chunky Pierre Koffman chips which have a lovely crisp on the outside and a delicate fluffiness on their inside.” The Electric Bar & Restaurant within Doubletree by Hilton also operates its own menu for brunch, lunch and afternoon tea, plus a lounge bar menu from 12 noon to 10pm. The Marco Pierre White Restaurant menu is exclusively reserved for the evening, comprising six starters, six steaks including its signature steaks, plus four burgers created with freshly-ground beef and nine other main course options.

As a dyed in the wool carnivore, I couldn’t stray too far from the steaks, given the expertise and execution in their creation, but should you feel so inclined, other main course options include a gnocchi dish with a fricassée of woodland mushrooms, roast lamb à la dijonnaise, roast chicken à la forestière or even classic fish ‘n’ chips. There are some quite classic starters, whilst desserts include a sticky toffee pudding option, dark chocolate mousse with crème chantilly and an apple & almond crumble. The steakhouse’s wine list is rather a tour de force, with eight spritz options, six Laurent Perrier Champagnes and 50 bins of wine including ports and dessert wines. Planning on enjoying a steak? Allow us to recommend the Rioja Reserva from Vina Real at £47.

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“Bon appétit!” say chefs Kane Peroni, Gary Griffiths and Ievgen Matveiev.

For an aperitif, too, the adjacent Electric Bar has a ridiculously tempting cocktail menu with everything from classic cocktails – Old Fashion; Cosmopolitan – to various sparkles right up to a Dom Perignon. Created in 2011, the hotel comprises 160 rooms plus six function rooms. Popular for hosting weddings, functions, and as a hotel, it’s definitely worth remembering that you don’t have to have a room booked at The Doubletree by Hilton to enjoy its restaurant. Whilst steaks are a mainstay of most restaurant menus, they remain a dish that most chefs provide but few specialise in. Cooking a steak is a real art, and the attention in terms of preparation and presentation that the Marco Pierre White Restaurant invests in its steaks elevates their dishes from restaurant staple to simply stunning.

DINING OUT AT...

The Marco Pierre White Restaurant

As a Lincoln resident, you have to walk past a number of other Brayford Wharf restaurants, to the most westerly bit of Brayford Wharf in order to reach the Doubletree by Hilton.

The Pitch: “Best for steak in Lincoln; The Marco Pierre White Restaurant in Lincoln serves up succulent steaks and gourmet British flavours designed by the acclaimed celebrity chef.” Dining Times: Open seven days a week from 12 noon to 2pm and from 5pm to 10pm. n

And so you should... because The Marco Pierre White Restaurant is easily the best restaurant on Brayford Wharf, and almost certainly the best restaurant for steak in the whole of Lincolnshire. n

The Marco Pierre White Restaurant, DoubleTree by Hilton Lincoln, LN1 1YW. Call 01522 565182 or see www.mpwrestaurants.co.uk. 57

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In the KITCHEN Throughout May, English asparagus is in season! This tart can be eaten warm or cool, as something to snack on, or with new potatoes and salad leaves as a main course supper dish...

ASPARAGUS & HAM HOCK QUICHE with LINCOLNSHIRE RED CHEESE

Preparation Time: 30 minutes. Cooking Time: 40 minutes. Serves: 4-5 as main meal. Puff pastry, chilled pre-rolled, e.g.: Jus-Rol, because life’s too short to make your own pastry • 200g shredded ham hock • 100g trimmed asparagus spears • 100g Lincolnshire red cheese from Lincolnshire Poacher • 100g grated Cheddar cheese • Four large eggs • 150ml double cream • Half teaspoon dried thyme • Salt and pepper to season This is a lovely spring recipe which can be enjoyed warm or cool, and makes the most of Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese’s sibling, Lincolnshire Red, based on a Red Leicester recipe, but with a more mature and rich flavour. Preheat your oven to 190°c. Roll out the pie crust and transfer it to a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish. Trim the edges and prick the bottom with a fork. Spread the diced ham hock over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle the grated Cheddar cheese and Lincolnshire Red cheese on top. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, double cream, salt, black pepper, and dried thyme until well combined. Pour the mixture over the quiche filling and lay the asparagus along the surface, partially submerging them. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the centre is set and the edges are golden brown – it should have a slight wobble! Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving. n 59

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Wine of the Month

A brand new English aperitif for summer! Enjoy Chapel Down’s Aker with a spritz of soda or lemonade! Made using Pinot Noir rosé wine from one of Chapel Down’s finest vineyards in the heart of Kent and wild fermented eau de vie made with raspberries fresh from the Cotswolds, Aker prides itself on bringing out the true character of its finest English ingredients. An infusion of blossoms, roots and spices are balanced with wormwood before, lastly, distilled Chapel Down Chardonnay grape skin distillate is added to enhance the flavour even further. Aker English Rosé blends the indulgent aroma of strawberries and cream with refreshing citrus tones to create the perfect aperitif. n £40 / 75cl / 17% ABV, www.chapeldown.com.

Graham Beck Rosé Brut NV, 2021, Western Cape, South Africa £16.99 / 75cl / 12% ABV

The Wine Cellar A STUNNING ENGLISH APERITIF BURSTING WITH FRESH RASPBERRIES, A TRIO OF SAUVIGNON BLANC AND A GREAT OPTION WITH NO ALCOHOL, CREATED BY KYLIE...! BLANC CHECKS: We keep an eye on the latest Sauvignon releases...

Calvet’s Loire Pouilly Fumé is an ideal accompaniment to spring and summer dishes like seafood, and fish. Floral, fruity and very dry, £21.99 / 75cl / 13.91% ABV.

Created with Sauvignon Blanc grapes, this crisp, dry and pungent Sancerre from France’s Loire Valley has citrus zest with lemon and grapefruit, ideal with seafood or with a decent portion of fish ‘n’ chips from your local fryer! £19.99 / 75cl / 13.5% ABV.

A vibrant and thrilling, bone dry Sauvignon Blanc produced by Great Wave in Chile’s Aconcagua Valley. Tropical, zesty with citrus vibrance, £9.49 / 75cl / 13% ABV.

This South African ‘Champagne’ (in all but name) has a fine, lively mousse and is brisk on the palate, showing hints of oyster shell, fresh lavender and subtle hints of berry and cherry. Fun and versatile, yet simultaneously satisfyingly complex, the Brut Rosé is an anywhere, anytime Cap Classique. n Available at Waitrose or via waitrosecellar.com.

Celebrity Endorsed and Alcohol-Free An elegant apéritif with a celebrity endorsement and no hangover? You should be so lucky (lucky, lucky, lucky). This zero-alcohol option is an elegant ‘wine’ ideal for spring gatherings. Made from a blend of premium European grapes and green tea, it has notes of strawberry and a dry finish. It is a great accompaniment to a charcuterie board. The Antipodean singer is Creative Director of the company, founded in 2020, now with nine wines in its portfolio. n £7 / 75cl / 0% ABV, Tesco stores, or via www.tesco.com.

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.

