< PreviousI f you prune early summer-flowering shrubs such as philadelphus, ribes and weigela after they’ve blossomed, they will be able to put on new grown this year. As well as cutting back for shape, look for any damaged or dead shoots and cut them out. Deadheading of bedding plants, sweet peas and roses also needs to be done periodically. Along with cutting off flowers on dahlias once they have started to fade. Perennials such as lupins, delphiniums and geraniums will start to look past their best so cut them right back down and they will re-sprout. They may not flower again but they will look a lot better. July is known for the month of back spot on roses. If you find it then remove the affected leaves and spray the plant with fungicide. You should also follow this procedure for other fungus and mildew which may occur if the roses are stressed by having too much or too little water. Water and feeding everything regularly is essential. Watering is easy to do but easy to get wrong. Often the main problem is under watering. If you spray an area of planting for one minute and move on the water is unlikely to have gone deeper than a few millimetres into the soil and therefore will not have penetrated anywhere near the roots. One way to make sure you are watering enough is to put a jam jar in among the plants you are watering and stop when it has about 2cm of water in it. This can mean using a lot of water and this is why a water butt in your garden is essential as you can use rainwater. If you have tomatoes these will need watering and feeding regularly, and you can tie them to their canes and pinch out the side shoots if necessary. Other vegetable patch jobs will be the sowing of French beans and carrots and transplanting purple sprouting broccoli and winter leeks. You can keep sowing seeds for salad as well as autumn crop 20 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY This is the time of year when we are enjoying our garden and you can sit back and enjoy the weather. However, there is still plenty to do and so you can’t sit back and relax for too long as Ed Fuller from Fullers Landscaping explains. rest and play © Shutterstock / Dora Zett rest and play 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2019 13:19 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 21 peas, turnips and spring cabbages. If you haven’t been active in your garden this year and still want some flowers and colour in your garden then you still have time to plant summer bulbs. These will produce late flowers and you could look at planting dahlias, canna lilies and eucomis. Furthermore, this is the month to plant bulbs that will bring colour to your garden in autumn; for example colchicum, sternbergia, amaryllis and nerine. In between the garden jobs and relaxing you may decide that you would like to make changes to your garden. Whether you plan to make big changes or some smaller ones then we can always help. I have a fabulous team that will work come rain or shine and they are highly skilled landscapers who can create anything from low maintenance gardens with artificial grass to romantic cottage gardens and state-of-the-art ultra-contemporary gardens. Over the last eighteen years I have built up a family run business that prides itself on designing and creating gardens that suit each individual client’s budget, regardless of their garden’s size and shape. If you want to make some changes no matter how big or small I would advise you to consider doing them sooner rather than later as landscaping can be carried out in the autumn and winter so your garden is ready for the summer next year. Specialised Services in Garden Design Landscaping and Tree Maintenance Backed by a highly-skilled and experienced team, we’ve built our reputation on an ability to provide our clients with professional, tailored gardening and forestry solutions FULLERS Forestry & Landscaping Call 01522 868717 or 07867 510544 info@fullersforestry.co.uk l www.fullersforestry.co.uk www.landscapinglincolnshire.com Around the garden •Dead head bedding plans and perennial plants to stop them self-seeding and encourage further flowering. Cut back the faded perennial plants. •Dead head your roses to keep them looking tidy. Leave the flowers in place if your rose produces attractive hips (seed pods). •Dead head sweet peas regularly to keep them blooming and water daily in dry weather. •Keep an eye out for pests on plants, early treatment is best. •If you need to prune your deciduous Magnolia, now is the best time to do it. •Cutting back growth in hanging baskets can encourage new flowers and foliage and will revive the display. Make sure you feed your baskets well after doing this. •Pick your courgettes while they are young to encourage more fruit and pick your runner beans regularly to