< PreviousKilling me softly70LINCOLNSHIRETODAYactive lincolnshireWelcome to a new feature inLincolnshire Today where we take partin an unusual or out-of-the-boxsporting activity each month. Thismonth I travel down to Saxilby tomeet up with Ian Lawrence of theLincolnshire Airsoft Club, to take partin our very own backyard war. Havingbeen paintballing a few times in thepast, I have some not so fondmemories of how much it hurt. In factthe game after it was often countingthe bruises. The paintballs themselveswere also really expensive, so I was alittle apprehensive about airsofting. So what is airsofting? To put itsimply, airsoft is a sport where playersare sorted onto teams and set anumber of missions and objectivesover various games. They use replicafirearms known as AEGs to achievethese objectives. One thing to note isthat these AEG’s look so realistic. Notfor airsoft the strange mushroomshaped paintball guns with hugegrowths on the back - these arerealistic replicas of existing weapons,with magazines and scopes. The initial impressions started well,in fact they really calmed a lot of myfears. It was £35 to take part, includingmy walk on and gun hire, and ammowas £9 per 5000… to skip ahead, I stillhave two thirds of it left for the nexttime I go! What’s more, the battles areless dangerous than in paintball, aseach gun fires small plastic BB pellets,carefully limited by regulation, whichwill struggle to cause actual injury. Assuch 18+’s can take part in nothingmore than eye protection andwhatever clothing you brought along.Under 18’s however, must wear fullface masks. After sorting the teams and goingthrough the safety brief we receivedour first objective. The enemy had anisland with four bridges and a bunkeron it, which we wanted to take. Prettysimple I thought, even if we weregoing to be funnelled through fourchokepoints. A few final checks of my equipmentand the game is off! I have to say, forthe first half of the game we played alittle too cautious. A lot of the othernewcomers were obviously unsureabout being shot, so we didn’t takeany unnecessary risks. Once I did getshot though, I soon realised how littleit hurt. That’s not just a manlyshrugging off of pain, it bounced offmy chest but really just felt likesomeone tapped me. Ten minutes laterI was charging in with the best ofthem. A key factor that makes thisdifferent from paintball (and reality) iswhat LAC refers to as the “bleed-out”and “medic” rules. What these mean isthat when you’re shot you shout “hit”and take out a yellow flag, so everyoneknows. You then start counting to twominutes, after this you run (or walk)active lincolnshireJoin Michael from theLincolnshire Today teamas he teams up with theLincolnshire Airsoft Clubto show you there’s moregoing on in our countythan you realise. Under cover of smoke,red team storms theenemy islandKilling me softly70-71:Layout 1 13/4/12 12:45 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY71back to a “Re-spawn” point, put theflag away and get back in the action.But, if during those two minutes a“friendly” can grab you for tenseconds, he can medic you, and bringyou back in immediately. This keepsthe games fast-paced and fun. No oneseems scared to be a little heroic, asbeing shot means at most a twominute wait. It also means you didn’tmiss out on the entire game, because alucky shot catches you in the firstminute. The game missions are always variedand interesting as well and often lastfor a long time. The shortest is aboutthirty minutes, but some go on foralmost two hours as objectives aretaken, lost, and retaken in quick order.Teamwork is paramount in this, lonewolves often find themselves caughtin bad situations, and even in caseswhere they take out five or six peoplesingle handed, it only takes onesurvivor to medic everyone. Completestrangers soon find themselvesteaming up with veterans and I evencatch myself shouting such alien termsas “contact” and “cover my six.” Theweirdest thing is that people just nodand react, instead of looking at me likeI’m some kind of loon. To shake it up at the end, the teamsare split for youngsters vs oldsters (orveterans as they prefer to be known).The line of young had to be drawn at26, which is nice. It’s been a whilesince I was considered young. Iactually find myself teaming up with a13 year old and a 19 year old to storma building, all of us working perfectlytogether despite the age differences. Infact I think they are better than me, ifjust for the energy. My bigger budgetdoes allow me the pleasure of agrenade though!As the day draws to a close we allsettle down to pack our gear away andswap war stories, and tales, fromstories of people medic-ing the wrongteam, then being surprised when theykill you, to getting stuck in protractedgun fights before realising they are onyour own team! There are plenty oflaughs to be had. I