< Previous80 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYREADERS’ WEDDINGSThe first dateWe met through mutual friend, LeeAustwick who ended up being our bestman, seven years ago to the day. Lee hadknown Gav since school and I workedwith Lee for a couple of years. Gavin wason leave from the army, it happened tobe the time when the World Cup was onand we all went out for a couple of drinksto celebrate.The proposalIt took Gavin five years to propose! Wemoved in together earlier that year, so Iwas hoping it was only a matter of time –I was getting impatient, even though itwas such a surprise when he did! It wasValentine’s Day, which was a Tuesdaynight – football night! He convinced methat even though it was the mostromantic day of the year, we shouldn’tmiss his beloved football. Of course, thiswas a ploy as he took me out for a lovelymeal and popped the question when wegot home, with a romantic poem, knelton one knee.Decision timeAt first we couldn’t decide whether toget married here or abroad. We finallycame to the decision that the mostimportant thing to us was that all ourfriends and family could be with us tocelebrate our day. We both knew wewanted a traditional, religious ceremonyand our local church St Giles is soquaint.We then looked at four receptionvenues but Elsham Hall stood out a mile.The beautifully decorated barn where thereception takes place stands in acres ofstunning greenery with a beautiful lake –great for photos. The themeGavin generally seemed happy to gowith the flow but being an avid Liverpoolfan wanted to incorporate this into thewedding! I finally gave in - after a longbattle - and agreed to have Liverpool-themed table names! The build-upThe planning was both enjoyable andstressful at times. We only gave ourselvesabout eighteen weeks to plan our big dayso there was a lot to do in not muchtime! We got creative and made theinvitations, table names, table plan andfavour boxes ourselves with a lot of helpfrom my mum. Getting my dress and the bridesmaidsdresses was quite stressful because of thetime limit and the fact I had threepregnant bridesmaids to adapt to! I gotbigger sizes to make sure they would fitand had them altered the week before. We enjoyed deciding on the themeand colour scheme, and I had a lot ofideas when it came to decoration. TheSophie and Gavin’sday to remember…This gorgeous Lincolnshire couple threw tradition to the wind andplanned the day they wanted in just four months, as Sophie tells us!general theme was shabby chic withdusty pink bridesmaid dresses, vintagelooking roses, gypsophilia, hydrangea,hessian, lace and pearls.The night beforeI actually thought I wouldn’t get any080-081:Layout 1 13/9/13 14:22 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY81READERS’ WEDDINGSsleep the night before the big day, andthat I’d be crying when I first saw Gavin,but I was the complete opposite! I got atleast six hours sleep and was giggling allthe way through the ceremony!Gavin will deny it, but according to hisclose friends and Richard Moore, thephotographer, he was very nervous in thehours leading up to the wedding. Hedidn’t want to mess anything up as hehad a lot of responsibility on the morningof the wedding such as dropping off thecake and delivering flower corsages. The big dayI felt so proud walking down the aislewith my dad, and couldn’t wait to seeGavin’s reaction. I was beaming withdelight and giggled all through theceremony!Who did you choose for attendants?I had four bridesmaids, my sister Sarahwas chief bridesmaid, and three closefriends from school, Donna, Sally andSheeva. Best man was Lee, and ushers wereGary and Steve ‘Nico’,Gavin knows Lee fromschool, plays footballwith Gary and grew upwith Nico.Our page boy wasour eighteen month oldnephew Drew.The dressI chose a beautifulMaggie Sottero ivory wedding dresswhich gave the impression of 3D -embellished lace A-line, with Swarovskicrystal and pearl detail and corset back,layered with lace appliqué and hand sewnflowers adorning the tulle. The dress camewith detachable straps – and I decided toexperiment with an off the shoulder look.I felt like I was floating down the aisle.Memorable moments?The first time my dad saw me in mydress was the most emotional part of theday and his speech was very touching, Iwas close to tears. Gavin ’s and the bestman speecheswere hilarious and had us all in stitches.The band, Off Limits, were