< PreviousYou’ll need: 400g frozen peas 425g can tuna, drained 1⁄2 red onion, peeled and finely diced 440g can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 3 tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsley 2 tbsp capers 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunky batons 150g spinach leaves, blanched Juice of 2 lemons 2 tbsp olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season 50 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FOOD & DINING Pea, tuna and What to do: Cook the peas in slightly salted boiling water for two minutes and refresh under cold water. Place the peas, tuna, onion, beans, parsley, capers, cucumber and spinach in a bowl and turn gently. Mix the lemon juice and olive oil together in a bowl and season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss salad in dressing. Serve with crusty bread and butter. Courtesy of www.peas.org, photo by www.michaelpowell.com Picture your venue To promote your services call Angie Cooper on 01472 310302 or email: a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk The China Royal Restaurant 6 Bridge Streets, Brigg, DN20 8LN Tel: 01652 650688 (reservations)/654762 (takeaway) Web: www.chinaroyalrestaurant.co.uk All ingredients freshly prepared with a healthy concept. Open for takeaway. Restaurant now open and taking bookings. Social distancing will be in place adhering to Covid-19 guidelines. white bean salad with lemon dressing 48-51.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 12:13 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 51 FOOD & DINING Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 16 minutes You’ll Need: Vegetable oil for brushing the tin Whites of 6 eggs 300g caster sugar 80g flaked almonds 400g mascarpone cream cheese 1tbsp heaped icing sugar 300g strawberries Strawberry meringue roulade What to do: Preheat the oven to 200°C and place the oven rack quite near the top. Line a standard Swiss roll baking tin, or a shallow baking tray with baking parchment and brush with vegetable oil. In a big, clean bowl, whisk the egg whites till they are quite stiff. Add the caster sugar slowly. Continue whisking until the meringue mixture is stiff and shiny, forming peaks. Spread the meringue mixture in the Swiss roll tin and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top, evenly. Place in the oven and bake the meringue for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes lower the oven temperature to 160°C and bake the meringue until golden brown, which will take approximately another 8 minutes. When the meringue is cooked, remove from the oven and turn it almond-side down on a big, clean sheet of baking parchment. Peel off the paper from the base and leave the meringue to cool completely. Whisk the mascarpone cream cheese and the icing sugar till stiff. Spread the mascarpone cream and three quarters of the strawberries, sliced in halves lengthways, evenly over the cold meringue. Use the sides of the parchment paper to roll the meringue roulade onto a serving tray or platter. Keep the meringue roulade in the fridge until you are ready to serve it. Decorate the top with the remaining strawberries and serve. Cooks tip: To freeze the roulade, simply put the finished but undecorated roulade on a large sheet of greaseproof paper. Wrap the roulade up like a present, completely covering it and slide onto a tray. Freeze for up to one month. To serve, thaw completely at room temperature. Recipe provided by: Berryworld.com with mascarpone This is a light yet decadent dessert. The crisp and chewy meringue encases a rich strawberry and mascarpone cream filling, and the almonds around the outside add a delicious crunch. 48-51.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 12:14 Page 4The closest most of us will have come to seeing a bat will be the floppy plastic caricatures found in the Halloween section of the local costume shop or supermarket. Even when scanning the skies, it’s blink-and-you’ll- miss-it when it comes to spotting these nippy little critters. Fortunately, the Brown Long-eared Bat has a slow, fluttery flight, making it easier to spot than most. Good job too, as it’s the perfect time of year to try and steal and glimpse. As with all British bats, the Long-ear is nocturnal and while that’s an attribute it shares with vampires, the associations stop there. It can be identified from other bats by its impressive ears which are nearly as long as its body. When the bat is resting, it will often roll these impressive ears up or else tuck them beneath its wings. Big ears come with the added benefit of not having to shout to hear one’s own voice. Consequently, the Long-ear has a quiet voice, leading to its moniker of the ‘Whispering Bat’. It will chow down on midges, moths and other flying insects they find in dark using its canny ability of echolocation. But it isn’t as reliant on sonar as much as other bats, instead using its proficient hearing to pinpoint prey. The Long-ear will also fly directly through foliage and snaffle insects directly from leaves. Though the Brown Long-eared Bat is abundant across most of the UK, its cousin – the Grey Long-ear bat, which split off in the sixties – is much rarer and confined to the far south of England. Although the typical life span for the Long-ear is around four to five years, some have been known to live for as long as twenty-two years. It’s the time of year for mating, with active males continuing to mate throughout the winter. Maternity colonies are established in late spring, with one young born around late June to mid-July and then weaned at six weeks. The Brown Long-eared Bat is protected in the UK, though that hasn’t stopped bats from falling victim to habitat loss and agricultural intensification. Readers can help, however, by providing food, water and shelter. Visit the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust website for tips. 52 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY People don’t often think of bats as summer critters, but it’s hard to imagine long summer evenings without spotting a few bats fluttering about. Lincolnshire wildlife 52-53.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 12:16 Page 1© Shutterstock/ COULANGES LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 53 52-53.