Lincolnshire Pride November 2022

There’s so much happening in this month’s magazine it’s a challenge to know where to start. We’re meeting several really interesting Lincolnshire people this month, each with a story to tell. Firstly Emma Manners, Duchess of Rutland, who was catapulted from a rural life in Wales to the role of custodian of Belvoir Castle. A gilded life, you’d think, but there’s more to running a country estate than just polishing the silver, as Her Grace reveals in her really candid new autobiography.

Elsewhere we’re meeting textile artist Clare Haggas, whose new collection of silk scarves remain designed in Lincolnshire and made in Britain. And we’ve an interview with Lincoln’s Heber Ackland, former Equerry to HM Queen Elizabeth II following his recent role as one of her pallbearers. Elsewhere, we’re enjoying a visit to Bourne, we’re dining out at the Leagate Inn at Coningsby and we’ll feature a wedding for a beautiful bride who’s very close to our hearts!

Our best wishes, for a great month!

This month’s cover shows Lincoln’s Castle Hill at dusk. As autumn sets in and the nights become longer, we’re this month advocating a twilight tour of the county, with camera in hand.

We’ve photographic tips and the best vantage points if you’re keen to capture the best of the city itself, and Lincolnshire more broadly, when the sun goes down. 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!

Lincolnshire By Night

county’s twilight beauty...

& Stylish Fashion

Haggas and

CONTENTS

NEWS & EVENTS

06 NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories from across the county including a brand new book by local author Dominique Allen.

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

HIGHLIGHTS

12 LINCOLNSHIRE BY NIGHT

Photography and landmarks from dusk ‘til dawn in Lincolnshire.

24 THE DUCHESS OF RUTLAND

An honest account of an eccentric aristocratic life at Belvoir Castle, courtesy of Her Grace the Duchess of Rutland’s new autobiography.

32 CLARE HAGGAS’ SILK SCARVES

The story behind a Lincolnshire artist’s 10 year milestone, and a look at her new collection of 100% silk scarves.

39 BOURNE AGAIN Revisiting a little town with lots of history.

52 HEBER ACKLAND Lincoln’s Royal Navy Commodore Heber on his recent role as Queen Elizabeth II’s pallbearer.

FOOD & DRINK

56 DINING OUT Satisfying winter dining courtesy of Coningsby’s Leagate Inn.

63 THE GOOD FOOD AWARDS

Cast your vote in our search for the best dining in Lincolnshire.

HOMES & GARDENS

74 WELCOME HOME An equestrian des res near Gainsborough.

83 HOMES Luxury kitchens, gadgets galore and garden rooms too.

100 GARDENS Helping nature over winter.

LIFESTYLE

104 MOTORS A new Range Rover PHEV.

108 WEDDINGS Probably the most beautiful bride in the world... although we are a bit biased!

Pride Magazine is delivered free of charge, via Royal Mail, to high value homes in the county. Our circulation is to homes in the top three council tax bands, which are predominantly worth over £300,000. This guarantees the magazine has an affluent readership commensurate with our content.

The magazine is also sold in leading newsagents and supermarkets and we also deliver the magazine to local businesses including selected hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, doctors, dentists, executive motor dealerships and golf clubs. This helps to ensure we have a continued presence, right across our catchment area. Our titles also have more social media fans than any other local magazine. In addition we have over 45,000 online visitors viewing our magazines free of charge, online, on their tablet, computer, laptop or mobile phone via our website, our app, and via the Readly and Issuu platforms. If your business would benefit from being showcased to the wealthiest people in the area, please call our friendly sales team on 01529 469977.

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

THE PRIDE TEAM

Author’s new book follows Gertie’s Path

FIRST IN A NEW SERIES OF BOOKS FROM LOCAL AUTHOR IN SHOPS NOW

STAMFORD

Joyful, heartwarming and designed to make the reader smile. That’s what sets a new trilogy of books from local author Dominique Allen apart, and makes them ideal as fireside reading this autumn.

All For Overalls is the first in a trilogy of books featuring the central character of Gerald, ‘Gertie’ to his friends, who wants to be called Gerry’ at the start of WWII! Set during the Dunkirk summer of 1940 in a rural area not dissimilar to Stamford and the surrounding countryside, the story follows Gertie and his friends as they adapt to wartime ways.

All for Overalls is available now from Walkers bookshops, whilst its sequel If the Sock Fits, set amid the Battle of Britain and the start of the London Blitz, is currently with the books’ publisher. A third vol ume, Raids, Rallies & Reserves,

has the backdrop of 1941 and the news of Pearl Harbour.

Dominique lives with her twin sister Kesriel and has had the stories in her mind for a number of years, but around five years ago she sat down to turn her characters and ideas into proper manuscripts.

The two sisters say that the stories are not designed to be ‘gritty’ or challenging to read, but warm, easy and very entertaining, allowing the reader to see life through the perspective of a trio of childhood chums, Gertie, Al and Walker as they commit to becoming ‘salvage scamps,’ and doing their bit for The Effort.

Dominique is currently working on further manuscripts so The Salvaged Summer Trilogy could be just the beginning of a longer series. n Buy from Walkers bookshop, Stamford and Oakham. See www.gertiespath.co.uk, or buy from purchases@gertiespath.co.uk.

LINCOLNChristmas Market Dates

FESTIVE SEASON COMES EARLY TO LINCOLN AS MARKET PLANNED FOR 1st-4th DECEMBER

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas is on its way, in the centre of Lincoln. The City of Lincoln Council has announced that Lincoln Christmas Market will return from Thursday December 1st to Sunday 4th December, with a park and ride service operating once again from the Showground.

Entrance is free and no tickets are required for the event, which began in 1982.

“Lincoln brought the first traditional German Christmas market to the UK as part of its friendship and twinning with the town of Neustadt.”

“The event grows annually, constantly adding more new attractions to excite the senses of visitors from near and far.”

“From its beginnings in 1982 with just 11 stalls in Castle Square, the market now takes over most of the cultural quarter of the city, with well over 200 stalls.”

“For some, the Christmas Market is the most important event in the city’s calendar as it brings over 250,000 visitors to Lincoln. These visitors often return at other times in the year when they realise what Lincoln has to offer.” n lincoln-christmasmarket.co.uk.

Loch swim for Ross

Fun for the family at new adventure playground...

When you’ve already completed a 1,780mile swim right around Great Britain, it’s difficult to know what to do for an encore.

Grantham adventurer Ross Edgley, though, has recently topped his last achievement with a 100-mile 48-hour non-stop swim in Scotland’s Loch Ness.

Having competed in the Great British Swim in 2018 Ross resolved to hang up his

goggles, but has decided to once again take the plunge to raise awareness of the sea forests beneath the world’s oceans and their ecological importance.

Ross put on a stone in weight in preparation for the event following a 10,000 calorie a day diet.

n Find out more about the adventurer and his book, The Art of Resilience, via his website, www.rossedgley.com.

raised for Air Ambulance

BLANKNEY GOLF CLUB’S ANNUAL CHARITY AM AM DAY RAISES FUNDS TO KEEP SERVICE IN THE AIR

GRANTHAM

Oh to be young again! If we were, we’d probably head to Belvoir Castle, which has just announced that its new adventure playground will open on 15th October, as Pride appears in shops.

The new attraction has cost £350,000 and is themed around the past and present custodians of the 16,000 acre estate.

Meanwhile the Duchess of Rutland has just published The Accidental Duchess, her new autobiography, featured in this month’s Pride. n

SKEGNESS The future of Skegness holiday park Butlins –established in the town by Billy Butlin in 1936 –has been secured after the resort was sold back to the Harris family, which has interests in Bourne Leisure, Haven and Warner Leisure. The Harris family originally purchased it in 2000 but sold it just 18 months ago. n

Organisers of the Blankney Golf Club Annual Charity Golf AM AM event have said a big thank you to the 41 teams who competed in the event for the Lincolnshire & Notts Air Ambulance.

The day raised a staggering £8,700 for the service and organiser Jo Middleton, said: “We couldn’t have raised so much without the fantastic generosity of so many companies and friends who supported the day in some way. From corporate sponsorship to donating raffle prizes to preparing home made teas, we thank the volunteers and all our friends who came to help on the day!”

NEWS

In Brief BRANSBY A happy ending for Limpopo thanks to Bransby Horses...

A pony rescued from one of the worst cruelty cases Bransby Horses has ever seen, is settling into her new home. Of the 27 horses taken in by the charity, Limpopo is one of the lucky ones. It took 18 months of veterinary care and rehabilitation to get the seven year old mare to a point where she could be rehomed. Bransby Horses is dedicated to improving the lives of horses, donkeys and mules. Founded in 1968 Bransby Horses is now one of the UK’s largest equine welfare charities, currently responsible for around 1,000 equines. n See bransby horses.co.uk.

GRANTHAM

New Walled Garden at Harlaxton

HARLAXTON’S FOUR-ACRE WALLED GARDEN SET TO BE RESTORED AND REVITALISED

A four-acre walled garden in the grounds of a historic house in Lincolnshire is set to be restored and revitalised. Set close to the gatehouse of Harlaxton Manor, the impressive Walled Garden was constructed in the late 19th century and it is among the largest in Britain.

Plans put forward by Harlaxton Manor and its custodian, Harlaxton College, will see the expansive garden and its buildings restored to productive use, with an emphasis on education, sustainability and community participation.

The project will see the gardens reinvigorated, with a new sensory garden, medicinal garden and orchard, as well as a Shakespeareinspired garden and an avenue of blossoming trees.

Other areas will grow fruit and vegetables for

consumption by the students of Harlaxton College and visitors. Meanwhile, colourful ornamental plants will be incorporated into the design to attract pollinators.

The historic walls, gates and railings will also be restored along with existing buildings which include the Gardener’s Cottage, outbuildings and glasshouses.

New Reservoir Plans...

Brief LINCOLNSHIRE DRIVERS NEED TO SLOW DOWN, NEW STUDY FINDS...

Lincolnshire has the highest number of speeding offences in England and Wales each year, with 5.43 offences per 1,000 residents according to new research. Forbes found that on average, there are 4,164 speeding offences each year in the county, but in 2020 there was a decade high of 6,734 drivers caught breaking the speed limit. n

ANGLIAN WATER CONFIRMS PROPOSED LOCATION FOR RESERVOIR AHEAD OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Enhancing the area further, these structures will be regenerated to create spaces for education and visitors, plus a restaurant/café that looks out onto the gardens. n

Anglian Water has released information on a new reservoir it intends to construct prior to a public consultation.

SLEAFORD

The company says we have experienced one of the driest summers on record and that a new reservoir serving 500,000 homes is necessary to secure supplies and avoid taking water from underground aquifers.

A new reservoir is proposed south east of Sleaford between Scredington and Helpringham which will incorporate leisure facilities and habitats for wildlife.

Anglian Water says it will begin public consultation on the plans with a dedicated website due to go live in October. n

Our lead image shows the drama and creative potential of low-light photography, but this image was taken by a professional drone operator, obtaining special permission from The Civil Aviation Authority to overfly the city and to do so at night. Otherwise, doing so would be contrary to CAA rules, given the city’s proximity to RAF Waddington. >>

LINCOLN BY NIGHT

CAPTURING THE CATHEDRAL

CAPTURE THE CATHEDRAL THIS SEASON

Lincoln Cathedral’s illumination makes it a bit easier to capture stunning night-time shots of the building and its cloisters...

>> Lincoln Cathedral is beautiful in any light, but there’s something especially beautiful about it when you see it in low light. Adam Winfield lives in North Hykeham and he’s a commercial photographer who provides both tuition for novices or slightly more knowledgeable photographers keen to sharpen up their skills or learn a photographic specialism like night-time shooting.

“Lincoln is a stunning place to live, and there are so many photo opportunities at night, or sunrise and sunset. A tripod is a must... as is warm clothes and a flask of tea!”

“It’s important not to trespass on private property, and to be patient. Also, visit at different times of the year. You’ll be amazed how the same place can look so different through the changing seasons!”

n For one-to-one camera tuition, call Adam Winfield on 07954 192253.

Taking Pictures at Night

n They’ve become better in recent years, but camera phones still don’t cut it, especially in low light. Use a proper camera, one which allows you to set your shutters speed.

n A tripod is a must. Mount your camera on a stable tripod, us manual or Tv (shutter speed mode) to dial in your exposure.

n For shake-free images, you need to keep an eye on shutter speed. This is shown on your camera as fractions of seconds. 1/200 means a twohundredth of a second, and is the speed of your camera when using a flash.

n You can usually hand-hold a camera down to 1/125sec, perhaps 1/40 if you’ve a steady hand or stabilisation in your lens or camera.

n Rather than a viewfinder, use your camera’s screen to preview your exposure and release the shutter using a two or ten second timer.

n Shoot in RAW, not JPEG to capture in the highest quality.

LINCOLNSHIRE BY NIGHT

OTHER LANDMARKS ACROSS THE CITY OF LINCOLN

BRAYFORD WHARF

In the heart of Lincoln and close to the University, it’s little wonder that the Brayford Wharf area of the city is renowned for its nightlife, which is colourful in every respect. From the neon lights and reflections in the water to the view of the uphill area of the city and of the floodlit Lincoln Cathedral, it’s an ideal vantage point for photographers, especially suited to those hoping to capture a panoramic shaped image of the city.

LIGHT TRAILS

PELHAM

The pool was formed when Roman founders of Lindum widened the Witham and connected it to the Trent via the Foss Dyke. Though Brayford Pool was looking increasingly shabby into the late C20th, a regeneration of the area following the arrival of the University to Brayford Wharf from 1996 facilitated its regeneration into the area we know today with its boats, swans, nightlife and its new footbridge in 2019, an ideal vantage point for your photography. n

LINCOLN CASTLE’S ILLUMINATED WALL WALK

From 5pm - 9pm during Lincoln Christmas Market...

