Lincolnshire Pride May 2017

PRIDE

Cover - Lincolnshire 178.qxp 29/03/2017 12:53 Page 1

LINCOLNSHIRE

LINCOLNSHIRE

PRIDE

LINCOLNSHIRE’S FINEST MAGAZINE

LINCOLNSHIRE’S FINEST MAGAZINE £4.50

MAY

Enjoying Lincolnshire’s Best Food & Drink

Growing, cooking and enjoying asparagus, plus quality restaurants

2017

The County’s Most Prestigious Properties A roundup of the best homes in our special feature

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- MAY 2017 -

welcome letter Julian Wilkinson

Managing Director

Ian Bagley

Production Director

Zoie Wilkinson

Advertising Director

These days, we enjoy such luxury.

We can click our fingers - or at least jab a smartphone button - and enjoy access to any entertainment we seek, any holiday destination, and of course, we can order any food we choose, regardless of seasonality, then have it delivered to our door the very next day. There’s a penalty to such convenience though. We’ve lost the seasonal nature of our food. Strawberries in winter? No problem. Asparagus all year round? Of course.

A wonderful new movement, though, known as ‘eating the seasons,’ is now encouraging us to shop locally, eat seasonally, and rediscover the anticipation of waiting for our favourite fresh produce to come back into our farm shops and greengrocers. This month, we’re providing a few asparagus recipes, championing our local producers of this summer favourite... and we’ll be doing the same for that English staple, the strawberry, too.

As the grandson of a Boston greengrocer, the anticipation of waiting for my favourite fruit and veg to come into season, and the novelty of knowing they’ll come straight from the land around us, makes my favourite summer dishes even more delicious, which is why I’m always proud to champion our very hard working local farmers. With the same desire to champion local farmers, we’re also introducing our new farming writer Alison Pratt this month, and we’ve a new gardening feature which this month examines the best ways to introduce colour into your summer borders.

Elsewhere this month, we’re visiting some of Lincolnshire’s most luxurious properties, we’re examining the history of the seaside holiday at Butlins, and we’re meeting a local barbershop quartet who are truly in fine voice!

Our best wishes for a wonderful month,

Emily Brown

Sales Director

Editorial Director, Pride Magazines 3

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CONTENTS 6

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NEWS Each month, we bring you a round up of the county’s good news stories.

HIGH SOCIETY We’ve covered the Purple Polio Ball for the Sleaford Rotary Club at the Arena, Grantham.

FEATURES 23

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34 40 42

PROPERTIES If you’re looking for a property or perhaps some home inspiration, see our 10 page property feature with a roundup of the best properties on the market.

BARBERSHOP QUARTET The county’s very own barbershop chorus HarmonyLincs paid us a visit.

LIVE PROMOTIONS The event organiser is hosting two events in the area, and we’re giving away free tickets to see Billy Ocean.

WHAT’S ON From theatre to live music to comedy, we provide a roundup of the county’s best live events.

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HISTORY Our true intent is all for your delight as we discover the history of Butlin’s, a Lincolnshire resort that has been around for over 80 years.

FOOD & DRINK 52 58 64 68 71

THE RAM Thriving pub restaurant on Newark’s Castlegate reveals delicious new summer menus.

THE BUSTARD INN We pay a visit to the Bustard Inn as they celebrate their 10th anniversary of business.

RECIPES We’re eating in season as we discover the best ways to eat and cook Lincolnshire asparagus.

SAMPLE DISHES We’re bursting with brightness in this month’s roundup of best loved desserts.

WINE Our wine writer Harish provides us with some delicious French tastes.

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HOMES & GARDENS 72 78 86 95

MODERN HOME We feature a home with perfect interiors this month.

The Cottage at Brampton is idyllic.

ASKEWS Furniture specialist Askew’s

of Alford has some stunning new ranges.

GARDENS Gardening advice from our garden writer Nicola Oakey.

FARMING Alison Pratt from NFU gives us an insight into farming in May.

FASHION & BEAUTY 96

WEDDINGS May’s wedding is one in uniform. Faye and Oscar have tied the knot after meeting in the forces; it’s a tale of army girl meets RAF boy.

102 FASHION We have a stunning selection of designer shoes and fashions this month, just in time for all the midsummer and charity balls.

106 FACIAL FITNESS We speak to Julie 119

Smith about alternatives to surgery.

MOTORS The brand new Duckworths

showroom has opened near Boston, and we went along to photograph on the opening night.

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR HIGH QUALITY HOMES

In print, and to view on your computer, tablet or mobile device from www.pridemagazines.co.uk

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

By supplying editorial or advertising copy to Lincolnshire Pride you accept in full the terms and conditions which can be found online at pridemagazines.co.uk.

In the event of an advert or editorial being published incorrectly, where Pride Magazines Ltd admits fault, we will include an advert of equivalent size, or equivalent sized editorial, free of charge to be used in a future edition, at our discretion.

This gesture is accepted as full compensation for the error(s) with no refunds available.

Selected images in our content may be sourced from www.shutterstock.com.

Pride Magazines Ltd., Elm Grange Studios, East Heckington, Boston, Lincs PE20 3QF

Tel: 01529 469977 Fax: 01529 469978

THE PRIDE TEAM

Managing Director: Julian Wilkinson.

Production Director: Ian Bagley.

Advertising Director: Zoie Wilkinson.

Sales Director: Emily Brown.

Editorial Director: Rob Davis.

Features Editor: Tilly Wilkinson.

Customer Care Manager: Mandy Bray.

Distribution: Joe Proctor. IT: Ryan Potter.

Office Manager: Sue Bannister.

Customer Account Managers: Lauren Chambers, Nicola Smith.

Sales Manager: Roberta Hall.

Sales Executives: Sian Jarratt, Carissa Clay, Hayley Scott, Izzy Wilkinson, Tamer Hodgson and Cassy Ayton.

www.pridemagazines.co.uk | enquiries@pridemagazines.co.uk

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NEWS

Reds conf irm RAF Scampton

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR INAUGURAL AIR SHOW TO REPLACE WADDINGTON LINCOLN The skies above RAF Scampton will be coloured red in September as the legendary Red Arrows are named among the first display aircraft to confirm participation at the first Scampton Airshow, replacing the Waddington Air Show.

Reinforcing its commitment to the new airshow, the Royal Air Force has announced that the nine Hawk jets which comprise the world-famous Red Arrows, will be a prominent feature at the Scampton Airshow, alongside flying displays from some of the Service’s most dynamic and iconic aircraft.

Spectators will be treated to the trademark combination of close formation and precision flying from Lincolnshire’s aerobatic display team as they will be performing over their home turf under the leadership of Sqn Ldr David Montenegro.

Also joining the flying display line-up will be leading combat aircraft, such as the RAF Typhoon from Coningsby, set to thrill spectators with its incredible agility and power.

A divine opportunity to visit local churches OVER 95 LINCOLNSHIRE CHURCHES OPEN FOR VISITORS

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As it celebrates its 60th anniversary, the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, will also display five of its most famous and successful WWII aircraft including the Lancaster.

MARKET RASEN One of the largest festivals of its kind in Europe, and now in its 21st year, the West Lindsey Churches Festival sees 95 churches and chapels across this Lincolnshire district opening their doors to visitors on the weekends of 13th & 14th and 20th & 21st of May. All free-entry, each building offers a memorable encounter with heritage and architecture, with many located in The Lincolnshire Wolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The event also brings people together in their rural communities as they plan and prepare for visitors, offering homemade

n The inaugural RAF Scampton Airshow will take place on 9th and 10th September. All tickets must be purchased in advance, and are not available on the gate. Tickets from £39/day, call 01522 396 600 or see www.scamptonairshow.com.

bakes and lunches, bell ringing, crafts, book sales and themed exhibitions such as displays on local history or children’s artwork.

Over 700 volunteers spruce up and open up the buildings, and staff are on hand to answer questions and point out those quirky details visitors would not want to miss.

Thanks to the Lincolnshire Organists’ Association, visitors can also enjoy an Organ Trail of 16 live music recitals, spread across the two weekends. n Full details of what each church is offering can be found on the festival website at www.churchesfestival.info.

£1m revamp for Boston

BOSTON TOWNSCAPE SCHEME MAKEOVER FOR TOWN CENTRE

Fancy a dip in Woodhall?

Improvements will include the repair of roofs, brickwork, joinery and traditional shop fronts, as well as repairs to street furniture and new seating.

Heritage Lincolnshire and the Boston Heritage Forum have also received funding as part of the project.

The preparations will see the town’s appearance improved in advance of the town’s 2020 Mayflower celebrations.

Capture Lincolnshire’s natural world on camera ENTRIES ACCEPTED FOR NATURAL WORLD PHOTO COMPETITION

Last year’s winner, Best Landscape category, Evening Discourse by Jo McClaren Dunn.

n www.jubileeparkwoodhallspa.co.uk.

900 Years Ago...

BOSTON The Market Place of Boston is to be given a makeover thanks to two investments in the Boston Townscape Heritage project.

Over £1m of National Lottery cash has been invested in the town, whilst a further £1m awarded directly to Boston Borough Council will see the historic Market Place, and the lanes which feed into it, given a makeover.

WOODHALL SPA More swimmers than ever will enjoy Woodhall Spa’s Jubilee Park heated open air swimming pool this season.

The pool will open for its longest ever season following popular demand.

Since being taken over by the community in 2016, Jubilee Park has seen the pleasure gardens improved and visitors will see more planting this season.

The children’s play area has also just secured funding for a major upgrade. The pool has hot showers and heated changing rooms.

The community owned and run pool is run by a charity that receives no public funding.

THE DOMESDAY BOOK dates back just over a century, and is one of our earliest and most precious public records. The document is coming to Lincoln Castle where it will be displayed from May until September alongside the Cathedral-owned copy of Magna Carta. n www.lincolncastle.com.

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WHISBY Entries are now being invited for the Whisby Nature Reserve’s eighth annual photo competition. It’s the perfect opportunity to capture the area’s beautiful flora and fauna through a camera lens.

Visitors will also have their chance to vote for their favourite image, which will become the face of the 2018 Calendar and will go on sale in the shop.

There are four different categories, entry is free, with a limit of four entries per person.

All images must be taken within the Whisby Nature Reserve.

n For more information or for an application pack, please contact the centre on 01522 688868 or email whisby@1life.co.uk.

LOCAL

NEWS In Brief SCUNTHORPE

BAKEOFF NANCY HELPS CHURCH Nancy Birtwistle, winner of TVs Great British Bake Off, last month hosted a charity baking demonstration at Horkstow to raise funds for a repair of its roof after thieves stole £15,000 of lead from its roof.

GRANTHAM

ROSETTES IN GRANTHAM FOR CRUFTS WINNER Jenny Chervalier from Grayfriars, Grantham, took two rosettes at this year’s Crufts with her Slovakian Rough Haired Pointers Nora, Bing and Maycee.

Maycee is just 10 months old and won Best Puppy in Breed.

LOUTH

LITTER PICKERS HELP KEEP LOUTH TIDY Louth is spick ‘n’ span thanks to the efforts of the town’s Civic Trust, who have embarked upon the Keep Britain Tidy Group’s Great British Spring Clean.

Volunteers picked 14 bags of litter from around the market town. n

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NEWS

Healthcare heroes honoured

NHS STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WIN AWARDS AT THE ENGINE SHED IN LINCOLN LINCOLN Unsung NHS heroes who are making big differences to the lives of people with mental health problems and learning disabilities in Lincolnshire have been recognised at a county awards ceremony.

Staff who regularly go the extra mile at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, were celebrated as part of the seventh ‘Making a Difference Every Day’ Staff Excellence Awards, which took place at the Engine Shed in Lincoln.

The 28 finalists and eventual 10 winners were all chosen from over 160 nominations received from colleagues, managers, patients, carers and other organisations which recognised that their work stood out from the crowd.

Trust Chair, Paul Devlin said; “These awards are a great way of recognising the hard work and effort all of our

LOCAL

NEWS In Brief

LINCOLN BRIGHT SPARKS SHOW OFF TALENT AT LINCOLN CATHEDRAL Lincoln’s engineering heritage will be celebrated from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th May as the Spark! Engineering Festival returns to Lincoln Cathedral.

It’s a chance for both adults and children to meet the area’s engineers and technologists, but also to enjoy a roof tour by way of a demonstration of medieval ‘engineering’ too. www.lincolncathedral.com

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staff and volunteers put into their roles on a daily basis,” said Paul.

“All the finalists and everyone who received a nomination should feel immensely proud of their achievements.”

“A number of our services and staff have received national accolades this year, highlighting the strength of the services they provide for the people of Lincolnshire.”

Create a giant map of the East Coast... in cake!

EDIBLE MAP WILL BE THE ‘SHOWSTOPPER’ AT SO! FESTIVAL

n The full list of recipients of the 2017 ‘Making a Difference Every Day’ Staff Excellence Awards and what they’ve done to deserve recognition is available on the Lincolnshire NHS Trust’s website www.lpft.nhs.uk.

SKEGNESS A giant edible map of Lincolnshire... made of cake.

That’ll be the ‘showstopper’ and finalé of Lincolnshire’s East Coast as the So! Festival returns for its 2017 event.

This year’s event will be the ninth So! Festival, and its theme will be ‘Play.’

Alongside performing arts acts, Cake Fest will see the creation of a 100 square metre fully edible map of East Lindsey with locals being asked to recreate their favourite building, place or landmark and contribute to the project.

n The festival takes place from 27th June to 2nd July. To view the full lineup see www.sofestival.org.

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FEEDBACK

YOUR NEW LOOK PRIDE Thanks For Your Feedback!

Your new-look magazines recently introduced a premium feel to the county’s finest magazines, Lincolnshire Pride and Rutland Pride. Our Publisher, Julian Wilkinson, had some really great feedback following our relaunch, and wanted to share some of your kind words with you!

Thanks so much! That’s the message from Pride’s publisher, Julian Wilkinson, in response to the positive feedback we’ve received following the release of our new look magazines.

“I’ve been in the publishing industry for over 32 years and I’ve seen a number of changes in that time,” he says. “One thing that’s remained consistent is the need to improve your products, though... even if you think they’re already best in class.”

“We took the decision to change the format of the magazine and produce it on a thicker, matte paper known in the industry as bond.”

“The idea was to position the magazine as the county’s finest publication not just in terms of its content, but in terms of its weight and feel, too.”

“Alongside the new paper, we opted for a front cover concept which was bold to say the least. It was designed to stand out from the crowd but even within the office it proved a controversial choice. I invoked what’s jokingly known in the office as ‘Publisher’s Privilege’ and kept to the bold look. It was a gamble, in hindsight, but one that really paid off; fortune favours the bold!”

“The feedback we’ve had has been superb.

The whole team already felt that it would support our position as the county’s best magazine, but the response that we’ve had from readers and advertisers has more than confirmed that belief too.”

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“Part of our success has been in bucking the trend of falling retail circulations that have affected other areas of print publishing.”

“Next month Pride magazine will celebrate its 15th anniversary...”

“Nationally, print publishing is taking a beating from the effect of online media and, latterly, social media. Falling advertising revenues have hit publishing companies especially larger ones - hard, but we buck that trend and we even experienced significant growth through the recession of 2008.”

“We’ve continued to grow since, and our magazines are in the strongest position since establishing the company in 2002.”

“Next month the magazine will celebrate its 15th anniversary and life in the media is still tough, but honestly, I wouldn’t want to swap our portfolio of magazines with any others.”