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 12:16 Page 2LINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFE © Mike L ynch Even people just passing through our county can’t help but be won over by the bountiful wildlife right on our doorstop. With vast open spaces and a variety of habitats – from woodland to coast – Lincolnshire is truly a treasure trove of natural beauty. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that the county has bred so many photographers, from talented amateur shutterbugs, to professional snappers. As the county’s favourite lifestyle publication, we see plenty of great photos of stunning flora and fauna and we like to share the very best with our readers. Here’s a selection of beauty snaps from Mike Lynch. wild Lincolnshire Scenes from 54-55.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 12:17 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 55 LINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFE © Mike L ynch © Mike L ynch © Mike L ynch 54-55.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 12:18 Page 256 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY CARING Growing older isn’t always the flip of a coin some make it out to be. There’s no sudden age at which someone needs care, and some people can live much more independent lives without ever requiring a care home. It differs from person to person and each individual needs to be considered in their own light. That said, the transitional period where one begins to grow older does have some common themes, and these hold true whether you’re intending to stay in your own home or thinking about looking at care-assisted accommodation or even a care home. The biggest of these problems is that of mobility. Mobility is something we take for granted in life – it’s been present ever since we were babies and something that feels like a right by the time you’re an adult. As we grow older, however, that taken for granted capability begins to dwindle. Obviously, there are many factors to this – skeletal, diet, fitness – but even the most graceful of people will experience some degree of problems. Fortunately, we don’t live in a world where this goes ignored. Technology exists to make our lives easier and this holds true for mobility both around the home and outside it. There are many ways to adapt a home to suit older age. These include stairlifts for mobility, through to specialised walk-in baths all the way down to a buzzer system at a door – so the tenant need not exert themselves whenever the door rings. A lot of people choose to downsize as well – moving out of large homes that are difficult to clean and maintain when movement is impaired. There used to be a big push for bungalows for the elderly and there still are plenty of over 55 residential developments on the market, but with the quality and affordability of stairlifts getting better and better, there’s no strict need to eschew a second floor now. In fact, the legal costs and time involved in finding, buying and moving to a new home could easily eclipse the cost of bringing contractors in to Staying mobile We take for granted our ability to come and go as we please. When we grow older and that is taken away from us, how will we cope? © Shutterstock /T onyV31 12 56-57.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 12:19 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 57 CARING make a home more mobility friendly. That’s something worth considering, too – bringing a professional in to identify the spots in the home where problems might occur. It stands to reason that if a person is considering such aspects, they’re still relatively new to growing old. Professionals will have done this a hundred times before, however, and so will be able to point out parts people struggle with that someone might have never thought of. It’s not just beds, baths and stairs. There are hallways to consider, dining rooms, kitchens and even various technological tricks one can apply to the living room – such as hubs that allow people to monitor their home, answer the phone and even the door from the comfort of their chair. As ever, the goal isn’t to take away all agency from someone; that will only make them feel worse about what is already a difficult transition in our lives. Instead, the objective is to make things easier and allow loved ones (or ourselves) to achieve the same level of happiness and independence we enjoyed before despite changing circumstances. There’s no reason that can’t involve more freedom outside the home too. Mobility scooters are common sights on the streets of Lincolnshire and for good reason. Getting out is good for the heart, the soul and one’s mood. Being able to enjoy the sun and breeze, meet with or even make new friends, and generally prove both to ourselves and those around us that growing old doesn’t mean sitting in a home all day. Mobility scooters come in various shapes, sizes and specifications so it’s again worth speaking to someone directly about it. Given the similarities it has to an automobile, it might even be worth thinking of it like going to buy a car – thankfully with less cost. With all studies and research showing correlation between outdoor activities and longer and happier lives, it might not only be the best decision to invest in a mobility scooter, but the healthiest one. That is, of course, dependent on needs and the degree to which one’s mobility is impaired. Those in the early stages of growing old or who are blessed to have less problems may enjoy more freedom of choice in only needing a cane, or even being able to walk around unassisted. Does that make such investments useless to them? Not always. Even in our prime, some tasks like shopping or walking through busy markets can be tiring, especially on hot days, so even if a loved one does enjoy increased levels of mobility, that doesn’t mean access to a scooter wouldn’t improve the range of options available to them. If we can enable our elderly the freedom to move and interact as they wish, then perhaps there wouldn’t be such a stigma about the prospect of growing old, and people would be more willing to discuss the concept and what they want to happen at that time. It can be a lonely and intimidating experience, mainly © Shutterstock /George Rudy for the reason that it only happens to each person once, but it’s important to know that there are companies out there whose very existence stands as testament to the people they’ve helped. No one is alone in Lincolnshire, and there’s no shame in wanting to make life a little easier. Winter Storage Only £75 include a Service for only £25 extra Scooters kept securely and charged weekly Service & Repairs We have an up to date fully equipped Service Centre to help with any breakdowns or repairs Hire WheelchairWheelchair Scooter Scooter £12.00 per day £65.00 per week £50 r efundable Deposit £5.00 per day £25.00 per week £25 r efundable Deposit 207 Roman Bank, Skegness 01754 768006 56-57.