Quite aside from being a spectacular landmark in its own right, Lincoln Castle reopened its medieval wall walk alongside the Magna Carta vault, allowing visitors to walk the whole 360° perimeter of the castle and enjoy spectacular views over the city. Head to the top of the Observatory Tower, so-named by gaolkeeper and astronomer John Merryweather in 1799 for the highest views. The Cathedral, too, offers rooftop tours which afford similarly elevated views and access to parts of the Cathedral you’ve never visited before! n www.lincolncastle.com www.lincolncathedral.com

Safety comes first whenever you’re taking photographs, but if you can find somewhere to safety set up your tripod –on a footbridge over the A1 or A17, for example –a long exposure will create motion blurred images of headlights, moving fairground rides etc. Here, the lights in motion serve to add extra colour and interest, and create a juxtaposition between the static Cathedral and the comparatively busy lanes of traffic heading to and from Pelham Bridge. n

HIGH BRIDGE IN LINCOLN

Another popular view in the city is Stokes’ High Bridge Café, built circa 1160. On the other side you’ll enjoy photographic fodder in the form of the views along the Witham, towards Waterside and Lincoln’s Guildhall. n

LINCOLN CHRISTMAS MARKET

Capture the festive atmosphere from 1st-4th December

Lincoln’s Christmas Market is back from 1st to 4th December with over 250 stalls right across Uphill Lincoln. This will be the event’s 40th year and it’s expected that 250,000 people will visit the city to enjoy the festive atmosphere.

Of course, the event is also ideal for photographers looking to sharpen up their skills can capture some great images of the city.

From stallholders in costumes to the illuminated Cathedral and the colourful lights of the event’s fairground, it’s a good idea to take along your camera to take some great images of the biggest and best Christmas Market in the UK. www.lincoln-christmasmarket.co.uk

Captured some great images? We’d love to see them! You can email your pictures to the Editor via robin@pridemagazines.co.uk or send them via our Facebook and Instagram social media channels. n

LINCOLNSHIRE BY NIGHT

LANDMARKS TO PHOTOGRAPH THIS AUTUMN

AFTER DARK AT BELTON HOUSE

Enjoy (and photograph) Belton’s magical illuminations...

Grantham’s Belton House will welcome visitors back to enjoy Christmas at Belton from 24th November with more than a million twinkling lights, colourful trees and larger than life illuminated installations to enjoy – and to photograph. The trail will take 90 minutes to enjoy, or

a bit longer if you’re there photographing the displays. Mesmerising installations around the 2km route include Rose Garden, Sea of Light, Cascade Tree and Bubbles. Admission £21.50/adult, £15/child, last entry 8pm. n See nationaltrust.org.uk.

ST BOTOLPHS & ST DENYS...

Two churches, beautifully illuminated in the evenings, Boston’s St Botolph’s Church is now scaffolding-free and has had a large overhanding tree removed, meaning photographing the landmark from the Town Bridge is easier than ever. Likewise Sleaford’s St Denys’ is easily accessible and floodlit with another interesting building, The Hub, to photograph nearby, too. n

LINCOLNSHIRE’S BIG SKIES

Take advantage of the county’s open farmland and its reputation for expansive skies...

So far we’ve advocated photographing Lincolnshire’s landmarks, but one of its most unique and beautiful features, especially in the flatter parts of Lincolnshire, it is enormous skies.

Following sunrise and before sunset, the colours you can see in the sky are incredible, and even when there’s

nothing much in the foreground, they can still create an evocative image as the above picture shows. As always, never trespass onto farmland, use your tripod and with your camera on manual mode, experiment with exposures from half a second to five seconds in duration. n

CAPTURING FIREWORKS

Professional firework displays

month...

The snap, crackle and pop of a firework display sounds good but looks even better when photographed. Professional displays this month will take place at the Lincolnshire Showground on Friday 4th November, £10/adults, £5/children. A display will also take place on Friday at Market Rasen Racecourse, Belvoir Castle, and Lincoln’s LNER football stadium. n

Two fine churches to photograph in Boston and Sleaford

Lincolnshire’s big skies are at their best on the East Coast, where a trip to Skegness in the evening means capturing fast rides with bright lights.

For a more idyllic subject, we headed onto Skegness Beach to take this image of the pier in July 2022, just after 4.30am! During sunrise, greater humidity and lower temperatures will result in moodier, cooler shots. In warmer weather cool light rays are filtered out, giving sunset shots more orange/red tones and sunrise shots more blue and pink hues.

The ‘golden hour’ is usually an hour after sunrise and sunset but ambient light levels will still be low so remember your tripod! n

Captured some great images? We’d love to see them! You can email your pictures to the Editor via robin@pridemagazines.co.uk or send them via our Facebook and Instagram social media channels. n

Photographing The Humber Bridge

A hulking structure nearly 1.4 miles long and 155 metres tall, The Humber Bridge is a spectacular subject for evening photography. Head to Waterside Road for the best views.

Know the difference between sunrise and sunset and plan your photographic adventure first!

SUNRISE ON LINCOLNSHIRE’S EAST COAST...

Above: Skegness Pier during a July sunrise. Recommended places for sunrise/sunset photography on the East Coast include Gibraltar Point Nature Reserve and the coastline of Cleethorpes. Remember to check tide times first!

Polar Foldback Gloves

Foldback fingers and thumbs for better dexterity, £13.49, www.gooutdoors.co.uk.

Olympus OM1 Mirrorless

Lightweight, weather sealed, 8EV stops of image stabilisation, 20.4MP, £1,999.

SEE THE LIGHT

The right camera gear will help you to see –and capture – the light, even when it’s dark!

Leophoto LN-248 Tripod

Avoid shaky shots, 1.76kg, carbon fibre, with head, £249.99.

Unbreakable 1.3 litre Flask

The most essential item in your kit bag... hot tea! £44.97, www.gooutdoors.co.uk.

Our preferred photography retailer is London Camera Exchange on Silver Street, Lincoln. Call 01522 514131, or see www.lcegroup.co.uk.

Olympus 25mm F1.8 Lens

Wide angle, great low-light performance, light and silent AF, £329.

Celestron Starsense 114AZ

Smart-phone guidance to the night sky, great telescope for beginners, £249.

Head Torch

Ideal for seeing where you’re stepping, hands-free, £3.50, www.gooutdoors.co.uk.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro

Under 250g so escapes UK legislation, 4k video, 48MP stills, £709, www.dji.com.

Treats for every good boy & girl.

An Accidental DUCHESS

In a brand new autobiography, Her Grace the Duchess of Rutland, Emma Manners, reveals why becoming an accidental Duchess wasn’t always an easy path to take. However, her love of family, her desire to care of her five children and the respect she and the 11th Duke have for preserving the Belvoir Estate for future generations all add up to a story that’s a fascinating insight into aristocracy...

UPON WALKING INTO THE GUARDROOM of Belvoir Castle, your shoes clack against the flagstones on the floor. It’s not an echo, per se, nor is it an especially loud sound. More of a small sound, close to you. It’s noticeable against the vast environment of the castle’s large rooms and soaring ceilings. Noticeable, too, against what is otherwise silence given the acoustically insulatory thick stone walls of a castle which is also located in an elevated position, surrounded by vast swathes of countryside in the Vale of Belvoir.

It makes you feel comparatively small, and quite isolated. More so, I imagine, if you’re walking in knowing that from now on, the preservation, the future of the building, is down to you and you alone.

That’s what happened when Welsh farmer’s daughter Emma Manners, the current Duchess of Rutland, moved into Belvoir Castle in 2001 with her husband David His Grace, the Duke of Rutland and three of their five children, including the Marquess of Granby heir apparent of the Duke of Rutland peerage.

Emma – Her Grace is now separated from The Duke, maritally, but maintains a good relationship, one which has evolved really well, she says. Describing herself as an accidental Duchess, in her new book she describes the journey from Powys to Duchess... and it’s a fascinating story.

It’s little wonder that Emma wanted to fill the vastness of the castle with the noise, chaos and joy that only a family can bring to a house, turning it into a home.

The future Duchess grew up in the Welsh Marches, in a farmhouse in the former soke of Radnorshire, now incorporated into Powys. She was the only daughter of John and Roma Watkins, until her two younger brothers, William and Roger, arrived.

The family were farmers by profession and so Emma’s childhood was a coalescence of trees, grass, cows, shooting, horses, a few more horses and perhaps the odd additional horse or two.

After Croftdown and Ellerslie schools, the budding – and evidently talented 16-year old future Duchess obtained a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Dance in London, deferring her placement until 18 as John was adamant that 16 was too young for his only daughter to live alone in London. Moving in with her childhood friend Louise the two shared a flat on the Brompton Road, between Harrods and the Natural History Museum.

After music and drama college, a stint work ing as a nanny for a wealthy Argentinian family, acceptance into Southampton College of Higher Education to study land manage ment, and a few ski seasons working as a

Words: Rob Davis.

The first Belvoir Castle was located in what was known as the wapentake of Framland, spanning about a quarter of Leicestershire.

A Norman fortification was created by Robert de Todeni, and when the subsequent de Ros line died out, the estate and its manor passed to George Manners, 11th Baron de Ros. Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland started construction of a new

castle. It was completed in 1555 from stone which came from Croxton Abbey and Belvoir Priory following their dissolution.

In 1649, the castle was destroyed by Parliamentarians and a new building was started in 1654, created by the architect John Webb. Work was completed by 1668 and the castle cost £11,730 (£2.14 million today).

In 1799 the 5th Duke’s new wife, Lady Elizabeth

Howard, chose architect James Wyatt to rebuild the castle in the romantic Gothic Revival style. Its most recent incarnation was completed in 1832, after a further investment of £82,000 (£8.11 million today). It’s claimed that in 1840, Anna, Duchess of Bedford invented afternoon tea whilst staying at the Castle.

More recently the estate is renowned for its game shooting and events. n

guide and chalet girl, Emma established an interior design consultancy with a friend, Janet Baker.

It was whilst working in the grand houses of London’s smarter areas like Chelsea that Emma was introduced to her future husband at a dinner party. His card simply read David Manners, Marquis of Granby, registered firearms dealer.

“My brother William was highly suspicious of him,” recalls Emma. “From the business card he thought he owned a pub, and the idea of a pub-owning firearms dealer sounded a little iffy to say the least.”

Nevertheless, the two began to speak on the phone each day and David invited Emma to ‘drop in and have lunch on your way back.’

“His instructions on how to get there were, as usual with David, very precise, and I followed them to the letter. Suddenly, at a break in the

trees, I saw this enormous citadel rising out of the otherwise flat landscape.”

Emma reveals in her new book how soon the realisation dawned that her beau, David was the heir apparent to the title Duke of Rutland.

Cinderella at Christmas

As Pride goes to press, Belvoir Castle’s interiors will be transformed by theatre designer Charlotte Lloyd Webber and team for the festive season. The crafted displays will open for Christmas from 18th November, tickets available now.

the Duchess headed up onto the roof and in a somewhat less than glamorous excerpt from her life, began pulling a couple of dead pigeons out of the lead guttering, 450 feet up in the air, wearing a nightdress and some Barbour wellies.

The couple married in 1992 and moved from their Regency cottage on the estate into the castle in 2001.

A Cinderella story, is how The Duchess recalls being awoken, in March 2002, by the children running into the couple’s bedroom by her older girls Violet, Alice and Eliza then eight, six and four, shouting “Mummy! Daddy! Water’s coming in, the castle is flooding!”

Belvoir Castle comprises six towers and well over 200 rooms. Surmising that the water was pouring in from the Bellhangers’ Tower,

“My husband had inherited a castle, but behind the fairy-tale façade we were faced with jaw-dropping levels of debt, as well as battalions of rats, and staff who clearly preferred the former incumbents to us and our unruly brood of little people with their high-pitched voices and water pistols,” she acknowledges.

“As I lay there in bed, willing myself back to sleep again, the mantle of responsibility that now hung across my shoulders felt only too real.”

>> “Over the following twenty years there would be highs and there would be crushing lows, none of which I could anticipate.”

“Soon after the death of the Charles [10th Duke], grey-suited advisers arrived from London with bad news tucked inside their briefcases. Yes, David had inherited Belvoir Castle, but he’d also inherited £11 million worth of inheritance tax.”

“It was only a few weeks after Charles’ death that David and I attended our first trustees meeting. At that stage I didn’t even know what a trust was. I remember sitting there in disbelief, thinking, How am I ever going to get my head around this?”

“From the little information we had been able to glean, it appeared that the castle’s running costs amounted to roughly half a million pounds a year, and income was now limited to the profits from the home farm, the tenant farm and rents from houses on the estate that were let out. Nonetheless, it was now our responsibility – debts and all.”

“What we hadn’t realised was that visitor numbers had been steadily dwindling for years. David and I would lay awake at night worrying.”

In 1999, The Duke and Duchess gave birth to their first boy, Charles now the heir apparent to the Dukedom and to the Castle but with the pressure of the estate, parent hood and grief over the loss of the 10th Duke taking their toll, The Duchess was forced to confront some painful truths.

“Over the next few months the future of our marriage was up in the air. We tried to work out a way to mend things. I felt utterly help less and lost. I’d go from hurt to guilt. The word that sums it all up is heartbreak.”

“I loved him and I knew that deep down he loved me. I think I had underestimated the strain that David had been under.”

