< Previouspeddling Get50 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYHEALTH & FITNESSWith summer on the way and no shortage of cyclepaths throughout the county, there’s never been abetter time to get on your bike. Such is the beauty of our county, that itdeserves to be seen at a leisurely pace, andcycling offers the perfect balance. Whether it’speddling along a promenade, through the villagesin the Wolds or even on a daily commute throughtowns, it allows you to take in the views. Forfamilies, it encourages the young ones away fromsmart phones and provides some fresh air andexercise. Lord knows we could all use a little moreof that. One of the best things about cycling is howjust about anyone can just hop on a bike,regardless of fitness or experience, and set theirown pace. In that regard, it’s still playing asignificant role in social mobility, offeringopportunity to disadvantaged children and adultsand helping to stem the rising obesity levels. Andit’s something many of our towns and cities aregetting involved in. Bike Hubs are locations which provide localmeeting points for like-minded cyclists andcommunity workshops where visitors can learnbasic bike maintenance and a means ofdiscovering local cycle routes. This initiative is agreat way of getting any prospective cyclistinvolved, whether a seasoned pro or someonewho’s just started out. It doesn’t all have to beabout intensive racing. Cycling is even gaining a foothold in thecorporate world with more and more workersopting for bikes as their preferred mode oftransport. Some businesses actively encouragecycling to work. This can manifest as providingshower and changing facilities so workers canfreshen up before the start of the day; providingsecure spaces to store bikes and even offeringschemes through which workers can gain accessto bikes even through a hire service or a companytoken scheme. With the surge of popularity for cycling, therehas been a spike in innovation in the bicycle arenawith exciting new developments catering to thegrowing trend. Whatever the need or purpose,there’s a bike that’s tailor made to meet yourrequirements. Whether it’s a smart bike for thetech-minded; a mountain bike for that off-roadexperience, or a bike that conveniently folds awayfor the work day, there’s an option for everybody. The bountiful benefits of cycling range from theobvious to the not so apparent, so whether it’simproving overall fitness levels, meeting newpeople or expanding your horizons, there’s noshortage of reasons for getting on a bike thissummer. 50-51_Layout 1 19/04/2017 12:15 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY51HEALTH & FITNESS© shutterstock/Rocksweeper50-51_Layout 1 19/04/2017 12:16 Page 252 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYThe bat has long been associatedwith the gothic, its leathered wingsconjuring images of Nosferatu afterBram Stoker had his titular vampiretransform into the flying mammal.Though this aspect of the vampire mythhas fallen out of favour with more, um,sparkly attributes taking their place, thebat will forever remain linked with themacabre. A look at the lovable brown long-eared bat will puncture that image likethe proverbial stake through the heart.The ears are almost as long as itsdiminutive body, though it often tucksthem under its wings or rolls them upwhen resting. The dark reputation of the bat isn’tunfounded, being strictly nocturnal innature where, like all bats, it will useecholocation to pinpoint its prey withdeadly accuracy. The long ear will feedon midges, moths and an assortment ofother flying insects. With its naturalassets, the long ear can listen to thesubtle rustling sounds of its prey ratherthan relying totally on its sonar. Unlikesome other species of bat, the long earhas a slow flight, best described asfluttery, though they’re highlyDespite its gothic connection, the brown long-eared bat is one ofour county’s most adorable and abundant critters. Lincolnshirewildlifemanoeuvrable and able to pick insectsin flight. As its flight is usually close tothe ground, the critter is at risk frompredation, especially from domesticcats and foxes. Though the long ear is one of themost common in Europe, it was splitinto two species in the sixties. The otheris the much rarer grey long-eared batwhich is confined to the far south ofEngland and other pockets of Europe.Despite being known to live as long as22 years, the long ear will usually reachonly four or five. As its hibernation period stretchesfrom November to April, the long earcan now be seen flying at dusk, feedingas they do in large gardens, alonghedgerows, in parks and woodland.Given the abundance of all of the abovein Lincolnshire, doubtless you’ll beseeing more than a few long ears overthe next few months. During thesummer, they’ll roost in tree holes, batand bird boxes as well as attics. All bat species are on the decline asroost sites are lost to development andwith pesticides reducing their insectprey. Try giving a helping hand byputting up a bat box. 52-53_Layout 1 19/04/2017 12:22 Page 1© Shutterstock / KOO52-53_Layout 1 19/04/2017 12:22 Page 254 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFOOD & DININGBERRYWORLDRASPBERRYGOATS CHEESECROSTINIThe end of springOfficially speaking, May is the