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HOMES & INTERIORS

STABLE

CONDITION This month we feature a beautifully presented former stableblock in the centre of Stamford... it’s spacious, quirky and really well-priced! Words: Rob Davis.

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PROPERTY

THE DETAILS

The Old Stable House, Scotgate, Stamford Location: Centrally located in Stamford, A1 five minutes. Provenance: Former stable house and shop built in 1844 and carrying a Grade II listing. Rooms: Three reception rooms currently arranged as breakfast kitchen with snug, sitting room and dining room. Three bedrooms with two en suites. Guide Price: £550,000. Find Out More: Pelham James, Saddler’s Court, Oakham LE15 7GH, call 01572 497070 or see www.pelhamjames.co.uk. n 66

IT’S PROBABLY one of the most unique properties on the market in Lincolnshire, and one of the most well-presented, with an unusual layout, a deceptively generous amount of space and – perhaps best of all – its location is right in the middle of Georgian Stamford. Built near to Rook Terrace, besides a coaching inn located on what was the old Great North Road, prior to the town being bypassed in 1960, The Old Stable House serviced the adjacent coaching inn, and then became an early garage in the halcyon days of motoring. Built in 1844 and having a Grade II listing, the property was designated for residential use in 2013 at which point its layout was changed substantially and the house was subject to a back to brick refurbishment. A few years later in 2019, current owners Kate and Richard moved in, and again tweaked the layout, adding considerable drama to the property with a super-cool Hague Blue and Calamine colour scheme courtesy of Farrow & Ball, plus a superb new kitchen courtesy of Stamford’s QKS. Top/Main: The property has three receptions, currently arranged as a sitting room, dining room and breakfast kitchen with a snug.

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“We love to cook together (Sunday lunches, curries), and the impression I got was that the kitchen was designed by someone who isn’t as keen a cook. We reconfigured the space and now live in the kitchen most of the time, with a little snug and the bar stools around the island making sure we can both work on our respective jobs at the same time – Richard does the chopping, I do the mixing.” The snug is really cosy and has a huge map of Cumbria covering the whole wall. It’s the county from which Richard originates, and though he has given up his profession as a herdsman for a career in accountancy – trading cows for calculators – still homage to his previous career remains, such as the contemporary painting of a dairy cow in the kitchen. Richard is also an over-achieving cyclist, and reckons he cycled over 7,000 miles last year on his very posh bike.

He’s previously cycled and hiked from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and has tackled Snowdon seven times, Scafell Pike three times, Ben Nevis and has cycled and hiked overseas in locations like Majorca with its craggy scenery. Kate, too, enjoys outdoor swimming and when Richard returns from cycling overseas with the boys, Kate will enjoy a trip with the girls to pursue her own fitness interests. Less arduous is the trip from the property to the pub: ‘23 steps exactly,’ says Kate with admirable precision. The property is located right in the heart of Stamford, which quite in addition to being really pretty, has great restaurants, bars and independent shops. Speaking of socialising, the property’s main reception room now has an open fire, which the couple installed as part of their makeover of the property. >> 67

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>> A separate dining room provides a space for formal dining, and when guests want to stay over, there’s a basement bedroom with its own ensuite and an additional room currently used as Richard’s study. On the first floor there’s a principal bedroom with Jack & Jill bathroom next door, and a third bedroom with a wet room too. The ground floor of the property also has a laundry room and a cloakroom: admittedly dull, but also very practical and unusual in a period property. The laundry room opens out on to a pretty terrace which means that despite its town-centre location, the property has a nice outdoor space for the sunny months. Adjacent to the property too is the historic stone arch which, alongside some neighbours, Kate & Richard have restored to preserve the building’s heritage. A convenience store is located just across the road for day-to-day essentials and Stamford’s main shopping street of St Mary’s Street and its bars and restaurants are a five minute walk along Scotgate, The Meadows is only a little further. The couple are looking to renovate a new property, and have put the property on the market with agents Pelham James. Kate especially say she’ll miss her quirky, deceptively spacious and very practical character home... we’re not surprised, we’re quite smitten with it ourselves! n 68

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n Spilsby Road, Boston Guide Price: £675,000

An impressive gothic style house in a superb residential location. Principal reception rooms currently drawing room, sitting room, dining room, orangery, kitchen/diner and conservatory. Six bedrooms plus two bathrooms. www.poyntons.com

n Barn Hill, Stamford Guide Price: £850,000

Elegant Victorian stone property with a wealth of period features. Kitchen/diner, living room, plus four bedrooms including one en suite. pretty views of All Saints’ Church and located in Conservation Area, close to town centre. www.newtonfallowell.co.uk

n Drury Lane, Lincoln Guide Price: £1,250,000

Located in Uphill Lincoln, this property is arranged over three floors with a ground floor kitchen/diner, dining room, utility and garage. On the lower ground floor are three bedrooms with en suite to one, and a study. The second floor has a lounge, principal bedroom with dressing room, ensuite plus two roof terraces. www.mundys.net

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Professional Interior Design Service Re-Upholstery and Soft Furnishings

KITCHENS • BEDROOMS • BOOT ROOMS • STUDIES INDIVIDUALLY MADE FREE STANDING FURNITURE

Call 07534 808903 richwood-cabinetmakers@hotmail.com BRING RICHWOOD INTO THE HEART OF YOUR HOME

Image: William Yeoward

6 MARKET PLACE · UPPINGHAM · RUTLAND · LE15 9QH

01572 823389

www.sarahhardinginteriors.co.uk • info@sarahhardinginteriors.co.uk www.facebook.com/sarahhardinginteriorsltd

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HOME FURNISHINGS

ARTS & CRAFTS This month we’ve a ﬁne selection of fabrics for high summer from William Yeoward, inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement... Curtains in Hatfield, sofas in Lembata, indigo colourway, from William Yeoward.

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To make the best of these fabrics, seek out one of the county’s leading interior design specialists to create bespoke soft furnishings and decoration for your interiors...

Above: Ariana Amethyst Table Lamp, £1,350. Top/Right: Tanjina Side Table in Venetian White Oak, £1,990; Nyla Sage Table Lamp, £990; Till Chair, from £3,650. Right: Various cushions from £85 - £125. All William Yeoward.

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Footstool in Lamalera, spice colourway, ottoman in Persina, blood orange colourway, sofa in Irene spice, curtains in Pensthorpe, spice.

Lincolnshire Interiors: Delcor: 01780 762579, www.delcor.co.uk. 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 of brands and ranges at the above design studios subject to variation.

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Peter Jackson Cabinet Makers Ltd Devereux Way, Horncastle LN9 6AU

Tel: 01507 527113

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

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Crafting bespoke hardwood conservatories and orangeries, roof lights & timber windows...

DESIGN • CREATE • PLANTING For a free, no obligation discussion about your project:

Based in Sleaford, for a free, no obligation design consultation and an initial discussion of your project call 01529 300609

www.morrissandshawgardenhouses.com 76

Call 07758 915 332 07484 240 938 jodie@deanpricehorticulture.co.uk www.deanpricehorticulture.co.uk

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RICHARD SUTTON DESIGN

Design, Manufacture & Installation by

RICHARD SUTTON From an individual room in your home to a renovation of your entire property, Richard Sutton Interiors brings creative design, manufacture and installation to each of its clients’ homes, creating stunning spaces like this living kitchen near Lincoln...