In May 2009 when the Duke was turning 50, The Duchess organised a grand party for 320 guests, stretching the length of both the State Drawing Room and the Regent’s

Gallery, but three years later the couple legally separated.

“Slowly our relationship has evolved into one of acceptance, pragmatism and... yes, real friendship,” she says.

“All I asked in return was to continue to run the castle and the estate until I retired at sixty-five [in 2028]. David agreed and I was officially appointed CEO. But we carried on living in the castle together.”

“I stayed in the nursery wing with the children while David moved into the Shepherd’s Tower, which I had been in the midst of renovating.”

Amid the détente The Duchess was desperate to secure Belvoir’s future for her family.

Of the 17,000 acres surrounding of the estate, 1,200 acres of it is home farm, and it was losing £350,000 a year.

Partnering with Phil Burtt, The Duchess turned around the estate through shooting, tourism, farming and through the Duchess daring to create developments like Belvoir Castle’s Engine Yard which opened in 2018.

“There was no acknowledgement, no words spoken between us. But in my head, I realised I was falling in love with Phil. Little by little our feelings for each other deepened.”

“If not in the respect of rainwater in lead guttering, then at least in terms of privacy, The Belvoir estate proved surprisingly leakproof, and it was a good ten months on that the Duke and Duchess of Rutland’s living arrangements were first spoken about publicly, whereupon the tabloids sent in their hounds.”

The Duchess addressed the rumours by brokering a deal with the Daily Mail in September 2012 clarifying the couple’s personal lives, but then in 2015 the same newspaper ran another story following a party at the Castle for the launch of the Duchess’s Capability Brown landscape restoration claiming ‘uncanny parallels’ to DH Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley and Mellors.

Titles, grand country houses, publicity (good and bad) and castle roofs (mostly bad) remain a source of fascination for anyone unfamiliar with the life of aristocracy, but for the Duchess, there’s a rather strong justification for the life that everyone can relate to; looking after family and preserving Belvoir for the next generation.

“My five are now grown up, but I know that at some point they too will have children and the cycle will continue. I have always been someone’s daughter, someone’s wife, someone’s mother. Now, I am looking forward to being someone’s grandmother.” n

READ MORE: The Duchess’s Autobiography...

Emma Manners, Her Grace the Duchess of Rutland has co-written her autobiography with Pepsy Dening.

“I didn’t realise there was a story but working with Pepsy made me realise that my life has been an exciting journey, one with tremendous high points, but low points too.”

“The Duke and I have a wonderful friendship now, and at times the story has been tough to tell, but it has been very cathartic.”

“There’s no point writing an autobiography unless it’s honest.

It’s been a great process, and everyone that has read it pre-release has supported it, especially The Duke himself.”

“I want it to shine a light on women in private heritage and to give an insight into how relationships can evolve and change throughout your life.”

The Accidental Duchess by Emma Manners Duchess of Rutland is published by Pan Macmillan, 340 pages, £22 available from all good bookshops. n

Summer of 1940,

with the news from Dunkirk a scrawny

old errand-boy is spurred into action, inspiring

young gang of Salvage Scamps to join him in ‘The Effort.’

bicycles, wheelbarrows and buckets; Gertie, Walker and the rest of the Scamps run errands and salvage scrap, paper, rags and rubber; managing

enlist the vicar and the church warden, the village shop-keepers

the local farmers into their scrapes along the way.

“Just because you’re out of the way, doesn’t mean you’re not in the middle of it!”

The old village and the new RAF hospital had plenty of characters and best-intentions between them, but country wisdom and military efficiency didn’t always rub along smoothly... and then, of course, there was Gertie!

SILK ROAD CLARE HAGGAS’

Beautiful silk scarves, designed in Lincolnshire and made right here in Britain. They’re beautiful, certainly, but the story behind Clare Haggas’ products is even more impressive and inspiring...

Clare Haggas will shortly celebrate two important milestones. The first we can’t really talk about… it’s a birthday, there’s a zero involved, enough said. The second milestone, meanwhile, Clare is more than happy to speak more about. She’s proud, and rightly so, since her story should inspire massive respect.

In under a decade, she’s established her business, uniquely combining original art and accessories which are entirely British-made. The English countryside is a consistent theme, with pheasants and game birds common subjects, but equestrian and fly-fishing represented, too.

A new collection will incorporate Japanese influences, and all of the subjects of her work are given names, Clare says, to help them become animate. Clare’s business is a success, but a success that’s been well-earned and hard-fought… which brings us to the really important milestone.

“I’ve been sober for 10 years in December. That’s a bigger thing to celebrate than a birthday,” she says. “I think it’s important to be open about it because becoming sober was when my life was transformed.”

“There’s a sort of classism about alcoholism, as though it’s discriminatory, but that’s not the case. It’s indiscriminate and it is abso lutely deadly.”

“I went into a long-term rehab programme and as part of that, we were encouraged to engage in different therapies, including art therapy. I hadn’t picked up a paintbrush since school, but it was an almost immediate epiphany.”

Clare began channelling her time and effort into painting, inspired by a love of birds and specifically those species she had seen whilst in South Africa. In 2012 she achieved sobriety and a year later she met Will, a farmer from Lincolnshire.

“I made a pact with myself to stay sober for a year before I began dating again. When you’re sober, your quality control does go up massively when it comes to men, but when I met Will I fell in love almost immediately. He’s my absolute soul mate.”

Having been raised in Cheltenham, Clare moved to the Lincolnshire Wolds to be with Will, and was struck not just by the land scape and the presence of wildlife around their farming community, but also by how friendly the locals were.

“My family’s still in Gloucestershire, and it’s pretty, but the Cotswolds has become a bit like a mini-London. That means people don’t speak to you and people tend to be a bit more stand-offish.”

“By contrast people in Lincolnshire are sociable and down to earth, friendly and willing to connect. Those are values which are important to me, and when I started the business, those were values I wanted to retain and reflect, even as it grew.”

Clare began posting her artwork online, initially just for friends to enjoy, but was soon finding herself selling her work.

At the same time, she was enjoying being part of Lincolnshire’s rural community but found that it was really difficult to buy women’s accessories that were pretty and well-made, never mind ones that were made here in Britain.

>> Coming from a sales and marketing background, she spotted a gap in the market and at around the same time, had a chance meeting with the owner of a British-based silk printing company.

Mentioning that she wanted to see what her artwork looked like on silk, he provided a few initial prints. It’s the same company that Clare still uses to produce her work today.

In 2015 Clare painted ‘Turf War.’ This image of two pheasants, tussling with one another, was ‘genesis;’ the painting which established her style and inspired her future work. All of her subsequent pieces still contain a visual reference to the painting, a print of which hangs in her office.

The original, Clare says, will never be sold. As the painting that she says changed her life, it’s priceless and will be left to her daughter in her will.

The painting worked beautifully on silk and in a moment of either recklessness or bold

ambition – turned out to be the latter –she ordered 50 scarves and 50 pretty presentation boxes.

“I was immediately worried that I had ordered too many of them, overstretched myself. I needn’t have worried though because they sold out from a single Facebook post in just three hours.”

“I knew I was on to something and sought out a web developer who would create a website for me. Again, it’s the same Lincolnshire developer based in Tealby I work with today. As the business has grown I feel ever more loyal to the people who have helped me to build the business.”

As well as keeping the business local, though, and using her British silk printing firm and British supplier of her presentation boxes, Clare won’t compromise on maintain ing close contact with her customers.

“It’s a paradox that we’re more connected than ever but less willing to communicate with each other.” >>

Right: Clare has over 150 products in her collections, ranging from £75-£295.

“In 2015 Clare painted ‘Turf War.’ This image of two pheasants, tussling with one another, was ‘genesis;’ the painting which established her style and inspired her future work...”

SILK

>> “I hate it when companies hide their phone numbers from their websites or just use a contact form on their website. It shows a lack of respect for their customers.”

“Being an online company enables to you offer your products to people all around the world, but it means that you risk becoming anonymous.”

“If there’s a query from a customer I always prefer picking up the phone and speaking to someone, rather than sending an email.”

“It’s almost a novelty these days that some one will make the effort and take the time to talk to you, but I’m really happy to do so.”

“I think it shows how much you appreciate your customers. They even ask how to style them or what colours will work with them.”

“They value my opinion, which is really flattering, and in turn I’m always happy to maintain that personal contact.”

At the time of our interview Clare had just returned from a day spent with one of her 45 retailers, Giles & Bella in Newark, meet ing the retailer’s customers.

It’s an enjoyable way, she says, to keep in touch with her customer base, canvas ideas and opinions and just generally show her re spect and appreciation for the people who enjoy her products.

Currently, Clare has just has just shy of 150 individual lines, with around three quarters of those being silk scarves in different designs, colourways and sizes. For gents, she offers ties and pocket squares, and she still sells prints of her artwork.

An increasing part of the business which she reckons she’ll concentrate on next year though, is a range of homeware.

She offers a range of cushions with natural fillings, and has invested extra in their production to have them over-filled. Along side companies which refuse to talk to their customers, another of Clare’s pet hates is floppy and sad cushions... it’s the perfectionist in her! The designer will also be offering fabric sold by the metre next year, too.

Taken in isolation Clare’s products are already pretty special. But knowing the artist’s full story, and speaking to her about the principals and the integrity she wants to retain, even as the business grows, inspires even more respect as she works towards what we’re sure will be a very busy season. n

Heritage & Community in BOURNE

For a little town in South Lincolnshire, Bourne has played a disproportionately large role in history, with motor racing and haute couture heritage to its name, as well as one of the oldest lidos in the country and its own 400 acres of woodland...

Lead Image: A verdant tributary of the Borne Eau adjacent to Church Walk and Bourne Abbey.

AS THE SAYING GOES, if you want some thing doing, ask a busy person. So, when we wanted to find out all about Bourne, we asked probably one of its busiest residents and one of its biggest fans, Brenda Jones.

Brenda and husband Jim are now in their 80s, and moved to Bourne from the North West about 40 years ago, joining Bourne Civic Society soon after.

The Civic Society is based in Baldocks Mill, which is in turn leased from Bourne United Charities, which has brought together 15 different charities under a single umbrella, funding local community projects from keeping Baldocks Mill operating, to running and upkeeping The Red Hall, the town’s Wellhead, Abbey Lawn and 12 almshouses too. The Civic Society, meanwhile, runs the museum, celebrating some of Bourne’s most interesting historical features.

There were four watermills in the town, but at 200 years old and with a Grade II listing, Baldocks Mill is the only one remaining in the town.

Its working life ceased in 1924, but following a restoration by Bourne United Charities it was reopened in 1999 as a Heritage Centre. The mill’s two water wheels were derelict until being repaired by Brenda’s husband Jim, who received an MBE for his work restoring them to working order in 1981. Today, the two wheels are still capable of generating electricity for the Centre, but low water levels in the Bourne Eau mean their use has been rather limited this year.

What’s not limited, though, is the compre hensive nature of the two exhibits in the Heritage Centre to a couple of the town’s most famous residents.

Charles Frederick Worth was borne in Bourne in 1825 and made his way to Paris

Left: Bourne’s war memorial, Baldocks Mill Heritage Centre and Bourne’s Town Hall.Right: The Wellhead.

“There were four watermills in the town, but at 200 years old and with a Grade II listing, Baldocks Mill is the only one remaining in the town...”

The nave of Bourne Abbey,

where he founded House of Worth, one of the foremost fashion houses of the 19th and 20th century. He’s considered to be the father of haute couture.

His work is characterised by the resurgence of the crinoline, or shorter hemlines which became known as walking skirts and by dresses with defined waists which would become known as princess line dresses.

Worth was also the first designer to have his name sewn into dresses, linking the identity of a designer themselves directly to the popularity of their work.

House of Worth’s popularity was inter rupted by the second Franco-Prussian war, and upon the designer’s death in 1895, his sons Gaston-Lucien and Jean-Philippe took over the business, eventually specialising in producing perfume, and shutting down couture operations in 1950.

Les Parfums Worth was still around until 1999 whereupon it was acquired by Lenthéric and eventually Shaneel enterprises,

which mostly produces fragrances under license for Boss, YSL, Paco Rabanne, Calvin Klein and Elizabeth Arden but also still produces fragrances under the Worth Paris brand.

Bourne is, of course, also known for motor racing. Local man Raymond Mays the second local hero recognised at the Heritage Centre set up English Racing Automobiles in November 1933 alongside Humphrey Cook, and Peter Berthon. ERA produced their five generations of racers, designated A-Type to E-Type in order to compete in motorsport.

The Second World War brought motorsport to a halt and the company’s premises was sold to local bus operater Delaine. Post-war, Mays continued to produce and race cars, this time under the BRM (British Racing Motors) brand, which continued to enter races until 1977 with drivers including Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill. The company’s F1 cars were entered into competitions under the official

Above: The Red Hall is an early C17th building created in red brick, now Grade II* listed and the home of Bourne United Charities.

In 1858, Bourne’s Charles Worth founded House of Worth, and is generally considered to be the father of haute couture...

Nick Owen, are have recreated the BRM Mk1 V16 car which last raced in 1952, and raced the car at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed...

Today, Rubery’s son Sir Alfred and his grand sons, Paul and Nick Owen, have recreated the BRM Mk1 V16 car which last raced in 1952 – and raced the replica car at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The new car was engineered by father and son Rick & Rob Hall, of Hall & Hall, specialists in preparing and restoring classic single-seater racing cars, based on Bourne’s Graham Hill Way. Raymond Mays, though, is recognised with a plaque behind Bourne’s Heritage Centre on the town’s Wellhead Playing Field, with its war memorial.