Above: Elm Grange Studios, home to Pride Magazines.

We’re doubling the space we occupy and refurbishing our existing offices.

“A number of years ago, we realised we needed to supplement our retail, subscription and bulk drop circulations with a smarter way of ensuring as many people as possible read Pride. That’s why we curate a huge database of quality homes and high net worth individuals in the county.”

“For over six years now we’ve been directly mailing our publications, free of charge, via Royal Mail, each month, to those homes and individuals, providing us with not just a large quantity of readers, but a good quality of readers too - those in a position to enjoy the high end products our advertisers offer.”

“In addition to working on our flagship June editions, which will be circulated at The Lincolnshire Show and Rutland Show, we’re doubling the amount of office space in the luxury barns we occupy to allow us to double the number of staff we employ, paving the way for our continued expansion over the next decade.”

“We’re a hard working team, which is why we value such great feedback, and whilst we were expecting that the response would be positive, even we were taken aback by the lovely comments we’ve received. We’re publishing just a few comments here, but to everyone who took the time to email or call in, we extend our sincere thanks and best wishes!” n

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Right: Enjoying a pint with our Publisher, Julian Wilkinson, to reflect on our great feedback... cheers!

“The magazine dropped onto my desk this morning and it looks amazing. It is just the kind of publication I would read.

Looking at it next to other similar publications, it really stands out!”

Marie Williamson, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance

“Just received my copy of Pride.

I love the new look, especially the cover. It’ll definitely stand out from the crowd!”

Andrew Howe, Rutland Photographic.

“I picked up your new edition yesterday and I really like the new format.

Finding it more ‘of the moment.’”

Mrs Ann Taylor, Reader

“My magazine arrived today, and it looks fabulous. I love the feel of the new paper too. Well done!”

PRIDE RE LINCOLNSHI

Mrs Alison Hutchinson, Reader

“I just want to say how classy the new look Lincolnshire Pride magazine is.

I love the feel of it and the quality.

Well done to the Pride team!”

Lindy Mastenbroek-Andrews, Reader

“I am liking the new format and love the front cover.

It’s modern and current.”

Heather Hocking, Aitch Interiors

“The new look magazine is looking really good!”

Nigel Davis, Nigel Davis Marketing

“It looks and feels like a quality publication, and I love the cover. It will really stand out!”

Amanda Clayton, The Woodhouse Arms

“Love the new format of the magazine!”

Paul Trevor, Colin Luesby Interiors

MARCH 2017

“I love the magazine!”

Lucy Herring, Washingborough Hall

Leila Gold, Worksop College

“Just wanted to let you know I love the new look Pride Magazine.

Well done to you and the team!”

Caroline Baines, Oldrids

“I have just received the latest edition of Pride and I just wanted to let you know how great I think it looks. The front cover looks amazing, as does the quality of the paper!”

Rosie Charlesworth, Cavells

“Congratulations on the new look magazine... it looks amazing! I love the front cover!”

Louise Hitchen, Oakham School

PRIDE RUTLA ND

“Just received my copy of Pride - I love the cover image and the paper you’ve gone with! ”

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n Find Out More: We’re currently working on the June editions of Lincolnshire Pride and Rutland Pride. To advertise your business or if you’ve a story which you think we’d like to cover, call us on 01529 469977!

rnsdale

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ideal invesTmenT oPPorTuniTies mill view, cowbiT

An exclusive collection of 37 two, three and four bedroom homes...

Located in the attractive, rural village of Cowbit, Mill View is ideally situated to be within easy reach of Spalding (2 miles) and Peterborough (16 miles).

Cowbit boasts a small, tight-knit community with a population of around 1,200 people.

Prices range from 166,995 to £315,000.

The holland, aT The roosTings, crowland

Two bedroom studio apartment...

The Roostings is an attractive studio apartment with two bedrooms ideal for young professionals and the like.

Situated in the small but thriving market town of Crowland, famous for its ruined Benedictine Abbey and Grade I listed three sided bridge.

Priced at £164,995.

developments at: Westmoreland Road, Moulton • Station Road, Swineshead Manor Farm, Holbeach • The Roostings, Crowland • Mill View, Cowbit... with over 25 years in the residential property market, each development is carefully designed to provide a sense of space to suit the family, retired and singletons alike...

01406 490590 • www.ashwoodhomes.co

MANOR FARM, FEN ROAD, HOLBEACH, PE12 8QA

Please note: internal photographs reflect the typical style and finish of properties, but exact specifications and room layouts may vary according to individual plot and development. help to buy terms and conditions may apply, please call for further details.

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www.mountandminster.co.uk

James Street, Lincoln A large, beautifully proportioned four bedroom Grade II listed residence situated directly opposite Lincoln Cathedral at one of the City's most prominent and sought-after addresses. Accommodation briefly includes living room, dining kitchen, wine cellar, 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms, courtyard kitchen and an outbuilding suitable for development (stp).

Guide Price: £375,000

Metheringham Fen, Lincoln A beautifully presented and spacious home, superbly located in the heart of the Lincolnshire countryside. Accommodation briefly includes 5 bedrooms (2 ensuite), a large reception hall, living room, dining room, enviable gardens and a detached double garage.

A very large property surrounded by unspoilt fields. EPC: D. Guide Price: £315,000

Atton Place | 32 Eastgate Lincoln | LN2 1QA – 01522 716204 40 St James’ Place London | SW1A 1NS – 020 7839 0888

Ralph Wyrley-Birch James Ward Lincoln Lincoln

Edward Chetwynd- Bob Bickersteth Talbot, Lincoln London

Milly English London

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To view photographs from The Event visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

The Purple Polio Ball

Fundraising with Sleaford Rotary Club at The Arena, Grantham Sleaford Kesteven Rotary Club recently campaigned for awareness of the charity’s efforts to eradicate Polio from the developing world, hosting a black tie ball at Grantham’s Arena - usually an equestrian venue - which was attended by over 150 people.

The event took the form of a champagne and canapé reception, followed by a four course supper, with entertainment and dancing from party band Premier Cru, plus local singer AJ and a raffle & auction. Dress code was ‘black tie’ but with flashes of purple.

Rotary, along with its partners, has reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent worldwide since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. n For more information visit www.rotary-ribi.org and search for Sleaford Kesteven Rotary.

Feature your event in our magazine.

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Call 01529 469977 and speak to our Events Desk...

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View photographs from this event online.

Visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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To view photographs from The Event visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

Feature your event in our magazine.

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Call 01529 469977 and speak to our Events Desk...

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View photographs from this event online.

Visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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Fuels Division E (Fuels), based in Owthorpe, Notts., Heating Oils, Lubricants and Fuel Additives...

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DREAM HOMES

- LINCOLNSHIRE’S DREAM HOMES -

Lincolnshire’s

This month we’re presenting a roundup of our favourite spring properties. We’ve selected a dozen of Lincolnshire’s finest country homes, modern pads and a couple of options for those looking to get stuck into a project!

Beesby Hall: One of our featured properties in our spring roundup of dream homes in the county.

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“This time of the year is popular with both buyers and sellers of property.

Here, we’ve a spring round up of the county’s most prestigious homes, starting with rural properties...”

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A beautiful listed Jacobean mansion...

The central part of this Jacobean manor house, located in the pretty village of Casewick just three and a half miles from Stamford is deceptively spacious.

The hall is a Grade I listed building with a kitchen, utility, drawing room and library to the ground floor and two further floors with five bedrooms and two en suites.

Stained glass windows and a share of 14 acres of grounds are just two bonuses!

Casewick Hall, Stamford, £875,000.

Call Savills, Stamford, 01780 484696.

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features must-have

A survey of homeowners revealed central heating, double glazing and a garden to be the three most desirable features when searching for a new home.

Below: Casewick Hall was created in the Jacobean era, remodelled soon after 1621. A gothic wing was added in 1785, and the place carries a Grade II listing. It’s on the market with Savills of Stamford.

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- LINCOLNSHIRE’S DREAM HOMES -

A country manor house with large grounds in the heart of the Wolds...

Beautifully refurbished and ready to move into; if your dream property is a traditional manor house, look no further. Set in 8.6 acres, and in the heart of the Wolds, there’s six reception rooms, six bedrooms and planning permission for a stable block too.

A croquet lawn, tennis courts and orchards are just three features of the exterior and inside there’s a lovely orangery.

The Manor House, North Ormsby, near Louth £1.49m.

Savills, Lincoln, 01522 508908, www.savills.com.

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Victorian Rectory

A beautifully renovated former rectory which ticks all of the boxes for those looking for a gorgeous period property.

Victorian features, a Vale orangery, pantry and cellars plus family-friendly features like a swimming pool, en suite and dressing room to master and electric gates.

The Old Rectory, Wilsford, £1.25m.

Fine & Country, Navenby, 01522 287008, www.fineandcountry.com

Country Homes: Our Expert’s Verdict...

“Moving to the county is a dream to which most of us aspire.”

“The promise of more property for our money, a more idyllic setting and a more relaxed pace of life is a compelling one.”

“Lincolnshire offers great value for money prices and there are still Georgian and Victorian properties ripe for renovation or for those seeking to just move in straight away.”

“If you’re planning to modify a property, be wary of the restrictions

of a Grade II listing, consider access roads, and check whether there’s any conditions specifying rights of access for the public where there are footpaths or bridleways.”

Kate Vincent works for Garrington, locating rural properties for her clients; 01780 408377, garrington.co.uk.

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- LINCOLNSHIRE’S DREAM HOMES -

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Modern interiors in a period property If you’re seeking a house to move into with no renovation work to complete, this North East Lincolnshire property is absolutely exceptional.

Designed by Lincolnshire’s Sophie Peckett, it’s set in 12 acres with a water garden and rhyll, pergoda, and a walled kitchen garden.

Inside, the interior design is, as one might expect, impeccable. The kitchen has been created by Wood of Harrogate, and is crammed with Miele and Gaggenau appliances.

There’s also a home cinema, plus four suites, two further bedrooms, and a games room.

Finished to a high standard it’s one of the most beautiful properties we’ve seen!

Aylesby Hall, Aylesby, Grimsby £1.5m.

Call England Residential, 01484 977092.

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A beautiful former mill with gorgeous gardens and lots of space...

Above/Right: Greatford Mill is a beautiful country home with really impressive grounds. There’s aged stonework, the mill stream and pond, millwheel and plenty of space.

Inside, it’s just as desirable.

Left: Aylesby Hall.

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Former mill near Stamford with its original millwheel, dating back to 1868, as well as a millpond and an acre of grounds. Modern features include a modern kitchen and orangery, three more receptions rooms and four bedrooms. Permission for a 1,500sq ft extension should you need more space.

Greatford Mill, Stamford, £1.6m.

Fine & Country, Stamford, 01780 695009, www.fineandcountry.com

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A country property with separate annexe and 3.5 acres...

A magnificent country residence that’s situated in the heart of Lincolnshire, convenient for Lincoln and Grimsby, with Louth, Boston and Sleaford just a little over half an hour away.

The property is set within three and a half acres and has a grand entrance hall, plus five reception rooms, four bedrooms with two en suites, plus a separate garage annexe with a self-contained apartment for elderly relatives, teenagers or staff.

It’s been beautifully refurbished throughout with a superb bespoke kitchen complete with Aga, and beautifully landscaped grounds.

There’s a wooded area, stable block, paddocks and orchard.

Raithby Manor, Spilsby, £1,000,000.

Hunters/Turner Evans Stevens, 01754 484002, www.hunters.com, www.tes-property.co.uk.

Above: Raithby Manor’s beautifully appointed living kitchen Right: Beesby Hall’s entrance hallway.

Listed Buildings: Buying a Piece of History...

There are pros and cons of owning a listed building - it’s nice to own a piece of history, and buildings with provenance carry a premium when you come to sell them.

On the downside, alterations and extensions may prove problematic, with each district or borough council having individual conditions for homeowners to follow, and each area’s architectural vernacular presenting their own unique challenges.

Most listed properties - around 95% - carry a ‘standard’ Grade II listing. Some, however, also carry an asterisk. These ‘starred’ listings are

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usually concerned with internal features like wood panelling, or stonework.

Grade I listings are preserved for very old buildings, usually churches, cathedrals or monuments but there are a few Grade I listed properties which are especially tricky to work with.

For help and advice when considering purchasing a listed building, or before beginning work on improvements to a listed building, see www.historicengland.org.uk or join www.lpoc.co.uk, Britain’s only members’ club dedicated to helping and advising listed buildings owners. n

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- LINCOLNSHIRE’S DREAM HOMES -

The beautiful brand new Regency country home in the Wolds with 1.25 acres and equine accommodation...

Offering the best of both worlds, Beesby Hall is a brand new property with modern creature comforts - heated swimming pool, and a brand new kitchen created by Smallbone of Devizes - with the character and style of a neo-regency mansion. It’s set within 11.25 acres and has paddocks, stabling and a manege for those who love horses. A really impressive bona fide country mansion!

Beesby Hall, Pinfold, Lane, Beesby, Alford £1,495,000.

Savills Lincoln, 01522 508911, www.savills.com.

regions prices and

Property prices across Lincolnshire rose last year by an average of 3% and were 9% up on the year before. The average price for a detached property in Lincolnshire is £230,423.

n Over the previous six pages we’ve featured country properties. Over the page though it’s time for something completely different - modern homes, and a couple of projects for those who want to create their own dream home!

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- LINCOLNSHIRE’S DREAM HOMES -

A beautifully appointed 21st century home in Woodhall Spa...

Left/Below: Created in 2007, Woodhall Spa’s Bracken Lodge combines a mature plot with a pristine new built home. Opposite: Bracken Lodge, Woodhall Spa.

The first of our two featured new build properties is this substantial seven bedroom country house in Woodhall Spa. Ideally situated for Lincoln, Louth and the East Coast, its a stone’s throw from the village’s famous golf courses, too. Built in 2007 it has seven bedrooms, and a swimming pool.

Bracken Lodge, Woodhall Spa, £1.15m.

Savills, Lincoln 01522 508 908, www.savills.com.

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The beautiful modern country property that’s perfect for entertaining This is definitely a home designed for a perfectionist.

The Cottage is perfectly symmetrical on the exterior, and the interiors are designed to such an incredibly high standard. A country home with modern touches.

The property is ideal for entertaining with an enormous kitchen breakfast room which opens into a magnificent garden room.

There’s a luxurious dining room and relaxed seating area, and a wall of glass bifold doors open up onto a perfectly manicured lawn.

There’s even a treehouse for younger visitors and for families.

The Cottage, Lincoln £650,000.

Call the home’s estate agents Savills on 01522 508908 or see www.savills.co.uk.

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- LINCOLNSHIRE’S DREAM HOMES -

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Best described as a Mediterranean style near Louth, Happyford is set within nearly 19 acres, directly adjacent to development land. The house is unique in style and has an outdoor swimming pool, plus a games/snooker room, as well as a manège and stabling, a touring caravan site and a Christmas tree plantation. The house itself is very 1970s in style, but will modernise well.

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Ashby Hall, Ashby De La Launde, Lincoln

Ashby Hall is a unique property, to say the least. Rebuilt over successive centuries from 1595, and Grade II* listed.

In it’s previous life Ashby Hall has been a club frequented by Bob Monkhouse, Diana Dors and Ken Dodd. After a spell as Ashby Country Club from the 1960s to 1992, it was purchased by defence manufacturing company Civil Defence Supply. Today, the owner has 800 years of history and though it’s habitable, it would benefit from further renovation either as a private home or a commercial venture e.g.: a spa, country house hotel.

