< Previous50 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HEALTH & FITNESS Indoor Bowling Club breaks with tradition and goes blue In a bid to attract more members, the Lincoln and District Indoor Bowling Club has added a modern twist to its already excellent facility. Since 1972, the club has been based at Hall Drive at the rear of Boultham Park, promoting an indoor flat green bowls for all ages. Now, after almost half a century of the traditional green carpet, the club has installed a bold blue bowling surface as it looks ahead to the next fifty years. Although the club boasts 1,150 members, making it one of the largest in the UK, that membership is ageing. Contrary to popular belief, indoor bowls at the highest competitive level is a young person’s game, but it’s also a sport that older generations can play on equal terms and one that caters for disabled players. With the new carpet in place, here’s hoping the club secures more members. Everyone is welcome to attend its open day on 11 January 2020. To find out more, visit www.lincolnindoorbowlsclub.co.uk. or even be intimidating, especially in January when the gym is at its busiest. Simple acts can be a great start; going on walks, a run around the block, aiming to take 10,000 steps a day, trying a 10-minute home workout, taking an exercise class once or twice a week. From here, gradually increase your activities. One method of creating and sticking to your New Year fitness goals is to create a plan for just a week, and have your goal simply be to stick to say exercising and eating better for that week. Then set a goal to do so for two weeks, then a month, and so on. Moreover, choose the time that you dedicate to activity wisely - assign your exercise so that it attaches well to your current routine, for instance on the journey back home from work or before you would usually shower. Finding your “why” is also important. It might be that you want to be healthier in order to be able to better keep up with your children or grandchildren. Then when your plan to be fitter and © Shutterstock /Master1305 48-52.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:27 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 51 HEALTH & FITNESS OPEN DAY Saturday 11th January 2020 (9.30 - 16.00) Lincoln Indoor Bowling Club Hall Drive, Lincoln LN6 7SW New Year's Resolution to get a bit more active? Come and try Indoor Bowling on the BLUE Carpet at Lincoln & District Indoor Bowling Club •A Family game for all ages and abilities •All Equipment available to hire at no cost •Coaching available for future sessions •Club Memberships available - Very affordable For further information call Danny Brown on 01522 526237 healthier becomes hard and you start to fall back into unhealthy habits, remembering your why can be a major force to getting you back on track. A good idea for maintaining motivation and excitement in health and fitness plans for the new year is to mix up your exercise - variety is the spice of life after all. Those setting their sights on a fitter lifestyle often become lax after a few weeks because they get bored. Trying a mix of different activities or workouts will keep both your mind and body engaged. This also helps you find what you truly enjoy. 2020 is the perfect time to get involved in new activities across Lincolnshire, which hosts a plethora of different options. Why not try croquet, cricket, kurling, target shooting, squash, archery, table tennis, bowls, or indeed indoor bowls now the weather outside is less kind, or perhaps take up a class - yoga, pilates, Zumba. Meanwhile, if you’re nimble enough, the New Year could be your chance to get into martial arts, with something completely different like kickboxing, tai chi, judo, Brazilian jiu jitsu and taekwondo. Alternatively, after being cooped up inside for Christmas meals, parties, and festive movies, step outside for some activities specifically set in fresh and © Shutterstock /Jacob Lund 52 Á 48-52.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:27 Page 452 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HEALTH & FITNESS PERSON SHAPED SUPPORT (PSS) Shared Lives scheme is changing lives in Lincolnshire The first ‘Shared Lives’ scheme was established forty years ago by Person Shaped Support (PSS) and now it’s one of the fastest growing forms of care in the UK with the highest CQC outcomes of any model and great for money too. The scheme is helping to support and change lives here in Lincoln, working out of facilities in Sleaford. What is Shared Lives? Although Shared Lives is a care service, it’s different from the majority of others available. With this scheme, the person being supported is welcomed into the warmth into one of the homes of the scheme’s carers and become part of the family. It’s similar to how a foster placement might run but is designed especially for adults and young people. The scheme’s amazing carers welcome the people they support into their homes to live with them either full-time or for short breaks, providing as much or as little support as and when they need with everyday life. “At the moment, everything we are doing with PSS is bringing a positive outlook the live of our serviced user,” said social worker David. “Long may it continue.” PSS are constantly looking out for new carers, so any interested parties shouldn’t hesitate to get in touch. For more information, give Lincolnshire Shared Lives Development Worker Toni Ulyatt a