Henry’s interests in mind. Bourne Abbey was restored in the 1880s and is otherwise known as the Church of St Peter and St Paul.

The monks of Bourne Abbey, incidentally, also benefited from the presence of a carp pond which originally provided food but latterly became a traditional outdoor swimming pool.

A new swimming pool was created from the pond in 1919 and its first heating system was installed by 1971, funded by Bourne Round Table. The pool is probably one of Britain’s oldest lidos and has been operated and managed by volunteers since 1990.

Above: Rob Hall racing ‘Chassis IV’ at Goodwood, a recreation of a BRM V16 racer made 70 years ago in Bourne.

On the opposite side of the A15 to the Wellhead is Bourne Abbey, founded in 1138, possibly on an earlier Saxon site and providing the Augustian order with somewhere to work, rest and pray.

The lido is one of about 120 clubs, or organi sations operating in the town, all supported by people like Brenda. With over 17,000 residents, Bourne is a little town, but with much going on, and an awful lot of history, too! n

What’s On...

GRANTHAM

FROM 18th NOVEMBER CINDERELLA AT BELVOIR CASTLE

Step into the magic of Cinderella this Christmas. Marvel in the fairytale, brought to life by awardwinning Interior Designer, Charlotte Lloyd-Webber, before embarking on the trail to the Engine Yard for a day filled with festive fun for the whole family. You can also pre-book a full Christmas experience with a visit to Cinderella in the Castle; stop by the magical Grotto to meet Santa Claus and enjoy a Festive Afternoon Tea in the grandeur of the Regency-styled tearoom. n Pre-booking recommended, see www.belvoircastle.com. Belvoir Castle, NG32 1PE, or call 01476 871001.

Service of Remembrance

WREATH LAYING AND SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE AT CANWICK’S INTERNATIONAL BOMBER COMMAND CENTRE

LINCOLN

SUNDAY 13th NOVEMBER SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE

Canwick’s International Bomber Command Centre remembers the 57,861 men and women who gave their lives supporting Bomber Command.

On Remembrance Sunday, the centre’s service will include hymns with the IBCC Orchestra and Choir, poetry readings and a Roll of Honour for the veterans who have left us in the last year. The service will be followed by a wreath laying. n Lincoln LN4 2HQ. See www.internationalbcc.co.uk.

LINCOLN FRIDAY 4th NOVEMBER AUTUMN LIGHTS

Lincolnshire’s largest firework display, with an additional children’s display, entertainers, street food, party band, Spark! glow drummer show, and La Flamo fire show.

n Lincolnshire Showground, LN2 2NA, tickets £10/adults, £5/children advance, see lincolnshireshowground.co.uk.

LINCOLN

FRIDAY 11th - SATURDAY 19th NOVEMBER

SWEENEY TODD AT LINCOLN’S NEW THEATRE ROYAL

Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s deliciously dark, thrilling theatrical treat has shocked and delighted audiences since being awarded eight Tony awards on its Broadway premier. It now arrives in Lincoln to thrill and delight audiences in the atmospheric surroundings of the New Theatre Royal Lincoln.

n Tickets £21, from 7.30pm, call 01522 519 999 or see newtheatreroyallincoln.co.uk.

BOSTON

WEDNESDAY 23rdSATURDAY 26th NOV DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

Boston Operatic Society

Musical Theatre Group presents this romantic comedy set in the French Riviera.

n Tickets £14.50/adults, from 2.30pm/7.30pm, Boston’s Blackfriars Arts Centre, PE21 6HP. 01205 363108, www.blackfriarsartscentre.co.uk.

Image:

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

GRANTHAM

FROM WEDNESDAY 16thSATURDAY 19thNOVEMBER THE GOOD LIFE, LIVE ON STAGE

Based on the 1970s TV series starring Richard Briars and Felicity Kendal, performed live on stage by Grantham Dramatic Society.

When Tom and Barbara Good decide to rebel against their mundane, conventional lives, going self-sufficient in

the suburbs promises them a slice of ‘The Good Life.’

In contrast to the down-toearth Goods, their socially ambitious neighbours Margo and Jerry work particularly hard to maintain their uppermiddle-class standards despite living next door to Tom and Barbara’s eccentric farm.

n Grantham Guildhall Arts Centre, NG31 6PZ. Tickets £10-£12, 01476 406158 or see www.granthamdramaticsociety.co.uk.

The Snowman in Lincoln

RAYMOND BRIGGS’ FESTIVE STORY BROUGHT TO LIFE IN THE NAVE OF LINCOLN CATHEDRAL

GRIMSBY

SUNDAY 13th NOVEMBER THE NUTCRACKER

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a dazzling production of the most famous ballet in the world: The Nutcracker.

n From £31, 2.30pm, Grimsby Auditorium, DN31 2BH, grimsbyauditorium.org.uk.

SCUNTHORPE

SATURDAY 26th NOV THE CHILDHOOD

Scunthorpe and District Choral Society will be joined by Lincoln Choral Society to perform a joyous, vibrant and passionate celebration of childhood, including poetry by Keats and sopranos from Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir. n Baths Hall, Scunthorpe DN15 7RG, 7.40pm, £19.50, call 01724 296296.

LOOKING AHEAD SATURDAY 10th DECEMBER THE SNOWMAN LIVE AT LINCOLN CATHEDRAL

The classic Christmas story by Raymond Briggs is brought to life by a live orchestra and soloists from the Cathedral Choir.

The film itself will be shown on a big screen in the nave and in keeping with the book, the film of The Snowman is wordless and free of

GRANTHAM FROM 24th NOVEMBER CHRISTMAS AT BELTON HOUSE

Discover an all new festive illuminated trail for all the family set within the beautiful landscape of Belton House, with over a million twinkling lights and a two kilometre trail, refreshments and other entertainment.

n Call 01476 566 116 or see www.christmasatbelton.com.

STAMFORD

24th - 27th NOVEMBER

THE BURGHLEY CHRISTMAS FAIR

Save the dates for this

year’s spectacular Christmas Fair at Burghley - a truly magical experience with shopping, local food and drink, and much more Christmas entertainment.

n Burghley House, PE9 4QN, for details call 01780 752451.

dialogue, except for the now iconic, ‘Walking in the Air’ which will be performed by a chorister from Lincoln Cathedral Choir at each performance. The five screenings WILL sell out very quickly so early booking is recommended!

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

Celebrate Christmas

GATES

CENTRE

Established by Fred & Ivy Gates in 1948, and still a family run business 74 years on, it’s no wonder that Cold Overton’s Gates Garden Centre is right at the heart of your Christmas celebrations. And this year, there’s more to enjoy than ever before!

WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT than family?

Nothing. Which is why Gates Garden Centre is right at the heart of your own Christmas celebrations. As a family owned and run business since 1948, nobody understands family or festivities like Gates, with the area’s largest Christmas displays, totalling around 14,000sq ft of decorations and ten themes for your festive home.

Christmas Decorations...

Gates has opened its festive displays as Pride goes to press, and as usual its bows, baubles, Christmas trees and festive lights are all arranged thematically making it easy for you to achieve a cohesive look for your festive celebrations.

The Best Christmas Trees...

And of course, you’ll want somewhere to hang your baubles. So whether you’re seeking a standard or premium-cut tree, Gates Garden Centre provides sustainably sourced, freshly cut trees to last all season.

The centre has a range of artificial trees, too, realistically emulating the look and feel of fir, spruce or pine, including pre-lit trees in white or multi-coloured designs, with no more untangling wires or hunting for elusive faulty bulbs.

Thoughtful Festive Gifts...

Christmas shopping, all under one roof. With a range of premium gifts, you’ll find toys and games for children, giftware for gents and ladies, from candles, diffusers and fragrance to bath and body products, scarves, handbags and cosy gloves, hats and socks for winter.

With a range of books and stocking fillers, cards and gift wrapping too, all under one roof, with everything indoors and with 800 free parking spaces, finding a thoughtful gift is easier at Gates.

Gates Farm Shop...

With festive decoration and shopping made easier, the Cold Overton-based retailer set about thinking how it could make things easier in the kitchen, too.

In 2019, Gates Garden Centre created a purpose-built farm shop with 12,000sq ft space and over 4,000 products. From Hambleton Bakery bread to high-welfare butchery including beef reared on the family’s own farm, all of the fresh meat, dairy, bakery, and grocery goods plus a range of wines and spirits are under one roof.

You can reserve your turkey, goose or a sirloin of beef for Christmas day now or shop online at www.gatesfarmshop.co.uk and have a complete order ready for collection or home delivery.

Lakeland, for your home...

With a new Lakeland store on site, too, you can equip yourself with new roasting trays, cookware, knives and practical products for cleaning and storage right around the home.

Time to enjoy Christmas...

And so, with festive preparations in hand, it’s time to enjoy a festive afternoon tea, homemade cake, brunch or Christmas dinner in the 360 seater Garden Restaurant.

This year, Santa will be inviting small groups of children to sit and enjoy a story with his elves in a dedicated area of the restaurant. The new format for this year’s celebrations is designed to reduce waiting times and give children more quality time with the man in red.

Of course, they’ll still receive a gift, ensuring that whatever age you are, Christmas is still a magical time at Gates Garden Centre, on hand to ensure you spend less time prepar ing, and more time enjoying the season with friends and family. n

THE DETAILS Gates Garden Centre, at Cold Overton...

Festive Decorations: This year, the centre’s 14,000ft2 of festive decorations are arranged across 10 themes from Candy Cane Land, Cocktail Glamour and Woodland Creatures to Frosty Morning and Home Opulence, to name a few.

Restaurant & Santa: Children can see Santa Claus for breakfast or dinner and enjoy listening to a story. Pre-booking is essential.

Farm Shop: Visit in person or shop online for collection or home delivery.

Contact Details: Gates Garden Centre, Somerby Road, Cold Overton, Oakham LE15 7QB. Telephone: 01664 454309. www.gatesgardencentre.co.uk. www.gatesfarmshop.co.uk. n

HEBER ACKLAND’S

ONE FINAL DUTY FOR HER MAJESTY

Based in Lincoln and at Royal Navy locations across the UK, Heber Ackland is Director of The University of Lincoln’s Selborne Programmes which, as part of a wider consortium of partners, provides training and education for the Royal Navy. But as one of Queen Elizabeth II’s former Equerries, Heber received the call to report to London to serve as a Pall Bearer for the State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen. It was a day full of emotion but a chance to perform one final duty for the person he used to work for…

CARPE DIEM, reasoned Heber when he was approached by the Navy to apply for the po sition of Equerry to The Queen in 2004. Equerries are attached to particular mem bers of the Royal Family and are drawn from across the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force.

“As I recall, the process had three stages,” says Heber. “Your professional record is reviewed and you’re asked to apply by, in my case, the Royal Navy. The next stage is to be interviewed by senior officials at the Palace.”

“The third step was an audience with The Queen. I arrived at Buckingham Palace on a warm June afternoon – I remember it being Derby day – and I was shown into one of The Queen’s sitting rooms by a member of her staff. I bowed to her, we shook hands and then the doors closed and it was just the two of us, talking to one another for about 20 minutes.”

Heber was born in Glasgow. His father was a Royal Navy officer and as a family they were based at different bases across the UK and also in Hong Kong during the early 1980s. After attending Cheltenham College and reading history at Oxford’s Keble College, Heber joined the Royal Navy in January 1991 and completed his training in Dartmouth, specialising in logistics.

The role saw him undertaking many sea and shore positions, including his first job in the survey vessel HMS Beagle and his last seagoing role as a head of department in HMS Ark Royal prior to its decommission ing in 2011.

Working alongside colleagues in Warfare, Engineering, Aviation and Medical specialisations, Logistics personnel ensure that people are paid, fed and the ship is supplied with spares and stores wherever it is in the world. The work involved overseeing support operations and was, essentially, one of meticulous organisation and planning. Later, Heber would serve as a Military Assistant to several senior Admirals, and in August 2004 following what was probably the most nerve-racking job interview in the world he was appointed as Equerry to The Queen.

“I’d met The Princess Royal before but I’d never been inside a Palace. To say I was nervous is a huge understatement but all I can say is that The Queen had a tremendous way of putting people at ease, something I was to witness many times as Equerry. For much of that first conversation we talked about whether taking up the role was right for me, and for my career, a wonderful thing that I wasn’t expecting.”

“We talked, too, about HMS Lancaster, a ship she launched and had only recently visited. I kept my fingers crossed and received a call a few days later to tell me that I had been selected.”

Heber’s role as Equerry was to oversee The Queen’s official programme of calls, to accompany her on UK and overseas tours and to plan her engagements with units of the Armed Forces. His time as Equerry lasted from 2004 to 2007, at which point he returned to other roles in Defence.

“My last sea job was in HMS Ark Royal, and then I ran the Royal Navy’s logistics school, worked in several Headquarters and ended up running the UK’s Joint Services Command and Staff College at the UK Defence Academy, Shrivenham.”

“At that point I needed to choose a role in either logistics or education, and I chose the latter, with an interview for the position of Director with The University of Lincoln’s Selborne Programmes in Easter 2021. I started in the role on 1st September that year, after seeing my 270 previous military students graduate.”

It may seem surprising that the University of Lincoln has a role in delivering training and education for the Royal Navy. >>

Words: Rob Davis.

Heber during his time as Equerry to HM The Queen, from 2004-2007.

Lincolnshire is, after all, a more aviationfocused county, but the University had existing links with tri-service defence education, and Heber was used to working with the other Services including with the team from RAF Cranwell and the University of Lincoln on the development of degrees in Logistics.

