< Previous70 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYCOUNTY MOTORINGcombines unique design, high comfortand outstanding sports car engineeringwith an athletic, four-door fastbacklayout. It therefore offers more space andmore potential uses. “Systematic expansion of the AMG GTfamily with the 4-door Coupé opens upthe sports car segment to those lookingfor a vehicle for day-to-day use, butunwilling to go without the unparalleledperformance of Mercedes-AMG,” says thecompany.And, who are we to disagree? Judgingby its top speed of up to 195mph and itspowerful, 6-cylinder in-line and V8engines with outputs ranging from 320kW (435 hp) to 470 kW (639 hp)delivering 0-60 mph in around 3seconds, we think readers will bereasonably impressed. Then there’s the new Ford MustangBullitt which is due to our shores in amatter of months. It celebrates the 50thanniversary of the legendary Warner Bros.film starring Steve McQueen.Featuring Ford’s 5.0-litre V8 engineenhanced to deliver an anticipated 464PSand 529Nm of torque, the engineintroduces new rev-matching technologyfor seamless gear changes, and is offeredwith a choice of Shadow Black or classicDark Highland Green exterior colours.“Our special edition new Ford MustangBULLITT evokes a unique heritage we’reproud to share with the McQueen family,and are excited to offer for customers inEurope for the first time,” says StevenArmstrong, Group Vice President andpresident, Europe, Middle East & Africa,Ford Motor Company.Many will remember Steve McQueenat the wheel of a 1968 Mustang GTfastback as he chases two hitmenthrough the streets of San Francisco onthe silver screen. Ford Mustang Bullitt68-71_Layout 1 19/03/2018 12:17 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY71COUNTY MOTORINGThe new Bullitt pays homage to thatfamous car. The special edition model’s5.0-litre V8 engine is enhanced with anOpen Air Induction System, and intakemanifold, 87mm throttle bodies andpowertrain control module calibrationfrom the Shelby Mustang GT350. Ford’snew rev-matching technology deliverssmoother downshifts accompanied by a“blip” of the engine, and an active valveperformance exhaust system enhancesthe V8’s signature burble.Special edition styling includes 19-inchTorq Thrust-style wheels, red Brembo™brake callipers and a faux BULLITT fuel-filler cap. The interior features Recarosports seats, and each Mustang BULLITTwill have an individually numberedplaque in place of the traditionalMustang emblem on the passenger-sidedashboard. As a nod to the original car’sinterior, the gear shifter features a whitecue ball gearshift knob.Prices are yet to be revealed but we’llkeep you posted.And, for those looking for something alittle more down to earth, you mightwant to consider the MINI 5-Door Hatch,which has just scooped ‘Best CompactSME Company Car’ at the 2018 BusinessCar Manager SME Company Car of theYear awards.This is the third consecutive year thatthe MINI 5-Door Hatch has won theaward thanks to its highly appealingdesign, low running costs andcompetitive company car taxation rates.The award from Business Car Managercouldn’t have come at a better time as itpreceded the launch of the new MINI 5-Door Hatch, which further enhances thebrand’s offering in the SME fleet market. Featuring new technology, cutting-edge connectivity, standard-fit front andrear LED lights and an advanced dual-clutch automatic gearbox, the new MINI5-Door Hatch is focused on refiningdriver appeal and offering customers corenew technologies.In addition to the 5-Door Hatch, MINIhas strengthened its product offering forcorporate and SME fleet customers inrecent years with the introduction of thelarger MINI Clubman and new MINICountryman models. In June 2017, thebrand introduced its first electrified andmost fleet-focused vehicle to date, theMINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid.Combining the efficiency of a hybrid withthe practicality of a crossover, its 26-milepure-electric range opens up thepossibility of fuel-free commuting.MINI 5-Door Hatch68-71_Layout 1 19/03/2018 12:17 Page 472 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYCOUNTY MOTORINGSUVs are all the rage, but is a Bentley SUVa step too far? Some people think so, but themajority don’t, because the luxurycompany’s Bentayga model is a finemachine, whichever way you slice it.The Bentley Bentayga has an awesomesuspension set-up with active anti-roll bars.These make the car mop up all but the mostcrater-like of potholes, while ensuring theheavy SUV corners like it’s on