£1,800,000. Call Winkworth, Grantham 01476 242012, www.winkworth.co.uk.

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Mediterranean villa in the town of Louth

Happyford nr Louth £795,000.

Mason of Louth on 01507 640001 or see www.masons-surveyors.co.uk.

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Left: Ashby De La Launde’s Ashby Hall, a Grade II* mansion with 800 years of history!

6,100sq ft/four properties in Barholme, Stamford

Just five miles east of Stamford, this development opportunity already has planning permission for four individual properties, with two, three and four bedrooms. £750,000. Richardsons,

Stamford 01780 673958, www.richardsonsurveyors.co.uk.

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- BARBERSHOP QUARTET -

Quartet The Barbershop

There are barbershop choruses across the country, but one based in Lincoln and celebrating its 25th anniversary next year, sings in perfect harmony...

Words: Tilly Wilkinson.

Halloween. Prom. And now America gives us barbershop quartets and choruses. It’s definitely one of our favourite Transatlantic imports.

Barbershop singing originated in the late 1800s and early 1900s in America. It started in the black community where someone would start to sing a song while they were waiting to get their hair cut in a barbershop and other people would join in and harmonise.

A black American quartet came to perform in the UK for Queen Victoria after their talents were recognised, and that’s when barbershop quartets became more than just pretty harmonies in a barbershop.

This form of acapella is now recognised worldwide. Barbershop harmony is a style of singing in four-part chords for every melody note.

The melody is consistently sung by the lead, with the tenor harmonising above the melody, the bass singing the very lowest harmonising notes, and the baritone completing the chord.

There are 2,400 men in the UK and over 4,000 women singing in barbershop choruses, and 60,000 in groups worldwide.

There were originally four clubs in the UK, but these groups found out about each other

and decided to join up to host an annual concert. This saw the formation of the British Association of Barbershop Singers - or BABS for short - in 1974, and they still host an annual convention and awards ceremony.

Harmony Lincs is a barbershop chorus based in Lincoln that picked up three trophies at last year’s awards, and I was lucky enough to hear four of the 50 members sing; Steve Bradley, part of the bass section, Tony Chapman, the founder of Harmony Lincs, Alan Goldsmith, assistant chorus director, and Peter Drayton, deputy leader of the lead section. The group celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

The group sings at a number of events and in venues across the county, from the Lincoln Music Festival to charity events.

“Someone would hum a melody while waiting to get their hair cut and others would join in harmony...”

Main (from left to right): Founder Tony Chapman, Steve Bradley, Peter Drayton and Alan Goldsmith, four of 50 members in HarmonyLincs.

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event-photos.co.uk

“It’s a hobby primarily,” says Steve. “I retired and wanted to do something new; step outside my comfort zone. I used to sing to my children, and they prompted me to join a male voice choir. After hearing the sound of Harmony Lincs, I was attracted by the harmony. With a sporting background too, seeing the camaraderie of the group made me really want to join.”

“I felt the same,” said Alan. “A friend of mine who was a member of the group kept on at me about joining, so I finally went to see what it was all about after my wife encouraged me.

I both found it incredibly captivating.”

Peter, a lead singer of the group, used to sing in the Lincoln Cathedral choir as a boy. He also discovered Harmony Lincs and became hooked on this way of singing.

The founder of the group, Tony, has been involved in singing all his life. He also played a part in the formation of BABS.

“I saw a documentary on BBC2 about barbershop choruses in the 70s. I was taken aback by the sound. It was unlike anything I’d heard before. After joining a group in Sussex originally, I moved to Lincoln and decided to begin my own group in 1993.”

The groups most memorable performance had to be their very latest convention, leaving with three awards in their hands.

“I retired and wanted to do something new so I stepped outside of my comfort zone and joined a barbershop chorus...”

“Another fantastic occasion was when some of us went to Montreal in 2003,” says Tony.

“What’s so great about this type of singing is you can sing a song with a group of complete strangers in perfect harmony, because of the songs that most are familiar with in barbershop.”

“It was also special to sing at a nursing home one Christmas,” says Alan. “One lady had suffered a stroke and rarely spoke, but while we sang to her, she knew every word. That was a deeply emotional event.”

“That’s what I love; you can sing Amarillo and everyone joins in laughing, or a love song by Sinatra or a musical and you get a real connection with the audience.”

There are just over 50 members in the group Harmony Lincs now, and they’re constantly recruiting new members. Looking to the future, they hope to play in more venues across the country and introduce newer songs, including musical numbers. n

Top: I interviewed just four of the 50 members of the Harmony Lincs barbershop chorus. Insets: The Golden Gate Quartet formed in 1931 and with changes in membership, remains active. The tradition of this form of acapella singing began in a barbershop in America. For more information: If you would like to be a member of Harmony Lincs or attend one of their events, visit www.harmonylincs.com or call the secretary of the group, Harold Paine, on 01522 702518.

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LIVE PROMOTIONS

Live Promotions Presents...

Live Promotions has an incredible calendar of events for 2017. In the upcoming months, the event organiser will introduce the county to the likes of Billy Ocean and Heather Small, and if Bryan Ferry at Burghley House or UB40 at Lincoln Castle were events to go by in 2016, they’re going to be very popular and very memorable occasions...

We’re currently in the throes of the ‘fun’ months. As we enter summer, the county’s calendar is at its busiest with the Lincolnshire Show, various Horse Trials, and internationally acclaimed artists held at some of the area’s most prestigious locations.

The latter is what local event organisers Live Promotions has the role of organising.

Alongside the running of popular vehicle inspired events like Truckfest and Classic Car Shows, Live Promotions has the role of welcoming celebrity guests to Lincolnshire.

Last year, we saw Bryan Ferry at Burghley House and UB40 at Lincoln Castle, both tremendous successes in the music industry playing in the county’s most beautiful locations.

In previous years, Jools Holland, Take That, Richard Hammond, Noel Edmonds and Fiona Bruce have all been welcomed to the county thanks to Live Promotions.

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The Icons of the

1980s Burghley House this year host the Icons of the 80s on 10th June. These three legendary stars join forces for an incredible concert experience.

Enjoy Go West as they celebrate their 30th anniversary at Burghley, Nik Kershaw who’s first achieved chart success in 1984 was Wouldn’t It Be Good?, and finally T’Pau, who’s hit China in Your Hand was number one for five weeks in the UK charts.

With millions of albums sales and iconic hits such as Wouldn’t It Be Good, The Riddle, I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, Heart and Soul and the classic China in Your Hand, this authentic eighties triple header is definitely not to be missed.

Above: An example of what Live Promotions are capable of pulling off; Bryan Ferry at Burghley in 2016.

This year, we cannot wait to revisit Burghley House and Lincoln Castle to see the likes of Billy Ocean, Heather Small, T’Pau, Nik Kershaw and Go West.

T’Pau, Go West and Nik Kershaw will kick the season of events off on 10th June with a blast to the past and songs from the 80s, and Billy Ocean and Heather Small will welcome you to Burghley House with hits like Caribbean Queen, Red Lights, When the Going gets Tough and of course, Heather Small’s Proud.

We thoroughly recommend the events. The atmosphere is always incredible, you can enjoy the music, enjoy a picnic or a drink with friends, and the weather as we head into the warmer summer ‘fun’ months. n For more information, call 01775 768661 or visit www.livepromotions.co.uk. Live Promotions have partnered with Pride Magazines to offer three pairs of tickets to see Billy Ocean live (see right).

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Win Tickets to See

BILLY OCEAN BILLY OCEAN WILL PERFORM AT LINCOLN CASTLE ON 8TH JULY. WIN TICKETS TO SEE HIM LIVE...

Billy Ocean is the biggest black recording star Britain has ever produced, and has sold over 30 million records in his lifetime. He will be appearing with Heather Small, the voice of M People, at Lincoln Castle on 8th July.

He moved to London’s East End at the age of seven and soon became interested in soul singers like Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, as well as pop groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, leading him to spend much of his study time in the music room. n We’re giving away three pairs of tickets to see Billy Ocean and Heather Small (right) at Lincoln Castle. To win, email tilly@pridemagazines. co.uk the correct answer to this question: ‘Is Caribbean Queen a song by Billy Ocean or Heather Small?’

Send before 1st June to be entered.

For more info and to book tickets, visit the website www.live promotions.co.uk or call them on 01775 768661.

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WHAT’S ON

What’s On...

THE ELECTRIC BALL IN LINCOLN

Find out What’s On this month with events taking place in different venues across the county. We look at some of the fantastic stage productions, exciting events and tribute acts...

Saturday 6th May There will be a black tie charity ball at the DoubleTree by Hilton on the Brayford Waterfront, supporting the International Bomber Command Centre with live music.

01522 565197, www.lincoln.doubletree.com

LINCOLN GRAND PRIX FESTIVAL

Thursday 11th - 14th May Four days of cycling events including the Criteriums, Sportive, Uphill Dash, and the Lincoln Grand Prix in May. The event is in its 62nd year. Journalist Ned Boulting is giving a talk on the opening night.

BOSTON MAY FAIR

Saturday 29th April - 6th May With fairground rides and food stalls stretching from Boston Market Place down to Wide Bargate, the Boston May Fair really is an event worth turning out for. The fair will officially open to the public at 12noon on the Saturday. The whole town gets involved and surrounding towns come to enjoy the May Fair at Boston.

01205 314200,

www.boston.gov.uk

SHAKIN’ STEVENS

Saturday 6th May Shakin’ Stevens is to embark on his biggest ever UK tour visiting 33 towns and cities across England, Scotland and Wales in 2017 including Baths Hall in Scunthorpe.

It will feature all of his most loves songs.

The tour is called Echoes of Our Times and tickets are priced at £35 and £22.50 for concessions.

0844 854 2776,

www.bathshall.co.uk

01522 545458, www.lincolnfestivalofcycling.co.uk

CHURCHES FESTIVAL

MILLS Saturday 13th - 14th May National Mills Weekend is the annual festival of our milling heritage and provides you with a fantastic opportunity to visit mills across the country, many of which are not usually open to the public. There are many mills to explore Lincolnshire.

02074 560909, www.nationalmillsweekend.co.uk

l Saturday 27th May The earliest surviving public records will make a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Lincoln Castle this summer.

This is a rare unmissable opportunity to see Domesday on display. It will be on display in the Magna Carta Vault.

The document will be on loan to Lincoln Castle from its home at The National

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Sunday 14th May 94 churches from across the West Lindsey district, north of Lincoln, will be opening their doors for free entry over two weekends.

01522 545458, www.churchesfestival.info

SCARLET BLACK IN STAMFORD

Sunday 14th May Miss Scarlet Black and her live Jazz band present a concert of the very best hits from Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday and Louis Armstrong at the Stamford Corn Exchange.

Tickets are £16 and £15 for concessions.

01780 763203, www.stamfordartscentre.com

Archives. Domesday is an icon of English history, giving a fascinating insight into life over 900 years ago.

Buy an All Inclusive castle ticket to see Domesday, the Medieval Wall Walk, Victorian Prison and Magna Carta. Tickets are £13.50 for adults, £11 for concessions.

01522 782040, www.lincolncastle.com

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

BEER Thursday 25th - 27th May Sample from a choice of more than 100 real ales from across the UK at Lincoln Drill Hall for your local branch of CAMRA’s annual festival.

A souvenir Festival Glass will be available to use for the festival.

01522 873894, www.lincolncamra.org.uk

l Friday 5th May Celebrate Lincoln’s engineering heritage as the Spark Engineering Festival returns to Lincoln Cathedral from 5th to 7th May. This is a great event for families and entry is free. l Wednesday 10th May The Carillon Singers are a mixed group choir from Hampshire. They will be on tour in Lincolnshire in May and will be visiting the Cathedral to perform on the 10th May in the Chapter House. This is a free event included within the normal Cathedral entry charge. l Saturday 13th May Ranging across the North of England, a group of handbell ringers called the Northern Bell Orchestra will be performing in the Chapter House for all to enjoy.

l Saturday 13th May Chorister for the Day - children and parents alike take part in activities to find out just what it’s like to be a Chorister at Lincoln Cathedral. Enjoy the rehearsals, robing and Cathedral tour during the afternoon, followed by tea and cake. The day will end by joining in at Evensong.

l Saturday 20th May As part of the Cathedral’s Organ Concert Series 2017, Peter Wright, a world renowned organist is coming to perform this May. Tickets are £6.

l Friday 26th May This Magna Carta Lecture gives both an insightful and inspiring view into the historic battle of Lincoln provided by Dr Asbridge.

01522 561600,

www.lincolncathedral.com

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What’s On...

WILDLIFE WALK

POACHERS HOST DRIFTERS STAR Friday 19th May A gifted and successful singer and pianist, Steve V King will be performing at the Poachers Hotel near Boston this month.

He was formally of the Drifters line up.

Enjoy a performance from Steve as well as a meal for just £15.

Saturday 27th May Join the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust experts on a relaxing afternoon walk around the reserve. May is a magical time of year.

The reserve is enlivened with the sound of singing warblers, the wild flower meadows are ablaze with colour, dragonflies are seen hawking over the ponds and butterflies dance around the sunny meadows.

01205 822804, www.poachershotel.co.uk

LINCOLN KNIGHTS’ TRAIL

Saturday 20th May Lincoln Cathedral welcomes several painted knight statues as the iconic trail comes to the city. The trail celebrates the 800th Anniversary of the Charter of the Forest and the Battle of Lincoln. Explore the trail and visit the Cathedral to immerse yourself in history and learn all about the significant events of 1217. As with the iconic Barons of 2015 the Knights’ Trail promises to be exceptional.

01522 561600, www.lincolncathedral.com

GUIDED TOUR OF FAR INGS

Saturday 27th May Join members of the Louth Area Group of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust on a guided tour of Far Ings led by the warden Simon Wellock. There are toilets on site and plenty of place to enjoy a picnic.

Meet at the Visitor’s Centre at the Far Ings Nature Reserve. This event is free of charge.

01507 526667, www.lincstrust.org.uk

SHOW Saturday 13th May If you’re willing to travel just over the border, make sure you see the Nottinghamshire County Show held at Newark Showground.

The event will showcase all things farming including the best cattle, sheep, goats and pigs alongside superb equestrian events. It’s a great family day out.

SPALDING 22nd - 23rd April The Spalding Model Engineering and Hobby Show will be held at Springfield’s Event Centre.

Now in its fourth year this is the leading show in the East Midlands, where visitors will be able to engage with a variety of past, present and future modelling genre.

Traditional engineering and modelling sit alongside new technology through interactive, moving and static displays and demonstrations.

Over 40 clubs and societies have signed up to attend and display their models. In addition to the static displays, the 2017 show has a good variety of active displays like the flying zone with drones and gliders.

There will be steam engines too.

07443 524260, www.spaldingshow.com

01507 526667,

www.lincstrust.org.uk

HOWELL MANOR

Monday 29th May Howell Manor in Sleaford will open its brand new events venue on 29th May. Enjoy champagne and canapés on arrival and tour the location that is perfect for weddings. It’s an idyllic rural English setting combining ancient pastures, lakes, and parkland with a picturesque Saxon church and of course the manor itself.