“I’d left the Royal Household but The Queen never forgets people who work for her and I was invited to attend events after I left. You’re always thought about and as a former Equerry I knew that when the time came there would be a role I needed to fulfil. But like most others I was caught quite offguard by the news.”

“I was at home and followed the reports with concern. I then received the call to report to London within 48-hours to join the 14 other Equerries who served from 1989 to 2022 where we’d be briefed on our role.”

“The first rehearsals took place on the Monday morning, and our first official duty was to accompany the Procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of West minster on Wednesday. I hadn’t marched in years... but it’s not something you forget!”

“The Royal Household and the Army London District Headquarters had excellent plans. It was very much a case of constant practice and great teamwork and a number of intense overnight rehearsals.“

“There were a mere ten days from the moment the sad news was announced until the State Funeral. Ten days for the Royal Households, Government, Armed Forces, Police, Devolved and Civic authorities, and countless others, to coordinate a huge and complex series of major State events.”

“I take my hat off to all those involved, not least those behind the scenes who enabled it all to happen smoothly and safely.”

“I stayed near the Centre on the night before the State Funeral, I didn’t want to take any chances! I didn’t get as much sleep as I hoped for and was wide awake at 5.30 to make sure I was on duty in plenty of time.”

“As you can imagine, you feel a whole range of emotions at different times over the ten days. Firstly, the deep sadness at the loss of our Queen, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and, to many of us, someone we had experienced as a wonderfully caring boss.”

“That’s followed by a lot of nervousness, especially early on, about the scale of the event and not wanting to let the King or the country down.”

“Then there’s a growing feeling of pride as you feel part of something quite extraordinary bringing people everywhere together.”

“The Queen was always very interested in people. She was down to earth, which seems like an odd way to describe a monarch but she was very kind and definitely put people at ease. She had a great sense of humour, quite dry and wonderfully amusing.”

“My two young children watched the funeral and understood something of what was going and they were, I think, pleased to say their Daddy was part of it.”

“Finally, though, I’ll remember feeling an uplifting sense of everyone doing their one last duty to the Queen in a manner I hope and believe she would have approved of.

It was uplifting in a way as we processed through London and Windsor and attended the Services in Westminster Abbey and St George’s Chapel, Windsor. “

“There was great dignity and respectful silence interspersed with ripples of applause and occasional heartfelt shouts of ‘Thank you, Your Majesty.’ I think that says a lot about how she’ll be missed and how her commitment to duty was appreciated for all of her 70 years of service.” n

Find Out More: Commodore Heber Ackland, MVO (Rtd) served as Equerry to HM Queen Elizabeth II from 2004-2007. He is now Director of the Selborne Programmes in Research and Enterprise at the University of Lincoln, www.lincoln.ac.uk.

“The Queen was always very interested in people. She was down to earth, which seems like an odd way to describe a monarch but she was very kind and put people at ease...”

Heber (right) and fellow Equerries.

Dining Out near Coningsby at THE LEAGATE INN

One of the oldest continually licensed pubs in the county, The Leagate Inn at Coningsby has a thoroughly up-to-date approach to providing really satisfying dining, not least with its seasonal special... a festive pie which tasted fantastic, but definitely isn’t for sharing!

Just a friendly warning. In mid-November

The Leagate Inn, on the B1192 between Coningsby and Boston, will once again offer its Christmas Cracker Pie to diners on a Tuesday evening. I will be first in line, and as generally conciliatory as I am, should anyone come between me and that pie, there will be trouble.

It’s a dish which owners Harry Dennison & Laura Hazell, plus chef Thomas Spivey and team describe somewhat understatedly as ‘quite popular.’ In fact, if there aren’t queues out the door and panic on the streets of Coningsby I’ll be surprised... especially after my ringing culinary endorsement. The only problem I can see is that this is a ‘sharing pie’ designed for two diners and the present Mrs Davis is not always that tractable when it comes to sharing food. Especially food this good. I foresee a battle to the last forkful of the silken gravy, big chunks of turkey, sage-ey stuffing, sprouts and the golden shortcrust pastry (made to a recipe passed down from Harry’s grandmother), with pastry now made by Harry’s mum, Sharon. It’s believed there has been a pub on the site since the 16th century. For 39 years Harry’s family has owned the Inn making him and Laura the third generation owners. Harry’s father literally wrote the book on it, detailing its history from 1542 to 2022 in an enter taining volume.

Harry & Laura took over from Harry’s father and mother, Mark & Sharon, in 2019 and wanting to put their mark on the place, treated it to a refurbishment including a super new beer garden and terrace, with Laura creating seven new rooms. I don’t normally include images of bedrooms in Dining Out features, but they look so lovely that to leave them out would feel like an

omission. If you’ve friends or family looking to stay in Lincolnshire over the festive season, this is a much better option than some stable in Bethlehem.

Along with a refurbishment, 2020 also saw the arrival of Head Chef Tom. He and his brigade reinvented the menu to comprise nine starters plus sundry grazing dishes, then five à la carte-style ‘specialities,’ and four further pub-restaurant inspired ‘classics,’ as well as seven grill options including a 1.1kg 30-day dry-aged Tomahawk steak. Actually, I might throw the latter at the present Mrs Davis for her to gnaw on, leaving me with a clear run at the festive pie...

MEET THE CHEF

TOM SPIVEY, HEAD CHEF

History: Originally from Sheffield, Tom has headed up the pub’s kitchen since 2020.

Food Philosophy: ingredients, cooked simply and treated with the utmost respect.

Food Heaven: Local game.

Food Hell: Pineapple. It’s the devil’s fruit. There are spikes on it for a reason.

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

the MENU

Starters

Langoustine scampi tails in a tempura batter, served with a toasted sesame and red pepper dressing, £9.95.

Slow cooked honey and ginger pig cheeks glazed with honey and ginger, served with carrot ribbons, £10.95.

Leagate Inn Classics

Boston Mountain Sausages with wholegrain mustard mash, onion marmalade, sauté cabbage topped with a sage & cider jus, £15.95.

Traditional steak & kidney pie, homemade in house, served with triple cooked chips, peas and gravy, £15.95.

Christmas Cracker Pie

Served Tuesday evenings from mid-November. Homemade shortcrust pastry, turkey, gravy, stuffing, pigs in blanket £30/two people.

Leagate Inn Specialities

Madeira chicken, pan fried chicken supreme served with dauphinoise potatoes, parsnip purée, crispy kale and a madeira jus, £19.95.

Traditional Italian dish of slow cooked beef shin, served with wholegrain mustard mash and shredded cabbage, £20.50.

Leagate Inn Puddings

Spiced apple cheesecake with Bramley apple ice cream. White chocolate crème brûlée with homemade cinder toffee honeycomb.

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

>> “Tom’s a fantastic chef, relying on talent and investing time, not cutting corners,” says Harry. “He really understand what diners enjoy, which is why we attract customers from all over the county.”

“We’re keen to not reinvent the wheel and that means offering good quality local food in a non-pretentious environment, as well as being consistent for our returning customers.”

“It also means not cutting corners where ingredients are concerned because what the kitchen produces can only be as good as what they’re working with.”

“In our case that means butchery from R Wisby of Wragby, and Price & Fretwell, plus fish sourced from really good suppliers like Cook & Lucas, based in Grimsby and local fruit and veg from Boston’s Freshdrop.”

Tom and the team bake their own speciality focaccia, and source other bread from Horncastle’s Myers. Desserts are home made too, with speciality ice creams and the very festive spiced apple cheesecake made with apples picked freshly from the pub’s gardens. Can’t get more local than that. Our visit saw us sampling a number of new dishes being introduced to the menu for the autumn/winter season.

Our venison was a particular treat, as were our starters of langoustine scampi with a light tempura-style batter, and our moules mariniére.

Diners can enjoy the 40-seater bar, a garden room with 14 seats, or the main restaurant with its 65 covers. In the warmer months, the 150-seater outside area is also popular

“Running a good pub isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it’s about offering good quality local food in a non-pretentious environment, as well as being consistent for our many returning customers...”

and features the odd afternoon of live music, performances too.

Our favourite place in the pub, though, is by the very welcoming open fire, sitting on a couple of former church pews and enjoying one of the pub’s well-kept craft ales. There’s also a wine list with 26 bins. Most are under £30 but there’s a couple of really nice English sparkling wines (Champagne in all but name – from Nyetimber).

Christmas dinner at the Leagate is available for £100/head, and the place is open on Boxing Day.

A traditional pub, brilliantly located with a really lovely team and great food... Harry & Laura are great custodians for the family’s pub restaurant. And being a family-oriented restaurant, it’s worth pointing out that there

are areas of the bar in which diners are welcome to bring their four-legged friends or just make a fuss of pub dog Ollie Harry & Laura’s Springer Spaniel.

It’s a strong recommendation for dining this autumn and right across the festive season. You’ll enjoy your visit... just don’t attempt to come between me and that pie. n

OUT AT...

The Leagate Inn at Coningsby

The Pitch: “Celebrated home-made food with fresh, local and seasonal produce. We hope it will help you enjoy your visit to our historic inn!”

Opening Times: Open seven days a week, for breakfast lunch and dinner to the public 8am-10:30pm daily. Later on Friday and Saturdays.

Booking Recommended:

The Leagate Inn, Leagate Road, Coningsby, Lincs LN4 4RS. Call 07957 756495 or see www.theleagateinn.co.uk.

Opposite: Langoustine tails in tempura batter, venison with root vegetable purée, spiced apple cheesecake, white chocolate crème brûlée.

This page: Christmas Cracker Pie.

HHHHH

A reminder that voting is currently underway for our Good Food Awards for 2022. Vote for your favourite restaurants and food & drink producers from right across Lincolnshire and we’ll ensure they get the recognition they deserve...

Words: Rob Davis.

Vote for your best restaurant, coffee shop and food producers at pridemagazines.co.uk or use our voting form; just turn over the page

THANK YOU SO MUCH if you’ve already given us your nominations for this year’s Pride Magazines Good Food Awards... and if you’ve yet to vote, don’t worry; there’s still plenty of time to tell us who you think should win in each of our six categories, designed to celebrate the area’s best restaurants, food and drink producers.

Our awards are not biased by advertising spend, and are determined solely by our readers’ votes, making them objective, but also ensuring nominations come in from right across the county.

We’re asking for you to name your favourite restaurant for evening dining a pub or restaurant as well as a place for daytime dining, coffee and cake or afternoon tea, Editor of Pride Magazines, Rob Davis, says: “It’s always a pleasure to watch the votes coming in and to congratulate our winners, presenting them with our plaques. But there’s a serious point to our awards, too. Restaurants and pubs work so hard and they have had to firstly endure closures due to Covid, and then

Main course is served at The Green Room, The Lincoln Hotel on Eastgate.

Main is at The Lincoln

difficulty in recruiting staff, and now a huge rise in their energy bills plus a public which is also cautious about how frequently they dine out too, given a rise in the cost of living for private households.”

“The hospitality sector employs 3.2m people. it has a collective turnover of £130bn and generates £39bn tax revenues for the country. Its economic importance to the county can’t be overstated, but restaurants and pubs are also the heart and soul of our villages and our High Streets. They’re independent businesses supporting families and communities.”

“Supporting pubs and restaurants, is more important than ever if we’re to continue to enjoy dining out and meeting up for coffee with friends across Lincolnshire.”

OUR SIX GOOD FOOD AWARD CATEGORIES

n Restaurant of the Year

Our flagship award looks to celebrate a restaurant that creates great food,with local ingredients and stunning presentation.

n Café, Bar or Bistro of the Year

This category is designed to recognise places providing really good lunches, lighter dishes and afternoon teas.

n Best for International Cuisine

In this category, we’re looking to recognise a restaurant which provides great dishes from around the world.

n Best ‘Restaurant with Rooms’

Often, great dining and lovely bedrooms go hand in hand. Name your favourite local B&B, hotel or country inn with rooms.

n Lincolnshire Food Producer 2022

The county has plenty of great food producers. Here, we’d like to name a butcher, baker, farmer or food producer.

n Lincolnshire Drink Producer 2022

And finally, from wine and spirits to tea and coffee or local soft drinks, nominate your favourite local drink, too!

Last Year’s Winners...

n Restaurant of the Year: The Bustard Inn, South Rauceby This smart Grade II listed quality dining restaurant was a convinc ing winner in last year’s awards as our Restaurant of the Year.

Call 01529 488250, or see www.thebustardinn.co.uk.

n Café, Bar or Bistro of the Year 2022: Doddington Hall, Lincoln A café, coffee shop and farm shop in a great setting close to the centre of Lincoln.

Call 01522 812505, or see www.doddingtonhall.com.

n Best International Dining Restaurant 2022: San Pietro, Scunthorpe Brilliant Mediterranean dining that goes beyond pizza and pasta, thanks to chef patron Pietro Catalano.

Call 01724 277774, or see www.sanpietro.uk.com.

n Best ‘Restaurant with Rooms’ 2022: The Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Edwardian elegance in Woodhall Spa, is the hallmark of one of Lincolnshire’s most established hotels.

Call 01526 352411, or see www.petwood.co.uk.

n Best Lincolnshire Food Producer or Retailer 2022: Mansion Farm, Louth Innovative online butcher, baker and grocery farm shop from Jim & Odile Sutcliffe. See www.mansionfarmshop.com.

n Best Local Drinks

Producer 2022:

Belvior Fruit Farms, Grantham

Simply the UK’s best premium soft drink producer.

Call 01476 870286, or see www.belvoirfarm.co.uk.

Bar

Vote for Your Favourite Restaurants and Lincolnshire Food & Drink Suppliers...

