< PreviousA star is BourneDear LincolnshireToday,Great to hear thatJade Etherington wasnamed Lincolnshire’sSports Personality ofthe Year for herfantastic efforts at theWinter Paralympics.As she is from Bournelike myself I’vefollowed her progressfor many years andsaw her carry the Olympic torch in Lincoln back in 2012. I’m onlydisappointed that, unlike her team mate Kelly Gallagher, she wasn’tnominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. I’msure she is a fantastic role model for so many people.R BrownBourneReaders’lettersWe’d love to hear from you. If you have any news, views or issuesyou would like us to cover, do get in touch.Oh yes it is!Dear Lincolnshire Today,It’s satisfying to see the region’s pantomimes get so muchcoverage in your pages and I certainly agree with BernieClifton’s view that it’s rare for kids and parents to get thechance to enjoy a show together. I have so many fondmemories of attending pantomime with my children whenthey were young, and now we have recently becomegrandparents I’m looking forward to introducing it to a newgeneration and watching them enjoy it as much as mychildren did. Panto has survived the rise of television andI’m sure it’ll continue to delight audiences for many years tocome.S DaviesLincolnPICK OF THE MONTHThe winner of our letter of the month wins a case of wine.We’d love to hear from you: Lincolnshire Today, Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N E Lincs DN31 2QE. Email: lincs-today@blmgroup.co.uk We reserve the right to edit published lettersWe will rememberthemDear Lincolnshire Today,Despite all we read about young peoplelacking in respect, I am delighted to see thatthe remembrance celebrations seem to takeon increased significance every year. Thisyear’s events were obviously particularlypoignant given the centenary of the start ofWorld War I and I was delighted to see somany young people paying their tributes atthe events I attended. Initiatives such as HelpThe Heroes and the Military Awards have putremembrance in the spotlight and I’m surethe stories will continue to resonate for manyyears to come.L LloydNewarkPICKOF THEMONTHThinking smallDear Lincolnshire Today,I was pleased to see you support Small Business Saturday in your pages last month. Asa resident of Cleethorpes one of my great pleasures is taking a trip down Sea View Streetand visiting the numerous independent retailers. I’ve got to know many of the ownersand that makes shopping a real pleasure. The village feel is a huge part of what makesCleethorpes so popular, and that’s why I would urge readers to continue to make use oftheir local traders – which make such a difference in ensuring the town is popular all yearround.S SmithCleethorpes10_Layout 1 11/12/2014 13:43 Page 1Help to Buy11_Layout 1 11/12/2014 13:43 Page 112 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYHOMESEndlesssurprises atthe MillNestled in the friendly village of Heighington,Lincolnshire Today readers, Roy and GillianGreen have enjoyed many happy years living atThe Water Mill – a perennially surprising andattractive home.The building dates back to around 1730, and was still working asa corn mill until around the early eighties. When productionstopped it was converted to become a family home. As Roy andGill point out, a lot of former industrial buildings aren’t really suitedfor conversion but the restoration carried out here was sympatheticand the result is a home that surprises you at every turn.Outside, there are many reminders of its previous life, includingthe stack which housed the sack lift. The interior, however, offers12-15_Layout 1 11/12/2014 14:10 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY13HOMESthe best of both worlds – a light, bright atmospherewith plenty of open space, which also has bags ofcharm and personality. Much of the stone work,flooring and wooden beams have survived over theyears and this adds to the appeal. It’s clear this hasbeen a fabulous family home for the Greens over thepast two decades, and their sons had a great time asthey were growing up.About ten years ago the kitchen was extended overthe mill stream that runs under the house, and a glassfloor has been installed to reveal its path. The result isabsolutely spectacular, and as Gill explains just after itwas installed it tended to replace the TV as theevening’s entertainment most nights! It’s an absolutelyfascinating and unique feature.The kitchen is in the older part of the house, whilethe front of the property was, until the eighties, simplya canopy built over the loading area. Now this sectionof the building has been made into a huge roomwhich Roy and Gill use both to entertain and as an14 Á12-15_Layout 1 11/12/2014 14:10 Page 214 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYHOMESoffice. Adding to the sense of space are the floor-to-ceiling windows whichlead out onto a decked patio and garden area. As Roy tells us, “I love theopportunity to pop out and relax in this area. After the sun passed over thispart of the house there’s a second patio area at the rear to catch the last ofthe day’s sunshine.”Underneath this room is an even larger room which the Greens have madeito a games room. The full size snooker table was here when they moved in,but since then the couple have added a bar area and built-in sound systemwhich makes it an ideal venue for the kids and grown-ups in the house.The children also enjoy exploring the rambling and secluded garden whichfollows the mill