spent less than £45on the entire day, from 9am-4:30pm,and £20 of that was on gun hire. Nowconsidering a good AEG can cost aslittle as £140… then you only need£15 for walk on, and have your ownweapon.Airsoft is definitely a sport worthtaking part in, at least once. I cameaway with not a single bruise or mark,my legs aching from the exercise, butit was a good pain. The sport is opento children as young as eleven, andpeople well over forty were having justas much fun. It strikes me that therecan be no easier way to get a child offhis computer than asking them if theywant to play “Call of Duty” for real. In fact I enjoyed it so much that I’mdoing this again. Come down and seeme sometime, and we can swap ourown war stories. Just ask for Michaelfrom Lincolnshire Today. active lincolnshireactive lincolnshireFun Factor: Adrenaline: Fitness Required: Age Range: 11+Cost: £15 walk on + £20 gun hire. Ammo is cheap!Contact: www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk Times: Sundays 9am-4:30pm. Booking advised.Three of yellow’s finest sneak through thedense undergrowth towards their targetAfter securing the perimeterteam oldsters prepare tobreach the building70-71:Layout 1 13/4/12 12:45 Page 21st 3 issues only £1Great reasonsto subscribe...Each issue is brimming with a diverse topic range...• Heritage • Fashion • Hair & Beauty • Leisure • Homes & Gardens • County Motoring • Dining Out • What’s On • Free Reader Giveaways and much much more…First 3 issues are only £1FREE delivery to your doorReceive your copy before it hits the shopsLooking for a great gift idea?A gift Subscriptionis the perfect present that lasts all year round!ORDER 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. Lincolnshire DN31 2QEMake cheque payable to Business Link Magazine GroupCall now to subscribe on01472 310301 or visit www.lincolnshiretoday.net/341orScan QR CodeTotal Price: £24.40472:Layout 1 13/4/12 11:54 Page 1Glitz and glamourLINCOLNSHIRETODAY73SOCIAL SCENEPHOTOS BY ANGIE COOPERGlitz and glamourwith the Blankney HuntOne of the mostpopular events on thecounty’s social calendar,the Blankney Hunt Ballonce again pulled in ahuge crowd at theGeorge Stephenson Hallon the NewarkShowground. As ever theaccent was on glamourand excitement, withguests enjoying greatmusic from Metropolisas well as a feast offabulous food.73:Layout 1 13/4/12 12:28 Page 1More than a million people visit the annual New YorkAuto Show, which is a premier event for manufacturersand designers to showcase their latest innovations, newmodels and debuts. Most cars are revealed here before theyarrive in the UK, so we have brought Lincolnshire readersa sneak preview of the future. Surely the biggest conversation starter at theshow was Terrafugia’s newest release, the flying car.This vehicle is fully road legal with retractablewings, and yet is also capable of true flight. TheAmerican company, whose name is Latin for“Escape the Earth” is a growing aerospacecompany founded by pilots and engineersfrom MIT. Their goal is to design anddeliver revolutionary, practical air andland vehicles that provide freedom,flexibility and fun!A definite step into the future, this is surelysomething all people have dreamed of at one point,and seems like something out of a science fictionmovie. It must be said with all the flying and glidingthat takes part in Lincolnshire, we wonder how longit will be before we see something like this in ourown skies? Not to be outdone, Jaguar have announced that itwill be bringing an all-new sports car to production,the Jaguar F-type. Apparently based on concept artthey showed in September 2011, Jaguar have claimedThe New Land Rover 4 HSE Luxury Special Edition74 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYCOUNTY MOTORINGNewreleasesfromNew YorkTerrafugia’s Transition, withretractable wings enablingit to drive down countryroads at willLincolnshire Today goes to the NewYork Auto Show, to get an idea of whatwe might see on our own countryroads, in the coming yearsNewreleasesfromNew York74-75:Layout 1 13/4/12 12:42 Page 1Discovery 4 HSE Luxury Special Edition.Available only in Santorini black, the new Discovery 4HSE isguaranteed to turn heads with a distinctive new exterior look.A contrast between black and bright silver, the Discoveryworks to be subtly different. The result is a car that looksunique and novel, without seeming out-of-the-box orunusual. It’s not just the looks that are worth talking abouthowever, with a 256PS SDV6 diesel engine, this car has a 0-60 time of 8.8 seconds and top speeds of 112mph. Despitethis, the super-efficient ZF HP70 8-speed automatictransmission is tuned to improve efficiency andreduce carbon emissions. A real winner in allcategories, and with its 4x4 capability, it’s sure tobe popular in Lincolnshire. Expect to see itavailable in the UK around July. One of the lesser