< Previous50 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYHAIR & BEAUTYYourbeauty guideto springAs the wind, snow and ice abates, spring offers analtogether kinder time on your skin and hair. Butthat means the beauty regime you’ve been relyingon for the last four months needs to change. 50-51_Layout 1 21/02/2018 10:51 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY51HAIR & BEAUTY© Shutterstock/Nina BudayAchieving a golden sun-kissed hue inwinter is a difficult proposition. While rosycheeks can be attained from being out inthe chill, for most of us, a reddened wind-whipped face isn’t exactly the picture ofbeauty. So to compensate, many turn tofoundations with golden pigments.However, foundations of this kind can lookheavy in the warmer months or worse, soinstead invest in a decent CC cream. Thesecolour control or correcting creams are anindustry darling with many top beautyexperts swearing by them. They’ve won ourhearts over and can help to reduce skinredness, sallowness and also improveuneven skin tone. Just what you need tokickstart your spring look into gear. As much as we’d like to leave the coldmonths behind us, the increase intemperature does bring with it the nastyside effect of oily skin. The simplest andmost effective antidote is to ditch themoisturiser. Don’t worry, there’s method inthe madness, so trust us here. Moisturisersare great for hydrating skin and providing abarrier against the elements but when it’shot and we sweat, oily skin is to beexpected. So try using a lighter serum thisspring. As well as having better skinpenetration, they actually offer betterhydration. Despite it having noticeably warmed up,this is England, and the sun won’t suddenlybless us with its presence simply becausewe want it to. Rather than hoping to getsome early rays, why not kick-start yourspring look with a fake tan. There are adizzying number of options on the market,but it’s worth spending a bit more to get agood quality home tanning kit which willundoubtedly be kinder on skin. Also, try toprioritise a natural look and take thingsslow. Yes, there’s a temptation to go full-onbronze, but it’s much harder to tone down afake tan than top it up. Less is more when it comes to make-up,especially with the switch from winter tospring which can be a real shock to skin. Sodon’t exacerbate the issue by slathering onlayers of thick makeup. Let your skin breathand tone things down. The nude make-uplook is still popular, while pastel shades aresure to be a hit this season.Now, we need to talk about hair. Most ofyou will be familiar with the lank, lifelessand frizzy hair that can result from thewinter weather. Spring can be just as badwith its tepid temperature and the onset ofApril showers. So arm yourself with a goodquality conditioner and try not to over washyour hair. By washing every day, you’reonly stripping out all the natural oils. This iswhat protects your hair against theelements. Regularly brushing and workingyour fingers through can be just aseffective. 50-51_Layout 1 21/02/2018 10:52 Page 2LincolnshireheritageexploredWe have to go outside Lincolnshire however forpart of this brief history since although officiallyknown as the Grantham Canal it enters Lincolnshirenear Muston Bridge on the Nottinghamshireborder; so only about nine miles of it is actuallywithin the county.During the C18th industrial revolution theturnpike road system was poorly surfaced andtravel difficult so canals evolved as an importantmode of transport for raw materials andmanufactured goods. In the east midlandsNottingham had become an important junction ofsuch waterway routes and the people of Granthamnaturally wanted their own link into this newtransport network; they hoped to boost thetown’s economy knowing that Grantham wasideally placed to trade local agricultural producewith the new midlands manufacturing centres.The idea for their canal first appeared in theGrantham corporation minutes in 1770. Therewas much delay however with at least two falsestarts over proposed routes before finally onebeginning at Trent Lock in Nottingham wasagreed upon. Parliamentary approval wasobtained on 8th April 1793 with Royal Assentfollowing on the 30th and construction beganthe same year.A committee was duly formed, chaired byLord Brownlow, which raised £75,000 in sharesand appointed engineers; the famous civilengineer William Jessop was in overall chargebut two others, James Green, responsible toLord Middleton of Wollaton Hall and WilliamKing to the Duke of Rutland at Belvoir, were alsoengaged. To minimise expenditure the naturalcontours of the Vale of Belvoir were followedmaking the canal some thirteen miles longerthan the road distance. Even