call on 07918617599, or email sharedliveslincs@pss.org.uk. More information can also be found via www.makeyourself.org.uk. crisp air. There is an abundance of beautiful and interesting cycling and walking routes in Lincolnshire that are full of nature and history too, as well as routes suitable for all abilities. One might consider joining a club to keep motivated while making new connections at the same time. The new year could also be a chance to get on the water, to try your hand at rowing, canoeing and sailing, all activities also available in Lincolnshire. One might embrace one’s inner Robin Hood with archery or inner lumberjack with axe throwing, investigate the county and surrounding regions’ depths with caving, or begin an equine adventure with horse riding. With all these actives available to those living in Lincolnshire - with most catering for adults, elders, children and those with disabilities - there is no reason for fitness and exercise to be boring for anyone in 2020. So get out in the county and give something new a go. While in the new year, many can get bogged down if they do not see quick results from upping their fitness levels and may feel like a failure for not being quite as committed as initially pledging to be, it should be remembered: motivation and results will fluctuate, so don’t be too hard on yourself. The New Year should be about making progress not achieving instant perfection. © Shutterstock /Dave Denby Photography 48-52.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:27 Page 5LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 53 FOOD & DINING © Shutterstock /Teri Virbickis Celery, spinach and cucumber juice New Year, New Menu January is here and with it, our best efforts to start the year off with a healthy twist. There’s no telling how it will last, but for those looking to shed pounds here are some recipes that are sure to help. Serves: 1 Preparation time: 5 minutes each Cooking time: n/a You’ll need: 1 cucumber 5 sticks of celery 2 apples 1 bag Fresh & Naked baby spinach leaves 1 lime 1 tsp honey Boost your nutrient intake with this super green juice. Enjoy in the morning for a healthy start to the day or in the evening to help with a good night’s sleep as celery contains the chemical serotonin, one of the most important brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, for regulating the sleep/wake cycle. What to do: Chop the cucumber, celery and apple into chunks. Put everything through a juicer then chill in the fridge. Stir well before serving. Recipe by: www.lovethecrunch.com 53-55.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:29 Page 154 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY Picture your venue The George Hotel 1 Boston Road, Spilsby, PE23 5HB Tel: 01790 752528 Web: www.spilsby.info/georgehotel The George Hotel guarantees a warm welcome and the perfect pub environment. Karaoke is on every Saturday night, and with live music held once a month and a large function room (available free of charge for parties), the George Hotel is the perfect venue for entertaining. The accommodation boasts eight letting bedrooms with TV, tea and coffee making facilities and free Wi-Fi. Click’em Inn Swinhope, Nr Binbrook, Market Rasen, LN8 6BS Tel: 01472 398253 Web: www.clickem-inn.co.uk The Click’em Inn is a family-owned freehouse, established for over 30 years in its current incarnation. Steeped in history, the inn is open seven days a week, offering a wide choice of drinks, including six real ales available at any time, with a regularly changing selection of personally recommended guest ales. The kitchen is open all week for evening dining, plus lunchtimes on certain days of the week. The menu varies from day-to-day with the chef’s specials, alongside regular meals. To promote your services call Angie Cooper on 01472 310302 or email: a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk The Duke of Wellington Station Road, Midville Tel: 01205 270593 Web: www.dukeofwellingtonmidville.co.uk At The Duke of Wellington, the aim is to make you welcome and deliver the very best in food and drink that will keep you coming back time and again. The Duke of Wellington is a much loved part of the local community that extends a welcome to locals and visitors alike. On offer is great food, drink and warm hospitality. Byards Leap Lodge East View, Byards Leap, Cranwell, Sleaford Tel: 01400 261375/07595 760 774 www.byards-leap-lodge.co.uk Whether you are on a leisure or business trip, you’ll find warm hospitality at the Country Kitchen and Lodge. It offers four star, silver awarded accommodation, having won a TripAdvisor award of excellence. The Lodge has five double rooms, all of which are en-suite and on the ground floor, as well as two two-bedroom apartments. Dedicated facilities for the disabled are available. The China Royal Restaurant 6 Bridge Streets, Brigg, DN20 8LN Tel: 01652 650688 (reservations)/654762 (takeaway) Web: www.chinaroyal.co.uk The intimate, warm surroundings of the China Royal are ideal for the most romantic dinner or the largest banquet. Serving the best in Chinese cuisine, it has five stars on the doors, and is open throughout all Bank Holidays. © Shutterstock /135pixels BerryWorld Fruit Kebabs Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10-15 minutes You’ll need: 200g Strawberries sliced 1 Mango sliced 2 tangerines segmented 100g green grapes These sweet fruit kebabs make the perfect healthy home- time treat. Kids can join in the fun by helping to make them too. What to do: On wooden skewers, thread on the sliced fruit, alternating the strawberries with the mango, tangerines and grapes. Recipe by: www.berryworld.com FOOD & DINING 53-55.