< PreviousCOUNTRYDIARYThewakingwoodlandsOur wildlife expert Colin Smale welcomes back some familiar friendsCHIFF CHAFF090-091:Layout 1 14/3/14 12:22 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFEWalking through the leafless woods acouple of weeks ago, the only birdsong Icould hear was the plaintive call of arobin, a wood pigeon and a wren. By thetime you read this, that same wood in soshort a time will spring to life again.Our summer migrants are all on theirway back and as the new green leavesburst open, the song of the chiff-chaffseen on the left will be ringing out fromthe high tree tops. Along with thiswarbler will be the Willow Warblerarriving only a few days later, a strikinglysimilar bird but with pale legs. His call tome is truly the harbinger of spring. Iurge you to hear what this beautifulsongster sounds like – search for “birdsong willow warbler” on YouTube.Sadly, our once top songstrel thenightingale is very rarely heardnowadays. Since 1995, their numbershave crashed by 55% and no one yetreally knows why. I suspect there will beseveral reasons but one must surely bethe explosion in numbers of deer. Theyare munching through woodlands likelocusts and included in their diet is thelow vegetation such as brambles,beneath which nightingales love to breedand shelter. However, remembering thatnature abhors a vacuum, enter the blackcap warbler that arrives about the sametime as the willow warbler. He’s not aspowerful a singer as our nightingale buthe’s not a bad runner up.Bittern on a quiet lakeA good friend of mine told me that forthe third spring in a row he has a bitternon his lake. He desperately wanted somephotographs of it but all he had was amobile phone camera, would I try andget some pictures? I certainlywould!The situation was such that Icould not put a hide up there andleave it for a few days for all thebirds to get used to, I had to erectthe hide and hope it would beignored. It was a security thing – heis doing his best to keep it quiet inthe hope that a second bird mayeventually turn up and that theywill nest and of course I was in totalagreement with that. I can hardlyimagine the sight of a brood ofbittern chicks climbing about inthat reed bed, now that wouldreally be something fantastic.Of course all the birds flew off to anearby pond as I erected my hide. Wasthe bittern still there? Only thirty minutespassed and across the lake about 120 feetaway something materialised on themargin of the reeds. Yes, it was indeedthe bittern. Clearly, it had hidden in themiddle of the reed bed while I was inview but now all was quiet again itthought I had gone.It poked about in the roots of thereeds, finding a snack here and there andgradually ambling my way. It was waytoo far away to get some really topquality images but nevertheless, just incase I didn’t get another chance I took afew shots. Thanks to the wonderfulcamera technology of today I can set mycamera, a Canon 5D Mk3, to “silentshutter” and it is utterly brilliant for shybirds such as these. That bitternmeandered back into the reeds after onlytwo or three minutes and by the time thesun was set I was still waiting for it invain.However a pair of very fine Canadageese that had been feeding in front ofthe hide took off at sunset, just aseverything turned to gold and gave me awonderful picture opportunity. As for thebittern, there’s always tomorrow.Incidentally, for those who read thisdiary last month, the Hen Harrier I wasafter has left for its breeding grounds andso I will have to wait until next winter.To view and order photos from our wildlifearticles, visit www.fotolincs.com.CANADA GEESEBITTERN090-091:Layout 1 14/3/14 12:22 Page 292 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYBUSINESS LINCS.Installers of Renewable Energy Solutions for both Domestic and Commercial marketsContact us for a free consultation:01636 642 790 jlphillips.co.uk info@jlphillips.co.ukGettingreadyLincolnshire, although not as decimated asthe south west, still suffered in the recentfloods. So what can businesses do to preparefor unprecedented levels of rain in thefuture?The scenes that met residents of Boston during the recentfloods are not something we’d wish on anyone. Homes andbusinesses were inundated thanks to a tidal surge and rainfall,and even the