It’s not a kitchen. It’s not a project. It’s your home, and something that has a terrifically personal as well as practical constituent. Our homes are what we work hard for, they’re our reward for success and our place of comfort; the place we conduct family life and spend time with the ones we love. So why wouldn’t you create a space that appeals to both heart and head? A space that’s a practical, easy place to spend time as well as being a beautifully designed centrepiece of your home? That was the brief for this rather stunning living kitchen near Lincoln, created by the team at Grimsby-based interior design studio Richard Sutton Design.

The company was founded in 1994, specialising in the design, manufacture and installation of kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and other rooms in your home like studies, libraries and media rooms. Too often the term bespoke does some pretty heavy lifting, used liberally to describe a kitchen retailer’s offering of pre-fabricated cabinetry in specific dimensions with mix ‘n’ match work surfaces and doors. That’s not the case with Richard Sutton Designs’ work, though, where each cabinet is crafted just for your home, to millimetreaccurate specifications in the timber of your choice, with the finish of your choice. >>

Words: Rob Davis.

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RICHARD SUTTON DESIGN

>> Long before manufacture though, clients enjoy a collaborative design consultation process to ensure the company really does understand what a customer wants, treating both them and their homes individually. In addition to the company’s investment in building a relationship with the client, and its CAD-aided design process, the company also offers full project management. That means the company – and ultimately, a single point of contact for the client – is responsible for the design, manufacture and installation of each kitchen, bedroom or bathroom, and any challenges can be addressed easily and with accountability. “Because we employ our own tradespeople from cabinet makers to installers to tilers and decorators, we’ve all the skills in house, and we’re better able to coordinate everyone

to ensure each part of the job is completed in the right order with absolutely nothing overlooked,” says Richard Sutton. “For the client, that means they’re invested in the project and can make their own decisions, so they’re in control, but steered through the process to make it less daunting and less stressful.” “Being able to make choices gradually means not being rushed into making hasty decisions, and of course, we’ve all of the contacts, experience and knowledge of the best brands to ensure we can make suggestions and recommendations.” “We’ve the experience, the skills, the products and the finishing touches to make a success of any project. All a customer needs to contribute is a desire to create a really stunning space in their home!” n

Find Out More: Richard Sutton Design creates kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and reception rooms, with full project management, whilst Richard Sutton Interiors provides furniture, accessories and lighting. For a free, no-obligation discussion call 01472 268377 or see www.richardsuttondesign.com. The company is based on Wellowgate, Grimsby, DN32 0RAA.

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NANCY BIRTWHISTLE’S GREEN GARDENING

TURNING YOUR GARDEN

GREEN How does your garden grow? Hopefully with sustainability and joy in mind... and if not, Sunday Times best-selling author and Great British Bake Off winner Nancy Birtwhistle is on hand to help! NATURAL WORKS. That’s Nancy Birtwhistle’s philosophy, and perhaps the fact which underpins the question of why we insist on making our lives a little more complicated and a lot more expensive than it needs to be. Prior to 2007 Nancy spent 36 years working as a GP practice manager, retiring only to become busier than ever before, having won The Great British Bake Off in 2014. Now a successful author, Nancy has written four books, not to mention becoming well-respected on social media, amassing over a quarter of a million followers on Instagram alone. Nancy’s fourth book was published last month and after first meeting her in 2014, we caught up with the author once more last month, during a booksigning event hosted by Humber Bridge Garden Centre. “I was quite a practical cook early on, baking to feed the family,” says Nancy. “I’d rather make a poor quiche or a meat pie than buy a good one. I wouldn’t bake for fun but from the age of eight, baking alongside my grandmother, I was learning a really

important skill, even though I didn’t really recognise it at the time. We worked hard to enjoy an early retirement full of cooking and baking, travelling, reading and gardening.” “With more time and more experience, I really did come to enjoy cooking, and baking in particular. When Bake Off began I really got into watching it and even practised the technical challenges the contestants had been set.” “I applied to be on the fifth series and was thrilled and excited when I was invited to appear on the show, but then it dawned on me that I had to step up and do the work. The show was recorded from between April and June at Welford Park near Newbury, Berkshire, there are about 100 members of the crew including six camera teams and about 50 people in the tent at any one time.” “All of the competitors develop a real bond. It’s a competition initially but your relationship with the others soon transcends that and I remember saying to my fellow finalists Luis and Richard that ‘nobody loses here.’ >>

Words: Rob Davis.

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NANCY BIRTWHISTLE’S GREEN GARDENING HANDBOOK

>> Winning was incredible, but you’re contractually sworn to secrecy, so I couldn’t say anything, not even to close family, only my husband Tim!” “In the year that you’re the current winner, you’re invited to appear on TV and radio shows, to host demonstrations and so on. It’s a whirlwind, but an enjoyable whirlwind. You’re advised to either capitalise heavily on the first year or to establish yourself for years to come.” “I really wanted to write a recipe book and remember feeling dejected after trudging from publisher to publisher to be told that the consensus in the industry was that ‘baking books weren’t selling.’ I was convinced my age was a factor, too, so Tim suggested that I self-published, in lieu of doing so in collaboration with a publisher.” “I set about writing a recipe a day. You need about 100 recipes for a book, and I eventually ended up with Sizzle & Drizzle which was published on 25th October 2019. I had to commit to a print run, and really

didn’t have a firm idea how many to print. We settled on 500 and I announced preorders online, selling out even before it was in print. We doubled the order, it sold out almost immediately and it’s still in print, selling well four years on.” Nancy’s first book touched briefly on sustainability, something that the author already practised as a matter of course, but it was a mention that publishers Pan Macmillan picked up on and were keen to pursue. They invited Nancy to expand on the subject in a book and so she began writing her second book, Clean & Green, which was published in January 2021 and quickly became a Sunday Times bestseller. “It wasn’t a bandwagon to jump on,” she says. “It was just something I already did; considering how I could clean my home whilst being conscious about the effect on the planet.” “We’re all guilty of being one of the culprits responsible for using cleaning chemicals

NANCY IN PRINT: A Trio of Green Living Guides...

Beautifully illustrated guide with hints and sustainable, natural cleaning tips, hacks and ‘recipes’ for cleaning products which are faster and easier than the go-to products and methods most of us use now for everyday cleaning and laundry with zero-effort. n

The ultimate guide to reducing your environmental impact while saving time and money. Inside are tips and home hacks on everything from eco cleaning, upcycling, making the most out of your weekly shop plus Nancy’s delicious recipes. n

The Green Gardening Handbook offers eco-friendly tips that will help you make the most of your space, and what it can grow, over 336 pages, with beautiful illustrations, and over 100 tips and ideas no matter that your level of knowledge. n

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“Living sustainably involves a learning curve but it’s also an approach that you can adopt as little or as much as you want...” and single use plastics, so I wanted my conscience – as well as my home – to be cleaner.” “Clever marketing has led us to believe that something which smells pleasant is clean, but even the most benign cleaning products like washing-up liquids still have chemicals in them which, when you look at their data sheet, confirms that they’re not natural, whatever the fruits or flowers the fragrance is designed to emulate.” “Nobody wants to destroy the planet, but we’re doing so because of the myth that homemade cleaning products are inferior or less effective, or at the very least a hassle to create. It’s a learning curve but it’s also an approach that you can adopt as little or as much as you want.” >>

Above: Nancy with Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood in 2014. Image: BBC.