stream and extends to about two thirds of an acre. Thestream is home to trout, roach, perch and bream, while many ducks, CanadaGeese and kingfishers are among those who have made a temporary homein the garden over the years. As Roy and Gill’s boys were nine and elevenwhen they moved in, they found it a fantastic adventure playground.Five bedrooms and five bathrooms also help make it the perfect familyhome. Most of these have been modernised in recent years with a spa bathin the main bathroom.Perhaps the nicest thing about the Water Mill is that is offers the best ofboth worlds. There’s certainly lots of space and the garden is secluded – butit’s right within the heart of the village of Heighington. The main street is justa few minutes’ walk away – and just a few minutes’ drive away is thebustling city of Lincoln.Roy and Gill however, are now intending to move closer to their families inthe South of England and although they are finding it hard to findsomewhere that compares to the Water Mill, they have decided to place thisunique property on the market with William H Brown of Lincoln.12-15_Layout 1 11/12/2014 14:10 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY1512-15_Layout 1 11/12/2014 14:10 Page 416 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYHOMESRetro style has become hugely popularover recent years, though this doesn’tmean you have to dig around in yourcupboards for your old dinner services. Ahost of new products take their cue fromstyles and techniques that date backmany years. They may not use the samematerials, colours or execution of thedesign but the original intent can still beseen. These days we use our kitchensespecially for more than just cooking –they’re a place to entertain, so there’splenty of reasons to make sure they giveacross plenty of personality.In the kitchen, a retro-style look can beachieved using bold colour schemes andlarge retro-style appliances that lookgreat. They work particularly well whenthey’re combined with the contemporary.The benefit of using these new retro-styleappliances is that they have all the visualappeal and fun of the original items, butwith all the energy efficiency andconvenience you come to expect fromthe latest products. Maybe too this is thetime to show off your passions by takingyour collectables out of storage andputting them on display for all to see.When it comes to the bathroom, theretro idea may initially cause a shudderthanks to memories of those avocadoSomething old,something newIf you’re planning a new look for your home in 2015, you maywant to look to the past116-17_Layout 1 11/12/2014 14:11 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY17HOMES1) Smiths BrittenThe Batello/Chandler Bath Clearwater Baths range fromthe Pure Bathroom Collection reflects retro styling2) AnahiBritish-made to industrial standards, and in continuousproduction since the sixties, the Regent toaster has beengiven a modern facelift with the introduction of a greatrange of contemporary colours3) Farrow & BallCompanies such as Farrow & Ball provide the shades andcolours that can add new life to vintage furniture androoms4) Beyond the FridgeThis Glass Chopping Board certainly harks back to thepast – but it also offers a textured surface for safety whenchopping and rubber pads on the bottom to preventslipping.suites that were once so inescapable. Yet it doesn’t have tobe like this. These days the retro charm can come fromnostalgic pieces reviving memories of the seaside and lidos.Pastel and ice cream colours add a lovely fresh feeling,while you don’t have to hide your products away – justmake sure they look pretty on attractive shelves in beautifulbottles. Moving away from the idea that everything has tobe fitted is good, too – it offers extra flexibility and you canmix and match pieces to your heart’s content.You’ve got decades of ideas to take your pick from, andmixing and matching ideas from across the years canensure your bathroom and kitchen in 2015 takes the bestfrom the past while also remaining resolutely modern.23416-17_Layout 1 11/12/2014 14:11 Page 2Goltho Gardens, close to Wragby and Market Rasen,could well be something you miss if you don’t payattention. It’s one of those places you speed past on theway to other places in Lincolnshire thinking ‘I must gothere one day’. Too often we’re in too much of a rush totake the time to visit such places, but when we arranged tovisit with owner Debbie, we were glad we did.As you pull into the large driveway that leads to GolthoGardens, you are struck by the immediatecalm that falls upon the place assoon as you enter. Being soclose to a main road,you’d think the trafficnoise would impacton the atmosphere.Not so, what you18 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYGARDENSFull ofwonderGoltho Gardens is one of the wolds’ hidden gems, wetake a walk around its charming four-and-a-half acres.18-21_Layout 1 11/12/2014 14:31 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY19GARDENShave here is a series of gardens allthought out perfectly and witha sense of care and attentionthat’s perhaps lackingelsewhere in gardens we’veseen recently.Having been at the sitearound sixteen years,Debbie has made the plottruly her own. As she explains,“What we were after was a housewe could buy and turn some land into ashow garden. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s beenworth it. We’re real plantaholics if that’s a term and20 Á18-21_Layout 1 11/12/2014 14:31 Page 2Next >