town’s beautiful Stump fell victim to nature,something we’d gladly never see again. One can only imaginewhat must have been going through local peoples’ minds.In order to prepare businesses from falling victim to suchscenes again, preparation must be key. Although a lot of whatcan do is simply staving off sometimes inevitable catastrophe,simple steps can make all the difference.The Environment Agency, although stretched, are there tohelp. Advice issued as standard in any weather is to takeadvantage of the schemes they run all year round with regardsto flooding. Proactive ways to keep on top of any emergingsituation include checking flood risk maps, both for reservoirsnearby and for surface water. Signing up for flood warnings isalso canny early on - if you know that floods are likely, thendamage limitation can beintroduced in good time.There’s a service calledFlood Warnings Direct,which is for areas with ahigh risk and delivers SMStext messages, emails andphone calls should you desirewhen levels of risk increase ordecrease. These can be signed up foronline for free at www.environment-agency.gov.uk.It is also wise to have a ‘flood-drill’ as you would a fireemergency. In the same way you prepare a building forfire with adequate exits, ways to extinguish flames andplaces to meet, you must prepare in a similar fashion for waterrisk. Using a business flood risk checklist is also a good idea,knowing what elements you need to prepare for means you willknow what to expect should the worst happen. There’s clearadvantages to having a thorough plan in place, as businessescan save anything up to 90% of their lost stock and moveableequipment if they do so. When the water hits, there isn’t much you can do if there isno plan in place. The damage done by flooding may beWe canall make a differenceto the wider issueof flooding byengaging in reducingour carbonfootprint092-093:Layout 1 14/3/14 13:41 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY93BUSINESS LINCS.financially damaging, but limiting its full impact is probably thebest thing Lincolnshire businesses can do. Stemming rather thanstopping the damage it can do is key. We can all make a difference to the wider issue of flooding byengaging in reducing our carbon footprint. Although alone itonly makes a small difference, if more businesses followed suitthen an accumulated effort would certainly help matters. Alsojoining with other businesses to use such methods will perhapsencourage behaviour change and therefore reduce flood risk aswell as our impact on our surroundings.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/RONFROMYORKdigital engineeringStuart J. Green27 Market Place, Market Rasen, LN8 3HLsupport@sjgdigital.comCall us now - find out howAre your computer systems workingas well as they should?Are they up-to-date or about to die?We can help you work smarter andyour IT work harder.PC/Windows and Apple support.01673 898001IT Support from Qualified ProfessionalsBodgit and Scarper –computer “experts”by Stuart J Green Digital EngineeringIt would be unusual if anyone reading this doesn’t in some wayrely on a computer – whether it’s booking a holiday or checking theweather. Unfortunately, because computers are widely available,we’ve gone down the road of the second-hand car market, parodiedby back-street garages. “Oh, my pal’s son can fix that for you – he’sgood with computers.” How many times have you heard that?Everyone seems to know a “man who can”. Youngsters arecertainly more responsive to technology these days, but if youwouldn’t trust your shiny new 3-Series to Lincoln’s version of ArthurDaley’s nephew, why on earth would you dream of trustingsomeone unqualified and inexperienced to ‘fix’ your computers?Stuart J Green Digital Engineering have come across this all toooften. Jo Austin who runs the tech support desk, says, “Wefrequently get calls from frustrated people who rely on theircomputer system but it isn’t working as it should. When we start tolook into things, it turns out that they’ve fallen into the trap oftrusting someone with a limited amount of knowledge loose on theirsystem. What’s really happened is anyone’s guess, but now they’reeven further from a resolution.”Trusting complicated hardware and software to people who havesimply assumed the