< Previous40 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHIONAt first glance, men’s clothing might beguilty of playing it safe and sticking to triedand tested styles, but the classic shirt/trousercombo is open to interpretation. Lookingsharp PHOTO: JACK&JONES32-41_Layout 1 18/10/2016 08:59 Page 9LINCOLNSHIRETODAY41FASHIONMain image: Jack&Jones Smart doesn’t have to mean suit and tie with thisurban spin on a classic from Jack & Jones. Top left: Gant The best tailoring is often the subtlest and this classysuit from Gant is subtle and devastating in equalmeasure. Above: Gant Classy and sophisticated – Gant put together ameasured ensemble brought together with a bluebelt. Left: Ted BakerExpect nothing less than sharp style with a twist fromTed Baker - their latest addition is no different. 32-41_Layout 1 18/10/2016 08:59 Page 1042 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYHAIR & BEAUTYOn arrival my partner and I were giventhe VIQ room - the epitome of luxury, withcharming décor and stunning views acrossthe golf course. It was everything you’dexpect from a QHotel and more besides. Thebalcony was an added bonus, and with twolarge double beds, an assortment oftempting toiletries and snuggle-upbathrobes, it was an effort just to dragourselves away for dinner. On our way to the restaurant, the hugebalconies along the hallway offered a clearand pristine view over the grounds. StantonsBrasserie has two dining options, the first anextensive carvery, and the other an á la cartemenu. The choice of classic and fusioncuisine caters to all tastes, and my guest andI opted for the sirloin steak. When it arrivedit was cooked to perfection and served withhomemade chunky chips. The desserts wereespecially sumptuous, offering a hearty endto the day. After a wonderful evening spent in theBrasserie we retired to our opulent room andawoke ready to experience all that the resorthas to offer. The recently refurbished spa offersextravagance in abundance, adding to thehotel’s ‘treat’ factor. We were shown to therelaxation room, home to large recliners andupholstered chairs and foot stools, and ourtherapist gave us a tour, showing us thepool area, sauna, steam room and whirlpool. The treatments on offer are part of theESPA range – an authority in its field – andonly available in the very finest spas, andequally proud to be a British company whomanufacture their products exclusively inthe UK. The treatment rooms themselves boastplenty of space with a contemporary feeland, after taking a scent test to see what mybody was craving, I settled down to apamper session - having arrived rathertense, I was ready for this. Belton Woods only source their staff fromthe very best, so I knew I was in good hands.Following a thoroughly relaxing facial, Zara,my therapist, explained she has over 10years’ experience working all over the world.With her extensive knowledge and know-how, she left me feeling fabulous inside andout. Once we’d had time to fully revitalise weventured through to the pool area andsampled the steam room and sauna. Bothwere up to the hotel’s high standards andoffered a great way to fully experience whatyou can expect from a spa. Comfy sofas andpillows are a great addition to the pool area.The next few hours were spent enjoying theresort and relaxing from the busy worldoutside. It proved the perfect tonic and mypartner and I both agreed we need to dothis more often!After a late, light lunch in the café, ourbreak sadly came to an end. This hotel offerseverything required for a romantic getaway,a treat weekend with family or friends. Whether you are a business personwanting a round of golf with room toconduct corporate affairs afterwards or justto escape and enjoy a little luxury, we wouldhighly recommend a visit. Check out theirwebsite as they have featured breaks to suitall budgets too.For more information, or to book yourown getaway, visit www.qhotels.co.ukBelton WoodsGolf Club andSpa ResortThis month we visit the Belton Woods Golf and Spa Resort, justoutside Grantham. Set in beautifully landscaped grounds stretchingover 475 acres, this mini-break was just the treat needed as the darknights and chilly weather rolls in.42-43_Layout 1 17/10/2016 14:20 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY43HAIR & BEAUTY42-43_Layout 1 17/10/2016 14:20 Page 244 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYHEALTH & FITNESSThe winter months are coming andalthough we’re all looking forward to (orin some cases, dreading) Christmas, it’sworth keeping your health in mind as wemove into the colder and less kindmonths. The dreaded winter bugs will becoming out and sadly we don’t mean thesix-legged kind. Flu, colds and migrainesmay be common for some and in manyKeeping thebody tunedWe only have one body and keeping it healthy should be a prime concern. Thatsaid, there are many problems a good lifestyle cannot prevent, and if these aren’tpicked up early enough it can be bad news indeed. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGEScases far too many choose to ignorethem and power on. This isn’t always thebest option, however. In our busy lives, it can be hard to findtime for health, even less so a check upwith a doctor, but the advice is that weshould all be visiting one regularly. Eachyear we take our cars for an MOT, yetmany people can go years withoutvisiting a doctor, especially if they arebelow the age of forty, where they mayfeel that regular health checks just aren’tnecessary. This attitude can prove costly;especially when one considers that anundiagnosed problem in the humanbody cannot be solved as easily as itmight for a motor vehicle. Come theworst case, one cannot simply sell their44-45_Layout 1 17/10/2016 14:21 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY45HEALTH & FITNESSProfessional Eyecare for your family by our familyAs an independent family run practice in Donington, Spalding, we ensure our services are personalised for each individual in your family from the very smallest to the very tallest!20 Market Place, Donington PE11 4STTel: 01775 821888 www.clarkeyecare.co.ukchecked occasionally for any signs oflumps. It’s not only the doctor who ought tobe considered, however. As we growolder our body starts to weaken in otherways. One common area is the eyes, andeven for younger people it is thought thatup to 30% of people suffer from shortsightedness – with many never beingaccurately diagnosed. A visit to anoptician or eye care specialist can help inregards to this, even if one feels it’s notbad enough to warrant glassesthemselves. There are also other illnesseswhich can be identified through eye tests,though these are best left to aprofessional to identify.While regular fitness and a healthylifestyle can help minimise the risks ofmany of these things, others are out ofour control and it is these problems thatregular check-ups can help identify. It isnot enough to say that one lives a healthylife, nor is the body okay if it does nothurt. Having your health checked is arelatively painless and easy affair thatcould take only a few hours and couldmean the difference of years or decadesof your life. If nothing else it’s peace of mind. Sothis winter as the colder months come inand everyone starts to feel a little worsefor wear, consider calling a GP toarrange for a quick check up. It can’thurt, but could help more than manyrealise.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/CARLOS E. SANTA MARIAbody and buy a new one.There are a multitude of problems andillnesses that can be effectively treated ifthey are discovered early enough, butwhich can become problems if they areleft to develop. Naturally cancer is themost frightening of these, but many moreare less deadly but just as important totreat. As always early detection is key,which is why doctors across not onlyLincolnshire but also the country areadvising people to arrange regular healthchecks.These can take place in local GP’s, theNHS or any private medical practitioner,who can check for things including bloodpressure and general health, while womenmight consider having their breasts44-45_Layout 1 17/10/2016 14:21 Page 246 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYSOCIAL SCENEWear yourwedding dressMARK &KELLYHATFIELDGEORGE MCGEEVER& HANNAH COYKELLY HATFIELD, ANNABEL SWALES,EMMA WHALER, CHRIS DAVIS (ORGANISERS)WEAR YOUR WEDDINGDRESS LADIESWomen were invited to wear thewedding dresses again in aid ofLincoln Rape Crisis at a recentevent at Double Tree Hilton inLincoln. Almost £1,000 wasraised from the raffle on thenight, and kept attendeesentertained alongside the threecourse meal, disco, magician PaulCooke and casino.46-47_Layout 1 17/10/2016 14:22 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY47SOCIAL SCENETERESA SWANSTON, YVONNE MCGARRIGLE, KERRI SAXBY, LISA,LAURA & EMILY MITCHELL, ALEX MCGARRIGLEJO THOMAS, NICOLA CLAREJOHN MALONE (OPERA SINGER),DONNA BLAIRCHALKIE & ADELE GILLYETTDONAVAN HUTCHINSON &ALEX GUEVARADARYL & TANYA MARTYNEDWARD &SHARON CARLISLEPHILIP & JAYNESPADEMANPHOTOS: RICHARD PICKSLEY46-47_Layout 1 17/10/2016 14:22 Page 248 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYOur walk is approximately 6 miles long,so nothing too arduous and some verynice views