prevent them becoming stringy and to make room for developing pods. •Water your lawn during hot weather, particularly newly seeded or turfed lawns. •Turn the contents of your compost bin every month to keep it well aerated. •Keep bird baths topped up in hot weather. © Shutterstock / Photographee.eu © Shutterstock / Alexander Raths 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2019 13:19 Page 2Lincolnshire heritage explored Natural features often affect what is normally regarded as “heritage” and this is often overlooked as geography and geology considerably influence settlement locations, transport and communications as well as architectural materials and styles. By the time it flows into Lincoln’s Brayford Pool the Witham is already 40 miles from its source in Leicestershire just west of South Witham. The precise location of the source is subject to confusion since three streams combine within a mile of each other. However, the source originally accepted by the National River Authority is the one rising at grid reference SK884183 but the Witham, as an identifiable watercourse, certainly exists at the Lincolnshire county boundary, which it crosses within its first mile. From South Witham, it flows northwards, being little more than a stream until beyond Grantham. It then becomes recognisably a river as it describes a very meandering course entirely to the west of the Lincoln Cliff though it is still shallow enough to be forded by stepping stones near Barkston. At Lincoln it decants into the Brayford Pool having fallen some 325 feet from the source but before reaching Boston, in another 31½ miles, it only falls a further 16 feet. Then from Boston’s Grand sluice it flows a further 6¾ miles out to The Wash. It is at Lincoln that the Witham’s “heritage” impact becomes more evident for here a major geography brings about drastic changes that contributed to the city's development and economic growth. Geologists call this dramatic landscape feature the “Lincoln Gap”, something most easily appreciated from the heights of South Common or upper Lincoln. And importantly from here, even from prehistoric times, the river was navigable, albeit with difficulty. The “Lincoln Gap” was originally formed by the Trent during the Ice Age when its flow northward became blocked; but once able to resume a course towards the Humber its small Witham tributary took over the “Gap” route. To the east of the city the river then fed Our subject this month is the River Witham and its impact on the county’s heritage. 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2019 12:56 Page 1his son of the same name) made a survey to assess much needed improvements to enable easier navigation. Their recommendations were shelved until 1761 when John Grundy (Jnr) and the eminent engineer John Smeaton revised the 1743 plans and followed by a 1762 Act of Parliament the river was straightened from Chapel Hill to Boston where the Grand Sluice was built; even so between Chapel Hill and Lincoln the Witham remained virtually untouched. In 1770’s locks were built at Stamp End in Lincoln and other locations. Another Witham Navigation Act was passed in 1812, which authorised replacement locks at Stamp End and a new one at Bardney. The most significant feature however was the creation of a new straight cut (the rivers present course) to the east of Lincoln. These improvements stimulated schemes for canals linking with the river to provide trade routes for local market towns. (The Sleaford Navigation opened in 1794 and the Horncastle and Tattershall Canal in 1802.) Following the 1812 improvements the Witham would have appeared much as we see it today. LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 23 into a vast area of marsh and fen, a situation which persisted into prehistoric (and indeed historic) times. Nevertheless, the area was settled wherever slightly higher ground allowed, and the river valley, and indeed the riverbed, has been the site of many important archaeological finds. The Lincoln Gap was exploited by the Romans for establishing their "Lindum Colonia", at the junction of the Ermine Street and the Fosse Way and also their two canals, the Fosse Dyke and Car Dyke which crossed the fens linking Cambridgeshire with York via the Trent and the Ouse. The “Gap” was also important later in the C19th as a major railway route. This landscape of meandering marshy channels extended as far as Chapel Hill then the inland tidal limit. By Medieval times most villages along the Witham’s banks had a ferry and it became an important trade route in the Middle Ages once monasteries and priories grew up nearby. The Witham valley is possibly unique in its concentration of such establishments, there being nine between Barlings and South Kyme, a mere fifteen miles, The marshy landscape