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NANCY BIRTWHISTLE’S GREEN GARDENING HANDBOOK

>> Living more sustainably, Nancy acknowledges, is a practice that has implications for the way we clean, cook and eat, but a natural extension of that is the growing of our own food, and so Nancy’s third book after Clean & Green, and after Green Living Made Easy (the follow-up volume which was published in March 2022) is The Green Gardening Handbook, which, as its name suggest, brings into consideration the sustainable production of our food. The book is a guide to gardening and growing at home, all with a sustainable, ecofriendly outlook and suffused with Nancy’s customary passion, knowledge, and warmth. “It doesn’t matter whether you have a sprawling garden, a modest patch of grass or just a spare windowsill,” says Nancy. “The book will help you make the most of your space, and what it can grow. It’s split into the four seasons and provides information on everything from when to plant potatoes, what sort of fertiliser to use and the plethora of foods that can be grown from tiny pots in your kitchen.” “It features seasonal recipes and guides to storing and preserving, tips for getting kids involved and excited about where food comes from and it provides a blueprint for embracing the joy of growing and eating from your own garden – reducing your carbon footprint in the process, as well as saving a few pennies.” “Another consequence of growing your own food is that I guarantee you won’t waste a thing!” says Nancy. “You gain a renewed appreciation for the concerted effort it takes to produce food when you grow your own. You probably need to waste anything either. Someone once questioned the wisdom of growing your own and remarked to me that when you have a glut of something you end up giving it away.”

NANCY’S TOP TIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING Dry home-grown herbs in the microwave between sheets of kitchen paper, then store in old glass supermarket herb and spice jars. Vanilla pods are very expensive so I try to make sure I use every morsel. Once the seeds have been scraped away and used in custards and brûlée, rather than discarding the pod, cut it into three inch or so lengths. Pop the dried dark brown pieces into a clean glass jar, topping up with caster sugar Leave to infuse for about a week for a delicious vanilla smelling and tasting caster sugar. Soak dried marrowfat peas then place on kitchen paper or used newspaper to grow ‘cut and come again’ pea shoots for summer salads. Rather than eliminating greenfly, whitefly and aphids with harsh chemical nasties, a spray bottle filled with just water and aimed at close range will power- hose a cluster of greenfly from your prize rose bush buds onto the ground. Blast at the first sign of pests and in the evening when the air is still. Dry tomato and pepper skins on kitchen paper, lay them on a cooling rack and simply leave them on a sunny windowsill until dry and crisp. Blitzed to a powder in a food processor, and stored in a reused spice jar, they add another layer of flavour to add to soups and stews.

“I’ve about six tomato plants plus some cherry tomato plants too, but having had real success with my tomatoes last year I made my own passata, which, like a lot of other food you grow, can be harvested and frozen for use later... I havent brought a tin of tomatoes since!” From composting to clothing, to making the most of your space and recommending basic equipment, Nancy’s new book reflects the mental and physical benefits, the pleasure and the ability to eat better, all whilst saving money, that growing your own food can yield. “This is the most involved book I’ve written, and it’s taken all year because I’ve been writing during each season reflecting on my own experiences at the time, but its been a joy to write.” “It’s not a book full of Latin horticultural names and it’s not – necessarily – about being self-sufficient, but instead it’s a practical, enjoyable way to encourage you to start eating better, more sustainably.” “We’ve lost the seasonality to our food, expecting to buy asparagus and strawberries in December. Meanwhile, we’re importing – and wasting – vast amounts of food, whilst also experiencing food shortages, which really doesn’t make sense to me.” “Getting started and having fun is what it’s all about, but a little advice can go a long way. I used to buy insecticides and sprays, I used to buy compost, but those things aren’t always necessary. With a little help you can make the most of whatever space you have and gain a real insight into food.” “Growing, eating and enjoying your own food is incredibly rewarding, and I want to pass on the pleasure to anyone willing to engage with the message, ensuring that everyone can understand the seasons, live a healthier lifestyle and in turn ensure our planet stays healthy too.” n

Find Out More: The Green Gardening Handbook: Grow, Eat and Enjoy by Nancy Birtwhistle is in all good bookshops now, published by Pan Macmillan, £14.99/hardback, 300 pages.The book is the follow-up volume to Clean & Green and Green Living Made Easy. With thanks to Humber Bridge Garden Centre, www.humberbridgegardencentre.co.uk.

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SUMMER GARDENS

OPEN GARDENS in

ASWARBY Enjoy the sunshine this month with a visit to an NGS Open Garden event. Our suggestion is a brace of beautiful gardens just a few miles from Sleaford as two Aswarby gardens open their gates to visitors for an afternoon of sunshine, gardening joy and of course, refreshments! Words: Rob Davis.

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SUMMER GARDENS

WHAT COULD BE BETTER than enjoying a beautifully tended garden in the sunshine this month? How about, enjoying two beautifully tended gardens? Located about 300 yards from one another, Caroline Playne and Penny Herdman, both from Aswarby, about five miles south of Sleaford, are teaming up this month to offer visitors twice the pleasure, and the chance to admire two very different gardens. Aswarby Park is home to Caroline and George Playne, and the farming estate is in excess of 300 years old, having been founded by the Whichcote family before passing by marriage to the Playnes. Today much of the land is used for cereals and raising sheep, and having been requisitioned for use during the war, Aswarby Hall was pulled down, leaving its 1840s stableblock as the estate’s principal residence. Caroline inherited custodianship of the garden 18 years ago, and though she professes not to be a gardener, says that her team, including head gardener Sharon, help to make the 20 acres of formal gardens and woodland something very special to behold. “We try to introduce something new each year,” says Caroline. “The team does such a wonderful job but it felt as though too few people were able to enjoy the gardens so five years ago we opened for the NGS.” >>

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LOUTH

SUNDAY 7th MAY

WOODLANDS

A lovely mature woodland garden where a multitude of unusual plants are the stars. Award winning professional artists’ studio/gallery open to visitors. n Woodlands, Peppin Lane, Fotherby, Louth, LN11 0UW. See www.woodlandsplants.co.uk. GRIMSBY

SATURDAY 13th MAY

OASIS GARDEN: YOUR PLACE The multi-award winning Oasis Garden, Your Place, is approximately 1½ acres and nestles in the heart of Great Grimsby’s East Marsh Community. A working garden producing 15k plants per year, grown by local volunteers of all ages and abilities. Lawns, fruit, vegetable, perennial and annual beds. n Wellington Street Grimsby, DN32 7JP. See www.yourplacegrimsby.com. HORNCASTLE