fantastic –great entertainment, and surprised us allwith the lead singer dancing on thetables, doing Freddie Mercury impressionsin full Freddie regalia. Drew my littlenephew bopped away all night long!My nervous giggling in church will alsostay with me for quite a while!How are you finding married life?What’s changed most?Married life is great! I find it strangemaking appointments with my new nameand talking about Gavin as my husbandbut I love it!Getting my dress and thebridesmaids dresses was quitestressful because of the time limitand the fact I had three pregnantbridesmaids to adapt to!PHOTOS: RICHARD MOORE PHOTOGRAPHY080-081:Layout 1 13/9/13 14:22 Page 282 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYNEWARKNewark is a destination we’re abig fan of here at LincolnshireToday. With plenty to see anddo, there’s loads of reasons topay the place a visit.Our last visit to the town was a joy asever, the ever-busy town centre alwaysfeels buzzing and the sheer amount ofboutiques, shops and the hidden wondersaround the markets means you are nevershort of browsing destinations. As well as the town centre, we’drecommend a visit to Newark Air Museum,with a collection of aircraft, displays andan ever-changing exhibition space, you’llhave plenty to see and do there too. Atthe moment they have the Saab Viggenjet on display, which has proved to be ahit all summer already and looks set tocontinue long into the autumn. Theformer Royal Swedish Air Force aircraft isthe only example of the type displayed atany location in the UK. This particular jetfighter has for a long time been associatedwith the slick Saab car advertisingcampaigns of the eighties and nineties.It’s also a place packed with history, andearlier this summer, investigators delvedinto the tunnels beneath Newark Castlewith radar equipment. During excavationsfor Christmas lights, Newark andSherwood District Council’s Ian Harrisonsaw the opportunity to investigate thelegend of the tunnels when the towncouncil wanted to dig down into theMarket Square to insert new posts. Hesays, “If we find that there arepassageways and tunnels, then thepotential for further research, includingphysical exploration, is massive.“GH Porter’s, are among those sitting ontop of suspected tunnels. Cathy Sawyer,who has owned Porter’s since 2011, says,“I knew from when I was at school thatthere were supposed to be tunnels underNewark from the time of the siege, but Ihad no idea where they might be. Itwould be nice to see if the tunnels arereally there and it would be fantastic ifthey could open them up” Results are still pending, but we’re asexcited as the people of Newark to findout how far these tunnels stretch andwhat’s inside!Showtime!One of the biggest country shows savesits stars for the end of this month! Takingplace on 19th and 20th October at theNewark Showground, this year’s NewarkGame and Country Show should be afantastic day out. Organiser Matt Upsonsays, “Whether you are a serious gameenthusiast that enjoys the thrill of thecountryside or are simply looking for agreat day to spend with the family, ourshow always delivers a really greatweekend.”New for 2013, visitors will have theWake up to Newark082-083:Layout 1 16/9/13 08:39 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY83NEWARKchance to cheer on Robin Hood and his Merry Men in an amazingjousting and stunt-riding display by the leading Stampede StuntDisplay Team. The fantastic demonstration will feature amazingdisplays of horseback riding, jumping through fire, rearing, romanriding and a special demonstration of horseback archery. The MainArena will also feature breath-taking appearances by Savage SkillsMountain Bike Display Team featuring two world-class stunt ridersin an anti-gravity show and the Dog and Duck Display Team willwow the crowds with their expert sheepdog handling.Meanwhile, the Countryside Arena will host entertaining ferretracing with the Ferret Rescue Centre as well as owl agility shows,gun dog training displays and working ferret demonstrationshighlighting the ancient craft. Other activities for the whole familyinclude field archery, air rifle and clay pigeon shooting, as well asplenty of shopping.Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for children at the gate, butyou can book discounted tickets by visitingwww.robinhoodcountryshow.co.uk. We’ve also got tickets to giveaway! To be in with a chance of winning, send your name andaddress to Newark Show Competition, Lincolnshire Today,Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby DN31 2QE orcompetitions@blmgroup.co.uk by Friday 11th October. Good luck!Treats in store at LuvLuluThe all new LuvLuLu of Newark have all you’ll need in store for theup and coming season ahead. With a brand new store refurbishmentwithin the Buttermarket Centre, LuvLuLu is introducing new brandsalongside lifestyle pieces to compliment the ranges. New exclusive clothing collections include the Danish brandSecond Female, Sud Express, JS Heritage from Barcelona, HarrisMiller and a fabulous basic’s range from Selected Femme. In additionto these clothing and accessory ranges, LuvLuLu are introducingstunning contemporary print cushions from Annabel Perrin, adorablegreeting cards from Studio Seed and dreamy scented candles fromTwigs Interiors. The recent refurbishment also incorporates anexquisite gallery of beautiful lifestyle photography from AnnabelSmith, a local wedding and family photographer. All fabulousadditions to the new refined LuvLuLu. Whether you are looking for a gift, lost for inspiration orwanting to treat yourself to update your wardrobe then visitLuvLuLu to see their marvellous new range. 082-083:Layout 1 16/9/13 08:39 Page 284 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYBREAST CANCER AWARENESSThis Medium ImpactSports Bra is availablefrom M&S and eachpurchase comes with a10% donation toBreakthrough BreastCancerBattlingto beatBreastCancerOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Monthand there are loads of ways in which you canjoin in and raise money and attentionchanges in shape or texture and checkanything unusual with your doctor.Throughout October, Breakthrough isurging women to text SIGNS to 70500 to gettheir free credit-card sized TLC guide. Not onlydoes the TLC guide detail the key signs andsymptoms of breast cancer, it also includesinformation about what to do if you noticeanything unusual. Its handy size meanswomen can keep it somewhere useful, such asin a handbag or on the nightstand, that will act as ahelpful reminder to check their breasts.There are many success stories about those whohave beaten breast cancer. One of BreakthroughBreast Cancer’s ambassadors is Donna Fraser, whosays, “I’m proud to be a four time Olympian for GreatBritain, but I’m even more proud to say I’m a breastcancer survivor. Sadly, this is not the case for around athousand women every month in the UK and it’sdevastating to think how many lives this disease hastaken. That’s why I am working closely with leadingcharity Breakthrough Breast Cancer to encourageevery woman to be breast aware.”It’s a sad fact that breastcancer is still the mostcommonly-diagnosed cancer inthe UK, and each year fiftythousand women will bediagnosed with the disease.That’s why the word“awareness” in the name of theevent is all-important – the earlierbreast cancer is found the betterthe chances of beating it. It’s vitalthat women make regular checks, butmany women don’t check their breastseither because they don’t know whatsigns and symptoms they are lookingfor, or they simply forget to do it.Hence the first aim of Breast CancerAwareness Month is to remind womenthat knowing their own bodies couldsave their lives. They just need tofollow TLC – Touch, Look, Check.Touch your breasts and ask if youcan feel anything unusual, look forThese vintage-inspired items arepart of Debenhams’Think Pink rangewhich include a25% donation, split45% toBreakthrough BreastCancer, 45% toBreast CancerCampaign and 10%to Pink RibbonFoundation084-085:Layout 1 13/9/13 14:30 Page 1Elsewhere in this issue you can findout more about the Great Pink BakeOff which is inviting people to gettogether and have fun while alsoraising cash. If you aren’t able to hostor attend an event, though, you cansupport Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth in other ways by purchasing anumber of products from retailersaround the county. A number ofsuitably pink accessories andhomeware items are available that allcarry a minimum 10% donationtowards Breakthrough’s vital research.There are some fantastic hair and nailproducts, luxurious lingerie andcharming interiors pieces to choosefrom!Breakthrough’s research into breastcancer has proven invaluable formany years – and providing thefunding to help them continue thisensures we know more about thedisease and the best ways to treat it.Much debate has ensued about afamily history of the disease and anew study has considered theincreased risks, but most cases aren’thereditary.Eluned Hughes, Head of PublicHealth at Breakthrough Breast Cancer,says, “There is no single cause ofbreast cancer – it results from acombination of our genes,environment and lifestyle factors. Inorder to fully understand the causes ofbreast cancer, we need to study morewomen over a longer period of time.