gave them isolation but coupled with access to river transport for their main source of income, wool, so that by the Cl3th Boston was the England’s second largest port trading with the Hanseatic League in northern Europe. Once the Romans departed the river was neglected for century’s even during Elizabeth Ist’s reign and minor drainage projects undertaken for Charles I by Cornelius Vermuyden still left the Witham only marginally affected. However, in 1743/44 the drainage engineer John Grundy of Spalding (and Eventually, from around 1816, horse drawn barges were gradually replaced by steam packet boats. But, as in other spheres of history, technology moved on and the Witham’s waterborne trade, and that of the canals, was increasingly affected by the arrival of the railways! Here too the Witham played a part since the drainage schemes and embankments now provided an ideal route for the Great Northern Railway’s new line (known as the Loop Line) from London to the north built in 1848. Beyond Boston it is only a few miles to the Wash. Now tidal and known as The Haven the rivers present course – the New Cut - was formed following the Boston Outfall Act of 1880. This replaced the former creek forever associated with the first failed attempt at emigration by the Pilgrim Fathers whose memorial stands in the Haven Country Park. In the C21st river traffic is again growing, now generated by todays leisure and tourism facilities its popularity is increasing as boaters, walkers and cyclists seek out both the river and its surroundings for recreational purposes. by Hugh Marrows 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2019 12:56 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY GRIMSBY & CLEETHORPES G rimsby is believed to date as far back as the 9th century when a Dane by the name of Grim settled south of the River Humber. The word ‘by’ simply means a village or settlement and typically signifies places where Vikings settled, so the evidence would suggest that Grimsby’s roots lie, in fact, in Europe. Make of that what you will. Along with Cleethorpes some three miles down the road, Grimsby was once the crowning glory of the British fishing industry. The town’s first proper fish dock opened back in 1856 and as soon as the 1890s the town was rapidly on its way to becoming the biggest fishing port in the world. By the mid-20th century, trawlers were bringing in some 500 tonnes of fish every day. But by the mid-eighties, and after a long decline, the English fishing history as it had been came to an end. Owners sold their trawlers, closing the chapter on a period of economic growth and industrial success. Yet the town remains synonymous with fishing, its ports still bring in a catch and it boasts big names in the fish business. The Grimsby Fish Market is indispensable to the local industry as well as recognised nationally and overseas. It was originally opened in 1996 at a cost of £15 million and was modernised with a £1.2 million upgrade in 2012. Daily fish auctions take place here proving that while far from its glory days, the fishing industry is still alive and well. Everywhere you look there’s reminders of the past in and around the town, where its heritage is proudly on display. From the impressive Victoria Mills built between 1889 and 1906, to The Dock Tower which still pulls in sightseers and shutterbugs. Built in 1852, the iconic ninety-four-metre tower was modelled on the 14th century Torre del Mangia in Spain and still stands proudly in the town’s docks greeting boats and fisherman morning and night. To gain a fresh insight and appreciation into the industry that built Grimsby, head on down to the fascinating Fishing Heritage Centre at Alexandra Dock. Perhaps the town’s most impressive – certainly the largest – historical sight is The great in Grimsby Few could argue that the times are changing for Grimsby, a town fiercely proud of its heritage but with an outlook that’s more future-focussed than ever before. The great in Grimsby Few could argue that the times are changing for Grimsby, a town fiercely proud of its heritage but with an outlook that’s more future-focussed than ever before. 24-28.