SATURDAY 20th MAY

23 ACCOMMODATION ROAD

Medium sized garden which mixes flowers with fruit, places to sit and admire the fish pond and flowers. Features a range of iris, perennials, auriculas and alpines. Plenty to see and enjoy. n Accommodation Road Horncastle, LN9 5AS. BOSTON

SATURDAY 20th MAY

WILLOUGHBY ALLOTMENTS Set in five acres the allotments comprise 60 plots growing fine vegetables, fruit, flowers and herbs. There is a small orchard and wildflower area and a community space adjacent. n Willoughby Road, Boston PE21 9HN. BOSTON

SUNDAY 21st MAY

FYDELL HOUSE

Formal garden created within three red brick walls with yew buttresses, arbours and four parterres use dutch themes. The borders contain herbaceous plants and shrubs. n South Square Boston, PE21 6HU. MARKET RASEN

SUNDAY 28th MAY

2 MILL COTTAGE

Unusual plants and well placed seating areas. Engine shed, working well, raised beds, plus clipped box, alpines and roses. n Barkwith Road, South Willingham LN8 6NN. 95

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SUMMER GARDENS

“Hosting an NGS event is always a pleasure, and with proceeds for refreshments going to Aswarby Church, we’re hoping for good weather and lots of happy visitors!”

>> “We try to introduce a new feature to the garden each year, so this year sees the addition of a pickery for cut flowers.” At the time of writing, Aswarby Park is replete with snowdrops and daffodils. This month though will see verbenas and alliums within the walled garden, which also has a beautifully restored greenhouse housing a 300-year old muscat vine. Elsewhere there are woodland walks and yew trees to admire, as well as a number of climbing roses. The grounds to Caroline’s garden are historic in comparison to the second garden at Aswarby House, which has been designed and planted only four years ago. A handsome 18th century property, formerly home to the land agent at Aswarby estate, the gardens at Aswarby House were tired and overgrown when Penny & James Herdman arrived. The walled garden needed clearing of roots and brambles, whilst its borders were virtually non-existent. The two set about clearing each of the garden’s areas and then revitalising the property’s partially walled garden, introducing drought-tolerant plants, such as agapanthus and salvia, gaura and lavender into the 30-metre south facing border. During the gardens’ NGS opening in late May, expect a display of tulips, iris, and peonies, along with climbing roses including Claire Austin, Dublin Bay, Eden Rose and Gertrude Jekyll. There are also parterres, woodland shrubs and ornamental grasses surrounding a wildflower meadow. “Hosting an NGS event is always a win/win scenario,” says Caroline. “People are able to enjoy the gardens, the team here have their hard work recognised and the local community benefits too as all proceeds from the teas and plant stall will support Aswarby Church. We’re hoping for good weather and lots of happy visitors!”

n Aswarby Park and Aswarby Hall are hosting a joint NGS Open Garden event on Sunday 28th May from 2pm to 5pm, NG34 8SD and NG34 8SE, for more information see www.ngs.org.uk. 97

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The very best for your garden

Summer Houses & Garden Rooms • Timber Cabins • Workshops & Studios Playhouses • Pet Houses • Arbours • Garden Bars • Sheds & Storage DELIVERED AND INSTALLED IN YOUR GARDEN Visit our purpose-built Show Village near Spalding & Kings Lynn, with over 45 buildings on display. Monday-Friday 9am-3.30pm. Saturday 10am to 4pm. Producing garden buildings since 1981.

Tydd Bank, PE12 9XE Telephone 01406 359052 or see www.shiregb.com

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MOTORS

Is there still a place on your driveway for

Volvo’s V60 Cross Country? SUVs are dominating the sales charts. It’s telling that last year’s best-selling car in the UK was Nissan’s small SUV, the Qashqai... so is there still a place in your heart for a traditional estate?

IT’S ALWAYS GREAT when stories have a surprise twist. And this Scandi-noir thriller’s twist is that the traditional estate car is back from the dead. Sales of estates have fallen off a cliff with the popularity of SUVs or 4x4s, which are more practical not just in rural areas like ours, but in urban areas and on A-roads with horrid potholes and rubbish roads. SUVs, of course, still offer the boxy, dog-friendly boot of their estate forebears, but with greater ground clearance and a loftier driving position with better visibility. They are, objectively, better than estates, and with more frugal engines these days, you can’t even counter with an argument that they’re gas-guzzlers. Still, one company isn’t done with estates just yet, and that is, of course, the king of the estate car... Volvo. 100

Its V60 and V90 estate cars are really pretty compared to boxy Volvos of old, and their interiors are brimming with driver assistance technology and Scandi-design. The V60 is the firm’s smaller estate, and this new version, the Cross Country, is a sort of halfway house between an estate and SUV. With an extra 60mm of ground clearance and plastic cladding around hard done by areas like the wheel arches, the idea is that the V60 Cross Country is not an SUV, but gives a little leeway on rough roads. Two trim levels are available, of which we’d recommend the upper Ultimate model with its adaptive cruise control, 360° camera and panoramic roof.

All V60 CC models feature all-wheel drive, hill-descent control, and a mild-hybrid B5 powertrain; a 2.0 four-cylinder engine, good for 250hp and 37.7mpg. Undoubtedly the Volvo is a great vehicle, but it’s facing two issues. Firstly, with the need for an all-wheel drive pothole-friendly vehicle, why wouldn’t you opt for an SUV? Secondly, and perhaps more profoundly, starting at just under £50,000, the V60 is priced at roughly the same point as Range Rover’s very well-equipped entry-level Velar, or Mercedes’ GLC. Those are some pretty compelling rivals, and for those purchasing on a PCP or lease agreement, rivals with a more ‘premium’ badge and better residuals are likely to make those cars more affordable, offering drivers more metal for the same – or less – money. n

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THE DETAILS

Volvo V60 Cross Country Price: £53,825 (Ultimate trim). Powertrain: 2.0 four-cylinder petrol engine, B5 mild hybrid with 250hp, all-wheel drive and eight-speed automatic gearbox. Performance: 0-60mph: 6.9secs, top speed 180mph, 37.7mpg. Equipment: Leather interior, power driver and passenger seats, heated front and rear seats, four-zone climate control, heated windscreen and steering wheel, panoramic roof, 360° camera, adaptive cruise, power tailgate. n 101

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ENJOY A DAY at

THE RACES Dress to impress in even the smartest enclosure with raceday fashions that will also suit garden parties, weddings and other functions...