“The Breakthrough GenerationsStudy does just this, following morethan 115,000 women over forty years.Ultimately, the results will help us toidentify women at high risk ofdeveloping the disease, offer tailoredinformation on prevention anddevelop tailored preventative drugs.Through our work, fewer women andmen will get the devastating newsthat they have the disease.”If you’re able to help during BreastCancer Awareness Month, you’ll beplaying a part in ensuring morepeople can beat breast cancer.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY85BREAST CANCER AWARENESSLiliesHand tied bouquetsand baskets for alloccasions.115a St Peter’s Avenue,Cleethorpes01472 20034535 West Street, BostonT - 01205 360966CaressRuthie Q’sBeautiful range of mastectomyBra’s in stock.Fabulous range of Luxurylingerie perfect to make you lookand feel amazing.RustonSports & Social ClubNewark Road, Lincoln. LN6 8SA01522 882111 www.rustonsclub.co.uk Lincoln’s premier venue perfect for weddings,christenings, business conferences and trainingdays. Ample car parking and catering facilities.Call for more informaon...NRH EngineeringManufacturer of High Quality Agricultural Machinerynrh-engineering.co.ukTel: 01759 318775The Airfield, Seaton Ross, York YO42 4NFHighly Experienced Team ofSpecialist Family LawyersDivorce and Separation Call for more information on01522 516500 www.dianegenders.co.ukDIVORCE and SEPARATION For all of yourflooring and finishing touches5 - 6 High St, Lincoln(01522) 523004 or07944218982www.croftcarpets.co.uk3/4 (4ft) beds available.Unusual sizes catered for, stockists of memory foam.email: briggbeds@hotmail.co.ukTel: 01652 651828Princes Street, Brigg DN20 8HGwww.briggbedslincolnshire.co uk• Quality beds & furnitureat affordable prices• Open seven days aweek• Ample car parkingAffordable Furniture Ltd282 Wragby Road Lincoln LN2 4PXTel: 01522 567993www.affordablefurnitureltd.co.uk084-085:Layout 1 13/9/13 14:31 Page 286 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYLINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFEWild flowers have really done well thisyear, most birds have had a very goodbreeding season with so much food andinsects about and now the fields areawash with more young finches buntingsand wagtails than I have seen in a longtime.During the last couple of weeks I havenoticed good numbers of sandpipers thatare currently migrating south for thewinter probing about in the creeks on mylocal salt marsh. Greenshank, commonand green sandpipers as well as those‘pearls’ of Lincolnshire’s waterways thelittle egrets. So white, looking like smallherons, common in the Med but not somany years ago extremely rare in the UKbut last night I counted 34 of themgoing to roost in a nearby spinney.Climate change has certainly changedsome of our bird populations and species.I popped a hide up on the side of thatcreek and settled down for a couple ofevenings to see what would turn up. Ofcourse the first wader to show was aredshank, probably our commonestwader and guaranteed to be ‘on scene’in any creek. As it came closer it bobbedits head up and down, wondering whatthis big tent thing was that had suddenlyappeared in its territory. It quicklyrelaxed and carried on feeding,seemingly sure now that my hide was ok. As the sun lowered the light took onthat warm golden glow and a woodpigeon landed on the bank side, had alook around and came down for a drink.They may be a farmer’s pest but whenseen in this quiet situation they are a veryhandsome bird. It looked up when itheard the shutter but seeing as the soundwasn’t followed by anything threateningit carried on drinking. Pretty soon I heardthe familiar “peep peep” as a pair ofgreen sand pipers dropped in. When theyland they tend to hold their wings up inthe air angel-fashion for just a second, Iwill catch this one day!The green sandpipers were quicklyfollowed by Common sandpipers