rails. The Bentley’s factory-fitted air suspension,featuring Comfort, Bentley and Sport, helpsmake the ride experience even better. TheBentley setting is the best because it deliversa mixed ride, ranging from relaxed toathletic, when the car is pushed through thetwisty bits.What’s most awesome is that the Bentaygahas off-road talent, too. Its ability to clamberacross anything that isn’t tarmac might justbe enough to tear rural landowners fromtheir Land Rover models. Certainly, theBentley’s vast amount of torque side-stepsthe need for a low range transmission – anassertion that the country set will find hardto dispute.Thrusting a massive four-wheel drivebeast, like the Bentayga, at a hardcorepace means you need a powerplant withuninhibited potency. Wedged under theBentley SUV’s hood is a 6.0-litre W12 lumpthat’s supported by twin turbochargers toproduce 608PS. This means the substantialSUV will get to 62mph in four seconds.Top speed in this country is almost apointless point – but take the Bentayga tosomewhere where you won’t get bannedand you’ll be able to do 187mph.Of course, shoehorning a giganticengine into a Bentley SUV means you’renot going to be in the most economical ofcars. You’ll get 21.6mpg on average andCO2 emissions of 297g/km, so this is not acheap vehicle to run. But if you’re seriouslylooking at buying a Bentley, then frugalitymay not be your biggest concern.While its princely price and largerunning costs mean the Bentayga willremain an SUV for the fortunate few, itoffers something rare to the motoringmarket. Product purists will remainsceptical, but the Bentayga is one of themost significant cars Bentley has everproduced. Welcome to the world of72-73_Layout 1 19/03/2018 12:13 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY73Max speed: 187 mph0-62 mph: 4.0 secsCombined mpg: 21.6Engine: 5950cc 12-cylindertwin-turbocharged petrolPower (PS): 608CO2: 296 g/kmPrice: £162,700FAST FACTS72-73_Layout 1 19/03/2018 12:14 Page 274 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYA CONVERSATION WITH…Rachel Sargeant was born in Cleethorpes andgrew up in and around Grimsby, where sheattended Worsley Infants School, before a familymove saw her up-sticks to Scunthorpe. It was hereher education continued right through secondaryschool and into college. Rachel then went on toread German and Librarianship at AberystwythUniversity in Wales before becoming a librarian.Though she has clocked up a great many successesas a published author, Rachel still works part-time asa librarian proving that if you find a career youenjoy, you’ll never work a day in your life. “I always liked writing,” Rachel says.“It was my favourite activity inEnglish lessons at school. I startedto take it a bit more seriouslyabout 18 years ago and havehad steady success with shortstory competitions andpublication in women’smagazines.” It was here that Rachel turnedagain to academia. “Things stepped up agear after I completed a distance-learning MA inCreative Writing with Lancaster University,” sheexplains. “My writing technique improved enoughfor me to secure the services of a top Londonagent. This eventually led to HarperCollins offeringto publish The Perfect Neighbours on their KillerReads list.”The Perfect Neighbours is Rachel’s third novel todate and her first with publishing giantHarperCollins. It’s billed as a “grippingpsychological thriller with an ending you won’t seecoming” and has earned plenty of acclaim fromfellow writers and critics alike. And it has clearlyresonated with readers too, making Number 1 onthe Kindle British and Irish crime chart and reachingthe Top Ten on the Kindle bestseller chart. Asked just what The Perfect Neighbours is about,Rachel doesn’t scrimp on the details. “The novel is adark, twisting thriller,” she tells us. “WhenHelen Taylor moves to Germany with hernew husband Gary, she can’t wait tomake friends with the Britishcommunity at a localInternational School. But it’s notlong before violence and tragedystrike, and Helen realises herperfect neighbours are capable ofalmost anything.”Having lived in Germany for manyyears, Rachel was able to use herexperiences there to create the novel’s setting,ensuring that no details were spared and the readerhas total immersion. Rachel now lives in Gloucestershire with husbandNigel and children Harry and Emily, but withparents in the area, she is still a frequent visitor toNorth East Lincolnshire. Killer reads Rachel Sargeant is an up-and-coming author born and raised righthere in Lincolnshire who is rapidly