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RACING FASHIONS

4 1. Aurora Lace Dress, £149, www.phase-eight.com. 2. Whilemina Fit And Flare Dress, £199, www.hobbs.com. 3. Lourdes Cream Meadow Scene Silk-Blend Devoré Maxi Dress, £529, www.lkbennett.com. 4. Spot Floral Chiffon Square Neck Ruffle Maxi Dress, £90.30, www.karenmillen.com. 5. Plunge Organza Floral Full Skirt Midi Dress, £329, www.coastfashion.com >>

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4 1. Lisa Tan Premium Lace Overlay Jumpsuit, £189, www.coastfashion.com. 2. Petite Carly Spot Dress, £169, www.hobbs.com. 3. Isla Lace Wide Leg Jumpsuit, £249, www.phase-eight.com. 4. Lace Embroidered Woven Midi Dress, £153.30, www.karenmillen.com. 5. Nellie Midi Dress Lilac Flamingo, £240, www.rebeccarhoades.com. 6. Rose Pink Italian Satin Jacket & Trousers, £359 & £299, www.lkbennett.com >>

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Adeline Double Layer Dress, £189. www.phase-eight.com

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RACING FASHIONS

4 1. Gwen Floral Jacquard Dress, £299, www.hobbs.com 2. John Charles 29030 Kiwi & Navy Dress, £799, johncharles.co.uk. 3. Floral Pleated Corset Woven Maxi Dress With Detachable Cape, £203.40, www.karenmillen.com. 4. V Neck Jacquard Dress With Hand Embellishment, £247.20, www.coastfashion.com 5. Freud Yellow Cotton Tie Neck Dress, £279, www.lkbennett.com.

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French Connection Eugine crepe pleated high neck mini dress, £79 at Coneys Department Store, Spalding.

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FASHION AT CONEYS DEPARTMENT STORE

SUMMER STYLE with

CONEYS DEPARTMENT STORE

This month, we present a selection of summer fashion picks for sunny days, from Coneys Department Store in Spalding...

Clockwise from Top Left: Esprit Crinkle satin mini dress with floral print, £129.99; Guess Katey perforated handbag in Teal £125; Guess Dafne patent court shoe in light pink £120; Great Plains Bella ditsy scoop back dress in Fresh Apple Multi £89; Katie Loxton Blake small shoulder bag £44.99; Katie Loxton Kendra quilted crossbody bag in dusty pink £39.99.

Items featured here are available at Coneys Ladies Spalding, in Coneys Department Store (formerly Hills) on Broad Street, Spalding PE11 1TB. Call 01775 767155, www.coneysdesignerwear.co.uk. Also at Coneys Ladies Boston, 34-38 Wide Bargate, Boston PE21 6RX, 01205 311355.

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WEDDINGS

A Family Reunion This month’s bride and groom are currently based in Sweden, so their wedding was not only a chance to celebrate their love for one another, but to host an international post-Covid reunion and enjoy the unusual spectacle of having all of their friends and family in one place! Wedding Photographer: Rebekah Robert Photography, 07736 931496, www.rebekahrobert.com.

ONE OF THE JOYS of getting married – quite aside from the very special experience of making a public declaration of your love for one another – is the opportunity to host a reception, where you can look out and see all of your family and friends, in the same place, at the same time.

WEDDING SUPPLIERS ISSY & JAMIE

It was an experience that was even more meaningful to Issy Urwin and Jamie Gill when they married near Newark last year. Issy is originally from Bedfordshire and works in teaching whilst Jamie is from Lancashire and works for tech firm Apple… both are currently based in Sweden.

“One of the bridesmaid’s partners arrived at the train station but couldn’t get a taxi to the wedding, some one of the Stubton Hall team went out to pick him up, which we thought was lovely.” The couple say they wanted a traditional wedding, one that would be timeless too, and fun, to reflect their character. Issy created her wedding stationery and worked with Ruby Adds of Ruby & Co Events for her wedding styling – a boon, given that Issy was working remotely!

Having met online when they were both working in London, the two later moved to Cork, Ireland, where Jamie’s company is headquartered in Europe before he was offered the chance to work in Scandinavia. The couple moved there five years ago and whilst on a trip to Gothenberg to explore Sweden’s second largest city, the two visited the breath-taking botanical gardens where Jamie unexpectedly dropped to one knee and proposed to Issy on the viewing platform overlooking the arboretum. “It was in August 2020, and Covid was just making its presence felt,” says Issy. “But actually it also meant that wedding venues and other suppliers were offering online tours. So, planning the wedding would have to be conducted remotely either because of our wedding party being in different countries, or because of lockdown.” “Meanwhile, my brother was based in Lincoln at the time, having studied at the University of Lincoln before taking a job nearby. We started looking around the area for wedding venues because the location was pretty much equidistant between the two families, and not too far from London for those travelling from overseas.”

“Combining the opportunity to look at a few venues with a visit to see my brother, we happened across Stubton Hall near Newark, and it was absolutely perfect. The place had been modernised, but it still had plenty of character and lots of natural light. Our wedding planner Rachel was great, and the venue really couldn’t do enough for us.”

Wedding Ceremony & Reception: Stubton Hall, Newark, 01636 626187, www.stubtonhall.co.uk. Wedding Dress: Stella York at George James, www.georgejamesbridal.com. Wedding Breakfast: Henson’s Catering, 01636 626975, hensonscatering.co.uk. Ice Cream Cart: www.icecreambike.net. Bridal Hair: Alison Jenner, Stamford, 07775 662941, alisonjennerhair.com. Makeup Artist: Estera Sutton, Kokoshka, 07715 611675, www.kokoshka.co.uk. Wedding Stylist/Floristry: Ruby & Co, 07519 369682, rubyandcoevents.com. Wedding Band: Zone One, www.alivenetwork.com. n

Issy did, however, manage to source her wedding dress from a studio near to her home in Bedfordshire and opted for a Stella York gown with tea-length veil and sweetheart neckline. Utilising Next for the groomsmen’s tailoring and bridesmaids’ dresses made the international logistics a little easier… especially as the has six bridesmaids, a man of honour and seven assorted groomsmen. Two suppliers who were necessarily a little more local were Issy’s hair stylist, Alison Jenner of Stamford, and makeup artist Estera Sutton of Kokoshka studio. Stubton Hall’s preferred suppliers Henson Catering from Newark created a bespoke menu for the couple, who are both vegetarians. A bruschetta starter was followed by a butternut squash tartlet and a lemon tart for dessert. >> 111

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WEDDINGS

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“Being able to gaze out and see all of our family and friends in one place for the first time was incredible...!” >>The couple also had a stone-baked pizza oven for peckish guests in the evening, and during the day, everyone enjoyed ice creams from the bicycle cart of Ice Cream Dreams of Cambridgeshire. “It was a really fun day, and my man of honour sang a song live to accompany me up the aisle. We’d met one another whilst studying performing arts and have been best friends ever since… he has an incredible voice!” “My aunt also performed a song live for my father and I, after the first dance, and then party band Zone One performed their live set, which the guests loved. They learned our first dance song which was by a Swedish artist – though thankfully with English lyrics – which we thought was lovely.” “We’d heard good things about our photographers Rebekah & Robert, but honestly from the moment she came into the room where we were getting ready, Rebekah became a wedding fairy godmother. She was so organised and had an amazing sense of attention to detail… they were both incredible!” “Covid had meant that we couldn’t travel back as regularly as we were used to doing, so to be able to gaze out and see all of our family and friends in one place for the first time in a long while was incredible. The whole day was fun and emotional and just really enjoyable. It’s honestly everything that a wedding day should be!” n

Wedding Photographer: Rebekah Robert Photography, 07736 931496, www.rebekahrobert.com.