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2019 13:21 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 25 GRIMSBY & CLEETHORPES the beautiful Grimsby Minster, parts of which date back to 1114. It’s nestled in the surrounding St James Square which currently includes a striking Fishermen’s Memorial and green space where many a community event is held. Plans to spend almost £2 million to turn the square into a more attractive community-minded space are currently underway in one of the town’s biggest transformation projects. Grimsby has more to offer than history with an extensive retail offering. The town has one of the highest numbers of empty shops in the country and any trip up or down the high street or nearby Freeman Street will mean taking in a good dozen or more to-let signs. Freeman Street once used to be the town’s main thoroughfare, awash with fisherman who descended on the street’s many pubs as soon as they came off the docks. As the industry declined, so too has footfall, leading to shops shuttering. In just one year, sixteen major stores closed down in Grimsby, compared to just six new openings. For all that, Grimsby still boasts big brands and hidden gems including Star Rider on Pasture Street, a comic shop selling collectables, memorabilia and other geeky goods. Tucked away on St Mary’s Gate is Games Workshop for Warhammer fans. But the first place that springs to mind for most folks looking to shop is Freshney Place with its mix of restaurants, coffee shops, fashion outlets and entertainment stores. Game recently made its triumphant return to the shopping centre after a five-month absence. For entertainment there’s also HMV and Waterstones to get your reading fix (just don’t forget about the library on Town Hall Square). For fashion there’s favourite names including New Look, Next, Monsoon and Primark, while Starbucks, Millie’s Cookies and Café Nero rub shoulders with a slew of independents, perfect to get your coffee and cake fix. For something a bit different, there’s the indoor market where traders sell local produce alongside meat and seafood, as well as clothes, books, collectables and other assorted ephemera. Pulling in locals and visitors alike is the town’s many outlet stores and retail parks tucked here and there. So whether you’re looking to amuse the little ones (or indulge your inner toy fanatic) there’s Smyths on Victoria Retail Park, or for tech try Currys PC World at High Point Retail Park. It’s complemented by an ample supermarket offering and fast food outlets alongside stylish places to grab a bite or cocktail such as The Curious Cat on Bethlehem Street. There’s also the well-to-do Abbeygate shopping mall, offering an independent shopping area with clothing and jewellery boutiques. It was developed on the site of old brewery buildings in 1983 and retains its historic character and charm to this day. For a true sense of Grimsby’s quirky and creative spirit, head down Wellowgate just off the train station where there’s an assortment of arty- crafty indie shops including Curious Cobwebs, a witchy store selling spells, broomsticks and potions. There’s also a tattooist and stores selling home goods and jewellery. Or head down to nearby Cleethorpes for a great retail experience. There’s plenty to do, from the cinema to The Jungle Zoo. © Shutterstock / Paul d Bell 26 Á 24-28.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2019 13:21 Page 226 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY GRIMSBY & CLEETHORPES With the beautiful Weelsby Woods and picturesque People’s Park (which was opened in 1883), Grimsby has a great many places for walks. That’s not to mention its myriad sports grounds and fields, golf clubs and courses. While down in Cleethorpes there’s the leisure centre and, of course, its pristine beach with International Blue Flag award-winning waters. Cleethorpes is also where you’ll find Blundell Park, the home ground of Grimsby Town which is one of the few English football clubs with a town or city name to have their home ground in a different community. But there’s no ignoring the issues that Grimsby faces from its violent crime, drug use and prostitution, to its poverty and high unemployment levels. In the 2016 referendum, almost 70% of residents voted to leave the European Union. In the interim, much has been written about the wants and the whys, but what’s clear is that the people of Grimsby were voting for change. This is a town trying to reinvent itself and things indeed are changing. Though the town is no longer the epicentre of the nation’s fishing industry, it has reinvented itself as the capital of the English renewables industry, generating more from solar, wind, biomass and landfill gas than anywhere else in the country. This looks set to continue with the Offshore Wind Sector Deal helping to keep the UK and, by extension, Grimsby at the forefront of this shift towards a cleaner, greener future. The deal offers hundreds more jobs, the promise of major projects off the coast and more investment, something that is truly having a positive impact on Grimsby. It used to be much of the town was employed by the fishing industry, this is now shifting to renewables. Last year, for example, Ørsted launched a major recruitment drive for Hornsea Project One, its massive wind development off the Grimsby coast. When complete in 2020, the wind farm will generate enough clean energy to power one million homes. And in so doing, it will help to power Grimsby’s economy. Cleethorpes too is enjoying something of a renaissance with the Cleethorpes Regeneration Programme recently securing a £1 million funding boost from the government’s Local Growth Fund secured by the Humber Local Enterprise © Shutterstock/popcorner© Shutterstock/popcorner © Shutterstock/Craig Hastings 28 Á 24-28.