< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIREArtist Dale Bowen was born andraised in Staffordshire in 1963, butmoved from the county six yearsago. He now lives in Lynton northDevon where he operates a littlestudio gallery that’s open to thepublic. From an early age, Dale has alwaysloved drawing and painting, and hewas heavily influenced by his formteacher at secondary school, MrHargreaves. It was during this periodthat Dale was drawn to theimpressionist style before he evenknew what it was. Having originally studied art atcollege in Newcastle, Dale went onto work as a master potter, first atCoalport China and later atWedgewood, working for almost 20years. During his time in the prestigedepartment, he created manynoteworthy commissions, includingpieces for the Queen Mother’s 100thbirthday, HMS Victory celebrationsand Coalport’s 250th Anniversary. It’slittle surprise that his skilfullydecorated pieces have beenexhibited in museums worldwide,and fetching prices in excess of£100,000. Despite his natural affinity withpottery, painting remains Dale’s firstlove. He recently returned hispaintbrushes to canvas, and hasexperienced phenomenal success indoing so. His playful acrylic originalsare resplendent with colour andtexture, proving as equally popularwith adults and children. Animals,people and vehicles are hidden inand amongst the vibrant, whimsicallandscapes, with the humorous titlesof each piece revealing the artist’sevident affection for each scene. Many of Dale’s works areDale Bowen has carved outa reputation as a potter andpainter at the top of hisgame, and now his intricateand whimsical pieces go ondisplay in Lincolnshire. Warm and20-21_Layout 1 26/01/2017 13:00 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY21THE LITTLE REDGALLERYLove art? Then we’d love to meet you, please call in for a cup of tea and a chat.The Little Red Gallery are feeling ‘Love’ with a fantastic range of pieces and perfect gift ideas.8 Bailgate Lincoln LN1 3AE01522 589134art@thelittleredgallery.co.ukwww.thelittleredgallery.co.ukfantastical, almost cartoonish. Buildings are distorted and boatstake on repeated form, almost as if taken directly out of a child’sstorybook – more Wind in the Willows than Alice inWonderland. Yet the interesting use of perspective twinnedwith this style creates an intricate finished result, adding asense of serene life to the picture. Dale’s pieces are popular up and down the country, withhis Limited Editions collections consistently selling out inrecord time. The joy he takes from painting each piece isperhaps only matched by those fortunate enough to own one. Not content to rest on his laurels, Dale has recently gained aMaster’s degree in ceramics at Staffordshire University. He’s alsoprivately exhibited in Washington, San Francisco and New York, as well ascompleting an exclusive masterpiece collection for Wedgewood in Japan. Dalepaints full time and distributes his works through Buckingham Fine Arts,where he has been for ten years now. You can meet the artist in person on Saturday 18 February at the Little RedGallery where Dale will be exhibiting his work.As well as beingexhibited in Japanand the US, Dale’s workis also on display inthe UK, and county art fanscan get a first-hand lookwhen his works go ondisplay at The Little RedGallery this February.whimsy20-21_Layout 1 26/01/2017 13:00 Page 222 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYGARDENSA garden forsocialisingGiven the recent spell of frost and news that anarctic front is moving our way, most greenfingered readers will have hung up theirgardening tools, and be consoling themselves bythumbing through bulb and seed catalogues. Given the recent spell of frost and news that anarctic front is moving our way, most greenfingered readers will have hung up theirgardening tools, and be consoling themselves bythumbing through bulb and seed catalogues. A garden forsocialising22-25_Layout 1 26/01/2017 13:09 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY23GARDENSIt’s a frustrating time of year for those of us who enjoy our gardens, so to cheereveryone up, you’ll be pleased to hear that, here at Lincolnshire Today, we plannedahead in the summer months so we’d have something to raise the spirits of ourreaders in the ‘bleak mid winter’.As you can tell from the images at the time of our visit, Kevin and ChristineJohnson’s garden was in full bloom and the sun shining. As the couple tell us “We lovenothing more than relaxing in our garden, with our daughter Dominique, or socialisingover a glass of Prosecco with friends.”However, this certainly wasn’t the case, when they first moved into their home onthe East Coast some ten years ago. Their garden had been badly rundown and wastotally overgrown, “It was littered with building materials and old toys,” recallsChristine, “and, as we had our hands full restoring the equally neglected house, bits ofthe garden would be tackled when we could fit it in and work up the enthusiasm.We’d clear some of the weeds and find rubbish that needed to be skipped the n leaveit a few weeks and find it’d grown over again.”It took them over a year to get their house into shape, but once this was completethe Johnsons were able to concentrate more fully on their plot and transform theirfeatureless jungle. From