role of ‘expert’ is a false economy. Let’s face it, ifyou had toothache, would you let a carpenter sort it out for you?Why not? He’d have a drill...092-093:Layout 1 14/3/14 13:41 Page 2Amediaevalmystery inLincolnAncient Lincoln is the setting for athrilling murder mysteryLincoln Cathedralis the setting forCatherine Hanley’smediaeval murdermystery094-095:Layout 1 14/3/14 12:21 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY95INTERVIEW WITH…The Bloody City is the latest mysterynovel from Catherine Hanley, who writesunder the pen name of CB Hanley. Set inancient Lincoln, after a French army hastaken hold of the city, the book followsEdwin Weaver, a commoner-turned-earl’s-man, as he undertakes a daringintelligence mission during a brutal war.The Bloody City is the follow-up toCatherine’s hugely popular The Sins ofthe Father.We spoke to Catherine about the book,and why Lincoln makes for such a specialsetting.What inspired you to write The BloodyCity?I’m an academic historian as well as awriter of fiction, and I had studied quiteextensively the French invasion ofEngland in 1216-17. So when I decidedto write a series of medieval murdermysteries this campaign was the idealbackdrop. Louis of France had beenproclaimed king, and was in control ofmuch of the country, but some placeswere holding out against him, and one ofthese was Lincoln.What happened there in May 1217had a huge effect not just on theoutcome of the war, but on the wholefuture of England. It is a fascinating storyand one for which we have lots ofevidence in the form of contemporarychronicles – so I was able to put quite alot of factual detail in the background –but of course they don’t tell useverything, so having a fictionalprotagonist gave me the opportunity tofill in some gaps. Edwin has never beento Lincoln before, so his arrival there andhis wonder and astonishment at the cityand its buildings enabled me to showLincoln off to its best advantage!What makes mediaeval Lincoln such afascinating setting?Lincoln has a fantastic medievalheritage, so there aren’t many betterplaces to set a book if you want to base itin the early thirteenth century. We arealso fortunate in having many survivingmedieval records, which include thenames of some of the citizens who livedthere at the time. So, although myprimary characters are fictional, many ofthe inhabitants of Lincoln we meet in thebook are actually named after realpeople, which I think brings the citymuch more to life.Lincoln was one of England’s majorcities at the time – probably even secondafter London – so it had a largecommunity of people who lived verydifferently from most of England’spopulation in that they lived by traderather than by toiling in the fields. Whenyou add this to the fact that the city wasencircled by walls, it almost makes it likea whole little kingdom in miniature, and Ifelt that added a really interestingdimension to the story.What is the most incredible thingyou’ve found out about Lincoln?Many people are surprised when theyfind out that the castellan of LincolnCastle, who bravely held out for monthsduring the siege, was a woman. Nicolade la Haye had inherited the office fromher father, as she had no brothers, andby 1217 she was in her sixties, had beenwidowed twice and outlived her son, andwas probably considered a pushover bythe French, who couldn’t have beenmore wrong. What’s even moreremarkable about Nicola is that she haddone it all before – there had also been asiege at Lincoln in 1191, when she hadalso defended the castle withoutflinching. It is reading about people likeNicola that really brings history alive forme.Lincoln regularly celebrates its history– what are your favourite bits of thecity, past and present?With apologies to all the otherwonderful bits of Lincoln, for me it has tobe the cathedral. I challenge anyone togo inside, look around and breathe theair without getting a profound sense ofhistory and all the lives which have beenand gone since it was built. Then go backoutside and stare for a while – if youthink it’s an awe-inspiring, impressiveedifice now, imagine what it must havebeen like for people who had only everseen single-storey wooden buildings.They must have been struck dumb,which is exactly how Edwin feels whenhe first sees it.Do you have plans for