so the rise of thecanal was still just under 140 feet and evenwith one “pound” (a section between locks)being 20 miles long 18 locks and 68 bridges,plus aqueducts and embankments wererequired. By 1795 Parliament had authorisedanother £30,000 investment. Bridges wereTHE GRANTHAM CANALAmongst Lincolnshire’s canalsbuilt in the late 1700’s theGrantham Canal was the longest.We look at its history, demise andsubsequent revival.52-53_Layout 1 21/02/2018 10:53 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY53revenues disappeared.Remains of these lines are still much inevidence in the area.The story of the canal’s decline is similarto many others. First was the impact ofthe railways, which had reachedGrantham in 1850 in the form of theAmbergate, Nottingham, Boston andEastern Junction Railway (ANB & EJR).Next came the Great Northern Railway in1852 that was soon to own the canalitself and then in the early C20th therewas increasing road transportcompetition. Nevertheless the canalsurvived until after WWI finally closing in1929.So, what can still be seen inLincolnshire? Some four miles to thesouthwest of Grantham is the hugeDenton reservoir - containing 61 milliongallons of water - fed from nearby springsand streams and built specially to feed thecanal. East of Harlaxton Bridge there isalso the Harlaxton Cut, a mile longcutting needed to reach Grantham. Thereare also some original 1793 bridges, nowlisted, which include those atWoolsthorpe and Denton. Today the canalis given over to leisure pursuits includingfishing, cycling and walking. There iscosting £120 each and locksaround £950, includingmaterials. By early 1797 theeastern section was ready butnear Cropwell Bishop delays werecaused where shallow soilsoverlying gypsum beds causedleakage that required puddling thecanal bed with clay. Nevertheless the canalwas fully opened by the middle of 1797.Back in 1793 the Stamford Mercury hadpublished a seven-versed song predictingthe “Blessed Grantham Navigation” wouldtransform the lives of the town’sinhabitants. To a large extent this didhappen since, for example, the price ofcoal, previously an expensive luxury, felldramatically. The chief cargoes “in” werecoal, lime, building materials and “nightsoil” for use as fertilisers, plus the rawmaterials that helped develop newmanufacturing industries in Granthamitself. “Out” cargoes were principally ofagricultural produce with a transit timefrom end to end of two days. The canalbecame profitable fairly quickly andremained so until the 1850’s.In the late C18th the local geologyplayed a role in the canal’s story too. Justwest of Grantham its route intersected theJurassic rock strata that run from Yorkshireto the Dorset coast. These include richseams of ironstone and mining of this orebegan in the 1870’s at Brewer’s Graveabove Woolsthorpe. This was transporteddown to the canal to Woolsthorpe Wharfby cable operated tramway and became amajor cargo. The scale of mining howeversoon outstripped the canal’s capacity andthe Great Northern Railway (GNR) built anew branch line from theGrantham/Nottingham line tocompensate. This was soon extended toDenton and Stroxton so that these canalplenty of wildlife to see and the wholetowpath (apart from short sections ateither end) is accessible to the public, andmostly surfaced.In 1969 the Grantham Canal RestorationSociety was formed – now simply theGrantham Canal Society – whosemembers work at the ongoing task ofrestoration. They have concentrated onthe eastern end, dredging and repairinglocks and bridges. Recent years have seenwork on the Woolsthorpe Flight, asequence of seven locks that complete thefinal rise before Grantham. The upperlocks are complete and Lock 15 almost sowith 2018 seeing a start on Lock 14.In 2010 the GCS purchased a new 35-foot boat, the “Three Shires”, to providecanal cruises for the public. These takeplace on bank holiday Sundays andMondays during the summer. Groups canalso charter cruises, of varying length, atany time between 31st March and the endof October. (For full details of all cruisessee the GCS website or Facebook.) It’s agreat way to experience this wonderfulexample of Lincolnshire industrial heritage!by Hugh Marrows52-53_Layout 1 21/02/2018 10:53 Page 254 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFOOD & DININGThose springmonths Spring is here, and though it’s perhaps not time to bring out the barbecue justyet, we can finally move away from food designed to keep us warm! Here aresome of our favourite spring time recipes. Serves 8, makes 1 generous cakePreparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 50 minutesYou’ll need:250g plain cooked (vacuum packed) beetroot,drained & pureed200g quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa)200g Doves farm gluten free plain flour 200g unsalted butter*, melted100g dark brown sugar100g caster sugar3 large eggs2tbsp cocoa powder2tsp gluten free baking powder 1tsp vanilla extractIcing sugar for dustingGLUTEN FREEBEETROOT ANDCHOCOLATE CAKE© Shutterstock/pearl7What to do:Pre heat the oven to 180˚C/Gas Mark 4. Greaseand line a 23cm loose bottomed cake tin.Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a foodprocessor. Blitz until crumbed but not totallypowdered - some larger pieces will give the cakea great texture.Add the beetroot and blend together. Then addthe remaining ingredients to the processor andwhizz until well mixed. Pour into the preparedcake tin and lightly level out the surface.Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes oruntil a skewer inserted into the centre comes outclean. The surface of the cake may have crackeda little. Allow the cake to cool for a few minutesin the tin before removing to a cooling rack. Dust lightly with icing sugar and serve in wedges.For dessert, this cake is great with a little crèmefraiche on the side.This recipe was provided by:www.lovebeetroot.co.uk 54-56_Layout 1 21/02/2018 10:55 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY55FOOD & DININGThe Masons Arms Hotel isthe perfect location tocelebrate your wedding Your wedding is unique and choosing theMasons Arms Hotel will give you the useof all our beautiful facilities within theGrade II listed building. Positioned in the centre of Louth, thecapital of the Lincolnshire Wolds the Masons Arms Hotel has alicense for ceremonies and the ballroom seats up to 70 guests for asit-down meal and up to 110 for your reception. We believe that no two weddings are the same and that is why wepride ourselves on designing your wedding around your personalrequirements. Contact the Hotel to find our more:Cornmarket, Louth, Lincolnshire, LN11 9PYTelephone: 01507 621200reception@the-masons-arms.com • www.the-masons-arms.com You’ll need:250g Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference British Gems boiled and thicklysliced6 medium free range eggs60g cooked & podded broad beans1 small red onion finely sliced1 tbsp chopped fresh dill1 tbsp chopped fresh mint30g butter60g goats cheese log thinly slicedSalt and pepperWhat to do:Preheat your grill to its hottest setting.Whisk the eggs with a fork, add in the chopped fresh herbs andseason with salt and pepper.Heat the butter in a 20cm non-stick frying pan; add in the slicedpotatoes and sauté until they are starting to take on some colour.Next add in the red onion and continue to sauté for another 3-4minutes or until soft. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon andput to one side.Pour the eggs into the hot frying pan; add in the broad beans, potatoand onions. Make sure the potatoes, onions and broad beans arespread out evenly.Top with the goats cheese slices and place under the hot grill untilgolden and puffed on top and just cooked through in the middle.Serve with a dressed green saladRecipe courtesy of British GemBRITISH GEM ANDGOAT’S CHEESEFRITTATA© Shutterstock/iMarzi54-56_Layout 1 21/02/2018 10:55 Page 256 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFOOD & DININGPicture your venueExotic Thai Restaurant205 High Street, ScunthorpeTel: 01724 843204Exotic Thai Restaurant is a testament to traditional Thaicuisine. The only Thai restaurant in Scunthorpe, Exotic Thaican accommodate up to seventy guests for a deliciouschoice of authentic starters, main courses and an impressiveselection of fish dishes along with a choice of tasty desserts.The Exotic Thai prides itself on authentic Thai cuisine with friendly service, giving a truetaste of the east.Byards Leap LodgeEast View, Byards Leap, Cranwell, SleafordTel: 01400 261375/07595 760 774www.byards-leap-lodge.co.ukWhether you are on a leisure or business trip, you’ll find warmhospitality 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 wellas two two-bedroom apartments. Dedicated facilities for the disabled are available.The George Hotel1 Boston Road, Spilsby, PE23 5HBTel: 01790 752528 Web: www.spilsby.info/georgehotelNow under new management, The George Hotel guarantees awarm welcome and presents a variety of traditional home cookedfood and Sunday lunches. Karaoke is every Saturday night, with livemusic once a month and a large function room (available free of charge for parties) the GeorgeHotel is the perfect venue for entertaining. The accommodation boasts 8 letting bedrooms withTV, tea and coffee making facilities and free Wi-Fi with a great price and breakfast option onoffer open all week 12 till 