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:29 Page 2Horncastle Cake Art & Hobby House Everything for the Crafter Cake Decorations, Knitting, Crochet, Felt, Ribbons & more www.horncastlecakeart.co.uk 25 North Street, Horncastle, Lincs. LN9 5DX Tel: 01507 525926/522659 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 55 FOOD & DINING Deliciously Deliciously Lincolnshire Platinum Awarded for outstanding quality and service by award WWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NET Awardwinning family pub Swineshead Road, Boston, PE21 7JE Tel: 01205 361323 Email: wayne.salmon@btconnect.com www.hammerandpincers-boston.co.uk Hammer & Pincers is a family pub based in Swineshead Road, Boston. We serve an exclusive range of food and drink in a welcoming atmosphere. Sit back and relax with a pint of one of our fine cask ales or sample our range of premium lagers, wines and gins. We also have poker nights, team pool and darts nights in addition to showing all live Premier League football. Give us a call for further details. Hammer & Pincers is your first choice for freshly home-cooked food coupled with an extensive range of premium drinks © Shutterstock /NatashaPhoto Avocado toast with blue cheese, radish & walnut The ever-popular brunch dish is given a crunchy twist by topping with pretty, peppery French breakfast radishes and walnuts. What to do: Combine the mashed avocado and lime juice and season well with salt and black pepper. Spread on the toast. Lay the radish slices over the avocado then crumble the cheese over the top, scatter with walnuts and season. Drizzle with olive oil if desired. Recipe by: www.loveradish.co.uk Serves: 1 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 2 minutes You’ll need: 1 slice of sourdough bread, toasted 1/2 ripe avocado, mashed Squeeze of lime Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 French breakfast radishes, sliced 20g Danish blue cheese, crumbled 4 walnut halves roughly chopped and toasted Drizzle of olive oil (optional) 53-55.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:29 Page 356 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY OAKLANDS HALL HOTEL Q&A What services you offer brides and grooms to be considering a marriage at Oaklands? We’re fully licensed for civil weddings and partnerships and have an album of nominated suppliers that we’d recommend to anyone considering or planning a wedding with us. There’s plenty of reasons why couples should choose Oaklands for their special day, from our idyllic settings and award- winning catering, to a choice of suites and stunning hotel rooms. If you’re looking for classic, romantic and elegant wedding with a country feel, then we’ve got you covered. We are fully aware that your wedding day is special, and we are more than happy to discuss your plans and see how best we can help you achieve your dream wedding. If you don't see the package that suits your needs, we can help you to create a unique wedding package to suit your individual requirements. Our executive chef can tailor a menu around your budget and individual needs, offering a truly bespoke service. We also host a range of wedding events throughout the year, including our free-to-attend open days. Here couples can come along and see our grounds and establishment for themselves, sample the food and really get a sense of what we can offer. We’re happy to field question and make sure that we can help make their dreams come true. We’ve got an open day coming up on Sunday 27 September. We’re also hosting a Wedding Week from Sunday 19 to Sunday 26 January. Here Perfect Touch and Jack Loves Jill will be providing room décor for potential wedding customers to view and help to plan their special day. For readers that have yet to visit, what can you tell us about Oaklands? We are a family-run 3-star hotel owned by the Underwood family with a partner since 2011. Their aim was to bring the Oaklands back to some former glory through décor and improvements to the structure of the building. The hotel sits in 5 acres of landscaped gardens, perfect for photos for weddings and corporate team building events. We have 46 bedrooms with a mix of doubles, twins, family rooms and a junior suite for an added night of luxury. All the bedrooms have been refurbished since 2013 and are all a good quality. The in-house Q&A Oaklands Hall Hotel We’re recently chatted with Best Western Oaklands Hall Hotel in Laceby about its food and rooms and what it offers happy couples looking to tie the knot. 56-57.