www.blmgroup.co.ukBLMGROUPGROUPBLMA PASSION FOR LIVINGA PASSION FOR LIVING£2.60 MARCH 2012£2.60 MARCH 2012WWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NETWWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NETSpring intoaction Bringing in the new seasonSpring intoaction Bringing in the new season01:Layout 1 16/2/12 14:41 Page 1BOSTON,LINCOLNSHIREAMarketTownRichinHistoryandCultureTake pleasure in Boston’s history by strollingdown the medieval lanes and vising St Botolph’sChurch (The Stump), Boston Guildhall Museumand Fydell House. Visit Marime Leisure Cruisesfor a cruise down the River Witham and just ashort walk from the town centre is the Maud Foster Windmill, one of the largest operang windmills in England. Enjoy a day out shopping atone of the largest general markets in Lincolnshire;stalls include local produce, flowers, foods, clothing, household items and more.BOSTON BUSINESS CENTRE, NORFOLK ST, BOSTON, LINCOLNSHIRE PE21 9HHWEBSITE: www.bostonbid.co.uk EMAIL: niall.armstrong@lincs-chamber.co.ukSing proudly on thebanks of the River Witham, Boston offers an experience like no other market town in Lincolnshire.Market Place Ready to Launch in March 2012NewBostonMarketWednesdays&Saturdays9am-5pmOpenairauctiononWednesdaysBOOKNOWBOOKNOWWednesday 7 March 7.30pmTickets: £18.50Concs/ATG Theatre Card/Group Discounts AvailableFriday 9 March 7.30pmTickets: £20.00Saturday 10 March 7.30pmTickets: £17.50 Age 16+Concs/ATG Theatre Card/Group Discounts AvailableFriday 13 April 7.30pmTickets: £18.00 17.00Groups 10+ 1 in 10 go freeMonday 12 – Saturday 17 MarchMonday – Saturday Evenings 7.30pmWednesday & Saturday Matinees 2.30pmTickets: £11.50 - £27.50 Group Discounts AvailableThursday 29 March 7.30pmTickets: £14.50 - ££22.50Concs/Group Discounts AvailableSaturday 14 April 7.30pmTickets: £29.00Thursday 19 April 8pmTickets: £16.000844 871 3016* www.atgtickets.com/GrimsbyAuditorium** Booking/transaction fee may apply / includes restoration levyStaring Margi ClarkeDAVE SPIKEYWords Don’tCome EasyTourVienna Festival BalletPresent Swan LakeVienna Festival BalletPresent Swan LakeCount Arthur Strong’sCount Arthur Strong’s“Command Performance”“Command Performance”02:Layout 1 16/2/12 14:07 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?With the worst of the winter weather now thankfullybehind us, it’s time for us all to come out of hibernation andmake the most of the county – and this month inLincolnshire Today we’ve got loads of ideas of places to goand things to do as we take advantage of the longer days.In these more financially squeezed times, more and more ofus are taking the opportunity to explore our localsurroundings, and the £24 million fund for rejuvenating seaside townsannounced recently by the government is excellent news for Lincolnshire. Theidea of the new Coastal Communities Fund has been created to providecommunities with money to support new opportunities that can make theirtowns prosper. Our county has long been the holiday destination for thoselooking to take a break in the UK, and, in recent years, the resorts have becomea somewhat trendy place to live.It’s certainly not the case that our seaside towns are struggling, of course.Cleethorpes has come on in leaps and bounds in the last decade and is nowconsidered as one of the best resorts on the East Coast. Skegness remains apopular family favourite, while the beaches and small towns in the South of thecounty make for an altogether more intimate setting. We’re truly blessed in thisarea, and these places are an integral part of what makes Lincolnshire great.If the money’s out there, though – there are grants of up to £2 millionavailable - and there are good ideas, there’s certainly scope to make things evenbetter. I’d like to see Cleethorpes Pier restored to its former glory, but you mighthave other plans. Let us know what you think.We’re not just confined to the coast this month either! Elsewhere in this issuewe report from Woodhall Spa and Bourne on how the community is workingtogether to ensure the towns remain vibrant. As the sun comes out, too, we’vealso got the latest edition of our regular Farm & Country Link supplement withthe latest news regarding one of Lincolnshire’s more important industries.Good reading, as alwaysSteve FisherEditorWelcome toLincolnshire TodayLincolnshireToday@lincstodaylincolnshiretoday.net03:Layout 1 16/2/12 14:41 Page 1Features28 Woodhall SpaWe visit the small but perfectly formed Lincolnshire