01529 460267,

www.howell-manor-events.co.uk

STRICTLY STARS IN SCUNTHORPE

Wednesday 31st May Strictly Come Dancing stars Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe will be performing a show called Somewhere in Time in Baths Hall, Scunthorpe at the end of the month. Tickets are £26 and £24.50 for concessions. Meet and greet the stars for an extra £20.

0844 854 2776,

www.bathshall.co.uk

Meet your favourite farmyard animals, gundogs and birds of prey. See spectacular displays, experience the fantastic food marquee, enjoy shopping for crafts, gifts and clothes.

If you’re looking forward to the Lincolnshire Show or Rutland Show in June, this is an event for you.

01636 705796, www.newarkshowground.com

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- HISTORY -

Our True Intent is

ALL FOR YOUR

DELIGHT

Growing up in Lincolnshire, a trip to the east coast was always a delight. Whether you walk along Skegness beach, enjoying fish & chips or visit the arcades it’s always a real treat and a blast from the past. The seaside town’s claim to fame is the origin of Butlin’s, the UK’s first ever holiday camp, which is a blast from the past in its own right...

Our true intent is all for your delight. It’s the slogan of Butlin’s holiday camp and the same slogan Billy Butlin used when he came to Skegness in 1936 to open his very first holiday camp. His idea was to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families.

Between 1936 and 1966, Billy had phenomenal success in the holiday industry, opening ten camps, including one in Ireland and one in the Bahamas.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Butlin’s also operated numerous large hotels, including one in Spain, a number of smaller holiday parks in England and France, and a revolving restaurant in the Post Office Tower in London.

Billy Butlin’s success started following a very bad holiday. He visited Barry Island in his youth and was locked out of his bed and breakfast accommodation all day by his landlady, which was normal practice at the time.

He opened the first holiday camp in Skegness in 1936, following his success in developing

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Words: Tilly Wilkinson.

amusement parks. The second camp quickly followed in Clacton built in 1938, and Filey Holiday Camp in 1939.

Butlins became popular in post-war Britain, with family entertainment and activities available for the equivalent of a week’s pay.

In 1945, with the war over, Filey was reopened as a holiday camp. The camps at Skegness and Clacton opened in 1946, Ayr and Pwllheli in 1947 and Mosney on the east coast of Ireland in 1948.

In 1968 Billy Butlin’s son Bobby took over management, and in 1972 the business was sold to the Rank Organisation for £43m.

With the outbreak of WWII, building at Filey was postponed, and the camps at Skegness and Clacton were given over for military use. Wartime use of Butlins camps continued, with resorts at Ayr, Filey, and Pwllheli being completed and opened as military camps.

“BILLY BUTLIN’S CAME TO SKEGNESS IN 1936 TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOLIDAYS FOR ORDINARY BRITISH FAMILIES...”

Opposite: A collection of photographs and postcards of Butlin’s through its 80 years, including Billy Butlin in the centre, Butlin’s as an army camp and the infamous redcoats.

In 1948 Billy Butlin acquired two hotels in the Bahamas, and in the 1950s Butlin began opening hotels in England and Wales including Saltdean, Brighton, Blackpool, and five more in Cliftonville. Further post-war camps were opened in the 1960s at Bognor Regis, Minehead and Barry Island.

Unfortunately, the business experienced challenges along with the rest of the British seaside holiday industry, following the emergence of cheap package holidays to Med resorts from the 1960s onwards. Most of the resorts were sold or demolished.

Butlin’s legacy lives on with its Skegness resort.

It’s adapted with the times, but its roots are remembered. As Butlin’s celebrates 80 years, we have memorabilia and a timeline of the Skegness resort on the following page. >>

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- HISTORY -

The Beatles at Butlin’s and Other Claims to Fame...

The Butlin’s luxury holiday camp played its part in the formation of the rock band the Beatles.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon visited to meet Ringo Starr who was playing drums with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes at the time, to offer Starr the drummer’s position with The Beatles, who had just secured a recording contract.

Storm’s group had a summer booking at the camp. It was in 1960 whilst playing Butlin’s Pwllheli camp that Richard Starkey developed his stage name Ringo Starr.

The first song McCartney himself ever sang in public was Long Tall Sally, at a Butlin’s talent competition.

Des O'Connor’s career has spanned TV, stage and music over five decades. Before finding fame, he was a Butlin’s redcoat.

Sir Cliff Richard’s red coat days saw the birth of his rock ‘n’ roll career, performing with a backing group called The Drifters for £25 a week.

The holiday camp has a formation of strategic partnerships with popular brands, including The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Thomas & Friends, Brainiac Science Abuse, Guinness World Records, Bob the Builder, Pingu and Angelina Ballerina.

In September 2016, after a PR stunt claiming David Bowie’s ashes had been publicly dispersed on the playa that year, Bowie’s son Duncan Jones denied the claim, adding, “We all know if dad did want his ashes scattered in front of strangers, it would be at the Skegness Butlin’s.”

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The Skegness Butlin’s Holiday Camp Timeline

The very first holiday camp was constructed along Lincolnshire’s east coast 80 years ago. To commemorate the success of Butlin’s, this timeline is a blast from the past, going throughout the decades that made Butlin’s what it is today and showing why it continues to be as popular as ever...

1930s

Construction of the camp began in 1935 and it was opened in 1936, when it quickly proved to be a success with a need for expansion. The camp included dining and recreation facilities, such as dance halls and sports fields. The total cost of the project was £100,000 which is about £5,700,000 in today’s money. It was officially opened by Amy Johnson, who was the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia.

n Butlin’s slogan today is what was used at the very beginning, but in that time, there have been a number of others. Notable ones include “A million holidays, one Butlin’s,” “Come to life, come to Butlin’s,” “A holiday that’s out of this world” and “A weeks holiday for a weeks pay.”

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1940s

Billy Butlin continued to increase the capacity of the camp until 3rd September 1939 when the Second World War was declared. The next morning, the campers were sent home and the site was taken over by the Royal Navy for use as a training establishment. The camp became known as HMS Royal Arthur. Many of the bright colours were painted over, the dance hall was an armoury, and the rose beds were dug up for air raid shelters.

1950s & 1960s

In 1949, the hotel became the first in Skegness to have a television for the use of guests. It was situated in the hotel’s palm court function room and would suffer interference from the hotel’s refrigerator.

Skegness was to receive its own miniature railway in 1962, a chairlift system, and in 1965, the camp became home to the UK’s first commercial monorail system.

Butlin apparently got the idea for the system from Disneyland.

1970s & 1980s

In 1974 a fire broke out and this completely demolished the Princes building. In 1987, the resort benefited from a £14 million investment and improvement scheme (around £32,300,000 today), following which the resort was known as Funcoast World.

The 1980s saw the construction of a new indoor swimming pool named the Funsplash and an outdoor fun pool. The chairlift and railways was removed.

1990s & Today

1998 saw the construction of the Skyline Pavilion which is the large tented structure containing bars, entertainment and restaurants. The monorail was removed in 2002.

Today the resort caters for over 400,000 visitors per year with 350,000 being resident and 70,000 visiting for the day. The resort is the largest employer in Skegness with 1,200 staff members. 40 of which make up the Redcoat team.

Butlin’s is still there today, under the Skyline Pavilion, on Roman Bank, Ingoldmells, Skegness PE25 1NJ and is still a fantastic holiday for families. Visit the website www.butlins.com to book your stay in one of the three resorts including Skegness, Minehead and Bognor Regis or call them on 0330 100 6648 for more information.

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To view photographs from The Event visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

The Soroptimist Ball Held at the Bentley Hotel in Lincoln hosted by Jasmit Phull

I was welcomed warmly by the leaders of the Lincoln & District Soroptimist group, Jasmit Phull and Jill Warren, last month at the annual ball held at the Bentley Hotel.

The Lincolnshire band Stolen Fridays was setting up and Jasmit and her husband were just putting the finishing touches to the beautiful

table arrangements, adding numerous bottles of wine to the raffle prizes.

Over 50 people attended the event, supporting the group Soroptimist International which is a global volunteer movement. The group works together to transform the lives of women and girls, through the network of

over 75,000 club members in 133 countries and territories. Their main aim is to educate, empower and enable opportunities for women and girls. Jasmit’s group has over 35 members and they’re eager to welcome new members. n For more information about the group, visit www.soroptimistinternational.org.

Feature your event in our magazine.

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Call 01529 469977 and speak to our Events Desk...

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View photographs from this event online.

Visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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Main Course: Three bone rack of lamb.

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THE RAM IN NEWARK

The Ram

NEWARK

With a smart dining room, cosy bars and a large terrace for summer dining, The Ram in Newark is well-placed to offer quality seasonal dining with a diverse menu and the option of stone baked pizzas too... it’s a definite summer dining tip!

There’s an old proverb which suggest it’s better to live one day like a lion than a hundred like a sheep. Preferable to either though, is to live as a customer of The Ram.

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

The place certainly isn’t sheepish when it comes to offering quality, and it’s in summer that the relatively newly refurbished bar and brasserie, on Newark’s Castlegate, really comes into its own.

A building of two halves, it’s pretty rustic and relaxed at the front, with open fires, flagstone floors and stripped pine tables in the bar areas, but things get a little smarter looking toward the back where you’ll find two dining areas with a total of 50 covers or so, decadent window dressings and velvety seating.

meet the CHEF JITKA CAJOVA, HEAD CHEF AT THE RAM, IN NEWARK ON TRENT

There’s another area in which to dine this month too, should the weather capitulate; a nice sunny terrace area with a wood-fired pizza oven for stone baked pizzas.

The place looks great all year round, inside and out, but its sun-trap terrace is particularly pleasant, and as the same menu is served throughout The Ram, you can make your dining as relaxed or as smart as you choose.

“THE PLACE LOOKS GREAT ALL YEAR ROUND, INSIDE AND OUT, BUT ITS SUN-TRAP TERRACE IS SET TO BE PARTICULARLY PLEASANT THIS MONTH...”

The menu, provides a two-for-one pizza promotion on Mondays and in the evening, along with eight sandwich offerings from posh goat’s cheese, red onion marmalade and Parmesan sandwiches to a real ‘people pleaser’ in the form of fish finger sandwiches. Also available at lunchtime is a £14.95 Express Lunch Board option with

Food Experience: “I’ve been in England for 11 years, and came across Newark quite by accident. It’s a great town, very friendly. I love The Ram we’ve a great team in the kitchen, all focused on providing the best quality food possible.”

Food Heaven: “I love sociable food - our sharing platters are really popular.”

Food Hell: “Ordinarily, I’d have to say chips, but I love our Aspen fries and sweet potato fries.”

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Left: Grilled chicken salad main course.

Top: Beetroot Risotto vegetarian main course.

Right: White chocolate fondue pudding.

>> three options each for your starter, main and dessert, all of which are served together on one lunch-hour-friendly board. The à la carte menu also runs from 12noon-3pm for those seeking something more substantial.

Dine in the evening and we’ll direct you to the à la carte menu, which includes no fewer than four sharing options, nine starter options and 11 main course options as well as two steaks and a ‘gourmet’ burger.

Head Chef Jitka Cajova has worked hard to create a menu that satisfies diners seeking everything from casual dining to quality

OPEN FOR BUSINESS Weekday Dining: Monday to Friday 12noon to 3pm - 5pm - 9pm.

Saturday Dining: 10am - 4pm; 5pm - 9pm.

Sunday Dining: 10am - 4pm.

NB: Open for drinks from 11am - 11pm.

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- EATING OUT -

on the MENU FROM THE RAM’S À LA CARTE MENU

Starters

Grilled chicken & chorizo salad; sundried tomatoes, balsamic onions & mixed leaves £7.95 (£12.50/main).

Scotch egg with black pudding; Atlantic king scallops, apple cider powder, warm hollandaise & celery salad £9.50.

Main Courses

Three bone rack of lamb; crushed minted new potatoes, baby vegetables, served in a red wine jus £17.95. à la carte choices, and the menu is dripping in local produce with meat, fruit, veg and even the table flowers all sourced locally.

I could honestly choose, and love, any of the options on the main course section of the menu, but I’d point diners towards the three bone rack of lamb featured on our opening spread.

Celebrate the season, too, by leaving some room for pudding and choose our pictured white chocolate fondue. Served with seasonal berries, lavender honeycomb and pain au chocolat, it’s a beautifully presented option, ideal for sharing with other diners if you’re less greedy than I was.

Other highlights include a couple of nice non-meat options; a lentil & spinach curry, and a beetroot risotto - vegetarians aren’t short changed - and a very refreshing lemon and lime bavois with homemade biscotti.

To accompany, there’s over 50 bins of wine including a good range of sparkling wines and Champagne. There’s a dedicated 22-strong menu of cocktails and mocktails,

as well as guest cocktails provided by Jenny Hall of The Cocktail Pickers Club.

The 18th century building itself was refurbished in 2015 by William and Dan Derry, the father and son team who took on the beleaguered Grade II listed building and invested heavily not just in all of the nice cosmetic bits, but on a brand new kitchen with new equipment and landscaping of the terrace. A couple of years on and The Ram is doing a roaring trade not just in terms of its wet trade and provision of food, but also in its first floor Ballroom which has hosted a number of weddings & family events already.

Offering not only a comprehensive menu, quality dining and a great setting, The Ram also benefits from being brilliantly located in a town well-regarded for its great shopping and richness of good quality independent retailers.

So if you’re wondering where to spend an enjoyable day out this month, head to Newark and enjoy a bit of retail shopping then discover a great place to dine too!

Fillet of organic salmon; new potatoes & Jerusalem artichokes sauté £14.50.

Moules mariniere; Scottish mussels in a garlic cream, white wine sauce, fresh baguette & salted butter £12.50.

Desserts

White chocolate fondue, fresh seasonal berries, lavender honeycomb & pain au chocolat £7.95.

NB: Featured dishes are subject to change.

n The Ram Bar & Brasserie, Castle Gate, Newark NG24 1AZ. Tel: 01636 940220, or see www.theramnewark.com 55

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The Bustard Inn Award winning food freshly prepared from local ingredients AA Rosette • Michelin Recommended

e

Beautifully restored historic building Delightful beer garden • Private dining areas Warm, friendly, first class service • Licensed for weddings

e

v

À La Carte Menu - Sunday Lunch Menu - Light Lunch Menu Early Bustard Menu - Children’s Menu

10th Anniversary Seven Course Taster Menu Friday 28th April: Visit our website for further details

The Bustard Inn

Main St, South Rauceby Sleaford NG34 8QG

01529 488250

www.thebustardinn.co.uk Tues–Sat 12 noon – 2.30pm, 6pm–9.15pm, Sun 12 noon – 3pm

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THE BUSTARD INN

The Quality Pub

RESTAURANT

This month, one of Lincolnshire’s most consistently excellent pub restaurants celebrates its 10th anniversary, but as owners Liz and Alan Hewitt acknowledge, a large part of their success is down to their wonderful team...

Ten years is a long time in the hospitality trade. In most restaurants, head chefs come and go, menus change and diners can be quite sensitive to change.

Words & Images: Rob Davis.

One restaurant, however, that’s experienced consistent success, and has always been regarded by diners as being top notch in terms of the quality of its food is South Rauceby’s Bustard Inn.

The place opened on 27th April 2007, and alongside owners Alan and Liz Hewitt, the pub restaurant’s Head Chef, Phil Lowe was an essential element of ensuring that The Bustard Inn would come to be recommended in the Michelin red book and be awarded an AA rosette from its second year, and every year thereafter until the present day.