known brands withinthe UK has to be Fisker, who travel allbut unknown within Lincolnshire. Butwith a car as beautiful as their newAtlantic Sedan model, it would be a shame notto mention it here. The Atlantic is a crossoverbetween a sports car and a sedan, an attempt tobreach both markets by providing a car with astunning sports exterior, yet a practical interior,something many companies have struggled within the past. What’s more interesting though isthat this car is fully electric running. This is atrend that is expected to take off within the UKin the new few years, which could see Fiskerbecome a real player in the UK market. that the response to the art was so positivethat they have decided to speed up theirschedule and release a new model. This is notsomething for the far future either, as the F-type already has a prototype model, whichhas progressed to final on-road testing. Ian Callum, Director of Design for Jaguarsays “A true sports car needs to be pure inboth its purpose and form; to have theopportunity to produce such a car for Jaguarhas been a privilege both for myself and myteam.” The full details of the internals andspecifications are expected to be revealedlate in 2012, though the car itself mightnot hit the roads until mid-2013. Despitethe wait, we all know the Jaguar F-type willbe a serious hit in the UK. If sports cars aren’t you cup of tea, thenInfiniti have debuted their first zeroemissions luxury sedan, the Infiniti LeConcept. Styled as the future in vehicles, Infiniti arewell known for their designs with elegant sweeping lines andintelligent interiors, sporting the latest in advancedtechnology. Ben Poore, Vice President of Infiniti, says,“Infiniti believes the future of luxury is sustainable luxury andwe intend to continue taking a leadership role.” Installed with its own IT system, the Infiniti can be set topre-heat or pre-cool the car at certain times or temperatures,can connect to the internet and even use the internet tolocate fuelling stations.Not to be outdone, Land Rover have revealed their ownlatest model, theLINCOLNSHIRETODAY75The Infiniti Le Concept, a zero emission luxury sedanThe Fisker Atlantic, a mixture between sports car and sedanCOUNTY MOTORING74-75:Layout 1 13/4/12 12:43 Page 276:Layout 1 13/4/12 11:55 Page 1you throughout your Land Roverownership. All technicians areLand Rover factory trained, soyou can be assured of quality. As Duckworth Land Rovercontinues to grow the business,the pricing remainscompetitive. Duckworth LandRover offer servicing for LandRover and Range Rovervehicles and also provide a‘While You Wait’ option, acollection and delivery service,or a loan vehicle, dependingon each customer’srequirements. They are alsodedicated to offering customersthe best choice when choosingparts for your vehicle and offera huge range of Land Rover partsat prices you won’t believe. Theyare now also official Jaguar Partsand Accessory distributors.Both the Boston and MarketRasen sites hold a comprehensivestock of genuine Land Rover andJaguar parts, quality OEMreplacement parts and budgetparts for the price conscious. They also offer a full range ofLand Rover clothing along with gift ideas to suit everypocket.To keep up to date, visit the Boston parts site atwww.landroverserviceparts.co.uk or the Market Rasen partsshop at www.duckworthparts.co.uk. Watch out for the teamthis month at the Lincs YFC Rally on 19th May and TheWoodhall Spa Country Show on 20th May.Whatever you’re looking for, Duckworth Land Rover lookforward to providing the best possible Land Roverexperience. The Market Rasen branchachieved second place and theBoston dealership fifth in theNational Land Rover Dealer of theYear Awards. In addition to this, thesales department at the Bostonbranch gained fourth place andMarket Rasen second place in theSales Dealer of the Year League, foroverall sales performance andcustomer satisfaction. The MarketRasen service department also camesecond in the Land Rover ServiceCentre of the Year – a greatachievement for both branches. At Duckworth Land Rover customerservice is priority and they arecommitted to supporting all yourLand Rover ownership needs.Whether you’re looking for anew Range Rover Evoque, RangeRover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery4, Freelander 2, Defender or aquality assured Approved Used LandRover, Duckworth Land Rover’shighly trained and dedicated salesteam are on hand to help youthroughout your journey. They havea vast choice of new vehicles, as well as a large selection ofused vehicles – from ex-demonstration to nearly new – in aconstantly changing display. Visitwww.duckworth.landrover.co.uk to check out the latestVehicle of the Week from the Approved Used Vehicle range.Their 21st century showroom has the very latest LandRover and Range Rover models for viewing together with afull range of