any futureEdwin Weaver books, and whatsettings do you find most interesting?Yes I do, and I’m pleased to say that thenext book in the series, Whited Sepulchres,will be published in late 2014. This takesup Edwin’s story in the aftermath of whathas happened to him in Lincoln. I alsohave plans for at least two other volumes,so watch this space. I’m fairly sure that I’dbe lost if I tried to write a modern novel,but put me in the thirteenth century andI’m perfectly happy.The Bloody City is out now, published byThe History Press.094-095:Layout 1 14/3/14 12:21 Page 296 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYSUDOKUcompetitionClosing date for entries is: 20th APRIL2014To enter just email the numbers thatappear in the yellow squares to:competitions@blmgroup.co.ukWin a £20 voucher tospend with any of ouradvertisers in this issue.Last month’s solutionD3E0CF1E6B124836795673954821958172634437681952895327416261495387782563149346219578519748263Aries Mar 21 - Apr 20Only you can take full responsibility foryour life and once you do you cannotafford to just give up when the going getstough again, because it will. Embracechallenges by seeing them as learningcurves where important lessons must belearned.Taurus Apr 21 - May 21Deep rooted issues need attention if youare to break emotional ties that preventyou from moving forwards and getting onwith creating a new life. A new romancewill gather momentum putting you in avery dizzy state of mind. Gemini May 22 - June 21A close relationship is changing and anew pattern is emerging. You may stillharbour romantic feelings for someonewho let you down once yet still insists onkeeping the communication between youboth alive.Cancer Jun 22 - Jul 23Your powers of being able to see throughcertain people will serve you well. Notonly will you guide someone throughchoppy waters, but you may also exposesomeone as being untruthful. Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23You may seriously fancy someone who iscurrently a good friend, but who hascommitments elsewhere. If there is definitechemistry, the situation is developing intoa ticking time bomb and will need carefulhandling.Virgo Aug 24 - Sep 23You will either be looking forward to afamily holiday or celebration or be filledwith dread at the prospect of attending.A close friend, who understands youcompletely, will waste no time in talkingsome sense into you.Libra Sep 24 - Oct 23An invitation to attend a glamorous eventwill give you every opportunity to dress upand make heads turn in your directionwhen you enter a room. An old flame stilldesires you but refuses to make anycompromises.Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22Some of your comments may be too closefor comfort because you always knowwhen someone is telling lies. A close friendisn’t being completely honest with eitheryou or anyone else and playing the victimcard for all its worth. Sagittarius Nov 23 - Dec 21An increase in your finances will come asan unexpected surprise. You may win acourt case or insurance claim. Plan aholiday as soon as possible so that youcan take a break. A new admirer mayinterest you in more ways than one.Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 20Your wicked sense of humour will lightenup what would have been a dismalcelebration because you have the knackof making people relax in an instant. Anewcomer will flirt with you outrageouslybut create a good first impression.Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19Recent events very close to home mayhave shaken you to the core and nowforce you to do some very deep thinking.You may even feel as though you want tosell up and move because you want achange of direction.Pisces Feb 20 - Mar 20Money issues are still causing you anxietybecause nothing is happening quicklyenough. Someone may put pressure onyou because of their own selfish reasons.Put a halt on that kind of behaviour andrefuse to be pushed into a corner.Astrology by Linda Lancashire0776 4466381www.lindalancashire.co.ukteresastanley1@btinternet.co.ukYOURstarsLincolnshire Today’s guide to the astro month ahead...943185276158726493267934581481673925532491867796258134375819642814362759629547318096:Layout 1 14/3/14 12:20 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY97ClassifiedDrivesHoliday