12. Now taking bookings for Valentine's Day and Mothers Day.The China RoyalRestaurant6 Bridge Streets, Brigg, DN20 8LNTel: 01652 650688 (reservations)/654762 (takeaway)Web: www.chinaroyal.co.uk The intimate, warm surroundings of the ChinaRoyal are ideal for the most romantic dinner or thelargest banquet. Serving the best in Chinese cuisine, it has five stars on the doors, and isopen throughout all Bank Holidays, including Easter.Serves: 2Preparation Time: 10 minutesCooking Time: 20 minutesYou’ll need:250g cod (or other sustainable white fish)85g (1 bag) watercress2 cloves of garlic, peeled1 green chilli, chopped2 slices of Parma ham2 tbsp olive oil1 tbsp balsamic vinegar150g brown rice 1 small red onion, diced50g sundried tomatoes, chopped50g black olives, stoned and choppedBlack pepperCod is a great source ofomega 3 fatty acids,vitamins B12 and B6 andniacin – all extremelygood for assisting theheart and blood vessels.This added to thephytochemicals in thewatercress mean you geta tasty meal that’sincredibly good for yourheart. By serving on abed of brown rice thismeal provides plenty ofenergy to boot. COD AND WATERCRESSPARCELSWhat to do:Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan)Take the cod and pile a quarter of the watercress along the topof the two fillets (reserving the rest for later) along with the chilliand garlic. Carefully wrap the cod and its topping in the slices ofParma ham. Place on a baking tray and sprinkle with the olive oiland balsamic vinegar. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cod iscooked through.Bring 360ml of water to the boil. Add the brown rice, stir andleave to simmer for 15-20 mins until the water is all absorbedand the rice cooked.Add the onion, tomato and olives to a hot pan and lightly sauté.Once the rice is cooked, add to the pan and mix together,adding pepper to taste. Spoon some of the brown rice mixture onto a plate. Place theremaining watercress on top. Remove the cod from the ovenand place on top.This recipe was provided by: www.watercress.co.uk 54-56_Layout 1 21/02/2018 10:55 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY57FOOD & DININGFOOD & DININGWhat first struck me about The LincolnHotel is its exterior, unique in Lincolnshire,and balancing the modern with thetraditional. This signature façade also bestdescribes the cuisine and décor choicesinside, where everything is at once familiarand entirely its own. Eager to enjoy everything the menu hadto offer, I eventually settled on a mushroomroulade to start. The dish was elevated togreatness with the addition of radish, peashoots and black truffle all presented withthe utmost care and attention. My partnerwent for the pulled pork and mustardterrine. The balance of flavours wasparticularly noteworthy, with the sweet cidersyrup and mustard playing off one another. Selecting a steak might be seen as a safeoption, but the chefs at The Lincoln Hotelshow that it’s still a fine art. The sirloin wasa revelation made greater still with theaddition of two king prawns, crispy friesand hollandaise sauce. The gnocchicaught my partner’s eye and the endresult didn’t disappoint, with thechestnuts mushrooms and garlic cream.It’s worth emphasising just how beautifullypresented each of the dishes were.Dessert is always a delight, and mylemon sponge certainly didn’t disappoint.While I would have been content with thesponge alone, the ice cream and candiedlemon syrup were the literal icing on thecake. Ever the contrarian, my partner wentfor the cheese board, which boasted aselection of local cheeses including theiconic Lincolnshire Poacher and SkegnessBlue. It was a worthy contender toanything France can offer. As much as we both enjoyed our meal, Iwas more than ready to enjoy our room. Ithad a carefully curated décor, stylishlydecorated without being too sparse orcluttered. The king size bed was incrediblycomfortable, offering a blissful night’ssleep. And sleep was forthcoming withthe blackout curtains, something I’m nowconsidering for my own home. Therewere plenty of amenities, with an array oftoiletries and tea and coffee options. Forthe coffee connoisseur, there was aNespresso machine. But perhaps best ofall was the stunning views of thecathedral which never fails to impress.Following a restful evening, we weretreated to a buffet-style breakfast withplenty of choice, from the traditional fry-up to the continental. Having sampledboth, I can say that you couldn’t gowrong with either.Having spent the night and enjoyed anumber of meals, it quickly becameapparent that The Lincoln Hotel excels ateverything. You can be sure of havingexquisite local food and one of the bestsleeps in the city.The Lincoln