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CELEBRATING THE RETURN OF THE BURTON HUNT BALL FOR 2023

To feature your event call 01529 469977. Our magazines are free to read online, so you can share the magazine with your friends. Visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk. 115

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An Enjoyable Evening at the

Burton Hunt Ball 2023 OVER 350 GUESTS and subscribers of The Burton Hunt recently enjoyed their Supporters Club Ball at the Epic Centre on the Lincolnshire Showground recently. The event included a drinks reception, dinner and a Champagne raﬄe followed by entertainment from live band The Baltic Donkeys, plus a bucking bronco and casino. The Burton is one of the country’s oldest packs of foxhounds, established in 1672 and was divided into the Burton and Blankney packs in 1871. The Burton’s territory extends north of Lincoln, 22 miles east to west and 16 miles north to south. Its MFHs are James Lockwood, Benjamin Atkins and Gareth Williams. The Supporters Club was established in 1958 and is today headed up by Chairman Simon Chappell. The Burton Hunt always operates within the 2004 law, and follows an artiﬁcially laid scent, not live quarry. n Words & Images: Rob Davis.

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FITZWILLIAM HOSPITAL

Private GP Services FOR PROMPT & CONVENIENT CARE

Access to well-respected GPs for advice about urgent or long-term conditions is easier than ever, thanks to Peterborough’s Fitzwilliam Hospital, which offers Private GP services as part of its provision of high-quality healthcare, expediting primary care... PETERBOROUGH’S FITZWILLIAM HOSPITAL specialises in providing consultant-led healthcare in its modern, well-equipped hospital.But for those whose needs are more appropriately addressed with advice from a GP, it’s good to know that the Ramsay Group facility is also home to Private GP services, which, as the service’s name suggests, provides access to its GMC-registered general practitioners for unhurried consultations of 30-minute or 60-minute durations. “There’s no need to be registered with us,” says The Fitzwilliam Hospital’s team of GPs. “Anyone can see our well-respected private GPs who practice to the highest clinical standards either for urgent issues or longer-term conditions. We aim to offer a better healthcare experience with more expedient, more flexible provision of appointments.” “The service is definitely not an alternative to conditions for which a visit to A&E is more appropriate, but our remit includes

consultations and treatments for minor illnesses and conditions including women’s and men’s healthcare issues.” “These might also include medical care and management of chronic illnesses like high blood pressure, asthma and diabetes.” “We can offer family planning and contraceptive advice, private prescriptions, smear tests, lung function tests and advice on menopause.” “We can also provide fast referral to on-site specialists for a range of investigations and imaging, as well as initial tests to expedite your care. We also provide guidance on holistic medicines.” “It’s not necessary to have a medical insurance policy as access to the service is also offered on a self-pay basis with prices starting from £130 for a 30-minute consultation. We can also liaise with your own GP, if required, to ensure your usual family doctor has the information you wish to share about your health.” n

Find Out More: Offering private GP services, The Fitzwilliam Hospital is one of 35 Ramsay Group-owned hospitals in the UK. The hospital was established in 1983 as a private facility for healthcare with 55 en suite bedrooms, five operating theatres, a dedicated MRI, CT and X-Ray imaging suite and physiotherapy unit. Surgical disciplines include Private GP services, orthopaedic, ENT, ophthalmology, gynaecology, medical diagnostics, treatment and surgical procedures. Call 01733 261717 or visit www.fitzwilliamhospital.co.uk. 120

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Fitzwilliam Hospital’s Private GP Services...

Dr Aisha Bashir (above): Dr Bashir’s scope covers the breadth of general practice. She has a special interest in women’s health. Dr Bashir has worked as a GP in and around Peterborough since 2001, alongside working privately at the Fitzwilliam Hospital since 2009. n Dr Donna Hutchinson Having recently joined the team. Dr Hutchinson’s area of interest is working with patients with complex medically unexplained symptoms. She endeavours to help demystify what those symptoms (messages from the body) might represent and uses a range of tools and strategies to help empower patients with the knowledge required to take back control of their health. n Dr Ayyaz Kauser: Dr Kauser has a keen clinical interest in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. n Dr Helen Stellmacher: Dr Stellmacher continues to work as an NHS locum GP as well as working at Fitzwilliam Hospital. Covering all areas of general practice with an emphasis on providing a comprehensive and personalised service. Dr Stellmacher has a special interest in elderly patients who may value more extended consultations. n

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COSMETICS

Ready for a Summer of Freshness FRAGRANCES & COSMETICS INSPIRED BY SUMMER, DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU FEEL ALIVE

1. The perfect fragrance for the coronation...

5. A citrus fresh summer perfume from Hermès...

6th May will see the coronation of King Charles III & Queen Camilla, and what better fragrance to wear to such an occasion as Platinum 22, designed to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II. This EDP was developed by quintessentially English perfumery Floris of London to reflect the flora around the late Queen’s favourite formal residences. £200 / 100ml, florislondon.com.

Hermessence Iris Ukiyoé is a unisex fragrance from the luxury brand’s perfumer Jean Claude Ellena. This ETD’s floral bouquet is full of nuances and paradoxes, created with rose, orange blossom and mandarin. Floral luxury for summer! £225 / £100ml John Lewis.

2. Metallic Crush Compact Yves Saint Laurent invites you to take your eyeshadow look to the next level with its highly pigmented, rich colour shadows for versatile and buildable eye looks. We love this Magnetic Purple violet shade, ideal for those seeking to create a head-turning eye look from day to night, £27/1g, John Lewis.

3. Feel-Good Fixing Mac’s Fix+ is now available in seven moodboosting scent including this Awaken scent with chamomile and green tea. Spritz this over your makeup to hydrate, refresh and freshen your look leaving your complexion looking refreshed, £12.50/30ml, from John Lewis.

6. A+ Anti-Ageing that’s top of the class Clinique’s trio of anti-ageing skincare products promises best in class performance, A+ in fact. The Smart Clinical Repair set includes the company’s Wrinkle Correcting Serum to smooth lines and wrinkles, Wrinkle Correcting Cream to nourish skin, and Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream for the delicate area around the eyes. Each contains peptides and many other active ingredients. £65.

4. Regeneration Lancôme’s Rénergie Multi-Lift Day Cream with SPF 15 is the company’s first skincare cream with in-built MT (multitension) Technology, designed to repair and reconstruct the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, £83/50ml.

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

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O’BRIENS OPTICIANS OF BRIGG

Hope for those with dry age-related macular degeneration

Saving Your Sight A pioneering treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration could bring hope to thousands of people across Lincolnshire. This month we’re celebrating the new technology available at O’Briens opticians in Brigg which could restore your sight... IMAGINE BEING TOLD your eyesight would continue to deteriorate and that no treatment was available. Now imagine being told that, in fact, there is a treatment which is painless, non-invasive, effective and available immediately.

research into investigating age-related macular degeneration. A couple of years ago, the practice invested in a best-in-class Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanner to better aid detection of agerelated macular degeneration.