Providing as much consistency at front of house as is displayed in the kitchen is Hannah Ross, who has been at The Bustard for nearly five years.

“THE BUSTARD HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED IN THE MICHELIN RED BOOK AND BEEN AWARDED AN AA ROSETTE ANNUALLY FOR THE PAST NINE YEARS...”

meet the CHEF Love at First Sight: “I starting working at The Bustard Inn in April 2007, just before we opened. Alan and Liz enabled me to create my own kitchen from scratch with the latest equipment.”

“We’re more a family, rather than a team which works together. Our input in the business is minimal these days as we’ve really good people who thrive on being given their autonomy.

Hannah knows her customers’ names and their likes & dislikes by heart, and Phil’s commitment to providing immaculate looking dishes and in continuing to innovate means that we’re free to enjoy the business as customers, rather than owners.”

“The fact that we still enjoy dining here is testimony to the fact that there’s always plenty of choice and a warm welcome.

When we retire, we will be remaining in the

Food Wisdom: “Only a team which works well together performs at its best. Both our kitchen and front of house people are equally dedicated to making our diners happy!”

Food Heaven: “I do like wild turbot - the flavour the texture, everything about it!”

Food Hell: “I hate the flavour of peanuts!”

Right: Head Chef Phil Lowe.

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village and we want the team to stay together so that we can look forward to continuing to come and enjoy the place.”

“We’re in no hurry to move on though, and whilst the place is looked after by Hannah and Phil, we’re happy for our retirement plans to take as long as they take!”

Liz and Alan, then, are regulars in their own restaurant and this month they’ll be both hosts and guests of honour, simultaneously, at The Bustard Inn’s 10th anniversary dinner.

The seven course taster menu is being offered on Friday 28th April, and will cost £40/head.

RESTAURANT OPEN FOR BUSINESS Tuesday-Saturday: 12noon - 2.30pm 6.00pm - 9.15pm Sunday: 12 noon - 3.00pm.

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- EATING OUT -

on the MENU FROM THE BUSTARD INN’S À LA CARTE MENU

Starters

Lincolnshire haslet terrine with homemade pickle and warm brioche £8.25.

Smoked salmon with pickled vegetables & sweet mustard dressing £8.50.

Whole baked camembert for two to share with warm ciabatta & cranberry relish £14.50.

Main Courses

Roast fillet of beef with braised rillette, tarragon mash, mushroom puree, crispy bacon, cabbage & red wine sauce £28.50.

It’ll be held in the same style as the pub restaurant’s other ad hoc gourmet evenings, - the last of which was a seafood themed evening in late March - albeit with a few surprises and extra treats for diners.

At other times, dining takes place during both lunchtime and evening service by way of a single à la carte menu, with five starters, ten main courses and five desserts plus a selection of ice creams, sorbets and a cheese option and a special Sunday Lunch menu.

Certain dishes on the menu carry icons denoting the availability of smaller portions during lunchtime service and an early bird discount during evening service.

Local suppliers feature throughout the dishes, from Grantham’s Skinners which supplies beef and lamb, as well as venison from Belton Park, to local pork specialists Grasmere Farm and Boston’s Freshdrop which supplies locally farmed vegetables and fruit, to M&J Seafood which provides deliveries of fresh fish from Grimsby dock and Priory Free Range Foods supplying organic eggs.

Phil creates his own desserts, sauces, ice creams and sorbets, acquiescing only to Grantham’s Bloomsbury for the supply of speciality bread - multiseed bloomers, and ciabatta for example.

The Bustard has also become a popular venue for parties and dining with a dedicated private dining room for up to 12 people, plus a civil licence for weddings with up to 60 guests. There’s a pretty terrace garden, too, elevated above street level and nicely maintained, ideal for al fresco dining as the weather improves.

Reaching 10 years is a milestone for any business, but for a restaurant to reach the milestone with the same chef and a consistent team is especially impressive. It’s a proud boast for Alan and Liz, but for their diners, it’s a guarantee of the same quality experience during successive visits.

To have been honoured by Michelin and the AA over successive years demonstrates that the Bustard Inn is capable of delivering great quality, but also consistency.

Pan fried halibut with acidulated potatoes, sprouting broccoli & a chestnut, girolles & caper buerre noisette £26.

Mushroom stroganoff with truffle & Parmesan chips £13.50.

Desserts

Chocolate marquise with malted milk ice cream & almond crumb £6.95.

Selection of fine cheese with biscuits & plum bread £9.50.

NB: Featured dishes are subject to change.

n The Bustard Inn, 44 Main Street, South Rauceby, NG34 8QG. Call for bookings on 01529 488250, or see www.thebustardinn.co.uk.

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EAT THE SEASONS

Eat the Seasons:

ASPARAGUS Cover Story

Locally grown asparagus is a real labour of love for our farmers. The very paragon of versatility, it can be boiled, steamed, grilled, roasted or barbecued, and it works brilliantly as a starter, or as an accompaniment to a roast dinner...

I must confess a personal bias. Asparagus happens to be my very favourite vegetable, comparable only to a really well roasted Lincolnshire tatie.

We’re great believers in eating the seasons, and as asparagus begins to appear in our farm shops, there’s a small but optimistic window to enjoy it as the weather warms up and skies brighten. Asparagus, then, is synonymous with warmer weather and the arrival of spring, at least, if not summer.

Better still, it’s just such an easy vegetable to work with. Over the page, we’ve reproduced a few of our favourite recipes but even if you’re short on time, all it needs is a quick blanch in salted water before being served with a poached duck egg or a scoop of hollandaise and a few Parmesan shavings.

Likewise, summer barbecues can be a bit of a meat feast until you pop a few stalks on the barbecue or in a griddle pan, and let’s not forget the formidable vegetable’s role in creating delicious canapés, smothered in a little Parma ham or Prosciutto.

Words: Rob Davis. Images: British Asparagus.

where to buy ASPARAGUS

Abbey Parks: Parks Farm, Heckington, Boston, PE20 3QG; 01205 821621.

Doddington Hall: Lincoln LN6 4RU; 01522 694308.

Pink Pig Farm Shop: Holme, Scunthorpe DN16 3RE; 01724 844466.

Wright & Son: White House Farm, Gedney, Spalding PE12 0AJ; 01406 363222.

Our overriding advice is to ‘eat the seasons’ - supermarkets have enabled us to enjoy asparagus all year round, but where’s the fun in that? Do your bit for the reduction of food miles and buy it from your local farm shop instead of importing it from abroad.

If you’re a kitchen gardener, bareroot asparagus crowns can be planted in spring, or autumn to give your crop a head start.

Asparagus likes a cool, crisp spring, neither too wet, nor too dry. Harvest lightly in the second year of its growth, and more liberally in the third year when the fluffy foliage is bushy and it’s about 15cm tall.

Last year saw a bumper crop and unprecedented interest in asparagus, with demand in the UK soaring by 540% and British shoppers spending £65m buying over 9,000,000kg of the crop.

Asparagus season officially runs from St George’s Day - 23rd April - until the longest day, 21st June. That means you’ve plenty of time to enjoy one of the season’s most eagerly anticipated and much loved vegetables.

n Appearance: Sold in bunches of stalks - generally the more purple in colour, the stronger the flavour. White asparagus is available too, grown underground. n Cooking: Asparagus can be blanched in salted water for 2-3 minutes, grill for 6-8 minutes, steam for 2-5 minutes or barbecue for 5-8 minutes. n The Facts: £65m of asparagus purchased by UK consumers each year - that’s 9,000,000 kg! Seasons runs from St George’s Day until 21st June.

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- EAT THE SEASONS -

THREE

WAYS

{

WITH FRESH ASPARAGUS

}

With Homemade Hollandaise:

Homemade hollandaise is the perfect accompaniment.

It’s a workout for your whisk; an emulsion of egg yolks, vinegar and melted butter.

Alternatively, your local farm shop will stock a decent example, pret-a-mànger!

With a Duck Egg:

Alternatively, poach a duck egg, for just a couple of minutes and grate Parmesan cheese over your spears.

Making Soup:

Make a simple cream of asparagus soup by heating 25g butter in a pan and frying 350g asparagus spears. Add three shallots, a garlic clove, stir in two handfuls of chopped spinach.

Pour over 700ml good veg stock, then blitz in a goblet blender or food processor.

Served with good sourdough bread and a drizzle of olive oil, or a Parmesan crouton.

>> Images courtesy of British Asparagus, see www.britishasparagus.com.

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Asparagus and Sweet Potato Hash

with Avocado and Egg...

Serves: Two. Preparation Time: Five Minutes. Cooking Time: 20 minutes.

Ingredients: 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks 1 bunch Lincolnshire asparagus, spears halved 3tbsp olive oil 1 shallot, finely sliced 2 handfuls of sweetcorn, frozen is fine 1 tsp garlic granules 1 tbsp sliced jalapeno peppers from a jar 1 avocado, sliced 1 lime 2 eggs

Boil a kettle and fill a saucepan with the hot water.

Add the potato chunks and bring back to the boil.

Simmer for five minutes then add the asparagus for two minutes until softened and drain. Next, leave to steam while you heat half the oil in a large frying pan.

Tip the potatoes and asparagus into the hot pan with the shallots, sweetcorn, garlic granules and jalapeños.

Toss to coat in the oil and season. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veg is browned and toasty.

While the veg is cooking heat another non-stick pan with the remaining oil and fry the eggs.

Tip the vegetables into two bowls, top with slices of avocado, squeeze some lime over and top each with a fried egg. n

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One-Pan Spring Chicken with fresh Lincolnshire Asparagus Serves: Four. Preparation Time: Five Minutes. Cooking Time: 1 hour.

Ingredients: 700g new potatoes, halved 1tbsp local rapeseed oil 8 chicken thighs 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled 4 sprigs of rosemary 1 lemon 1 bunch of Lincolnshire asparagus, trimmed

Heat the oven to 200°c/180°c fan. Put the potatoes and oil into a large oven dish and toss to coat well. Tuck the chicken in amongst the potatoes and do the same with the garlic and rosemary.

Drizzle with the juice of half the lemon and add the squeezed lemon to the pan. Season well and roast for 50 minutes.

After 50 minutes toss the asparagus into the pan and give it a shake so the spears nestle in amongst the cooking chicken and potatoes.

Cook for a further eight minutes. Check that the chicken is cooked and the veg is tender.

Pick out the roasted garlic and squeeze the now melting centres into a small bowl, add the juice from the remaining lemon and season.

Use a fork to mix the dressing and mash the garlic. Tip the chicken and potatoes onto a warmed serving plate and drizzle over the dressing. Happily, this recipe can easily be doubled or halved. n

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Bursting with Brightness...

- SAMPLE DISHES -

ENJOY MOUTH-WATERINGLY DELICIOUS LEMON CHEESECAKES, SORBETS, MOUSSE ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL IN OUR ROUND UP OF DESSERTS FROM THE COUNTY’S BEST RESTAURANTS...

CROWNING GLORY

The Crown Hotel serves a passionfruit cheesecake with mango sorbet and vanilla tuille. This sweet dessert is definitely one to try at the Stamford restaurant.

01780 763136, www.kneadpubs.co.uk

n The Brownlow Arms in Hough-onthe-Hill near Grantham is the perfect place on a Sunday.

With their cosy fireplace and dark walls, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

But what we especially love about the Brownlow Arms is its desserts. This bright dessert scored highly on our list, and the rest of the menu followed suit.

n GENEROUS BRITON in Brant Broughton has a lemon and vanilla tart on its menu with vanilla ice cream.

01400 250234, www.thebrownlowarms.com.

n The Lincoln Hotel has a sloe gin and wild berry jelly with lime mascarpone and charred lemon on their menu.

01522 520348, www.thelincoln hotel.com.

01400 272119, www.thegenerousbriton.co.uk.

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Meet Lizzie

Goodwin

Lizzie Goodwin is the pastry chef at The Brownlow Arms.

She creates this rhubarb assiette using fresh local produce when in season 01400 250 234 www.thebrownlow arms.com

OOZING ORANGE

The Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa offers a very delicious and very bright chocolate fondant oozing lava-like orange chocolate.

01526 352411, www.petwood.co.uk.

The Comfy Duck invites you to think pink and enjoy a summer-themed afternoon tea with candy floss and milkshakes.

01775 821200, www.redlionbicker.co.uk. n Featured dishes are representative examples of our featured chefs’ skills... the menus of our featured restaurants change frequently so dishes are subject to availability. Check each restaurant’s website prior to your visit for an up-to-date menu.

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A perfectly sweet dessert wine treat...

Wine of the Month Ventoux, Rhone, France, £11.95 / 70cl, Grape Variety: 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah.

13% ABV.

Pear liqueur will really pep up your puds this month!

If you love the taste of pears in the summer, this lovely liqueur will prove to be a real treat. It’s made from macerated and distilled Williams pears grown in the Rhône.

A powerful but soft taste.

Enjoy it neat with ice, longer with lemonade, or drizzle it over summer puddings or ice cream.

“This rounded, fruity wine is one I recommend for early to mid-summer, offering a clarity of flavour, not too heavy.”

The Wine Cellar £29.95/35cl, 25% ABV.

EXCUSE OUR FRENCH THIS MONTH, BUT WITH SOME EXCITING NEW WINES AND OLD FAVOURITES ON OFFER, OUR WINE WRITER HARISH CAN’T RESIST A TRIP TO THE CONTINENT THIS MONTH...

FRENCH FANCIES: THREE WINES FROM THREE DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT REGIONS 1. Our first French fancy is this classic Malbec from the South West with deep plum and berry aromas and a rich, appetising palate that blends fruit with mineral and tobacco notes. Cahors Tradition, Malbec £13.95 / 70cl / 13%.

2. Next up on our whistle-stop wine tour of France is this Château de TerrefortLescalle from Bordeaux. A medium bodied, approachable claret with juicy berry fruit, classically proportioned with tobacco notes and elegantly balanced £11.39 / 70cl / 12.5%.

3. And finally, this Chiroubles from Beaujolais. Bright aromas of red berry fruit, especially blackcurrant and red grapes, and a mellow, medium-bodied palate with typical delicacy and floral notes £14.75 / 70cl / 13%.

Many Rhône producers have enjoyed a renaissance in the last decade, and none more so than Delas.

Since 1997, in the form of Jacques Grange, has a modern ‘boutique’ approach and the wines now have a real clarity of flavour – the ultimate goal for a Rhône producer. n

Just Desserts:

The dessert wine you can enjoy all summer long!

If the temperatures rise and you’re seeking a sweet, unctuous treat this season, Harish will point you in the direction of this Muscat.

This is an easy-drinking and intensely fruity example and one of the few wines that actually smells of grapes! Floral and citrus on the palate, serve it chilled as a lovely match for blue cheese, pâté or a fruity dessert.

Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Rhone, £11.99 / 35cl, 15% ABV.

n Our featured wines are available from Lincolnshire’s best independent wine merchants, prices RRP and may vary from those stated.

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A Modern Farm

HOUSE - LINCOLNSHIRE HOMES -

Words: Tilly Wilkinson.

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This is definitely a home designed for a perfectionist.

The Cottage is perfectly symmetrical on the exterior, and the interiors are finished to such an incredibly high standard.

If you want a country home with modern touches, this is the one for you...

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THE COTTAGE,

BRAMPTON

Above: The property has its own treehouse for the children to play in.

This month presents a great opportunity to purchase a home with immaculate interiors, and unusual yet modern exteriors.