Villa RentalEntertainmentOFF LIMITSare a versatile bandspecialising in songs from the50s to the present;Elvisto Robbie, Beatlesto Bryan Adams, OasistoQueen, ClaptontoKaiser Chiefsand much, much more.If you are after a great, tight bandthat can play all types of music foryour event or party then Off Limits arethe band for you. Please contact us for a demo discTel: 01427 615177 www.offlimitsband.co.ukLincolnshire’sPremier Party BandOFF LIMITSCosta Blanca - Close to the beach and Murcia or Alicante airportsLuxury detached villa with landscapedgardens, private pool, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and largesun terrace.Enjoy a week or two in a private villa with its own tropicallandscaped gardens, (Mood-lit by night). When you’ve hadenough of basking by the pool, a short stroll will take you tolocal shops, restaurants or street markets. Afterwards relaxwith a cool gin and tonic at one of the many bars, or on oneof the many blue flag beaches close by. Prices start from only £99 per day Visit www.playaflamencavilla.co.uk for more informationLUXURYVILLARENTALLUXURYVILLARENTALMotorsBritish ClassicsHeritage MotorsParts 1948 to dateRetail Trade ExportSpecial ProjectsRestorationsManufacturing ModificationsCountry Workshops Risegate,Nr Spalding, Lincs, PE11 4EZClassic LandroversTel/Fax 01775 750223www.british4x4centre.co.ukOil HeatingLINCS VWASERVICESServicing MOTs Repairs Brakes & Tyres Engine diagnostics Car Batteries ExhaustsAir Conditioning Testing/repairs/Re GasVW, AUDI, SEAT & SKODA SPECIALISTTel: 01472 812130www.lincsvwa.comUnit 3, Woodside ParkStation Road, TetneyGrimsby. DN36 5HXSAFEWEATHERPROOFDURABLENON SLIPRubbermac can be applied to broken concrete, tarmac or paving slabs - no need to remove your exisng driveway01526 353777 OR 07436 803507PERMEABLE PRODUCT NO PLANNING PERMISSION NEEDEDCHILD & OAP FRIENDLYColours of your choiceOIL BOILERSERVICE ENGINEERAnnual Service-Commissioning-BreakdownsReplacement Oil Tanks FittedGeneral Plumbing ServicesOFTEC & CIPHE REGISTERED COMPANYTel: 01507 526831Charlie King. CKS Plumbing & Heating&Sportsman’s DinnerThursday 1st May 2014 - The Bentley hotel, Lincoln - 7:00pm - £45ppGuest SpeakersIncluding charity auction and raffleFor more information contact Pete Hawbrook on 01522 801247 - lincolnhcpt@hotmail.comHCPT Lincoln106Jeff Winter(Former Premier League referee)Lester Crabtree097:Layout 1 14/3/14 12:19 Page 198 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYLincolnshire Today Live!That’s it from this month’s issue, but don’t forget the printed magazine is only part of what we offer atLincolnshire Today! There’s all the latest news online at www.lincolnshiretoday.net, updated throughout themonth, we’re on Twitter and Facebook, and you’ll see our reporters and cameras at events across the county.Love LincolnshireEvery month, we speak to a key figure inLincolnshire to see what they love about thecounty. Here, we catch up with Terry Mellors,director of bespoke engineering-influencedfurniture and art company www.hikoki.co.ukWhat do you love most about Lincolnshire?I think Lincolnshire has a depth of quality due to its ruralfarming base plus the history of the airfields and basesfrom World War II. Lincolnshire played a big part andthese layers have built up over the years giving a qualityfeel to this county. The jewel in its crown of course isLincoln itself, the Cathedral and historic elements are aprize to show off. The best addition to Lincoln in the pastfew years though is the new blood from the students and university.What advice would you give to those who’ve never visited the county?People should visit this county and judge for themselves. There is something foreveryone here and it’s peaceful yet progressive.What’s the biggest highlight of the year in the county for you?I like the aviation RAF shows that come with summer, plus the country fairs!Where is the best night out in the county?I think Lincoln has the best to offer from restaurants, cinema and clubs or just thegreat ambiance of the Brayford Wharf area. Also, we have some great country pubs!What do you think is the best thing about Lincolnshire people?To compare from where I used to live, Lincoln folk are more relaxed and the slowerpace of living makes it feel friendlier to me.LincolnshireToday @lincstoday lincolnshiretoday.netStay in touch withLincolnshire TodayWe love to know what you think of Lincolnshire Today – so get in touch with us viaTwitter at @lincstoday or search for us on Facebook. You can enjoy some behind-the-scenessnippets from the magazine and find out what’s coming up in future issues to get a stepahead of your friends!May’s Lincolnshire Today heads to the coast to make the most of one of Lincolnshire’sgreatest assets. We’ll be reporting from Cleethorpes and Skegness and reflecting on thepast and present of our coastal communities. As usual we’ll also have the latest news fromaround the county plus lots of inspiration of things to do and place to visit. Watch out for itin newsagents and supermarkets across Lincolnshire, and on www.lincolnshiretoday.net, bythe end of April.Online thismonth...This month at www.lincolnshiretoday.net weheard that Cleethorpes lingerie specialistsPretty Women are making it easier for womenwho have had a mastectomy to find the rightbra.The shop on Sea View Street now has aprivate fitting room for ladies who have had amastectomy, so they can shop in comfort andprivacy and her team, pictured, can help themfind the kind of bra that best suits them aftertheir operation. In addition, Julie and the teamhave also donated a large number of post-mastectomy bras to the Pink Rose Suite at theDiana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby,to allow patients to review the kind of brasthat are available post-surgery, giving themthe knowledge and confidence to make apurchase as easy as possible.Of course Lincolnshire Today’s cameras arefrequently out and about at social eventsacross the county. If you’ve recently attendedan evening where our cameras were present,online you can take a look at all the pictures,including those we didn’t have space toinclude in the magazine, and also buy yourown copies!Why not check out what else is availableonline, by visiting www.lincolnshiretoday.net?098:Layout 1 17/3/14 08:50 Page 1Book Now!First for liveentertainmentRick WakemanʼsJourney To The Centre Of The EarthThursday 1 May 8pmTickets: £46.00The Illegal EaglesFriday 2 May 7.30pmTickets: £23.50 £25.50Concs/Group Discounts AvailableFlash MobStarring Kevin Clifton/Karen Hauer fromStrictly Come Dancing Saturday 12 July 7.30pmTickets: £26.00 Under 16s £16.50Paul HollywoodAn Evening Of Baking, Fun, Demos AndAudience ParticipationThursday 20 November 8pmTickets: £29.50Jane McDonaldThe Singer Of Your Song Tour 2014Saturday 12 April 7.30pmTickets: £20.50 - £35.50Nina Kristoffersonʼs Billie Holiday StoryWednesday 16 April 7.30pmTickets: £24.00 - £37.00Concs/Group Discounts AvailableVienna Festival Ballet PresentsCinderellaThursday 8 May 7.30pmTickets: £15.00 - £23.00 (Premium sets available)Children: £12.50 Ballet/Dance Schools: £10.00Concessions AvailableBeyond The BarricadeFriday 30 May 7.30pmTickets: £18.00 £20.00Concs/Group Discounts Available0844 871 3016* www.atgtickets.com/Grimsby**Booking/transaction fee may apply/ Restoration levy includedAMBASSADORTHEATREGROUPMain Street, Gedney Dyke, Spalding PE12 0AJ T: 01406 366700 E: bookings@the-chequers.co.uk www.the-chequers.co.ukJoin us this SpringSalt beef sandwich £7.95Salt cured beef brisket, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard mayonnaise, toasted sourdough and homemade coleslawSide ordersHomemade triple cooked chips £2.95Beer battered onion rings £2.00Tomato and shallot salad £2.95Baby gem and watercress salad £2.95DessertsSummer berry pudding £4.50Rhubarb and crumble trifle £4.50Dark chocolate tart £4.50Cheese and bacon burger £9.95Cheddar, blue or brie, crispy streaky bacon, tomato and baby gem, triple cooked chipsSalmon Nicoise salad £10.95Char-grilled Chicken Caesar salad £9.95King Prawn Tagliatelle £9.95Chilli, lime and coriander dressingMussels £9.95Mariniere or chilli and lime saucetriple cooked chips and crusty breadIntroducing our relaxed new bar menu...Available for lunchtime and evening Wednesday-Friday& Saturday lunchtimeAll prices include VATWhilst we are extremely careful, regretfully we cannot guarantee any of our dishes tobe free of nut traces. Please advise a member of waiting staff should you have any allergies or special dietary requirements099:Layout 1 17/3/14 09:05 Page 1Next >