the couple’s living room the French doors provide a welcome viewpoint fromwhich to enjoy the garden and the Indian stone they used for the patio makes a lovely24 Á22-25_Layout 1 26/01/2017 13:09 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYGARDENStransition area for alfresco living. Kevinlaid this by hand over a couple ofweekends and as he points out, “Unlikeconcrete slabs these can be cut withoutexposing concrete within. They’re naturalstone all the way through but they’recalibrated too, which means they are allthe same thickness, so it makes life a loteasier when laying them and trying toget them all level.” Then adds “I’ve stillgot a way to go as, in our hurry to getthe garden into shape, I laid some crazypaving which we’ve fallen out of lovewith - so that just has to go.”After weeks of clearing the debris thegarden slowly began to emerge. “Hardlandscaping was found in some placesand we opted to keep some of this as itnaturally linked to the patio area, butgradually we’re changing that,” explainsKevin. Large beds were double dug addingplenty of compost, before stocking with amix of herbaceous perennials and annualsand large buxus sempivirens dottedalong the border to add architecturalinterest.As Kevin points out “The plants wechose all take care of themselves prettywell and need very little maintenance – ifyou notice we’ve been quite liberal withthe amount of mulch over a strong geo-textile liner beneath, as this not onlykeeps moisture in the soil in summermonths but also cuts down the amountof weeding too. With Dominiquegrowing we wanted to be able to comehome and spend quality time together,not have to start rolling up our sleevesand spending hours weeding.” There’s certainly plenty of interest andshape throughout the year, although22-25_Layout 1 26/01/2017 13:09 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY25GARDENSthere are plans afoot to introduce a homemadetrellis arch, which will be entwined withWisteria, to add height to the garden, and thiswill be lined with Christine’s favourite;lavenders.The couple also hope to introduce aconservatory. “We want a comfortable area thatwe can retreat to when socialising if theweather turns – which it so often does in thiscountry,” says Christine. “It’ll also give uschance to enjoy the garden throughout thecolder months or just duck back in for a coffeewhen I’m cracking the whip on Kevin in thegarden.”22-25_Layout 1 26/01/2017 13:09 Page 426 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYPlot andplantown fruit and vegetables is a great way touse your garden, and you can start planningahead for the summer crops. Climatepermitting, you can start to grow earlycarrots, lettuces and salad onions which canbe put under cloches. Now is also the timeto plant raspberries, and these are anexcellent fruit for beginners as they are fairlytrouble free, and they grow well in mostsoils. You must ensure, though, that your soilis moist and free draining. You plant yourraspberry canes about 2.5 ft. apart, diggingdown about 5 inches. Tread the soil aroundthe root after planting, and at the end of therow place a high stake from which you canstretch galvanised wires across at 3 ft. and 5ft. heights. You may want to have a pond to enjoy inthe summer, and now would be the idealtime to dig one. The spring rain may help tofill it, and the planting around it will help toattract wildlife in the spring and summer. Iwould advise you to carry out plenty ofOne of the good things about gardeningis that you can plan ahead, and at this timeof year it is good to think of the summer sunwhich is just around the corner, and plan forit. You may not need to completely re-design your garden but there are somethings that you can do now to make smallchanges to your garden to be enjoyed in thesummer. Some plants that you can considerplanting now to give you spring andsummer colour in your garden are Daphne,Buddleia and Caiophora and many half-hardy annuals. You can also attend to yourexisting plants to ensure that they continueto provide flowers. For example, if youdeadhead winter pansies frequently thenthey will carry on into the spring and maybeeven into early summer. Near the end of themonth you can top dress beds and theborders with a fertiliser in order to feedperennials and assist them back into growth. If you have the space then growing yourEd FullerEd Fuller for FullersForestry andLandscaping showshow planning aheadwill leave your gardenlooking gloriouscome the summer. Plot andplant26-27_Layout 1 26/01/2017 13:12 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY27Specialised Servicesin Garden DesignLandscaping andTree MaintenanceBacked by a highly-skilledand experienced team,we’ve built our reputationon an ability to provide our clients with professional, tailored gardening and forestry solutionsFREE NO OBLIGATIONQUOTATIONSFULLERSForestry & LandscapingCall 01522 868717 or 07867 510544info@fullersforestry.co.uklwww.fullersforestry.co.ukwww.landscapinglincolnshire.comGARDEN ADVICE• Divide bulbs such as snowdrops• Prune hardy evergreen hedges and renovateovergrown deciduous hedges• Use a pressure washer to clean paths, steps, pavingand patios• Plant colourful, evergreen Phormium ‘Cream Delight’ in apatio pot to brighten winter displays• Prune Wisteria• Take care not to