It’s clear this house was designed by a perfectionist; it’s perfectly symmetrical on the outside and it has a very clean modern and simple design inside.

The Cottage is easily one of the most unique homes we’ve seen, and it’s in perfect condition. It’s built to the highest specification throughout and offers superb living conditions inside and out.

It’s ideal for entertaining with an enormous kitchen breakfast room which opens into a magnificent garden room which in turn opens onto the garden via a wall of glass bifold doors.

The kitchen features a large island, ideal for cooking, and a long bar for informal dining.

Accent lighting against the cream cabinetry and light granite surfaces makes this a bright focal point in the home, and also creates a modern environment in which to eat and cook.

Location: 13 miles from Lincoln, seven miles from Gainsborough.

Style: A modern property with immaculate interiors.

Bedrooms: Five/Six; most with en suites and the master with a lavish dressing room.

Receptions: Two arranged as kitchen breakfast room and garden room used as a dining facility and seating area.

Other Features: Study, integral triple garage, long driveway, landscaped gardens and treehouse.

Price: £650,000.

When you enter the dining area in the adjacent garden room, it is designed to the same high standards as the kitchen, and you can see the previous owners have paid attention to detail when it comes to furnishing.

There is also a rear entrance hall, toilet, sitting room with double doors to the rear garden, a double aspect reception room with a fireplace and double doors opening onto the garden, study and a generous utility room off the kitchen.

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There is a master bedroom with a very luxuriously appointed en suite shower room, dressing room, four further bedrooms, three of which have an en suite, and an additional family shower room.

a great space for entertaining, or for guests to stay.

There is a large lawned garden to the front with established beds, borders and a paved terrace.

There is also a triple garage with fitted base units, worktop, sink and electric doors. Even the garage is in the same immaculate condition as the rest of the property. It’s increasingly harder to fault it.

Finally to the rear of the property is a further walled garden, laid to lawn with a block paved barbeque area. There’s even a perfectly made and very fun treehouse for younger visitors or families.

The driveway leads to hard standing for several vehicles and access to the integral triple garage. There is plenty of space on the driveway, another reason why the Cottage is

The village is in a very convenient location for both Lincoln and Gainsborough. There is an excellent range of facilities in the area including the very prestigious Queen Elizabeth Grammar School.

Outside, the property is approached via a long block paved driveway and beautiful intricate handmade bespoke electric gates with a game bird scene reflecting the country life of the surrounding area.

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Newark is also easily accessible via the A1133. So the property is close to the A1 and 1hr 20mins from London Kings Cross via train at a central station in Newark.

If you’re looking for a new build with modern interiors - a home you could walk in and live in - then the Cottage on Bellwood Grange Farm could be the perfect family home. n

The Cottage is situated in the quiet and unspoilt village of Brampton which is just next door to Torksey with its superb 18 hole golf course.

Above: The open plan kitchen breakfast room.

Right: Even the main entrance has been carefully thought about with lavish furnishings.

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- LINCOLNSHIRE HOMES -

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A NEW BUILD WITH MODERN INTERIORS, THAT YOU COULD MOVE INTO IMMEDIATELY, THE COTTAGE IN BRAMPTON IS PERFECT FOR YOU...

Left: The master bedroom is our favourite room in the home.

Below: Owners have chosen bold patterns in their furnishings.

Above: The master bedroom has Jack and Jill vanity units.

n For more information on the Cottage in Brampton, visit www.savills.com or call property agent Rupert Fisher on 01522 508908.

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SATSUMA The

Love Affair

From the 1830’s America tried to trade with Japan. Diplomacy failed and so did the arrival of a US 72-cannon warship in 1846 entering Tokyo Bay. Renewed attempts both diplomatic and otherwise continued until the Kanagawa Treaty of 1854.

The trade agreement caused Japan internal conflict and upheaval for over a decade. In 1867 Japan exhibited its finest wares at The World Fair of 1867 in Paris but this was principally the pottery from the Satsuma.

The west was immediately enchanted by ‘the orient’ and the love affair with Satsuma began.

laborious and intense purification process. This was then modelled either on a wheel or in moulds and left to dry for a few days. It is then fired at circa 800 degrees for up to 16 hours followed by an applied glaze for another 12 hours. The cooling process creates that remarkable fine crazing to the body.

Satsuma ware is a complex material to make. The white clay was broken from the hillside and placed in vats of water for a

Whilst the finest pieces command high prices the examples like those illustrated can be bought for just a few hundred pounds.

The political landscape continued to change and in 1868 the Tokugawa shogunate were overthrown and the Emperor moved from the Kyoto palace to the seat of power in Tokyo. The new era became known as the Meiji Restoration, or period of ‘enlightened rule’.

The final process is to apply the artistic decoration and symbolism to the distinctive shapes and forms we now readily associate with generic Satsuma. There became a proliferation of makers throughout the Meiji period and the names of Kinkozan, Fuzan, & Meizan rose to the very top of the art form.

Above: A Japanese Meiji period Satsuma moon flask, Dai Nihon marks, probably Taizan Sei, 24cm high.

Right: Japanese Meiji period Satsuma vase, Kinkozan type mark, 16cm high.

n Colin Young MRICS - Colin is senior auctioneer with the Lincolnshire Firm Golding Young & Mawer, established in 1864 and is a BBC Bargain Hunt antiques expert.

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BOSTON ELECTRICAL SERVICES the place to be for your new range cooker, come and see our RANGE

All items on display in our showroom ready for immediate delivery. Ample free parking.

Norfolk St., Boston PE21 9HG 01205 350 737 www.bostonelectrics.co.uk Mon - Fri: 8.30am - 5pm Sat: 9am - 4pm

We Deliver • We Install • We Demonstrate • We Take Away Your Old Appliance We also Provide Servicing, Spares and Repairs for your Existing Appliances...

The Best of British There’s always new inspiration at Elizabeth and Stevens, perfect ideas for gifting, home and gardens...! Well worth a visit E+S xxx and online too x ELIZABETH & STEVENS The Showrooms, Great North Road, Markham Moor, Notts DN22 0QU

Tel: 01636 822000 | www.elizabethandstevens.com

Open daily Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm. Just off the A1.

Free parking. Please call us if you are making a special journey.

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ASKEWS OF ALFORD

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AT HOME WITH

ASKEWS

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1. Bed linen by Kylie, shown here Jenna set, £74/double.

2. Carrington suite, £699/three seater. 3. Beesby chairs in natural, harvest & barley weave, £249. 4. Binbrook painted bedroom furniture, available in 4 colours, beds from £329, bedside cabinet £129, armoire £539, two-over-three chest of drawers £359. 5. Antler wine rack, £69. 6. Reserved for Mum cushion, £9.99. 7. Bed linen by Holly Willoughby, shown here Petra set, £74/double. 8. Scented candle, £15. 9. Gunby chair and stool, £239. 10. Aby suite in grey, £799/corner suite.

11. Costwold chair, various colours, £199.

For information visit Askews of Alford at The Old Methodist Church, West Street, Alford, Lincolnshire LN13 9DU. Call 01507 462 936 or see www.askewsofalford.co.uk.

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UNSURPASSED QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CRAFTSMANSHIP Bespoke Kitchens, Bedrooms and Bathrooms - full project management and free quotations

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

Tel: 01507 527113 W: www.peterjacksoncabinets.co.uk E: info@peterjacksoncabinets.co.uk 80

Peter_jacksonCM

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JMP SOLICITORS

What Lies Beneath?

Gardeners beware - the invasive scourge of Japanese Knotweed isn’t just happening in gardens across the UK, but right here in our county. The plant is immensely destructive and has caused a number of legal problems for landowners and homeowners too. Battling the weed is Grantham’s JMP Solicitors, currently dealing with over 80 cases and pioneering a whole new legal specialism - and one of their first battles has resulted in a ‘David & Goliath’ style victory over Network Rail...

Check your garden. Because the invidious

Japanese Knotweed is right here in the county.

Grantham’s JMP Solicitors is one of just two or three UK law firms pioneering a completely new area of law, helping householders and businesses fight back against the practical and financial repercussions of invasion.

The Grantham firm already has over 80 clients they’re representing in the fight against the weed, and in February, won a landmark victory against Network Rail following their client’s compensation claim for nuisance, also forcing them to eradicate the blight.

The fast-growing weed can grow through concrete, wood, and is so virulent and destructive that it’s impossible to get rid of without professional contractors.

Nuisance

The presence of Japanese Knotweed is a nuisance - if it’s encroaching on your land, the adjacent landowner has a legal obligation to remove it and perhaps to compensate you for nuisance.

Likewise, if your property has an infestation, failure to embark on an adequate programme of treatment and removal could leave you vulnerable to legal action.

Loss of Property Value

As well as ensuring injunctions against the weed’s removal, the Opposite page: Encroachment is a common problem with Japanese Knotweed, as it grows through concrete and timber.

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presence of Japanese Knotweed can have a significant effect on property values.

Most mortgage companies will not lend on properties when the weed is within seven metres of the boundary. JMP has already achieved compensation for clients towards the deminuation of property value as a result.

Appropriate Removal

Unfortunately, eradication of Japanese Knotweed goes well beyond simply cutting it back. Only licensed waste disposal facilities can handle disposal of the cuttings, whilst the seven metre underground spread and three metre depth can necessitate evacuation, or at least the use of very strong herbicides.

Established in 2001 by partners Ian Howard and Yvonne Carratt, the law firm has helped to create a new legal specialism in addition to its range of family, private client and commercial legal services.

JMP’s specialist Samantha Towle pioneered a High Court case against Network Rail and says; “The court has ruled that Japanese Knotweed is an infestation and for other homeowners at risk of losing money on their property, or facing an expensive battle to rid themselves of the weed, it’s a fantastic result that we can deliver hope both for the weed’s removal, but for fair compensation, too.” n

Japanese Knotweed What is it? The blight of Japanese Knotweed is akin to the removal of asbestos - it can only be disposed of by experts and its removal can be expensive.

Growing Pain: The invasive plant - known as Fallopia Japonica - grows over three metres tall, with lush, green, heart shaped leaves.

Time & Space: The fastest growth period is in spring - Japanese Knotweed grows at a rate of a metre and a half each month. Its rhizomes extends to a radius of seven metres underground, and to a depth of three metres.

Removal: Recommended by professionals only.

It must be dug out to a significant depth, and/or treated with herbicides, and must not be taken to domestic refuse sites or burned.

The Problem: Japanese Knotweed can destroy your property, growing through masonry, timber, up through floors and choking other plants, shrubs and trees.

Owners of affected land are legally obliged to remove it or risk a custodial sentence. Mortage companies won’t lend on a property within seven metres of infestation and property values can fall by up to half when land or a property is infested.

The Solution: JMP Solicitors of Grantham has established a new legal specialism, leading the fight against those whose properties or land have been affected by an infestation of Japanese Knotweed. It’s headed up by expert Samantha Towle who is already representing over 80 clients.

JMP Solicitors is currently helping over 80 clients in the UK - and in Lincoln, Grantham and Rutland to completely eradicate Japanese Knotweed from their property and to receive compensation for the cost of removing the plant, loss of property value and inconvenience.

Call 01476 565295 or see www.jmp-solicitors.com.

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Quality furniture & homeware, with ever changing pieces to suit all tastes and budgets...

Small items, larger pieces of furniture and a ‘finders’ service to help you source the perfect piece...

Vintage | Antique | Contemporary

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391-392 High Street, Lincoln LN5 7SS

01522 543555

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SUMMER GARDENING

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How to Create

SUMMER COLOUR

Shorter days and bitter mornings are behind us, says our Lincolnshire gardening writer Nicola Oakey. But if your garden’s still lacking a little colour, we’ve some stunning ideas on how to inject a flash of sunshine into your borders, from enviable annuals, to bulbs for summer...

We’ve made it! The short days and bitter mornings are behind us. We can now look forward to summer in the garden - whether you love to spend every weekend outside, or simply enjoy pottering when the sun shines.

Words: Nicola Oakey - Twitter: @nicola_oakey Instagram: nicolaoakey.

Although before summer gets into full swing, a bit of thought now can ensure that our gardens are crammed with excitement.

As plants begin to send out new growth, it is easy to spot where there are gaps in our borders that can be filled.

‘Easy to Grow’ Annuals

Main Image: It’s a good idea to sow your seeds in a shape, for example a line or a cross, then when the tiny seedlings appear you will be able to tell them apart from any weeds.

Growing something from seed is a bit like flat-pack furniture. It seems daunting to begin with, but it’s all about following the instructions and then feeling really satisfied when you see the end result.

Annuals are inexpensive and easy to grow.

They are ideal if you like to change your borders, introduce new colour schemes or if you like to experiment with new plants every year, as they only last one season. >>

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Once the risk of frost has passed (mid to the end of May) annuals can be sown directly into the soil where you want them to flower and used to fill any spaces. Follow the instructions on the packet to find out about planting depth and spacing.

It’s a good idea to sow your seeds in a shape, for example a line or a cross, then when the tiny seedlings appear you will be able to tell them apart from any weeds. Thinning the seedlings once they germinate will then make them look more natural and give them room to grow. Many will flower just six weeks after germinating, such as Californian poppies, nasturtiums and calendulas.

If you want something a little different, the long hanging tassel flowers of love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus) would suit an exotic, jungle-themed border. Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis) is another unusual annual producing long architectural spikes of tiny fragment flowers surrounded by a big green collar.

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There are plenty of subtle annuals too.

Greater quaking grass (Briza maxima) has stems of delicate hanging flowers and long blue-green leaves. Like a lot of annuals, it self-seeds easily and new plants will pop up in your garden next year. White laceflower (Orlaya grandiflora) has pale frothy flowers that float above fern-like foliage, and are ideal for an informal cottage garden.

Bulbs for Summer

Summer-flowering bulbs are often overlooked, particularly as spring favourites like daffodils and tulips are only just going over.

One of the easiest bulbs (or corms) to grow is the Crocosmia. ‘Lucifer’ is one of the most

>>

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- GARDENING -

Opposite Page: Break up large areas of lawn by introducing curved borders, flanked by planting in ascending sizes and different colours. Left/Above: From the end of May, annuals can be sown directly to fill up spaces in borders. Above: Dahlias and Echinacea Above images: Nicola Oakey.

How to give your plants the ‘Chelsea Chop’ this summer...

It sounds brutal, however giving some perennials a haircut at the end of May (when the Chelsea Flower Show takes place) is a good way to delay flowering into late summer and autumn...

The Chelsea Chop creates more compact plants with flowers that, although slightly smaller, are far more numerous.

Using shears or secateurs reduce the plant’s growth by one third to a half.

If you have multiple clumps of the same plant, try cutting some and leaving others to really extend the season. If you only have a single clump, you could cut back half and leave the other half to produce the first blooms.

Perennials suitable for a spring restyle include: black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia), garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), milky bellflower (Campanula lactiflora), and Echinacea. n

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- GARDENING -

popular varieties, it has bright red spikes of trumpet flowers in late summer and swordshaped leaves.

The seed heads that follow are attractive too.

Growing up to 1.2m tall it makes a real statement and it pairs well with soft grasses.

The corms should be planted 8-10cm deep and 10-15cm apart in a sunny spot that does not dry out. Protect in winter with a mulch of bark chips or well-rotted compost. Other popular varieties include, ‘Emily McKenzie’ or ‘Lambrook Gold’.