Hotel combines fine food and style for oneof the historic city’s most welcoming establishments.We stopped in to sample their latest menu and enjoyone of their fabulous rooms. For more information, or to book a room for yourself, visit www.thelincolnhotel.com, email enquiries@thelincolnhotel.com, or call 01522 520 348.57_Layout 1 21/02/2018 10:34 Page 158 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFOOD & DININGSituated in Lincoln’s historic and beautifulBailgate, the White Hart has long been afavoured venue to dine and stay. As well asoffering a range of luxury rooms, fromstandard all the way to king, queen andwedding suites, the hotel is renownedlocally for its restaurant The Lincoln Grille.Offering a lunch and evening menu, aswell as unique specialist menus on occasion,the restaurant is breath-taking in both itslook and the gastronomic creations servedthere. My companion and I had the goodfortune to visit this month for the GrilleRestaurant’s new Grille Steak Night, whereone can appreciate a delicious meal, with achoice of two out of six sides and a drink,all for just £15. Steak is something of a national andculinary standard and is something we’vehad the pleasure of trying in restaurants notonly across the county, but also the countryand further afield as well. With so much tocompare it to, it’s often easy to tell if avenue isn’t quite so experienced – whichI’m pleased to say was absolutely not thecase at the aptly named Grille Restaurant.My steak, an 8oz ribeye, came outincredibly tender and melt-in-the-mouthdelicious. The pepper sauce I ordered withit had just the right amount of kick, whilethe hand-cut chips were a real treat in atime where I’m otherwise confined toWeetabix. My partner opted for the roasted halfchicken in honey and mustard marinade,served with a side of steamed potatoes andflat mushroom and tomatoes. The chickencame in a superb portion size, incrediblygenerous, and the marinade was to die for,creating the perfect blend of taste andtexture. On the advice of the staff, whowere incredibly friendly andknowledgeable, my partner also opted tomix an additional sauce of port jus with themarinade. The resultant combination was atrue delight and will be a firm favourite forthe future.After our wonderful meal dessert wascertainly not a necessity, but I tend to thinkthat’s the best way to look at it, as a luxurythat is never needed but oft enjoyed. Thatwas certainly the case with my own, anelegant dish called the Textures ofChocolate, which mixes a mousse, soil,brownie, tart and pistachio ice-cream. Asone might expect it’s very rich in chocolateand texture, which was a perfect counterto my ribeye steak. Those who lovechocolate, like me, will find it an absolutetreat.Of course, my companion had to remindme how much healthier than I he is –though not so healthy as to eschew adessert altogether – and he opted for anapple tart with blackcurrant sorbet,granola, butterfly sorrel and vanilla ice-cream. A much more varied explosion offlavours, though somewhat less chocolate-based for my liking, it was nevertheless awinner for us, as the whole meal had been.What truly makes the Grille and theWhite Hart an experience isn’t just thefood, though it comes close, but rather theatmosphere and the people who workthere, who always manage to be alert,attentive and chatty, no matter the time ofday. There are many who seek to emulatethat level of good service, but they alwaysgo above and beyond here, not beingafraid to suggest and inform where otherswill simply smile and hollowly ask aboutyour day. The extra level of care and detailalways goes a long way and is one of themain reasons why we come back to theGrille Restaurant time and time again.Lincoln’s White Hart hotel has featured regularly within our pages, but this time we foundourselves attending their new Grille Steak Night. The White Hart Hotel is on Bailgate, Lincoln, and to make a reservation, call 01522 563290 or visit www.whitehart-lincoln.co.uk.The Grille Restaurant, White Hart Hotel58_Layout 1 21/02/2018 10:38 Page 1ORDER FORMYes, I would like to subscribe to Lincolnshire Today magazinefor the next 12 months, with the first 3 issues only being £1.Personal Details:First name:Last Name:Address:Town:County: Post Code:Tel: Mobile:Email:Payment by DEBIT/CREDIT cardName as it appears on card:Type of card: Mastercard / Visa / Visa Debit / OtherCard Number:Card Verification number (3 digits on signature strip):Expiry Date:Amount Authorised:Cheque enclosed YES / NO Please post this form back to: Subscriptions,Lincolnshire Today Magazine, Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby. N.E. 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