walk over borders or on lawns wherespring bulbs and flowers will be emerging• Prune Conservatory climbers.researchabout how tocreate a pond beforeyou start. You need toensure you havegently sloping contoursbetween the shallow anddeep areas, and thedeepest point needs to be agood 2 ft. so as to reduce the risk ofthe pond freezing to its full depth. A project like this may bebetter carried out by a professional.Now is also the time to be looking out for pests anddisease. You need to pick up dead fallen leaves to deter greymould, and keep an eye out for overwintering pests such aswhitefly or red spider mite and treat accordingly. Also, if youhave a greenhouse or plants in your conservatory ensure youventilate it on mild sunny days to help reduce fungalinfections. No matter what your gardening experience there is alwayssomething to be done in the garden to ensure you have anoutdoor space to enjoy all year round. Just a bit of planningahead can make all the difference.Around the garden26-27_Layout 1 26/01/2017 13:13 Page 228 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYLincolnshire walks are a great way to uncoverthese gems while blowing away the cobwebs,and toning up - if only my history teacher wasaround to see me now, she’d be proud aspunch; not to mention my PE teacher. This month, we embark on a circular walkfrom Market Rasen through Walesby Village andback, through a wooded area, into MarketRasen - a walk of approximately 9.5 miles witha stop off at a very pleasant tea room, shouldyou fancy it, en-route. There’s also a feweateries in Market Rasen afterwards should youneed to refuel. The quiet village of Walesby sits on the verywestern tip of the Wolds and, unusually for such asmall village, it has two churches - St Mary’s andAll Saints, also known as the Ramblers Church. Both hold historic interest, the latter whichstands at the top of a steep climb dating backto 1172 and the former thought to have beenbuilt in 1932 century to make it easier for thecongregation to make it to mass without all thehuffing and puffing up the hill. In Ramblerschurch you’ll find carved faces on a pillar nearthe door and many others around the churchmaking you feel like all eyes are upon you. There’s also Saxon burial ground nearby andthe hilltop is also thought to have been aViking meeting place and of course there’ssome lovely views of the Wolds from thehighest point of our walk. Our walk begins by the market place car parkin in Market Rasen where we leave the car parkand head along Church Street opposite theExploringLincolnshireon footMarket Rasento Walesby It never ceases to amaze,how many hidden gemswe drive by each day,without spotting themover the years. Tranquilvillages and forests,babbling brooks anddramatic views over thecountryside, not tomention ancientarchitecture such asmediaeval churches,Saxon burial groundsand Viking meetingplaces. 28-29_Layout 1 26/01/2017 13:01 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY29LINCOLNSHIRE TODAYchurchyard. We follow church Street tothe end to a T-junction where we turnleft towards Walesby Road. Where the road curves to the right lookfor a bridleway on your left and continuedown this until you cross a railway lineand then follow the path crossing the lineagain. Following the path through thewoods we turn left to cross a brickrailway bridge then follow a track to theright. At the end of this we turn right againover a level crossing, ignore the footpathon the left next to this crossing but turnleft down a bridleway towards OtbyMoor Farm. Walking through the farmon the bridleway we reach a tarmac roadwhere we turn right.Where the road turns sharp left, weturn right down a lane marked ‘nothrough road’ and turn left up a trackbefore we reach Claxby House Farm.Following this track to the right andkeeping the conifers to our left, wecontinue through a field with a hedgealong our right. The Viking way long distance footpathnow joins and merges from the right, sobear right and follow a track through ameadow and onto Moor road on theoutskirts of Walesby village. Turn left here and enter the village,turning right at the cross roads and left atthe T-junction shortly after. (If you arewondering how to get to the tearooms,just turn right here and you’ll find it justbeyond St Mary’s church).At the corner, we take the path to thechurch through the gateway, directlyahead, under the trees. Walking towards the churchyard lookout for some undulations in the groundas this is where the mediaeval village ofWalesby used to be. Leaving the church from the gateopposite the main doorway we turn leftand follow the edge of a field towards agate in the corner. We cross a few fieldsfollowing the Viking way - which is a littlemuddy, so do take care and we continuealong the path to the right of somebuildings and to the driveway of RisbyManor Farm. We turn right along a track, crossing aroad and continuing along a bridlewayopposite, then bear left though afarmyard. At the main road turn left and wherethe road bears sharp left we turn rightalong the footpath through the woods toreturn to Market Rasen.FACTFILEStart:Market Rasen Town CentreDistance:9.5 miles (15km) Maps:OS Landranger 113Explorer 282Refreshments:Café’s and pubs in Market RasenWalesby tea rooms28-29_Layout 1 26/01/2017 13:01 Page 2Next >