andGreenshank with a flock of six littleegrets landing some way down the creekbut heading my way. Over the next twoor three hours they all gave me somevery nice photo opportunities and I thinkI will revisit that creek again before thismonth is out.Not everything in the countryside isdoing so well though. Lincolnshire’sGreenshankWhat a wonderful summerwe’ve just had. Can youremember ever seeing so manybeautiful peacock butterflieson your buddleia bushes?CountryCountrydiary086-087:Layout 1 13/9/13 14:07 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY87LINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFEBanished to cluttered cobwebbed shedsWhere raindrops leak their musty tears.Last survivors of their kind,Veterans of the yeomen years.To see again those graceful lines,Creations of the wheelwright’s trade.Timber galleons of the landIn brightest liveries arrayed.Down rutted lanes all overhungWith trailing briers clinging strand,They’ve carried many creaking loadsthrough all the byways of the land.Drawn through life by gentle giants,Mighty shires or Clydesdale teams.What memories of harvest homeRe-lived again in precious dreams.But time will take its weary toll,In darkened corners now they hide.Disguised in scarred and faded paint,These derelicts that once knew pride.farmers are suffering the worst attack of‘black grass’ in many years. Thispernicious weed’s germination wasdelayed last autumn/winter because ofthose dreadful cold wet conditions thatnever seemed to end. They still hadn’tproperly germinated until after this year’swheat crop was sown. Because blackgrass is a grass in the same way wheat isit could not be sprayed off without killingboth and now things are so bad cropyields are going to suffer and losses arelikely to be significant.On a more nostalgic note, I waswatching the combine harvesters rapidlymunching their way through the wheatand the barley and lorries taking the grainaway and my thoughts strayed to howquickly all this is done, how rapidly a fieldchanges from gold to dark brown as fieldsare ploughed while others are still waitingfor the combine harvester, farmers ofeighty years ago or so would not believetheir eyes. It gave me an idea for a picture Ifancied ‘creating’. I visited an old barnwhere I knew there were some old woodenLincolnshire hay carts that still stand proudeven among all the dust and cobwebs. Ijust needed a clear image of one of thecarts, not so easy in the clutter of an oldbarn and then another image of aharvested wheat field with the intention ofputting that old cart out on the fieldsagain.Well, here is that image, I hope you likeit and I would like to share with you apoem called “Redundant” that wasespecially written about these very carts byan old friend, wonderfulcountryman/naturalist Ron Baumber, sadlyno longer with us.Black GrassWood PigeonLittle EgretWORDS AND PHOTOS BY COLIN SMALE. WWW.FOTOLINCS.COM086-087:Layout 1 13/9/13 14:07 Page 288 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYPETS CORNERFOR A CARING ANDPROFESSIONAL APPROACHTO ALL YOUR VETERINARY NEEDS•Pre-purchase Examinations •Endoscopy•Stables & Theatre •Tendon Scanning•Reproductive Ultrasound •Mobile Xray Unit.Estate Office, Boston RdSPILSBYTel: 01790 752227Heath Road Trad. Est.SKEGNESSTel: 01754 767444110 High StreetMABLETHORPETel: 01507 478182Fenwold VeterinaryPractice LtdFriendly, professional and experienced veterinary centre in Brigg11 Barnard Avenue, Brigg, DN20 8AS 01652 653 224 www.oldcourtvets.co.ukOLD COURTS VETERINARY CENTREConsultations by appointment only24 hour emergency service providedThe results when children get too closeto animals that aren’t used to them cansometimes prove hugely upsetting, butacross Lincolnshire work is going on tomake sure kids can enjoy their companyin safety and security.In fact researchers at the University ofLincoln are actually taking part in a majorproject to protect children from dog bites.Dr Kerstin Meints from the School ofPsychology at the University of Lincoln isleading the study, examining how childrenaged three to five see dogs who feelthreatened of distressed. Using pioneeringeye-tracking technology developed atLincoln, Dr Meints and her colleagues arecurrently testing children on how theyinterpret the distress signals dogs displaythrough their body language.She says, “Young children areparticularly vulnerable to being bitten bydogs. A common misconception