Around 340,000 people in the UK are registered as having partial or complete sight loss, with over 1.5m people living with macular disease. 600,000 of those have the condition of age-related macular degeneration, of which the dry – rather than the wet – condition is much more prevalent.

Now, building on that ability to diagnose, the practice has introduced a new treatment which is painless, with no contra-indications and most important of all, it is proving very effective. Recent clinical studies using this new cold laser-based therapy have shown an increase in the vision and contrast sensitivity in 90% of individuals who obtained an improvement in visual acuity of between five and eight letters on the letter chart – which is up to two lines of improvement.

Whilst wet age-related macular degeneration is less common, it can nonetheless be treated on the NHS with drugs which are injected into the eye to slow the growth of abnormal blood vessels which are behind the condition. For those with dry age-related macular degeneration, often the diagnosis is followed with a prediction of continued deterioration of sight. Globally, the prevalence of AMD is estimated to increase by 20% between 2020 (195.6m) and 2030 (243.3 m). However, a new treatment available in Lincolnshire’s O’Briens Opticians in the town of Brigg is already delivering promising benefits for those with the condition, and could be proven to successfully restore the sight of those with the condition. Sheeraz Janjua is the Director and Senior Optometrist of O’Briens, and has conducted much of his post-graduate

“Dry age-related macular degeneration is caused by the development of degenerative lesions,” says Sheeraz. “The new treatment is delivered by a machine called the LumiThera Valeda, and utilises a type of therapy called photobiomodulation (PBT).” “The machine sends a specific wavelength of light into the eye using a cold laser. It’s noninvasive and helps the retina repair the degenerative lesions (drusen) and rejuvenate itself, providing oxygen to the retina cells and to encourage the body to improve vision.” The treatment is not yet available on the NHS but is currently being reviewed by NICE, the UK body which appraises new treatment and permits their use. Only 12 independent practices in the UK are

thought to be employing the technology, of which O’Brien’s practices are two. “We’ve begin to offer the treatment privately and have already has 100 patients take advantage of the availability of PBT. Every single patient has experienced an improvement and there have been no side-effects.” The Macular Society have also acknowledged that the treatment shows early evidence of benefit with no known examples of contra-indications, meaning a safe and effective treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration and a common cause of sight-loss could very soon be available on the NHS. However the process of gaining clinical approval and the widespread use of the machines in UK practices could still take years. Recently the US-equivalent of NICE has approved PBT for use in the States, and all machines currently available are being sold to American practices. That makes O’Briens one of the only providers of this therapy in the UK and certainly the only one in the area. For those living with the prospect of deteriorating sight, Sheeraz and the team are therefore keen to offer the treatment to as many patients as possible. Sight loss is an upsetting prospect, but the good news is that in the respect of dry age-related macular degeneration, it’s not the inevitability it was once considered. n

Find Out More: O’Briens in Brigg is an independent optical practice established in 1979. As well as providing spectacles and contact lenses, the practice specialises in eye care and conditions like macular degeneration and the management of dry-eye conditions. The practice’s latest technology is designed to help those with dry age-related macular degeneration, for more information call 01652 653595 or see www.obriensopticians.co.uk. 124

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HEALTH AND WELLBEING

ALL ABOUT REFLEXOLOGY

Feet of Strength Reﬂexology promises holistic beneﬁts to your health and well-being, this month, we investigate an ancient therapy that’s still relevant in the 21st century... REFLEXOLOGY is a non-invasive complementary therapy that involves applying pressure to specific points on the feet, hands, and ears (auriculotherapy). It is based on the theory that these points correspond to different parts of the body, and that by applying pressure to them, the body can be stimulated to promote healing and improve overall health. In the West, the modern form of reflexology was developed in the early 20th century by Eunice Ingham. The practice of reflexology is based on the idea that the body is divided into different zones, each of which corresponds to a specific part of the body. These zones are believed to run from the top of the head to the tips of the toes, and from the fingers to the tips of the ears. By applying pressure to these zones, reflexologists believe that they can stimulate the corresponding parts of the body and promote healing. The benefits of reflexology are numerous and varied. One of the most commonly cited benefits is stress relief. Reflexology is thought to stimulate the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators. By reducing stress and promoting relaxation, reflexology may also help to improve sleep quality and reduce the risk of chronic diseases associated with stress, such as hypertension and heart disease. Reflexology is also believed to help improve circulation and lymphatic drainage. By stimulating the reflex points on the feet, hands, and ears, reflexologists believe that they can help to increase blood flow to the corresponding parts of the body, which can help to improve overall health and vitality. 128

Similarly, by stimulating the lymphatic system, reflexology is thought to help eliminate toxins and waste products from the body, which can help to reduce inflammation and improve immune function. In addition to its physical benefits, reflexology is also believed to have psychological benefits. Many people report feeling more relaxed and calm after a reflexology session, which can help to reduce anxiety and depression. If you are interested in trying reflexology, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it is important to find a qualified reflexologist who has been trained in the practice. Second, do be prepared for a different type of massage experience than you may be used to. Unlike traditional massage, reflexology involves the application of pressure to specific points on the feet, hands, and ears, rather than the entire body. This pressure can be firm, but should not be painful. During a reflexology session, your reflexologist will typically start by examining your feet or hands to identify any areas of tenderness or tension. They will then apply pressure to the corresponding reflex points, using their hands, fingers, or a specialised tool. You may feel a slight tingling or warmth in the corresponding part of your body, but you should not feel any pain. A typical reflexology session lasts around 3060 minutes, and most people find it to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Some people may experience some mild discomfort or soreness after a session, but this usually goes away within a few hours. With proper care and attention, reflexology can be a safe and effective way to support your overall health and wellbeing. n

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LOCAL PRACTICES

Reflexology in Lincolnshire

n The Anahata College of Reflexology, Lincoln: Anahata College has now been established since 2008 under the leadership of Glenys Underwood. Glenys, a Fellow of both the Association of Reflexologists and a Member of the College of Medicine, has been a practising reflexologist for over twenty years, bringing a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the College and its students. Call 01522 680687 or see www.reflexologylincoln.co.uk. n Diana’s Reflexology, Boston: Clinical Reflexologist and a full member of the Association of Reflexologist (MAR). Mobile reflexology service in the comfort of your own home. Call 07561 243668 or see www.dianasreflexology.co.uk. n Calming Soles Reflexology, High Santon, Scunthorpe: Clinical Reflexologist, qualified with the Level 5 Diploma in Practitioner Reflexology, the highest level attainable in the UK. Full membership of the Association of Reflexologists, fully insured. Purpose-built clinic, and mobile service offered. Call 07796434186 or see www.calmingsolesreflexology.co.uk. n Hannah Price Reflexology, Sleaford: Clinical Reflexologist and a full member of the Association of Reflexologists (MAR). Level 5 Diploma in Practitioner Reflexology. Qualified to give hand reflexology, and NEPIP (NeuroEndoPhychoImmunoPody), developed to alleviate stress and anxiety, it was then found to be useful for people with a wide range of other conditions. Call 07868 895638 or see www.hannahpricereflexology.com. 129

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THE DIRECTORY

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