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:30 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 57 OAKLANDS HALL HOTEL Q&A restaurant, The Comfy Duck, holds an AA rosette for food, which we are proud of. We have won numerous awards for the hotel in recent years including ‘Hotel of the Year’ and ‘Restaurant of the Year’. We were also a Platinum Award winner in your very own Lincolnshire Today Dining Awards. We are always looking to develop the hotel so who knows what the future will hold. Can you tell us a bit more about The Comfy Duck? There’s more to The Comfy Duck than the awards we’ve won, the local, seasonal produce we source daily and the distinctive dishes we’re famous for. There’s a real sense of excitement every time we open our doors. We love what we do – and you can tell. We’re trying to create something truly unique and every member of our close-knit team is proud to be a part of it. We cater for everybody with a variety of menus, from á la carte to home comforts and not forgetting the grill. We also have an exciting vegan menu that’s proving popular. For lighter options, we have bar snacks available to enjoy in the bar with a beer, real ale or something from our cocktail menu. But let’s not go forgetting the Sunday lunch, which we offer every Sunday with a live singer throughout the afternoon. We host Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations and parties as well as Father’s Day carveries, food and drink tasting evenings, Easter Sundays, Valentine’s day, Burn’s Night, and we’re now taking bookings for Mother’s Day. To find out more, visit www.oaklandshallhotel.co.uk, email reception@oaklandshallhotel.co.uk, or call 0 1472 872 248. Deliciously Deliciously Lincolnshire Platinum Awarded for outstanding quality and service by award WWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NET 56-57.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:30 Page 258 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY O n arriving at The Cross Keys, I was first struck by the beauty of the views over the Wolds, with the restaurant offering arguably the best vantage in the area. Secondly, it was the décor, with its stone surround fireplace, dark wood and farmhouse chic, at once comfortable, stylish and welcoming. Then the attentive staff ensured that every need was catered for even before I was seated. The first starter of the evening was a flavourful vegetarian option that would appeal to the most tenacious meat- eaters. The mushrooms provided an earthy base, offering exactly the deep rich flavours one wants for in pâté. Accompanying was a delicate micro salad tossed with sweet crispy shallots and toasted pecans, a combination that brought out new dimensions in the mushrooms. Completing this elegantly presented dish was the melba toast, putting the final flourish on a reimagined classic. The second was a trio of crab tortellini topped with a sweetly piquant lime sorbet and perfumed with a dill garnish. This was adventurous food with an artful flair, offering a touch of haute cuisine in West Lindsey that’s welcome to everyone. The Cross Keys have recently started mixing and serving their own cocktails and so before my main meal, I was treated to a sophisticated espresso martini, topped with coffee beans. With plans to pair food with cocktails, this bar and restaurant continues to forge its own path and put its unique stamp on the area. The main itself was a delightful duck dish. Offering a departure from the usual potato and two vegetable accompaniments, the breast was served with a sweetcorn and leek tarlet and rested on a velveteen smooth burnt sweetcorn puree. The burning process imparts a deep smoky flavour, similar to the smoking process, enhancing the corn’s sweetness. Trust me when I say that this is a combination that you’ll want to try for yourself. The tarlet could have easily been a starter in its own right; fresh and sweet with a toasty crumbly base. The meat, meanwhile, was butter soft, pink in the middle, and full of its own flavours. My first dessert was a blackberry Bavarois on a light pistachio sponge, speared with meringue shards. The flavours were delicate and refreshing, sweet and gently tart, for a fully realised dish where every aspect had been carefully considered. The second was a winter berry soufflé served with a homemade amaretti biscuit. Light and fluffy, warm and comforting, it provided a perfect end to the evening. Head chef and co-owner Stephanie Barker is emerging as a true culinary pioneer, experimenting with taste, texture and presentation, with innovative combinations. With these winter dishes, she and her talented team are onto something special and you really need to sample it for yourself. To book a table, visit www.crosskeys-grasby.co.uk, email info@crosskeys-grasby.co.uk, or call 01652 628247. The Cross Keys, Grasby In just over eighteen months, The Cross Keys has cemented itself as one of the county’s most exciting culinary hotspots. We dropped in to sample the new winter dishes. 58.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:31 Page 1* Wedding Packages from £4500 * Bespoke Weddings from £1500 Sitting proudly in the medieval splendour of Lincoln Cathedral, the White Hart Hotel is the ultimate wedding venue. Your bespoke wedding will be perfectly tailored to your every wish by our dedicated team of professionals. The White Hart Hotel offers a truly breathtaking setting to host the most important day of your life. We offer packages that combine a magical venue with a first class service, making sure that your wedding day is everything you dreamed it would be and more! With inclusive packages to suit your ideas, your dream wedding day at the White Hart Hotel could be closer than you think! THE PERFECT WEDDING LOCATION Bailgate | Lincoln | Lincolnshire LN1 3AR For more details, a wedding pack or to arrange an appointment, please call us on 01522 563 298 email weddings@whitehart-lincoln.co.uk www.whitehart-lincoln.co.uk Follow us on twitter @WhiteHartLN1 * Please ask for further details, terms & conditions apply 59.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 10:31 Page 1Next >