final month of spring. As we move toward the summermonths, many people may consider looking to outside dinner and barbecues. That willdepend on the weather, of course, but why not bring a little summer fayre into our lives –and if necessary – into our homes as well.These crostinis are great forserving as canapes atparties, or as a light bitebefore a bigger meal. Thecreamy goat’s cheeseperfectly complements thetangy raspberries, and thesweet balsamic finishesthese bitesize beauties offperfectly.Serves: 20Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutesYou’ll need:1 baguette3tsp oil150g soft crumbly goats cheese40 raspberriessmall bunch of basilolive oil and balsamic syrup toserveWhat to do:1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan.Cut the baguette into 20 thin slices,drizzle with oil and toast in the ovenuntil golden. 2. When they’re cool enough tohandle spread each slice,generously with goat’s cheese thentop with 2 raspberries, a basil leafand a good grind of pepper.3. Lay on a serving dish and drizzlewith olive oil and balsamic syrup.4. Note: If you don’t like goatscheese cream cheese works just aswell.Recipe: Berryworld.com54-57_Layout 1 20/04/2017 12:32 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY55FOOD & DININGThe Hammer & Pincers pub is a welcoming,warm pub that serves a great range of cask ales,fantastic food and offers service with a smile. Ithas a selection of meals available throughout theday, starting with breakfast at 9.30am onweekdays, and then lunches and dinners. EverySunday it offers a sumptuous carvery with a rangeof meats and vegetables to choose from. It also offersa range of entertainment and room for large parties. Hammer & Pincers now serve food all day on Saturday andSunday.BT Sport and Sky Sports is shown on multiscreen.Swineshead Road, Boston, PE21 7JETel: 01205 361323Email: wayne.salmon@btconnect.com www. hammerandpincers-boston.co.ukPreparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutesServes: 4You’ll Need:1 kg butternut squash - peeled,deseeded and cut into 2cm dice3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp crushed chilli flakes1 tsp paprika50g pumpkin seeds1 tbsp dark soy sauce1 tbsp white wine vinegar1 tbsp honey140g bag Watercress, Rocket &Spinach SaladWhat to do:Preheat the oven to 200°C, gasmark 6. Place squash in a large roastingtin, toss in 2 tbsp oil, chilli flakes,paprika and pumpkin seeds,season and roast for 20 minutesuntil tender. Whisk together the soy, vinegar,honey and remaining oil. Place the leaves in a bowl andtoss the dressing into the saladleaves. Gently mix in the warm squashand serve immediately.ROASTEDSPICY SQUASHSALAD97, High Road Weston, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE12 6RArestaurant@thechequers.pub www.thechequers.pub Tel: 01406 370407Open: Wednesday to Saturday Lunchtime/Evening & Sunday LunchThe Chequers of Weston delivers a relaxed pub atmosphere,couple with a high quality dining experience.Locally sourced good honest foodVisit our website for further details and special offerswww.thechequers.pub54-57_Layout 1 20/04/2017 12:32 Page 256 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFOOD & DININGPicture yourvenueExotic 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.To promote your services callAngie Cooper on 01472 310302or email: a.cooper@blmgroup.co.ukClick’em InnSwinhope, Nr Binbrook, Market Rasen, LN8 6BSTel: 01472 398253 Web: www.clickem-inn.co.uk The Click’em Inn is a family-owned freehouse,established for over 30 years in its current incarnation.Steeped in history, the inn is open seven days a week,offering a wide choice of drinks, including six real alesavailable at any time, with a regularly changing selection of personally recommended guestales. The kitchen is open all week for evening dining, plus lunchtimes on certain days of theweek. The menu varies from day-to-day with the chef’s specials, alongside regular meals. 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.Merrimans Lounge & RestaurantGreat Fen Road, Wyberton Fen, BostonTel: 01205 362378Merrimans is based in a unique timber framed buildinglocated on the outskirts of Boston, where all food is freshlyprepared in the restaurant kitchen, using only locallysourced ingredients. As well as the À la Carte and char-grillmenu, there are also early bird, lunch and children’s menus.Merrimans can provide the very best in business buffet lunches as well as catering forcharity functions and special occasions.SWEET CHILLIHALLOUMICRUNCH WRAPCrisp, crunchy salad and moreishgriddled halloumi makes a greatfilling for wraps. Enjoy with friendsand family, al fresco if you can!Serves: 3Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 10 minutesYou’ll need:For the dressing3 tbsp sweet chilli sauceJuice of 1 lime1 tbsp olive oilFor the salad250g Halloumi1 Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated2 sticks of celery, sliced diagonally, keep any leavesto add to the salad4 spring onions, sliced diagonally6 radishes, quartered3 wraps or flatbreadsWhat to do:Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a smallbowl. Cut the halloumi into 9 slices and toss in halfof the dressing. Cook on a BBQ, griddle or in a fry-ing pan for 5 minutes, turning halfway through untilthey’re