www.blmgroup.co.ukBLMGROUPGROUPBLMFabulousFebruary Homes, food,entertaining andmuch moreFabulousFebruary Homes, food,entertaining andmuch moreA PASSION FOR LIVINGA PASSION FOR LIVING£2.60 FEBRUARY 2012£2.60 FEBRUARY 2012WWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NETWWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NETLove is inthe air How to make thisValentines specialLove is inthe air How to make thisValentines special01:Layout 1 20/1/12 11:31 Page 1Sue Kitchen | Managing Partner23 Algitha Road, Skegness Lincolnshire PE25 2AGTel: 01754 766 991 |Fax: 01754 769 318skegness@hwca.com |www.hwca.com/skegnessWe provide high quality financial advice to local businesses and individuals. Being part of Haines Watts places us in a unique position - allowing us to offer our national range of services without losing the local personal attention to detail. Being in Skegness we are always close by to pop in and have a chat and help and advise you.We specialise in Accountancy, Book Keeping, Tax Planning, VAT and Financial Services.Corporate Finance Taxaon VAT I.T & Accountancy soware support Expenses Asset Finance02:Layout 1 20/1/12 13:54 Page 1Editor:Steve FisherJournalists:Steve Williams, Mike ShieldsElis Ballard, Michael Fisher. Photographers:Richard Picksley, Alan LongSales Director:Teri CooperSales Manager:Helen NewtonSales:Angela CooperJade SmithAccounts:Angela Sharman, John DownesCirculations:Dawn CookDesign & Production:Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson,Rachel GreenAdvertising:Tel: (01472) 310302, Fax: (01472) 310312 Editorial:Tel: (01472) 310305, Fax: (01472) 310317Part Of The Business LinkMagazine Group: Armstrong House, ArmstrongStreet, Grimsby,N E Lincs DN31 2QEEmail: lincs-today@blmgroup.co.uk Website: www.lincolnshiretoday.net ISSN No: 1366-1299© All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recordedor otherwise without express permission of thecopyright holder, for which application should beaddressed first to the publisher. While everyreasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor itsparticipating agents accept liability for loss ordamage to prints, colour transparencies, negativesor other material of whatever nature submitted to thispublication. The views expressed in this publicationare not necessarily the views of those held by thepublisher.This magazine is now fully recyclable. Byrecycling magazines, you can help reducewaste and add to the 5.5 million tonnes ofpaper already recycled by the UK paperindustry each year. Before you recycle yourmagazine, please ensure you remove allplastic wrapping, free gifts and samples. Ifyou are unable to participate in a recyclingscheme, then why not pass your magazineonto a local hospital or charity?Has anyone else noticed the nights are drawing out ? It’s sooooogreat to see a little more daylight at the end of each day. It’s been amild winter too on the whole; which is a tad worrying as we all knowwinter will still arrive at some point. Like February, or more likelyMarch, when our gardens start showing signs of recovery once again.It’s funny, isn’t it, how much money has been poured into findinga cure for the common cold, and all we have we to show for it areshelves and shelves of products that treat the symptoms but do nothing to avoid uscatching a cold in the first place. Even the NHS seem to have given up on the battle,telling us antibiotics are pointless, so better to stay at home and suffer quietly ratherthan bothering your GP. Charming.My guess is those medical researchers who once wanted to make a name forthemselves by finding a cure, got fed up with working in draughty laboratories withonly a petri dish of viruses to keep them company so opted instead for the morelucrative career of developing decongestants from the comfort of plush designer offices.This would certainly explain why there’s so many folk currently walking around withnasty hacking coughs, runny noses and eyes filling up with water. Maybe that’s whatthey mean by the perfect viral ad. Luckily, yours truly has so far managed to ward off any such symptoms which is justas well as we all know man-flu germs are more powerful than He-Man, the Thundercatsand The A-Team combined. They are too strong for weak, nasty tasting medicines likeDay Nurse, which is why it’s always good to keep a bottle or two of good Scotch whiskyaround the house. It not only tastes better but helps you sleep better too, I find. Anyway, whether you have a cold or not, this latest edition of your favourite countymagazine is bound to cheer you up once again. We’ve got advice and inspiration forthose looking for a new look for their home, tips on well-being and a closer look at allthat’s going on in the county with a special focus on Grantham and Caistor. And don’tsay you’ve