clocking up successes for her latestnovel. We sat down with Rachel to talk about her most recent work,how she got into writing and more.To date,The PerfectNeighbours hassold over50,000 copiesaround theworld74-75_Layout 1 19/03/2018 11:34 Page 174-75_Layout 1 19/03/2018 11:34 Page 276 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYRAF100World War One brought with it an upsurge ininnovation, a level of industrial inventiveness andnecessity that gave rise to the tank and the widespreaduse of airpower. The formation of the Royal Air Forcewas in direct response to the more significant roleairpower was playing in warfare and, in 1918, KingGeorge V authorised the creation of a new branch ofthe British military. The aviation branches of the RoyalNavy and British Arm were consolidation into a singleservice – the Royal Air Force, the world’s firstindependent air force.For all the terror and death wrought by WWI, theconflict saw a rapid evolution in airpower. The use ofaviation had been originally limited to reconnaissance,but was soon changed to accommodate new roles.Both sides were utilising aerial reconnaissance, and sofighter aircrafts were developed to shoot down enemysurveillance crafts. Elsewhere, other aircraft wereadapted to drop bombs and decimate enemy forces. The conflict saw both the Allied forces and CentralPowers embracing new technologies whilst spearheadingthe development of others. It wasn’t just in the trenchesthat conflict was being industrialised and adapted, butcloser to home. The German Military began work on aZeppelin building programme before the start of theWar, where it equipped its air and navy with airships.Although these airships were purposefully designed toconduct reconnaissance, they were also intended tocarry out bombing attacks and carry them out they did.In 1915, just one year into the conflict, the Germanymilitary began using its Zeppelins in raids across theBritish Isles. These attacks were intended to decimatestrategic British industry and cripple the nation’s abilityto fight the war. To combat the growing threat posedby these attacks, Britain diverted elements of its RoyalFlying Corps and Royal Navy Air Service back to the UKto fend off and safeguard against enemy air raids. No longer able to conduct air raids with the sameruthless efficiency at close range, Germany insteaddeveloped a means of inflicting the same devastationfrom afar. In 1917, the German military deployed itslong-range Gotha Aircraft and targeted the British Isles.These were aeroplanes which were capable of carryingout long-rage attacks. These attacks forced the Allies to take action and,combined with lobbying by senior British Army OfficerViscount French, the Imperial War Cabinet authorisedSouth African General Jan Smuts to conduct a review ofthe British Air Services. The report – known later as the‘Smuts Report’ – recommended that the air should betreated as its own force, a separate entity from both theRoyal Navy and the Army. To that end, it concludedthat a new force would be created that was solelyresponsible for conducting aerial combat. In 1917, following the publication of the pivotalreport, Parliament debated and subsequently passed theAir Force (Constitution) Act 1917. The act was givenRoyal Assent by the King in late November. The RoyalAir Force was officially created on April 1 1918 and therest, as they say, was history. To celebrate this milestone, the RAF has curated aslate of events and celebrations, activities and initiativesboth locally and nationwide. This full calendar of events,running until November, will help share the stories andsuccesses of the organisation whilst also laying thegroundwork for the next one-hundred years.As part of this, the RAF100 Appeal has beenlaunched. A joint venture between the Royal Air Forceand four major RAF charities, the appeal aims to raisemoney for the RAF Family and create a lasting legacyduring these centennial celebrations. The appeal is a keypart of the wider RAF100 initiative marking theorganisation’s longevity and highlighting thecontribution the RAF continues to make today. A centuryof the RAFApril marks a hundred years of the Royal Air Force and to commemoratethe occasion Lincolnshire Today takes a brief look back at its history.76-77_Layout 1 19/03/2018 11:36 Page 1© Ministry of Defence© Ministry of Defence© Ministry of Defence76-77_Layout 1 19/03/2018 11:36 Page 2BartonTuesday 27 – Saturday 31March Singin’ in the Rain, JosephWright HallBased on the classic MGM film starringGene Kelly, this