Every summer garden needs dahlias, and the flowers come in a real pick-and-mix of colours, shapes and sizes. There must be one (or probably many) to suit everyone’s tastes.

The most difficult part of growing them is choosing which one you like the most!

If you want showy blooms try the brilliant pink ‘Hillcrest Royal’ with its spiky flowers, or the two-tone petals of ‘Karma Fuchsiana’ which are hot pink at the outer ends and yellow nearest the centre. Subtler dahlias include, ‘Henriette’ with apricot flowers, or pale candyfloss ‘Wizard of Oz.’ Their leaves can add to a border too, with some having deep purple-brown foliage.

‘Bishop of Auckland’ has near black stems and postbox red flowers, whilst the aptly Above: Create borders flanked by containers with complimentary colour schemes and different levels for added interest.

Tips for Better Borders...

3 o 3 o 3 o

3 o

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Keep newly planted borders well watered, especially as the temperatures rise.

Remove faded flowers to encourage more.

Support heavy flowers, or growth that flops over onto neighbouring plants with pre-made supports. Make your own from bamboo canes, pea sticks or willow.

Don’t let the weeds take over. Weeding is one of those tedious tasks it’s easy to put off, yet it’s amazing how tidying a border and removing any weeds can smarten a garden up instantly.

named ‘Sunshine’ has rich plum-coloured foliage with bright yellow-orange flowers.

The bulbs (or tubers) can be planted straight outside once the risk of frost has passed.

Opinions are divided over whether they can be left in the ground during winter. With a good mulch of bark chips or garden compost and a mild winter, the tubers stand a good chance of surviving until next year.

If you want to be on the safe side, wait until the foliage has died back in late autumn and carefully dig up the tubers. Allow them to dry naturally in your shed, garage or greenhouse and then place in a tray covered with potting compost or sand. Store in a dark, frost-free place until the following spring.

Essential Perennials

If you still feel spoilt for choice there are many hard working and reliable perennials that no garden should be without. Hardy geraniums make useful ground cover that suppresses weeds. They are suitable for full sun and part shade, and have foliage just as

lovely as the flowers. ‘Rozanne’ is a popular choice with lavender blue and white flowers from May to September.

Phlomis russeliana is a great option if you have a large space to fill in a sunny border.

From late spring through to autumn it has tall tiers of pale yellow flowers and upright stems to add structure. It can be left over winter too and looks magical covered in frost.

Alternatively, if you don’t have a big space to fill but need to add some height then Verbena bonariensis is a must-have.

Although it can reach up to 2m tall, the thin, airy stems mean the plant doesn’t look like a solid block and can be planted anywhere in a border.

Filling the gaps in your borders isn’t about creating the picture perfect, flawless garden.

In fact, there are few greater feelings than sitting outside, surrounded by the plants you have grown, and not wishing to be anywhere else in the world. n

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TRUSTED, PROFESSIONAL PEST CONTROL EXPERTS Rodents | Insects | Bird | Wildlife For homes, businesses and farms.

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ON THE FARM

A Sunny Outlook?

For most of us, the weather is little more than an inconvenience, but for the county’s farmers, it can be the difference between immense relief or a good deal of worry, says the NFU’s Alison Pratt, our new farming correspondent...

There are lots of sayings related to the weather and just as many associated traditions.

March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb (or vice versa) and April showers bring forth May flowers.

If this happens, a whole year’s work is lost and the costs of growing the crop have still been incurred. But it can have unforeseen benefits too.

The summer of 1976 is firmly etched on my memory: the family was drafted in to harvest the potato crop, which, because of the lack of rain and incredibly hot weather, was a very valuable crop that year.

Many of these have more than a grain of truth in them and were thought up by our farming forebears to make sense of the world.

Today I have the Met Office app on my phone, I avidly watch the Countryfile five-day forecast and usually fall asleep listening to the shipping forecast on the radio... who knows where German Bight is anyway?

When I was a child, there was always a hank of seaweed hanging in the porch at home my grandfather who was born in 1900 to a Leicestershire farming family, swore he could tell what the weather would do by feeling this lump of, usually shrivelled, seaweed.

If it was damp, it would rain, if it had dried out it would be sunny. At least that’s what he told us. The twinkle in his eye was always a bit of a give-away.

But the weather is a serious matter for farmers. Winter can mean problems for livestock producers, particularly, but you can’t say we’ve really had a winter in the last few years; nothing like the cold and snow of the winters of ’47 or ’62.

Although I’m too young to remember either, the horror of food shortages, snow-bound

roads, villages, fields and farms lives on in family memories and old photographs.

Recently our winters have been milder, although I won’t forget March 2013 in a hurry. The sudden and heavy snowfalls that caught out the shepherds meant thousands of ewes and lambs were lost in drifts, uncovered a week later frozen behind a wall, seeking shelter from the snowstorm. Our farmers have many trials to bear, but losing stock is one of the worst.

As with anything, too much can be a problem whether that’s too much sun, bringing on a drought or too much rain meaning flooding.

The impact that adverse weather can have on farming can be huge, perhaps leading crop failures or drastic reductions in yields.

This was before the advent of large scale irrigation of potatoes as we have today: now farmers can calculate the exact amount of water a crop needs and when and produce beautiful even-sized potatoes on demand.

But that year, our 12 acre-field produced one of the smallest crops my Dad could remember, but then nobody else’s yielded very highly either and the price of potatoes rocketed.

Weather for farmers is always at the top of our agenda, but today’s forecasts have moved a long way forward from seaweed or old wives’ tales.

So next time you see the satellite map on the Countryfile forecast, or click on your weather app, you won’t be alone in wondering what the weather will bring in the next week.

Farmers and growers will be finding out too, and it will be helping them to grow their crops and rear their animals to produce top quality food for us all. n

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WEDDINGS

A Uniform Wedding When hail, thunder and lightning battered the marquee of this month’s bride-to-be, Faye resigned herself to a waterlogged wedding. But an hour or two beforehand, the weather turned from rain to sunshine in time for army girl to join RAF boy in marriage...

Photographer: Alex Beckett Photography, 07729 977826, www.alexbeckett.co.uk.

“I woke up at about one in the morning, and the rain, hail and winds were battering the house,” says Faye. “It was the same right up until an hour or two before the wedding.”

By the time she and new husband Oscar emerged from Holbeach’s All Saints’ Church, though, blue skies, and a rainbow created a bright, happy wedding day, just as the couple had hoped.

Both Faye and Oscar are in the military; our bride is a former physio now working in the Royal Arms Medical Corps, whilst our groom is a logistician based at Brize Norton.

“We met at an Army ball, introduced by a mutual friend,” says Faye.

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“I’m from Holbeach originally and met Oscar in 2011. He proposed in 2013, and knowing that I don’t like big or extravagant gestures, simply woke me up one morning with a cup of tea whilst we were staying at my parent’s place, then went down on one knee and asked me to marry him.”

“It was a really lovely gesture and he still brings me a cup of tea each morning - with milk but no sugar, just the way I like it! It’s a little gesture of love every day, which I really appreciate!”

The couple began planning their wedding with the intention of organising a day that would bring together all of their family and friends from school, university and the military.

“Funnily enough, after he proposed - and I of course said yes - we said we’d wait a while and enjoy being engaged... but the very next day I got a call from Oscar telling me he’d already spoken to the Vicar!”

“My grandparents married in the church on the same day a number of years ago, and it’s the same church in which I and my siblings were christened, so I knew I wanted to be married there.”

“I liked the idea of a marquee reception because it felt as though it would be more practical and adaptable. My family farmed daffodils near Holbeach so we had land available and could have the reception there.”

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- WEDDINGS -

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- WEDDINGS -

“Because it was a spring wedding we were really lucky to have so many daffodils available to us!”

“Because it was a spring wedding we were really lucky to have so many daffodils available to us, and because my aunt is a florist, we could have these all around the venue in pretty buckets, very traditional and a way to acknowledge our farming background.”

“I felt amazing walking down the aisle, not even slightly nervous. Oscar looked quite nervous, but the whole day was so lovely and relaxed from the ceremony and reception right to our honeymoon in Hong Kong and Bali. We’ve amazing photos thanks to our photographer Alex Beckett, too, and the whole day was just a really lovely celebration!”

“Our family and friends were all there to celebrate and the whole day was incredible, we’ll treasure the memories for years to come!” n Photographer: Alex Beckett Photography, 07729 977826, www.alexbeckett.co.uk.

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Purveyors of Luxury Eyewear Since 1979

Cazal frames - a range of colours and styles in stock now.

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Call for an appointment or pop in to view our latest designer eyewear.

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Words: Tilly Wilkinson.

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Main Image: Jimmy Choo

‘Mabel’ Light Mocha Speckled Glitter Mary Jane Pumps, £525.

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PARTY SHOES

Jimmy Choo’s ‘Cinderella’ shoe. Each pair of bespoke Cinderella slippers are made to order, £2,995.

Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Sandals, a beautiful shoe to give you height £1,200.

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‘Follies Strass’ featuring Swarovski crystals and the unforgettable red sole of a Louboutin, £795.

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Ralph & Russo

Eden pump, the brand’s most beautiful shoe, with ornamental filigree leaves in gold or rose gold, £1,650.

Sophie Webster

Sophie Webster colourful ‘Phaedra Peacock’ sandals, £660.

Beautiful party shoes for summer balls, from some of the world’s most exclusive brands

Roger Vivier

Roger Vivier red Decolleté crystal buckle satin pumps, £1,200.

Valentino

Valentino Rockstud ankle strap pump, the classic Valentino shoe that’s instantly recognisable, £650.

Kurt Geiger

Carvela by Kurt Geiger Gift Crossover Sandal, £130.

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The Halo collection from...

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JULIE SMITH

KEEP FIT For the Face

From a crisis of confidence to a sense of wellbeing. Lincolnshire’s Julie Smith discovered facial fitness mentor Eva Fraser and a way to increase her confidence with a non-surgical, non-medical equivalent to a facelift procedure. Here, she talks about her journey revealing how you can look and feel younger with no surgery necessary!

Words: Rob Davis. Image: David Hart.

Facial fitness: its like keep fit, for the face.

A new series of exercises, pioneered by Kensington practitioner Eva Fraser, is available right here in Lincolnshire. Julie Smith is now offering to educate local women (and men!) with one-to-one lessons in how to work facial muscles to lift and tighten skin.

“I’m really looking forward to passing on Eva’s wonderful exercise programme,” says Julie. “I’m hoping to give others the same sense of well-being that it’s given me. I’ve always tried to follow a healthy lifestyle with exercise and nutritious food being really important to my family. I was part of an ‘outstanding’ school senior leadership team and mum to two daughters, both in their 20s.”

“Then, out of the blue, I found myself with a severe food intolerance which caused dramatic weight loss within weeks, but also a more harmful psychological impact with the loss of confidence.”

“Don’t let your age control your life; let your life control your age...”

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“I spent time extensively researching different treatments and therapies, searching for something to help. I first found Eva on the TV programme This Morning and her feature gave me hope. The method and technique of facial fitness was just what I was looking for. I was so impressed with her... and who wouldn’t be?”

“I booked a course with her and the whole experience was so much more than I could have expected, with the atmosphere of the session putting me completely at ease.”

“Eva has a real zest for life and made the tuition - using muscle strengthening exercises to prevent the skin from sagging - uplifting in more ways than one. Eva passed on her zeal and empowerment to me, so it was a real privilege when I was invited to train as one of just 16 Eva Fraser practitioners in the world.”

“I’m now able to welcome clients from across the East of England into my bespoke studio near Boston to experience the transformative power of facial fitness. My motto is ‘don’t let age control your life, let life control your age,’ and it’s perfect for any age, and for men, too.

It really is never too late to start!”

n For more information about Julie’s Lincs Facial Fitness tuition, call 07796 000001 or visit www.lincsfacialfitness.co.uk.

Eva Fraser: Living Proof Who would want a facelift? Eva is living proof that her alternative does work.

Eva, who is 89 years old, has inspired people all over the world to achieve wellbeing and confidence through her facial exercises and philosophy of life.

Muscles of the face can be retrained just like any other muscles, to become firmer and strong again. All muscles, and that includes the muscles of the face, need to be worked in a structured way, or they slacken; it’s as simple as that. Look at the amazing improvement we see in toned-up bodies. You can do the same for your face and at any age. With the Eva Fraser method, and only 10-15 minutes exercising a day, for four days a week, you will improve the structure of your face and take years off your appearance.

You can learn Eva’s method with a personal instructor; in a calm, friendly atmosphere, in a private room. The course consists of four lessons, each lasting one hour and 30 minutes.

With one-to-one tuition you will hasten your progress and on completion of the course, will have a personally tailored lifestyle programme.

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The surgery-free ‘facelift’ - an anti-ageing technique which takes years off your face

Introducing Julie Smith - Lincolnshire’s new ‘Eva Fraser Facial Fitness’ Practitioner...

Use facial exercises to work muscles and tighten your skin, at a fraction of the cost of a facelift.

A former client of Eva’s, Julie is now one of just 16 Eva Fraser practitioners in the world.

Learn the techniques once, use them for the rest of your life - no drugs, no pain, no surgery.

Pioneered by Eva Fraser, pictured here, who was born in 1928.

Call 07796 000001 or see www.lincsfacialfitness.co.uk FOR A FREE, NO OBLIGATION CHAT ABOUT HOW EVA’S METHODS CAN TAKE YEARS OFF YOUR FACE

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- COSMETICS -

1. BEYOND PERFECT Save time and achieve that flawless look with Clinique and discover Beyond Perfecting a combined foundation and concealer.

The product’s lightweight but full-coverage formula allows skin to fully breathe without feeling clogged or looking heavy.

Simply Beautiful...

It’s available in 28 stunning shades, all of which promise to leave skin looking picture-perfect £25.

2. Flash Lip Colour

A bold flash of colour and plumping infused ingredients inside this Extreme Velvet lipstick

by Zelens. Available in nine colours, this high-tech lippy restores softness whilst minimising the appearance of ageing lips caused by dehydration and lack of sun protection £32.

3. Smooth Summer

Dreaming of the perfect base?

DHC Quick Film Smoother lessens the appearance of wrinkles.

This moisture-rich primer is the perfect antidote for covering those pesky crow’s feet £22.

4. A, Bee, See

Forget heavy makeup coverage and enhance the natural inner glow with Deborah Mitchell’s Silk Bee Bee Cream. This anti-ageing tinted moisturiser available in three tempting shades that hydrates and firms whilst leaving skin velvety smooth. The best thing is you can sleep in it, too! £37.

5. Flawless bases for faces This revolutionary lightweight, skin-quenching tint from British brand Rodial uses a smart blend of aminoacids and peptides to correct skin mishaps whilst leaving the most beautiful flawless base ready for contouring.

Skin protection with an SPF of 20 makes it suitable for the summer months, too.

It’s available in four jaw-dropping shades and is priced at £45.

n John Rohnan-Wharff is a beauty and makeup blogger, who reviews and rates products at www.mr-wharff.com. All products from good independent local stockists unless otherwise stated, prices are RRP. 109

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Dentures must be tolerated

IMPLANTS can be forgotten NO MATTER HOW WELL FITTED YOUR DENTURES MAY BE, THEY WILL NEVER FEEL COMPLETELY NATURAL. DENTAL IMPLANTS ARE PLACED INTO YOUR JAW, SO THEY LOOK, FEEL AND WORK JUST LIKE YOUR OWN TEETH. Dental implants allow you to eat, drink, taste, chew, talk, laugh and smile with confidence.