You’re free to vote for whichever Lincolnshire businesses

choose; they don’t have to be mentioned in this edition. You can also vote online at www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

Year

Bistro

Cuisine

the

Rooms’

Food Producer: A producer

local artisan food

butcher, baker

cheesemaker.

Lincolnshire Drink: This could be a wine or spirit, locally roasted coffee, local tea or soft drink.

Christmas Set Menu

MAIN COURSES

DESSERTS

In the KITCHEN

Hearty, full of flavour and deliciously warming, this month’s recipe is a brilliant one-pot dish that can cook slowly whilst you walk the dog, ready to be served up piping hot with crusty bread...

CHILLI, BEEF & BUTTERNUT STEW

Preparation Time: 20 minutes + standing. Cooking Time: 1 hour 20 minutes. Serves: 4. • 350g butternut squash, cut into 2cm cubes • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 large dried chilli • 1 large red onion, finely chopped • 3 cloves garlic, crushed • 400g lean diced braising steak • 1 heaped tbsp tomato purée • 1 tsp ground cumin • 1⁄ 2 tsp ground cinnamon • 400g can chopped tomatoes • 400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed • 1 lime, juice of one half and a further half cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 220°c, gas mark 7. Toss the squash with 1 tbsp oil; season and spread out on a baking tray. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway; set aside. Meanwhile, cut the stem off the dried chilli; shake out the seeds and discard. Tear the chilli into 3 or 4 pieces, put in a jug and cover with 300ml just-boiled water from the kettle; set aside to soak.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat, and fry the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften. Push the onion and garlic to one side and add the beef to the pan. Season, leave for a minute to sear, then stir with the onion and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes until browned all over and cooked through. Stir in the tomato purée, cumin and cinnamon.

Lift the chilli pieces from the soaking liquid and chop them very finely. Stir into the pan with the soaking liquid (avoiding any sediment at the bottom) and the canned tomatoes, then season. Lower the oven temperature to 160oc, gas mark 3. Cover the casserole dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Uncover the pan, stir in the kidney beans and roasted squash, and bake, uncovered, for another 30 minutes. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then stir in the lime juice. Serve with the lime wedges. Sliced avocado, soured cream and brown rice or tortillas are also great accompaniments, if liked. n

Thousands of recipes can be found at www.waitrose.com/recipes.

In the KITCHEN

Rich, gooey and definitely not for sharing... with a frosted topping, make a batch of these, sit by the fire and devour a few of these whilst watching your favourite film!

STOUT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Preparation Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling. Cooking Time: 35 minutes. Makes: 16.

• 440g can Guinness Irish stout • 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

• 200g unsalted butter, roughly chopped • 3 medium free range eggs • 225g caster sugar • 110g plain flour

• 30g cocoa powder • 1⁄2 tsp fine salt • 100g white chocolate, finely chopped • 8 tbsp double cream

Preheat the oven to 180oc, gas mark 4; line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with parchment. Put the stout in a large saucepan and set over a high heat. Simmer briskly for 15-20 minutes until reduced to about 100ml. Tip into a bowl and set aside to cool. Return the pan to a low heat with the chocolate and butter; allow to melt together gently, stirring to combine. Take the pan off the heat and use a balloon whisk to whisk in the eggs and sugar until combined. Next whisk in the reduced stout, then the flour, cocoa and salt. Tip into the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes; set aside to cool completely.

For the topping, put the white chocolate and 4 tbsp double cream in a microwaveable mixing bowl or mug and microwave on low for 30-60 seconds until just warm. Stir to combine (microwave again briefly if the white chocolate has not fully melted). Scrape into a mixing bowl and chill for 30 minutes. (You can also melt the chocolate and cream together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until combined.)

Remove the white chocolate mixture from the fridge and add the remaining 4 tbsp cream. Use a balloon whisk to whisk until the mixture is holding its shape. Spread over the cooled brownies and cut into 16 pieces to serve. n

Thousands of recipes can be found at www.waitrose.com/recipes.

A whisky fit for a (brand new) King...

Rumour has it that King Charles III’s favourite whisky is Laphroaig, and this 10 year old example is an excellent expression of the distillery’s talent!

It’s apparently the preferred choice of whisky for our new monarch, and this 10 year old Laphroaig should prove unforgettable.

Notes of Manuka honey, grilled bacon and maple syrup meet the classic peat smoke and seaweed that Laphroaig is famous for. Of course, all present and correct is that antiseptic nose whiskies from the isles are all famous for! n £64.99 / 70cl / 48% ABV, from www.laphroaig.com.

The Wine Cellar

A NEW RELEASE FOR AN ENGLISH SUCCESS STORY, A FAVOURITE TIPPLE FOR THE NEWLY CROWNED KING CHARLES III AND A TRIO OF BRILLIANT BEAUJOLAIS, ALL TO ENJOY THIS MONTH...

CELEBRATE BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU DAY: On November 17th, 2022...

1. A budget Beaujolais to take the edge off Monday, Jadot’s offering provides plum and berry flavours, pairing well with salmon, chicken and tapas... it’s good chilled, too! £11 / 75cl / 13% ABV.

2. Our second offering is Henry Fessy’s Beaujolais, with its expressive notes of rose, raspberry and redcurrant. This one’s from Waitrose, and it’s a beautiful pairing for Mediterranean dishes, charcuterie and roast lamb, £15.49 / 75cl / 12.5% ABV.

Wine of the Month

Chapel Down Bacchus

£90 x 6 bottle case

75cl / 11.5% ABV

A brand new release for Bacchus, which is widely known as England’s leading still wine variety and is our best selling white wine.

This highly aromatic wine is crisp and refreshing with an abundance of gooseberry and elderflower on the nose.

A delicate white wine with aromas of elderflower, melon and peardrops.

One of the best releases yet for the vineyard from Kent.n

Buy from, www.chapel down.com.

No alcohol, but packed with flavour!

Full of body and all natural, but with no alcohol, this is the perfect guilt-free tipple to warm up your autumn evenings. It’s taken a huge amount of experimenting for Leicestershire distillers Warner’s to perfect the combination of 53 different ingredients from bursts of raspberry, blackcurrant, sage, pepper and ginger to create this refreshingly bold autumn drink. Pour over ice with a good Mediterranean tonic and chuck in a handful of berries. £18 / 70cl / 0% ABV, www.warners distillery.com.

3. And finally, the ultimate expression of Beaujolais, with pinot noir grapes for fine tannins and a long finish. Medium-bodied, full of fruit and a floral character, £19.99 / 75cl / 13% ABV.

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.

A COUNTRY HOME THAT MAKES

Horse Sense

This month we’re enjoying an abundance of space and a wealth of first class facilities for anyone whose interests include caring for their equine friends. It’ll doubtless prove a des res for its two-legged occupants, too!

Words: Rob Davis.

Grayingham Lodge Cottage

Location: Gainsborough 8.9 miles; Scunthorpe 12 miles; Market Rasen 16.3 miles.

Provenance: Georgian property, restored over the past 10 years, with a wealth of equestrian facilities.

Rooms: Three receptions currently arranged as snug, living room and living kitchen; five bedrooms.

Guide Price: £995,000.

Find Out More: Savills Lincoln Olympic House, Doddington Road, Lincoln LN6 3SE. Call 01522 508900 or see www.savills.co.uk. n

HORSE SENSE it’s an expression that refers to someone’s good judgement, common sense or levelheadedness. Plenty of that has been invested in the design of this month’s featured property, not just for its human custodians but for their horses, too.

Grayingham Lodge Cottage was once part of a larger farming estate. Probably a mixed operation with arable crops and livestock or at least a few equines providing horse power to pull ploughs, carts and such like, before the era of mechanisation. It’s still located adjacent to working farming operations, although these days it’s more vast swathes of cereals gobbled up by gigantic combines, rather than armies of farmhands and fields of men with scythes and cobs. Still idyllic though, all the same!

Its current owners came to the property 10 years ago, keen to work with horses and enjoy life in the countryside. The two former farm cottages, built in the 1800s, has escaped a Grade II listing, which made it much easier to complete a full renovation on the house, which is surrounded by over six and a half acres of land.

Top/Main: As well as being a great equestrian property, Grayingham Lodge Cottage is also a beautiful country home with a large living kitchen, diner and snug at its heart.

The current owners were happy with the existing layout of the property but keen to extend it, creating decent space to store tack and creating an extra bedroom.

Arranged over two floors, the property has at its heart a large open plan kitchen and dining room with an adjacent snug plus an additional sitting room.

The kitchen was created by a Market Rasenbased cabinet maker from solid timber, handpainted in a combination of Old English White and Stiffkey Blue, both shades from Farrow & Balls charts. Work surfaces are white quartz with black marbling, and elsewhere in the kitchen is an inset sink and appliances from brands like Neff including larder fridge, dishwasher and a range cooker with induction hob. Helpfully, there’s a very decent size utility room for laundry appli

ances and family collateral, whilst a separate tack room and wellie room area affords the chance to liberate yourself from mucky boots after an autumn morning cleaning up paddocks or sorting out stables.

And on that point, there’s an American stable unit with six boxes, adjacent to the property, created in 2016. As well as the boxes themselves there’s also a larger hay store or foaling box, a feed room, a store and a double bay wash box with hot water and an equine solarium.

The property’s grounds have been divided up to create six paddocks each between three quarters of an acre and two acres, with an additional paddock for the family’s sundry animals; goats and sheep. A large arena has recently been resurfaced with a specialist silica and fibre surface.

>>The grounds also have a horse walker, plus a double garage to accommodate a trailer or groundskeeping equipment, and the garage block has been connected to services and is well-insulated, should the property’s next custodians want to convert it into an office or annexe.

Not withstanding the size and features of the property, it’s also in an excellent location for those with equestrian interests.

With Bishop Burton and Arena UK moreorless equidistant, and a very good equestrian veterinary practice at Market Rasen, it’s well-placed in the county and close to the A15 and A180. Also close by are good schools and colleges including Lincoln Minster School and Riseholme, and the town of Gainsborough, with Marshall’s Yard and other amenities.

The current owners have created a property that’s ideal for those who enjoy keeping horses or want to create a smallholding and live the good life. They’re seeking a new project, and have put the property on the market with Savills. For someone looking for a place in the country, though, this is an estate that’s large, versatile and has a beautifully refurbished property right at its heart. n

n Aswardby Hall, Spilsby

Guide Pride: £2,250,000

Beautifully presented accommodation with the juxtaposition of historic style and contemporary features. 10 bedrooms, five reception rooms and almost 11,000sq ft living space plus 12 acres and equestrian/fishing facilities. www.knightfrank.co.uk

n Brigg Road, Wressle

Guide Price: £2,000,000

The ultimate lifestyle home with formal gardens, equestrian facilities, a vineyard established to provide an income in the future and its own fishing lake. Six bedrooms, eight acres, inc., paddocks. www.fineandcountry.com

n Swandyke Farm, Freiston

Guide Price: £495,000

Well-appointed four-bedroomed farmhouse plus additional abandoned house, 10,000sq ft farm buildings, glasshouses, open stores, 2.58 acres, ideal for creating smallholding or for those with equestrian interests. www.poyntons.com

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...

Top: Chairs in Nakuru, midnight and linen colourway £58.50/m.

Above/Right: Cushions in Adeline blush/raspberry, Nauru, Habitat & Bergamot.

Right: Chairs and footstool in Ada midnight £34/m.

Curtains in Adeline blush/raspberry £58.50/m; Nakuru in blush £58.50/m; throw in Ada linen £34/m, footstool in Francis midnight/velvet £45/m.

COMPANY

Luxury At Home with COOKS & COMPANY

From living kitchens with beautiful bespoke cabinetry to bars and libraries, reception rooms and bedrooms with dressing suites. Luxury and functionality each combine to best effect with the design flair and expertise of Newark-based Cooks & Company...

Words: Rob Davis.

At the very pinnacle of where luxury meets design, and functionality meets style, is the newly opened Cooks & Company kitchen design studio.Specialists in creating luxury at home, the 50-year old family-owned busi ness recently enjoyed the official opening of its new design studio with over 6,000sq ft dedicated to showcasing beautiful designs. The firm is already renowned as the UK’s largest retailer of premium appliances with 15,000sq ft dedicated to luxury brands like Sub-Zero, Wolf, Aga, Lacanche, Gaggenau & Miele. Back in 2020, the team also set about creating a premium interiors studio designing and installing kitchens, pantries, bootrooms, studies, bedrooms, dressing rooms and reception rooms such as media rooms, libraries or bars.

“The studio opened officially last month, and is aimed at providing a single point of contact

and meticulous project management from the design and planning of your room through to its installation,” says Cooks & Company’s senior designer, Chris Wilburn.

“Our preferred building, plumbing, electrical, gas and interior design specialists can complete every element of your new kitchen, for example, and with our appliance studio next door, we can fit the very best quality cooking, cooling, and extraction appliances, as well as boiling water taps, dishwashers and so on.”

“Popular with our clients are solid worktops, and we supply heritage sinks from British firm Shaws, established 1897.”

“Our partnership with cabinet makers Charles Yorke and Bauformat enables us to create bespoke door designs, tailored to a customer’s wishes, right down to the millimetre.”

>> We work with Bauformat for truly contemporary kitchens, and we can colour match furniture to any paint shade or even an object. Our 3D photorealistic renders will also give a precise idea of how your new room will look.”

“Cooks & Company’s showroom is unlike any other, and features living kitchens, pantries, bootrooms, and bedrooms dressing rooms, and a gin bar to inspire clients for their own homes.”

“The ultimate aim is to provide clients with an individually tailored service and bespoke product that is unmatched, with every individual requirement addressed, meticulous planning, and with only the very best customer service.”

