< Previous60 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY NEWARK alongside major high street brands, offering plenty of opportunities for some retail therapy. Why not visit the evolving Buttermarket for some indoor shopping? Now owned and managed by Newark and Sherwood District Council and Newark Town Council, a plan is underway to bring life back into the buildings, and numerous new shops are now open, hosting quirky local businesses. Meanwhile, if you’re seeking entertainment during your visit look no further than Palace Theatre, the go to destination for comedy, ballet, plays, music and more. Alternatively, if you would like a thrill, experience a hovercraft cruise or hop in a go-kart at Elk Motorsport. The town is also prime for aviation enthusiasts with the Newark Air Museum, where cockpits are often open to visitors. The museum has a collection of over 90 aircraft and cockpit sections and hosts a variety of events including 1940s weekends, the next of which is planned for October. Near the museum is Newark Showground which hosts a variety of events from military expos to wellbeing, doll, gem and vintage tractor shows. The showground is particularly famous for hosting The Newark International Antiques and Collectors Fair. Held across an 84-acre site, it is Europe’s largest antiques fair and has welcomed several celebrities. Usefully, Newark hosts a variety of wonderful restaurants, cafes and pubs, as well as a number of boutique hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts, meaning there are plenty of places to stay when visiting. The town is also easy to reach. Just off the A1, Newark is an hour away from Robin Hood Airport and East Midlands Airport, hosts Newark Northgate station, from which you can reach London in 80 minutes, and Newark Castle station, primarily a commuter line for local cities like Lincoln and Nottingham, and there are even several Marinas in Newark for those travelling by water. © Alastair Wallace / Shutterstock.com 58-61.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:31 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 61 NEWARK ‘Fake News’ might be considered a recent phenomenon but this brand new exhibition is set to expose it as a centuries-old tradition. See its evolution from the propaganda of the Civil War to today’s tabloids and discover the 17th century’s own versions of Twitter and filters! OPENING 26TH JULY WWW.NATIONALCIVILWARCENTRE.COM © Carla Isabel A Nascimento / Shutterstock.com There’s something for all the family at Newark Vintage Tractor Show On 9 & 10 November, Newark Showground will once again be holding the largest tractor show of its kind in the UK. This family-friendly annual autumn event will feature hundreds of vintage agricultural and horticultural machines as well as plenty of trade stands, demonstrations and displays. The feature tractor themes for 2019 are: International Harvester, CASE and David Brown (pre-1796). You’ll also see original condition vintage machines, the UK’s premier restorations, static and working stationary engines, commercial vehicles and horticultural equipment. This year’s event will see more tractors than ever before, with the event having expanded into the John Eastwood Buildings to accommodate the growing show. For the non-tractor enthusiasts, there is still plenty to see and do with displays of traditional crafts, as well as numerous indoor and outdoor trade stands offering opportunities to shop for products from country wear clothing, to sweet and savoury snacks. For more information, visit www.newarkvintagetractorshow.com. 58-61.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:31 Page 4C ollective nouns offer a little glimpse into the nature of birds or, at the very least, how they’re seen by humans. There’s a parliament of owls, those creatures noble, wise and graceful; a murder of crows for those loud, ominous carrion feeders, while the term for a grouping of goldfinches is a charm. A most charming bird, certainly, but the term is thought to derive from the old English word “c’irm’ which describes their twittering song. Accompanying this elegant song is a colourful appearance. The small bird sports a gingery brown upper part and a pale underside with black and yellow wings, a black crown, white cheeks and its iconic red face. The goldfinch commonly featured in medieval paintings of the Madonna and child and was referred to as a “saviour” bird, reflecting its status as a symbol of fertility and resurrection. Speaking of fertility, goldfinches will sometimes hybridise with greenfinches in the wild but, in captivity, they have been crossbred with canaries, bullfinches and serins. Goldfinches favour the outer twigs at the ends of branches for the nests, with a fondness for fruit trees. Most pairs attempt to rear two breeds a year, with each clutch consisting of between three and seven