crisp and browned on the outside. While the halloumi is cooking put the leaves, celery,spring onion and radishes into a bowl, drizzle withthe remaining dressing and mix it through. Dividethe salad between the wraps, lay the halloumi sliceson top of each and serve immediately.Recipe: www.lovethecrunch.com 54-57_Layout 1 20/04/2017 12:32 Page 31stissues 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 only £1!FREE delivery to your doorReceive your copy before it hits the shopsORDER 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 Group&Call now to subscribe on01472 310301 8or visit www.lincolnshiretoday.net/341orScan QR Code3333Looking for a great gift idea?A gift Subscriptionis the perfect present that lasts all year round!Total Price: £27.553£1454-57_Layout 1 20/04/2017 12:33 Page 458 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYBRIGGThe story of Britain is built on trade, with more than agrain of truth to the adage that we’re a nation ofshopkeepers. Brigg dates back to 1205, where trade wasintegral to its genesis, a tradition that continues today. Bymid-morning, the Market Place is a hive of activity, filledwith an assortment of sellers. Though the regular farmer’smarkets are a draw for many, there’s more to this historictown than its stalls. In our interviews with local artists, it quickly becameapparent that the Lincolnshire Wolds hold a near sacredplace in the collective conscious. The rolling openlandscape and abundant wildlife still fascinate creativeslooking to capture its majesty in film, in poetry or oncanvas. As the ‘gateway to the Wolds’, the town’s vibrantarts community is hardly a surprising revelation. Despiteonly being opened in 2012, The Steel Rooms are alreadyan integral part of the town, and as much a fixture as themarket itself. Live, Love & Create, situated in a grade IIFrom artsto market A near storybook setting at theedge of the Ancholme Valley, Briggrightfully retains its place as the‘gateway to the Wolds’, but there’sso much more to the historicmarket town than meets the eye. 58-61_Layout 1 19/04/2017 12:24 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY59BRIGGlisted building, celebrates, promotes andencourages greater participation in artsand crafts, meaning that those whomight otherwise feel excluded can get achance to get involved in visual arts. Thetown itself is so often the subject ofartists’ work and with its fascinatinghistory, it’s really no wonder. The name is derived from the OldNorse ‘bryggja’ meaning jetty, but in thisinstance refers to ‘a bridge’. As well asproviding access to the Ancholme, theland on which Brigg stands is thought tohave been used as a crossing point forthousands of years. A jetty or causewaywas erected on the riverside during thelate Bronze Age and though its exactpurpose is unknown, it does indicate thesheer importance of the location. The area become known as ‘Glanford’during the Anglo-Saxon era before it wasfounded as a new town at the crossingplace of the Ancholme and dubbedGlanford Brigg around 1182/3, before theGlanford prefix was dropped altogether. Itmight have started as a small fishinghamlet, but improvements and theextension of the Ancholme bolstered thearea’s trade, commerce and population. Reading the history can’t quite havethe same impression as seeing it all laidout in front of you. The Brigg HeritageCentre on the first floor of formerGeorgian coaching inn, the Angelcomplex, leads visitors through theannals of the town’s history. Itincorporates the area’s Iron Age roots,through to Roman and medieval periodsand even to more recent history such asthe World Wars. The jewel in the crown isthe Bronze Age sewn plank boat – or‘The Brigg Raft’ as it’s affectionatelyknown – which is one of only two suchfinds on display in the country. It wasoriginally excavated in 1974 where it waspreserved and stored in London. But ithas been returned to the town, where ithas been proudly displayed since 2013. The Angel complex is also home to oneof the town’s most striking coffee shops,no easy feat when you consider thecompetition. It also houses a Bike Hub toencourage more cycling among localsand entice others to use the expandingcycle path alongside the Ancholme – apicturesque route where riders can takein the diverse wildlife both above andbelow the water. Brigg retains its link to the past with itsyearly fairs, being the Summer Fest inJune, the Horse Fair in August and aChristmas Fair which takes place at theend of November. While the Horse Fairdoesn’t quite live up to the grandeur ofits glory days, the tradition is kept alivewith the equestrian activity taking placeon the 5th August of every year. Folkmusic fans might note the date as beingthe opening line of ‘Brigg Fair’, a songbest known as a choral arrangement byPercy Grainger. On top of these eventsare more specialist gatherings such as theNorth Lincolnshire Music and DramaFestival in March, a beer festival in Mayand the Briggstock Acoustic MusicFestival in early September. Brigg LiveArts also holds a bi-yearly cultural festivaland art exhibition in the town. They say the story of any town orvillage can be found in its pubs and, ifthat’s the case, then Brigg’s historybecomes abundantly clear. After all, it’s60 Á58-61_Layout 1 19/04/2017 12:25 Page 2Next >