Find Out More: Cooks & Company is based at Cook House, Brunel Drive, Newark NG24 2FB. Tel: 01636 593910, www.cooksandcompany.co.uk. Call to organise a home visit or showroom consultation today. n

Cooks & Company’s Showroom

All of the images pictured here are taken in Cooks & Company’s impressive 6,000sq ft showroom.

Stunning rooms plus high-end appliances too, from Cooks & Company

APPLIANCES FROM WOLF, SUB-ZERO, LACANCHE, AGA, QUOOKER, GAGGENAU, MIELE AND FISHER & PAYKEL

At the heart of your new kitchen are the latest appliances designed to extend the breadth of your cooking and make life easier. As well as providing bespoke kitchens, bedrooms, media rooms, gin bars and other reception rooms, Cooks & Company can also supply premium-brand appliances.

Cooks & Company has chosen selected brands from premium cooking and cooling appliance brands like Wolf & Sub-Zero, as well as Lacanche and Aga. As well as these larger appliances, the firm is a stockist of Quooker taps for boiling, sparkling or chilled water on demand, plus integrated ovens, coffee machines, under-counter refrigerators, wine coolers, dishwashers and laundry appliances, from names like Gaggenau, Miele and Fisher & Paykel.

Cooks & Company has partnered with Charles Yorke and Bauformat to provide bespoke cabinetry, and its in-house design studio in Newark allows you to visit in person to see the company’s ranges first, then design a room that’s completely tailored to your needs. With 3D visualisation, you’ll be able to see your room evolve throughout a collaborative design process, and once work begins, there’s full project management which means all trades are fully co-ordinated, and all you have to do is await the completion of a stunning new space in your home. n

HOMES & KITCHENS

HELPING AROUND THE HOME FOR AUTUMN & WINTER

WOODLAND WALK, NEW FROM SOPHIE ALLPORT...

Bourne and Stamford-based homeware designer launches new Woodland Walks collection to generate funds for the National Trust...

INSPIRED by local designer Sophie Allport’s love for nature and long woodland walks with her three dogs, this charming design features dog walkers and hikers adventuring out on an expedition, exploring everything the great outdoors has to offer.

Perfect for country dwellers and dog lovers, the teal blue colourway is excellent for adding a splash of colour throughout the home... and best of all, the collection will benefit The National Trust too, with a minimum donation of £20,000.

“We are so pleased to be working with the National Trust on our Woodland Walks collection,” says Sophie. “Through sales generated from our National Trust collections, 10% of net sales, with a minimum of £20,000, will be given to the National Trust for Parks and Woodland conservation. You will be directly contributing to the National Trusts commitment to the environment.” n www.sophieallport.com

Lakeland has a new store based at Gates Garden Centre for all your cooking, cleaning, laundry and home organisation needs.

An ideal place to visit to replace aged cookware pre-Christmas!

CLEVER PANS IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS...

THERMOMIX. What does it do?

What doesn’t it do! It’s a slow cooker, it sautés, sous vides, weighs, stirs, mixes, kneads and chops... think of it as a cooker, steamer and food processor all in one. It’s WiFi connected, too! n £1,189, www.vorwerk.co.uk

TEFAL reinvented the saucepan with Ingenio and this is the latest incarnation. The handles clip on securely, then detach, which means they don’t get in the way and they remain cool. Everything nests into each other for easy storage. The induction compatible stainless-steel pans and non-stick frying and sauté pans are easy-clean, and red felt pan protectors prevent scratching when stacked for storage. n

£350/22 piece set from www.johnlewis.com.

Lakeland at Gates Garden Centre

DAMP washing hanging around on airers looks untidy, but tumble driers are costly to run. Lakeland has the answer with its heated airers. They dry gently, reducing creasing, they cost pennies to run and fold down to 8cm deep. The deluxe three-tier version here holds 15kg of washing two washer loads with 21m of drying space, and there’s a timer too. n £179.99, from Lakeland at Gates Garden Centre.

THE BEST HARD FLOOR CLEANER ON THE MARKET...

If you’ve hard floors, or kids, or dogs, or horses... or if you just enjoy the simple pleasure of a spotlessly clean floor, stop whatever you’re doing and buy this ingenious machine.

It’s BISSELL’S CrossWave Cordless Max. We’ve road-tested a loan machine from BISSELL for a month and having tried it on wood, tiled and LVT floors, we declare it nothing short of brilliant.

Mopping a floor is a rubbish way to clean. You have to vacuum first, for starters, and as your mop becomes dirty you end up trying to clean a floor using increasingly filthy water.

The BISSELL dispenses only fresh cleaning solution when you hold down the trigger. It wets a rotating microfibre roller, scrubs your floor – using, I have to say, very little water – then vacuums up the dirty water. All in a single pass!

It’s cordless and charges in its own stand, giving 30 mins of cleaning time, it’s quiet, light and manoeuvrable thanks to an articulated head. There’s a selfcleaning function too, ensuring its roller doesn’t become dirty over time.

Most of all, it’s just brilliantly effective either for a thorough clean or a quick five-minute whizz round when the dog comes in with dirty paws. At £429 it might seem a bit on the expensive side, but measure its worth in time saved, not on purchase price. And trust us, it works beautifully on muddy footprints and kitchen floors. n

£429 inc delivery, from John Lewis or buy direct at www.bisselldirect.co.uk.

We road-tested BISSELL’s CrossWave Cordless Max for a month... and it’s brilliant!

DRY

Garden Houses Made with PRIDE & PASSION

Create a beautiful new space in your home with heritage joinery from Morriss & Shaw, whose garden houses are the perfect addition to modern and period properties alike...

WHEN YOUR GARDEN is showing a rich palette of autumn colour, and when the temperature is beginning to get a little chilly, the summer months seem an age away.

It almost seems perverse to start planning for next summer when we’re still hurtling towards Christmas, but now is indeed the time to start planning a bespoke garden house to add space and style to your home ready for next spring and summer.

Whether you’re seeking to create additional living space adjacent to a new kitchen, add another reception room to your property, increase the amount of natural light in your home, or blur the line between your home and your garden, traditional joiner Christopher Shaw can help.

“If a joiner from a few hundred years ago came into the purpose-built workshop they’d still recognise our designs and our craftsman ship the only differences is the presence of a few very up to date machines to help us out, and much better glazing,” he says.

“The latter is really important to us, because we don’t want to create a room that can only be used in high summer. Traditionally, garden rooms were too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Ours, by contrast, are temperate all year round, which is why they’re ideal for extending your home.”

“We’re used to working in conservation areas, and with listed buildings. Our service is as much about the quality of our design and planning, as well as our ongoing project management,” says Chris.

“That means we can provide a turnkey service whereby a client tells us about their aspirations for their home, and we can work with them as part of a collaborative design process.”

“Once a client is excited about the design, and confident that it meets their needs, we can begin to build their structure.”

“Again we come into our own here because our hardwood structures are manufactured off-site, in our workshops.”

“That means less disruption around the client’s home, and it allows us to absolutely perfect each element before we arrive on site. Once we’re on site, installation is faster, tidier and simpler.”

“We typically work with budgets between £35,000 and £120,000 and we can create roof lanterns, sash windows, and other heritage joinery products, completing each installation with ironmongery and weather proof paint finishes which will ensure every one of our garden rooms will look good for decades, not just years.”

“Over the next few months, as Christmas betrays the lack of space most people have in their home, we’ll receive lots of enquiries, so starting your journey to a beautiful new space now means we can start creating your new room and turning your vision for your home into reality, ready for next summer. We’d love to hear from you and we’d love to provide a free, no obligation design consul tation to enhance your property.” n

Find

Create a Welcoming Home for NATURE

From scattering wildflower seed to installing bird boxes, there are lots of simple ways for gardeners to help out local friendly visitors by providing plenty of food and shelter in their outdoor spaces...

INVITING WILDLIFEINto gardens has many benefits: these visitors will create a stable ecosystem in the garden, meaning there will be fewer outbreaks of disease. Also, bugs and birds will help in pollinating the plants and eating away any pests which are damaging shrub growth.

It can be really hard for birds and bugs to find enough food and shelter for themselves, especially during the cooler months. But luckily, it’s really easy for us greenfingered lot to help create a perfect haven for lots of friendly visitors in our own gardens. Many of us want to attract bugs and birds but are not sure on the best ways to do so and worry that we will instead attract unwanted visitors such as rats.

The following tips are really easy and quick to implement, but will provide your garden with the long term benefits of having wildlife buzzing and crawling about.

Bird boxes: Bird boxes make great havens for flying visitors, but it is important to install them high up in a sheltered area. Putting out food such as fat balls and seeds, also encour ages birds to the gardens. Place feeders close to a covered bush to discourage unwanted cats and to provide the birds with cover.

Bug hotels: Bug hotels are a great activity to do with children, and can really encourage all kinds of insects into outside spaces. Simply organise a selection of twigs, rocks and rotting wood in piles around the garden. Soon enough, bugs such as beetles and spiders will be settling in!

Grow native flowers: Flowers add a beautiful scent and colourful landscape to gardens, but they also importantly provide food for insects. Grow lots of varieties of

flowers to ensure that bugs are provided with food all year round. Pick out native flower seed mixes specifically, as insects and bugs have already evolved to feed off these.

Leave the weeds: In a patch in the garden, have a break from weeding. Weeds such as nettles, buttercups and daisies may be unwanted in some gardens, but will really attract wildlife. Insects rely on weeds as important sources of food because they flower throughout the year when other food sources may be scarce.

Compost: Using homemade compost will not only heavily enrich the soil of gardens, but also provide habitat for insects. Worms, woodlice, frogs and worms will all make home in composts, and will speed up the decomposition process too. To avoid any rats, ensure to only add raw foods into the compost.

Hedgehog highways: With rapidly declining levels of hedgehog populations throughout the UK, clear a ‘hedgehog highway’ in the garden to help the animals. Leave gaps in the fence for hedgehogs to move through, and ask neighbours to do the same. This way, during their nighttime travels, hedgehogs can stick to the safety of gardens and avoid any urban dangers.

Plant climbers: Plant climbers up garden walls and fences to encourage a wealth of bugs, insects and birds. Flowers and seeds from ivy provide a great source of pollen and food, as well as long term cover for visitors such as caterpillars. Pyracantha is also a great climber for wildlife as its spring flowers and autumn berries give seasonal food for garden visitors.

Herbs: Herbs can be grown in the garden for not only culinary purposes, but to also attract wildlife. The flowering thyme will encourage butterflies and bees, as well as the nectar and pollen from flowering sage plants. Angelica gives food for insects too, and birds will eat the seeds.

Wildflowers: Grow a garden sized meadow to encourage a wildlife haven. Scatter seeds of poppies, cornflowers, cowslip, nigella and varieties of grass. Wildflowers are fantastically low maintenance, look wonderful, and insects love them for food and shelter purposes.

n Tips courtesy of Issy Wood of www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk

Main:

Left:

Above: Bug hotels

intrigue

A be er looking driveway and greater kerb appeal

A Plug-In hybrid option for the New Range Rover

It’s definitely not an inexpensive car, so can you make a sound case for choosing a frugal plug-in hybrid drivetrain in your new Range Rover? Well actually, it’s probably the best fit for the Range Rover yet...

THE RANGE ROVER remains über desirable. It’s the epitome of luxury, it provides acres of passenger and luggage space, and it’s fitted with every conceivable creature comfort, especially in top spec.

But with the Evoque, Velar, and brand new Sport models in Range Rover’s lineup, the ‘proper’ Range Rover’s prices have been nudged up and up. An all-new Range Rover released in October last year saw the price tag begin at a sniff under six figures, but realistically you’re looking at anywhere up to £150,000 for a new version, especially if you opt for a longer wheelbase, a new seven-seat configuration or one of the more powerful engines.

So if the car is the antithesis of frugal motoring, can it really justify a plug-in hybrid powertrain aimed, lets face it, at

reducing fuel costs? Actually... yes. In fact this new powertrain is probably the best one the car has ever had. For a start, global oil and gas supplies are strained, so having a choice of both electrical and combustion power gives more flexibility and security.

Secondly, the car starts up in silence and moves off just as quietly and smoothly. It provides a refinement that befits the car’s imperious character, eliminating diesel clatter or roar from the driving experience.

The powertrain also makes it slightly more viable to run the car as a company vehicle, with the tax savings of a plug-in hybrid.

In addition, the new Range Rover was designed from the ground up for full electrification this will happen in 2024 but some motorists are still wary of full-electric vehicles, so a plug-in hybrid version gives a little more reassurance for nervous motorists or those who still rack up many long-distance motorway miles.

Penultimately, with a (very optimistic) electric range of 70 miles, you’ll make the most of electrification for day-to-day running about. And finally, if you’re one of the few Range Rover owners who actually venture off-road, the powertrain provides lots of torque with no lag and no need to work the engine hard.

The best news? It’s remains very much a Range Rover; spacious, luxurious, imperi ous,and very, very desirable. n

THE DETAILS Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid

Price: £108,385 (SE P440e).

Powertrains: 3.0V6 PHEV, 440hp, eight-speed automatic gearbox, full-time 4x4 with switchable low range gearing.

Performance: Top speed 140mph, 0-60mph 5.7secs. Electric range 70 miles; WLTP 334mpg.

Equipment: 20-way electric seats, heated front/rear, power tailgate, 3D surround camera, adaptive cruise, heated front screen/steering wheel, 13” screen with navigation, remote climate control for cabin warming. n

No Shortage of Horse Power with Ferrari’s Purosangue

Ferrari has released a new vehicle which the company emphatically denies is just another SUV, despite its four seats and four-wheel drive. Purosangue is, however, a prancing horse unlike no other...