forgotten? Don’t worry – we’ve got a host of suggestions to make thisValentine’s Day memorable, for all the right reasons.Good reading, as alwaysSteve FisherEditorWelcome toLincolnshire Today003:Layout 1 20/1/12 13:59 Page 1Features35 CaistorWe explore one of Lincolnshire’s most community-minded towns41 Love is the air...A host of beautiful ideas for Valentine’s Day54 Three of a kindMarvel at some of Lincolnshire’s current avian visitors56 GranthamIts most famous daughter is back in the spotlight, so we take a closer look78 Business TodayHow to turn your business dreams into reality76 Family MattersWe don’t like to think about it, but what if your relationship breaks down?Looking good58 Love fashion!Looking fab with February fashion66 Pretty stylishEmphasise your femininity with key accessories and flashes of colour68 A healthier way of livingOur Fat Loss Specialist explains the effects of stressAt home20 Classic meets contemporaryA home in Tealby mixes classic design with the latest technology25 A blank canvasWhether it’s a new build or period home, we have interiors inspiration29 A garden of beautyGunby Hall is home to hundreds of specimen plants, flowers and trees58February 2012ContentsContents004-005:Layout 1 20/1/12 14:00 Page 1Leisure32 Lincolnshire walksTetford, Salmonby and Belchford70 Equine excellenceHow Lincolnshire is a world beating equestrianvenue County Motoring73 On the forecourt this month...We review vehicles that ooze class withoutguzzling gasSocial Scenes13 Lincoln Sportsmans Club72Showroom Christmas PartyRegulars7 News Stories from around the county81 What’s On Forthcoming events across Lincolnshire83 The reviewOur critics review the latest books, music andfilms84 HoroscopesWhat will your stars say?Front cover courtesy ofwww.shutterstock.com / conrado72704120004-005:Layout 1 20/1/12 14:00 Page 206:Layout 1 20/1/12 14:01 Page 1Rising optimism in Sleaford and North KestevenA rising number of businesses are choosing to locate to business parks in Sleaford and othersites in North Kesteven.Hodgson Elkington LLP, the chartered surveyors who manage six business centres, report100% occupancy at half of the sites in the district and high occupancy of the other three –with new businesses citing favourable costs, good transport links and quality of life asimportant reasons for coming. This follows the completion of two more lettings at BillinghayBusiness Park and the new Sleaford Business Centre.Nitin Noble of Bob Mills (UK) Limited, which relocated its business to the Sleaford BusinessCentre, says, “The lower fixed costs, location with good access to other parts of the countryand the better quality of schools were primary reasons for choosing to locate here.”Marie Gutteridge from Hodgson Elkington is pictured handing over the keys to Russell Trimble and Nitin Noble at the Sleaford Business Centre.Lincolnshire YesterdayOur regular look at the world of antiques and collectablesAn antique brass and copper diver’shelmet sold for over £3600 in the recent saleat the Lincoln auction rooms. The helmet,which was made by Siebe Gorman and Coin 1910, was originally bought by thevendor from the British Whaling Companyin South Georgia, then part of the FalklandIslands, in 1970. It was estimated to sell forbetween £2000 and £3000 when it wentunder the hammer at auctioneers GoldingYoung & Thos. Mawer, but fierce bidding inthe room against several telephone biddersand others on the Internet ensured itoutstripped its estimate to sell for a hammerprice of £3675.Auctioneer John Leatt says, “The diver’s helmet was made by the very best ofmakers and it was unusual for such a piece only to have been on the market oncein its lifetime. It was bought by a local collector who had been searching for adiver’s helmet for some time. Its excellent provenance and the fact it was incompletely untouched condition ensured it made a high price.”Also under the hammer this month...Exceptional prices were achieved for gold and silver in the sale. In particular, threeKrugerands consigned from a Nottingham deceased estate and 12 sovereigns fromthe same source made a total of £2,630 and a set of three gold coins made £840.An automatic Omega gentleman’s wristwatch with date aperture, champagne-coloured dial and nine carat gold strap sold for £580. An 18 carat gold pocketwatch by Thomas Russell and Son of Liverpool in its original box, which had anestimated of £400 and £600, sold for a hammer price of £900 and its matchingnine carat gold watch chain, which included a T-bar and gold sovereign dated1918, sold separately for £850. Meanwhile, a three-piece silver tea service made byWalker and Hall of Sheffield in 1918 sold for £420 and two lots of mixed copper,nickel, silver and other coins and a number of silver crowns made £420 and £1500respectively.