of the rolling countryside anda retreat from the melee of the worldoutside.Lying by the Witham Valley, LittlePonton has the Roman road ErmineStreet just to the east and a knownRomano-British site at Salter’s Fordwaterworks a mile north. History buffsmight be interested to know this as its aknown prehistoric site for Bronze Age andIron Age artefact, in fact, a Bronze Agetumulus is visible from the lane as wehead towards Stroxton. On our journey we pass St Guthlac’schurch, a Saxon-Norman building thatwas restored in 1850 and Little PontonHall another late C18th building.We visit Stroxton, a mediaevalshrunken village which has its own quaintchurch building - All Saints - althoughyou will need to look out for the signpointing the way as it’s a little off thebeaten track so as to speak, and tuckedaway behind a farmyard. It’s worth a visitthough as it was largely rebuilt in a mockEarly English style around 1875 and hasan unusual, tower. Similarly, at Great Ponton there’s theHoly Cross Church which, boasts animposing high tower built in 1519. This issaid to have been financed by a wealthywool merchant of the time, AnthonyEllys. Immediately obvious are thegargoyles on the tower and, if you lookclosely, you might spot the glint of theweather vane in the shape of a violin.This was added to commemorate atravelling fiddler who regularly visitedand entertained the villagers and whoemigrated to America after generousvillagers clubbed together to cover thecost of his fare. As the story goes, hereturned some years later having madehis fortune and to thank them for theirkindness he had the vane erected. Oddly,it is said to spin on an old ginger beerbottle and marble!Another building worthy of mention isEllys Manor House - once again namedafter our wool merchant. It’s a fineexample of the buildings that followedthe cues of the Northern Renaissance,which reached England in the 15thcentury, and, in addition to boastingunique architecture, readers with aninterest in the county’s heritage mightalso like to visit inside during openingtimes, and enjoy the ambience and raremediaeval wall paintings. THE ROUTE.Starting at Great Pontonchurch, we walk downhill and turn leftalong Mill Lane, joining a farm track andnear Mill Farm keep ahead at a waymarkalong a field edge. From a handgate weExploringLincolnshireon footLittle Ponton to StroxtonThe really great thing about compiling the walks for Lincolnshire Todayis that yours truly gets an unrivalled opportunity to see more ofLincolnshire’s lesser known villages and hamlets. And this month is noexception with a visit to Little & Great Ponton with Stroxton nearGrantham, an area that I’d often driven by but rarely had the chance tostop and take in the beauty. 48-49_Layout 1 17/10/2016 14:25 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY49continue over a meadow to a second gate and join a track leading to the roadnear Little Ponton. Then we follow the lane directly opposite to the church.Continuing along the lane crossing the B1174 and over the bridge at theA1 Grantham bypass. we walk a mile or so further up where the lane leadsinto Stroxton village. At the old fashioned telephone box, we turn right and200 yards on, go left through Church Farm, to visit the church. Returning to the “T” junction we now follow the lane straight ahead andup a pedestrian track which after some 800 yards, leads to a road junction.We take the road opposite for another 500 yards and turn left at the firstfootpath sign. Following a track down to a junction we turn left again, onGreen Lane, heading towards Great Ponton and presently come to a 3-wayfootpath sign.Here we cross a cattle grid, walk to the next road and after a right turn tothe A1 we bear right, down to two gates and the A1 at which we turn left. Awide verge and pavement lead off and the melee of the A1 is safely crossedby footbridge reminding us that, after such a serene walk we are in fact livingin the 21st century! Once crossed the walk ends with a stroll down Dalleygatepassing Ellys Manor House and back to the church. It’s certainly an interesting walk, both for those who love the countrysideand wildlife as well as those with an interest in the County’s heritage. But it’salso a chance to enjoy the peace and calm of these tranquil villages and thecharm that the houses and some of the best kept gardens we’ve seen in along time.FACTFILESTART:Great Ponton church. (GR925305)MAPS:OS Landranger 130 (Grantham) •Explorer 247DISTANCE: 61⁄2miles : 10.5 kilometresREFRESHMENTS:None en-routeChoice of venues in GranthamFox & Hounds, Old Somerby48-49_Layout 1 17/10/2016 14:25 Page 2Next >