When fitted properly by skilled clinicians, they are stable, comfortable and look exactly like natural teeth.

Our patients at the Dental Health Centre in Grantham say they cannot tell the difference – once their implants have been placed, they can happily forget all about them and start living their lives to the full once more.

Dentures can make it difficult to chew, which can stop you from eating many of the foods you once enjoyed. Often, your palate is covered and this can prevent you from tasting your food properly. Wearing dentures may also affect how you pronounce words and therefore the way you speak.

Exceptional reputation

Unsecured dentures are an old-fashioned solution for people who have lost many of their teeth. Unfortunately, many people find wearing dentures painful, inconvenient and awkward.

When teeth are lost the bone that held them in your jaw will shrink. Placement of dental implants can preserve this bone, maintaining the shape and structure of the lips and cheeks and improving your appearance.

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Dental implants prove to be the most cost effective solution to replacing missing teeth and to help spread the cost, the Dental Health Centre offers payment options including 0% finance.

Principal dentist Colin Sutton has successfully placed hundreds of dental implants since 2000. He has an excellent reputation for providing dental implant treatments, including single implant crowns and full implant-retained bridges and dentures.

The Dental Health Centre in Grantham is a leading implant centre in Lincolnshire that has invested in the training and technology

that allows the team to provide a number of implants systems.

It is one of very few dental practices to have invested in a 3D dental CT scanner. This state-of-the-art scanner makes implant treatment, safer, quicker and more accurate for patients and makes the Dental Health Centre one of the most technologically advanced dental clinics in the area.

If you would like to find out more about dental implants, please visit us for a free, 30-minute initial consultation with Colin Sutton.

For more information please visit www.dentalhealthcentre.co.uk The Dental Health Centre, 3 Avenue Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6TA. www.dentalhealthcentre.co.uk

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glen eden MEDICAL AESTHETICS

Look YOUNGER AnD BooST your CONFIDENCE...

Muscle relaxing injections for fine lines and wrinkles...

Eight point ‘facelift’ and 15 minute ‘rhinoplasty’ using injectable fillers...

Call 01476 550056 www.glen-edenmedical.co.uk Market Cross Surgery, Bourne Road, Corby Glen, Stamford NG33 4BB

The Latest Laser and Injectable cosmetic procedures performed by fully qualified GP or Nurse Practitioner

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CLARRIOTS CARE

Your Home, Your Care

If you find yourself needing care in later life, domiciliary care, otherwise known as homecare, ensures that you receive the right amount of support whilst allowing you to live in the comfort of your own home. We spoke with one of the nation’s leading homecare providers, Clarriots Care, who offered us a unique insight into one of the world’s most valuable services.

We’re lucky to live in a country where so many care choices are available to us. If you need support, homecare is one of the best options.

Whether you need a little extra help with domestic chores, or support in the morning or last thing at night, care in your own home can offer greater choice and flexibility. This is especially important if you need dedicated one-to-one care.

“Clarriots Care is a UK leading homecare provider based in Louth. We’re one of the most flexible providers, founded in 2008 and can help you with anything from personal care – such as your morning or evening routine, domestic help like laundry and cleaning, or food preparation - to night care, extended hours of live-in care, specialised dementia & Alzheimer’s care, or end of life care,” says the company’s Registered Manager Kirsty Barnes.

“Though we were established in Lincolnshire, we’ve now got offices across the UK and help thousands of people up and down the country

“THE COMPANY’S CLIENT-CENTRED APPROACH ENSURES THAT YOU ARE TREATED LIKE AN INDIVIDUAL...”

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maintain their independence. Receiving support from Clarriots couldn’t be easier, simply get in touch and we take care of the rest, organising a free care assessment to create a totally bespoke care plan that provides help according to your individual needs.”

Whether for short term, long term or respite visits, the company’s client-centred approach ensures that you are treated as an individual, and not the subject of a ‘standard’ service.

“99.9% attendance ratings, a 24/7 emergency call service plus online care monitoring and management ensures peace of mind for you and your relatives, and payment pathways include both self-pay and Government assisted direct payment schemes.”

“Many of our clients don’t need to be in a residential home full time, and fees for care homes can be costlier than being able to arrange just a little extra home help. You may prefer to remain in your own home or, at the other end of the care needs spectrum, may need a full time carer providing one-toone assistance.”

“Being able to create a totally bespoke care package means remaining in your home, surrounded by your memories and possessions whilst receiving the support and help you need to maintain your independence, providing relatives with true peace of mind. A tailored care plan enables you to get personalised support, from ad hoc provision to regular visits or even extended hours of live-in care.”

BESPOKE CARE FOR TRUE PEACE OF MIND Clarriots Care offer a range of care services that you can tailor to your needs or those of your loved one: • Live-In Care provides extended hours of care in your own home with both personal care and domestic care needs met.

• Personal Care can include help with medication, washing and dressing, and food preparation.

• Night Care provision ensures extra support at night from sleep-in to wake-in and specialised night care.

• End of Life and Dementia/Alzheimer’s Care provision is highly specialised, with implications for your most sensitive needs.

• Domestic Care or Home Maintenance ensures provision of help for laundry, housework or maintenance to help you remain in their own home.

• Physical disability, mental health, Parkinsons, spinal care, MS or Parkinsons care ensures specialist care for those with complex medical conditions.

To discuss individual care needs, Clarriots Care provide free, no obligation Assessments within 24 hours of an enquiry - call 0333 200 5820 or visit www.clarriots.co.uk

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ST HUGH’S SCHOOL

Extending Learning

Years 7 & 8 at St Hugh’s School St Hugh’s School accepts pupils into its nursery from the age of two, but for pupils about to make the transition from primary to secondary school, an independent school such as Woodhall Spa’s leafy St Hugh’s provides smaller class sizes, flexi-boarding facilities and first class education that’s tailored to each child’s educational needs and character...

It’s an important time in a child’s life. The transition from primary school to secondary education - years seven and eight - prove to be vitally important years in a child’s development, giving pupils an opportunity to flourish both academically, socially and in life.

“Great emphasis should be placed not just on academic achievement, but the development of character, too,” says Chris Ward, head of Woodhall Spa’s St Hugh’s School.

Settings and Facilities “Our school is set in 32 acres of beautiful Lincolnshire countryside and has some outstanding facilities with both academic and sporting pursuits benefiting in equal measure including an extensive Library, a fine Music School with auditorium and practice rooms, large hall with stage and lighting, dedicated areas for Art and Pottery; Craft and Design Technology; Home Economics and Textiles as well as well equipped ICT suites with an extensive network and wireless linked laptops and two dedicated science labs.”

“We’ve an indoor swimming pool, extensive sports fields as well as a new all-weather pitch, woods and a tipi for weekly forest school sessions, an extensive adventure playground and a nature pond with outdoor science facilities all coming together to offer our children a wealth of opportunities.”

art forming a core part of the programme.

In Years Seven and Eight, children follow the syllabus for Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations, often delving in to greater detail than expected from the standard National Curriculum, extending the range and breath of topics covered.”

“We also offer the additional benefit of homely boarding accommodation suitable for both full and flexi-boarding.”

The Curriculum During Years Seven and Eight, children study a very broad range of subjects in preparation for transfer to their chosen senior schools. Individual tuition is often provided to enable all pupils to achieve their potential. Education is not of course limited to the classroom with extensive sporting opportunities as well as music, drama and

“WE ALSO OFFER THE BENEFIT OF BOARDING FACILITIES WITH BOTH FULL AND FLEXI-BOARDING OPTIONS.”

“Our excellent success rates in both Common Entrance and in scholarships are indicative of the high standards the pupils consistently achieve; in the last two years over 70% of our children have been awarded scholarships at their chosen schools.”

Leadership and Mentoring “Years Seven and Eight play an important role within the wider school as a whole as they act as role models for the younger children. They are given coaching in becoming peer mentors and are also responsible for the playground friends scheme, and they are given a range of responsibilities in the school, with two Heads of School who lead the School Council.”

“Other children can lead one of the three pastoral sets, lead the choir or orchestra or captain one of the sports teams.”

“All Year Eight children also have duties around the school during the week, helping them to develop the leadership and management skills so highly sought in the modern world.”

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- EDUCATION -

In Numbers

St Hugh’s School, Woodhall Spa THE SCHOOL IS CURRENTLY HOME TO 186 PUPILS AND IS ONE OF THE OLDEST INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IN LINCOLNSHIRE 1925: The school was established in 1925 by the Forbes family.

1962: The school became a Charitable Trust in 1962, with all profits ploughed back into St Hugh’s.

>> Flexi-Boarding “St Hugh’s has a long tradition as a boarding school. However, boarding today is very different to what it once was. We aim to make boarding a rewarding experience.

Situated in the main building with live-in members of staff, the boarding house is a sanctuary that is supporting and caring.”

“Children who board have the experience of not only being cared for, but also caring for others. This develops a social awareness that comes from living, working, playing and

SEE for YOURSELF “We strongly believe that the best way to get a feel for our school is to come and visit us,” says the School’s Marketing Officer Emmi Stead.

“You can meet with our Headmaster, Mr Ward, see our facilities and talk to our current pupils. This gives you the opportunity to explore what St Hugh’s can offer you.”

“Our next open day will take place on 20th May, from 10am-12noon, we hope to see you there!”

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having fun with others in the house.

The ‘boarding experience’ enables boarders to form close friendships, and develop self-discipline and responsibility for themselves in a friendly, family-based environment.”

“As a preparatory school, one of our primary aims is to prepare children for the transition and progression to their senior schools. As the majority of the schools we feed are boarding schools, part of that preparation is helping children settle in a boarding routine that will reassure them and ease that transition.”

2-13: The school has a nursery including a holiday club for children aged from two years, as well as pre-prep and preparatory departments.

186: The school has 186 pupils, with day education, boarding and flexi-boarding options.

14: The average class size at St Hugh’s is 14, meaning plenty of attention is given to each pupil.

32: St Hugh’s is set in 32 acres of leafy grounds in Woodhall Spa, a village with which it retains strong links.

“We also offer flexible boarding options and many of our day pupils take advantage of this, enjoying the wide range of activities on offer with their friends. We are extremely flexible, and aim to meet the needs of the children as well as the demands of busy working parents.”

Education for life “At this age children are also encouraged to develop skills that cannot necessarily be taught but must be learnt by the individual and an environment where Years 7 and 8 are at the top of the school rather than being the youngest students gives us the perfect setting to help develop these attributes in a caring, family atmosphere.” n

Above: Academ ic studies are balanced with spor ts, drama , music and oth er subjects.

n For more information on St Hugh’s School, located on Cromwell Avenue, Woodhall Spa LN10 6TQ call 01526 352169 or see www.st-hughs.lincs.sch.uk.

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DUCKWORTH JAGUAR & LAND ROVER

A NEW HOME FOR

JAGUAR and LAND ROVER IN LINCOLNSHIRE

It’s the new centre of excellence for Land Rover, and sister brand, Jaguar, in our area. It represents a £7m investment and covers over four and a quarter acres. Last month we attended the official opening of the Duckworth Motor Group’s flagship luxury car centre...

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- DUCKWORTH JAGUAR LAND ROVER -

Two iconic British brands, a £7m investment, and one flagship luxury motor retailer for the 21st century. Last month saw the official opening for Duckworth Motor Group’s new dealership just off the A16 near Boston.

The centre’s launch was attended by over 700 guests, and will provide more space for the firm’s existing Land Rover franchise whilst also allowing the group to offer customers JLR’s sister brand, Jaguar, too.

The new centre will combine a flagship retail space for nine Jaguar and nine Land Rover products, as well as a state of the art 22-bay service area, barista bar, valeting bays, and dedicated customer handover centre where customers collecting their new vehicle can receive VIP treatment and learn all about their new car.

Main: Over 700 people attended the dealership’s launch. Above: Head of Business Andrew Shaw and MD Ben Duckworth.

The Duckworth name is synonymous with exceptional customer experience, established in 1962 to specialise in the servicing of Land Rover vehicles.

Moving to the firm’s current Market Rasen site in 1980 to accommodate the firm’s Range Rover sub-brand, the company over the Kirton Land Rover site in 2007.

Having outgrown the current Kirton site, chairman Martin Duckworth and son, Managing Director Ben Duckworth, began planning larger, fit-for-purpose premises, breaking ground in April 2016.

The VIP open evening last month saw customers invited to tour the new facilities, meeting current and new staff, and experiencing the brands’ ranges, from the small, medium and large executive XE, XF and XJ models in Jaguar’s lineup, as well as its F-PACE SUV and F-TYPE sports car.

Land Rover’s lineup currently includes the Discovery Sport, all new Discovery, and Range Rover’s Evoque, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover models. Later this year, the firm will take first deliveries of an all new Range Rover model, the Velar, to sit between the Evoque and Sport, set to be the most modern and dynamic Range Rover yet.

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Meanwhile, Land Rover’s long-awaited 21st century reboot of the Defender is anticipated to be revealed later this year ready to reach showrooms sometime in 2018.

VIP guest of honour at the launch of the new Duckworth showroom was the well known giant of English rugby, Martin Johnson, who led England to victory against Australia in the World Cup Finals in 2003. Martin answered questions and reflected on his time as Land Rover brands ambassador on the night.

Guests enjoyed canapĂŠs courtesy of Lincolnshire chef Rachel Green, plus artisan local cheese, Champagne and locally produced Belvoir soft drinks for drivers.

Right: Ben Duckworth with Martin Johnson.

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- DUCKWORTH JAGUAR LAND ROVER -

Other ‘guests of honour’ included a range of heritage Jaguars and Land Rovers, from a replica of Land Rover’s prototype ‘Huey’ model, which would later become the Defender, and an original three door Range Rover model.

Jaguar’s heritage models included the firm’s XJ220 sports car and Formula One car, plus the iconic 1960s Jaguar MkII and its ETYPE model, all lined up in the pristine ceramic tiled workshop area.

Thanking the audience was Ben Duckworth, who introduced his father Martin to provide the audience with a brief overview of the company’s history.

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Meanwhile, Andrew Shaw, Head of Business for Jaguar Land Rover Boston thanked guests for attending and reflected on the business’s employment of 20 new members of staff.

“We’re pleased that we are able to support the local community by offering further employment opportunities,” he said.

“The interest has been overwhelming and we have now employed additional people with exceptional skills who are currently training to fulfil their potential and to offer the levels of service expected by the brands and the Duckworth customers.” >>

“THANKING THE AUDIENCE WAS BEN DUCKWORTH, WHO INTRODUCED HIS FATHER MARTIN TO PROVIDE THE AUDIENCE WITH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF DUCKWORTH’S COMPANY HISTORY...”

Opposite: Over the next few pages we’ve pictured some of the 700 guests who attended the dealership’s launch.

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View photographs from this event online.

Visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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- DUCKWORTH JAGUAR LAND ROVER -

Opposite/Above: The dealership’s launch saw a special collection of heritage motor cars from Jaguar and Land Rover’s lineage.

Right: Martin Duckworth, the group’s founder and chairman, gave a speech detailing the firm’s history.

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- DUCKWORTH JAGUAR LAND ROVER -

Feature your event in our magazine.

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Call 01529 469977 and speak to our Events Desk...

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View photographs from this event online.

Visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk.

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- DUCKWORTH JAGUAR LAND ROVER -

Feature your event in our magazine.

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Call 01529 469977 and speak to our Events Desk...

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