town39 Mothers’ DayPlenty of ideas to treat your one-in-a-million mum55 Farm & Country LinkOur regular section devoted to Lincolnshire’s agricultural community78 BourneExploring one of the county’s best-kept secrets80 Business TodayHow the retail sector plans to bounce back82 Skills searchEnsuring the next generation can make a differenceLooking good40 Pretty in pinkStep into the new season in style with some gorgeous outfits48 Rosy and brightAdd flashes of colour to your spring wardrobe50 Celebrity styleFashion icon Louise Redknapp shares her secrets53 Weight for it!You don’t need to be a professional to make use of weightsAt home18 The stunning house on the hillStep back in time to a fabulous restored farmhouse23 The big sleepHow relaxing is your bedroom?25 Distinctive gardensOne of the county’s finest houses is just as impressive outside40March 2012ContentsContents04-05:Layout 1 16/2/12 14:53 Page 1Leisure11 Action at Alton TowersBritain’s favourite theme park opens its gatesagain76 Lincolnshire walksCulverthorpe, Aisby, Dembleby and AunsbyCounty Motoring84 Hit the roadThe latest vehicles hitting our local dealersRegulars7 News Stories from around the county88 What’s On Forthcoming events across Lincolnshire91 The reviewOur critics review the latest books, music andfilms92 HoroscopesWhat will your stars say?Front cover courtesy ofwww.shutterstock.com / Zoom Team8788186004-05:Layout 1 16/2/12 14:53 Page 206-09:Layout 1 17/2/12 10:46 Page 1Lincolnshire marks National Apprenticeship WeekAs part of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week, fifty young people from acrossLincolnshire were given the opportunity to gain hands-on construction experience through arange of activities as part of a careers day at The Wolds College, near Louth. The fifty students involved in the day came from John Spendluffe Technology College inAlford, Birkbeck College and Monks’ Dyke Technology College both in Louth, and King EdwardVI Humanities College in Spilsby. They were divided into teams to complete a series of hands-onchallenges and try their hand at a range of skills including bricklaying, plumbing and plastering,surveying and planning.Mick O’Flynn of CITB-ConstructionSkills, who organised the event, says, “It’s important weencourage young people to look to construction for an exciting and fulfiling career. The industryprovides a wealth of opportunities for career progression across a variety of sectors, and I amdelighted this event received such a welcoming response from the local youth community.”Lincolnshire YesterdayOur regular look at the world of antiques and collectablesA collection of over a hundred lots ofvintage Weights & Measures Equipment,previously used by officers in the former HMCustoms and Excise, sold for over £5000 atthe January sale at the Lincoln auctionrooms of Golding Young & Thos. Mawer.The collection included alcohol strengthtesters, saccarometers, barrel measures,ullage gauges, hydrometers, slide rules andother associated devices, and commanded verystrong interest for such a specialised area ofcollecting.Meanwhile, a collection of Chinese silver,including a tea service by the well-known silversmithZeewu, sold for over £2000. The collection had beenbrought in to the auction house during a freevaluation day, and auctioneer John Leatt says, “Weare delighted with the price achieved for this lotwhich had been collected by a relative of the vendorwho was in China at the time. Due to increaseddemand for such items, it received a lot of attentionbefore sale day and was purchased by a number of English collectors andContinental buyers.” Among the collection was a three-piece tea service made bythe silversmith Zeewu and decorated with bamboo which made £1150.Also under the hammer this month...The most unusual lot in the sale was a tin of coffee , picture above, given by theEmperor of Ethiopia, Haille Selassie, to victims of the East Coast Flood in January1953. John Leatt says, “The tin was unopened with coffee still inside and made £22on sale day. That is a very expensive tin of coffee when you think about it!”Hundreds of people lost their lives when high tides, combined with severe stormsin Europe, caused the North Sea to flood up to two miles inland between the Teesand the Thames. 307 people in coastal towns and villages had died in the disaster,24,000 homes were damaged and more than 30,000 people were moved to safety.