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2019 13:21 Page 3T: +44 (0) 1472 872248 E: weddings@oaklandshallhotel.co.uk Oaklands Hall Hotel Barton Street, Laceby, DN37 7LF OAKLANDS WEDDINGS www.oaklandshallhotel.co.uk The perfect backdrop for your big day. Get in touch with one of our Wedding Coordinators and come have a look around our beautiful grounds, choice of 3 function rooms and the perfect spot in our garden for your civil ceremony. Deliciously Deliciously Lincolnshire Platinum Awarded for outstanding quality and service by award WWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NET Quality function venue in a prime location on Cleethorpes seafront. For weddings, conferences, banquets, events, christenings, carvery and everything in between, we have something suitable for your requirements. Kings Hall at Cleethorpes Masonic Kings Road, Cleethorpes. Telephone 01472 692908. Email kingshall@oaklandshallhotel.co.uk 24-28.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2019 13:21 Page 428 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY GRIMSBY & CLEETHORPES © Katarzyna Musz / Shutterstock Taking place from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 June in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire Armed Forces Weekend (AFD19) residents the chance to show support and solidarity for the men and woman who make up the armed forces community. It offers a full weekend of events to celebrate, including parades, entertainment, fireworks and flying displays bringing the whole community together. © UK MOD Crown Copyright 2019 Partnership through the Humber’s Growth Deals with Government. The Programme involves road safety improvements, an extension and enhancement of public space along Sea Road and improvements to pier Gardens – including a contemporary pavilion housing, enhanced public facilities and a small events space. Grimsby is an oft misunderstood town, lampooned in popular culture as with the 2016 Sacha Baron Cohen vehicle The Brothers Grimsby, or reduced to simple stereotypes in national media. Many people’s opinions of the town and its people still stem from the Channel 4 “poverty porn” series Skint which, in 2014, homed in on Grimsby. Even at the time residents said that it didn’t reflect the true face of the town and its people. Being as Lincolnshire Today is headquartered in Grimsby, we couldn’t help but take it personally. The town isn’t without its issues but, as we’ve explored, there’s so much more than meets the eye. The true Grimsby is just waiting for you to discover, so what are you waiting for. Guests can enjoy complimentary use of our Fitness Suite, Exercise Classes, Sauna, Steam Rooms and Squash Courts during their stay with us. Bargate 53 Restaurant, brasserie and bar area offer residents and non-residents a choice of freshly prepared dishes using locally sourced, quality ingredients. Millfields Hotel, 53 Bargate, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN34 5AD Tel: 01472 356068 Email: info@millfieldshotel.co.uk www.millfieldshotel.co.uk With 27 well appointed Bedrooms, a Restaurant with A la Carte menu and a Bar offering a range of Guest Ales and Bar Meals as well as a Gym with Sauna, Wireless Internet Access and Free Onsite Car Parking, Millfields Hotel is always a great choice for Business or Pleasure all year round. 24-28.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2019 13:21 Page 5Lincoln Sportsman’s Ball May marked the fortieth anniversary of the Lincoln Sportsman’s Ball held by the Lincoln Sportsman’s Club. The inaugural dinner was held back in March 1979 when Scottish former footballer Tommy Docherty was the guest speaker. Over the past four decades, the club has raised over £150,000 for local sports people. At its most recent dinner, held at the Bentley Hotel, the club donated £250 to local American footballer Elliott Harvey. Guests speakers were ex-Liverpool and England legend Phil Thomson and ex-Liverpool and Wales Footballer Dean Saunders. LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 29 SOCIAL SCENE PHOTOS: RICHARD PICKSLEY Rod Taylor & Phil Thompson (ex Liverpool & England footballer) John Copsey, George Gilbert, Phil Grundy, Ian Woottan. Back row: Roy Froggatt, Neil Goddard, Rod Taylor, Trev Mason Front row: Phil Thompson, Elliot Harvey, Dean Saunders (ex-Liverpool and Wales footballer) 29.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2019 12:56 Page 1Next >