< Previous40 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FASHION That last little something There’s no such thing as an outfit without accessories. Until those finishing touches are added, it’s just a collection of clothing. To help inspire those flourishes this party season, we’ve gathered some of this month’s must-haves. 1) Marc Cain - Less is more when it comes to accessorising as Marc Cain show with a simple dress that’s elevated with just a belt and a pair of matching boots. 2) Pandora - There’s a reason why Pandora jewellery continues to win hearts – it’s because it’s high quality, stylish and with just enough of a cute factor. This example has all that and more. 3) Gabor - It’s easy to go overboard when it comes to shoes, especially during the party season, but choose shoes that compliment your outfit, not compete against it. This simple shoe from Gabor has a touch of sophistication that will help to highlight what you’re wearing. 4) Hobbs - Who said fascinators were just for the races? Hair accessories are all the rage right now and one of the very best is still fascinators. This one from Hobbs is tasteful and trendy without going over the top. 5) Numph - Numph know where it’s at with this vibrantly patterned hair grip that’s sure to will eye-catching holding up your locks. 6) Bianca Elgar - The addition of a scarf can make a huge difference to your outfits. So add a pop of colour of mix things up with the addition of this trendy scarf from Bianca Elgar. 7) Oliver Bonas - There’s hair slides and then there’s these twinkling delights from Oliver Bonas. They’ll be sure to catch the light and keep heads turning in your direction. 8) Head over Heels - A more elegant take on the gladiator sandal, this shoe from Head over Heels is made for the party season and will pair beautifully with a long dress or gown. 9) Lipsy - Aside from shoes, the one accessory you’ll want to arm yourself with this party season is a clutch bag. There’s just enough room for a phone, cards, make-up and tampon and it adds a pop of style held in hand or slung over your shoulder. 1 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:21 Page 7LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 41 FASHION 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 High quality Gold, Silver & Diamond Jewellery Main agents for Citizen, Lorus, Iron Annie and Zeppelin Watches Pre Owned Rolex Watches In-house Repairs & Engraving Ear Piercing Celebrating 40 Years Trading in Louth Butcher Lane, Louth Lincolnshire LN11 9JG. Tel: 01507 604029 www.striacroft.co.uk info@striacroft.co.uk 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:22 Page 8Most men’s wardrobes exist somewhere on the spectrum between smart and casual, but to help you make the most of both worlds, we’ve put together this handy little style guide. 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:22 Page 9LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 43 FASHION Opposite: Pure Collection This cashmere V-neck sweater from Pure Collection is stylish enough to be worn on its own, but for the best results, pair with a darker shirt. You could wear this under a jacket with jeans for a look that really pops. Right: White Stuff Re-define smart casual with this outfit from White Stuff that’s comfortable enough for everyday but undeniably smart. Below Joe Browns Without a pair of boots, a man’s wardrobe is only ever half finished. These Chelsea boots from Joe Browns are smart and stylish and will look great paired either with chinos or jeans. Bottom left: Lindberg Add a touch of Danish sophistication to your look with eyewear from Lindberg that’s modern, stylish and trendy. To pick up a pair for yourself, head down to O’Brien’s Opticians in Brigg or visit www.obriensopticians.co.uk. Bottom Right: Orgreen Handcrafted in Japan, Orgreen offer Danish style and sophistication which you can own for yourself by visiting O’Brien’s Opticians in Brigg or by visiting www.obriensopticians.co.uk. 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:22 Page 1044 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY Fostering Can you tell us a bit more about fostering, the different types and the benefits? Fostering is looking after someone else’s child in your own home at a time when their family are unable to do so. Foster carers are able to provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment for the child or young person. They work with the child or young person’s family and social services to help most children return home quickly. Foster carers also help to maintain the child’s or young person’s relationship with their own families. Wherever possible, brothers and sisters are looked after in the same foster home. There are many different types of fostering, these include emergency, short-term, long-term, short breaks or respite carers, and ‘Butterfly’ to support families with disabled children. Some carers also choose to work with asylum seeking children. Others with children who have been remanded by the court due to a possible criminal offence having been committed by the child. What do foster carers do? The day to day tasks carried out by each foster carer are different. Ultimately, they provide a stable home for children or young people on a long term or short- term basis. The role can include: • Comforting a child or young person who may feel confused, anxious or distressed, and reassure them that their family still care about them. • Acknowledge different cultural and heritage backgrounds and respect this. • Welcome and encourage the family to remain in contact with the child. Keep the parents advised about the child’s wellbeing and keep them involved in their life. • Ensure the safety of all children they are looking after, including their own children and teach children how to keep themselves safe. • Work closely with social workers to discuss the child’s development. • Encourage children to learn and support them with homework • Promote and protect the physical and mental health of the children they look after. Fostering is not like any other role. It involves the whole family and takes place in the foster carer’s home. It is very rewarding but can also be demanding. Children or young people and their families can be very challenging. It