cinema favourite will nowdelight theatre goers in Barton. Presentedby arrangement with Music TheatreInternational, this is definitely not one tobe missed. For more information, call01652 635172CleethorpesSaturday 31 MarchCleethorpes Comic-Con,Cleethorpes Leisure Centre The popular Cleethorpes Comic-Conreturns offering a meeting place for geeksacross the county to gather. Meet stars,show off you’re cosplaying skills and snapup some merchandise or memorabilia78 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYonwhat’sfrom the specialist traders. There’ll alsobe events taking place throughout theday, so whether you’re into sci-fi, superheroes or anime, there’s something foreveryone. For more information, visitwww.geekscomiccons.co.uk.Stamford Tuesday 3 AprilLiterature at Lunchtime:Never Let Me Go, StamfordArts CentreStamford Arts Centre’s ongoingLiterature at Lunchtime turns its attentionto one of modern literature’sbest loved writers – KazuoIshiguro. Having secured theNovel Prize for Literature, theCentre argues that itsIshiguro’s work requires ourattention. Although he’s bestknown for Remains of theDay, the talk here will focus on Ishiguro’slater work, the beautifully told dystopiannovel, Never Let Me Go. The talk will befollowed by a screening of the 2010 filmadaptation. For more information, visitwww.stamfordartscentre.com.Cleethorpes Monday 2 AprilEaster Eggstravaganza, TheBeachcomber This special Easter event will feature theobligatory Easter egg hunt, stalls, crafts,owls, reptiles and creepy crawlies as wellas a bouncy castle and an appearancefrom the Easter bunny. With free entry,this is a perfect way to spend EasterMonday. For more information, call07462 890940.LouthThursday 26 AprilCasket Case, Louth Riverhead Theatre Casket Case is a show about our fear of death, dying and being dead.It’s about Jozey, who doesn’t really do anything that could possibly, evenslightly, increase her risk of dying. Not even putting salt on her chips. Heranxieties are spiralling out of control and her friends are faced with justtwo options – kill or cure. Casket case is part story, part cabaret, parttotally morbid curiosity. After all, none of us are getting out of her alive.For more information, visit www.louthriverheadtheatre.com.78-81_Layout 1 19/03/2018 13:56 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY79SleafordTuesday 2 & Tuesday 10AprilEaster Holidays FamilyWorkshops, The NationalCentre for Craft & DesignThe National Centre for Craft & Designin Sleaford is celebrating all things circusin its two Easter Holiday FamilyWorkshops. They consist of hands-onmaking activities linked to its forthcomingexhibition Circus: Performers Politics andPop Culture. For more information, visitwww.nccd.org.uk.StamfordWednesday 11 AprilBilly Pilgrim and theHeartsease Kid, The CellarBarBilly Pilgrim is a spoken word poetwhose work is grounded in abstractnarratives exploring the reality of modernlife. He’s often outspoken and alwaysirreverent and will leave you questioningaccepted truth. He will be joined by theHeartsease Kid, a producer and digitalmusic specialist. For more information,call 01780 763203.SpaldingWednesday 4 AprilPete Coe in Concert,South Holland Centre Pete Coe is one of the foundingfathers of the UK folk scene, and iseverything from songwriter to singerand dancer to organiser. The sheerenergy and dynamism of his liveshows are what sets him apart fromothers. And now Yellowbellies canget the chance to see the man first-hand when he brings his live showto Spalding. For more information,visit www.southhollandcentre.co.uk.North Hykeham Saturday 7 AprilReynard the Fox, TerryO’Toole TheatreColourful comedy and fantasticstorytelling as The Fabularium re-tell the tale of Reynard the Fox, amost infamous scoundrel whoprides himself on being thetrickster of the forest. But whenthe Woodland Court announcesthe theft of the King’s CrownJewels, the animal kingdomimmediately blames the fox andReynard must do everything toprove his innocence. For moreinformation, visitwww.terryotooletheatre.org.uk.LincolnThursday 12 April Nick Sharratt’s Big Draw-Along, Lincoln PerformingArts CentreJoin acclaimed children’s writer andillustrator Nick Sharratt to find out howhe creates his picture books. He’ll showyou how to draw Tracy Beaker andTimothy Pope, kings and cats and allkinds of crazy creatures. Plus he’ll sharesome of his best drawing tips. Perfect forthe Easter holidays. For more information,visit www.lpac.co.uk.80 Á© The Fabularium78-81_Layout 1 19/03/2018 13:56 Page 2Next >