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 12:19 Page 258 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY In my recent article about Bourne I mentioned the Romans and their Car Dyke so it seems like a good idea to follow that up with a more detailed look at this mysterious feature of the Lincolnshire landscape. The Car Dyke stretches from Cambridgeshire to Lincoln, the Roman Lindum Colonia, and linked the River Nene to the River Witham - its length being some 57 miles. From Lincoln it thus enabled a through route via the Fosdyke and then the Rivers Trent and Ouse to York (the Roman Eboracum) and so linked two of their most important cities and legionnaire garrisons. As part of Lincolnshire’s Roman heritage the Car Dyke ranks amongst their greatest building achievements in Britain and, apart from their extensive road system, is the second longest Roman construction after Hadrian’s Wall. (72 miles.) The Car Dyke can be traced running north from near Peterborough to enter Lincolnshire at Market Deeping before passing Baston, Thurlby and then Bourne to reach Dyke. (A village named after it.) It then passes east of a string of fen-edge villages (Hacconby, Dunsby, Horbling etc) and crosses the fens to the east of Heckington before turning north-north- west around North and South Kyme and Billinghay. After Timberland its course becomes much more meandering, something that can be accounted for by the need to follow the contours around the fen edge to maintain both a level course and water levels whilst skirting the higher ground past Potterhanworth and Washingborough to reach Lincoln. This final section particularly, contrasts with the familiar straight lines of Roman roads, that continued their course even over undulating country. The point of the Dyke’s exact junction with the Witham is unknown and it may have continued right up to the present-day Sincil area of the city. Having said all this it should be noted that some lingering doubt remains as to the Dyke’s Roman origins as even some archaeologists do admit there is a lack of direct, and only inferred, evidence. In this respect the Car Dyke is of much more problematical origin than (say) the Foss Dyke. It was in the early1700’s that Northamptonshire historian John Morton first suggested that the Car Dyke was Roman and by 1757 his idea was supported by Lincolnshire antiquarian William Stukeley from Holbeach - and others to follow. There have been few in depth archaeological excavations (e.g. many were quick assessments before building work) and only three have looked at full cross-sections. The conclusions are that the Dyke was usually between 12 and 17 metres wide and 3 to 4 metres deep. The Car Dyke is Lincolnshire is rich in Roman history; this month we look at the Car Dyke, one of their major engineering feats. heritage Lincolnshire explored 58-59.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 12:21 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 59 nowadays however almost universally accepted as of Roman construction and to the layman this has been reinforced by the colourful mosaic at Martin (west of Woodhall Spa) depicting a Roman surveyor at work. Nevertheless, even having accepted its Roman origin, numerous questions surround it; these include, when exactly was it built, and what was its purpose? Its intended usage has also remained a subject of debate and has done since the early 1700’s. The two main possible – and most plausible - uses are those of drainage and as a navigable waterway, a supply route to Lincoln, and a combination of these is perhaps the most likely and generally accepted explanation. The fens acted as a “granary” for Lindum Colonia, an important legionnaire garrison, which later became a settlement for retired soldiers. It would also have enabled communications with York. Its present condition varies considerably and it is overgrown in places, and especially in the southern half, sometimes obliterated by farming and only revealed by aerial photography. Most surviving visible sections are also much narrower and shallower than they would have been in its heyday. There are nevertheless some places where the Car Dyke is clearly visible “on the ground” though generally is it nothing like its original size. Nevertheless, there are some good locations to see (or walk beside) surviving sections. At Thurlby, near Bourne, the Dyke runs beside the churchyard, where there is an information board, and there is also a good pubic footpath beside it northwards towards Bourne. North of Bourne itself a nice walk to the village of Dyke runs partly by the Car Dyke bank and it features on the pictorial village sign. Otherwise the best sections for walkers to explore are north of Timberland. A short section known as Halfpenny Hatch near South Kyme forms part of the Slea Navigation and having been widened and deepened gives a good idea of how it may have looked in Roman times. Beside the Dyke at Martin a colourful mosaic sculpture illustrates the Roman method of surveying and there is a good walk northwards from here past Linwood Moor, Blankney and Metheringham Barffs. Further north still a public right of way passes Nocton Wood to reach Wasp’s Nest. Next comes Potterhanworth where there is a nice walk from the village down to the Dyke through Potterhanworth Wood. After this the Dyke peters out and is lost on the approaches to Lincoln. Several of the above locations have public rights of way and also feature in North Kesteven District Council’s series of “Stepping Out” walks and leaflets; some of which have convenient walkers’ carparks. The Car Dyke is regarded as of great historical importance and the best surviving sections are scheduled as ancient monuments. Parts of it are also designated as Sites of Special Scientific Importance (SSSI’s) and many are Sites of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI’s) too. Lincolnshire Heritage have produced a fascinating booklet about the Car Dyke (to which I am indebted) and there are many references to it in Rex Sly’s book “The Fen Edge”. by Hugh Marrows 58-59.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 12:21 Page 2Next >