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY7LincolnshirenewsJack Harvey returns forsecond year in F3Lincolnshire racing driver Jack Harvey will bereturning to the British F3 InternationalChampionship this year with 2011 championsCarlin.Despite a challenging start, the Racing StepsFoundation-backed driver ended his first season on ahigh and secured four podiums in four races,including his maiden F3 win at the Nurburgring.Jack has already begun winter testing at some ofthe UK tracks on the 2012 calendar and hasimpressed from the off, topping the timesheets at allfour venues. Jack’s Championship campaign will bekick started on 6th April at Oulton Park and will seehim race at ten circuits across the UK and Europe,before the season finale at Donington Park on 30thSeptember.Jack says, “Despite the tough start to 2011 I canlook back on my first season in British F3 and feelhappy that I met my key goals, which were toachieve regular podium finishes and a race win. I’mreally happy with how it has gone so far and this,coupled with a year’s F3 racing experience under mybelt, means I will be heading into the new seasonconfident and with the single aim of winning theChampionship.”07-10:Layout 1 20/1/12 14:07 Page 107-10:Layout 1 20/1/12 14:07 Page 2LINCOLNSHIRETODAY9LincolnshirenewsRememberingthe Pilot PoetAviation Heritage Lincolnshirehave commemorated theseventieth anniversary of themid-air collision in which P/OJohn Gillespie Magee lost hislife.Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee was killedin a collision with an aircraft from RAF Cranwellin December 1941 while Magee was serving with412 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force at RAFDigby and while he was dispersed to RAFWellingore. He was just nineteen years old andwas buried with full military honours atScopwick Cemetery near Digby aerodrome.At the request of the Reverend Canon HughMagee, the brother of John, the eventscommenced with a short service and a privateact of remembrance at Scopwick Cemetery. Accompanied by family and friends and around twenty local villagers, Hugh Magee laid a wreathon his brother’s grave. The Last Post was sounded and an honour guard of US Air Force, US Navy and Canadian Army personnel flanked thewar graves in the cemetery.On Saturday afternoon Roger Cole talked about the inspirational pilot at the Lincoln Hotel. Some extracts from Magee’s poems were read byHugh Magee and Phil Bonner, with proceeds from the talk being donated to the RAF Benevolent Fund. In the evening AHL also hosted adinner for invited guests at the Lincoln Hotel. The Sunday morning service of Choral Mattins at Lincoln Cathedral included acommemoration with a number of distinguished guests.Blood Bikesplanning to ridefor LincolnshireA volunteer group of motorcyclistshave launched a campaign to raiseawareness of what are commonlycalled ‘Blood Bikes’. The LincolnshireEmergency Blood Bike Service plan to provide a free ‘out of hours’ emergencycourier service for hospitals and healthcare facilities, transporting urgent medicalitems including blood, actively staffed by volunteers working to professionalstandards.Currently these products are delivered by taxi or commercial courier, costingthe NHS a substantial amount of money each year. On some occasionsambulances or police vehicles have to be used, taking them out of service for theduration. LEBBS wants to change this within Lincolnshire. At their first public appearance group members were on hand to talk about theaims and proposals of the group to visitors to the Classic Bike Guide MotorcycleShow at the Newark Showground. They aim to have three motorcycles, all fullyequipped before becoming operational within the county. If you feel you can helpsupport the group as a rider or donator, visit www.LEBBS.org.Creatives urged to showand sell at Artists’MarketsLincoln has announced plans for an exciting newseries of Artists’ Markets at the top of Steep Hill.Shoppers and browsers will find the colourful stalls,laden with everything from individual painting toglassware and photographs, in the Castle Hill area. The Artists’ Markets will take place on the firstSaturday of each month from 3rd March. LincolnBIG chief executive Matt Corrigan says, “Our Artists’Markets are always popular because they allowshoppers and visitors to find really unique gifts fortheir friends or their home.”Market co-ordinator and artist Lea Goldberg says,“Artists and makers have already started snapping-up stalls, but I am keen to hear from more who maybe interested in taking space to show and sell theireyecatching work. Stallholders usually pay £25every time they attend the market, but those whosign up to be at our first event can book two eventsfor the price of one.”07-10:Layout 1 20/1/12 14:07 Page 3Next >