is very important that people who want to become foster carers have enough information to help them decide whether fostering is right for them and their families. What would your advice be for people thinking about foster care? There is no one type of person who makes a good foster carer. Foster carers can be single, living with a partner or married. They may have their own children, have step or adopted children or not have any children. They can come from all ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. North Lincolnshire Fostering Service welcome carers from a variety of different backgrounds to meet the wide-ranging needs of the children and young people who are looked after. There are some qualities which are important for all foster carers to have. You will already have some of the qualities and experience that effective foster carers need and as a fostering service, we will help you through training and support to develop others. If you have ever thought about fostering, get in touch with North Lincolnshire Fostering Service to find out if it’s right for you. They will support you all the way. Call 01724 297024 or visit www.northlincs.gov.uk/fostering. Q&A North Lincolnshire Council We recently spoke to North Lincolnshire Council about fostering and adoption and how you can change a child’s life. You do not have to live in North Lincolnshire to adopt or foster with North Lincolnshire. 44-45.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:23 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 45 Adoption Who can adopt? We would love to hear from people who can provide a loving home for a child or children of all ages from a range of backgrounds. You may be single or part of a couple, in a same sex relationship, a home owner or renter. You may have a disability or health need and could be any age over 21. Sam, aged 51 and Toby, aged 50, adopted three children aged three, four and six through North Lincolnshire Adoption Service. Sam said, “We thought we may be too old and that the chances of caring for three children would be reduced. How wrong we were. What matters is the love you have for the children and the quality of life you can give them." Talk us through the process of becoming an adoptive parent Making the first contact with the Adoption Service can seem very overwhelming. We are here to reassure you, to answer your questions and to try and make the process as clear as possible. The team has years of experience. The Adoption Service supports our prospective adopters throughout the whole assessment process, which can be completed within six months of your application. We will work with you to identify the skills and experiences you will use as new parents. Making an enquiry We will make sure you have all the information you need. You can make an online enquiry via the North Lincolnshire Council website or call us on 01724 297024. We will provide a copy of our brochure and invite you to have a chat at one of our regular information events. We can arrange for a worker to call you in the evening if required. When you are ready to make an application, you will be offered an initial visit at home from one of our Adoption Social Workers to talk in detail about the adoption process. Stage one – initial preparation You will have an allocated Social Worker who will support you through the necessary checks. These include DBS checks, a medical and other references. We will invite you to our programme of workshops which have a relaxed and informative format including meeting some of our adoptive families in person. Once all checks are made we will be ready to make a decision about starting Stage Two. Stage two – assessment and further preparation Your Social Worker will visit more regularly and work with you to complete an assessment report. We will get to know you and your family and help you think about the number and ages of children you may be able to care for. When your report is finished we will support you to attend the Adoption Panel which will make recommendations about your suitability to adopt. For people considering becoming an adoptive parent, what kind of support is available? We are committed to providing a wide range of support services to adoptive families, adopted children and birth relatives. The supports include: • A letterbox service and mediation for the exchange of information between adopted children and birth family members • Services to support adoptive family relationships • Assessments for support services including financial support • A support group and training workshops for adopters • Mediating, facilitating and supervising direct contact arrangements • Groups for adopted young people • Social events What would your advice be for people thinking about adopting? Speak to us. Sometimes people hold back because they do not feel they would be eligible to adopt. Our children are all unique and so are our adopters. We advise people to contact us with any initial questions. You will receive a friendly and prompt response. We look forward to hearing from you. To find out more about adoption with North Lincolnshire Adoption, visit www.northlincs.gov.uk/adoption or call 01724 297024. 44-45.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:23 Page 246 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY organisation in Britain, is launching a nationwide search for missing historic paths this January. Part of the organisation’s ‘Don’t Lose Your Way’ campaign, the aim is to uncover and register these 10,000 miles of rights of way missing from the map. To accomplish this, it is launching an online mapping platform that compares historic and current maps making it a simple matter to spot missing paths. The public is being called on to help check every single map square in England and Wales, so that The Ramblers can map all the missing paths and apply for them to be added to the official map. Many of these missing paths have been created by use over centuries, dating back to Roman times or even earlier. Loosing these paths means losing relinquishing yet another piece of our heritage. This is even more critical as more of the countryside is handed over for housing developments. Yet how exactly do these paths go missing? Back in 1949, the government