demonstrator vehicles. At Duckworth LandRover you’ll not only find staff highly experienced in LandRover product knowledge but who are also genuine LandRover enthusiasts.Duckworth Land Rover’s Service Team is committed todelivering outstanding levels of customer service supportingLINCOLNSHIRETODAY77COUNTY MOTORINGAnother great year forDuckworth Land RoverDuckworth Land Rover has won a number of awards over the past fewyears for outstanding customer service, and last year was no exceptionDuckworth77:Layout 1 13/4/12 12:29 Page 1Holbeach Rotary Ball Committee and GuestsChris and SharonGregg and JaneSephron and JonathanMark and ElaineBernard, Mavis, Warren and SarahHolbeach RotaryCELEBRATEHolbeach Rotary Presidents’ Charity Ball took place at theSouth Holland Centre in Spalding, in aid of the RotaryFoundation.The Foundation works to improve health, support educationand alleviate poverty, and local funds from the RotaryFoundation have been used, among other things, to improvefacilities for young people in Carters Park, upgrade the HolbeachBrownie Hut and support a local youth football team.Internationally it has also helped Holbeach Rotary Club providewater and sanitation to a number of communities in Sri Lanka.At the event, Rotarians and their friends enjoyed fine foodand danced to the sounds of Top Notch. President Elect AndrewBines was presented with a Paul Harris Fellowship foroutstanding service to Rotary.PHOTOS BY ALAN LONGSharon and Simon78 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYSOCIAL SCENE78:Layout 1 13/4/12 12:29 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY79BUSINESS LINCSThose in the North of Lincolnshirehaven’t always had the best ofrelationships with their neighboursacross the other side of the Humber.Certainly there were few tears shedwhen Humberside was broken up inthe nineties, after some two decades oftrying to lump together twocommunities with different traditions,needs and desires.It was the artificial nature andinconvenience of Humberside thatannoyed everyone, though, not thepeople – and since the South Bankbecame part of Lincolnshire again andthe North Bank returned to itsspiritual home in Yorkshire, relationsbetween the two sides have become farmore cordial. The recent reduction inthe fees for the Humber Bridge havehelped, and now a new group isattempting to create further synergies.The new Humber LEP, which ischaired by Lord Haskins of Skidby,aims to bring together the two sides todebate, network and promote theregion’s benefits to the wider world.One way this is being done is throughthe Humber LEP Forum which waslaunched with a special event inWillerby, Hull. Lincolnshire Today wasin attendance, along with some 250businesspeople, MPs and councilleaders, and guest speaker The Rt HonDanny Alexander MP.In his speech, Danny Alexanderconfirmed that the Treasury hadapproved the Humber LEP’s request toextend the LEP’s second EnterpriseZone. It’s suggested the extra taxbreaks could support up to £200million of investment, in addition toup to £300 million of investment onthe first Enterprise Zone.Danny Alexander also confirmed thegovernment’s commitment andsupport to ensuring that renewableenergy plays a greater role in the UK’senergy mix – emphasising theHumber’s leading role in the sector.He said, “The Humber has thepotential to establish itself as a worldclass renewable energy hub. This willhelp attract companies that canbenefit from simplified planningprocesses, superfast broadband and taxbreaks funded by the Treasury,including discounted business ratesand enhanced capital allowances onplant and machinery.“The Humber Renewable EnergySuper Cluster Enterprise Zone is one ofonly six in the country able to offercompanies enhanced capitalallowances on plant and machinery.These allowances are worth as much as£100 million to new companieslocating in the area, and for businessesnot receiving these allowances,business rate discounts for five yearscan amount to as much as £55,000 peryear. These are major financialincentives for companies who mightconsider making the Humber theirbase.”Danny Alexander and Lord Haskinsmeet apprentices at HOTALord Haskins of Skidby, Chair of the Humber LEP and RichardTuplin, Chair of the Humber LEP Forum, were joined by The Rt HonDanny Alexander MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, at the launchThe LEP Forum, made up of businesspeople and other Humber stakeholders in the LEP’s work, and chaired by Institute of DirectorsBranch Chairman Richard Tuplin, plans to meet several times a year to discuss the LEP’s plans and activities, as well as co-ordinateconsultations and surveys. For more information, visit www.humberlep.org.A river runs through itThe new Humber Local Enterprise Partnership aims to bring together bothsides of the river for the greater good79:Layout 1 13/4/12 12:30 Page 1Next >