THOROUGHBRED. The name Purosangue translates to thoroughbred. And though the motoring marque with its famous ‘prancing horse’ brand has designed four-seater cars before – the GT4C and FF this is its first SUV. Not that it admits it.

The company rejects the label of SUV, but with a similar appearance to Porsche’s Cayenne Coupé Turbo GT (£150,500) or Aston Martin’s DBX (£162,625), that’s what it amounts to, with four seats, four doors, four wheel drive and four wheel steering. In fact, the number four seems a common denominator until you get to the engine... where in fact, 12 cylinders still reside, spread across 6.5 litres of displacement and 715 bhp, launching it to 60mph in just 3.3 seconds and on to 192mph.

Inside, there’s a 10.2” display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That’s the only means of providing navigation as Ferrari won’t fit its own navigation, preferring to acquiesce to the above tech companies.

There’s climate control, electric windows, four heated seats and a Burmeister 3D stereo too, as well as two usable seats in the front and two tiny seats in the rear.

Leather comes as standard although buyers can specify recycled polyester fabric and an optional electric roof as well as massaging seats... there is, however, a problem.

The Purosangue’s list price is... £350,000.

For that price, you could instead buy a Range Rover SE (£99,375) and a Porsche 911 (£89,800) then pocket the remaining £161,000. Or, what about choosing a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT with £200,000 left over? The Porsche Cayenne, incidentally, matches the Ferrari’s 0-60mph time, right on the button.

The debate is perhaps academic. After all, the Purosangue (or any of the above vehicles) are cars you choose with your heart at least to some degree not just with value for money as your main concern. If you want one, you’ll buy one, regardless.

Even so, we’re struggling to see where the extra money gets you with rivals that are just as desirable, as spacious, as luxurious. As pretty as Purosangue is, at this price, we reckon it’s an example of style over substance. n

Ferrari Purosangue

Price: £350,000 (estimated, orders now for delivery in Spring 2023)

Powertrains: 6.5 litre V12, 715bhp, 716Nm torque, eight-speed F1 DCT gearbox, all-wheel drive, all-wheel steer.

Performance: Top speed 192mph, 0-60mph 3.3secs. Fuel consumption currently under homologation.

Equipment: Four heated seats, Apple Car Play, Android Audio, electric windows, Manettino dial for traction control systems, leather seats. n

You & Me on an island CALLED CAPRI

We always love hearing heart-warming stories about how local couples choose to tie the knot, but this month we feature a bride and groom who are particularly special to us! Pride’s very own Cydney Buck tells us how she enjoyed marrying her partner Charlie on the gorgeous island of Capri…

FROM THE EAST COAST TO ANACAPRI, the story of Cydney (Cyd) and Charlie is particularly special to the Pride team as our own Sales Manager enjoyed her wedding recently on the stunning island of Capri.

Quite the loveliest couple of people you could ever hope to meet, the two are also very talented when it comes to performing on stage.

Both were raised on the East Coast of Lincolnshire, although Charlie spent ten years in London – during which, incidentally, he also had a small cameo in the Harry Potter franchise’s Half Blood Prince film as one of the house of Slitherin’s top Quidditch players – returning to the area in 2015. Thereafter, he’s worked as a Big Band and Swing Singer vocalist performing at private functions like weddings.

Cyd, meanwhile is not only a superstar manager but a professional dancer performing on stage in variety shows for some of the East Coast’s largest holiday resorts. It was when the two were paired together as dancer and singer respectively in a stage show – featuring swing hits and dance routines inspired by dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers –that a little bit of showbiz magic rubbed off.

“One of my earliest happy memories of Charlie is from a post-show party when the cast were all going out together. It was a really cold night and he was giving a few of us a lift, so he went out and warmed up the car for the girls – so it was comfortable when we all got in – which I felt was really thoughtful.”

“It’s typical of his character really. He really is consistently sweet and considerate. We were paired together as dancers in 2015 and when the season finished I found myself realising that I was really missing him.”

The season began again in March 2016 and to be around him again was wonderful. Absence had definitely made the heart grow fonder for both of us, and so we both made our feelings for one another known.

“We enjoy a really lovely life together and Charlie is not only a really kind guy, he’s also an uncurable romantic, too. After two years together, I awoke one morning to a treasure hunt he’d created around the house. The eighth clue was a passport and he revealed that he was whisking us both away to a secret destination.”

“He’d booked a trip via Naples to the island of Capri. Charlie had been there before and reckoned it was one of the most beautiful places in the world. He wasn’t wrong.”

“The place is only ten square kilometres –about half the size of one of our local market towns – overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea to the West and the Bay of Naples to the North.”

“It was a real paradise with beautiful electric blue seas and a soaring coastline, which is why I couldn’t work out why Charlie was so on edge. I didn’t realise at the time but he had planned a meal on the terrace of Hotel Caesar Augustus… only for a torrential rainstorm to compromise his intended proposal.”

“The restaurant is booked up quite far in advance, so when a table became free the following evening, Charlie couldn’t believe his luck.”

“We went to the restaurant and he took me out onto the terrace and asked me to turn round. He then showed me a video he had made a week or two earlier.”

“One of my favourite films is Love Actually, I used who watch it every Christmas with my grandfather. We were really close to one another and when he died in 2015 I was heartbroken. I’m certain that he and Charlie would have really got on well with one another, but sadly they never met.”

Words: Rob Davis. Image: Emiliano Russo Photography.

>> “One of my favourite scenes in the film is when the character of Mark, turns up at Keira Knightley’s character Juliet’s door to declares his love on a series of cards.”

“Charlie recreated that scene beautifully, and when he revealed the last card it simply read ‘turn around.’”

“I did so, and sure enough he was on one knee, offering me an engagement ring. I’d love to say I was dignified and graceful, but I was so happy all I could do was cry solidly for a few hours, after responding with a resounding ‘yes!’ of course.”

That was in 2018 and as Covid scuppered the couple’s local wedding plans (twice), Charlie and Cyd instead opted to marry overseas.

The two set about planning their celebration on the island of… where else? Capri!

“I was really lucky in that I found a wedding planner based in Capri called Elisa Prati, who was on the island and was a point of contact locally. With lockdown preventing us seeing anyone face-to-face, we planned the day via Zoom video calls and relied on mail order to find wedding dresses and the groomsmens’ suits.”

“The ceremony took place in Anacapri, the more rustic, authentic part of Capri. My mum Tamara and uncle Chandler walked me down the aisle where Charlie and I exchanged vows at Belvedere di Migrelia.”

“The celebrant for the ceremony was my Maid of Honour, Katie. The fact that she

married us made it extra special, and we took our vows overlooking with stunning views of the island’s west coast lighthouse and Tyrrhenian Sea.”

“We then went to the Da Gelsomina restaurant, established in the 1950s and now run by the eponymous Gelsomina (the granddaughter of the original owner) and her husband Pasquale along with Gelsomina’s brother Raffaele. We enjoyed fresh grilled octopus, Capresi and prawn ravioli with zucchini flowers and delizia al limone for our wedding breakfast. It was all really fresh and delicious. The table was decorated with locally grown lemons and flowers from the estate’s groves.”

“It really is an island paradise and we were really lucky that 35 people – our closest

family and friends – were able to join us.

The temperature was around 30°c but there was a storm the evening before so it was lovely and fresh, not at all muggy.”

“After the meal we enjoyed the speeches –especially from my mum, Tamara, and from Katie, from Charlie himself and then Matty who is Charlie’s brother and served as his best man.”

“We performed the first dance, which Charlie and I had choreographed together, then we just enjoyed the whole evening in a beautiful setting with smiles, laughter and in a really relaxing atmosphere.”

“Everyone relaxed as the sun set and the temperature eased off, especially my brother and sister Billy & Vixen, and my new parents-in-law, Gail & Charlie Sr.”

“I must admit that I played matchmaker when I threw my bouquet to Charlie’s brother’s partner Emily. The tradition obviously has some merit as my new brother-in-law Matty proposed to her a couple of weeks later.”

“There was a third proposal too… my uncle Chandler asked his partner Leanne to marry him at the end of the evening, which was really lovely! So there’s definitely some thing in the water of Capri that brings out the romantic side of visitors to the island.”

“It’s a phenomenal place. We’re planning to return for our first anniversary, but above all, we’re really grateful that our family and friends were able to experience it with us. It was a day we’ll never forget, with people we’ll always treasure. I don’t think there’s any better foundation for a wedding!” n

Above: Among those congratulating the couple was Zoie & Julian Wilkinson, publishers of Pride Magazine.

Clarins Men’s Set

Full-sized Moisture Balm, Exfoliating Cleanser, Shampoo, Shave Oil £42.

Estée Lauder Blockbuster

£300 worth of products, for just £70 when you spend £50 or more on Estée.

HEAVEN

SCENT

Superb festive cosmetics and gift sets just in time for your Christmas shopping outing, and all available from Coneys Department Store...

Clarins Double Serum Set

50ml Double Serum, Beauty Flash Balm and lip oil, £82.

Clinique Moisture Surge

50ml Moisture Surge, Overnight Masque and Lip Hydro Plump, £40 (worth £62).

Coneys Department Store, Broad Street, Spalding PE11 1TB. Call 01775 767155 or see www.coneysdesignerwear.co.uk.

Molton Brown

Stocking filler collection, 10 x 50ml bath/shower gels, £40.

Bvlgari Wood Essence

From Bvlgari for men, £109.

Lancôme Beauty Box

£300 worth of products for just £74, when you spend £70 or more on Lancôme.

Best of L’Occitane

Six of the fragrance house’s most popular products, £25 (worth £33).

>> When asked by Life Magazine in 1952 what she wore to bed, Marilyn Monroe famously responded that she wore nothing but Chanel No5. Created in 1921, it’s still on sale today, £126, 100ml EDP at Coneys Department Store. n

King Charles III with Queen Consort Camilla, and the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

The Proclamation of

King Charles III

ON 8TH SEPTEMBER 2022 at around 3.30pm, the world collectively cried out in shock and sorrow at the unexpected announcement that HM Queen Elizabeth II had died at Balmoral, at the age of 96 and following a reign of 70 years.

The Queen’s passing meant the immediate accession of King Charles III, and proclamations to the effect were made in each of Lincolnshire’s districts.

Our main image shows crowds gathered on Lincoln’s Castle Hill to hear Rosanne Kirk, the 817th Mayor of Lincoln, deliver the official proclamation.

Below, similar announcements were made in Sleaford by Vice-Chairman of North Kesteven District Council, Ross Little, and in Boston by Mayor Anne Dorrian.

In East Lindsey, the proclamation was read by Helen Matthews, Chairman of East Lindsey District Council and in South Holland by Paul Redgate, Chairman of South Holland District Council. n

Images: City of Lincoln; Rob Davis; Boston Borough Council.

This Page: The Windsor, Women’s Handbag in Tan Croc, £395; The Henley, Women’s Driving Shoe in Tan Croc, £180.

FAIRFAX & FAVOR

This month put your best foot forward with Fairfax & Favor, a home grown fashion brand with luxury and practicality always foremost in its mind...

BARBOUR

Alder Wool gilet in Windsor with faux fur trim £179. Primrose Knit sweatshirt with cable design and v-neck £69.95. Barbour Essential slim jeans in Rinse colourway, £69.95. Barbour Daffodil Shirt in Windsor check, £64.95.

Barbour

Bathed & Showered in Gold

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD THIS MONTH WITH PRODUCTS TO MAKE YOUR ABLUTIONS SPARKLE!

Light up the room with Acqua di Parma’s Luce di Colonia Candle. It may be cold and great outdoors but as one of the fragrance house’s eight Italian Moments scents. According to the PR blurb, La Casa Sul Lago enables you to ‘take the sense of serenity of a villa’s garden by the lake into your home, and find harmony in the captivating scents of its flowers,’ we say bergamot, lily, musk. £59/200g.

2. J’Adorable Bath Oil

Delicately perfumed, this silky oil helps your skin feel smooth and prevents it drying out after either a bath of shower. Producing a fine lather, it’s a moment of pure pleasure, and has the enveloping notes of J’Adore, Dior’s ylang ylang and jasmine based scent, £45/200ml.

3. Bathe in Chanel

The world’s most famous scent, now available as a daily ritual thanks to this bath and shower gel. Created in 1921 by Gabrielle Chanel and Ernest Beaux, the fragrance is composed of citrus top notes, and a floral bouquet with vanilla, £44.50/200ml

4. Peony & Blush

A mini-spa experience in your own home thanks to Jo Malone’s bath oil, featured here in Peony & Blush fragrance. Almond and jojoba oils create a silky base that bubbles up well. An opulent floral scent plus a formula that leaves skin feeling wonderfully soft, £50, 250ml

Resore has created what we reckon is the best towel in the world, and in fairness, for the price, it ought to be! It’s anti-bacterial, hypoallergenic, and eco-friendly fibres which fight bacteria, dry your skin fast, and remains incredibly soft, absorbent, and durable. Resore says it doesn’t need to be washed as often as regular bathroom towels. 76cm x 142cm, £99 / 700gsm

ESPA is renowned as a fragrance brand which powers many of the treatments provided in some of the best luxury spas. Now, their Signature Blends Bath & Body Oil collection allows you to sample seven of the firms renowned pure essential oil blends, just add them to your bath, £35/7x15ml.

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

1. A golden glow with the benefits of aromatherapy...

5. The best towel you’ll ever buy, created by Resore

6. From a luxury spa to your own bathroom...

Purveyors of

Smiles

TEETH WHITENING

FILLINGS

CROWNS