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY7LincolnshirenewsFormer V-Forcepersonnel still beingsoughtThe Newark Air Museum are mounting one lastpush to establish contact with any former V-Forcepersonnel across the UK and around the world.Newark Air Museum’s earlier appeals to establishcontact with former V-Force personnel has resultedin a steady influx of new contacts, and with just afew months to go to the reunion gathering they areeager to make sure everyone who could attend isable to.The two day event on Saturday 28th and Sunday29th April is being organised by the same team asthe hugely successful 2004 and 2010 events. Thisyear’s gathering of former air and ground crew willcommemorates sixty years since the formation of theV-Force, the fiftieth Anniversary of the Cuban MissileCrisis and with a special reference back to thethirtieth anniversary of the Falklands campaign. Ifyou want to join the reunion, visitwww.vforcereunion.co.uk.06-09:Layout 1 17/2/12 10:46 Page 2The oldest street in Cleethorpes has just grown up!Sea View Street takes contemporary shopping to new heights. With its sophisticated array of specialist independent boutique shops, bespoke soft furnishings, restaurants and cafes,the area offers the very best in high-end fashion, luxury foods and beautiful crafts.join us on facebook search Sea View Street CleethorpesThink BubblesA Good YarnCote-EstEco SystemsTILLETTSP & L INTERIORSLa Cocinamuch, much more than just a sea view!La Flotte06-09:Layout 1 17/2/12 10:46 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY9LincolnshirenewsYoung people get vInspired withNational Citizen ServiceA group of young people from Lincolnshire have been selected torepresent the East Midlands at a national awards ceremony. Thirteenteenagers from Boston and Spilsby who took part in the NationalCitizen Service programme have been announced as the EastMidlands’ finalists of the vInspired National Awards. vInspired honours the time spent, skills learnt and the differencemade through volunteering. The group will travel to London for theawards on 22nd March, where they will compete against winnersfrom eight other regions for the national title.The group were involved with last summer’s NCS programmewhere they carried out team building exercises with the RAF, MoneySense clinics delivered by NatWest, driver training and media skillsworkshops at the University of Lincoln.Gemma Whitehead, who took part in NCS last year, says, “NCSgave me the opportunity to take part in some fantastic activities andlearn new skills, as well as making some friends along the way.”Cooks and Company on showCooks and Company, the East Midlands’ newest premiumappliance showroom, based in Brunel Drive, Newark, will beillustrating exactly what they have to offer at a number of majorshows in the next few months.You’ll be able to meet the team and see the latest additions totheir range at the Ideal Home Show at Earls Court, London on 16thMarch to 1st April, The National Homebuilding & Renovating Showat the NEC, Birmingham on 29th March to 1st April and GrandDesigns Live at ExCeL, London on 5th to 13th May.Cooks and Company offer an extensive range of exceptionalbrands, including Miele appliances, Wolf range cookers, Sub ZeroRefrigeration, Fisher and Paykel appliances and NorcoolRefrigeration units along with many other manufacturers. And, ofcourse, if you can’t get to the shows, you can visit their showroomat Brunel Drive in Newark or www.cooksandcompany.co.uk.Time Capsule competition launchedAviation Heritage Lincolnshireare encouraging young people toexplore and compile informationon their local area’s aviation andassociated airfields past or present,as part of a new competition. Inaddition, the county’s schools arebeing given the opportunity torecord their class, school andcurrent local environmentinformation, for inclusion in a time capsule.AHL aims to secure entries from each District Council area ofLincolnshire. The capsules will have an embossed lid with the nameof the district, the school, the year laid down and the year to beopened. Dave Harrigan, AHL’s Outreach and Learning Officer, says,“We are very pleased to have been able to source the time capsuleslocally. They are being ordered from the Ridgequest foundry, a smallfamily business based in the village of Croft, near Skegness.”Entry is open to all schools, colleges and youth groups. Entry formscan be obtained from david@aviationheritagelincolnshire.com.06-09:Layout 1 17/2/12 10:46 Page 4Next >