is thatthese attacks involve strangers’ animals. Inreality, most dog bites affecting childreninvolve the family pet. We know thatmany of these incidents are preventable.Children under six frequently misinterpretthe warnings signals dogs give when theyfeel threatened. For example, very youngchildren often interpret a dog’s snarl as asmile, and will even lean in for a kiss.”Kids should be able to get closer toanimals in a safe way in the near future,though, as Lincoln looks set to get a cityfarm. The council-owned land adjacent tothe Tesco store on Wragby Road isintended to be turned into a farm whichwould have livestock including poultry,pigs, goats and small animals and pets.The plan is the work of Green Synergy, acharitable company which aims to createinspiring and therapeutic environmentswhere people can socialise, thrive andlearn, and the proposal was approved bycity councillors at a recent meeting.City of Lincoln Council leader RicMetcalfe says, “This is an excellent newdevelopment which chimes with anumber of the council’s strategicobjectives. It is an exciting and innovativeproject and we will welcome theopportunity to consider it along withother proposals for this site.”Plans are obviously in an early stage butit’s hoped the finished result will be a greatopportunity for kids to get close to animalsin a safe and supervised environment. Thework carried out in Lincoln, too, shouldhelp create a happy relationship.Best offriendsKids love animals – but sometimesthe feeling isn’t always mutual088:Layout 1 13/9/13 13:37 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY89EQUINEAs equine specialist Brenda Gilligan, Senior Solicitor at WilkinChapman points out, “The obvious tip is to wear hi-vis clothing onboth the horse and the rider, though this is advisable all yearround. Try pink or orange rather than the more usual yellow if youride in heavily wooded or green areas as it will be easier to spot ifyou fall.“If you’re worried about wording on tabards suggesting you’renot in control, use plain ones. Stirrup lights which are white infront and red behind are available. Approved hats properlyfastened are compulsory on roads for under fourteen, but everyoneshould wear them.”In wet or muddy conditions it’s often the case that your onlyoption is to ride on the roads – which isn’t ideal and extra safetymeasures that should be taken into account. Brenda says, “First ofall, make sure as far as you can that your horse is confident intraffic. Young horses should be ridden on the inside of or behind anexperienced ‘safe’ horse, though they can all have their moments!You can and should do a lot at home to prepare your horse forventuring out.“It’s illegal to ride on pavements and footpaths, but strangely,riding the wrong way up a one way street isn’t! However you couldstill be negligent if you do this where it isn’t safe and cause anaccident as a result. You can ride two abreast where it is safe to doso, or where you need to slow the traffic down for a reason, butsingle file is safer and more considerate.“Do pull over to let traffic pass where you can to preventfrustrated drivers trying a move which might be dangerous. Asever, be polite to other road users and acknowledge their patience– even where they haven’t shown it! They may next time.”Some riders decide to use hacking time to walk their dogs aswell, but unless you’re on your own land well away from roads, thisisn’t a good idea and you should resist the temptation. Even onbridleways, loose dogs would not be under close control and dogson leads long enough to hold from a horse can get wrappedaround your own horse’s legs. As ever when you’re embarking on new experiences andadventures with your horse it’s well worth checking your insuranceto make sure it covers what you want to do. Brenda says,“Consider public liability insurance and if possible, legal expensesinsurance. These are sometimes available as standalone policiesoutside the usual insurances for vet’s fees and so on.”And if you really don’t like the idea of hacking as the nights drawon, don’t worry – it’ll soon be summer again!As thenightsdraw in...After the surprise of a summer with actualsun, giving time for long hacks, riders willsoon be back to snatching rides when theweather and light permits. The darkerdays and evenings bring some extra safetyissues when you’re riding out.089:Layout 1 13/9/13 13:36 Page 1Next >