chicks. The juvenile birds are a dull colour after hatching and only develop their striking plumage after their first moult. Prior to mating, the birds engage in an odd breeding ritual in with they will sway side to side with their wings drooped downwards whilst singing their characteristic mating song. Vivaldi composed a concerto in D major for flute ‘II Gardelino’ where the singing of the goldfinch is imitated by a flute. In the 18th century, “goldfinch” was used as a slang term for someone who was very wealthy. Later, during the Victorian times, the popularity for keeping goldfinches as a cage bird led to huge numbers being trapped to supply the demand and leading to a huge decline in the population. Halting the decline was one of the first priorities of the Society for the Protection of Birds in 1889, the organisation which became the RSPB. Their efforts paid off with about 313,000 breeding pairs now found across the UK. It’s a great time of year to see goldfinches as they often travel south to Mediterranean for the winter. September also provides a lot of seed heads for the birds to tuck into, allowing them a broad diet of groundels, ragworts, dandelions and more. The bird’s long pointed bill helps them to extract the seeds, though this characteristic is typically employed by the males as females tend to develop a shorter bill. Aside from this, both sexes look largely the same. If you’d like to encourage goldfinches into your garden, avoid cutting the seed heads off plants this autumn. It’s also worth stocking up on feeders, putting out a bird bath, sowing green manures, and letting parts of your garden bloom into a wildflower meadow. 62 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY The goldfinch has the pleasure of not only being one of the most frequent visitors to bird tables and feeders across the country, but also one of the most beautiful. Lincolnshire wildlife © Shutterstock/stmilan 62-63.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:45 Page 1© Shutterstock/Frank McClintock 62-63.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:45 Page 264 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY COUNTY MOTORING The booming SUV market is going electric and it’s something luxury marques are getting on in. Aston Martin DBX 64-67.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:47 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 65 COUNTY MOTORING Nissan Juke When it first debuted back in 2010, the instantly iconic Juke effectively created the small SUV class. Now, almost a decade later, Nissan’s back for round two with a sophomore effort to find out whether lightening can strike twice. The market has changed and now Nissan not only has to replicate its earlier success but rise above major competition from the SEAT Arona, Hyundai Kona and Renault Captur, among others. But from what we’ve seen and heard, it looks as though the all-new Duke will be a winner. The next-generation boasts new styling and hybrid technology, that much we know for certain, but Nissan have been cryptic with the details, teasing us with glimpses and specs over the months. Sadly, the big reveal comes after we’ve already gone to print, so you’ll have to look it up for yourself for a closer look or else check in with our motoring pages in future issues. What we can say now is that the new Duke will go on sale in the first half of 2020. Aston Martin DBX The DBX represents a milestone moment for Aston Martin, marking its very first SUV and the first vehicle produced in its new state-of-the-art factory in St Athan in Wales. Proof, if it were needed, that electrification is more Volvo XC90 66 Á Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic 64-67.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:47 Page 266 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY COUNTY MOTORING than just a passing fad for the motor industry, the DBX will also be the first Aston Martin vehicle to get hybrid technology. On paper, it all sounds like a bit of a gamble, but the figures speak for themselves, and it looks as though it will pay dividends, with the vehicle set to become the company’s best-selling model. It was first shown off as a concept in 2015 and although not much has carried over to production in tangible terms, there’s a whole lot to get excited about. It’s an Aston, so we’re not worried about how it will look and handle in urban environments, but this is an SUV after all, so what about off road? As well as undergoing simulated testing, the DBX is being put through rigorous real-world tests, pitching its strengths and capabilities against some of the harshest environments, from the frozen artic to the scorching desert of the Middle East. Safe to say, this isn’t your average SUV. Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Land Rover is no stranger to beautifying its Range Rovers, and so it is here with the marque’s sleek mid-range model getting the same treatment as previous vehicles. In Land Rover’s own words, the mid-size SUV will boast “more performance, luxury and exclusivity”. What that means in practice will likely be design tweaks to make it stand out from its other Range Rovers, plus engineering tweaks and the requisite power boost to make it more performance orientated. Speaking of power, it’ll utilise the same supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine as seen in the Range Rover sport and deliver 0.62mph in 4.5 seconds. Volvo XC90 Okay, so this is hardly a brand-new vehicle to set the market alight, it’s essentially a facelift, but oh what a facelift. Large SUVs have been a big hit for Volvo, combining the appeal and functionality of a larger 4X4 vehicle with the marque’s trademark safety and penchant for style and technology. This seven-seat Range Rover rival will have a minor update later this year that, among Bentley Bentayga Hybrid 64-67.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:47 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 67 COUNTY MOTORING other things, will be focussed on adding Volvo’s latest self-driving technology systems. The early word is that the new and improved XC90 is almost perfect, coming in a mid-ranged, top end and hybrid model. Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Even Bentley, famed for its big beautiful luxury vehicles, is moving with the times and going electric and its inaugural effort is an SUV. This debut plug-in hybrid is the marque’s first foray into the rapidly expanding EV market and comes ahead of the launch of an electric sports car in 2020, one which looks set to give Tesla a run for its money. The Bentayga Hybrid will sport a supercharged 3.0-litre petrol V6 engine mated to a motor in a similar set-up seen in the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid. It’s expected to boast a total output of more than 410bhp with the ability for zero emission running on the motor alone. All that, plus it still has that gorgeous Bentley exterior. Tesla Model Y Tesla is still the biggest name in luxury electric vehicles, but with each launch, the marque has been increasing the mass market appeal and affordability of its vehicles and that’s taken another step forward with the Model Y, its compact SUV ideal for families. It’s the sister car to the stylish Model 3 and shares its underpinnings and running gear, although priced a factional higher. A UK launch is expected next year. Tesla Model Y 64-67.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:47 Page 4UNPLUG AND PLAY WITH MG ZS EV 68-69.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:48 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 69 COUNTY MOTORING MG’s ZS is one of the most real-world small SUVs around, and now the line-up is being strengthened by the ZS EV - a pure-electric model. The 44.5kWh battery is sufficient for an average range of 163 miles, but it’s possible to get 231 miles if you stick to urban driving. That battery drives an electric motor, producing 143ps which will propel the ZS EV from zero to 62mph in 8.5 seconds. The maximum speed is only 87mph - but that’s more than enough to keep up with traffic on motorways. The car is compatible with 50kW rapid charging, enabling eighty per cent of the battery capacity to be restocked in 40 minutes. The MG’s charging port is positioned behind the brand’s badge on the ZS’ grille. On the move, the ZS EV does an excellent job. The gear selector is easy to use, and it’s undemanding to toggle between the driving modes to give precedence to efficiency or performance. The suspension system is set up for comfort, and it proves that by insulating you from most potholes and bumps. However, the compromise is body control that feels a little variable on blemished bitumen, with more roll than some would like. Acceleration is satisfactory around city streets, with the instant torque from the electric motor making the ZS EV feel quick enough away from the lights. The ZS EV is a practical car, too. It’ll seat four people, and the electrically driven powertrain doesn’t eat into any of the MG’s cargo capacity. There are 448 litres available with the rear seats up, and 1,375 litres with them down. What’s more, the boot is a good shape, with a twin-height floor that enables you to prioritise either overall capacity or a flat load bay. The MG ZS EV isn’t the most dynamic of cars, but with its low running costs, practicality and decent pricing, it’s the best model made so far by the born again MG marque. MG ZS EV 2019 Review Fast Facts (MG ZS EV) Max speed: 87 mph 0-62 mph: 8.5 secs Range: 163 miles Engine: Single electric motor, 44.5kWh battery Max. power (ps): 143 CO2: 0 g/km Price: £21,495 MG ZS EV 2019 Review 68-69.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:48 Page 2Next >