passed the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act which meant that every council and local authority in England and Wales had to create a definitive map of all the rights of way in the area. As one can imagine, some areas were more thorough than others with many paths not even making it onto the map and, subsequently, becoming lost, overgrown or forgotten. The government has since introduced a cut-off date of 2026, after which time it will no longer be possible to add paths to the map based on historical evidence. There’s no shortage of beautiful routes With its abundant natural beauty, vast open space and variety of environments, Lincolnshire is a haven for walkers, offering trundles across hills, over coast and through woodlands. Recently there’s been efforts to rediscover old walking tails, but some 10,000 miles of historic paths in Britain are missing from official maps. Without intervention, these paths could be lost forever. Go your own way 46-47.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:25 Page 1How to spot missing paths As well as studying maps to find lost rights of way, there are clues you can look out for while out walking which can reveal the traces of forgotten historic paths: *A worn stone stile may indicate and old entranceway and footpath *Rows of two hedges (often Hawthorn) can show where a bridleway or carriageway might have once run *A path which has been ‘hollowed out’ by use over generations *Evidence of an old stone surface in field may indicate a historical road *Cobbles laid in a river might show the presence of an old ford. LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 47 RAMBLING © Shutterstock /Alexander Chaikin in our county, but the thought of missing historic walks absent from the maps is a shame. Members of The Ramblers in Lincolnshire have spent hours scouring maps and have found several of these missing historic routes, but simply flagging them up to be added to the official map isn’t always a simple matter. Many of these identified routes contain gaps which render them useless. Up to now, members have found that current landowner allow them to walk the missing sections to join both ends but, in future, the landowner may change and the new owner may not permit walking on their land. This is where the campaign comes in, raising awareness and encouraging the public, but there are worries that despite this, some routes will still be lost. There are already many footpath applications in the system in our county, but they are taking a long time to process because of how slowly councils work. The normal time for a path to become a recognised route is usually twenty years in use, but many footpaths have been in use for a lot longer. Via the use of old maps, The Ramblers have shown that some footpaths have been in use for years, but do not appear on the Definitive Map (the map help by the local authority which shows all public rights of way). In parts of Lincolnshire, there have been a few footpaths that fit this criterion including ‘Footpath 72’ which runs from Brigsley to Bradley Road in Waltham which has not been capable of being walked for over forty years. It is a public right of way and on the Definitive Map, but when Humberside County Council was the Local Authority, it allowed an electrical substation to be built across the path and, thus, block the way. As it could not be walked, the landowner allowed the bridges and gates to fall into disrepair. In 1992, several members of The Rambles raised this matter with the local authority but, after many meetings and discussions, nothing was done and the plan to reopen the footpath was abandoned. However, a small group in Waltham continued on its own and the matter was brought to the attention of the Secretary of State for The Commission for Local Administration who criticised the council for its lack of action. For the last five years, this group has been battling the council and landowners and is expecting a result in early 2020 provided they’re not met with any more delays. After twenty-seven years after starting this campaign, they may have recovered a lost way. The mission now is to make sure as many of these lost ways are added to the official map for future generations to cherish. To register and join the fight to save lost paths, visit: ramblers.org.uk/dontloseyourway © Shutterstock /oliveromg 46-47.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:25 Page 248 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY Starting anew H aving just left the year’s biggest period of excess and indulgence, with chocolates, roast dinners, mince pies, fry ups, and thoughts of “just one more”, the new year brings a fresh mind and, of course, resolutions that present the opportunity to create a “new you”. One of the most popular resolutions is the health kick, whether it be a new fitness routine or diet. Apparently one in five people make a resolution to lose weight or eat healthier. However, one in five people also break resolutions by the 6th January, according to a 2017 poll. This is often due to the fact that resolutions represent a special independent effort - they are one grand, often tough, gesture instead of simply something to be integrated into daily life. When setting goals for the new year, then, one should be reasonable. Don’t make your first goal to try and lose 100 pounds in X months. Avoid lofty ideas and start small but commit to some regularity. In order to succeed one needs to make realistic measurable goals that are sustainable long-term. These should also be enjoyable - choose an activity that will be fun or perhaps even exhilarating. While something simple like joining a gym is a small step for some, it can represent a major commitment to others, bore some January represents the time in which many set their minds on becoming fitter, however demotivation can set in quick. But with the variety of activities the county holds, an interesting new exercise experience is just around the corner and sure to keep your attention. 50 Á 48-52.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:27 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 49 HEALTH & FITNESS © Shutterstock /Dragana Gordic 48-52.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:27 Page 2Next >